Taste of Bird Rock canceled The Taste of Bird Rock party will not he held this year. The Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC) has decided to end the annual event that has become too successful for its own good. To replace the popular fundraiser, BRCC is considering hosting a concert in September to raise money for Bird Rock Elementary School, or organizing an Octoberfest along the boulevard. The Taste of Bird Rock has grown in popularity over the years, attracting a larger and more rambunctious crowd. BRCC President Joe Parker said he saw people pushing 12-pack cases of beer around in strollers and tailgating on the backs of their trucks. Police had also noted the increased foot traffic and drinking, and had informed BRCC that it needed to bolster its security and traffic control measures. BRCC decided it didn’t want to take the additional steps to handle the crowds, which would increase costs. “The point is to interface residents with merchants and to raise funds,” Parker said. “When you have to fence off areas, the costs escalate and it becomes counterproductive.” The Taste of Bird Rock, typically held in July, started in 2002 to promote area restaurants and evolved into a fund-raiser for Bird Rock Elementary School in 2005. La Jolla competes for high-speed broadband Google is experimenting with introducing speedier Internet access to the public and La Jolla is vying to become its test dummy. The new ultra-high speed broadband is anticipated to be 100 times faster than the current network. La Jollan Adam Harris is preparing the paperwork to compete for the spot along with other cities like Seattle, Davis, Sacramento and Pittsburgh. Harris was the man who led the fundraiser to save the Fourth of July fireworks last year. La Jolla’s world-class status in science and educational institutions gives it a fighting chance, according to Joe LaCava, president of the La Jolla Community Planning Association. “In a relatively small area, La Jolla combines world-class researchers and educational facilities, a business district and a large residential area,” LaCava said “These stakeholders are already well-connected, no doubt hungry for cutting edge service, and yet this area has a high barrier to entry for new Internet providers. We believe those characteristics and others will be appealing to Google.” Harris must submit the paperwork by mid-March. LJHS student wins design contest La Jolla High student Colin Weber had a surprise visit March 3 from the Padres’ Swinging Friar bearing a $1,000 check. Weber, 17, won first place among 300 entries in the San Diego Science Festival Mascot Contest for drawing a globe personified as a scientist wearing a lab coat. Judges applauded Weber for portraying sustainable and globalization concepts through the earth, plus the light-hearted nature of the lab coat-wearing character. Graphic designer Jade Throgmorton redesigned Weber’s concept into a professional mascot to print onto surfboards, sunglasses and sandals. The Padres are a partner in the San Diego Science Festival Expo Day set for March 27 at Petco Park. Need some help with algebra? Two seventh-grade students at La Jolla Country Day School — Sophia and Isabel — are offering free tutoring for all subjects on Mondays from 3:45 to 5 p.m. and on Fridays from 3:15 to 5 p.m. at the La Jolla Recreation Center at 615 Prospect St. through March 29. Both girls speak Spanish. The two 13-year-old girls are close friends who needed to complete six hours of community service for their school’s curriculum. They chose something they both love: studying. “We’re both into school,” said Isabel, who preferred not to have her last name printed. “We both have 4.0 GPAs. We’re really into education and thought it would be best to do tutoring.” For information call (858) 761-8363.