Minor arrested for drunk driving; LJ eatery checked
A 17-year-old youth was arrested Friday, Jan. 12 for drunk driving, after he crashed the 2004 BMW he was driving on La Jolla Shores Drive, sending a 17-year-old female passenger to the hospital with serious injuries.
The accident occurred around 7:30 p.m. when the driver, who was operating at 60 mph in a 30 mph zone, gradually drifted from the northbound lane and collided with three parked cars, according to Detective Sgt. Jeff Fellows, of the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) traffic division. No one was in the parked vehicles, he said.
The driver’s vehicle then struck a pole on the passenger side, resulting in skull fractures for a teenage female passenger, who was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital, Fellows said. An 18-year-old male passenger was uninjured and the driver complained of minor pain.
Earlier in the evening, a local restaurant had allegedly served the driver alcoholic beverages, according to the detective.
“The restaurant was contacted by the State of California Alcohol Beverage Control ” that’s under investigation with them now,” he said. “Restaurants and businesses that sell and serve alcohol are licensed by the State of California and not the city.”
Fellows declined to give the name of the La Jolla restaurant involved in the matter, but said the San Diego traffic division is still handling the accident.
All three people in the vehicle were wearing seatbelts at the time of the incident, Fellows said.

City to hold hearing on Children’s Pool rope
Those wishing to appeal the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department’s application of site and coastal development permits to annually erect the temporary rope barrier at the La Jolla Children’s Pool during seal pupping season may attend a public hearing at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the City Administration Building, 202 C Street, in council chambers.
People making an appeal should arrive prior to the scheduled hearing time and make sure to keep comments brief and concise, according to Pam Hardy, communications director for District 1 City Councilman and Council President Scott Peters. Public speaker slips will be available at the hearing.
The application is a follow-up to the emergency coastal development permit that was issued on Dec. 15 to protect the seals at the Children’s Pool during the early onset of pupping season.
The decision made by the hearing officer is final unless appealed to the planning commission within 10 working days of the decision. The appeal must be filed in writing.

Appeals court drops city’s Soledad cross fine
As part of an ongoing legal battle that began more than a decade ago, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Friday, Jan. 12, vacated a lower court’s decision that had called for the city to remove the Mt. Soledad cross from city property or face monetary fines.
The ruling by the United States Court of Appeals, which ordered city officials in May 2006 to remove the Mt. Soledad cross from city land or face a $5,000-per-day fine, was made moot by the Jan. 12 decision.
City Attorney Michael Aguirre called the ruling a victory for the Mt. Soledad Veterans War Memorial, according to a statement released by his office.
The issue of the memorial’s status has been debated in court proceedings since the late Phillip Paulson, an atheist and Vietnam veteran, filed a lawsuit against the city in 1989, claiming that placing a cross on public property violates a provision of California’s constitution that prohibits showing preference to a religion.
Aguirre filed a motion in July 2006 to suspend the May ruling and put a hold on the fines until all appeals were processed.
The following month, U.S. Congress created federal legislation to designate the symbol and land as a national memorial and shortly thereafter, President George W. Bush signed the Mt. Soledad Veterans War Memorial Act into law.
During the Jan. 12 ruling, the court held that the federal legislation enacted by Bush in August 2006 transferred the city’s interest in the cross to the federal government, making the lower court’s order no longer enforceable.

Nobel winner Guillemin to speak on brain hormones
The Alliance Françoise de San Diego presents a lecture on Saturday, Jan. 20 by Dr. Roger Guillemin, a 1977 Nobel Prize winner for his research on the brain’s hormones. Guillemin’s findings helped establish the foundation for future studies on the human brain and its regulation on growth and development, reproduction and responses to stress. His lecture titled “Hormones of the Brain and by the Brain” will be held at 2 p.m. in the auditorium of the San Diego French American School, 6550 Soledad Mountain Road.
The lecture is open to the public. It is free for members, but a $10 donation is suggested for non-members, $5 for students.
For more information, contact Alliance Françoise de San Diego, (858) 824-6694, visit www.afsandiego.org or [email protected].

LJCPA trustee positions open at March election
La Jolla residents interested in becoming a trustee of the La Jolla Community Planning Association should submit a short autobiography and a list of reasons why he or she would like to have a seat on the board. Deadline for applications is before the March 1 election.
Six trustee positions are available this year. For more information, or to submit an application of interest, contact the LJCPA, (858) 456-7900, send email to [email protected] or visit www.lajollacpa.org.
The LJCPA meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St.

Italian exchange student at LJCD needs host family
La Jolla Country Day High School has accepted an exchange student from Italy through the World Heritage International Student Exchange Program and is looking for applicants for a host family who can provide room and board for the teenager.
Exchange students are selected based on academic performance, English proficiency, teacher recommendations and personal interviews. All students are insured, bring personal spending money and expect to share the host family’s responsibilities and activities.
Host families can be couples or single parents and households with or without children, and should preferably live in the immediate area.
For more information, call Bodil Dencker, World Heritage representative for Southern California, (949) 310-5612 or (800) 888-9040, or visit www.world-heritage.org.

Lecture will explore spirituality in health care
Dr. Larry Dossey will explain how the mind and spirituality play a vital role in one’s health during a presentation titled “Spirituality and Healing: Current Status and Look into the Future.”
Dossey will speak on Friday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m., at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, 10950 N. Torrey Pines Road. His presentation will be followed by a book signing.
Dossey’s work is based on scientific research and what the evidence shows. He is the author of 10 books, numerous articles, and the current executive editor of the peer-reviewed journal “Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.”
Seating is limited. For tickets ($45) or information, call (858) 587-4404 or visit www.scrippsintegrativemedicine.org.

JCC to host Support Israel Week in San Diego
“Expressions” is a weeklong exhibition that will feature Israeli artwork from Sunday, Jan. 21 to Jan. 28, during the operating hours at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center (JCC), 4126 Executive Drive.
The exhibition consists of sculptures, paintings, glasswork and jewelry from more than 125 of Israel’s talented artists and artisans, including Agam, Michael Gorban, Kalman Sheml, Tolla Inbar, Ruth Bloch, Sakstier Baruch and others. The focus of “Expressions” is to promote the work of artists whose livelihood has been decreasing because of the lack of tourism in Israel due to recent war and terrorist attacks.
In addition to the exhibition, there will be other events hosted at the JCC, such as an evening of Israeli food and music on Monday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m., and guest speaker Amos Oz on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m. Oz’s lecture title is “A Tale of Love and Darkness.”
To purchase tickets for “A Tale of Love and Darkness” ($20 for members, $24 for non-members), call (858) 362-1348.
For more information, call (858) 457-3030. Operating hours are Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m; Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Walkers will gawk at a slough of birds
Bird watchers and nature lovers are invited to join the Friends of Famosa Slough on a bird walk at the Famosa Slough Saturday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m. The guided stroll should provide good views of a variety of birds and salt marsh habitat at this City of San Diego wetlands preserve, including migrating shorebirds and ducks.
Interested participants should meet at the first bench on Famosa Boulevard, south of the intersection with West Point Loma Boulevard. The event is free. Binoculars are recommended.
For more information on Famosa Slough, visit www.famosaslough.org or call (619) 224-4591.