New Italian restaurant is open Christmas Day

By Miriam Raftery

December 21, 2017 (Lemon Grove) –Marco Provino, originally from Palermo in Sicily, worked as a chef in San Diego’s Gaslamp District at Panavino’s on Fifth before falling in love with manager Karina Karvalis. The couple married, moved to Lemon Grove and opened up Giardino’s Neighborhood Cucina, a delightfully authentic Italian restaurant with creative, upscale options at affordable pricing.

Photo: Gastil, right, with UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla's Community Advisory Board

By Jonathan Goetz

August 31, 2017 (San Diego) – Lemon Grove resident George Gastil, a professor, former school board and city council member, has been appointed to Chancellor Pradeep Khosla’s Community Advisory Board (CCAB) for the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). 

By Miriam Raftery

July 13, 2017  (Lemon Grove) – A judge has denied  a permanent restraining order sought against Lemon Grove Councilman David Arambula by a local lawyer for whom he once worked as a paralegal. The restraining order request was denied with prejudice, meaning that it cannot be refilled.  The judge found no evidentiary basis for a civil harassment order.  View the judge’s Minute Order.

East County News Service

Shows held June 23, July 28 and August 25

June 1, 2017 (Lemon Grove)—Muevete Dance Studio in Lemon Grove (3338 Main St.) presents  a Zapateados “fundraiser” on the fourth Friday each month from June through August. These events showcase dance styles from various regions in Mexico,  showcasing talented dancers from Ballet Folklorico en Aztlan.  All shows are free, starting at 7 pm.

Council members elected, marijuana measure fails

By Miriam Raftery

Update November 10, 2016:  This evening George Gastil has retaken the lead by a slim 19-vote margin as counting of mail-in and provisional ballots continues.

November 9, 2016 (Lemon Grove) — The race to fill Lemon Grove’s mayoral seat vacated by retiring Mayor Mary Sessom is still too close to call.  Councilman George Gastil jumped into an early lead, but today Councilmember Racquel Vasquez has pulled into the lead by a mere 12 votes.  If elected, she would be the first African-American mayor in San Diego County.

Update Oct. 12: The Chamber has rescinded its endorsement of Measures U and V after receiving more information from the cities of La Mesa and  Lemon Grove.

By Miriam Raftery

October 6, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) –Community leaders in La Mesa and Lemon Grove are reacting with shock and outrage over endorsement by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce (ECC) of Measures U and V, which would legalize medical marijuana dispensaries in the two cities.   Voters in both La Mesa and Lemon Grove rejected similar ballot measures in the last general election.

“The City of Lemon Grove is a dues-paying member of the ECC. Our tax dollars pay for those dues,” states an e-mail sent to  Lemon Grove’s mayor and others  from  Helen Ofield,  President of the Lemon Grove  Historical Society, and her husband, Jack.  “We urge the Lemon Grove City Council and City Manager to oppose the ECC’s action in the strongest possible terms and to cancel its membership in the ECC.”

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.   

To get a free subscription to our weekly newsletter-- and also the option to get free wildfire and emergency alerts, click here. 

Tell your friends and family!

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.