La Mesa Chamber News | July 21, 2022

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Your Weekly La Mesa Chamber News

In case you missed last week's e-blast: July 14 Eblast See more past email blasts here.

“Taste of San Diego – East” – Oh, What a Night!

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s annual food related event that was retooled and renamed several years ago to the “Taste of San Diego – East” was a night to remember! Diets were not allowed on Monday, July 18th as guests feverishly waited to enter the Pacific Ballroom at the Town and Country Hotel for their opportunity to “eat their hearts out” and sample delectable items prepared by the chefs and their staff for this special evening. This annual food-related event entertains over 450 people and this year we again were able to entertain people in the 13,000 square foot ballroom. The delight of the attendees was obvious, as they grazed from table to table sampling the signature dishes prepared with perfection by the chefs and their staff. The crowd rushed into the ballroom to the aroma of freshly grilled meats, fresh pulled pork, platters of chocolate covered fruits, braised chicken, freshly baked pies, ice cream macarons, grilled mushrooms, lasagna, pasta salads, seasoned chicken with an array of sauces, delectable mini desserts and chocolate covered fruits and more! As the song says, “Oh, What a Night!”

Many of the crowd took a break before continuing their feasting journey and talked with friends and visited the silent auction tables, took part in the Opportunity Drawing, or just hung out before beginning round two or three of samplings. The pandemic has taken a toll on the restaurant and food industry, and we are grateful to those food providers who could join us during these trying times. Guests were able to win valuable door prizes from the business vendors. That was the only time the room was quiet, as guests waited to hear their name called for those prizes OR to listen for their number to be called for the Opportunity Drawing.

Photos courtesy of www.CeCePhoto.com.

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Evening Mixer at The Hills Local Pub

On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an evening mixer with The Hills Local Pub in La Mesa. The owners of The Hills Local Pub: Ben, Marco, Joe and Jason have created this hip, casual watering hole that has become a favorite of locals and people throughout the region. These young men have the drive and determination to support the local economy while offering a great place to relax and gather with friends. Enjoy great hors d’oeuvres and special drink pricing throughout the evening. The Chamber is thrilled to spotlight this local business and invite members and friends to join in a fun-filled evening. The Chamber will host a raffle throughout the evening. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Location: 8758 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa

Cost: Chamber Members: FREE | Guests with RSVP: $15 | At-Door Attendees: $25

RSVP

BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE!

8th Annual “Summer Bash” Business Expo 2022

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.

Buy Tickets

Display Table Registration

Sponsor the Event

To become a sponsor or for details, call (619) 465-7700 or email [email protected].

Welcome to Our New Chamber Member!

Pioneer BBQ

The Pioneer has raised the bar for irresistible BBQ, right here in San Diego! The Pioneer offers a full rack of specialties including house smoked meat combos, and our circular bar has 14 beer taps and presents an extensive beverage program with a broad range of cocktails.

8622 Lake Murray Blvd., San Diego, CA 92119

(619) 825-7787 | thepioneerbbq.com | Facebook: @thepioneerbbq | Instagram: @thepioneerbbq

Attention Chamber Members & Business Owners:

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

La Mesa received millions ARPA funds from the Federal government. Council Member Laura Lothian is a Co-Chair of the City of La Mesa, ARPA Ad-Hoc Committee. She would like to target $2 million dollars of the City’s APRA funds to be given to local small businesses to help them recover from the pandemic.

The Chamber is partnering with Laura to find out from you the following:

Do you need any of these funds?
How would you use the funds?

In order to help find out these answers, we need the survey completed which 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.

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

You do not have to answer all the questions for your survey to be counted

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

Take the survey here:

tinyurl.com/lmbizsurvey2022

TAKE SURVEY

From San Diego Eye Professionals: Christmas in July Dance Mixer

San Diego Eye Professionals | RSVP to: [email protected]

From Supervisor Joel Anderson: Learn more about these upcoming grant opportunities!

For interested non-profits and residents, the San Diego County Housing and Community Development Services Office (HCDS) are administering four federal grant programs:

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

A flexible funding source that can be used for both housing and non-housing activities, including neighborhood revitalization, workforce and economic development, community and nonprofit facilities, infrastructure needs, and public services.

HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME)

This grant may be used for building, acquiring, and rehabilitating affordable housing for rent and homeownership, or for direct rental assistance to low-income residents.

Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG)

This grant is for programs and services supporting persons experiencing homelessness; such as shelters operations, providing essential services to shelter residents, administering rapid re-housing programs, and homelessness prevention.

Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA)

This grant supports low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and their families by providing affordable housing opportunities.

To learn more about these programs and to determine your organizational or individual eligibility, you may attend virtual or in-person community meetings, hosted by the HCDS. If you know anyone who may be interested to learn more about these grants, please forward this email to them or share the graphic below on social media.

All sessions will present the same program, eligibility, and application process information and will include a Q&A session.

Annual Plan Community Forum – Session Six (In-Person)

Tuesday, July 26, 2022, from 10:30 - 11:30 AM

El Cajon Library Community Room

201 E. Douglas, El Cajon, CA 92020

For more information, please contact County Housing and Development Services at (858) 694-4801 or www.sdhcd.org.

It's my job to make County government work for you. If there is any way my office can ever be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to use the contact form on my website for the fastest response, email me at [email protected], or give me a call (619) 441-4327.

From DA Summer Stephan: DA Brings Fight Against Organized Retail Theft Rings to the National Stage

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for a virtual panel discussion on Thursday to strategize on ways to stop organized retail crime, which has spiked significantly in the past five years. Details, here.

From San Pasqual Winery: Grand Re-Opening & Dinner Show Featuring Floyd Smith & Terra!!

Celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room – La Mesa Blvd

Saturday, July 23rd, 1-5PM

A new look and feel, but the same great service and wine!

Vintage Wine Tasting at Vintage Prices (5 tastes / $10) | Specials on Cellar Wines | Hourly Drawings and Prizes | Photography / Art Displays

Enjoy Dinner and a Show!

6:30 PM (Dinner) | 7-9 PM (Show)

The Barrel Room Sessions Presents Floyd Smith of the Fifth Dimension & Featuring the Cuisine of Terra American Bistro!

$25 / person with proceeds benefiting Music Therapy for Veterans.

Add Spanish Charcuterie*, Salad or a Hot Entree to your order! *Available all weekend!

Call (619) 462-1797 for Reservations or Purchase Tickets Online.

Note: You must print and bring your tickets for entry to the show.

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce (SDRCC) Subcontractor Request for Proposals!

July 26 Virtual Public Meeting - Regional Decarbonization Framework

The Regional Decarbonization Framework (Framework) team is hosting a public meeting on July 26, 2022, to provide members of the community with a summary of our first phase of the project/outreach efforts and to share the outreach plan for the next phase of the Framework process – identifying implementation pathways.

Need this information in a different language? Please visit our website and select your language using the built-in Google Translate function.

Workshop Details

When: Tuesday, July 26

Time: 6 – 8 p.m. on Zoom

Please register in advance: https://bit.ly/RDF-PublicMeeting-7-26-22

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

More information on the Framework and materials from previous meetings and workshops can be found on the project website. Additionally, please visit the project engagement portal where you can review and comment on the draft document.

We value your engagement in the Regional Decarbonization effort. If you have questions about the Framework moving forward, please contact the project team at [email protected].

La Mesa Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program

The City of La Mesa, in partnership with the East County EDC, is launching the LEAP program. LEAP will distribute up to $20K in grant funds to new restaurant, retail, and other enterprises. To qualify, recipients must open a business within the incorporated City of La Mesa. The program will provide each entrepreneur with a robust start-up training program, individualized advising sessions, and an accountable case management system.

Entrepreneurs can apply through July 31, 2022 at eastcountyedc.org/leap-program.

From La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation: La Mesa Rocks!

Come Fly with US

Join the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation for

their 6th annual "La Mesa Rocks" fundraiser on

Saturday, August 13, 2022, | 6 - 10 PM

at the beautiful Allen Airways Museum at Gillespie Field.

This will be a fun-filled evening with dinner, drinks, and entertainment to raise funds for La Mesa's parks.

Buy tickets to the fundraiser by Wednesday, July 20, and receive 35% off the ticket price. Use code BUYBYJULY20 to buy your tickets online.

The Foundation's mission is to fundraise and facilitate diverse projects and programs to strengthen community and family bonds to improve the quality of life in La Mesa and its parks!

Please call 619.667.1319 or email [email protected] with questions.

From SDG&E: Get Paid to Conserve Energy With SDG&E’S Power Saver Rewards Program

Help make California’s energy grid stronger, safer and more reliable for all Californians this summer – and get paid for it too! The Power Saver Rewards program rewards you for lowering your electricity use when energy is in high demand. This summer, it pays to be flexible.

Here is how it works. Increased demand for cooling on hot summer days strains the electrical grid and creates a higher risk of power outages. If you are eligible and can reduce your energy use during a Power Saver event between the peak hours of 4 p.m. – 9 p.m., you may receive a bill credit. The more energy you conserve, the more you can save!

Participation is voluntary and there is no penalty if you are unable to conserve energy. It’s a win-win because you’ll save on your monthly energy bill and contribute to a cleaner environment. Visit sdge.com/PowerSaver to enroll or find out more about the program.

La Mesa Chamber Calendar

August 10 - Evening Mixer at The Hills Local Pub : 5:30-7pm at The Hills Local Pub | 8758 La Mesa Boulevard in La Mesa | Details/RSVP

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 5 - 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.

SEE FULL CALENDAR

For local La Mesa news, visit lamesacourier.com

For East County news, visit ww.eccalifornian.com

Show Off Your Membership With Pride!

"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.