LA JOLLA NEWS NUGGETS

Celebration of lifeguards at next Town Council meeting

This month’s La Jolla Town Council meeting will feature a public-safety forum honoring the three lifeguards — James Earnest, Aaron Estess and Shane McIntyre — who saved a Texas tourist on June 9. (Ian Black, 35, was swimming at WindanSea when high surf and strong rip currents took him under.)

“It’s not every day you get to meet a person who literally, and very dramatically, saved someone’s life,” said Town Council trustee Aaron Brennan. “Thursday, you can meet three of them.”

City Councilmember Barbara Bry, San Diego Police Department captain Tina Williams, fire chief Colin Stowell and newly named lifeguard chief James Gartland are all expected to attend, although Black is not.

A meet and greet — with free appetizers by Dominic’s Table — will precede the meeting, 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11 at the La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St.

Board shakeup at La Jolla Village Merchants Association

The musical chairs continue at La Jolla Village Merchants Association (LJVMA), as president Alisha Hawrylyszyn Frank — elected unaminously in May to replace James Niebling — has decided not to seek re-election as either president or a board member when she terms out of both at the end of October.

“I have been dedicated for two years — donating hundreds of hours to the (LVMA),” said Frank, who owns the Fiercely Optimistic healing center at 1237 Prospect St. “I am proud of my accomplishments and will continue to be an advocate for the Village from afar.”

As her final act before completing Niebling’s presidential term, Frank has hired a new LJVMA executive director: Jodi Rudick, former publicity and promotions manager for the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. Frank will introduce Rudick during the board meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at the Riford Library.

“Her and I would be a powerhouse,” Frank said. “It’s so bittersweet leaving the board of directors.”

Rudick replaces Sheila Fortune, who resigned in June.

UC San Diego mandates human-trafficking reports

A new UC San Diego Health policy obligates staffers to report all suspected victims of human trafficking to law enforcement. The policy will supplement existing state and federal laws requiring staffers to report concerns of suspected child and elder abuse.

UCSD Health staff will be trained to recognize signs of human trafficking. When they do, suspected victims will be escorted to a designated safe space. If their responses to certain questions suggest trafficking, the attending physician or charge nurse will notify local law enforcement.

“We are proud to be setting an example for other health systems across the county and hope policies like ours will become a common healthcare practice,” said UCSD Health CEO Patty Maysent.

The San Diego County Advisory Council on Human Trafficking & Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children suggested the policy, after research revealed that many human-trafficking victims intersect with the medical community during their victimization.

Triathlon Challenge returns Oct. 21 to La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove will host the 25th annual San Diego Triathlon Challenge from Friday, Oct. 19 to Sunday, Oct. 21, culminating in a one-mile ocean swim, 44-mile bike ride and 10-mile run. More than 200 challenged athletes of all ages and abilities are expected to participate.

“This day brings out the best of competitive sports,” says Virginia Tinley, executive director of the Challenged Atheletes Foundation, which sponsors the event.

Participants are expected to include PBS science correspondent Miles O’Brien, an above-elbow amputee, and former NFL running back Isaiah Pead, an above-knee amputee training to be a Paralympic sprinter.

For more info, visit challengedathletes.org

Art museum expansion breaks ground Oct. 18

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), 700 Prospect St., has set Thursday, Oct. 18 as the official groundbreaking for its latest expansion. A private ceremony marking the occasion will be led by museum director and CEO Kathryn Kanjo, board president Paul Jacobs, and architect Annabelle Selldorf.

The expansion — the museum’s fifth since opening in 1941 as the Art Center in La Jolla in the former home of Ellen Browning Scripps — will quadruple its exhibit space from 10,000 square feet to 40,000, add ocean-view terraces and increase parking by replacing a 24-space surface lot, which will be converted into an outdoor sculpture garden, with a 41-space underground garage.

The museum recently increased its estimate of the project’s cost by $20 million — from $75 to $95 million.

Tutors sought for elementary readers

Everyone a Reader program is looking for volunteer tutors to read with students at Kate Sessions Elementary school in Pacific Beach. Volunteers say that it’s fun and fulfilling to work one-on-one with a child who needs help reading. Training is provided.

Contact Pat Kreder, volunteer coordinator, at (619) 405-8172, or e-mail grandykreder@gmail.com

Everyone a Reader is sponsored by the San Diego County Office of Education.