In case you missed last week's e-blast: September 16 Eblast

What do you get when two chambers join forces for a fun-filled evening at a brand-new location? The answer is great conversation, great raffle prizes and of course, great food and FUN! That’s what happened on Wednesday, September 15th – we all were entertained at a 50’s style diner for this joint Santee Chamber and La Mesa Chamber mixer. The new building at Lantern Crest, The Plaza has a 50’s diner that is amazing. You enter and are really taken back to the 50’s. The décor is all red and white, complete with red and white diner stools that are at the diner counter. A '57 Chevy-style couch and a two-lane bowling alley complete the entire 50’s design of this location. Guests from both chambers grazed on a huge variety of food, prepared by Chef Marco and the crowd loved the atmosphere and the hospitality. We are grateful that Supervisor Joel Anderson sent his representative, Marc Schaefer to join us and we saw him try his skill on the bowling alley.

Our thanks to Karina Cunningham, who was the coordinator of this fabulous night and her entire staff who made us feel so welcome. We are also grateful for our partnership with the Santee Chamber and their CEO, Kristen Dare. Karina gave away prizes to several lucky people at the end of the night and a “good time was had by all.” 

Photos courtesy of Sandra Small/ Photographer

On Tuesday night a group of fun-loving La Mesa businesses got together for a long overdue mixer at the Hills Local Pub. The Hills is a favorite watering hole and serves the best sliders in the region, possibly the State of California. The Manager, Kristen Wildes was a gracious host and made sure that the food was served and kept on being delivered to the food table. Guests jumped up and began grazing on fried pickles and famous beef sliders. When those trays were empty, pulled pork sliders were then delivered, along with other tasty food. The beverages were cold and frosty on this warm September evening. The mood was festive and the noise level was, wait for it…..LOUD! One of the owners, Marco Rodriguez stopped by to make sure that we were having fun and we were grateful for his gracious offer of adding more sliders to the food platters. This was an excellent opportunity for people to see and meet new people. During the evening a time was set aside for a welcome and the opportunity for guests to introduce themselves. Lily Pig was the “team player “of the evening, by bringing 12 of her team to enjoy the evening. Thank you, Lily! We were honored that Supervisor Joel Anderson sent his representative, Marc Schaefer to join us for the celebration. Denise Price also joined us as the representative of the USA Properties Fund, the group chosen to develop the affordable housing project on the former La Mesa Police headquarters site at 8181 Allison Avenue. She brought renderings of the project for people to view. The rest of the businesses and guests introduced themselves and then got on to the business of the evening – enjoying each other’s company! We look forward to celebrating at The Hills soon and thank you to the owners for hosting the mixer and Kristen for setting up the back area for us and to her staff for the EXCELLENT service and the delicious food and beverages.

Photos courtesy of Sandra Small/ Photographer

In 2021, 18 Chambers of Commerce came together to form the San Diego Business Coalition. Our goal is to educate the community and businesses about proposed policies that will negatively impact San Diegans.

San Diego Elected Officials are looking to impose a new VEHICLE MILEAGE TAX to charge drivers PER MILE that we drive. This pilot program will then be implemented for all California drivers.

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce invites you to join them at the ribbon cutting and evening mixer to welcome Blo Blow Dry Bar to our business community. This is a great opportunity to meet this new Chamber member, Angela Brown and her team. Blo Blow Dry Bar believes everyone deserves to feel beautiful, inside, and out. Blow outs have the power to uplift everyone and enhance everyone’s day. The philosophy of Blo Blow Dry Bar is to treat yourself to a good hair day! Sample great food, good conversation and beverages. The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. with the “official” ribbon cutting taking place at 6:00 p.m. The evening celebration will end at 7 p.m.

Make plans to join us at this ribbon cutting celebration, evening mixer and open house. Be sure to bring your business cards while you mix and mingle! RSVP now to join the fun!

Official Ribbon Cutting at 6 p.m.

Location: Blo Blow Dry Bar

8806 Grossmont Boulevard in La Mesa

Cost: Free

On Tuesday, October 5th you are invited to welcome Shawndie Smith and her unique business, Thoughtful Creations. Shawndie has taken her location at 8270 La Mesa Boulevard in La Mesa and developed a collective group of local crafters, designers and artisans to showcase their items. Visiting this location is truly one-stop shopping and all under one roof! When visiting this location you can shop for jewelry, resin art, personalized shirts and other clothing items, as well as food items, beverages and more! You will be able to enjoy samplings of delicious foods and beverages throughout the evening. Take the time to do some pre-holiday shopping.

“Official” Ribbon Cutting at 6:00 p.m.

Location: Thoughtful Creations

8270 La Mesa Blvd. #101

(Park in the Union Bank trailer parking lot, right behind the store.)

Sip, snack and shop!

Don’t miss out on the festivities!

Join us on Thursday, October 21st and welcome West Coast Smoke and Tap House to our business community. West Coast Smoke and Tap House is your neighborhood pub serving great food, with meal specials in addition to regular items on he menu. They pride themselves on having a rotating draft beer selection featuring some of the finest brews around. Some of the delicious menu items include: rib plates, pork plates, smoked brisket, a half chicken plate, salad, house-made soups and more!

Meet Kristina Blake and the staff to see why they are a popular addition to the La Mesa business community. They will be serving happy hour food and beverage specials for this special night.

“Official” Ribbon Cutting at 6:00 p.m.

Location: West Coast Smoke & Tap House - 6126 Lake Murray Blvd., La Mesa

Don’t miss this opportunity to say hello and sample some green food and brew at Happy Hour prices!

While information has helped people stay safe and healthy, incorrect information sometimes increases confusion about health-related issues. Many people are suffering as a result of incorrect information.

The County of San Diego has declared medical misinformation a public health crisis and is working to create a space to help you get accurate and reliable information from credible sources. Learn more.

Resources and tools to help pregnant and recently pregnant people, breastfeeding people and new parents caring for infants protect their health and help people who serve these communities communicate with them.

Knowing what misinformation is being shared can help you generate effective messaging.

These insights are based on a combination of automated media monitoring and manual review by public health data analysts. Media data are publicly available data from many sources, such as social media, broadcast television, newspapers and magazines, news websites, online video, blogs, and more. Analysts from the Public Good Projects triangulate this data along with other data from fact checking organizations and investigative sources to provide an accurate, but not exhaustive, list of currently circulating misinformation.

What you need to know if you’ve had close contact with someone with COVID-19.

CDPH has created a new toolkit to give Californians the information they need if they are planning a visit to a hospital or healthcare setting. The toolkit includes a fact sheet and social media messages.

The County invites you to attend the upcoming Planning Commission hearing on October 1, 2021, at 9:00 am at the County Operations Center (COC) Campus Center Chambers, 5520 Overland Ave, San Diego, CA 92123. The item is titled “Climate Action Plan Update.”

At this informational hearing, Staff will provide a progress report on the CAP Update project and provide an opportunity for the Planning Commission to hear from the public, ask questions, and comment on the approach to developing new CAP measures for inclusion in the CAP Update, smart growth alternatives for inclusion in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report, and the approach to public outreach and engagement, with a focus on equity. Because this hearing is informational, the Planning Commission will not be providing recommendations to the Board at this time. The Planning Commission will provide recommendations to the Board when the CAP Update projects returns to the Planning Commission at a later date.

Members of the public may participate in the meeting in-person or via teleconference pursuant to the regulations in place at the time of the meeting. Those wishing to participate in the meeting and/or comment should visit the Planning Commission website for information on how to do so during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The link to view the live and previously recorded Planning Commission Hearings and the live meeting can be accessed using this webpage. The live link will be created at approximately 9 AM on Friday, October 1, 2021. If you do not see a "View Event" link at 9 AM, please refresh your internet browser until the "View Event" link appears.

You can stay involved in the CAP Update project by visiting our project website to follow important news, notices, reports, presentations, workshop recordings, and upcoming outreach and meeting dates. Make sure to subscribe for emails at the link on the webpage, to receive important project notices and other information tailored for the CAP Update project.

For additional information, or to submit comments, please email: CAP@sdcounty.ca.gov or call (619) 323-7987. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

During the fall of 1967, Clara, a white widow, stubbornly refuses her daughter's insistence she move from her home due to increasing racial tensions throughout the country and because her new neighbors are African-American. Although both Clara and Janelle Johnson's family are a bit apprehensive about each other at first, they develop a friendly relationship. When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in the spring of 1968, tensions explode throughout the city and both families are caught in the middle of a race riot. Through their shared experiences, they come to appreciate and value their neighborhood, community, and each other by confronting their fears and prejudices. They become true friends.

5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa, CA 91942

Box office: 619-303-5092

DIRECTOR: George Bailey, Producer: Patty Fay

CAST: Michelle Burkhart, JaVon Clarke, Jo-Darlene Reardon & Januari Simpson

SHOW DATES: September 3, 2021, through September 26, 2021

CURTAIN TIMES: Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm & Sunday matinees at 2pm

TICKETS/RESERVATIONS: Purchase tickets online at www.lamplighterslamesa.com or reserve through the Box Office by phone (619) 303-5092 or email boxoffice@lamplighterslamesa.com

Did you know that SDG&E provides webinars for business owners and trade professionals, and most are at no cost? You or your employees can learn about the latest in green building practices, technology and energy-saving solutions from industry experts. Some of September’s topics include indoor lighting controls, commercial chillers, luminaires, commercial refrigeration, air sealing and insulating homes, facility management and how to properly install flowmeters.

Certifications and continuing education units are available for many of the classes. Check out the class listing at sdge.com/EIC.

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce announces their thirteenth annual Salute to Local Heroes, which will incorporate the theme, “Hooray for Our Heroes.” This festive night celebrates our local heroes, installs the Board of Directors, includes a silent auction, raffle and more. We believe that throughout this past year we have all witnessed extraordinary acts of bravery and want to commend those that do so much for our community. This year we are adding two honorees from Sharp Grossmont Hospital increasing the number of heroes to be recognized. We will now be honoring men and women from the La Mesa Police Department, Paramedics, Heartland Fire, the Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol and Sharp Grossmont Hospital. They are chosen by their individual departments for selfless acts of courage, dedication, bravery, compassion, and service to our community. This event is open to the public.

5:30-8:45pm

Sycuan Casino Resort (Wachena Ballroom)

5469 Casino Way in El Cajon

Complimentary valet parking

1 for $95 | 2 for $170 | Table of 8 for $640

Buy Tickets at: www.salute.lamesachamber.com

Sponsorships are available for this celebration. Contact Mary England, 619-251-7730 to be a sponsor and spotlight your business or organization at this special event.

New applicants for California’s Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will be able to apply in the funding round opening on September 9 and continuing through September 30. The program provides grants of $5,000 to $25,000 to small businesses hurt by the pandemic. Businesses are eligible based on annual revenue as documented in their most recent tax return. More details.

Small Business Stimulus Grant Funding is Available NOW From the County of San Diego – We Are District 2

The County of San Diego has received funds from the federal government’s American Recovery Plan Act. This grant is to provide economic assistance to help businesses and non-profit entities impacted by COVID-19. This financial assistance will be allocated to eligible, qualified small businesses and nonprofit entities based on the availability of funds, program guideline, and the submission of all required information and supporting documentation.

Supervisor Joel Anderson District 2 Supervisor has asked chambers to assist with the paperwork for small businesses to complete the submission application. The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce is happy to help. The La Mesa Chamber has decided to take an extra step in this grant funding process and the recovery of our businesses in La Mesa and announce immediately:

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce believes that assisting ALL businesses in their recovery from the pandemic and ability to obtain funds from the American Recovery Plan Act should be a priority. We are ALL in this together! Chamber Members and Non-Chamber members, effective immediately, may receive help from Mary England, President & CEO of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce in filling out all paperwork and answering any questions you may have. Mary may be reached 7 days a week –Maryengland@lamesachamber.com or 619-251-7730 to assist you.

Here is the Small Business Stimulus Grant package and the link: tinyurl.com/smallbizstimulusgrant

If you are NOT sure of how to answer questions on the application or need assistance on clarifying what documents you need to submit – contact Mary England at Maryengland@lamesachamber.com or (619) 251-7730, we are happy to help!

NOTE: If you applied for and received county funds under the other Small Business Stimulus Grant, allocated from the CARES Act funding – YES you may apply for these funds, you just need to list the amount you received from the county on the application.

September 28 - Blo Blow Dry Bar Ribbon Cutting & Evening Mixer : 5:30-7pm at Blo Blow Dry Bar | 8806 Grossmont Boulevard | Details/ RSVP

October 5 - Thoughtful Creations Ribbon Cutting & Evening Mixer : 5:30-7pm at Thoughtful Creations | 8270 La Mesa Blvd. | Details/RSVP

October 13 - Salute to Local Heroes & Installation Dinner : 5:30-8:45pm at Sycuan Casino Resort | 5485 Casino Way, El Cajon, CA 92019 | Details/RSVP

October 21 - West Coast Smoke & Tap House Ribbon Cutting & Evening Mixer : 5:30-7pm at West Coast Smoke & Tap House | 6126 Lake Murray Blvd. | Details/RSVP

November 10 - Evening Mixer at Hooleys Public House : 5:30-7pm at Hooleys Public House | 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa | Details