June 2010 La Mesa Blog Posts (17)

Chain Reaction Accident On Baltimore

BALTIMORE DRIVE – Several residents in the 5300 block of Baltimore Drive woke to very bad news Wednesday morning.Their cars had a rough night.

Just before midnight Tuesday, La Mesa police say a female driver traveling south on Baltimore struck a parked vehicle, causing a chain reaction that damaged five cars and left the driver injured.

An adult female was in the second of the five vehicles struck and she was also injured, police said.

The driver was taken by ambulance to Sharp… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 30, 2010 at 6:45am — No Comments

Chickens in La Mesa: Do Chickens Belong in a City?

Since last December, I've been engaged in a campaign to legalize backyard chickens in La Mesa. Specifically, I am asking that anyone in a single family home in a residential zone be allowed up to six hens, no roosters, provided they are kept in a clean and well-maintained coop. It's an odd issue to be committed to, for sure. It's not what I ever envisioned as my entry into local politics. And it's gotten some strange responses.

My interest in chickens took off a few years ago, at the… Continue

Added by Jill Richardson on June 27, 2010 at 2:00pm — 2 Comments

No Opponent Yet For Mayor; Council Foes Surfacing

LA MESA – The City of La Mesa is beginning to plan for its Centennial Celebration in 2012 and so far it appears that Art Madrid, a civic leader for nearly 40 percent of the city’s history, has weathered his political storm and will remain at the helm of local government through the year-long celebration.

With just weeks until residents can file papers to run, a couple of La Mesans are preparing challenges against incumbent council members. Patrick Dean, a former New York City… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 26, 2010 at 3:29pm — 2 Comments

Woman Robs Fletcher Parkway Starbucks At Gunpoint

FLETCHER PARKWAY -- Employees at Starbucks on Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa were preparing for closing Wednesday night when a female customer flashed a silver revolver and demanded cash.

Police said the robber had been in the store for approximately two hours prior to the robbery. An employee who was preparing to remove cash from the register for closing handed over an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect was last seen driving west through the parking lot toward

Jackson Drive in… Continue

Added by Chris Lavin on June 24, 2010 at 2:00pm — No Comments

City Approves, Funds Community Garden Start-Up Effort

LAKE MURRAY – La Mesa took the first substantive steps Tuesday night toward establishing a community garden operation. If the project continues and moves to fruition, local residents may soon have the opportunity to rent space and begin growing their own food. The City Council agreed to spend $15,000 to finance organizational work toward establishing a public garden operation on 2.2 acres of open land located across the street from Maryland Avenue… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 23, 2010 at 10:00am — No Comments

La Mesa Takes Hi-Tech Step Into Parking Future

THE VILLAGE – The La Mesa City Council last night voted to launch downtown into the future of parking technology. Starting in early August, customers of businesses along La Mesa Boulevard between Fourth and Acacia streets will use hi-tech, solar-powered parking meters that will accept payment by coin, credit, debit or gift card.

The council voted 5-0 to follow the advice of its citizen Parking Commission and purchase 100 of the new meters. The commission studied the new meters… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 22, 2010 at 10:12pm — 1 Comment

C. Hook Theater Gears Up For Opening Night

By Will Lavin La Mesa Today Correspondent

LA MESA—A group of La Mesa teenagers has been diligently working for the last several months to prepare a performance of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The teens are part of C. Hook Theater, a spinoff organization from Peter Pan Junior Theater. Both organizations are led by the long serving community leader, Dr. Mark Arapostathis. This year’s play is being performed by a number of teens who are… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 20, 2010 at 9:30am — No Comments

City Police Running DUI Checkpoints this Weekend

The La Mesa Police Department will be conducting DUI/Driver License checkpoints on Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20, 2010, from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM within the City of La Mesa. The checkpoints will be on Grossmont Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue, La Mesa.

In an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 19, 2010 at 1:22pm — No Comments

Pancake Breakfast Draws Hundreds

THE VILLAGE – La Mesa Firefighters rose early Saturday morning, moved the trucks in their spacious new firehouse into the street and set up griddles, tables and chairs. By 8 a.m. most of La Mesa, or so it seemed, was filing through to eat pancakes, sausage and eggs in what appeared to be a very successful fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Virtually everyone at the event, young and old, donned fire hats supplied by… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 19, 2010 at 12:30pm — No Comments

MISSING DOG

WEDNESDAY JUNE 16 "Cricket" a Queensland Heeler (cattle dog) went missing from Lemon Ave. on Mt Helix. Dearly loved family member............

Any info or sighting please call (619) 300-4400

Added by La Mesa Today on June 16, 2010 at 2:42pm — No Comments

"Dr. A.'' Gets District R.O.S.E. Award

LA MESA – Dr. Mark Arapostathis, known as “Dr. A’’ to hundreds of La Mesa students he directs in theater and teaches in school each year, was named the recipient of the La Mesa Spring Valley School District’s annual R.O.S.E. Award for the 2009-2010 school year. The award is given in Recognition of Outstanding Service to Education each year by the district.

Arapostathis, who is also a La Mesa City Council member, was presented the award at… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 15, 2010 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Five from Foothills

Five award winning artists from the Foothills Art Association will be showing their work in the Visitors' Center at the Mission Trails Regional Park from 19th June until 16th July. There will be a reception on Saturday 26th June from 1.30-3.30pm when you are invited to come meet the artists. LJ Crowe (acrylics) Loretta Deczynski (colored pencil) Jennifer Meeder (watercolor) Hazel Ross (oil) and Carolyn Teincuff (pastel

Added by hazel ross on June 15, 2010 at 3:59pm — No Comments

Jury Clears Helix Teacher of Most Serious Charges

LA MESA — A Helix High School administrator who had faced charges of contributing to the deliquency of a minor was cleared of the most serious charges by a jury on Monday.

The jury in the El Cajon Superior Court proceeding also acquitted the former administrator, Joshua Stepner, of a misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Stepner was convicted of one misdemeanor charge, obstructing or delaying a peace officer.

He was immediately sentenced to three years of… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 14, 2010 at 8:29pm — No Comments

La Mesa Cops Ticket 213 Seat Belt Violators In Crackdown

The La Mesa Police Department spent the last two (2) weeks aggressively enforcing the state’s seat belt and child safety seat laws during the second “Click It or Ticket” mobilization of this year’s national campaign, which took place May 24 thru June 6, 2010. The campaign relies on heavy enforcement and public education as a means to help reduce injuries and deaths on California’s roadways.

La Mesa Police Officers wrote 213 seatbelt tickets and impounded 10 cars from unlicensed… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 9, 2010 at 8:00pm — 1 Comment

City Will Continue Support For Oktoberfest

LA MESA – Oktoberfest, the city’s annual three-day celebration of beer, sausage and music has dodged a bullet. Members of the Downtown La Mesa Merchant’s Association and the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting prepared to issue a warning: If the City insisted on the Oktoberfest sponsors paying for 100 percent of city expenses related to the event, Oktoberfest’s future could be threatened.

“We would not be able to… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 8, 2010 at 7:00pm — 3 Comments

Flag Day Parade Fills La Mesa With Patriotism, Politics

LA MESA – A sun-drenched Saturday greeted a mix of marching bands, civic groups and politicians of all stripes who gathered to participate in the city’s annual Flag Day Parade.

The clear highlight led off the parade, the U.S. Marine Corps Band, but the Marines had good company with bands from Helix High and Warren-Walker School, among others, keeping the parade’s sound track lively and continuous.

The parade, not surprisingly given its patriotic theme, had… Continue

Added by La Mesa Today on June 5, 2010 at 2:00pm — 1 Comment