La Mesa Mayor to Address Realtors

La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis will be hosted by the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors’ (PSAR) Government Affairs Committee starting at noon on Wednesday, April 1, at the PSAR East County Service Center, 1150 Broadway, El Cajon. Admission is free and lunch will be provided. To RSVP, call PSAR at (619) 579-0333 or visit www.psar.org.

RSVPs are requested for food ordering.

Arapostathis will discuss new projects and development opportunities, including future plans for Grossmont Center, Park Station, La Mesa Village street scape renovation and Boys and the Girls Clubs of East County’s new Brady Family Clubhouse to be built near the La Mesa Middle School campus. Other topics will include infrastructure improvements, advances at local schools and changes on the City Council resulting from the recent election.

“Dr. A,” as he is called by his students and friends, served for eight years as a city councilman before his election as mayor in November 2014. He unseated Art Madrid who had been La Mesa’s mayor for nearly a quarter of a century.

A graduate of Helix High School, co-creator of the La Mesa Arts Academy and Peter Pan Junior Theater director, Arapostathis has taught in the public schools for the past 24 years and is a past recipient of the Teacher of the Year award. Dr. A has championed many programs in La Mesa, including Safe Routes to School, a program that encourages students to walk and ride bicycles to school, and the Neighborhood Watch and emergency preparedness programs, designed to promote safer streets and communities and help residents get prepared for emergencies.

PSAR, a trade group for San Diego-area realtors, offers educational training, advocacy and other services and resources to its 2,000 realtor members.