VILLAGE NEWS
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LA JOLLA
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 18, Number 3
Glass works created by students and instructors in UCSD’s Crafts Center hang from the ceiling of the facility, which was closed by the university on Sept. 25. DON BALCH | Village News
The value of the vote for women and remembering the day it came View from52 SANDY LIPPE
Another one bites the dust Students, instructors mourn the loss of another victim of budget cuts BY KENDRA HARTMANN | VILLAGE NEWS n Sept. 26, just days before the start of the fall quarter at UC San Diego, Tara Magboo, an instructor at the campus’ Crafts Center, received an email: all of the courses she had planned to teach at the center were cancelled, not for lack of students but because the university had decided to close the center for the 2012-13 academic year. “At first I was in disbelief when I found out through email about the closure … I didn’t hear from the Crafts Center directly, so I didn’t believe the news at first,” Magboo said. “I was in the midst of preparing for classes when I found out this information. I found out two days before teaching that my extension class was cancelled, in addition to the non-credit adult enrich-
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ment jewelry courses. Our catalog of classes was printed and mailed out. Our online registration was live and we had already started registering students for classes. The information completely caught everyone by surprise.” Interim center director Joyce Rooks, who had only found out about the closure earlier that same day, said the news came as more than a bit of a shock. “There had always been funding issues, but the thing that was a surprise was how this happened so quickly,” she said. “We were preparing for the fall quarter, had already printed up our brochures, were planning all our events, and it just took us by surprise. That’s what hurts the most.” The Crafts Center, which has offered non-credit courses in disciplines like ceramics, jewelry making, glass blowing, metal
works, silk screening, photography, weaving and more for 40 years, had been the potential target of budget woes for several years, Rooks said. Most notably, the building, which Rooks said has been “cobbled together over the years,” was not quite up to current building standards, and would need substantial renovations. “[The center] started with a couple of old guard shacks, and it’s become a patchwork of artist spaces,” she said. “Everyone loves the funky nature of it, but when it comes to 21st-century standards, it’s not quite there.” Packaged under the purview of the University Centers — under which the Price Center and Student Center facilities also operate — the Crafts Center was opened in 1972 with the idea that students, under
The new Women’s Museum in Liberty Station has a special tribute planned for Gloria Penner, who passed away on Oct. 6 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. On Nov. 9, the “Broads in Broadcasting,” an event celebrating women who broke through the barriers of the broadcast world, will certainly be subdued by the loss of the dynamic Penner. A quote from Penner sums up her philosophy as one of those outstanding and talented “broads” with a Dorothy Parker-esque perspective. “In the 1970s, I was a vigorous believer that women needed better representation in business and society, and I worked hard to make that happen. I doubt my demeanor resembled the TV-film stereotypes of the obedient, dutiful babe in the background.” How do we honor a woman who was one of the most astute interviewers of politicians in San Diego? We need only look back in time to the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. We vote this Nov. 6 to honor Penner and because we have the right to vote, thanks to some hardworking women who went before us and fought for women’s rights.
SEE CRAFTS, Page 9
SEE VOTE, Page 6
Yard-sign thefts frustrate voters in the Shores BY MARIKO LAMB | VILLAGE NEWS As the elections loom nearer, candidates and supporters on all sides can, at times, get into spirited debate about everything from priorities in the city, state or federal budgets to the role certain leaders should play in government. Accompanying the already hotly contested issues, a rash of political yardsign thefts in the Shores only seems to solidify hard feelings ingrained in opposing political supporters. According to longtime La Jolla Shores resident and merchant Myrna Naegle, more than 20 signs supporting District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri
Lightner have been stolen from the La Jolla Shores neighborhood in a span of about two weeks. “We don’t want to put any more signs up because it would just be futile,” she said. “It’s gotten to the point where we can’t put them into our yards.” Although Naegle contacted the police about the thefts, she said they were unable to write a report. SDPD spokeswoman Lt. Andra Brown explained that in order for police to do anything about the thefts, the owner of the signs — the candidates — must file a report. “Generally speaking, candidates give the signs to supporters for their yards
he has chosen not to take corrective action to stop this illegal so, although stolen from a yard, the vic- practice.” tim is not the property owner,” she said. Ellis’ campaign According to Lightner’s campaign manager, Mattmanager, Rollin Bush, the councilwom- hew Donnellan, an has made attempts to ensure her however, said Lightsupporters respect the signs of her chal- ner is not the only lenger, Ray Ellis. candidate whose signs “From the beginning of our camhave been stolen. paign, Sherri has made it clear that no “I haven’t heard anything about member of her campaign should disre- Lightner signs,” said Donnellan. “We’ve spect citizens’ right to free speech by had some of our supporters in La Jolla destroying, removing or vandalizing her and throughout District 1 contact us opponent’s yard signs on private propwith the same problem. erty,” he said. “It was brought to Ray “We tell them these things happen Ellis’ attention during the primary elec- and that they can come get a new one tion that Sherri Lightner’s yard signs on at our office.” private property were being stolen, and
For some, the issue is a relatively moot point. For others, it is a frustrating fact of life during the election cycle. “It’s not just trying to steal an election,” said Rob Whittemore, who also had his yard signs stolen in the Shores. “It’s stealing our First Amendment rights.”