PCPB seeks candidates for 2011 board seats The Peninsula Community Planning Board is seeking candidates to fill five open board seats for members whose three-year terms are up. Terms are expiring for Chuck Mellor, Shelly Kilbourn, Donna Kaup, Jim Lester and Scott Brown. It is not yet clear whether any or all five will seek re-election in the March 17 balloting. To qualify as a candidate, interested parties must be at least 18 years of age and be affiliated with the community as: (1) a property owner, who is an individual identified as the sole or partial owner of record, of a real property (either developed or undeveloped), within the community planning area; (2) a resident, who is an individual whose primary address of residence is an address in the community planning area; or (3) a local business person, who is a local business or not-for-profit owner or operator at a non-residential real property address in the community planning area. A recognized community member may become an eligible candidate by: (a) attending one meeting of the Peninsula Community Planning Board’s regular meetings (including a planned candidate forum on Thursday, March 10) occurring during the 12-month period prior to the March general election, with such attendance acknowledged by the planning board chair or secretary or reflected in minutes; and (b) submitting a completed application to the election subcommittee. The deadline to qualify for candidacy in the March general election is on or before the March 10 candidate forum. For additional information or to download an application, visit www.pcpb.net. Questions may be directed to PCPB Election Committee Chairwoman Helen Kinnaird at (619) 224-9897. OB planners slate March 15 election The Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) will host its 2011 board election on Tuesday, March 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave. To cast ballots, community members are required to show eligibility to vote by providing one of the following: • A photo identification and current proof of address if not listed on the ID (such as a utility bill showing street address); • A photo ID and current valid property deed in your name, identifying street address of property; or • If you are a business licensee, you must provide a photo ID and current valid business license in your name, identifying street address of business. OBPB general meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center. Additional committee or liaison activities may be required for successful board candidates, in addition to general meetings. For more information, visit www.oceanbeachpb.com/2011_obpb_election.html. North Bay planners to host election March 16 The North Bay Planning Group is preparing to hold elections for four seats on its board on Wednesday, March 16. The election will take place between 2:30 and 3 p.m. in the first-floor lobby of San Diego Community College, West City Campus, located at 3249 Fordham St.  Persons interested in serving a three-year term must provide: (a) proof eligibility by being either a resident; business or not-for-profit owner; or real property owner within the North Bay (formerly known as Midway Pacific) community area, and (b) attend at least one planning group meeting prior to election in the past twelve (12) months.  To vote, residents must be 18 and provide proof of status as an eligible community member.   For more information, visit www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/midwaypacifichwycorridor/agendas.shtml, or e-mail [email protected] 63rd annual OB Kiwanis Kite Festival is March 5 High-flying fun for children and families is in store on Saturday, March 5 during the 63rd installment of the Ocean Beach Kite Festival and Parade, touted as the longest-running kite festival in the U.S. The free event, slated to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is sponsored by the Ocean Beach Kiwanis Club, in cooperation with the OB Recreation Center and Ocean Beach Elementary School. Children will experience the thrill of assembling kites at 4726 Santa Monica Ave., with all materials supplied and prizes for the best-decorated kites. A craft fair will be set up at the same location to provide shopping and carnival rides during the day, with a pancake breakfast available for purchase between 8 and 10 a.m. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., hot dogs and punch will be served at the OB Elementary playground at 4741 Santa Monica Ave. The lunch is free to children with a donation requested of adults and live music by Beer Feat. Kite judging begins at 1 p.m. followed by prizes at 1:30 p.m. The parade of kites follows at 2 p.m.For more information, call (619) 531-1527. Deadline approaches for scholarship The application deadline for the 2011 Cabrillo Civic Club Scholarship is March 15. Graduating high school seniors of Portuguese descent may qualify for the $500 scholarship by demonstrating a grade-point average of 3.5 or better and involvement in school and community service. Completed forms must be sent to State Scholarship Chair Alda Lawrence, 12823 Kent Ave., Hanford, CA 93230. For more information, call (760) 305-8021, or e-mail [email protected]. Shelter Island repaving project under way The Port of San Diego launched a major maintenance program Tuesday to repave some of the parking lots on Shelter Island. Among the project areas is the parking lot of the Bali Hai Restaurant, located at 2230 Shelter Island Drive. Customers will still be able to access the lot because the project will be divided into three phases. Only one section of the parking lot will be worked on at a time to minimize impacts, according to port officials. Other repaving will take place in the parking lots at the Shelter Island Fishing Pier, 1776 Shelter Island Drive and the children’s playground at Shoreline Park on Shelter Island Drive. Work at these sites will also be conducted in phases, said port officials. Parking will still be available during construction. Construction hours at the Bali Hai lot will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Hours for the parking lots near the fishing pier and the playground are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. ATP General Engineering Contractors will be performing the work, which is expected to continue until the end of April with a project cost of just under $639,000. For more information, call (619) 686-6200, or visit portofsandiego.org. Women’s Foundation slates philanthropic event The San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) will join the Women’s Collective Giving Network in a three-day Liberty Station event March 1 to 3. The event is designed to unite women philanthropists from around the country who are committed to pooling dollars to make a difference. More than 20 Women’s Collective Giving Groups will get together at the foundation’s office, located at 2508 Historic Decatur Road to build connections and explore the power of collaboration to make a difference in their communities. In addition to local community leaders and experts, guest speakers include women from the book “The Necklace”  and Colleen Willoughby, founder of the Women’s Foundation and Leader Collective Giving Network in Washington state. For more information, visit www.sdwomensfoundation.org. Teacher sets $5,000 goal for scholarship raising A Point Loma High School (PLHS) teacher is raising scholarship funds to honor students at a unique annual awards banquet. Teacher Patrick McElhaney has been celebrating student accomplishments in the study of history. His colleagues in history and social sciences honored more than 200 students last year at the Bali Hai restaurant on Shelter Island. Over 500 participants watched videos of students dressed in period costumes as they gave speeches, debated issues and acted out events. Others were shown working at election precincts and conducting mock trials in San Diego Superior Court. McElhaney’s goal this year is to raise $5,000 to distribute in scholarship money to talented students. Representatives of local civic clubs and businesses are encouraged to contribute to the fund, with “every single cent going to the students,” McElhaney said. This year’s event is scheduled for June 1, again at the Bali Hai. Those wishing to donate may contact McElhaney at PLHS: [email protected]. CD being readied to benefit children’s cause Makua, the Point Loma-based women’s organization that raises money for the nonprofit group Voices for Children (VFC), is launching a new fundraising initiative to benefit foster children in San Diego by producing a compilation CD comprised of local San Diego area recording artists. Open submissions for participation from recording artists are currently being accepted through the international website SonicBids, which pairs artists with performance gigs around the world. The compilation CD is the brainchild of San Diego-based singer-songwriter, Lacy Younger, whose hit, “Something You Do” was on the U.S. Top 50 chart for 12 weeks in 2007. Younger became a supporter of Voices for Children’s Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program when she performed for Makua’s annual event, “The Wild, Wild West” in 2008 at Liberty Station. The tentatively titled, “MakuaMix” compilation CD will highlight up to 15 San Diego artists. To celebrate the release of the CD, Makua members are inviting all participating artists to perform live at a CD-release event in April. Recording artists are welcome to make submissions to participate until March by accessing the direct link to SonicBids through www.makua.org. Makua’s inaugural CD will be available for purchase in April 2011, with all proceeds benefiting Voices for Children. For more information about VFC and the CASA program, visit speakupnow.org.