School board rescues art and music programs The San Diego Unified School District board of education voted 4-1 in a June 2 special meeting to protect current music and art programs from the chopping block as it prepares its 2009-10 schoolyear budget. The vote also protected the district’s athletic programs and six small schools. Other cultural education plans are also protected. In other action, the board approved cuts in special education by $2.6 million, reversing a planned reduction in 9th-grade class sizes to save $3.9 million and raising the minimum number of riders per bus from eight to 15, saving $4.2 million. The board is required to pass a balanced budget by the end of June. It faces a 2009-’10 deficit of nearly $107 million. The district serves more than 132,000 students. Wheels are turning as bike plan update meeting set A longstanding master plan to acclimate San Diegans to a more practical and convenient transportation option — biking — has been in need of a big-time dust-off for a while. Accordingly, the city is inviting the community to a public open house on the topic Wednesday, June 10 at the Hall of Champions Museum in Balboa Park. And it wouldn’t mind some input along the way. Officials will present updates on the citywide bicycle network, improvement projects and program strategies designed to lure residents into the practice. The current plan urges the city to take steps toward creating a sustainable environment and reducing traffic congestion and energy consumption. The San Diego County board of supervisors adopted the plan in 2003 and readopted it five years later as it was set to expire. According to a 1991 Lou Harris poll, safety concerns is the primary reason people are wary of regular bike travel. About 250,000 out of 1.2 million San Diegans are said to bicycle at least occasionally for pleasure or exercise. Red Cross seeks hero award nominees The American Red Cross is seeking nominations from San Diego and Imperial County residents, companies and the media for heroic acts within the following categories: adult, animal, company, fire and rescue, law enforcement, lifeguard, media, medical, military and youth. Ten local heroes will then be honored at an Oct. 9 breakfast at the U.S. Grant hotel. The heroic acts must have been committed between June 2008 and July 2009 and nominations must be submitted by July 1. For more information, visit www.sdarc.org or call (858) 309-1273. New law requires passport at U.S. border Americans driving across the border of Mexico or Canada — or traveling to the Caribbean or Bermuda — by land, sea or air must now possess a passport book or card to reenter the United States. In 2007, Americans were required to possess a passport to travel internationally via airplane and that restriction has now extended to land or sea travel. Residents living in border communities who frequently cross the Mexican or Canadian border or who travel through seaports from the Caribbean and Bermuda can apply for a passport card, which is not valid for international air travel. Vacationers are advised to apply in advance for a passport, which can take up to six weeks to be processed. For an additional fee, applicants can receive a passport within two to three weeks. San Diegans can apply for a passport at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 402, which is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Passport cards are $45 for first-time adult applicants, $35 for children. Call (619) 531 5600 or visit www.sandiegocob.com. University students save in new ways Spring break was good this year for students at the University of California, San Diego, (UCSD), who decided to save money by serving their communities instead of partying it up.  “I can speak to students saving money this spring break through the Alternative Breaks program specifically,” said Chapin Cole, interim student organizations advisor and community service coordinator for UCSD’s Center for Student Involvement. “This year we increased the number of national trips offered so that students could make the commitment to volunteer more locally.” More than 80 UCSD students are part of the Alternative Breaks program, including 60 who traveled across the planet to work in hospitals, orphanages and more.       “Saving money is so important now because of the economic situation we are in, and I have heard stories from students about parents who lost their jobs and can’t find new ones,” Cole said. “Financial aid and scholarship programs often don’t account for emergency situations such as those, and students — as they continue to accrue debt from student loans — are looking to save money any way they can but still have an authentic and well-rounded college experience.”            For info, see www.ucsd.edu.