Alzheimer’s Assoc. holds Memory Walk
Participants are invited to walk with a manager for a good cause as Padres skipper Bruce Bochy is the honorary chair for this year’s Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 in Balboa Park.
Bochy, who has personal experience as an Alzheimer’s caregiver, also served as honorary chair for last year’s Memory Walk.
The UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center will team up with the Alzheimer’s Association for the event. The association has estimated that individuals in San Diego and Imperial counties affected by Alzheimer’s disease could fill Petco Park eight and a half times. That’s about 360,000 people, and studies indicate the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease across the country will increase 44 percent by 2025, according to the association. All funds raised during the walk support the association’s programs and services.
The Alzheimer’s Association is looking for volunteers for various activities at this year’s Memory Walk. People of all ages are needed both for the day of the event and for the planning and organizing committee prior to the walk.
Registration is free and can be done on-line or on the day of the event, beginning at 6:30 a.m.
The 5K walk follows at 7:30 a.m. Entertainment and many contests, including costumes, wheelchair decorating and dog contests, will be offered at the event
For more information or to register for Memory Walk, visit www.sanalz.org or call (858) 492-4400.

UCPG pledges opposition to Prop A
The University Community Planning Group (UCPG), led by chair Linda Colley, voted Tuesday, Oct. 10, to continue to support the Marines at Miramar Air Station and endorse and concur with the Community Planning Group’s (CPC) decision to oppose Proposition A on the Nov. 7 ballot. The proposition asks voters whether they think the airport authority should take over 3,000 acres of MCAS Miramar to use as a commercial airport by 2020.
Colley attended a conference held Tuesday, Oct. 10 in Balboa Park, at which State Rep. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) addressed the structure of the San Diego Community Airport Authority and asked for public comments on the issue. The CPC voted 19-5 to oppose Prop A, and Colley learned at the conference that although community planning boards cannot take a position on political candidates, they may take a group position on ballot propositions.
Twelve of the 17-member UCPG board were in favor of supporting the CPC’s opposed position to Proposition A.

LJHS will celebrate Homecoming
Homecoming will take place this weekend, Oct. 27 and 28, at La Jolla High School.
Festivities begin before lunch Friday with a school pep rally, followed by the football game against the San Diego High School Cavers. The varsity contest starts at 7 p.m., with a half-time parade of floats, the 2006 Homecoming Court and crowning of the King and Queen, as well as recognition of returning alumni.
The Homecoming Dance is Saturday, 8 to 11:30 p.m., in the school gym. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and will not be available at the door. For more information, call (858) 454-3081.

UC area will test new ‘smart meters’
Calling out the meter reader to assess electricity usage may soon be an archaic practice. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) plans to replace all of its electric meters and gas modules with an updated version that allows for two-way communication between customers and SDG&E, dropping the meter reader out of the loop.
The “smart” electric reader will send usage data, either through utility lines or radio signals, to SDG&E every hour for residents and every 15 minutes for businesses. Energy representatives will be able to provide real-time response to customer needs, and SDG&E expects that it will be able to better identify problems before outages occur. Customers will also be able to better manage their energy use, according to SDG&E.
To ensure the viability of the smart meters, the utility company will first install approximately 350 electric meters and 150 gas modules in University City, neighborhoods surrounding Rose Canyon, downtown San Diego and Fallbrook.
If state regulators approve the system, SDG&E will begin replacing the 1.3 million electric meters and 825,000 natural gas meters in 2008, with completion expected by 2010.