Our View: Getting involved in La Jolla’s business group is a good thing
We know this is a busy time of year for local business owners, so those people who have made time to attend the meetings where ideas are being explored about starting a new “not-for-profit business betterment corporation” for our Village deserve a rousing round of applause.
It’s nice to see the energetic and inquisitive group of new people who have made it to at least one of the Monday coffees exploring the idea being hosted by consultant Mike McLaughlin — and some, more than one. With people like them, there’s hope that the once-active business district can get things moving again in the Village.
Here are the people who have enough interest in what’s going on to at least show up and ask questions. And some of them have volunteered to serve on the board or committees that will be put together in December to take formal steps toward forming a new group. Thanks for caring:
Phil Coller, Everett Stunz
Rita de Stefano, Passione Boutique
Gabrielle Ehrenberg, Skincare by Gabrielle
Bob Grassa, Bob’s Casa del Habano
Glidia Holland, Glidia Salon
Constance Hughes, Constance Hughes Properties
Mark Leonard, Grand Prix Classics
Michelle Lerach, CUPS
Anna Palmer, Palmer Designs
Lorraine Wagner, Skincare by Gabrielle
And the not-so-new faces deserve credit for giving their time, too:
Egon Kafka and Maureen Murphy, La Jolla Village Lodge
Deborah Marengo, Goldfish Point Café
Rick Wildman, attorney
And then there’s another group who expressed interest at Sherri Lightner’s Oct. 21 meeting but haven’t been able to make the meetings due to scheduling conflicts:
David Kurniadi, The Kurniadi Group
Irma Montegna, Victoria’s Gift Shop
James Niebling, Esteban Interiors
Lauren Turek, Kerut
Nancy Warwick, Warwick’s
Deborah Williams, Encore
Feel free to join them on the next two Mondays. The informal meetings are at 8:30 a.m. at Hennessey’s at 7811 Herschel Ave. Then in early December, an afternoon meeting is planned, tentatively at the Rec Center, to line up committees to start planning for elections, filing appropriate papers with the state to form a 501(c)6 and working on a tentative budget.
McLaughlin has also offered to meet with other business owners at their convenience. Just contact him at mike@tmc202.com or call (619) 295-5171 and leave him a message. He promises prompt return calls. (The taped message includes an update on his activities so check back for the December meeting information.)