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www.SDNEWS.com Volume 15, Number 15
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2009
Hanging baskets may get the axe
Lancers skewer Knights in CIF Division V final BY DAVE THOMAS | VILLAGE NEWS
Activists want to revamp containers and plants BY ADRIANE TILLMAN | VILLAGE NEWS
The hanging flower baskets around La Jolla are looking drab, but activists have a bright future in mind for them: scrap all the flimsy plastic-and-moss baskets and replace them with thick, sustainable containers and more drought-tolerant plants. The Streetscape/Beautification Committee, a joint committee of the La Jolla Town Council and Promote La Jolla (PLJ), discussed the plan Nov. 23 and is awaiting bids from two landscape contractors. The committee envisions replacing the wire baskets that hold moss with a thick plastic, lifetime-guaranteed basket that is terracotta in color and, apparently, doesn’t look like plastic — similar to the baskets hanging outside Hotel Parisi on Prospect Street, explained Glen Rasmussen, a member of the streetscape committee. “Water just goes through [the current baskets] like a sieve, and they evaporate 360 degrees,” Rasmussen said. “Plus, the baskets rust.” The committee agreed the baskets should be filled with more drought-tolerant plants that need to be watered once per week, unlike the baskets’ current tropical plants such as lobelia that need watering three times per week. The 236 flower baskets hanging in the village have not been replaced since they were installed in 2003. Rasmussen estimated it will cost approximately $250 to replace and maintain each basket for a year, for a total cost of $59,000. PLJ has budgeted $28,000 for the hanging baskets for the next six months, so it’s unclear how the group will handle the cost. PLJ typically pays to maintain the baskets but has not had the money to do so since the city failed to approve the group’s budget in July, following an ongoing investigation into the business improvement district’s finances. PLJ continues to wait for the city to approve an interim budget, so that the city can start collecting fees from the village businesses. Regardless of PLJ’s budget, the committee would like to see residents and businesses step up to the plate to fund the baskets to save PLJ’s reserves for other projects. “People in La Jolla can sponsor a basket in memory of a loved one or for themselves,” Rasmussen said. “The only way to do that is to get people to buy into the idea that these hanging baskets are appropriate and sustainable.” While PLJ has languished, volunteers and the group’s contracted landscaper have helped to care for the flower baskets since July. SEE BASKETS, Page 3
The Bishop's School's Alec Fisher literally carried his team with 24 carries VILLAGE NEWS | DON BALCH for 244 yards and two touchdowns.
The hopes of a CIF football title unfortunately went by the wayside and quickly last Friday, Dec. 11 at Qualcomm Stadium, as The Bishop’s School dropped a 55-20 decision to rival Francis Parker in the Division V championship. Down 14-0 early in the first quarter, Bishop’s would watch Parker go on to score 41 more points on the day, in securing its second straight section title. Junior Kenny Brookins (14 carries/127 yards rushing) scored on runs of 10, 6 and 21 yards for the Lancers. Alec Fisher rushed for 260 yards and two touchdowns for Bishop’s (8-5), which fell 55-24 to Parker in the regular season. “The game obviously did not go the way we wanted,” Bishop’s head coach
The kids continued to battle ... even with all the injuries ... JOEL ALLEN BISHOP’S COACH
Joel Allen said. “Parker has a great team and played a nearly perfect game. Having played them once already this season, we knew what type of team that they had and were not surprised in how well they played. I was very proud of our team in the way that they handled themselves. They continued to play hard throughout the whole game.” In his first year at the SEE KNIGHTS, Page 3
Port job could conflict with CCC for Peters BY ADRIANE TILLMAN | VILLAGE NEWS
Questions remain as to whether former city councilman Scott Peters will be appointed to the California Coastal Commission since he currently serves on San Diego’s Board of Port Commissioners. La Jollan Peters represented District 1 on City Council for eight years before terming out last year. Port projects are brought before the Coastal Commission for consideration throughout the year, so serving on both boards could pose a conflict for Peters, who said he would recuse himself on San Diego’s harbor decisions. The Attorney General’s Office is reviewing the situation and will likely decide within a week or two whether Peters can serve on both boards simultane-
If there is an inconsistency, I would have to choose ... SCOTT PETERS PORT COMMISSIONER
ously. Coastal commissioner Khatchik Achadjian of San Luis Obispo had appointed Peters as her alternate. “If there is an inconsistency, I would have to choose between the offices, and I will decline my appointment as an alternate to the Coastal Commission so that I can continue to serve as a port commissioner,” Peters said in an e-mail. The Coastal Commission
Former City Councilman and Port Comissioner Scott Peters has been named an alternate to the Coastal Commission.
is not a new post for Peters, who served on the commission from 2002 to ’05. Both the port authority and coastal commission are unpaid positions. “The Coastal Commission is one of the most important and effective environmental
protection agencies in the world… Now that I have completed my service on the City Council, I am pleased that I may again have the chance to serve the state as a Coastal Commissioner,” Peters said. “It is an exciting and challenging role, and I believe my experience and perspective can help the coast and the San Diego region.” A lawyer with a 15-year background in environmental law, Peters is not currently practicing. Instead, he said he has spent the past year volunteering on civic boards and spending more time with his teenagers. Peters is chairing the Climate Initiative at the San Diego Foundation in addition to serving on the Port Commission, where he will be named vice-chair in 2010. ■