The Chamber held its annual Breakfast with the Mayor on Thursday April 28th
at the La Mesa Masonic Lodge to a full crowd who were treated to a great
breakfast cooked by the Masons. In addition to hearing the annual update
from the Mayor, several attendees walked away with raffle prizes provided by
Sponsor Bill Jaynes from All Things Bright and British, Sponsor State Farm
insurance-Kristie Avram Agency, Pret-a-Porter Salon and Magnaglobe
Enterprises. A special thanks to Thom Hiatt of Twinbees Communication/TCB
Creative Multi Media for providing the PA system and to the La Mesa Masons
for providing the meeting space and of course to our two event sponsors.
There were three Attendance Drawings sponsored by Business to Business
Connection San Diego, Borrego Springs Bank and Pacific Western Bank. While
there were no winners picked for the Borrego or Pacific Western drawings,
the B2B drawing in the amount of $400 was won by Don Parent of SDG&E. He
was very lucky that morning and also won (2) tickets to the Taste of La Mesa
which he offered to someone in the crowd at a 50% discount - Julie Doughty
of TCP Plumbing was the lucky winner of those tickets! Other lucky winners
of the morning were: Roz Oserin - won a $60 gift card to Olive Garden and
movie tickets given by our breakfast sponsor Kristie Avram of State Farm
Insurance, a 60 minute massage won by Steve Thury given by Roz Oserin from
Pret A Porter Salon. Four other winners went home with prizes including free
pizza coupon s and Magnabrite Magnifiers from Magnaglobe. Thanks to all our
drawing and prize sponsors.
GIOs Celebrates Changes
On April 20, 2011, members of the Chamber gathered at GIO Bistro and Wine
Bar (8384 La Mesa Blvd.) to celebrate the addition of Mario Valerio, the
new partial owner who also owns de'Medici in the Gaslamp. Mario welcomed
everyone with appetizers and a glass of wine and introduced new General
Manager Natalie Smilie to the group. Mario will be making changes to the
menu and the wine list to continue to improve this already popular
restaurant. The gathering was help in the private upstairs room which is a
great place for meetings or special occasions. Thanks Mario and best wishes
for a successful transition.
ANTHONY'S FISH GROTTO MIXER A HUGE SUCCESS ON MARCH 30TH
Thank you to Vicky Sanchez, General Manager and Owner Beverly Mascari for opening up the back room of Anthony's for this evening mixer! Beverly and Vicky reminded Chamber members that they have created special lunch and dinner menus for everyone as well - so go to their web site to view all of the specials at www.gofishanthonys.com. They are also offering the back terrace area for meetings and special group functions. Call Anthony's to book your next meeting or special party 619-463-0368.
No one was present to win our Attendance Drawing sponsored by the following:
Business to Business Connection at $350, Borrego Spring Bank at $250, and Pacific Western Bank at $50.
Winners of the evening prizes were; Jim Butcher, owner of AAA Imaging won a
$25 gift card from Anthony's and Tyson Eckel was the lucky winner of 2 tickets to The Taste of La Mesa! Chuck Hansen from Viejas also won a Magnabrite from Magnaglobe in the raffle. Thank you to everyone who made this a success!
WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR THE VINE COTTAGE
We celebrated the opening of the popular Vine Cottage on Wednesday, March 23rd. The damp weather did not keep us away! Welcome to the new owners who offer great "comfort food" and selections of wine that are sure to please!
Be sure to stop by The Vine Cottage at 6062 Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa.
WELCOME TO THE NEW MARCELLA JUNE'S COFFEE LOUNGE!
On February 10th attendees were treated to a full course breakfast prepared by the members of the Masonic Lodge and helped host the 1st breakfast meeting of the year with featured speaker, Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
Supervisor Jacob gave details of how the county is coping with the looming budget challenges and what cuts in labor have been done. In addition she gave an overview of the accomplishments of the Board of Supervisors and their short and long term goals.This breakfast was sponsored by three Chamber businesses: Bob Bowen's Auto Service, All Things Bright and British and USE Credit Union. The Chamber held the Attendance Drawing and was poised to give away a total of $350from Business to Business San Diego; - $250 from Borrego Springs Bank and $100 from Pacific Western Bank. The lucky winner of a $100 bill happened to be in attendance and won this prize from our sponsor, Pacific Western Bank. Congratulations to Joshua Soto, owner of Soto Solution.
FIRST BREAKFAST MEETING OF THE YEAR FEATURES SUPERVISOR DIANNE JACOB
On March 4th we welcomed the new Marcella June's Coffee Lounge with our traditional Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting. They are located at 8513 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa and are open Sunday-Wednesday from 7am-3pm and Thursday-Saturday from 7am-8pm. We were privileged to meet the "namesake" of this new business Marcella June, Mother of the owner - David Zaloudek. He flew his Mother in for this special occasion. On the wall hangs the painting of Marcella June celebrating her engagement to David's father. There is much family tradition in the coffee shop. Visit Marcella June's soon and sample great roasted blends of coffees and teas as well as great pastries to enjoy as you sit and visit with friends at this special coffee shop in La Mesa.
Duncan Hunter Joins The La Mesa Chamber For The First Time!
In the Chamber's continuing efforts to bring the news and views of elected officials, the Chamber was proud to have Congressman Duncan Hunter be our featured speaker on July 8, 2010 for our quarterly breakfast meeting held at Gio Bistro & Wine Bar. Gabe and Tracy Giordiano, owners of Gio's opened the restaurant to our organization and others as a gathering place for various activities.
Congressman Hunter graciously signed small plaques presented to all attendees of the event, donated by George Van Valkenburg, owner of Power Plaques a valued Chamber member. Congressman Hunter shared the picture of Washington politics, the current health care bill and what Washington is doing to continue to increase the size of government. Illegal immigration was also discussed. Duncan was candid, answered questions directly and with a strong conviction that if we are to ever move this country forward, we need to have different leadership that will make the hard choices that are needed during this difficult time. We may not have wanted to hear the news he shared, but there was no question as people left the breakfast meeting that they heard the straight forward truth. The Chamber held (3) attendance drawings sponsored by: Borrego Springs Bank, SCF Insurance and Pacific Western Bank for a total cash give away of $550. One of our newest Chamber members, Pat Jordan of Send Out Cards was the lucky winner of $200 presented by Pacific Western Bank. Thanks also to Barry Mantel from Nights of the Soundtable for providing the sound system.
Taste of La Mesa 2010-Yums the word!
The La Mesa Chamber held its second annual Taste of La Mesa on May 17th at the La Mesa Community Center to a sold out crowd of over 450 attendees who were treated to food and desserts from 25 restaurants and caterers along with wine from San Pasqual Winery, Thornton Winery, GIO Sangria and Karl Strauss Beer. It was another beautiful La Mesa evening and everyone went away looking forward to next year. The event was also topped off with raffle prizes valued over $8,500 including a 37" HD TV, jewelry, vacation trips and more.
Thanks to all our sponsors who helped make the evening a success: Title Sponsor - GIO Bistro and Wine Bar, Lemon Grove Plaza, SDG&E, Auto Club of Southern California, eLiveLife.com, Garrison Insurance Agency, Keller Williams Realty-La Mesa, San Diego County Credit Union, Tarantino Gourmet Sausage, www.where2eat.com, Cloud 9 Super Shuttle, Nights of the SoundTable Entertainment, San Pasqual Winery, Thornton Winery, Karl Strauss Brewery, and Culligan Water.
Thanks also to all our restaurant participants who made this event possible:
Antique Row Café, Baja Brothers Grill, Brigantine La Mesa, Cali Comfort Restaurant/Sports Bar, ChickeNest, Claim Jumper, Continental Catering, COSTCO, Edible Arrangements, GIO Bistro & Wine Bar, Himalayan Cuisine, Hooleys Irish Pub & Grill, La Casa Blanca Mexican, Maggie’s Cake and Ice Cream, Marie Callenders, Riviera Supper Club, Rubios, Sammys Woodfired Pizza, Sanfilippo’s, San Diego Desserts, Tarantino Gourmet Sausages, The Lunch Box Deli, Trattoria Tiramisu, and West Coast Barbecue & Catering.
This years' booth vendors included Blue Lotus Holistic, Hallman Jewelry, O'Dunn Fine Art, Sparrow Bridal, Kwai Sun Studio, Grossmont College Foundation, and Express Blinds.
See you at the Taste of La Mesa 2011 on Monday May 16, 2011.
Breakfast with the Mayor 2010
GIO Bistro and Wine Bar and owner Gabe Giordano once again hosted this year's Breakfast with the Mayor event on April 28th to a packed house. Attendees were served eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes along with fresh fruit, orange juice and coffee. Mayor Art Madrid gave a State of the City address with Q&A updating the latest and greatest happenings in La Mesa. The breakfast was also sponsored by AT&T, SDG&E, and the Automobile Club of Southern California. SCF Insurance and Borrego Springs Bank also sponsored an attendance drawing for $150 and $100 respectively. There were no winners in attendance so the Borrego Springs Bank pot goes to $150 at the next event. Raffle prizes were donated by Magnaglobe Enterprises, Better Life Mobility, Pharmacist Jeff Stone, East County Magazine, and Express Blinds.
Chamber Mixer at Better Life Mobility Center a Blast
Chamber members got together for a little networking on April 21st at the Better Life Mobility Center, one of the Chamber's newest members. Attendees were treated to beer from Karl Strauss and wine from San Pasqual Winery while they did some business to business networking in a relaxed atmosphere. Thanks to Mo Abusham and crew for hosting the event.
Casino Night 2010 – No Losers
The Chamber held our 2nd annual “Casino Royale” night of gaming on March 18th at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center . Despite competing against the NCAA March Madness, over 100 people attended and enjoyed Craps, Blackjack and Roulette. Thirty six silent auction items found homes along with a special table of designer purses and jewelry. The raffle was also successful with Debbie Gast of North Island going home with over $4,000 in prizes from a $20 buy in and Jim Butcher of AAA Imaging who did the program and sign printing walking away with a 32” LCD HD TV. The food was great with a fajita bar, pasta bar and roast beef carving stations. Edible Arrangements provided chocolate covered fruit for dessert. Thanks to Alex Nath and staff of the Town and Country for a wonderful venue. Barry Mantel from Nights of the Soundtable generously donated his time and services as our event DJ and the evening was also highlighted by an appearance from Elvis Tribute Artist Paul Monroe who performed some the great Elvis classics.
Thanks to all who donated items to our auctions and raffle
Aesthetic Arts Institute of Plastic Surgery, Affordable Massage, All Things Bright & British, Alvarado Institute of Skin Care, Always Clean Pools, American Medical Response, Antica Trattoria, Auto Club of Southern California, BJ’s Restaurant, Barona Resort & Casino, Barter of San Diego Too!, Best Buy, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Body Beautiful Car Wash, Inc., Bradford Renaissance Portraits, California Ballet Company, Carmel Mountain Ranch , Country Club, Casino Knights, The Cheesecake Factory, Christian Community Theater, Cloud 9 Super Shuttle, Cohn Restaurant Group, Coronado Playhouse, Costco, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Domino’s Pizza, Stephen Earle, D.D.S., East County Family Martial Arts, East County Family YMCA, East County Magazine, The Fish Market, Fiesta De Reyes, Fuddruckers, Girl Scouts, Great News, H & M Landing, Hallman Jewelers, Hornblower Cruises & Events, Kwai Sun Studio, La Mesa Carpet, Lonnie Ludvigson, McCarter’s Bar & Grill, Jeff and Gail Marsh, Mary England Public Relations, Nights of the SoundTable, North Island Credit Union, Olive Garden, Papa John’s Pizza, Phil’s BBQ, Real Mex Restaurants, Dr. Renata Ochabski, Law Offices of Richard Roy, APC, Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza, San Diego repertory Theatre, San Diego Symphony, Seaworld, Sheraton Hotel - Mission Valley, Silvercreek Fine Art Gallery, & Custom Framing, Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes, Town & Country Resort, & Convention Center, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Village Studio, Zoological Society of San Diego
We would like to thank our volunteers who share their talents and time
Alex Kuty, Danamarie McNicholl-Carter, Miss La Mesa Teen 2010, Trish Murphy, Jacqui Nguyen, David Smyle
Kathy Weissinger
A Special Thank You To:
Brian Maki - Wells Fargo Bank, for our “007” credit card machine and The East County Herald
and East County Magazine for our great “press”
Chamber Charity Golf Event at Steele Canyon Golf Club
On September 24, 2009, the Chamber held it first Charity Golf Tournament to benefit Camp Hope, a to be built place where abused children and families can go to get away from their troubles. The event was sponsored by EDCO, California Comfort, AAA Imaging, CBIZ, De la Fuente Cadillac, GIO Bistro-Wine Bar, Hitzke Development, Center Attractions, Courtesy TV, DCH Honda, Dell Enterprises, AIC, Culligan Water, American Medical Response, Ernie and Nancy Ewin, First Legacy Financial, North Island Credit Union, Pete's Place, RCP Block and Brick, and the Law Offices of Richard Roy.
Although the day turned out to be extremely warm, the golfers all made it through and were treated to a Santa Maria BBQ dinner in addition to the lunch provided by Cali Comfort restaurant. No one won the Escalade donated by De La Fuente Cadillac from the hole in one contest but there were plenty of winners in the various contests and silent auction items. Thanks to Laurel Cruz and the North Island gang for helping out with registration and cashiering.
Oktoberfest Thank you celebration held at West Coast BBQ
Olga at West Coast BBQ hosted the Chamber's
2009 volunteer recognition and thank you party. This was a true family affair with Olga's father and daughter providing the musical entertainment.
Attendees were treated to brisket, chicken, beans, slaw and all the fixings including homemade desserts. The food was delicious and we appreciated Olga opening up her establishment on a day when the restaurant is normally closed.
Gary and Denise Clausen of Continental Catering http://www.continentalcateringsd.com hosted the 2009 Oktoberfest kickoff event again this year with live German music from the Bavarian Beer Garden Band. German Brats, potato salad, and cole slaw were provided by Tarantino Meats and Karl Strauss brought beer and was also the provider of our beer for the Oktoberfest Beer Garden. The event included raffle prizes to lucky winners at this fun event which kicked off the beginning of the Oktoberfest season.
Supervisor Dianne Jacob headlines the 2010 1st Qtr Breakfast
Approximately 50 people attended the first breakfast meeting of 2010 featuring Supervisor Dianne Jacob and hosted by the Salvation Army Kroc Center who provided the delicious breakfast food. The event was sponsored by Ben-E-Lect Employer Driven Plans helping save businesses on healthcare costs and SCF Insurance sponsored the attendance drawing of $150. Everyone had a chance to give a 30 second commercial on their business and were also treated to coffee samples from the Chamber's newest partner JavaFit and a scrumptious fruit basket from Edible Arrangements. Door raffle prizes were provided by Pret-a-Porter Salon and Spa, Blue Lotus Massage, Cloud 9 Super Shuttle, EDCO, Massage Health Products and Fitness Education, Aesthetic Arts Institute, and East County Magazine. The Miss La Mesa program also collected Teddy Bears for their Charity Fundraising project.
The Chamber held its 2nd Anniversary and Holiday party on December 8th at the Sheraton Mission Valley who graciously hosted the event. The evening included silent auction items and the installation of the new Board of Directors for the 2010 year. It was also the annual toy drive for the Salvation Army Kroc Center. Several members sponsored vendor tables including Legacy Funeral and Cremation, E Live Life, San Diego Masseurs, Unique Travel, Heartland Payroll, Edible Arrangements, Cloud 9 Super Shuttle, Express Blinds, and General Personnel Management. A great time was had by all. Special thanks to Cindy Thompson from CT Bookkeeping, Laurel and Jeannie from North Island, La Mesa Lion Bob Hollie and Cindy Braaksma of SCF Insurance for helping out.
The first annual Taste of La Mesa hosted by the La Mesa Chamber and Title Sponsor Gio Bistro Wine Bar was held on July 20th at the La Mesa Community Center to a sellout crowd. Twenty two local restaurants, caterers and other food providers fed approximately 500 during the evening while Karl Strauss and Spaten supplied premium Beer, Palm Springs Liquor provided the wine and GIO offered attendees a sample of their new signature Sangria. Everyone was thrilled with the large variety of food and no one went home hungry. In addition to the food vendors, 20 Chamber members offered their goods and services by purchasing vendor tables and the Chamber thanks them for their support. During the evening, attendees had the opportunity to win several raffle prizes including a 1 week stay in Jackson Hole donated by H&N Construction, a 3 day-2 night stay at Royal Solaris Los Cabos, donated by Unique Travel Concepts, a 1 night stay and dinner for 2 at the Sheraton Hotel in Mission Valley donated by the Sheraton Hotel, $100 in gift certificates to Karl Strauss Restaurants donated by Karl Strauss $100 gift card to Diamond Creations donated by the La Mesa Chamber and 2 tickets to a Padre game donated by San Diego CW - Channel 6. Joan O'Steen and the Community Center did a great job setting up the venue and the Chamber highly recommends this venue for public or private events. Additional thanks to Cloud 9 Super Shuttle for providing shuttle service between the parking lots and the event, Homeland Florist for providing the floral center pieces, AAA Imaging for helping with the printing of event materials, Continental Catering for the belly bars and linens, Windermere Real Estate for the use of the street sign holders, EDCO for providing the trash and recycle containers and Eric Lund, owner of Events With Pizazz who constantly supports local events by donating, as well as offering great discounts for his master of ceremonies expertise, music and D J services. Finally, the Chamber would like to thank our title Sponsor GIO, Bon Appétit Sponsors Edible Arrangements, Isagenix - Cindy Braaksma, Keller Williams Realty of La Mesa, My OSHA Store, Tarantino Gourmet Sausages and all the volunteers and Board members who helped make this event a big success. We sincerely appreciate the participation of the following food providers without whom this event would not have happened:
Greater East County Chambers of Commerce Trade Show Event
On June 17th, members from all East County Chambers came together for the annual GECCA trade show at Cuyamaca College displaying their goods and services and networking. La Mesa was well represented with 16 member vendors out of approximately 80 tables. Many raffle items were given away by various vendors and one of our Chamber Members, North Island Credit Union had 4 of their team members win prizes including two tickets to the Taste of La Mesa (donated by us), a 1 hour massage and more! La Casa Blanca, one of our Taste of La Mesa participants fed everyone with hot tortillas and Chile Rellenos. We also want to thank our Chamber Member Eric Lund, Events With Pizazz who always donates his time to be our Master of Ceremonies and DJ who makes all of our events so successful!
The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce held it's Annual Dinner event on Thursday, April 2, 2009 in the called "Casino Royale," An evening of recognition and celebration, as well as fun! A professional gaming company, Casino Knights was hired to entertain guests during the cocktail hour with roulette, craps and blackjack. The silent auction had a large array of precious jewelry, sports memorabilia and gift baskets with bidders taking home some great deals on these various items. The dinner was fabulous and the dessert was to die for! The delicious food was complimented by wine donated by Unique Travel (www.uniquetravelconcepts.com) and special chocolate platters were placed at each table compliments of Bella's Finest (www.bellasfinest.com).Our 42" LCD - LG television was donated in part by Chamber Member, Courtesy TV (www.courtesytv.net). Thank you to the Browne family. The La Mesa Chamber in conjunction with Unique Travel donated airfare for 2 anywhere Southwest flies as an additional raffle item. Heroes from our community were honored for their dedication and bravery in serving our community - they were:
AMR Paramedics - Adam Galotti and Susan Keith La Mesa Fire Department - Sonny Saghera and Chris Kleist La Mesa Police Department - Detective Bryan Jacoby and Officer Cesar Delgado La Mesa Police Department Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol - Belle Sutker and Marce AtkissonOur evenings Master of Ceremonies was none other than La Mesa favorite, Joe Bauer. He entertained the audience throughout the live auction and raffle drawings. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Joe for being such a friend of the Chamber and we value his expertise and friendship.The first "Chairman's Award" was given to David Smyle for his commitment to the Chamber spending countless hours of his time on Chamber affairs and operations while helping the to create our excellent web site. Through his efforts the Chamber has been able to grow and flourish. Incoming Chairman Michael Murphy discussed the Chamber's 2009-2010 goals and gave an award to outgoing Board Chairman, Jim Wieboldt as our founding Chairman. The Chamber also gave a special award to the Giordano family. Their
support as our first Chairman's Circle Member helped us create the blueprint for our first year of success. They are a family that emulates the word "kindness and community." They give to many worthy organizations and we are thrilled that we are one of their partners. Photos of the evening were taken by Bob Bruni, owner of Ambience Photography
(www.ambiencephoto.com) which specializes in commercial photography as well as product shots, web design and portraits.A loud and hearty thank you to our sponsors who made our evening possible:
"Goldfinger " Sponsor - EDCO (www.edcodisposal.com) "M" Sponsors - American Medical Response (www.amr-sandiego.com), Gunther Development Partners (www.guntherdevelopment.com), Hitzke Development Corporation (www.community-collective.com) and Park Station "Miss Moneypenny" Sponsors - Ambience Photography, Home Run Sweeping and Power Washing, SCF Insurance Services, Inc., and Tarantino Gourmet Sausage "Odd Job" Sponsors - A.I.C., Inc., BEN-E-LECT (www.benelect.com), Better Life Chiropractic (www.betterlifechiropractic.com), Church of Scientology of San Diego (www.scientology-sandiego.org), Focuscom, Inc. and Southwest Strategies (www.swspr.com) "007" Wine Sponsor - Unique TravelTo all of our volunteers: Kathy Weissinger, Joshua Soto, Trish Murphy, J2 Fitness and Jeff Hallman, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. To the help from the Staff of the Town & County Hotel - Alexandra Nath, Marilyn Wong, the Catering Staff, the Chef and his staff and all the wait personnel that made the evening successful - we love you!
On May 11, 2009 the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce teamed with the East County Chamber and held a joint mixer that brought members from both organizations to Hooleys Irish Pub and Grill (www.hooleys.com) for the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting at their new location 5500 Grossmont Center Drive in the Grossmont Center Shopping Mall next to Sports Authority (old Trophys space).
Craig McDonald and the Hooleys staff treated members to a great selection of food including Shepherds Pie and other Pub favorites while also generously providing drink tickets for the attendees. There were several raffle and door prizes given away and presentations made by local politicians to Craig celebrating Hooleys arrival to La Mesa. CEO's Mary England and Mike Cully presented Craig with a plaque commemorating this special occasion from both chambers. A crowd well over 200 people attended the event.
April 8th Breakfast with the Mayor At Gio Restaurant A Hit!
Over 60 people joined the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce and host Gabe Giordano and his staff at Gio Restaurant for the April 8, 2009 breakfast featuring La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid and entertainer Glenn Erath. Not to be outdone by the last breakfast they sponsored, the staff of Gio prepared a full breakfast including eggs potatoes, sausage, bacon and French toast for attendees. Our sponsor and owner of the restaurant, Gabe Giordano is a graduate of Helix High School who wants to make a difference in his local community. He shared his philosophy of the building of the restaurant and how he wants all of the Chamber Members to consider Gio Restaurant as their extended office.The Mayor gave an overview of what is happening now and in the future in a Mesa, the plans for the revitalization of the La Mesa Village and provided candid remarks on his perception of the City of La Mesa and it's future.The Mayor was followed by Glenn Erath, a local entertainer and comedian whose song parodies about political and local issues kept the crowd smiling and laughing.Winners of the morning's raffles were: John Roberts of Bella's Finest
(www.bellasfinest.com) won a spa treatment to Pret-A-Porter Salon (www.pretaportersalon.com), Shannon O'Dunn won wine and a gift certificate donated by the La Mesa Chamber, Manuel Demetre of the Lion's Club won a $75 gift certificate to Gentlemen's Resale Clothiers, Blake Nelson won a gift certificate to Karl Strauss Restaurant donated by the Chamber, Joe Dyke won a bottle of wine, D'Ann Friend won a gift certificate to Karl Strauss Restaurant . Keeping it all in the family, Stan and Shelly Young both won gift certificates donated by the Chamber.The final drawing of the morning is always the "Attendance Drawing" which allows a member who is in attendance to win cash. The cash prize of the breakfast was $100. Unfortunately, Precision Concrete Cutting was not at he breakfast. The attendance drawing will now advance to $150.00.
Salvation Army Kroc Center Breakfast Jan 13th, 2009
The Chamber held it's first Breakfast of the new year at the Salvation Army-Joan Kroc Center who also sponsored the event along with Giordano Family Enterprises and Senior Financial Solutions Inc.. County Supervisor Dianne Jacob gave a brief State of the County speech while comedian Glenn Erath provided the morning entertainment.The food was delicious and was prepared by the KROC Center.
New member Edible Arrangements brought a fantastic edible fruit arrangement for the attendees to sample as well. Raffle prizes were donated by Bob Bowen Auto Service, Advanced Massage Therapeutics, Edible Arrangements, and Magnaglobe Enterprises who also was the lucky winner of the $250
attendance drawing. This event was the start of a very busy 2009 for the
Chamber which had 5 events including two ribbon cuttings planned for the month.
Over 55 people got up early for an annual meeting and Holiday breakfast and to visit Pravada at Grossmont Trolley (8625 Fletcher Parkway), the newest eco-friendly apartment complex in La Mesa . Board of Directors ballots were collected for the inaugural Chamber Board Elections and Pravada showcased their apartments and offered tours of the various models as well as the grounds in this Class A facility complete with recreation room, business center, pool, Jacuzzi, outdoor fireplace, concierge service and fitness room overlooking the pool. These elegantly appointed apartments offer 7 floor plans with 1 and 2 bedroom units. Take a tour by going to their website: www.ecofriendlyapts.com. The breakfast was co-sponsored and catered by California Comfort Restaurant, a Chamber member located at 8910 Troy Street in Spring Valley. Attendees feasted on scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and home fried potatoes. Visit their web site at: www.californiacomfortsd.com to find out abut this recently remodeled restaurant and sports bar. Also call them to reserve space for holiday parties and family celebrations (619) 337-0670. Many thanks to owners - Corey Robinson and Shawn Walchef for their special attention for this occasion. The Chamber made a special presentation to Lt. Allen White who is retiring this month from the La Mesa Police Department and presented him with an elegant award naming him the Chamber’s first recipient of our Law Enforcement Officer of The Year. Lt. White was instrumental in his 24 1/2 years of service to be involved in many areas of law enforcement - traffic collision reconstruction, supervised patrol, traffic and investigations and was routinely chosen to coordinate and lead many large activities for the City of La Mesa. He is well liked and respected by those he supervises. We wish him well as he retires and moves on to the next stage of his life. Holiday cheer filled the room as unwrapped toys were collected and donated to the Chamber’s newest member - The Salvation Army Kroc Center. Raffle prizes were given out to several lucky Chamber members. The Attendance Drawing, sponsored by North Island Credit Union (www.myisland.com) and the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, which is currently at a whopping $200.00 could not be given away, as the winner was not at the breakfast! TelePacfic whose name was drawn will be notified that they missed out on the cash! The Attendance Drawing will graduate to $250 at the next designated Chamber event.
A great crowd gathered on November 12th to celebrate a milestone in the life of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce - our 1st year in business! The group was treated to a great assortment of food from our Platinum member and host Town and Country Hotel and Resort We would also like to thank our member EDCO Disposal for providing financial support to help make the event possible.
During the evening , members and guests were able to visit table vendors and discuss the goods and services they offer. The crowd was entertained throughout the evening by Eric Lund, owner of Member Events With Pizazz who supplied background music and an audio visual production of the Chamber's new web site. During the evening's program the new web site was described to the attendants which has many additional marketing benefits to both the Chamber and its members. Thanks also to member Photographer Robert Bruni of Ambience Photography who provided the snapshots for our event.
Robert Concha, owner of Diamond member Theatron Productions and TV/Radio personality Joe Bauer gave a short overview of a new adverting program the Chamber has created in partnership with Channel 6 TV. Chairman of the Board, Jim Wieboldt led the group through a champagne toast. celebrating the success of the first year of the Chamber and to future years of growth and prosperity. The toast was followed by a cake cutting ceremony and raffle giveaway. Table Sponsors included Advanced Massage Therapeutics, Bay Kitchen and Bath Remodelers, Camp Bow Wow, Copy Link, Grossmont Escrow Company, Preferred Services Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, Rick’s Custom Framing, Teague Financial Insurance Services, Inc. Raffles prizes were donated by Viejas Enterprises, Copy Link, Cloud 9 Shuttle, Bob Bowens Auto Service, Magnaglobe Enterprises, Channel 6 news, Thanks to all our sponsors and donors!
The Oktoberfest Kick Off party in September was hosted by Gary Clausen of Continental Catering at his newly remodeled restaurant and offices on Parkway Drive. Gary also served as our Bergmeister for a Day at the Oktoberfest as well. Thanks also to Tarantino Gourmet Sausages for providing the Brats and other German faire and to all our volunteers who helped make the Oktoberfest a rousing success.
Chamber recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the La Mesa Fire Department August 2008
On August 13, 2008 the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, teamed with local restaurants to offer a "Taste of La Mesa" at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the La Mesa Fire Department to honor the Men and Women and the history of the Department. Restaurants and businesses that shared their
signature entrees and other delectable edibles were: Anthony's Fish
Grotto, The Brigantine, California Comfort, Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Continental Catering, COSTCO, Gio Restaurant, Holiday Inn, Pho' Superbowl and Tiramisu Trattoria. The evening sponsor was Church of Scientology of San Diego. Local table sponsor businesses who displayed their goods and services were: Bay Kitchen and Bath remodelers, Copy Link, Dr. Stephen Earle, DDS, East County Family Martial Arts, First Business Bank, Magnaglobe, Postal Annex 29, Pret-A-Porter Salon & Spa and Silvergate Bank.
In August, the Chamber held a "Day at the Races' event at the Del Mar Race Track. It was a fabulous time for those who attended the event which included a full buffet and rumor has it there were a couple of "big winners"
who left with a positive cash flow! In reality, there are never any losers at a Chamber event.
In July, the Chamber held it's first morning event also at GIO called "Breakfast with the Mayor". Mayor Art Madrid gave the overflow crowd of attendees a snapshot of City affairs while expressing his gratitude and excitement the Chamber had reformed and was once again going to be a force in La Mesa after an 11 year absence. The event was sponsored by Heartland Payment Systems, one of our founding members.
On June 18, 2008 over 240 members from throughout the region including community leaders, dignitaries, members and businesses gathered to celebrate the arrival of the first CEO of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Mary England. Mary, a Council Member in the neighboring city of Lemon Grove came to the Chamber with a strong background in chamber leadership. In addition to this great asset for our new chamber, Mary heads her own public relations firm and is a professional fund raiser with an impressive list of clients. Her excellent reputation and relationship with many local and
regional political figures, make her reach limitless. Mary's ability to raise funds for various charitable organizations and financial prowess made her an excellent person to guide and build our new Chamber.
Raffle donors to this special evening were: Advanced Massage Therapeutics, American Medical Response, Benchmark Financial, C. Hook Theater, California Comfort Restaurant, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Hallman Jewelers, Magnaglobe Enterprises, Mostly Mission, Pret-A- Porter Salon & Spa, Precision Concrete Cutting, Town & Country Resort & Convention Center, United States Tang Soo Do and Your Yoga Voyage. Other donors were Continental Catering and Chipotle Mexican Grill who helped make the event so very special.
The La Mesa Chamber held it's first major mixer at GIO Restaurant in May with a very excited and vibrant crowd attending including current and prospective members. GIO helped sponsor the event with food while a host of other members also provided donations to help make the event a huge success.
