Program assists local businesses with grants for property improvements
Source: City of La Mesa
January 31, 2025 (La Mesa) - The City of La Mesa is launching the La Mesa Façade and Property Improvement Grant program for a fourth consecutive year. This program aims to bolster local businesses by providing grant funds for up to $25,000 for exterior façade improvements such as new awnings, signage, painting, lighting, and landscaping.
By Miriam Raftery
December 21, 2024 (San Diego) – Our guests on our East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM this week were Brigette Browning, President of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, along with Ollivia Aguirre, a striking worker, mother of two young children, and psychosocial clinician currently on strike at Kaiser Healthcare in El Cajon. She is also a representative of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. We also spoke with Chris Chavara, a single father of three teenagers and member of the Ironworkers Local 229.
Our guests spoke about the Labor Council’s recent holiday food and toy drive, including how it helped their own families. A downturn in the construction industry and the healthcare strike impacted their households directly, yet both Chavara and Aguirre volunteered at the holiday drive to help give back to others, as well as receive much-needed help.
Browning, also president of UNITE HERE Local 30, also spoke about successes won by unions recently, including unionizing all Sharp Healthcare Workers and landing a historic contract for hotel workers following a strike at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.
You can listen to our full interviews here and scroll down for more information.
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City awaits Council’s next motion
By Rachel Williams
July 14.2024 (El Cajon) -- With online sales taking a bite out of retail traffic, shopping malls across the U.S. are struggling and some have closed down. Seeking to avoid that scenario, the City of El Cajon commissioned a market analysis envisioning redevelopment options for Parkway Plaza, East County’s largest regional shopping mall.
Council members unanimously favored a motion to move beyond proposed aspirational measures and begin the next step toward transforming Parkway Plaza into a mix of residential, retail, offices, entertainment and community space.
These “Eatertainment” facilities would combine compelling, traditional dining options and immersive sport-centered bars with unique, dynamic lifestyle retail shops, all oriented around a linear park.
By Mike Allen
Photo: Workers at GKN opening ceremony
December 18, 2024 (El Cajon) -- The site that was once planned as an Amazon warehouse is taking shape to house some of the most sophisticated machinery in the world, as well as the skilled workers to run it.
Just across the street from Gillespie Field at the confluence of Cuyamaca Street and Weld Avenue is the new home for GKN Aerospace, a top tier aircraft components supplier and refurbisher of engines for such customers as Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, General Electric and Boeing.
GKN has been operating in El Cajon for more than 70 years, but its two segments, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and Repair Solutions, have been growing at such a nice clip, soit needed added room.