The San Diego Public Library is offering free homework help and interactive resources to assist students in grades K-12 with science, math and other subjects. The services are available in Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, Solana Beach and Carmel Valley libraries. The offerings include:
n Live Homework Help connects students in grades K-12 with expert tutors for live, one-on-one help with homework assignments. Tutoring is conducted in an online chat format in math, English, social studies and science for kindergarteners through adults, and is available from 1 to 10 p.m. daily. Students can access Live Homework Help from home or any city library computer. Spanish-speaking tutors are also available.
n SchoolRooms integrates thousands of pages of multimedia content, Web links and powerful search capabilities for an interactive learning environment based on the California curriculum and built by teachers and librarians.
n Science Online is a database offering students in grades 6-12 resources such as video vignettes depicting scientific phenomena (e.g., gravity, astronomical or geologic events) as well as sample science experiments and scientific diagrams. For students who participate in the annual Greater San Diego Science Fair, the library offers "how to" resources detailing the process of selecting and executing a science project.
n The new Testing and Education Reference Center connects users with the most current information about colleges and universities throughout the country and identifies financial aid and scholarship sources and offers tips on how to secure available funds. It also has a large selection of online and eBook test-prep materials to help students ace tests such as the GED, AP, SAT and ACT.
Poseidon leads beach cleanup
The San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Coastkeeper, 91X radio station and the Poseidon restaurant will hold their second annual beach cleanup at Torrey Pines State Beach on Oct. 10 from 9 to 11 a.m.
Everyone is invited to participate and encouraged to wear sunscreen and sturdy shoes. Poseidon Restaurant in will serve refreshments and a raffle for two free dinners for two and 91x will provide prizes, such as tickets and other merchandise.
SEC offers docent training
The San Elijo Conservancy will offer docent training courses beginning Oct. 6 and running for seven weeks. Courses will be held at the San Elijo Nature Center. Experienced naturalists and educators will teach students how to appropriately deal with nature systems. Key topics incorporated in the training include plant and animal identification, nature interpretation and managing children with high energy. For more information please visit sanelijo.org or call Tara Fuad at (760) 436-3944.
BSU benefit is for Namibia
The UCSD Black Student Union and Mission Namibia will host a fundraiser, "An Afternoon with Mission Namibia," from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 11 on the campus' Price Center-East Ballroom, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla.
The family-oriented event will feature the San Diego Black Storytellers, Africian drummers and dancers, refreshments, and a presentation by the 25 students of The Bishop's School in La Jolla who recently returned from a community service project in Namibia. The Del Mar founder of Mission Namibia, Alison Royle, will be in attendance. Tickets, $5-$40, are available at the USCD box office (858) 534-8497 and online at Boxofficeucsd.edu. Mission Namibia is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the people of Namibia toward becoming economically self-sustaining by partnering with them to fulfill their education and health needs.
Indian women stage new play
SDNari, an organization for South Asian women of Indian origin, will present its first play in English, "Ray of Light," 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Braille Institute, 4555 Executive Dr., in San Diego.
The work was scripted and directed by its members. It tells three riveting stories that depict issues, conflicts and resolutions that unfold in Indian-American households. The stories reveal the ray of light, the glint of hope that keeps people ticking, smiling and living rather than just existing. A mixture of opera singing, Bollywood and Hollywood song and dance will be woven into the play.
The event will be preceded by dinner and boutique apparel shopping, from 6:30 -10 p.m. No dinners will be served during the performance, 8-9 p.m. A post-play talent show will feature UCSD Sangam dance groups, Flamenco-Kathak Fusion, Moonwalk, and others.
Tickets from $10 are available (858) 414-5889 and blog.sdnari.org.
Trendy kitchens tour Saturday
The self-guided American Society of Interior Designers' Kitchen Tour '09, runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 10. The projects featured range from cost-conscious remodels to extensive great room renovations to innovative new construction. Tour sites are in Carlsbad, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe and several San Diego neighborhoods. Tickets, $25 each, are available by calling (858) 646-9896 or visiting www.ASIDSanDiego.org.
The trend toward sustainable materials and eco-friendly design will be evident in several kitchens. Design influences from around the world also will be evident, in addition to the use of bold color.
An emerging San Diego trend is the addition of a second "workhorse" kitchen. Some homes in the $5 million-plus range include such kitchens for a personal chef or catering staff. Increases in ethnic households that favor strong or pungent spices, such as Indians and Indonesians, have also spurred the proliferation of secondary kitchens to keep the kitchen odors separated from the living areas.
Authors sought for new event
Authors and volunteers are needed for the premiere of a daylong celebration of San Diego's literary talent, the first "Read Local," set for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Horton Plaza.
Organizers are looking for authors to give readings and presentations and staff book tables. They also need local musicians to entertain.
The day will end with a reception, toasting this new organization with wine, beer and refreshments. Authors with published works to sell are urged to sign up before all slots are filled. Volunteers are needed to help organize, advertise, set up, tear down and more, for this kickoff event.
For more information or to register, call Karla Olson at (760) 753-2279, visit sandiego.readlocal.org or e-mail Olson at karla@ sandiego.readlocal.org
Polish festival now three days
San Diego's annual Polish Festival runs Oct. 9-11 at St. Maximilian Kolbe R.C. Polish Mission, 1735 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach. Highlights of the event will include performances by folk dance groups and various bands, Polish food and imported Polish beer.
Vendors will sell traditional Polish souvenirs, T-shirts, national ornaments and other arts and crafts. Festival hours are 5-10 p.m. Friday (21 and over only), noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.polishmission.org/festival
Museums offer discounts
Three Balboa Park museums - Mingei International Museum, the Museum of Man and the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) - are reinstating spring's weekend reduced admission program and adding a fourth venue, the Museum of San Diego History.
Now through May 31, 2010, Mingei, the Museum of Man and the Museum of San Diego History will offer half-price admission on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon. MoPA will offer half-price admission from 10 a.m. to noon on weekends during October, then again from January through Memorial Day. For details, visit www.mingei.org, www.museumofman.org, www.MoPA.org and www.san diegohistory.org.
High-tide breakfasts set
Experience La Jolla's Marine Room during the winter high-tide breakfast dates. Enjoy dramatic surf while dining on a buffet that includes chilled seafood, wild mushroom frittata, Julian apple and tart cherry cheese blintzes, Virginia ham quiche and assorted sweets.
Buffets from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 17-18 and Nov. 14; 8 to 11 a.m. Dec. 5; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 6; and 7 to 10 a.m. Dec. 29-30. The buffet is $32 per person and does not include tax, beverages or gratuity. Make reservations by calling (858) 459-7222. The Marine Room is at 2000 Spindrift Drive in La Jolla. Visit www.MarineRoom.com.
Garden Del Mar price reduced
The price for the Garden Del Mar property was recently reduced from $5.5 million to $4.4 million and the sellers are "motivated."
The property was put on the market last spring when developers Nick Schaar and Bryn Stroyke were unable to secure financing due to the recession.
"We informally put it on the market with the approved plans to see if anybody else would step up to the plate," said Doug Springer of Del Mar Realty Associates.
The plans, approved by the city and voters after contentious two-year process, detail a mixed-use office, retail and restaurant project planned for the site of what was the city's last remaining gas station.
CERT volunteers needed
Solana Beach and Del Mar residents are invited to participate in a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to become disaster workers.
The classes are free and open to all residents or employees of Solana Beach or Del Mar who are 18 years or older. CERT members are trained in basic life and property saving skills in the event of a major disaster when professional services have not yet arrived or are overwhelmed.
The 25-hour training course covers disaster preparedness, wildland urban interface and fire safety, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue operation, CERT organization, disaster psychology and terrorism.
The next training begins on Nov. 3 at the Solana Beach Fire Station, 500 Lomas Santa Fe Drive. For information contact Patrick O'Neil at 755-1522 or poneil@delmar.ca.us.
DMSB Rotary honors Tesak
Ildiko Tesak, a Hungarian-born lawyer who became a champion of low-income women entrepreneurs and children's rights in her adopted country of El Salvador, was made an honorary member of the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club and named a Paul Harris Fellow.
She has been referred to as the "Creator of Dreams" for the poor people of El Salvador where under her leadership, the nonprofit Organizaci-n y Educacion Empresarial Femenina de El Salvador, an NGO that works with poor women and children in rural areas and urban slums, expanded from 200 to 13,00 beneficiary families.
In 2008, the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club partnered with Ildiko and OEF and donated $25,000 to build a preschool and educational development center in Usulutan, El Salvador.
The Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club meets at the Doubletree Hotel in Carmel Valley Friday mornings from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. For information contact President Paul Butler at 619-559-3213.
College finance session set
Kathleen Johnson, Certified College Planning Specialist with National College Funding and author of The Parents' Guide to Financial Aid and College Funding, will lead a workshop on Oct. 21 at San Dieguito Adult Education.
The workshop will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Carmel Valley Middle School, classroom 303. Register through San Dieguito Adult School or call (760) 753-7073.
This program will teach parents how to maximize financial aid for college, regardless of income or how good of a student they have. It will also explore the methodology used in the college financial aid formula as well as tools and strategies to increase your odds at obtaining financial aid for college.
Gem Faire set for Oct. 16-18
The 20th annual Gem Faire will be at the Del Mar Fairgrounds' Exhibit Hall from Oct. 16 to 18. The show takes place from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is $5 for the entire weekend.
More than 80 dealers from all over the world will offer fine jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, minerals, rare gemstones and jewelry making tools will be available all under one roof. Classes and demonstrations are offered to all skill levels.
Go to www.gemfaire.com.
Local named to arts panel
John Venekamp of Rancho Santa Fe was one of four San Diegans named by Mayor Jerry Sanders to serve on the Commission for Arts and Culture.
The panel evaluates and ranks applications for funding from San Diego arts and culture organizations, community art projects and festivals and celebrations. Last year the commission awarded more than $6 million to more than 100 nonprofits.
Other new members are Joanne Hayakawa, Lewis Klein and Lorin Stewart.
Beth Am's connection set
Congregation Beth Am will hold a women's connection on Oct. 20 with activities and tastings. Some of the activities include flower arranging, closet organization, skin care, stress relief, massage, achieving personal goals and group crafts. The cost of the event is $18 per person.
Congregation Beth Am is located at 5050 Del Mar Heights Road. For reservations contact Debra at 481-8454 or debra@betham.com.
Shows focus on preparedness
University of California Television (UCTV) and the California Preparedness Education Network (cal-PEN) have developed a four-part video series, "Disaster Preparedness for Health Professionals."
The programs help illustrate how anyone - from a single individual to a complex organization - can be better prepared for a future emergency. Each installment covers a different topic, including natural disasters, chemical and biological agents, pandemic influenza and other emerging infections, and disaster volunteerism.
The series, which started Oct. 5, highlights best practices for preparedness as determined by disaster response experts from throughout California. It can be viewed online at www.uctv.tv/disaster or as audio and video podcast downloads.
The Web site also features broadcast schedules, information about featured experts, and helpful disaster preparedness links and resources for California and the nation.
Food drive under way
Move For Hunger, a nonprofit organization that works with moving companies to pick up unwanted, unopened food during the moving process and deliver it to local food banks, is holding a food drive for Feeding America San Diego.
Collection boxes are at the La Jolla Family YMCA, 8355 Cliffridge Ave.
Residents and YMCA members are encouraged to donate all types of nonperishable food items. The most needed items are canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, soup, cereal and nonfood items such as toothpaste and deodorant.
For more information about Move For Hunger, go to www.MoveForHunger.org or contact info@MoveForHunger.org.
SDJA senior named fellow
The Bronfman Youth Fellowship in Israel selected La Jolla Shores resident and San Diego Jewish Academy senior Daniel Penner as one of 26 North American high school students to be Bronfman Fellows.
The fellows participated in an intensive five-week program of study and travel in Israel designed to develop future community leaders committed to Jewish unity. Bronfman Youth Fellows were asked to devise and lead social actions projects upon returning home after the summer.
Two academic areas where Penner excels are writing and music. During his junior year, he assisted in the founding and administration of the SDJA Maimonides Arts Collective, an after-school program for upper school students that pools the talents and passions of arts educators in the fields of dance, music, theater, writing and visual arts. Penner is also the arts page editor for the Lion's Den, SDJA's student paper.
In addition, Penner is a member of the varsity tennis team, a tutor in math for high school students and a founding member of the Hand Up Food Pantry at the San Diego Jewish Family Service.
Funds sought for retreat
UCSD Medical Center has developed its first match challenge for gifts directed to the Bannister Family House on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $250,000.
The house sits above Mission Valley on the medical center's Hillcrest campus and offers a retreat for families whose loved one is receiving care at the medical center.
It has been 15 years since any major renovations have been made, and with matched gifts, the Bannister Family House will be able to initiate much-needed home improvements, including a new roof, hygienic wood flooring, purchase of new bedding and furnishings, air conditioners and kitchen enhancements.
The goal is to reach $250,000 by June 30.
SIO teams up with schools
As part of a U.S. initiative to improve science education in public schools, graduate students and teachers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD and San Diego Unified School District are partnering to help translate cutting-edge earth science research into new education programs and curriculum for aspiring young scientists.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded Scripps Oceanography a five-year, $2.5 million grant to fund the new program - Scripps Classroom Connection - that pairs nine Scripps earth science graduate students with high school science teachers and their classes. The Scripps student fellows will provide hands-on science training in earth, ocean and environmental sciences.
The program also is aimed at improving communication skills of Scripps graduate students by giving them teaching experience in middle and high school classrooms.
Scholarships available
Coastwise Capital Group LLC announces the launch of its 2009-10 annual scholarship, the Coastwise Prize for Investing Excellence, which seeks to inspire financial education among today's youths.
The Coastwise Prize for Investing Excellence probes students to consider how to invest human and financial capital to succeed as defined by their own objectives.
Eligible applicants are sophomores, juniors and seniors attending La Jolla High School, La Jolla Country Day, SCY High, The Bishop's School or The Preuss School. Applicants are asked to submit a 1,000-word essay on the designated topic, which can be found on the scholarship Web site, www.coastwiseprize.com.
This year, more than $10,000 will be awarded to the winning writers. They will receive their monetary prize in the form of a 529 college fund used specifically for college expenses and will be invited to the Coastwise Prize Awards Ceremony in February.
Nguyen wraps up training
Air Force Airman Bianca T. Nguyen graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio.
She is the daughter of Holly Nguyen of La Jolla and a 2006 graduate of the University of San Diego High School.
Nguyen completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Jackson joins Burnham team
Michael R. Jackson, Ph.D., has been named to the newly created position of vice president for drug discovery and development at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research.
Jackson will oversee the chemical biology and drug discovery efforts of the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics (CPCCG) at Burnham's La Jolla and Orlando, Fla., campuses. He will lead Burnham's efforts to identify drug candidates, developing promising chemical compounds into new medicines and creating partnerships for preclinical and clinical drug development.
Before joining Burnham, Jackson spent 15 years with Johnson & Johnson and established the company's PRD drug discovery research site in La Jolla, where he was most recently chief scientific officer.
Jackson received his Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Dundee in Scotland and completed his post-doctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). He was a faculty member at TSRI before joining Johnson & Johnson.
UCSD adds arts Ph.D.
UCSD's Department of Visual Arts welcomes the inaugural class for the Ph.D. concentration in art practice, one of the first doctoral programs in the country designed for practicing artists.
Incoming students will have a wide range of resources on campus, including Departments of Music, Theater and Dance, CALIT2 (a center for new computing technology) and the extensive collections of the libraries. Grant Kester is chairman of the Visual Arts Department.
The art practice concentration is housed within the Ph.D. program in art history theory and criticism.
Like the other Ph.D. concentrations, art practice requires 2 1/2 to three years for course work and one to three years to complete the dissertation.
Mulligan on dean's list
Matthew Mulligan of La Jolla was named to the dean's list for the spring 2009 semester at Johns Hopkins University. To be selected for this honor, a student must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale with a minimum of 14 credit hours.
He is the son of Michael and Barbara Mulligan and attended La Jolla Country Day School.
Matthew Mulligan, who is majoring in economics, is expected to graduate in May 2011.
Research team wins award
A three-woman research team from Moores UCSD Cancer Center, Vista Community Clinic and San Diego State University is the recipient of the Faith Fancher Research Award.
Georgia Robins Sadler, Ph.D., MBA, clinical professor of surgery at the UCSD School of Medicine and an associate director of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center, along with Natasha Riley of the Vista Community Clinic and Vanessa Malcarne of San Diego State University, share the award for their community collaborative project, Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Education Program. The overall goal of this project is to find ways to increase the participation of African-American and Latin American women in cancer research studies so that scientific advances will benefit them as well as others.
Local teacher on AP panel
Julie Zedalis, Advanced Placement (AP) biology teacher at The Bishop's School, was one of six high school teachers and six college professors named to assist the College Board and the National Science Foundation in redesigning the curriculum for AP biology.
She will chair the Curriculum Development and Assessment Committee. For two years and as an original member of the committee, Zedalis oversaw the implementation of the new program, including test development and professional development for teachers.
Zedalis will work directly under the guidance of Trevor Packer, vice
president of the College Board.
Houston named college provost
Alan Houston, a professor of political science and an internationally recognized scholar of early-modern British and American political thought, has been appointed provost of Eleanor Roosevelt College at UCSD.
Houston's prize-winning scholarly work uses archival research to establish new interpretations and advance scholarly methods in liberal, democratic and republican theory. He has written and edited four books.
Houston joined the UCSD faculty in 1989; before that, he taught at Columbia University and Harvard University. He received his bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and his master's and Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Houston's wife, Barbara Edwards, works at CREATE on the UCSD campus. She is executive director of Math for America, a consortium of three local universities that works to increase the number and quality of mathematics teachers in public schools. They have two children, Kelsey, 19, and Ben, 15.
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