Mayoral debate May 9
Candidates for mayor of San Diego are meeting to debate beach-area issues Friday, May 9, at La Jolla High School auditorium at 6:30 p.m.
All five candidates ” Mayor Jerry Sanders, Steve Francis, Eric Bidwell, James Hart and Floyd Morrow ” are scheduled to attend.
Questions for the debate, which were generated by residents in the communities of La Jolla, Bird Rock, University City, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Point Loma, are focused on the important issues of the coastal communities.
The debate will be moderated by Susan Farrell of La Jolla and Clyde Fuller of Pacific Beach.
The event is sponsored by a coalition of beach-area community and business groups, including the La Jolla, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach town councils, Discover Pacific Beach, Promote La Jolla, La Jolla Shores Association, Ocean Beach MainStreet Association, Bird Rock Community Council and San Diego Community Newspaper Group, publishers of La Jolla Village News and two other beach-area weekly newspapers.
La Jolla High School is located at 750 Nautilus St.

Open house will feature political candidates
Judicial candidates Evan Kirvin and Garry Haehnle will be on hand for a “meet the candidates” open house at the La Jolla home of Gerald Blank and Mary Barranger.
The event is scheduled for Monday, May 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 7321 Rue Michael off Via Capri.
For more information, call (619) 238-1111.

Artists reach to students
Artists from the nonprofit group ArtWalk have created a new program for children called ArtReach, and the first-grade students at La Jolla’s Bird Rock Elementary School are among the first to experience it.
“We’re fairly new and we grew out of ArtWalk, which happens in Little Italy,” said Judy Bermen Silbert of ArtReach San Diego. “It’s a huge festival that happens twice a year, where 400 visual artists come out and showcase their work in tents.”
ArtWalk artist Patti Fox teaches students art techniques, Silbert said. They will create “Dream Quilts” with chalk pastels and paper. Fox starts with an informal lesson, then shows the students how to mix colors. Fox then explains that art doesn’t have to look like the object the child is trying to imitate, Silbert said.
“I think the best thing about this is that Patti shows her own work, and I love how she does the lesson,” Silbert said. “She shows kids how to show ideas with art. She says, ‘Perhaps you may be thinking about your dog but what you draw are shapes.’ She’s wonderful with kids.”
ArtReach is fairly new, Silbert said. Bird Rock is their third school, but the artists are flexible.
“She’s wonderful with kinds,” Silbert said. “We make these dream quilts. The kids express themselves in this square.”
All four classes will be taught on Friday. For information, go to www.artreach.org or e-mail [email protected].