The tortured end of the Promote La Jolla (PLJ) Business Improvement District (BID) may be a blessing — for PLJ’s travails served to bring us all closer together to do what needed to be done. Our community is now poised to create a new La Jolla Business Improvement District that will be more responsive to the needs of both Village business owners and residents of La Jolla. There is renewed enthusiasm for the restoration and enhancement of the Village as a magnet for shopping, dining, cultural events and entertainment. The good news is that although PLJ received no BID funds since June 2009, nearly all the functions of the BID continued uninterrupted. This included the Motorcar Classic, Pet Parade, Gallery & Wine Walk, fireworks, Movies by the Sea, clean-ups and beautification, and much more. This has happened because other organizations including the Historical Society, the Town Council, service organizations including Kiwanis and Rotary, students and many individuals have filled the void. What had previously been accomplished on an annual budget in excess of $300,000 was last year accomplished with practically no city funding only because so many La Jollans stepped up to the plate. Until the new La Jolla Business Improvement District is up and running, the city will continue to implement the BID based with more than $90,000 in assessments that the city now holds. The budget for 2010-2011 has been submitted to the city. The new La Jolla BID must and will seek input from the entire community. Once the legal framework for this BID is set in place, the entire business community will be invited to a general and public meeting to approve bylaws and elect directors and officers of the new La Jolla BID. The current BID Advisory Board to the city consists of the Executive Board of PLJ. Now there should and will be an opportunity for a newly-chosen Advisory Board to advise the city during the transition from a failed model to a successful one. The city has invited the La Jolla business community to establish a new BID that can hit the ground running. All of us need to help this happen. La Jolla is more than a beautiful village by the sea. It is also a state of mind. We must continually preserve and enhance La Jolla’s unique qualities by each of our best contributions. La Jolla is unified as never before. It remains only for each of us to nurture our better angels as we move ahead to better tomorrows.