Lemon Grove kicked off its 40th Birthday Celebration at Tuesday’s City Council meeting
Photo: (left to right) Councilman David Arambula, Councilman Jerry Jones, founding Councilman W. Dale Bailey, Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Mendoza, Mayor Racquel Vasquez, founding Councilman Jack Doherty, Councilman David Arambula, former Mayor Mary Sessom and her grandson, former Councilman Tom Clabby and Helen Ofield with the Lemon Grove Historical Society.
By Jonathan Goetz
August 3, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – To commemorate the city’s 40th birthday, Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez presented certificates to founding Councilmembers W. Dale Bailey and Jack Doherty; Matt Jennings presented a certificate to the City from Senator Joel Anderson at this week’s Council meeting.
Photo: Founding Councilmembers W. Dale Bailey (left) and Jack Doherty (right) with current Mayor Racquel Vasquez (middle)
Bailey got the Council chamber audience laughing several times, including when he said, “I had the great joy of sitting next to Jack so I think it’s great that we can be here together. One of my favorite notes I passed to Jack was `What the hell are they talking about?’ and Jack would always pass the same note back and say` I don’t know either but vote no.’”
Doherty touched on Lemon Grove’s semi-rural atmosphere multiple times throughout his speech, saying, “I really loved Lemon Grove. It was close to my work in San Diego and I loved its semi-rural atmosphere. You could still hear the cows and there was a donkey you could hear quite a bit, and if the wind was right you could smell the dairy. We had an open field across from our house; it was not unusual to see a horse being ridden up the hill.”
Festivities for the 40th birthday included cupcakes and a video. The series will include #LGHistoryHunt #locallemonrush and #throwbackthursday over the course of the next year.
During public comment, several citizens spoke on their efforts to make Lemon Grove a better place. A. Watson called on the City to establish an Arts and Culture Commission.
Photo: A Watson, Proponent of an Arts & Culture Commission
Watson commented that Carlsbad developed its Arts & Culture Commission in 2011 and said that Lemon Grove should do the same. “Creating an arts and culture commission in the City of Lemon Grove will be a catalyst for developing and strengthening arts community enhancing cultural tourism.”
If you are interested in forming an Arts & Culture Commission you can email the City Council members and/or email Watson at wreklesswatson@gmail.com
Abraham Muheize spoke about our newest minor league basketball team, the San Diego Kings. You can sign up for their newsletter at www.sdkingsbasketball.com
Matthew Philbin, President of Anthem REV, is proposing a remodel project to house 15 homeless people at 2555-71 Crestline Drive in Lemon Grove. If you want to help, he can be reached at (619) 694-9253.
Council meetings are a great time to voice your opinion in front of our local lawmakers. The Lemon Grove City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Community Center, 3146 School Lane in Lemon Grove.