Town Council appointments and news • Trustees voted in favor of changing the bylaws to allow candidates 16 years of age and older to run for LJTC trustee seats, allowing for the youngest-ever candidate, 17-year-old Emiliano de Riquer, to be sworn in as a trustee. Previous to the amendment, candidates had to be 18 years or older to be eligible for election to the board. • Charles Hartford, Egon Kafka, Ann Kerr-Bache, Rob Hildt, Emiliano de Riquer, Yolanda de Riquer and John Weinstein were elected for LJTC trusteeship. Trustees will vote to fill the remaining vacant seat with one of two candidates who tied in the election, Dyanne Routh and Philip Forgione, at next month’s meeting. • Cindy Greatrex was elected as president, Ken King as vice president, John Weinstein as 2nd vice president, David Woo as treasurer and Sonia Olivas as secretary. • Last week, six old eucalyptus trees on Girard, Herschel and Silverado were uprooted by the city because of an invasion of a destructive fungus that rotted them from the inside, announced Kafka. “Although the stump-grinding machines were used, we will prepare for planting new trees by applying a nitrate product that will help the remainder of the stumps and roots to decay more rapidly,” he said. “There are now over a dozen tree wells that are dry holes throughout the village that are awaiting new trees.” • In a split vote, trustees voted to send a letter to the city written by LJTC President Rick Wildman in support of the Coast Walk Boulevard beautification project with the exception of a designated vendor area carved out in the project. The letter also urged the city to enforce its licensing regulations for sidewalk vendors in the area. Trustee Nancy Gardner drafted a similar letter to the city, enumerating additional disapproval of unlicensed vendors, vendor tables and vendor signs and its effect on traffic flow and unfair competition to merchants. • Weinstein introduced Julie Duepner as the council’s volunteer office administrator responsible for mailing, membership renewal and public relations. Her title as executive director will be up for a vote at next month’s meeting. Around the community • The much-anticipated public input meeting with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is just around the corner, and the Save the La Jolla Post Office Task Force urges La Jollans who care about the fate of the Wall Street post office to fill every seat in the house. The meeting will take place on April 26 at 6 p.m. at the Cuvier Club, located at 7776 Eads Ave. “We picked that [location] because it can hold upward of 400 people, and we really want to see 400 people show up so we send a very strong message,” said Save the La Jolla Post Office Task Force member, Joe LaCava. This will be the only chance for community members to directly appeal to USPS representatives regarding the proposed sale and relocation of La Jollans’ beloved 1935 post office, which serves the economic heart of the village. “It is critical for everybody in the community to come out and show their support for keeping the post office in its current location. This will be our only opportunity to provide our input in person to the postal service,” said Lightner. “This is a historic treasure and very important to our community.” The Save the La Jolla Post Office Task Force has been hard at work coming up with multi-faceted plans of action to keep the building, Belle Baranceanu mural, and postal services at its current location at 1140 Wall St. “We need as many people there as possible, and it’s okay if you’re a little enraged,” said Trip Bennett, interim executive director of the La Jolla Historical Society. There have been two attempts before to relocate or merge the post office with another in the city, however public outcry from La Jollans stopped it, said Bennett. “You do have power in this,” he said. “Please encourage friends, neighbors, families, kids to attend. We just really need to fill up that room, pouring out the door.” • Laser Away, a cosmetic laser hair and tattoo removal salon, will hold a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on April 25 at its new UTC location, Weinstein announced. • LJTC’s next SunSetter community happy hour will take place today, April 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Brockton Villa. The cost is $5 for LJTC members, $10 for non-members, and free for new members who sign up and pay at the event. • Casa de Manana was introduced as the LJTC’s “Shop Local, Shop La Jolla” Gold Member this month. The all-inclusive independent and assisted-living residence offers 200 apartments in 120 different floor plans for permanent or long-term stays, said Leigh Siso, director of sales and marketing. “There’s often a misconception that we’re quite pricey and full, but the reality is that because we have so many floor plans and varieties, we really have something in every size and price range, and we do happen to have availability at this time,” said Siso. “With independent and assisted, we are able to meet our residents’ needs as they age.” • Weinstein introduced the Real Estate Brokerage Association of La Jolla (REBA) to trustees. “Real estate is near and dear to most of our hearts, and REBA is sort of the local experts. They have a caravan every week. Those Realtors see the homes in the local market, they know the local market,” he said. • A beach cleanup will take place at La Jolla Shores from 9 a.m. to noon on April 28, announced Laura Hendrickson, site manager for I Love a Clean San Diego and founder of the San Diego Beach Improvement Group. • Kafka introduced the La Jolla Village Merchants Association’s plans to launch Haute La Jolla Nights on four Saturdays throughout the year, starting on June 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. “There will be multiple bands throughout the village, and merchants will be encouraged to stay open until nine. … There will be a lot of openings in the galleries, and things like that,” he said. “It’s a chance for everybody to celebrate and really shop local and dance in the streets.” • Former LJTC President Scott Peters introduced the La Jolla Community Foundation, a nonprofit outlet for philanthropists to gift monetary donations for community projects. The foundation works with community groups like the PDO and Parks & Beaches committees on community programs like the Murals of La Jolla project and installment of educational signage along the beach. “My request to you is to be aware of what we’re doing, what we’re up to,” he said. “If you know something that would be community-minded that you’d like us to work on, we’d like to know about it.” City, county and state news • County Supervisor Ron Roberts and the Air Pollution Control District invite residents to trade in their gas-powered lawnmowers for new battery-rechargeable mowers — normally priced at more than $400 — for only $100 at the 13th annual Lawnmower Trade-In event. Trade-ins will take place at the County Administration Building’s north parking lot on May 19 at 8 a.m. • Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher continues to partner with City Council representatives David Alvarez and Lorie Zapf on legislation to eliminate a $1 vehicle registration fee that funds roadside call boxes through the SAFE board. If passed, the legislation will also modify the way the board operates in a more “fiscally responsible manner,” announced Fletcher’s representative Sterling McHale. • Sen. Christine Kehoe will run a booth at Balboa Park’s Earth Day fair on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and she urges people to stop by, announced Kehoe’s representative Andrew Kennerly. • Congresswoman Susan Davis wrote a letter to the Appropriations Committee to ensure Pell Grants and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are fully funded in the budget.