Pass the Advil to Sherri Lightner this week Sherri Lightner knew she would be facing challenges when she assumed her First District seat. City Council duties in November of 2008: seals at the Children’s Pool in La Jolla and an uncivil war over the Regents Road Bridge proposal in University City would definitely test her problem-solving skills. Do the seals stay or go? Should the controversial bridge be built over Rose Canyon or should other traffic solutions be introduced? Add to the mix the possibility of La Jolla seceding from the city of San Diego. Pass the Advil to Councilwoman Lightner this week because the first two issues were on her “to do” list. Last Monday, the 17th of May, at Sherwood Hall, no harbor seals were seen in the audience, but their representatives spoke for them. The debate over the seals has gone on since 1999. About 200 seals, none in a union yet, have been the center of attention with La Jolla and the rest of San Diego weighing-in on a resolution. Since 1931, the home to current seals has been called Children’s Pool. Casa Beach is the name chosen by folks who prefer seals’ rights over humans. “Use the beach but don’t harass the seals” has been the compromise Sherri Lightner has put forth since taking her oath of office. She was quoted in a recent interview as saying: “Right now, my vision is to not have any more litigation and to have everybody get along. (Sounds like Rodney King after the L.A. riots in 1992.) “I think if we develop a consensus, it’s going to be a lot easier on everyone.” Passion and polarization on the part of constituents has put the City Council representative in a no-win situation. It is similar to the intense divisiveness over Arizona’s decision about illegal immigration. Have you heard anyone say that he or she doesn’t know how they feel about the new law on illegal immigration? The heat is on over seals at the beach, a bridge over Rose Canyon and a hot button issue in Arizona. In regard to the May 19 meeting at City Hall, it was the scene of a community split apart as University City pro- and anti-bridge veterans set up battle plans at the City Council Land Use and Housing Committee, as the committee considered a proposal for two contracts: one for an environmental study and another for preliminary work. The opportunity for public commentary opened up a Pandora’s Box between the two factions, who have a bad history between them. Pro-bridge neighbors screamed about 40 years of promises to alleviate the traffic on Genesee due to overbuilding urban North UC. Anti-bridge advocates hollered about the need for Rose Canyon to remain an open space, pristine escape for two-legged animals and safe habitat for birds, bobcats and beautiful plants. Neighbors aren’t all divided over geography with the west side opposed to the bridge and the east side in favor, but this is the designation some see. Community volunteers who have worked alongside each other on events like UC Celebration on July Fourth and the Christmas Tree Lighting event have stopped speaking to each other. (“It ain’t right,” as Turko says.) Now, with the idea of La Jollans wanting to secede from San Diego, Sherri Lightner has to believe the old adage that bad things happen in threes. The whole city of San Diego would have to vote on secession. If 50 percent plus one approved, the gates could go up around the Jewel by the sea, but only if an election in La Jolla would see locals in agreement. Why would La Jolla elect to leave San Diego? It might be that the Florence Riford Library could be open on Monday, which it can’t now because San Diego says so; there’s no money. Potholes come to mind also. La Jolla would like smooth streets and no broken axles. How about taking control of education? The schools would be without the bureaucratic nightmare witnessed daily in San Diego. Then there is that pesky pension problem, the elephant in the living room that hovers over the city of San Diego. It doesn’t look as though it is going away for years. If La Jolla chooses to go and the voters approve, should La Jolla give back to University City the property taken on behalf of 92037 east of Interstate 5? It was annexed without a vote from the city or the local UC folks who live in an area with better weather than La Jolla. Somehow ZIP Codes were changed to accommodate businesses to promote the La Jolla name that added dollars to the businesses and some kind of status to the housing industry. How rude to the local UC residents! Well, that’s another battle that Councilwoman Lightner may or may not face during her tenure, but once again, it would be awful to have secession by your own hometown during your term in office. La Jolla and University City are only two communities of her large geographic region, which include Penasquitos, Torrey Highlands, Carmel Valley, parts of Del Mar, Torrey Pines and Torrey Hills. I’m getting a headache myself just thinking of her duties solving community concerns: lifeguard cuts, brownouts at a busy fire station like #35 in UC, budget woes, a new downtown library, the evil deficit. She and the other council members seem to have one hand tied behind their backs. As a City Council person, a charter provision does not allow City Council members to direct staff. It is a very important sort of limit line in responsibilities and in order to get answers or actions on certain things, it is necessary to go through the mayor’s staff, but let’s save that topic for another day.