Traditional Holiday Open House kicks off season The holiday spirit will arise on the western half of Girard Avenue Sunday, Nov. 8 when eight stores hand out cookies, roses and prizes, and singing carolers rove the blocks during the Holiday Open House. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. At noon, the La Jolla Country Day Madrigals choir will perform. Adelaide’s Florists & Decorators started the open house tradition in 1949 as a way to celebrate its first-year anniversary. “It started as a birthday party,” said third-generation owner Gina Phillips, whose grandmother opened the store. “Back then you didn’t see an inch of Christmas until after Thanksgiving.” Neighboring stores asked to participate and it grew into a sort of block party. Today, Adelaide’s is decorated to the nines to inspire shoppers with ideas for decorating for the holidays.  “We want people to support local businesses that really need help during this economy,” Phillips said. Adelaide’s has also asked participating stores to donate to a charity. Phillips decided to donate to San Diego Hospice, which cared for her father Harry, who died last July. Girard Gourmet will serve up hors d’oeuvres and dessert samples, and make a donation to the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. Five San Diego authors will sign their books at Warwick’s, including Sarah Maria and Sarita Eastman (11 a.m. to noon), Barrie Summy and Mike Torrey (noon to 1 p.m.), writer and Village News columnist Natasha Josefowitz (1 to 2 p.m.) and Marlene Wagman-Geller and Kitty Morse (2 to 3 p.m.). Meanley and Son Ace Hardware will give a 20 percent discount off supplies, as well as raffle off prizes. Muttropolis will donate part of its proceeds to the Spray Neuter Action Project (SNAP). The Ascot Shop, Burns Drugs and Geppetto’s will also participate. “It’s a wonderful way to bring the community together, and it’s a way to support some of the charities,” Phillips said.   Gallery, wine walk today Promote La Jolla is moving ahead with its largest fund-raiser of the year: the La Jolla Gallery, Wine Walk & Taste, to be held today, Nov. 5 from 5 to 9 p.m. Fifteen art galleries will keep their doors open later for patrons to peruse with a wine of glass in hand. More than 20 restaurants will offer samples of their dishes, including Alfonso’s, Karl Strauss Brewery, PrepKitchen, Trattoria Aqua and Vigilucci’s Steakhouse. Promote La Jolla Chair Rick Wildman said the event is proceeding as budgeted, and that the number of tickets sold will determine the profit for Promote La Jolla. “It’s not just about the money,” Wildman said. “It’s really about the event for the community. Our whole thing is to do events that bring the community together.”  Tickets cost $35 at the door. For tickets, call (619) 233-5008 or visit www.mcfarlanepromotions.com.  Judge hears Bird Rock Station arguments The immediate fate of Bird Rock Station, a developer’s proposal to build a three-story building in a two-story zone, now lies in the hands of Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Prager, who heard both sides argue their case on Nov. 3. The La Jolla Village Residents Association sued City Council for approving the Bird Rock Station project, which violates the Planned District Ordinance’s two-story limitation. The nonprofit group also argued the building invades the privacy of neighbors, and that its traffic and environmental impacts were not properly mitigated.  In a tentative ruling on Oct. 23, Prager determined that the petitioner had “presented sufficient evidence to support a fair argument that the project may have a significant impact,” which would require the developer to prepare an environmental impact report (EIR). At the hearing on Nov. 3, Prager indicated that his decision concerned whether evidence existed to warrant an EIR, and not whether he believed the building was aesthetically inappropriate for the neighborhood.  In his tentative ruling, Prager also referenced the case “Pocket Protectors v City of Sacramento” that found a public agency must prepare an EIR if there is substantial evidence that a project may have a significant effect on the environment.  “The fair argument standard is a ‘low threshold’ test for requiring the preparation of an EIR,” the “Pocket Protectors” case states.