East County News Service
January 17, 2025 (La Mesa) — Bougie’s Cheese Shop, newly opened in December, invites you to a Garden Party on Saturday, January 18 and 25 from 1-4 p.m. This patio event will feature non-alcoholic specialty drinks in honor of dry January paired with cheeses, along with curated snack boxes available for purchase.
Bougie’s Cheese Shop is located in the historic Levy house at 4679 Date Ave. in La Mesa.
By Miriam Raftery
January 10, 2025 (La Mesa) – When a luggage wheel split open just three weeks after I purchased the large suitcase for $68, I tried to return it to Burlington in La Mesa. After waiting nearly an hour in line (since they have no customer service desk for returns), Burlington’s employee refused to refund my money for the suitcase. She stated that this was because “you traveled with it.”
The whole point of a suitcase, obviously, is to travel! So apparently if you use their product for itrs intended product, you're out of luck if it breaks. I bought the the luggage specifically for a holiday trip, because it has wheels that rotate in all directions. I have a permanent shoulder injury, and it’s easier to pull a suitcase alongside instead of dragging a bag behind me, as I'd done with my older luggage. Even worse, I wound up having to carry this heavy bag filled with winter clothes, boots and a coat.
The bag seemed fine after taking it off the luggage return at the airport, but as soon as we got outside and wheeled it into the parking lot, the wheel suddenly split in two, forcing me to carry the extra-large suitcase. This cost me a trip to my chiropractor upon returning home, to relieve the shoulder pain caused by Burlington’s shoddy product.
Burlington looked for any excuse to refuse to refund the money. They claimed the bag was ”dirty” because of a few hairs where my cat sat on it, which easily brushed off. They claimed it was scarred up because of a small scuff mark, typical of any checked baggage. It’s not like they could resell the merchandise with a broken wheel.
I asked for a manager, prompting another long wait. The manager also refused to issue a refund. I then asked her to provide me with contact info for the manufacturer. The only name on the bag is “On-Tour.” Burlington’s manager refused to provide any manufacturer’s information, and I could not find the manufacturer on the website. So no chance of getting a refund or even a replacement wheel, apparently.
The Burlington manager in La Mesa gave me a bogus national number for their customer service, but when I dialed it, the number was disconnected.
I then called my credit card company, which issued a temporary credit while I file a format dispute over the $68 that I paid for a suitcase that is now absolutely useless.
I did a Google Search and found a site for pissed-off customers that claims Burlington has only a 2.0 rating out of 5 possible, with a majority of customers voicing dissatisfaction. On Yelp, Burlington rates a dismal 2.5.
I will not be shopping at Burlington for anything in the future and suggest that anyone who values quality or customer service take their business elsewhere.
Photo, left to right: Councilmembers Lauren Cazares and Patricia Dillard, Mayor Mark Arapostathis, Councilmembers Laura Lothian and Genevieve Suzuki
Source: City of La Mesa
January 10, 2025 (La Mesa) – The City of La Mesa welcomed two new councilmembers during its City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The occasion marked a historic milestone in La Mesa as the council now consists of a majority of women, including women of color, with four women and one man who serves as mayor.
“This is a proud and historic moment for La Mesa,” said Mayor Mark Arapostathis. “Our City Council reflects the strength and diversity of our community. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to continue making La Mesa a place where everyone feels represented and empowered.”
Joining the council are the newly elected members, Lauren Cazares and Genevieve Suzuki. Both Cazares and Suzuki have deep roots in the La Mesa community. Cazares, lifelong La Mesan, currently serves as Policy Advisor at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and has been actively involved in various boards and committees, including the City of La Mesa Community Police Oversight Board.
“I‘m deeply honored to serve as a member of the La Mesa City Council and continue the work of building a safer, stronger, more affordable community for all,” said Councilmember Cazares. “As a proud Latina, the youngest Councilwoman in La Mesa history and first openly LGBTQ+ Councilmember, I’m committed to ensuring that our City remains a place where everyone feels heard, valued, and empowered to thrive.”
Suzuki, a family law attorney with more than a decade of legal experience, is a dedicated advocate committed to community service in La Mesa. She has served on the Community Services Commission and the La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation Board.
“I'm honored to have been elected to represent our vibrant community and work with Mayor Arapostathis, Vice Mayor Patricia Dillard, and fellow Councilmembers Laura Lothian and Lauren Cazares,” said Councilmember Suzuki. “I look forward to making sure everyone feels heard and using my time on the City Council to continue the progress made by outgoing councilmembers Colin Parent and Jack Shu.”
The election of these new councilmembers by the people of La Mesa reflects the city’s diverse makeup, with women representing approximately 52% of the population. This milestone builds on the foundation set in 1980 when Jerri Lopez was elected La Mesa’s first female City Councilmember.
“History, history, and more history! I’m thrilled to have made history at Tuesday’s final City Council meeting of the year,” said Vice Mayor Patricia Dillard. “I’m especially excited to welcome our two new Councilmembers, Lauren Cazares and Genevieve Suzuki, as they were sworn in helping form a supermajority female council. Together, we will continue to represent our community with dedication and excellence. Four highly qualified women, each with diverse multicultural backgrounds, are poised to lead. Congratulations to us all!"
“I first attended La Mesa City Council meetings when the council comprised of Mayor Art Madrid and Councilmembers Dr. A, Ernie Ewin, Ruth Sterling and Dave Allen,” said Councilmember Laura Lothian. “Since then, our City Council has always been majority male. This new council, with four women and one man, will be very different and interesting. We are a diverse council, with a Greek mayor and the four councilmembers who are female, Black, Hispanic, and Asian. My ethnic background is half Guatemalan and half English. We are also diverse in age, with Vice Mayor Dillard and I being grandmothers, Genevieve Suzuki as a young mom, and Lauren Cazares, the youngest councilmember elected since the 1970s!”
Cazares and Suzuki are replacing Colin Parent and Jack Shu on the City Council. Parent served on the City Council for eight years, where he focused on housing policies and championed labor initiatives. Shu served on the City Council for four years, earning recognition for his commitment to environmental advocacy.
The swearing-in ceremony took place during the City Council’s regular meeting.
The City encourages residents to engage with the new councilmembers and participate in upcoming City Council meetings. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located at 8130 Allison Ave., La Mesa.
By Miriam Raftery
January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) – Dozens of public speakers at yesterday’s Grossmont Healthcare District meeting urged the board to move its 9 a.m. meetings to evenings in order to accommodate people with full-time jobs. The proposal was made by newly elected director Nadia Farjood, a working mother who says her new full-time job at the District Attorney’s office prevents her from attending daytime meetings.
The district represents about 520,000 residents. Around 271 people signed a petition in support of Farjood’s proposal, and around 40 showed up in support at yesterday’s meeting. But despite testimony from union representatives, healthcare workers, district residents and local elected officials, Farjood’s proposal failed, with no other director in support.
Some speakers voiced concern not only for Farjood, but for the potential chilling effect on would-be candidates who may be persuaded from running for office if they have full-time day jobs.
Jesse Garcia from the carpenters’ union called it “unfair” and “unAmerican” to “disenfranchise the 23,000 voters” who backed Farjood in the recent election by refusing to accommodate her request, potentially forcing her off of the board. He noted that he serves on multiple boards and committees, which all have evening meetings.
Regina Beasley, a Sharp Healthcare worker and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) member, said restricting meetings to mornings is “discriminatory” based on age, gender and employment status, noting that “most of us in here have children.”
Leila Kater (photo, left) testified that she represents almost 2,000 healthcare workers in the Grossmont district. She told the board that workers “will start paying a lot more attention to these meetings” in order to “hold this board accountable.”
Toni Vargas, a phlebotomist, voiced concerns over "exclusion" of working people including healthcare workers by holding morning meetings, and said avoiding evening meetings is "about preserving power."
Briana Costen, a trustee on the La Mesa Spring Valley School District board, said she was “deeply troubled” by the tone of the discussion. “This is a public board, and you serve the public,” she stated, noting that “75% of voters in this district are below retirement age” and thus likely to have work conflicts that would make it difficult to attend daytime meetings.
Patricia Dillard, Vice Mayor of La Mesa, called for “transparency and accountability.” She said if any member cannot attend evening meetings that are more accessible to the public, “you should have no choice to go get off this board.”
Former La Mesa Councilmember Jack Shu said he would often take calls late at night from constituents. “Public service means you serve the people when it is needed,” he said after dozens of others had spoken out. “I have not heard one person speak in favor of keeping the 9 a.m. time,” he said, noting that the city of La Mesa changed its meetings to 6 p.m. and had an increase in attendance as a result.
Melinda Vasquez said she worked with Farjood and voted for her because “I knew that she would bring a different vantage point to this board...She should not have to quit her day job to do public service.”
Several callers gave remote testimony on Zoom, including La Mesa Councilwoman Lauren Cazares, who praised the “excellent service” she received from the healthcare district after being hit by a drunk driver and injured in December. She noted, “I have a full-time job and am a councilmember. It shouldn’t be difficult to participate in meetings,” then urged the board to “please serve the community that elected all of you.”
After public testimony, the board held a discussion led by board president Bob Ayres, who thanked everyone for sharing their views.
Director Virginia Hall disputed claims by some speakers that all board members are retired and should be more flexible. “I do work,” she said, adding that she’s also helped care for her grandson. “It saddens me to hear these comments.” She praised the district for accomplishments including lowering tax rates for taxpayers, giving out $1.5 million in grants to community organizations, receiving a Golden Watchdog Award, and being named the Best Healthcare District in California in 2023.
Hall noted that people who can’t attend in person may participate via Zoom, and noted that the board did launch a pilot program holding meetings at 5 p.m. for six months last year, but that attendance did not increase. She suggested that attendance at meetings is low because the community trusts board members to make wise decisions.
Director Randy Lenac, participating remotely, noted that the head of LAFCO has said the Grossmont Healthcare District is the “gold standard of healthcare districts” and that Sharp Grossmont is a “great hospital.” He voiced support for keeping meetings at 9 a.m. and said the meeting time has been “settled for a long time,” drawing groans from the crowd.
Farjood pointed out that the issue at hand was not whether or not the district has done good work. She then pressed her colleagues over their responses to a survey sent to board members about their availability for meetings at other times. Though all other members had written down a preference to keep meetings at 9 a.m., she noted, “None of the members identified any conflict with 6 p.m..” She said she has seen board members at other evening meetings, including a recent holiday party.
Lenac insisted that “9 a.m. is the best time to assure principal participants can attend,” and insisted that his availability for other times is “irrelevant,” drawing laughter from the audience. He noted, however, that when meetings used to be at 7:30 a.m. he sometimes had to drive through snow from his rural residence, but added, “I never missed a meeting.”
Farjood asked who Lenac considered principal participants, prompting the attorney to try and stop her questioning. This drew shouts from the audience, such as ”No one elected him!” and “Stop speaking down to us!”
Assured she could continue, Farjood stated, “My view is that the public are principals.”
Lenac then clarified that he was referring to members of the hospital who regularly address the board on matters such as healthcare quality, finances, facilities, and future projects.
Farjood said the board is the oversight body for the hospital. “To say we would put the interests of the hospital above the public you’ve heard from today is backwards,” she added. She asked Lenac how he knew that hospital principals couldn’t attend a 6 p.m. meeting, and he admitted, “Well, I don’t know, but I know that 9 a.m. works.”
As for the 5 p.m. pilot program, Farjood called it a “sham” and noted that many people get off work at 5 p.m. and are commuting home at that hour. She also objected to what she views as inadequate outreach by the district, noting that most constituents she met walking precincts said they “never heard of it.”
Farjood clarified that she is not asking the board to change its days, which alternate between Tuesday and Thursday, but only to shift times to 6 p.m. or later.
Hall objected, saying that people are tired at the end of the day, and that traffic can be bad at 6 p.m.
Farjood suggested that better outreach could boost meeting attendance. When Hall asked why so many people showed up at 
this meeting, when meetings are usually sparsely attended, Farjood replied, “Because I let them know about this,” drawing cheers from the audience.
Board Chair Gloria Chadwick (photo), a retired nurse and long-time advocate for seniors, noted that some seniors are vision-challenged, particularly with night driving. Pressed on her own availability for evening sessions, Chadwick said, “I will do whatever our board decides.”
Direcftor Ayres (photo,left) said “it’s possible” he could attend evening meetings, but noted that he has an outside full-time job that often requires evening work, including talking with clients in other countries. “Last night I didn’t finish until almost 9 p.m.,” he noted.
As for Farjood’s conflict with attending daytime meetings, Ayres noted that directors are also expected to attend training sessions, committee members, legislative days, grantees’ events and community events, which are often during daytime hours.
Farjood asked why the board needs two meetings a month. She then made a motion asking the board to change to one meeting per month, on the third Thursday at 6 p.m. No member seconded the motion, which died without a vote.
“Today is a dark day for the Grossmont Healthcare District,” concluded Farjood (photo, left), who added that increasing public access was a key part of her campaign. “No amount of years serving on this board can erase the message sent today—that working people cannot serve on this board.”
But she added defiantly, “I am not going anywhere,” suggesting she may seek accommodation from her employer or, as an attorney, perhaps pursue a legal remedy. “I will be advocating for this at every meeting,” she pledged, thanking all who showed up in support.
East County News Service
January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Forty-seven years after Wait Until Dark premiered on Broadway, Jeffrey Hatcher has adapted Frederick Knott's 1966 original, giving it a new setting. In 1944 Greenwich Village, Susan Hendrix, a blind yet capable woman, is imperiled by a trio of men in her own apartment. As the climax builds, Susan discovers that her blindness just might be the key to her escape, but she and her tormentors must wait until dark to play out this classic thriller's chilling conclusion.
Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa will present this updated twist on the classic thriller starting January 10 through February 2. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., except on Saturday, January 18, there will bea 2 p.m. matinee only.
For tickets, visit https://www.lamplighterslamesa.com/