OB planners preparing for election in March The Ocean Beach Planning Board is getting the word out early about its upcoming elections on Tuesday, March 10 at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave. Each year, seven of 14 seats become available for an Ocean Beach community member to help plan the future of the community. “Serving on the Ocean Beach Planning Board is an excellent way to give back to the community while providing advice to the city of San Diego on land use and land development issues in the Ocean Beach area,” said Ocean Beach Planning Board chair Landry Watson in a written statement. To qualify for the volunteer position, applicants must be at least 18 years old and have attended at least one Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting prior to Wednesday, March 4. In addition, candidates must either own property, have a business license or lived in the Ocean Beach planning district they wish to represent for at least 30 days. The planning area is divided into seven districts, which can be found on www.obpb.net/. To get on the ballot, an application and 35 valid voter signatures must be submitted to the Ocean Beach Planning Board before Sunday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. Watson said he encourages everyone eligible to participate in the elections. The planning board acts as an advisory group to the city on community planning and land-use issues. The board meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center. “We are all excited to help shape and plan the way forward for Ocean Beach in 2009 and beyond,” Watson said. For more information, contact the Election Committee chair Seth Connolly at (949) 533-2346. Tribute set for OB man killed in accident Portugalia restaurant will be the site of a special memorial for Ocean Beach resident Donald Truesdail, 34, who was killed in a traffic accident on the morning of Jan. 13. The event will take place Thursday, Jan. 22 at the restaurant, 4839 Newport Ave., beginning at 6 p.m. Truesdail, who is survived by his wife, Nancy, was also a music teacher for Mar Vista High School. Well respected in the local music community, Truesdail could be found frequenting local open-mic nights and was in the midst of recording material for what would have been his debut album. “He was a big part of what made my regular Thursday night Portugalia events so special,” said close friend Jefferson Jay, who will host the public remembrance. “It seemed fitting to hand over this week’s show to his memory.” Animal communications seminar event slated Animal lovers will soon have an opportunity to get a little closer to their pets. Sindi Somers of Wild and Tame Wellness and Communications at the Point Loma Pet Pantry will host “Wild and Tame Talk 101 — The Basics of Animal Communication” on Thursday, Jan. 29. The free hourlong seminar event will take place at the Pet Pantry, 3704 Voltaire St. at 7 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session. According to Somers, pet owners already have the ability to communicate telepathically with their pets, but they may not realize it. Space is limited and preregistration is required by Jan. 27 by calling (619) 222-1986 or by e-mailing [email protected]. A legal guardian must accompany those under 18 years of age. Dog Beach Dog Wash to celebrate 16 years Dog Beach Dog Wash, Ocean Beach’s first do-it-yourself dog wash, is preparing to celebrate 16 years in business with a special anniversary event from Feb. 1-16. A drawing will be held for a free dog wash every day for 16 days, along with discounts from 16 percent to 50 percent during the celebration. Dog Beach Dog Wash and its volunteer Friends of Dog Beach sponsor cleanups at Dog Beach on the second Saturday of every month from 9 to 11 a.m. and provides more than a half-million poop pickup bags a year at Dog Beach, Ocean Beach Park and Dusty Rhodes Dog Park. The business is located at 4933-C Voltaire St. and is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, call ((619) 523-1700. Junior kindergarten program has openings The Rock Academy, which offers Point Loma’s only junior kindergarten, is currently accepting new students. The program takes place at the Rock, 2277 Rosecrans St., from 8:30 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays. The small class size allows for academic activities, art and music and promotes reading, phonetics, math and foreign languages. The Rock Academy was established in 2002. For more information, visit www.therockacademy.org.