In the community • The La Jolla Christmas Parade & Holiday Festival Committee is in the midst of fundraising efforts for the upcoming event Dec. 2. “We completely depleted our reserve fund that we used up last year — and fees have gone up — so we have to raise $59,000 to do the parade,” said committee chair Ann Kerr-Bache. This year, donations will be accepted through the Square application, which will eliminate processing fees charged by systems like PayPal. • La Jolla native Matthew Welsch was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Development Permit Review Committee as LJTC’s representative. “I was on the committee in 1992 and 1994 when we did the La Jolla Community Plan, so I’m familiar with the reasons for having the committee to keep the community character,” Welsch said. • The LJTC’s Merchant Gold Member for the month of July is Casa de Manana, a retirement community offering assisted and independent living on La Jolla’s stunning coastline. Casa de Manana, located at 849 Coast Blvd., will host LJTC’s SunSetter happy hour on July 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. • Dancing with the La Jolla Stars will take place on Nov. 15 at either the Cuvier Club in La Jolla village or at Torrey Pines Christian Church. “It’s going to be a glitzy event,” said committee chair Rob Hildt. “It’s going to be a fundraiser for the La Jolla Town Council, and it’s going to be extremely well-attended. We’re looking at somewhere between 300 and 400 people.” For the event, a number of local celebrities will join local dance professionals to showcase a different dance styles — from ballroom to salsa — in front of a live audience and panel of judges. The festive event will also include a silent auction, food, drinks and music. The committee is currently seeking donations for start-up deposits. To donate, contact the LJTC office at (858) 454-1444. • Planters and brackets on Girard Avenue between Prospect Street and Silverado Avenue will be restored next week with new flowers and refurbished brackets, thanks to the volunteer efforts of LJVMA and LJTC trustee Egon Kafka. • The Permit Development Review Committee requested approval of a rooftop screen to hide antennas atop an AT&T facility in Bird Rock. • The LJTC approved street closures for the upcoming “End of Summer Fire Run” on Aug. 26 and the 19th annual “Challenged Athletes Foundation Triathlon” on Oct. 21. • The Traffic & Transportation (T&T) Board recommended approval of a city-recommended stop sign at the intersection of Draper Avenue and Westbourne Street. • A request to increase the speed limit from 25 mph to 35 mph on Nautilus Street was denied by T&T by a vote of 3-2. The speed increase was requested by the city so police could monitor the speed more closely. Residents in the area said they were were concerned that because drivers already speed along the street, increasing the speed limit would only encourage drivers to speed even more and make it more dangerous for neighbors who are pulling out of driveways. A speed limit increase from 25 mph to 35 mph on La Jolla Scenic Drive North, however, was recommended by the T&T. State news • Poway resident Gary Rossio was selected by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher’s office to represent the 75th District as this year’s Veteran of the Year, announced Fletcher’s representative, Sterling McHale. “He really does a lot for our community and a lot for our veterans, so it was great to honor him,” McHale said. • The California Assembly is nearing the end of its legislative session, said McHale. “If there is a specific bill you’ve been watching, if you just want our opinion on it, or if you want better analysis on it, we are here to serve and provide that information,” he said. “If anyone has a question, just call the office, and ask for me directly and we can get you the exact text, our analysis, or we can walk you through it.” For questions, contact Fletcher’s office at (858) 689-6290. • Student loan interest rates will not double — as originally expected — for the next two years at least, saving students around $1,000 over the course of their loan, according to Rep. Susan Davis’ representative Gavin Deeb. • Davis’ office is drafting legislation that gives the community the option to purchase closing or relocating post offices at fair market value and lease a portion of the space back to the United States Postal Service as needed for its services.