La Jollans found out just how much their community has been improved by its maintenance assessment district at the third annual Enhance La Jolla Day on May 13.
The event in front of Union Bank at 7807 Girard Ave. showcased the accomplishments of the community’s MAD. It also introduces people to several other civic organizations in the Jewel that are working for community improvement and beautification.
Ed Witt president of Enhance La Jolla, the nonprofit whose 13-member board oversees the MAD, and District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava, spoke of the significance of the event and the MAD.
“Joe was our (ELJ’s) secretary until he somehow got elected to be a council member – so he had to resign,” joked Witt adding, “Joe kept me out of trouble more than I can ever tell you.”
“We didn’t realize how much time, energy, and passion he (Witt) was going to put into ELJ,” replied LaCava saying, “I was very honored to play a small part in ELJ’s formation. We made some pretty lofty promises about what it (MAD) would do. And it is so exciting for me to see that not only did they meet those expectations: They’ve actually greatly exceeded them.”
A few of the La Jolla civic organizations who attended the third annual ELJ day talked afterward about what their group got out of it, and what they’re contributing to enhancing the coastal community.
Brenda Fake of the nonprofit Friends of Coast Walk Trail, said there are numerous projects their group is “driving to complete” over the next 18-24 months. Those include: mitigating further trail erosion following heavy winter rains; fundraising and community outreach; Kumeyaay tribe cultural education; establishing over 1,000 new native plants; trimming back trail overgrowth; and repairs to the Coast Walk bridge.
“To help with fundraising La Jolla Sunrise Rotary will be holding its fourth annual Walk for the Trail on Sept. 28, from 4-6:30 p.m.,” Fake said adding, “The Friends of Coast Walk Trail will be hosting another Cocktails on Coast Walk, Sept. 29, from 6-9 p.m.”
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla at 700 Prospect St. is presenting two exhibitions. One is “Griselda Rosas: Yo te cuido.” From Tijuana, Mexico, Rosas’ exhibition is on view through Aug. 30. It will feature the artist’s sculpture, installation, and textile drawings. She looks to her family as a source of inspiration, from the sewing learned from her grandmother to the drawings made by her son.
“Celia Alvarez-Muñoz: Breaking the Binding,” is a museum exhibition running through July 30. It is the first career retrospective of this conceptual artist. It features over 35 artworks, including large-scale immersive installations, photographic series, and book projects highlighting the artist’s playful, witty style. Muñoz often draws inspiration from her lived experience as a United States-Mexico borderlands resident.
Robert Evans, chair of La Jolla Parks and Beaches Inc. dealing with coastal parks, said the primary benefit of Enhance La Jolla Day “Was for all the various leaders in the community to better get to know and just plain chat with each other. I had a lot of conversations with folks just walking up and asking how they can get involved in the community. I was getting asked all the same stuff we’ve all talked about many times before – what about the seals/sea lions? What about trash? What about the parks’ and bathroom’s condition?”
La Jolla’s MAD passed by a 56% to 44% margin by mail ballot of residents and businesses within the downtown Village in November 2016. Having begun operations in 2019, the MAD is a legal mechanism by which property owners assess themselves to pay and receive services above and beyond what the City normally provides. It is one of 64 MADs that have a contract with the City to make improvements in the public right-of-way and may also implement privately contracted capital projects, in addition to the maintenance services underwritten by property-owner fees.
Looking ahead, Christie Mitchell, executive director of Athenaeum Music & Arts Library at 1008 Wall St. said: “The Athenaeum regularly hosts free programming to contribute to La Jolla’s cultural scene, including opening our historic library building and gallery spaces free to the public five days a week,” said Christie Mitchell, the Athenaeum’s executive director. “In addition, we host free artist walkthroughs of exhibitions, free mini-concerts, free Murals of La Jolla walking tours, and world-class ticketed concerts featuring chamber music, jazz, new classical music, and local acoustic musicians. Upcoming projects include a deep dive into the botanical history of La Jolla with an exhibition next year by artist Peter Cochrane, summer arts camps for children and teens, a return of our fall acoustics series which will celebrate a strong history of women leaders in the San Diego music scene and at the Athenaeum, and our annual August Flicks on the Bricks outdoor movie nights hosted by KPBS film critic Beth Accomando.”
