Your Weekly News from the La Mesa Chamber |
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CARES ACT Funding for La Mesa Small Businesses a Success! |
The La Mesa Chamber was thrilled to play a role in La Mesa small businesses receiving the $1 million of CARES Act funding, and are grateful to Mayor Arapostathis, and Council Members Kristine Alessio and Bill Baber for supporting the motion and allowing the $1 million to be allocated to the small businesses of La Mesa. These grants were given to eligible La Mesa businesses in grants up to $5,000 each for a total of 198 businesses able to be helped. What an opportunity for the City of La Mesa to use CARES Act funds to help our business community that are struggling each day to stay afloat during this pandemic! We are happy to report that we received great response for these grant funds and businesses will be contacted and checks will be written soon! A definite “win-win” situation! |
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The Chamber Moves “Taste of San Diego - East” to June 14, 2021 |
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As we all navigate our way through the Coronavirus, it is obvious that large events that assemble people in one venue are probably NOT going to happen in 2020. In our continuing efforts to be ahead of the “curve” and understand the dynamics of this virus, we have reserved a NEW date for our popular 12th Annual “Taste of San Diego - East” and have secured Monday, June 14th as that NEW date. We plan to bring the public and our restaurants and food providers together at the newly renovated, Town and Country Hotel and we will get back to producing events that spotlight food, fun and friendship! We realize that the pandemic has caused a great financial hardship on our restaurants and food providers that have participated in the past and those on our website may not participate in 2021. However, we have kept them on our website in the hopes that they may join us in 2021. Stay tuned as we move forward together and recover! |
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All Checks Disbursed for La Mesa Disaster Relief Fund - The GoFundMe Account has been Totally Disbursed! |
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The La Mesa Chamber is proud to announce that all of the funds that were collected/donated through the GoFundMe account in partnership with the San Diego East County Foundation and ECEDC have been disbursed to La Mesa businesses that were impacted by the civil unrest on May 30th and May 31st. As soon as the fund was created, it took off. People were so moved by the destruction they witnessed on TV that their hearts were full of compassion for our La Mesa businesses and donations came in immediately. The fund reached $50,000 on the first day and reached $100,000 by the second day. With additional corporate donations, the fund total reached $261,626.23. We are grateful to all of those who supported our La Mesa businesses and helped our community begin to heal. |
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Check Voter Registration Now to Get Mail Ballot Later |
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The Registrar of Voters will prepare election ballots for mailing in two weeks, so active registered voters are urged to CHECK THEIR VOTER REGISTRATION now to get a mail ballot at their address later. More than 1.8 million postcards went out to registered voters last month telling them to expect a mail ballot for the November 3, 2020, Presidential General Election.
If you are a registered voter and did NOT receive this postcard, this could mean:
- You are not registered to vote in San Diego County, or
- You recently moved or changed your name and have not re-registered to vote.
Voters have until mid-September to make sure registration information is current. Mail ballots start going out on October 5. If you’re up to date, you could find your ballot in your mailbox the same week.
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Polling Place Site Managers Needed for Nov. 3 General Election |
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The Registrar of Voters is seeking temporary full-time site managers to operate assigned polling places for the Nov. 3 General Election. Site managers can earn $20 per hour. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, polling places will be open for four days instead of one. The Registrar’s office will hire election workers rather than use volunteers because training is more extensive for the expanded time period. Read full article. |
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Executive Order Extending Consumer Protection Against Price Gouging |
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On September 3, Governor Newsom signed an executive order extending consumer protections against price gouging through March 4, 2021 as California continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The protections generally prohibit sellers of any kind from increasing prices on food, consumer goods, medical or emergency supplies, and certain other items by more than 10 percent. |
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State Adds Blueprint for a Safer Economy to
Replace County Monitoring List
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On August 28, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Blueprint for a Safer Economy as the next evolution of California’s response. The criteria and the time between changing tiers have been revised to make it easy for counties to see how changes affect the disease’s trajectory and for businesses and customers to plan ahead. Find out how businesses and activities can open in counties statewide beginning on August 31. See the activities and business tiers. |
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Plan to More than Double
State’s Testing Capacity, Reduce Turnaround Time
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On August 26, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California has signed a groundbreaking contract with a major diagnostics company, which will allow California to process up to an additional 150,000 COVID-19 diagnostic tests a day, with a contractual turnaround time of 24-48 hours. The goal is to stand up a laboratory facility and begin processing tens of thousands of additional tests by November 1 and run at full capacity by no later than March 1, 2021.
- Contract with diagnostics company will allow California to process up to an additional 150,000 COVID-19 tests a day with a contractual turnaround time of 24-48 hours.
- Groundbreaking deal will disrupt testing market and drive down cost of tests for everyone; it expands California’s ability to fight COVID-19 and protect essential workers and those most at risk of infection.
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SBA is Still Accepting Economic Injury Disaster Loan Applications |
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Small businesses, private non-profits and agricultural businesses impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, can still apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation to health care benefits, rent, utilities and fixed debt payments. |
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Payroll Tax Deferral Takes Effect September 1st |
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The IRS issued guidance on President Trump’s payroll tax deferral to defer tax from September 1st until December 31st. This guidance includes the following highlights:
- Employers can defer the withholding, deposit, and payment of certain payroll taxes on wages paid from September 1st through December 31st.
- Interest penalties, and additions to tax will begin to accrue on unpaid taxes starting May 1st, 2021.
- Employees who partake in the payroll tax deferral will receive a temporary boost for the remainder of the year, but smaller paychecks early next year as employers withhold and pay the deferral amounts to the IRS.
- The deferral applies to any employee whose pretax wages or compensation during any biweekly pay period generally is less than $4,000 – the equivalent of $104,00 a year.
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Temperature Checks for Employees
Please continue to conduct temperature and symptom screenings, which include those in the Safe Reopening Plan.
Temperature Limit of 100.0 F
100.0 F is the limit for temperature checks. While limits set by the World Health Organization and the CDC may be different, the county has set the temperature limit of 100.0 F to account for varying readings of touch/no touch thermometers.
Live Entertainment at Restaurants
Live entertainment is currently still prohibited by the state, due to their ability to be a catalyst for COVID-19 spread.
Permits for Bars Serving Food
Any meal provider – “food operator” needs to be permitted through San Diego County Department of Environmental Health (DEH). The food must be provided by a DEH-approved vendor. To find out if a vendor is approved, visit www.sdfoodinfo.org. For questions about logistics like ventilation and sanitation 858- 505-6659.
Clean Shopping Carts at Retail Stores
Be prepared to clean your own cart, but you may also request to speak to a manager. If there are egregious sanitation violations you feel need to be reported, call 858-694-2900.
Philanthropic Women’s Club Facility Considered an Office “Workspace”
These types of facilities are considered a “Non-Essential Office,” which are required to operate remotely where possible. If employees cannot work remotely, conduct indoor operations with physical distancing, sanitation, face coverings and temperature checks. They can also operate outdoors, if possible, with physical distancing.
Plan for Winter Holiday Events or Alternatives
Retail operations are permitted for Pumpkin Patch lots. Currently, events like Alpine Tree Lighting, Christmas Parade & Festival of Light will not be permitted especially if they constitute a “gathering” per county Public Health Order/State Public Health Order. These will be accessed on a case-by-case basis to determine which types of holiday events will be permitted.
Safe Reopening Plan Requirements
Businesses need to review their Safe Reopening Plan if they are moving back indoors or reopening and update it with any changes. The Safe Reopening Plan needs to include how they will maintain the capacity requirements in their business/facility, and it will need to be reviewed with employees. There is no requirement to submit the Safe Reopening Plan to the county.
Community Outbreak Definition
A Community Cluster Outbreak is three or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases associated acute respiratory illness (ARI) occurring in a community setting and has been assessed by the local health department as having public health importance. Outbreak is determined by case investigation of multiple common exposures, and for COVID-19 includes 3 or more positive cases in a 14-day period.
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Allowance of Drive-In Concerts
Drive-in concerts are allowed, but vehicles must contain only members of the same household and individuals must remain in their vehicles.
Retail Store Recording of Customer’s Name and Number
Retails are not required to record a customer’s name and phone number upon entering. This is only required for industries in Section 11bi of the new Public Health Order (hair salons and barbershops, personal care services, gyms, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and bars).
Occupancy Limits Includes Employees
Industries with a 10% capacity requirement must count employees in that 10% calculation, as the capacity refers to the total “occupancy” or individual in that particular setting.
Bank Branch Occupancy
Banks are considered essential, so they are not required to abide by the 50% retail capacity requirements. They still must follow protocols for physical distancing, sanitation, temperature checks and face coverings.
Limit to Number of People Gathering Outdoors
No set limit to number of people allowed to gather outdoors. Use the natural setting space to determine the capacity, taking into account the ability of individuals to physically distance.
COVID-19 Nasal Swab Switching to Saliva Testing
There is no plan to switch to saliva tests at this point.
What to do if COVID-19 Positive Employees Push Back About Reporting of their Information
Assure patrons the reason behind this information is for contact tracing and for the health and safety of the community.
Essential Business Sanitation Protocol
According to the Public Health Order section 10b, essential businesses must prepare and post a “Social Distancing and Sanitation Protocol”. “All essential businesses shall implement the Social Distancing and Sanitation Protocol and provide evidence of its implementation to any authority enforcing this order upon demand” and implementing 1) physical distancing, 2) No congregating, 3) Temperature Screening, and Hygiene, and 4) Sanitation Protocols.
Cases of the Normal Cold/Flu Annually
CDC: The burden of influenza disease in the United States can vary widely and is determined by a number of factors including the characteristics of circulating viruses, the timing of the season, how well the vaccine is working to protect against illness, and how many people got vaccinated.
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Illumina Awarded Federal Funds for High-Volume COVID-19 Testing |
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San Diego gene sequencing giant Illumina has secured government funding for a COVID-19 test that can detect the novel coronavirus in thousands of samples at once, according to an announcement this week. Nine companies were awarded a total of $129 million to develop rapid, efficient COVID-19 tests. Illumina says the funding will aid the company’s efforts over the next few months to test 48,000 samples a day for the coronavirus. These tests will provide useful information for public officials deciding whether businesses and schools can safely reopen. COVIDseq runs on Illumina’s latest sequencing machine, Novaseq6000. The company has 1,000 such machines deployed in various research labs and hospitals. Each sequence can run up to about 3,000 samples in 12 hours, which can increase in the future. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Jonathan Wosen.
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ACTION REQUESTED: Track Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot |
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Dear California Voter,
All California voters will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot with a prepaid postage return envelope for the November 3, 2020 General Election.
All voters can now get critical updates on their ballots through California’s official “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking tool. Signing up takes less than three minutes!
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**If you have already signed up for "Where's My Ballot?" you do not need to take further action.**
What you’ll be able to track
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You can select to receive notifications on the status of your vote-by-mail ballot by text (SMS), email, or voice call, including alerts if there are any issues with your ballot and instructions for how to correct them to make sure your vote is counted.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to track your ballot every step of the way!
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National Preparedness Month |
You may already know that September is National Preparedness Month. This is the month to ensure that you, your loved ones, your neighbors, your co-workers and even your pets and service animals are all prepared for any type of disaster.
We have all seen the devastation across California with recent wildfires burning millions of acres of land. Thousands of families had to quickly evacuate and thousands of structures were destroyed. There are over 15,600 firefighters in California risking their lives and risking getting COVID-19 trying to save people, pets and homes. Some of them have given their lives trying to do so. If you appreciate their sacrifice and dedication to their work, don’t just thank them. Help them by making their jobs a little easier and get your home, your family, and your community prepared.
They are doing their part. It is time for us to do ours.
The American Red Cross Southern California Region will be hosting a series of virtual preparedness presentations throughout the month on different disaster topics. Join us for these presentations and take the necessary steps to being prepared. We wrap up the month with a preparedness game to see how much you know and how you measure up to others. Below and attached is a list of dates. We also have a link to them here: Preparedness Month Presentations. |
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From Senator Jones: Senator Jones seeks California Heroes |
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Dear Friends‚
During COVID-19 have you caught your neighbor...in an act of heroism?
In 2014‚ Senate Concurrent Resolution 97 designated September as ‘California Heroes’ Month. This is a time when everyday heroes are to be recognized for their extraordinary acts of community service.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented so many challenges for our community‚ yet we have seen everyday heroes step up more than ever. For each neighbor who was hurting‚ another neighbor helped.
This September‚ I would like to recognize all of these California Heroes in my district. If you know of a California Hero who you witnessed performing an extraordinary act of service‚ please click here to nominate them. Be sure to include your nominee’s first name‚ last name‚ and a short description of why you believe they deserve to be recognized as a 2020 California Hero from Senate District 38.
I look forward to hearing the stories of heroism from our community!
Best‚
Brian
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Go Back to School with Biz Kid$! SDCCU is Helping Students Learn about Money and Business with Biz Kid$ Events Online
SDCCU Biz Kid$ Events online will be held every Wednesday in September; offering interactive presentations for kids in distance learning environments
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San Diego County Credit Union® (SDCCU®), one of California’s largest locally-owned financial institutions, is hosting SDCCU Back to School with Biz Kid$ events online to help engage kids in distance learning environments going back to school with fun and interactive ways to learn about money, finances and business. Topics include: Crash Course on Starting a Business, Entrepreneurship; How Do You Get Money?, Credit and Debit; and What’s Your Money Personality?, Financial Basics. These Biz Kid$ Event online presentations will be held every Wednesday in September. To register for an upcoming event, visit sdccu.com/fww.
“With students distance learning in the fall, now is the great time for parents and teachers to incorporate some fun educational ways for kids to learn about finances, money and business into the school,” said SDCCU President and CEO Teresa Campbell. “As longtime advocates of the SDCCU Biz Kid$ program, we’re ecstatic to be able to offer Back to School Biz Kid$ events online to kids virtually returning to school in the fall.”
SDCCU launched the program in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and the County of San Diego, in support of Live Well San Diego, in 2015. Biz Kid$ is an award-winning, comprehensive financial literacy program focused on teaching kids how to use credit wisely and about the importance of saving, budgeting, investing and giving back to their communities. The Biz Kid$ program and all episodes are based on national standards for financial literacy and entrepreneurship education, and have been mapped to individual state standards.
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SDG&E Warns Customers About a New Wave of Utility Scams |
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A new wave of scammers is targeting San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) customers, threatening to cut off their service unless they pay their utility bills immediately with prepaid cards. The most common tactic reported is scammers impersonating SDG&E’s billing department and asking for payment via Green Dot MoneyPak, a way of sending cash via prepaid or bank debit cards.
Known as the "Pay-by-Phone" scam, or “Green Dot” scam, criminals typically threaten immediate power shut-offs to scare customers into making an immediate payment. Once customers purchase prepaid debit cards, or make wire transfers based on the scammer’s instructions, they are asked to call another phone number to provide the card information, which allows the thieves to steal the money.
It can be especially confusing for victims, as the phone number scammers use may play a recorded message and menu options that mimic SDG&E’s official customer service line, which is 1-800-411-7343. When victims call the number provided by scammers, they may hear a recorded message that tells them they are calling SDG&E’s business line. They are given different menu options, including one to pay their bill or to report a gas leak or power outage. To avoid becoming a victim of utility scams, please follow the tips below.
Bottom Line: SDG&E will NOT:
- Call a customer to proactively ask for payment information during the call. Customers may receive communications directing them to pay their bill via their MyAccount at sdge.com, or to call and use the automated pay-by-phone option at 1-800-411-7343.
- Request that a customer use pre-paid debit cards for payments or cryptocurrencies (i.e. Bitcoin) to pay their bill.
- Send emails with an online payment method with a QR code.
If you suspect that a caller may be a utility scammer, keep the following in mind. What to do:
- If a caller claims to work for SDG&E and asks for payment over the phone, it is a scam, hang up!
- Only provide financial information by telephone if the customer initiated the call.
- Hang up and call SDG&E directly at 1-800-411-7343 to verify information about the account.
- Customers can also view their account status, including bills and payments, through
- SDG&E’s mobile app or via sdge.com/myaccount.
Don’t be the next victim
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Businesses Who Are NOT Open
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- Bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries not serving food
- Live theaters
- Nightclubs
- Saunas and steam rooms
- Schools, for in-person instruction
- Theme parks (Zoos and aquariums are 25% capacity)
- Offices for non-essential businesses
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Member Restaurants Offering Outdoor Dining |
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Anthony's Fish Grotto
Dine by the Lake and enjoy the ambiance from 11:30am - 8pm.
9530 Murray Drive in La Mesa
BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
7 days a week from 11am-10pm - Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Curbside Service, & Delivery. Walk-in, first come, first serve service.
5500 Grossmont Drive
Brew Coffee Spot
Our patio is open daily from 8am to 3pm! First come first served. No reservations required.
Online ordering through Clover | Take out
6101 Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa
Cucina Basilico
Patio service Tuesdays - Sundays: 4.30pm-9 pm
(619) 825-3171
7200 Parkway Dr. in La Mesa
Hooleys Public House
Dine under the (3) tents right by the restaurant.
Tue - Thur 4 - 9 pm | Fri 4 - 10 pm | Sat 11 am - 10 pm | Sun 11 am - 7 pm
5500 Grossmont Center Dr. #277
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La Mesa Wine Works
A cooperative Tasting Room featuring Premium Wines from San Diego County Wineries
8167 Center Street, La Mesa, CA 91942
Thursday - Saturday 3-8 & Sunday 12-5
Little Roma
Dine on the patio that surrounds the restaurant.
Mon - Sat: 11am - 9pm | Sun: 4pm - 8:30pm
5575 Baltimore Drive, Suite 104 in La Mesa
Marie Callender's
Patio dining available!
Mon-Thur & Sun: 11am-8pm | Fri & Sat 11am-9pm
6950 Alvarado Rd. in San Diego
Nonno's Ristorante Italiano
Dine in with reservations, or carry out
5314 Baltimore Drive in La Mesa
Sycuan Casino Resort
Enjoy the Viewpoint Neighborhood Kitchen patio!
Restaurant & Bar | Thursday - Sunday: 5PM-10PM
Brunch | Saturday & Sunday: 8AM-2PM
The Lunch Box Cafe and Deli
Dine-in service, takeout or delivery!
Tue - Fri: 7:30am - 2:00pm | Sat: 7:30am - 1:00pm
8751 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa
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Member Restaurants Offering Take Out / Delivery |
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Anthony's Fish Grotto
Takeout & dine-in: 11:30am - 8pm
Retail market: 11:30am -7pm
9530 Murray Drive in La Mesa
BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse
7 days a week from 11am-10pm - Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Curbside Service, & Delivery. Walk-in, first come, first serve service.
5500 Grossmont Drive
Brew Coffee Spot
Patio open 8-3 daily | online ordering | take out
(619) 246-1244
6101 Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa
Cali Comfort BBQ
Take out: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. 7 days a week.
619-337-0670
8910 Troy Street in Spring Valley
Cucina Basilico
Takeout: 4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
(619) 825-3171.
7200 Parkway Dr. in La Mesa
Dream Dinners
Easy, Homemade Meals
5208 Jackson Dr #116 - La Mesa
Edible Arrangements
Free delivery! 8237 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa
El Pollo Loco
10 a.m. - 10 p.m. for drive through meals.
4990 Baltimore Drive in La Mesa
Himalayan Cuisine
Take out: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sunday - Thursday
Friday & Saturday: 11am - 10pm
(619) 461-2503
7918 El Cajon Blvd #P in La Mesa
Hooleys Public House
Patio dining, takeout & delivery
Tue - Thur 4 - 9 pm | Fri 4 - 10 pm | Sat 11 am - 10 pm | Sun 11 am - 7 pm
5500 Grossmont Center Dr. #277
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Little Roma
Patio dining or delivery.
Mon - Sat: 11am - 9pm | Sun: 4pm - 8:30pm
Delivery hours: M-Sat 11am- 9pm | Sun 4-8:30pm
5575 Baltimore Drive, Suite 104 in La Mesa
Los Pinos Taco Shop
Takeout: Mon - Sat 10:30am - 9pm.
Sunday 4 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
(619) 462-5031
5646 Lake Murray Blvd in La Mesa
Marie Callender's
Patio dining,take out and delivery available!
Mon-Thur & Sun: 11am-8pm | Fri & Sat 11am-9pm
6950 Alvarado Rd. in San Diego
Nonno's Ristorante Italiano
Dine in with reservations or carry out.
5314 Baltimore Drive in La Mesa
Red Lobster
Takeout: Sun - Thurs: 11am - 10pm, Fri & Sat: 11am - 11pm
(619) 463-4449 | 8703 Murray Drive in La Mesa
San Pasqual Winery
Mon - Thur: 12 - 6 PM | Fri - Sat: 12 - 8 PM | Sunday: 12 - 5 PM
Order pick ups and bottles to go. Limited wine service on our patio. Visit La Mesa Wine Works, for service on our spacious patio! 8364 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa
Surf Rider Pizza Co.
Takeout: Tuesday - Sunday 11:30am - 7:30pm
8381 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa
The Lunch Box Cafe and Deli
Dine-in service, takeout or delivery!
Tuesday to Friday: 7:30am - 2:00pm
Saturday: 7:30am - 1:00pm
8751 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa
Valley Farm Market
Fresh meat, chicken and fish, as well as milk, eggs, bread and fresh produce. Products are available on a “first come, first served” basis.
9040 Campo Rd. in Spring Valley
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Show Off Your Membership With Pride! |
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"Most consumers (59%) think that being active in the local chamber of commerce is an effective business strategy overall. It is 29% more effective, however, for communicating to consumers that a
company uses good business practices and 26% more effective for communicating that a business is reputable."
Quoted from "The Real Value of Joining a Local Chamber of Commerce"
Not only do we provide members a physical plaque to display at their place of business, we also provide a way to further brand your business by providing a Virtual Plaque to display right on your website. Membership in a chamber of commerce has come to signify corporate citizenship and excellence, and your website is your storefront to the consumer and the world. Just place it on your website with a link back to www.lamesachamber.com or to your personal business page in our directory. |
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Special Thank You to Our Premium Members |
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Grossmont Center
At Grossmont Center, you’ll be reminded why our center has thrived since 1961 because it’s where friendships are made, family bonds are strengthened and memories are created.
5500 Grossmont Center Dr. #213 in La Mesa
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Boston Beer Company
Edible Arrangements
Power Plaques.com
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Sandra Small/ Photographer |
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SMIB Management, Inc.
The Little Warehouse
Self Storage
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AAA Imaging
American Medical Response
Barnes & Noble -
Grossmont Center
Benchmark Financial
Community Spectrum
Discovering My City Magazine
DMZ Visual Marketing
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EDCO Waste & Recycling Corp.
Frazier Farms
Hallman Jewelers
Kostedt Design & Marketing
Magnaglobe Enterprises
Mobility Works
Park Station
PenChecks, Inc.
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Productivity Plus Office Support
San Pasqual Winery
Sanctuary Cruises
Studio M.I.F.
The East County Californian
Vision Studio Concepts
William H. Sauls
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Thank you for being a member and for your support!
Mary England
President & CEO
Cell: 619-251-7730
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La Mesa Chamber of Commerce ∙ 8080 La Mesa Blvd. Ste. 212 ∙ La Mesa, California 91942
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Copyright © 2020 All Rights Reserved. |
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