Fireworks group dodges restraining order An environmental group that sought a temporary restraining order against the producers of La Jolla Cove’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display was denied in a hearing June 30. Judge Linda B. Quinn of San Diego’s Superior Court declined to grant the request to the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF), which filed a suit against the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation on the grounds that the planned pyrotechnics threaten fragile coastal resources and violate the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), among other claims. Deborah Marengo, of the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation, attended the hearing with a team of pro-bono lawyers and said she was pleased with the outcome. “We had quite a large team of support and I have been so happy and relieved,” she said. “Unfortunately, the whole process has taken away a lot of time from planning and fundraising, so I need to get back to work and make sure everything comes together like it’s supposed to.” Marengo said Marco Gonzalez, executive director of CERF, indicated that he plans to move forward with a lawsuit that would change the city’s code process for issuing permits. “If the La Jolla community wants to see this event continue, it will have to support the fireworks foundation more than ever,” Marengo said. She added that the foundation will likely incur expenses fighting the lawsuit, and that demonstrating community support would be crucial in future hearings. For now, Marengo said, the show will go on. Local author wins award La Jolla author Sarita Eastman was recognized at the 16th annual San Diego Book & Writing Awards for a biography chronicling her mother’s life and career as the first female surgeon in San Diego County in 1947 and the first female surgeon to emerge from Costa Rica. Called “A Trail of Light: The Very Full Life of Dr. Anita Figueredo,” the book also details Dr. Figueredo’s philanthropic spirit and close partnership with Mother Theresa. Scripps Memorial Hospital presented her with La Jolla’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 for her work with Friends of the Poor, a nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life for underprivileged people in Mexico and other areas. Survived by six children and 11 grandchildren, Figueredo passed away in her La Jolla home in February at age 93.