EAST COUNTY HAPPENINGS Business grants still available

City councils

El Cajon, 3 p.m. Tuesday; La Mesa, 6 p.m. Tuesday; Santee, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

School boards

Alpine Union School District, 5:15 p.m. Wednesday; Cajon Valley Union School District (El Cajon),

5:30 p.m. Tuesday; Grossmont Union High School District, 6 p.m. Tuesday; Jamul-dulzura Union School District, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday; Lakeside Union Elementary School District, 6 p.m. Thursday ;

Lemon Grove School District, 6 p.m. Tuesday; Mountain Empire Unified School District, 6 p.m. Tuesday El Cajon businesses that were harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for two business grant programs. The county of San Diego’s Microbusiness Grant offers up to $2,500 to microbusinesses that were in effect before COVID and are still operating, despite being negatively affected by the pandemic. Deadline is March 31. Learn more at tinyurl.com/5n96sh8s. And the city of El Cajon has designated $5 million to help small businesses hire new workers or make capital improvements. Learn more about the El Cajon Business Grant and apply by April 15 at www.elcajon.gov/businessgrant.

Chamber preparing for business expo

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s Spring Fling Business Expo offers members an opportunity to participate and share their goods and services with members, businesses and the public. The event is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. March 23 at the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon, 141 N. Magnolia Ave., El Cajon. Guests can meet local businesses and enjoy raffles, food samplings from local restaurants and more. Chamber member display tables are available for $150. To reserve a display table, contact Mary England at (619) 251-7730 or email maryengland@lamesachamber.com. Tickets are $10 for this age 21-and-up event. Register and buy tickets at https://bit.ly/3tffbst.

Coffee sales to benefit local shelter

Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. has selected La Mesa-based The Animal Pad as their new Rescue Roast partner for March, meaning that all sales from its Rescue Roast Blend will be donated directly to the animal rescue organization. The volunteer-run Animal Pad is 100 percent donation-based and dedicated to saving all breeds from high-kill shelters and the streets of Southern California and Mexico. With the Rescue Roast donation from Grounds & Hounds, The Animal Pad (https:// theanimalpad.org) will be able to provide extensive vet care, find foster homes, rehabilitate dogs and facilitate adoptions. Find Rescue Roast at www.groundsandhoundscoffee.com. Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., based in Los Angeles, supports rescue initiatives and organizations by giving 20 percent of all its profits to rescue organizations working to give animals a second chance. Visit groundsandhoundscoffee.com.

Lamplighters presents ‘Trip to Bountiful’

Lamplighters Community Theatre is presenting “The Trip to Bountiful” by Horton Foote at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through March 20 at 5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa, in the La Mesa Village Center. Tickets are $23 general admission, $20 students/seniors/military, and $18 for groups of 10 or more. All patrons will be required to wear masks and show proof of full vaccination and photo ID. Visit www.lamplighterslamesa.com or call (619) 303-5092.

El Cajon student wins local speech contest

Zeena Ashir, a senior at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, recently took first place in the American Association of University Women (AAUW) La Mesa-el Cajon branch speech contest and moves on to state competition in April. Junior Hussein Al Husseini, also from Granite Hills, placed second, and sophomore Isabella Manion of El Cajon Valley High School placed third. Speech Trek is a speaking contest open to all California high school students through branches of the AAUW. Students were eligible to speak on the topic, “Has the United States lived up to its pledge of liberty and justice for all? Would requiring the study of diversity, equity and inclusion in a high school setting help ensure liberty and justice for all?” Zeena will be presenting her speech at the chapter’s next meeting, which is open to the public, at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at King Hall, Foothills United Methodist Church, 4031 Avocado Blvd., La Mesa.

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