Your Weekly La Mesa Chamber News

In case you missed last week's e-blast: June 24 Eblast See more past email blasts here.

The Board of Directors and Staff of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce Wish You and Your Families a Safe and Happy July 4th Holiday!

To celebrate this special holiday in our country’s history, the office will be closed on Monday, July 4th.

We encourage you to celebrate in a safe manner -whether grilling steaks, going to the beach, laying by the pool enjoying fireworks throughout the county.

Happy July 4th to you all!

Duke’s Old Fashioned Onion Burgers Ribbon Cutting is a Rocking Party!

The Chamber, friends and family welcomed Duke’s Old Fashioned Onion Burgers to our business community on June 29th with an open house and ribbon cutting. The fries were cooking, the burgers were on the grill, the salads were prepared, and all the variety of fries served were amazing. Dukes has a HUGE assortment of fries to offer folks – not just regular fries. He serves Spanish fries (only served here and in Oklahoma), carne asada fries, taco fries, chili & cheese fries, bacon & cheese fries, and the list go on! Guests grazed to their heart’s content on all the delicious food served by owner, Frank Schultz, and his staff. The renovated building at 5020 Baltimore Drive has been transformed into a friendly neighborhood restaurant serving the finest Oklahoma style hamburgers, fresh cut fries and hand-dipped milkshakes. Founder and Owner Frank Schultz prides himself on making dressings, pickles, ketchup, and other items from scratch and serving only fresh items to his customers.

La Mesa Mayor, Mark Arapostathis, presented Frank with a certificate of appreciation for opening his business in La Mesa. He was joined by representative Moana Alo from Assembly Member Akilah Weber’s office and Marc Schaefer from Senator Brian Jones’s office with certificates of appreciation as well. The Chamber presented Frank with his membership plaque, as well as a welcome to our community certificate. The crowd was lively, and were entertained by live performers, Anna, and Chris Brogan, of the IDEAS Band. The evening was a perfect WELCOME to this new business in La Mesa. Be sure and stop by Duke’s Old Fashioned Onion Burgers at 5020 Baltimore Drive – you’ll be glad you did!

Photos courtesy of Sandra Small Photographer.

Attention Chamber Members & Business Owners:

We Want to Hear from You - Help the City of La Mesa Evaluate How to Spend Their Funding

Council Member Laura Lothian is a co-chair on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Ad-Hoc Committee for the City of La Mesa that evaluates how to spend the funding directly received from the Federal Treasury. ARPA was signed into law on March 11, 2021, with the purpose of funding various programs and provide critical assistance to small businesses across the country. Council Member Lothian would like to target $2 million dollars of La Mesa’s ARPA funds for local businesses and help them recover from the 2020-2021 pandemic. She believes that 400 grants in the amount of $5,000 each would be an effective way to assist members of our business community.

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce invites you to share your valuable feedback and let Council Member Lothian know if these funds would help you as you continue to recover. We plan to share your responses with her and assist her desire to allocate a portion of ARPA funds to local businesses. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP!

This survey is designed to assist ALL La Mesa businesses. You do NOT have to be a member of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce to respond. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every facet of life, including how businesses operate and prepare for the future. La Mesa businesses are the backbone of the City’s economic engine. All information will be handled confidentially, and any results will be aggregated to ensure anonymity.

Note: For purposes of this survey, we will consider the beginning of the pandemic as approximately March 2020.

ALL QUESTIONS ARE OPTIONAL - ANY responses you submit are helpful and the questions regarding the potential funding are VERY important to us as we move forward on assisting businesses with proposed financial assistance of $5,000 per business in La Mesa.

Take the survey here:

tinyurl.com/lamesabizsurvey2022

Mattia Law, APLC

Advocating for Business Owners, Employees & Estate Planning Needs

Mattia Law is dedicated to work with business owners and individuals in achieving their legal goals. Whether you’re a small business owner, real estate owner, employee or someone looking for legal advice, we will not only protect you, but we will also help you succeed. We bring extensive experience and professionalism to every case and customize our support to your individual needs and concerns.

3835 Avocado Blvd. Ste 265, La Mesa, CA 91941

(619) 795-6632 | www.mattialaw.com

Facebook: @mattialawyer | Twitter: @mattialaw | Linkedin: steve-mattia-71a61842

The Chamber’s 13th annual popular “foodie” event is set for Monday, July 18, 2022. This special evening where guests can “eat their hearts out” will happen between 5-8 p.m. at the newly renovated Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley. The popularity and crowd of this annual event has outgrown the La Mesa Community Center, where it was held for the first 10 years. So, make plans to join us and “Taste, Savor and Mingle” in one ballroom, with plenty of room to stroll throughout the food and business vendor tables. Enjoy great food samplings, free prizes from business sponsors/vendors, a silent auction and raffles during this fun-filled evening. Visit taste.lamesachamber.com.

Monday, July 18, 2022

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

VIP: 5-8p.m. | General Admission: 6-8p.m. | Sponsor Tasting: 4:30-8p.m.

Where: Town and Country San Diego

500 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley

Cost:

VIP: $60 | General Admission: $40

NO TICKETS SOLD AT DOOR.

To become a sponsor or for details/questions, call (619) 465-7700 or email rsvp@lamesachamber.com.

Photos courtesy of Sandra Small/ Photographer, www.CeCePhoto.com and Rippee Photography.

Microbusiness Grant Extended to July 15th

It's not too late. Apply Now!

Local microbusinesses that were affected by COVID-19 may be eligible for a $2,500 grant from the County. The deadline to apply for the second round of $2,500 grants has been extended from June 24 to July 15.

For more information, visit the County News Center.

Please share this opportunity with others in your network! 

From DA Summer Stephan: News from the DA's Office

DA Warns Against Price Gouging for Baby Formula

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is warning businesses and scammers not to take advantage of consumers by price gouging for baby formula during the ongoing shortage brought on by supply chain issues. Stephan says her office is accepting reports of price gouging for potential investigation and prosecution. 

Read more, here.

One Safe Place for Victims of Abuse

District Attorney Summer Stephan along with a broad coalition of community leaders, victim advocates, health professionals and law enforcement today announced the upcoming opening of One Safe Place—The North County Family Justice Center, in response to data that demonstrates a need for more supportive services for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking and other crimes in northern San Diego County. One Safe Place will be open to the public on July 5.

Details, HERE.

You’re cordially invited to join us at our Welcome Event this Saturday, July 2 at 9am-1pm!

Help us celebrate the opening of One Safe Place. We provide free support services to those victimized by domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse and other crimes.

Visit OneSafePlaceNorth.org.

The Chamber invites you to a fun-filled evening to meet local businesses and have the opportunity to win FREE door prizes. The evening will be filled with raffles, great samplings of delicious food from local restaurants, vendors and more!

Join us at our chamber member hotel, Courtyard by Marriot San Diego El Cajon in El Cajon. We are excited to be using the 4,500 square-foot ballroom for our vendors and raffles, the foyer for our registration activities and the beautiful courtyard to serve our food and offer beverages to our guests.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Where: Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon

141 N Magnolia Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020

Tickets: $10

All tickets need to be pre-purchased. NO tickets will be sold at the door.

Cal Coast Cares Foundation Awards $150,000 in Student Scholarships

The Cal Coast Cares Foundation has announced that $150,000 in scholarships has been awarded to support college-bound high school seniors, current or former foster students and current college students in San Diego or Riverside Counties.

The non-profit foundation awarded $2,000 scholarships to selected students who have a goal of pursuing higher education, have proven dedication to academic excellence and community leadership, and met the application criteria. Recipients of first-year foster student scholarships are also eligible for second-year scholarships if they meet certain minimum academic requirements.

“We are proud to continue our commitment to supporting students through academic scholarships as they work toward their goal of continuing their educational journey. We know that students were challenged with obstacles through the various stages of the pandemic and now with the rising costs of transportation, supplies, and tuition – this funding is more important than ever,” said Nickie Behdin, manager - foundation & school partnerships.

Established in 2015, the Cal Coast Cares Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides scholarship opportunities for local students and grants for educators. You can help students and teachers by donating to the Cal Coast Cares Foundation here: https://bit.ly/3sOGWYZ.

From San Pasqual Winery: Don't Miss Out on the Big Bay Boom Fireworks!!

Hurry and Get Your Tickets for Prime Viewing!

Summer heat waves can drive up the temperature – and your business’s energy use. Now is the perfect time to set your business up for summer energy savings success. Here are some tips to get started:

1. Know the details of your SDG&E energy pricing plan. Your pricing plan impacts your bottom line. As summer temps rise, review your business’s pricing plan and energy use on MyAccount.sdge.com to learn when to conserve energy. If your pricing plan includes event days, prepare to reduce your energy use for on-peak and event-day hours (4 – 9 p.m.) when an activation is called.  
2. Implement energy-saving strategies. Use motion detectors to control lighting in frequently unoccupied areas and photocells to turn lights off automatically when enough daylight is detected. Get more energy-saving tips at sdge.com/Business-Summer.  
3. Sign up for energy alerts. You can sign up for alerts through SDG&E’s My Account to receive notifications when an Event Day occurs. This way you can prepare for any shifts in operations to conserve energy.  
4. Take advantage of SDG&E’s business programs. Sign up for a Demand Response (DR) program that provides incentives to businesses when they can reduce electricity use when the demand is higher.  
5. Does your business need help with its SDG&E bill? You can set up a payment plan on sdge.com/help-with-bills. Visit sdge.com/recovery for more options.

FEATURED! July 18 - "Taste of San Diego - East" : 5-8pm at Town and Country San Diego | 500 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley | Details/Buy Tickets

FEATURED! August 18 - "Summer Bash" Business Expo : 5-7:30pm at Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon | 141 N Magnolia Ave, El Cajon | Details/Buy Tickets

September 15 - Joint Mixer with La Mesa and Santee Chambers : 5-7pm at Lantern Crest Senior Living | 300 Lantern Crest Way, Santee, CA 92071 | Details/RSVP

September 21 - Annual Evening Mixer at Hooleys Public House : 5:30-7pm at Hooleys Public House | 5500 Grossmont Center Drive #277 in La Mesa | Details/RSVP

FEATURED! September 24 - Shop & Dine La Mesa : 11am-4pm at The Marketplace at Lake Murray Village | Details

FEATURED! October 19 - Salute to Local Heroes & Installation Dinner : 5:30-8:45pm at Sycuan Casino Resort | 5485 Casino Way, El Cajon | Details

December 7 - Toy Drive for La Mesa Military Families & Party at BJ's : 5:30-7pm at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse | 5500 Grossmont Center Dr. in La Mesa | Details/RSVP

NOTE: We recommend those that are feeling ill, or who have been exposed to someone who is ill – please stay home.

American Medical Response

Angelo's Towing & Recovery

Barnes & Noble -

Grossmont Center

Benchmark Financial

Cabrillo Credit Union

Charcoal House

Restaurant & Bar

Community Spectrum

EDCO Waste & Recycling Corp.

Focuscom Inc.

Frazier Farms

Kostedt Design & Marketing

Major Security Services

Mattia Law, APLC

McGee Mechanical

Park Station

PenChecks, Inc.