News briefs March 8, 2007

New planning association trustees

Darcy Ashley, Orrin Gabsch, Tod Lessor, Sherri Lightner, Ray Weiss and Rob Whittemore were elected as new trustees of the La Jolla Community Planning Association at its March 1 meeting.

More than 230 votes were cast as the planning association used an extended balloting period for the first time.

The new trustees will replace Chuch Berke, Louis Beacham, Simon Andrews, Hal White and Joe La Cava.

The next meeting of the La Jolla Community Planning Association will be held April 5 at 6:30 p.m. at La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect Street.

Paid parking in the village

At this Thursday’s 4pm (at the Rec Center) Meeting of the La Jolla Town Council, arepresentative of the La Jolla Parking Advisory Board will present their proposal for Parking Management in La Jolla. It includes PAID ONSTREET PARKING. Come and hear why these recommendations are being made and voice your questions and concerns. The recommendations include modern enforcement techniques. It is a comprehensive proposal. The Parking Advisory Board is composed primarily of members of Promote La Jolla, the Business Improvement District and includes a representative of the La Jolla Town Council, a representative of the Community Planning Association and other community groups, and several “at-large” members appointed by City

Councilman Scott Peters.

La Jolla woman’s body found

The body of a woman identified as 18-year-old Evelyn Holcomb of La Jolla was found recently in a hotel parking lot in Mission Valley.

The Medical Examiner reported Holcomb died of blunt-force injuries to her neck and torso. She was found in the Super 8 Motel parking lot at 445 Hotel Circle South.

Lt. Kevin Rooney of the the San Diego Police Department homicide unit said the cause of her death was due to complications from a fall. “The manner of death is going to be undetermined,” Rooney said. “It’s not clear whether the young woman jumped, fell or otherwise.”

Police said the woman’s second-floor room door at the motel was found open.

Rooney said the young woman was alive when police found her shortly after 10 p.m. “She died in a hospital about half an hour after paramedics examined her,” said Rooney.

Robbery at La Jolla bank

Union Bank of California at 7897 Girard Ave. in La Jolla was robbed at 12:04 p.m. Monday, March 5 and the robber left with an undisclosed sum of money.

“It was a demand note,” said Sgt. Rebecca Bigbie of the San Diego Police Department’s robbery unit.

Bigbie identified the robbery suspect as a white male in mis mid-50s, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall with a normal build weighing 170 to 180 pounds. She said he had short, fine hair.

“He was very casual and calm,” said Bigbie about the suspect’s demeanor. “He had a grey baseball cap with white trim and bright white, collared polo shirt, dark pants and large sunglasses.”

La Jolla neighborhood hosts food drive

Neighborhood House Association’s San Diego Food Bank said 730 homes in the Soledad South neighborhood of La Jolla have raised food to help the food bank service adults, children and seniors.

Local families raised food during the last two weeks of February during a time when food donations by individuals tends to decline. “Hunger has no timeline,” said food drive coordinator and La Jolla resident Marina Lei Kamahele. “Organizations such as the San Diego Food Bank need food year-round.”

“We are so very grateful for the residents of Soledad South for their contributions,” said Michael Kemp, interim president/CEO of the San Diego Food Bank. “When the community comes together to help those in need that makes for a stronger community. The San Diego Food Bank is committed to working with the community, volunteers and local businesses to help alleviate hunger in our area.”

Today, 50 percent of San Diego Food Bank recipient households include at least one employed adult. Senior citizens make up 22 percent. Individuals under the age of 18 make up 48 percent. Sixteen percent are ages 5 and younger.

The Neighborhood House Association is the parent organization to San Diego Food Bank, which serves more than 1.9 million individuals and distributes more than 10 million pounds of food each year through a network of social service organizations and churches.

Individuals interested in supporting food drives in La Jolla can call Marina Lei Kamahele at (858) 699-2510 or e-mail Marina@TeamAlohaHomes.com.

Women’s Community Seder to be held March 22

The United Jewish Federation Women’s Division is holding its 7h Annual Women’s Community Seder Thursday, March 22 at the David and Dorothea Garfield Social Hall at Congregation Beth Israel, 9001 Towne Centre Drive in UTC.

Each year, this event brings women of all ages, from every corner of the Jewish community, to celebrate the Exodus story, song and symbolism from a woman’s perspective.

Rabbi Lisa Goldstein, Executive Director of Hillel of San Diego, alongside Cantor Arlene Bernstein of Congregation Beth Israel, will lead this year’s Seder. The Seder will include traditional elements with a focus on inspirational stories and songs about Jewish women.

With attendance over 400 each year, the Seder is always a spiritual event, uniting women from all over the San Diego County Jewish community.

Co-chairs Karen Levinson and Sheila Nerad are thrilled and honored to be heading up such an amazing event and are planning for a wonderful evening. One participant from last year stated “This is always a special night of learning and inspiration as we connect with each other and to the tradition of Passover in an extraordinary way.”

The event will begin with a social hour at 5:15 p.m. and will include music and a festive kosher dinner. Complimentary babysitting is available with advance registration for children age 3-12.

The cost for the Seder, including kosher meal and hagadah, is $36.

Financial assistance may be available through UJF.

Please RSVP by March 8, as space is limited.

For more information call Elizabeth Stanton at (858) 571-3444 ext. 266 or e-mail elizabeths@ujfsd.org. You may also register online at www.jewishinsandiego.org.

The Bishop’s School endowment climbing

Headmaster Michael Teitelman has announced that The Bishop’s School Endowment Fund has exceeded $25 million.

The announcement was made recently at an evening event honoring and thanking donors to the endowment.

“This is a very special time for the School,” said Teitelman. “But our work is not yet done, as the school’s centennial approaches in 2009, we have set the goal of increasing our endowment by an additional $30 million.”

In recognition of the many donors to the school’s endowment a colonnade of engraved plaques has been created beginning at St. Mary’s Chapel and running the length of the arched hallway of Gilman Hall. Before cutting the ribbon allowing guests to walk through the endowment colonnade, Teitelman made a second announcement. “Through a $500,000 gift to the school made by an anonymous donor we have established a new endowed faculty chair.”

Jim Updegraff, a member of Bishop’s foreign languages department since 1973, has been honored with the James Updegraff Department Chair in Foreign Languages. As the holder of the School’s newest endowed faculty chair, Updegraff joins an esteemed group of faculty members who are the holders of endowed faculty chairs: The Rev. Mary Katherine Allman, The Manchester Chaplain’s Chair; Regina Ballard, Associated Student Body Council Faculty Chair; Joan Black, Michael W. Teitelman Department Chair in History; Louise Carmon, Marlene Teitelman Department Chair in Music; Courtney Flanagan, Jan and Richard Hunter Chair in Theater; Bill Goss, Weiler-Moore Faculty Chair; Melinda Hennessey, Gretchen Stroschein Thomson‚ Chair for the Teaching of United States History; David Johnston, Florence Wernham Middle School Chair; and Gideon Rappaport, James G. Scripps Chair in English.

The Bishop’s School is a coeducational college preparatory independent day school consisting of grades seven through 12. Founded in 1909, the xchool is located in the center of La Jolla and affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The 2006-2007 enrollment is 725 students who live throughout San Diego County.

For more information about The Bishop’s School visit www.bishops.com.

Stella Maris scores big with Science Fair

Twenty 7th and 8th grade students from Stella Maris Academy have been selected to participate in the 53rd Annual Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair in Balboa Park held March 27 to April 1.

“For our small school this is quite an accomplishment,” Stella Maris Principal Patricia Lowell said. “To have 20 out of 56 students selected to go on to the Science Fair in Balboa Park speaks highly of an extremely successful science program and the excellent teaching here at our academy. We are extremely proud of our students’ efforts and wish them well as they go on to the next level.”

Representing Stella Maris Academy’s Seventh Grade class are 11 students including:1st place winner, Dominic Thomas; 2nd Place Jarron Helbock and 3rd Place winner Jake Garelick. Samantha Arjoon, Julian Clark, Alexandra Cunningham, Sinead Horgan, Camille Johansen, Sarah Poon, Michael Schriner and Eugene Vivino will join them at the Festival.

Sharing 1st place honors representing Stella Maris’s 8th grade class are Molly Dye and Sierra Hauser; Nick Fornaca and William Main took 2nd place honors; taking 3rd place is Olivia Balmert. Joining them in March is Jennifer Main, Lauren McGarry, Mauricio Medina and Matthew Shanks.

Stella Maris Academy is presently accepting enrollment applications for the 2007-2008 school year. Designated a Blue Ribbon School in 2006, Stella Maris Academy, celebrating 60 years of academic distinction, is the K-8 Parish School of Mary, Star of the Sea at 7654 Herschel Ave. in La Jolla.

For more information call (858) 454-2461 or visit www.stellamarisacademy.org.

Scripps hosts cancer workshop series

Local residents living with a cancer diagnosis can attend a free therapeutic writing workshop series sponsored by Scripps Cancer Center beginning Thursday, March 8 in the conference room of Scripps Cancer Center at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines, in the Anderson Outpatient Pavilion, at 10666 North Torrey Pines Road.

“When Words Heal” is an eight-week writing workshop series designed to help San Diegans with their difficult journey through cancer by means of expressive writing. Workshop sessions will take place Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and will run through April 26.

The workshop series will be led by Sharon Bray, a respected figure in the expressive writing field and a breast cancer survivor.

The program is open to men and women living with cancer, regardless of where they are receiving their treatment.

Cost for parking is $3. Writing experience is not required to benefit from this workshop, which is designed to help participants learn to express the complex emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis, and to gain perspective and cope more effectively with life’s hardships.

With more than 300 affiliated physicians, Scripps Cancer Center is a nationally recognized leader in cancer care. In collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute, the Scripps Cancer Center seeks to provide the best possible diagnosis and treatment for patients by coordinating medical expertise in the areas of clinical cancer care, community outreach and clinical, translational and basic research.

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a $1.7 billion non-profit community health system, treating nearly a half-million patients annually through the dedication of 2,600 affiliated physicians and 11,000 employees spread across five acute care hospital campuses, home health care services, and an ambulatory care network of clinics, physician offices and outpatient centers. In 2006, Scripps spent $110.5 million to upgrade our facilities and technology across the region while providing significant charity care to the community -- more than $195 million in uncompensated care in 2006.

Registration is required and can be arranged by calling the Scripps Cancer Center at (858) 554-8533.

Kyoto Prize Laureate to speak at UCSD

Three of the world’s foremost contributors to advanced technology, basic sciences and arts and philosophy will be honored in San Diego March 14-16 as Kyoto Prize Laureates, with UCSD hosting Laureate Hirotugu Akaike for the basic science presentation at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 15 at Calit2’s Atkinson Hall.

Akaike, a statistician from the Institute for Statistical Mathematics in Tokyo, developed a powerful modeling tool now known as the “Akaike Information Criterion,” that allows relationships to be identified within vast volumes of numeric data. Since he first scribbled it onto a party invitation while riding the subway in 1970, the AIC has been adopted in virtually every field of engineering, with applications in wireless communications, digital imaging, gene analysis, economics, weather forecasting and manufacturing.

The presentation in Atkinson Hall will include visible examples of how Akaike’s criterion improves digital photographs in such fields as medicine, astronomy and homeland security.

Mark H. Thiemens, dean of the UCSD Division of Physical Sciences and professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will serve as master of ceremonies. Invited scholars who will speak following Akaike’s presentation include Richard Puetter, an astrophysicist with the UCSD Center for Astrophysics and Spaces Sciences; Kenneth Burnham, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and mathematician Heisuku Hironaka, professor emeritus of Harvard and Kyoto universities.

A screening of the Nov. 10, 2006 presentation of Japan’s 22nd annual Kyoto Prizes in super high-definition 4K digital cinema will be held at 2:30 p.m. in Atkinson Hall preceding Akaike’s lecture.

All public lecture events are free. Registration may be made at www.kyotoprize.org.