Bicyclist seriously injured by car on Skylark Drive
A 43-year-old man was transported to the hospital June 29 with a fractured pelvis, fractured ribs and internal bleeding after being hit by an 83-year-old La Jolla driver.
The victim was riding his bike along Skylark Drive at around 7:15 a.m. when a man driving a 1994 Mercedes Benz took a left turn from La Jolla Mesa Drive onto the sidestreet and struck him, according to Detective Dan Wall of the San Diego Police Department’s traffic division.
“The guy didn’t see him coming and just turned left in front of him,” Wall said. “We see the same thing happen all the time with motorcycles. With a bicycle you have even less of a profile.”
Wall said pedestrians and bicyclists should always use caution on major roadways. The bicyclist was still at the hospital as of Monday, July 2, and no charges have been filed against the La Jolla driver, according to Wall.

FBA Committee for UC to hold public meetings
University Community Planning Group’s first facilities benefit assessment (FBA) meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, at the Jewish Community Center, 4126 Executive Drive.
Subsequent meetings will be held the following two weeks in an effort to discuss the community’s FBA account, which is money generated when developer fees are charged for individual projects within University City.
The meetings will cover new developments that are subject to developer fees, scheduled construction of FBA-funded projects and further analysis of the overall purpose and process of FBA fees.
For more information, contact committee chairman George Lattimer at [email protected].
The next University Community Planning Group meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, at Westfield University Towne Center, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, in the forum hall above Wells Fargo.

Two LJ baristas make Starbucks contest cut
Seven baristas from across San Diego County are competing as finalists in a first-ever music contest for Starbucks employees. San Diego residents can listen to and vote for their favorite songs and local baristas through July 16 to decide the regional winner.
Starbucks invited employees, called partners, to submit an original track of music to the competition last spring. From 70 competitors, Anna Rapagnani and Christina Balli were selected from La Jolla. Other San Diego finalists include Joshua Heaton, Garnett P. Irwin, Bob Kostlan, Eamonn Doyle, and David (EJ) Robinos. Their music ranges from classical piano and soul to alternative genres.
According to Robyn Bennett, a regional marketing manager, Starbucks has “really passionate partners that love to perform, and we really wanted to honor that spirit and creativity.”
A subsequent competition is also taking place in the greater Los Angeles area, which includes Los Angeles County, Orange County, Inland Empire and Central Valley.
The competition will culminate with two performances for the winners, one at the San Diego House of Blues and one at the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles at the end of August, Bennett said.
To learn more about the finalists, and to vote for a San Diego and Los Angeles regional winner, visit www.hearmusic.com/socal before midnight July 16.
Stephanie’s shoe shop ready to open with party
As the saying goes, “Shoes are a girl’s best friends.” That is why Bird Rock will get another store with high-fashion foot apparel for women.
On Thursday, July 12, “Stephanie’s “¦ a unique shoe boutique” will hold its opening party from 4 to 6 p.m. After 6 p.m., the party is exclusive to invited guests.
A local DJ, hot and cold appetizers and cocktails will make this a show-shopping special event. There will be a tented lounge and bar area for the gentlemen.
In an informal modeling show, the guests will get an idea of the different styles of shoes sold in the boutique, ranging from zebra stilettos to Havaianas flip-flops. Guests will get a 20 percent discount off all purchases in the boutique this evening.
Stephanie’s has a European-style interior with a fireplace and round velvet red couch.
The store is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. It is located at 5630 La Jolla Blvd. For information, visit stephaniesshoes.com or call (858) 454-8604.

American Red Cross seeks heroes for awards
The American Red Cross is accepting nominations from local residents, companies and media for the 2007 Real Heroes Breakfast, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 5, at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego.
Nominations for Real Heroes can be submitted to the San Diego/Imperial Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross for any heroic act that occurred between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007.
Deadline for nominations is July 13.
The American Red Cross will host a breakfast to honor 11 individuals who have taken action in a time of crisis to help others and shown extraordinary human compassion. Categories include an adult, animal, company, emergency response operator, fire and rescue member, law enforcement member, lifeguard, media member, medical member, military member or youth.
Nominations can be submitted online at www.sdarc.org/realheroes. For a nomination form, call (858) 309-1212.

Family night returns to Belmont Park
Belmont Park kicked off the summer with a new look and great deals for families looking to add to their list of summer activities.
Family nights are back for a 13th season, offering half-price rides every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to closing, at 10 p.m. This allows families to enjoy the Giant Dipper rollercoaster, bumper cars, Vertical Plunge and other rides for $3 instead of the usual $6. Guests will also receive discounts on food, shopping and other attractions at Belmont Park.
New additions and refurbished rides have also been introduced for the summer, including a Hot Dog on a Stick food outlet. The Tilt-A-Whirl is currently being retrofitted with new cars, and the “shell type” car will be replaced with a new Fiberglas design, giving the ride a new look.
Among the activities at the seaside park, the “Belmont Talent Competition” is back this year. It will run on Friday evenings for eight weeks, from 7 to 10 p.m. The karaoke-style contest will invite randomly chosen people to perform songs on stage. Prizes will be given away each week and winners are invited back to compete for the grand prize. The audience will decide the weekly winners.
For more information, contact Belmont Park, (858) 488-1549, or visit www.belmontpark.com.