Local schools among ‘America’s Best’ Newsweek announced in this week’s issue that 12 of the nation’s best high schools are located in the San Diego Unified School District. La Jolla area schools include the Preuss School at the University of California, San Diego, which ranked 16th, and La Jolla High School, which ranked 327th. Schools are recognized for preparing students for college through rigorous curriculum, and scores are determined by dividing the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests taken at a school by the number of graduating seniors. The article estimated that nearly 30,000 high schools sprawl across the United States. Congresswoman Davis sets town hall meeting San Diego Congresswoman Susan Davis, a Democrat, invites residents of the Golden Triangle communities to attend a town hall-style meeting known as Neighborhood Day on July 7 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Forum Hall Community Room in University Town Center, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive. The room is located above Wells Fargo Bank at the north end of the mall. Davis holds annual Neighborhood Days for constituents to discuss federal issues and voice concerns, which she then reports back to officials in Washington, D.C. LJ Festival of the Arts arrives June 26 and 27 The 24th annual La Jolla Festival of the Arts will be held June 26 and 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the University of California, San Diego East Campus at Genessee Avenue and Regents Road. The event will raise money for San Diegans who led normal lives until accidents left them with disabilities. The funding collected from the festival, presented by the Torrey Pines Kiwanis Foundation, has sponsored special sports and recreational programs for more than 35,000 affected individuals since its inception. About $1.7 million has been donated throughout the years. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children under age 10. Village streets to sparkle by the Fourth of July The water and sewer construction that residents say has dirtied Village streets is soon coming to an end. Now, Promote La Jolla (PLJ) — which, in the wake of financial uncertainties, is being managed by the city — plans to clean up the area before the July 4 holiday weekend. The campaign involves trimming 243 trees, sweeping streets and sidewalks, and replacing the hanging baskets that adorn walking areas. The city welcomed bids from different vendors for the baskets and plans to meet with the lowest bidder to make plans for the switch. The proposed vendor offered to install and maintain the baskets for $17,467, compared to the most expensive request of $85,649. Promote La Jolla and the city agreed to install 20-inch baskets that will contain succulents and other low-maintenance plants. No emergency declared at Children’s Pool Mayor Jerry Sanders announced June 10 that he would not declare a legal emergency at the Children’s Pool in order to reinstall a year-round rope barrier immediately, as the City Council voted to request at a May 17 meeting. The rope, which was removed May 15 following the designated end of seal-pupping season in accordance with a previous policy, will have to be reinstalled after obtaining a coastal development permit through the standard process. This process could take several months, whereas an emergency declaration would have allowed the barrier to be replaced immediately. The decision follows an opinion by City Attorney Jan Goldsmith advising Sanders that an emergency — consisting of “a sudden, unexpected occurrence … that demands immediate action to prevent or mitigate loss of or damage to life, health, property or essential public services” — did not exist at the Children’s Pool. Planning group denies Whitney Project The La Jolla Shores Association agreed with a stream of opposition against the construction of a three-story building at 2202 and 2206 Avenida de la Playa, voting to reject the project on the grounds that its bulk and scale dimensions are inconsistent with the area. Phil Merten, a local architect and board member of the La Jolla Community Planning Association, delivered a presentation outlining criticism of the project. Merten argued that the project’s floor area ratio (FAR) of 2.39, or gross floor area of the building compared to the land area of a project site, exceeded the FAR maximum of 1.7 for mixed-use buildings in La Jolla. At the request of audience members, Merten produced documents detailing that the maximum FAR for buildings citywide range from 1.5 to 1.7. The property owner has previously stated that the buildings he plans to demolish are 50 years old and need to be replaced, and that he has modified the project plans according to requests from various parties.