Hearing set to address code modifications
The City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss the California Coastal Commission’s suggested modifications to the city’s coastal program and municipal code regarding deviations for affordable housing and sustainable development. The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 16 at 2 p.m. in the council chambers at the city’s administration building, 202 C St.
The modifications allow developers to deviate from development regulations when building sustainable development projects in coastal areas, including height and parking requirements. They have been in place in the city since 2003 and required the California Coastal Commission’s approval — which happened in April — before being adopted in coastal areas.
“It’s incentive for builders to build sustainable housing and affordable developments,” said program manager Mike Westlake.
School board rescues art
and music programs
The San Diego Unified School District board of education voted 4-1 in a special meeting this month to protect current music and art programs from the chopping block as it prepares its 2009-10 schoolyear budget.
The vote also protected the district’s athletic programs and six small schools. Other cultural education plans are also protected.
In other action, the board approved cuts in special education by $2.6 million, reversing a planned reduction in 9th-grade class sizes to save $3.9 million and raising the minimum number of riders per bus from eight to 15, saving $4.2 million.
The board is required to pass a balanced budget by the end of June. It faces a 2009-10 deficit of nearly $107 million.
Casablanca-inspired charity bash to aid kids
The Makua women are throwing their annual charity event called “Forbidden Temple” on Saturday, June 13 at Humphrey’s by the Bay from 6 to 11 p.m. to raise funds for the Voices for Children organization.
Voices for Children is a nonprofit organization that trains court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) to oversee children moving through the legal system.
“Makua started in 1953,” said Susan Weisman, Makua’s marketing director. “We started [supporting] the Children’s Home Society. 2003 is when we switched. We raise money for Voices for Children now.”
Forbidden Temple’s theme this year encompasses a Casablanca-Moroccan feel. According to Weisman, the women plan to wear saris while the men will don fedoras or dress as Humphrey Bogart or Indiana Jones.
“We have some special forbidden drinks for the evening,” Weisman said. “We have the bazaar, too. It’s all outside, and then we’ll sit down to dinner for the live auction.”
For more information about Makua, Voices for Children or event tickets, call (619) 223-5255 or visit www.makua.org.
UC system alums may be eligible for new grants
Alumni of the University of California system having trouble landing a job or looking for a change in career can apply for the UCSD Extension’s new Change the World scholarship.
The deadline for online applications for the fall quarter is July 15. Each academic quarter, the Change the World scholarship program will offer four scholarships of up to $5,500 for any continuing education certificate or study program offered by the UCSD Extension, which has locations on the UCSD main campus and in Sorrento Mesa, Rancho Bernardo and Mission Valley.
The extension offers more than 120 certificates in various areas of study, ranging from digital arts to public service and social responsibility. Ten of these programs are online. For more information on the scholarship program or the UCSD Extension, visit www.extension.ucsd.edu.
Photo contest seeks
amateur coastal shots
The California Coastal Commission and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is calling on all amateur photographers to submit photos that depict the coast, ways that people use the coast and coastal wildlife, as well as humorous art within those three categories, for the 11th annual Amateur Photography Competition.
Entries must be postmarked by July 15 and photos must be in color.
An amateur photographer is someone who earns less than 50 percent of his or her income from photography. The first place winner can choose a two-night stay at a Fairmont hotel in Newport, Sonoma or San Francisco. For more guidelines and entry forms, visit www.coastforyou.org, email [email protected] or call (800) 262-7848.
Red Cross seeking
nominations for heroics
The American Red Cross will honor 10 local heroes at an Oct. 9 breakfast at the US Grant and is seeking nominations from San Diego County and Imperial County residents, companies and the media for heroic acts within the following categories: adult, animal, company, fire and rescue, law enforcement, lifeguard, media, medical, military and youth.
The heroic acts must have been committed between June 2008 and July 2009 and nominations must be submitted by July 1.
For more information visit www.sdarc.org or call (858) 309-1273.
City launches website
to track stimulus funds
The City has launched a new website to track federal stimulus monies flowing to San Diego from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that President Barack Obama authorized on Feb. 17. Visit www.sandiego.gov/stimulus to read about the funds the City is expected to receive.
According to the website, the Army Corps of Engineers will receive $10.5 million to dredge the channel from the Pacific Ocean into Mission Bay where silt has built up to create dangerous conditions. Some parts of the channel have apparently shrunk to six feet in depth, whereas 20 feet of depth is needed for safe travel, according to the website. The stimulus money will also help repair the rock jetty that will better allow the U.S. Coast Guard to provide navigational aid to boats.
The City is expected to receive approximately $3.75 million in additional Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) that support libraries, park facilities and other public buildings as well as street and road repairs.
The legislation requires that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which oversees the CDBG program, use the money for projects with bid-based contracts within 120 days of receiving the funds.
The City of San Diego is expected to receive $20.18 million for local transportation projects and $3.7 million in Justice Assistance Grants to fund public safety prevention, intervention and suppression activities; law enforcement personnel; equipment and facilities (including crime laboratories); community policing; and technology improvements.
State Route 905, which runs parallel to the Mexican border, is set to receive $74.4 million of the $76.8 million to complete the western portion of the freeway to quicken the flow of trade between the United States and Mexico. The project is estimated to create 1,400 jobs and to be completed by June 2012, according to www.sandiego.gov/stimulus.
