News Nuggets: La Jolla Landmark Theatres to close? ... and more news
La Jolla Landmark Theatres to close? ... and more
Retail changes afoot? Sources close to La Jolla Light say there could be dramatic changes in store for the Shops at La Jolla Village (8801-8879 Villa Jolla Drive), including the exodus of TGI Fridays restaurant, La Jolla Village Theatres and Elijah’s delicatessen to make way for the redevelopment of a portion of the mall.
Although La Jolla Village Theatres general manager Becky Craig said she was not able to comment on the proposal, Alex Loktionov, catering manager of Elijah’s, confirmed the restaurant will be moving to Clairemont Mesa in a month.
“There are several business that might be moving and leaving the shopping center and they’re planning to do some reconstruction … though I’m not 100 percent sure what’s going to be happening here,” Loktionov said.
An employee with adjacent BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse said she was not sure whether they will have to relocate. “As of right now we’re not,” she said. “If we do, we’ll know by June.”
Romney to run … from La Jolla? Part-time La Jollan and former presidential contender Mitt Romney confirmed Jan. 16 he may seek the presidency a third time, during a speech delivered at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting aboard the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. Meanwhile, as reconstruction of his new home on Dunemere Drive progresses rapidly to meet a year-end target completion date, a spokesperson for Romney and wife, Ann, said he is not sure whether the couple will keep the house or sell it.
City weighing Cove odor options: The City of San Diego is considering how it will deal with the odor at La Jolla Cove caused by excrement on the bluffs from birds and a sea lions. According to City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department spokesperson Bill Harris, options for a long-term solution include additional applications of a microbial spray it has been using for more than a year to control the problem and, potentially, some form of sea lion behavior modification training. (The city is currently considering hiring Precision Behavior to coax the sea lions from the bluffs).
“No decision about which method, or combination of methods, the city will select has been made,” Harris said Jan. 16. “The city expects to announce its preferred options within the next few weeks.”
A representative for the office of City Council President Sherri Lightner, whose district includes La Jolla, said due to the lawsuit against the city filed by Citizens for Odor Nuisance Abatement, Lightner could not comment on the pending contract with Precision Behavior.
“Council President Lightner understands how important this issue is to the community,” said Lightner’s communications director, Jennifer Kearns. “She and her staff are monitoring the situation closely, and working with other city staff in various departments to keep apprised of the current situation, sometimes on a daily basis. Depending on the outcome of the litigation, she may or may not be involved in the decision-making process.”
Qualcomm co-founder joins CONNECT ‘Hall of Fame’: La Jolla-based CONNECT, an organization that supports technology startups and entrepreneurship, has chosen former UC San Diego professor and Qualcomm co-founder Dr. Andrew Viterbi for induction into the CONNECT Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Viterbi is being honored for his contributions to Wi-Fi, 3G cellular and digital-satellite communications, speech recognition, DNA analysis and engineering education locally and globally.
In 1985, Viterbi co-founded Qualcomm Incorporated, serving as chief technical officer until 1996 and vice-chair until 2000. Under his leadership, Qualcomm received international recognition for innovative technology in the areas of digital wireless communications based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technologies.
Dr. Viterbi’s most prominent research contribution is the Viterbi algorithm, a means of separating information from background noise that is used in most mobile phones and digital satellite receivers, as well as in the fields of magnetic recording, voice recognition and DNA sequence analysis.
La Jollan makes law-firm partner: La Jolla resident Andrea Kaplan Russell has been named partner at the San Diego law firm Kirby Noonan Lance & Hoge. Previously an associate at the firm, Russell has represented defendants and plaintiffs in practice areas that include civil, tort and business litigation, professional and product liability.
While in law school, Russell received the Academic Achievement Award in Legal Writing, Research and Contracts, and served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Louisa S. Porter of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California. She also interned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Civil Division. She contributes to Consumer Attorneys of San Diego’s “Trial Bar News” in the product liability section. She is also the chair of the Civil Litigation Section of the San Diego County Bar Association.
Russell is a member of the American Inns of Court — Louis M. Welsh Chapter, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, the La Jolla Bar Association and Lawyers Club of San Diego. She received her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and juris doctorate from the University of San Diego.
Bishop’s students earn Fleet Science Center recognition: Two students from The Bishop’s School are among the recipients of the Fleet-Culver Achievement Award. The award — given by Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in partnership with Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana — was designed to recognize students in seventh and eighth grade that have distinguished themselves in the areas of character, leadership and academics, with special emphasis on science. Isabela Llevat and Michael Xu of The Bishop’s School join three other San Diego students in the award, and will receive a one-year membership to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.
Darcie Schott, admissions liaison for the Culver Academies, said Michael was nominated because he is a “stand-out science student with strength in coding and programming and he was very helpful to his peers.” Isabel was nominated for “her solid performance in science and math and she is a very inquisitive student.”
The Culver Academies, a collective of prep boarding schools in Indiana, are longtime partners with the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center as the Center’s namesake attended a Culver academy.
Masters of Mariachi coming to La Jolla on Sunday, Jan. 25: Family friendly concerts return to the La Jolla United Methodist Church, when the Mariachi Garibaldi Ensemble performs 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25 at the church, 6063 La Jolla Blvd. The 15-member Mariachi Garibaldi, directed by Jeff Nevin, is the performing ensemble from Southwestern College, the first school in the country to offer a college degree in mariachi music. Students study music theory, instrumental and vocal technique, mariachi history and performance, as well as complete general education requirements.
The group has performed three times at the famed Encuentro de Mariachi in Guadalajara, Mexico. Free admission, freewill offering accepted. (858) 454-7108. lajollaunitedmethodist.org
San Diego Air & Space Museum to host ‘extreme’ exhibit
For museum month, Feb. 1-28, participating museums in San Diego offer 50-percent off admission to residents. Museum Month participants can pick up a free pass at any local Macy’s store. San Diego Air & Space Museum’s exhibit, “2theXtreme — MathAlive” brings to life the real math behind what kids love most — video games, sports, fashion, music, robotics and more. Through 40 unique, interactive experiences, the exhibition takes math from its native form into the applied worlds of design, engineering, technology and science. La Jolla museums include La Jolla Historical Society, Birch Aquarium and Museum of Contemporary Art. Additional participating museums and more information at sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/museum-month
Want to join the ‘Club’? “The California Club,” a new book by best-selling British author Belinda Jones, is now available as an e-book, and will be published this week. With crucial segments set in La Jolla, the story follows a group of friends sent in a variety of different directions by The California Club — a mysterious organization that has transformed their best friend Helen from a formal businesswoman into a radiant surf goddess.
With sporadic references spanning several chapters, the book describes in detail their adventures in The Jewel. For example, told from the perspective of main character Lara:
“It was after dark when we presented our seasalt-frosted faces to the reception staff at La Valencia — a baby-pink mission-style hacienda overlooking La Jolla cove — and then left a trail of sandy footprints to our rooms, or better yet, villas. Elliot was particularly tickled that he and Elise were assigned ‘Ocean Villa Eleven’ — going some way to fulfilling his hankering to be a part of the Rat Pack. Zoë, Sasha and I were in Ocean Villa Five. And in Fifteen, Goldie Hawn. I kid you not. At first we didn’t believe Zoë when she came screeching in from the balcony to inform us of our celebrity neighbor, but this time she was right. Turns out La Valencia has been a Hollywood hideaway since the 1930s.”
The main characters even take a surf lesson from Izzy Tihanyi of Surf Diva in La Jolla Shores later on.
The book is available for download on amazon.com by searching “The California Club” for $4.99.
Princess Project gathering prom dresses for girls in need: The Princess project — a countywide effort to offer free prom dresses to high school girls who might not otherwise be able to afford them — is collecting dresses for its 2015 drive. Donations will be accepted through Feb. 15, and can be dropped off at Margaret’s Cleaners, 7511 La Jolla Blvd.
Acceptable dresses should be fashionable formal gowns from 2006 or newer; of any lengths, sizes, fabrics and colors; in excellent condition and undamaged. Shoes, wedding dresses, menswear or damaged items will not be accepted.
Dresses can also be shipped to The Princess Project, 1010 Second Ave., Suite 2400, San Diego, CA 92101. sandiego@princessproject.org