September 2, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Our latest newsletter just came out --with all the hottest news and events impacting you in East County all in one single-page newsletter.  You can view the latest edition here.   

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By Jonathan Goetz

Scroll down for complete ballot statements from all candidates

August 23, 2016 (Lemon Grove)-- The Lemon Grove City Council is undergoing some major changes. Mayor Mary Sessom is stepping down. Council members Racquel Vasquez and George Gastil are running for the open mayoral seat, along with Teresa Rosiak, former president of Lemon Grove’s Chamber of Commerce.

Although the races are officially nonpartisan,Gastil has won endorsement from the County Democratic Party, an advantage in Lemon Grove, a heavily Democratic community.  Vasquez is also a registered Democrat,while Rosiak is a Republican. 

Both Gastil and Vasquez have their terms end this year, meaning they are giving up their seats by running for Mayor and there will be no costly special election to fill their seats. Five candidates are hoping to fill those slots.

Below are highlights on all Mayoral and Council candidates' qualifications, along with their full ballot statements submitted to the cities. (Note,  statements are within the public review period which ends August 29; statements may change on official ballots if any information is challenged.)

By Miriam Raftery

August 3, 2016 (La Mesa) – With scarcely any public notice, Helix Water Board passed a 10.3% rate hike by a slim one-vote majority. The stated reason was because water use has dropped due to customers conserving water--just as the district asked them to do.

Directors Kathleen Coates-Hedberg and Joel Scalziti voted against jacking up rates, while directors John Linden, Chuck Muse and Deana Verbeke voted for the rate hike over public objections.

East County News Service

Hear our interviews at the audio links below.  (Note, audio files may take a few moments to load.)

April 29, 2016 (Lemon Grove) – Recently, East County Magazine sat down with George Gastil,  Mayor Pro Tem of Lemon Grove and a candidate for Mayor.  Our two-part interview originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio earlier this month.

In our series, he talked about key issues facing Lemon Grove and changes the city has seen through the years. In addition, Gastil, who has also served on the Metropolitan Transit board and the Lemon Grove School District Board, discusses transportation, education and politics--including his upcoming bid to become Lemon Grove's Mayor, after long-time Mayor Mary Sessom announced her retirement.

By Miriam Raftery

March 31, 2016 (Lemon Grove) –The Lemon Grove/Spring Valley area would have its own district to elect a trustee to the Grossmont Union High School District’s board under a plan that the GUHSD approved, but  that must next be approved or rejected by the County Office of Education’s Committee on School District Organization.

The County committee previously announced five hearings on the redistricting plan. Now, the committee announces a sixth hearing to be held on Wednesday, April 6 from 6-8 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Library community room, 3001 School Lane in Lemon Grove. (Map)

Other upcoming hearings will be held in Lakeside, Alpine and Jamul. For a full list of all hearings and rules for public comment, click here.   

To view data on the GUHSD redistricting plan including demographic details and maps, click here.

By  Miriam Raftery

February 23, 2016 (San Diego’s East County)—Grosssmont-Union High School District’s board is expected to cast a final vote Thursday at 4 p.m. on controversial redistricting maps. The board will also vote to seek a waiver from the state from a requirement that would ordinarily requiring putting the redistricting measure on the ballot, and waiver from a state requiring that new trustee area plans be in effect at least 120 days before the next election in November.  (View meeting notice. The meeting will be at the East County Regional Education Center, 924 East Main Street, El Cajon.)

The district contends it has acted appropriately in response to a threat of legal action over alleged voting rights violations. But critics say the plan would oust the board’s most outspoken dissenting member, Priscilla Schreiber, leave Alpine represented by an opponent of the Alpine High School, and divide Iraqi-Chaldean residents into multiple districts, diluting their power as a voting block.  It also carves out a new district in the Lemon Grove/Spring Valley area with no trustee currently residing in that district, which does have a history of representing people of color.

East County News Service

January 2, 2016 (Lemon Grove) -Lemon Grove’s City Council meets on Tuesday, January 5^th at 6 p.m. The agenda includes a proposed ordinance to ban medical marijuana dispensaries, deliveries and commercial cultivation. Council will also consider an ordinance to shift planning authority from the Planning Commission and  the City Council hear planning matters instead.

Changes to the Water Efficient Landscape ordinance will also be considered, along with a continuing hearing on housing element obligations and awarding a contract for stormwater services.

East County News Service

December 1, 2015 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove’s annual community bonfire will be ablaze at Civic Center Park (3200 Main Street) on Friday, December 4 from 5 to 9 p.m.  

Activities also include  hayrides, a rock climbing wall, game booths, photo booth, arts & crafts, face painting and a game truck.  Free hot chocolate, chili, cornbread, cookies, fruit and popcorn will be provided.

By Helen Ofield, President, Lemon Grove Historical Society

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

November 1, 2015 (Lemon Grove) -- He will be. The witching hour is 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the H. Lee House, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove.

Of course, you knew that.  Come November, neither you, we, nor anyone within earshot is exempt from visions of sugar plums, the hope of reindeer hooves on the roof, the hearkening to Donner and Blitzen, and the careful setting out of a post prandial libation and figgy pudding for The Great Claus.

He is William Swank and the name fits.  He is swell, swank, super-duper and silver-tongued.  He's been Santa Claus for 14 years, including seven in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. He's an author of 10 books, too, bringing us to the main event.

WWII storyteller now stalks the mean streets of Los Angeles

August 7, 2015 (Lemon Grove)—Sheriff’s Deputies responded at 8 p.m. last night to a call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon at 3554 West Street in Lemon Grove.

July 26, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Heartland Fire & Rescue, serving the Cities of El Cajon, La Mesa and Lemon Grove, is currently accepting applications for the reserve portion of the Heartland Fire Academy through August 7, 2015. Applications will be accepted between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at 100 E. Lexington Avenue in El Cajon.

East County News Service

June 22, 2015 (San Diego's East County)--Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will be holding a Standing on the Side of Love event to support the national "Black Lives Matter" movement in Lemon Grove, California on June 22nd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.. 

The movement is a rallying cry against police actions and a criminal justice system which results in extremely disproportionate acts of violence, incrimination and incarceration of Blacks in America. This event will also advocate that local law enforcement agencies such as the San Diego Sheriffs' Department stop conducting actions like Operation Lemon Drop which appear to target low income populations of color.

The rally will start at the northwest corner of Lemon Grove Avenue and Broadway.  At 5:30, local speakers will make short presentations regarding this movement in our region.

Source: Heartland Fire and Rescue

May 29, 2015 (Lemon Grove)--The City of Lemon Grove, along with its fire department, Heartland Fire & Rescue, is taking steps to clear brush from 8 and a half acres near Lawton Drive and Camino De Las Palmas. Goats are being used as part of the process in clearing heavy brush to minimize fire danger and help create defensible space for homes in this area.

“This type of brush abatement is a tremendous help to firefighters in protecting land and nearby homes from fast moving brush fires during our summer months and the long fire season we live with in San Diego County” says Heartland Fire Chief Rick Sitta.

The company being used for this project in Lemon Grove is Environmental Land Management (ELM), the same company that was used in El Cajon to create the defensible space in 2011 that assisted in the protection of several homes from a brush fire.