As San Diego County continues to see a rise in COVID-19 infections, the Health Officer gives the grim news. We were placed on the Governor’s “watch” list. If we continue to see the rise and constant cases of COVID-19 and stay on the “watch” list for (3) consecutive days, we may be required to shut certain businesses down.  

With a curfew of 10 p.m. each evening, it is difficult for some restaurants to rationalize staying open. It can be a price that may not be logical to continue to pay. Many restaurants continue to make money and pay their bills, as customers leisurely dine in the evening. The new curfew of 10 p.m. will be limiting and force restaurants to close two hours early on Fridays and Saturdays. All restaurants that include diners who are finishing their meal, employees, and management must align to the new curfew for restaurants of 11 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. each day. This is a new “normal” that the consumer will need to get used to.  

Members of the community were kind to our businesses that were affected by the civil unrest on May 30th and May 31st. The La Mesa Chamber partnered with the East County Chamber Foundation and ECEDC to maximize the impact of the GoFundMe account to the damaged businesses. These three organizations worked tirelessly to facilitate the process and get the funds in the hands of the affected businesses and the exciting day arrived. On Tuesday, June 30th the first round of checks was distributed! A press conference was held at the La Mesa Springs Shopping Center to kick off the check distribution. The recipients were happy and grateful for the $5,000 check. One business owner, Albert, the owner of Alberto’s Mexican Food, gave back the check and wants to designate it to several businesses that have taken a real “hit” with the shutdown. Albert is a caring and dedicated businessman and giving back his check was quite a wonderful surprise. The check presentations were a fantastic way to have the organizations and the press meet several of our businesses that were impacted by the devastation. Twenty-seven businesses were presented or mailed checks in the amount of $5,000 each, making the total funds distributed during the first round $135,000. A good day was had by all!

We would like to recognize the La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club Foundation for their donation to assist La Mesa businesses. The Rotary Club is comprised of a group of caring and dedicated members from all walks of life that choose to make a difference. They graciously donated a check to the GoFundMe fund in the amount of $2,500 to assist the damaged businesses in La Mesa. They are valued La Mesa Chamber members and we want to thank them for stepping up and donating to this fund, that is being disbursed to our La Mesa businesses. Thank you La Mesa Rotary Club members!

Billions of dollars offered by Congress as a lifeline to small businesses struggling to survive the pandemic were still on the table Tuesday as the program was set to expire, but the senate stepped in hours and voted to extend the program to August 8th. About $130 billion remains of $860 billion approved so far for the subsidy program, which provides direct subsidies to businesses harmed by the coronavirus pandemic, which slammed the economy as consumers and workers were forced to stay at home through much of spring. The subsidies come in a form of federal loans that can be forgiven if businesses follow rules such as utilizing 6 percent of the loan for payroll costs. The loans have been a lifeline to more than 4 million businesses.  Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Joyce M.Rosenberg.

Walmart announced this week that it will transform 16 of its store parking lots into drive-in theaters next month. This project is being done in partnership with Tribeca Enterprises, the New York-based media company co-founded by Robert De Niro. The locations and movie lineup will be announced on a Walmart website. It’s unclear if the movies will be new releases, but admission is free. Tribeca’s staff will oversee 320 showings through October, programming the movie screenings and filmmaker and celebrity appearances as well as delivering concessions to customer vehicles. The Tribeca Drive-In is much more than a fun, retro way to see movies – it’s one of the safest ways for communities to gather. Walmart has opened up its parking lots for other uses in the past. In March, it worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and local officials to provide parking lot space, supplies and workers for drive-in COVID-19 testing sites at more than 100 stores.  Source:The San Diego Union Tribune – Hannah Denham.

East County’s second major hotel is officially welcoming lodgers. The Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton opened its doors on July 3rd at the corner of North Magnolia Avenue and Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon. The hotel sits on a 4.1-acre site that was home to the city’s police station until it was decommissioned in 2012. The 96-room Hampton joins the Courtyard by Marriott as a top-tier hotel for El Cajon. The L-shaped Hampton Inn wraps around a swimming pool and outdoor amenity area and is buffered from state Route 67 near Interstate 8 by a landscaped area and surface parking lot. The city sold the former El Cajon police station parcel for just over $4 million four years ago to Brixton Capital. El Cajon will continue to receive a full share of Transient Occupancy Tax of 10 percent. The city expects to receive annual revenues of $300,000 in TOT from the Hampton Inn. El Cajon will also earn sales tax from the associated on-site retail uses as well as property tax.  Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Karen Pearlman. 

Qualcomm’s Program to Assist Transition of Businesses adapt to a remote work and a digital business structure in the wake of shelter-in-place orders from the COVID-19 crisis. The San Diego wireless technology provider is teaming up with Verizon, Best Buy and other firms on the Qualcomm Small Business Accelerator Program. It will provide participating small businesses with hardware, software, data services and technical support so they can better use digital technology during the current pandemic and beyond. About 25 firms will be selected for the accelerator. Qualcomm will provide technology hardware customized to each small business’ needs, including Always Connected cellular laptops, mobile hotspots, Wi-Fi systems, payment systems and software, mobile phones and Bluetooth headsets. The program is open for businesses in the U.S. To view the terms and conditions and apply, go to he Qualcomm Small Business Accelerator website at www.qualcomm.com/covid-19/qualcomm-small-business-accelerator-program. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune- Mike Freeman.

Despite a widespread shift to online shopping, nearly 90 percent of U.S. commerce takes place in the physical world. Small businesses, including restaurants, bookstores, and yoga studies, have long earned their keep through brick-and-mortar operations built on attracting customers to come in, gather, mingle and spend money. But the pandemic has changed that, forcing businesses to embrace technology to move online. Many major cities have some form of lockdown in place, and the threat of another round of shutdowns looms as COVID-19 cases spike in some areas. One in five small businesses reported having to temporarily close down since the pandemic started. According to research firm eMarketer, sales at physical stores in the U.S. will drop 14 percent or $4.2 trillion this year, and it could take five years for the industry to bounce back completely.  Source: The San Diego Tribune – Heather Kelly.

Pala Casino Spa Resorts appears poised to become the first San Diego-area venue to stage outdoor concerts since the coronavirus pandemic led to the shutdown of live entertainment events in mid-March. Pala’s Starlight Theater announced an initial slate of 12 “social distancing” compliant concerts began in June. Attendance, as in previous summer seasons is 21+ only. The size of the Starlight Theater’s 40-by-60-foot stage, which debuted in 2015, remains the same. But attendance for each concert at the 2,251-seat venue will be significantly reduced. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – George Varga.

Victim Advocates are reaching out to victims of crime in a different way during COVID-19. DA Victim Advocate Taraneh Sarebanha explains more in this video.

See what services are available to crime victims.

A man who struck and seriously injured a bicyclist in Ramona last fall pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges of reckless driving resulting in serious injury and vandalism. Read more.

The San Diego Opioid Project is reaching and educating people in a different way, with the goal of reducing overdoses and saving lives.

Read more about this campaign on PAGE 31 on www.LEQmagazine.com

CarMax settled an environmental lawsuit with dozens of district attorney offices across California for illegally disposing of hazardous waste. Read more.

The Cal Coast Cares Foundation has awarded more than $80,000 in scholarships to local students, bringing the total amount awarded since 2016 to over $300,000.

The non-profit foundation annually provides scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $2,500 to college students, graduating high school seniors, and foster students throughout San Diego and Riverside counties to pursue accredited degrees.

“Thank you for continuing to work through this pandemic to make the dreams of former foster youth like me come true,” Rosalina B., a recent foster student scholarship recipient shared. “I cannot sum up how blessed I feel to be chosen for this scholarship.”

The Cal Coast Cares Foundation also awards grants to teachers to support programs that advance any of the STREAM fields (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Math). For grant requirements, application information and to apply, please visit: https://www.calcoastcu.org/cal-coast-cares-foundation.htm. Applications are due August 7, 2020.

Current La Mesa Blvd Tasting Room Hours

 Monday - Friday: 12 - 6 PM

Saturday & Sunday: 12 - 5 PM

 Order pick ups and bottles to go with limited wine service.

Here We Go Again!

We were truly enjoying serving you in our tasting rooms again. Due to new county restrictions, we can only serve wine outside. We do have one table on the patio! If you wish to join us, we highly recommend making a reservation at (619)-462-1797. We will continue to have bottles for sale. Order on-line or call ahead, and we will have your order ready for you when you arrive. You can also head over to La Mesa Wine Works, for wine service on our spacious patio! Click on the link for our current hours.

Thank you for your support!

Mary England

President & CEO

[email protected]

Cell: 619-251-7730