Mayor Kevin Faulconer on Jan. 30 named the civic leaders and financial experts that will develop– for the first time – a real plan for a new Chargers stadium that will include the optimal location and how best to pay for it. “It’s time for us, as a community, to come together to decide the future of the Chargers in San Diego,” Faulconer said. “This independent group will give San Diegans the first real plan in the past 13 years. These expert volunteers will explore all possibilities to finance the project, with the clear direction from me that it must be a good and fair deal for San Diego taxpayers.” Faulconer added, “We’re going to have a real, tangible plan for a new stadium for the first time. San Diegans are going to be able to see it, feel it, kick the tires and, in the end, voters will have the final say.” The Citizens' Stadium Advisory Group includes a Fortune 500 executive, a respected local government leader, a California state university trustee, a sports executive and experts in the areas of finance, land use, real estate and construction of municipal stadiums. This group is charged with completing an analysis, developing plans and making recommendations by the fall of this year. Faulconer will then review the recommendations and finalize a plan for public consideration. Redeveloping the current Mission Valley site (with or without a stadium), joint powers authorities, user fees, naming rights and revenue bonds are all examples of options the group will be considering. The group includes Doug Barnhart, chairman of Barnhart-Reese Construction; Adam Day, California state university trustee and assistant tribal manager of Sycuan; Jim Steeg, former National Football League executive; and Mary Lydon, executive director of Urban Land Institute, San Diego – Tijuana. The group is not an official City commission. Faulconer has said he will ask San Diegans to weigh in on any final plan through a public vote. -- City of San Diego communications department

Up to 18,000 are expected to attend the 25th annual San Diego Jewish Film Festival Feb. 5 to 15, with two La Jolla venues participating this year. The festival will showcase 98 contemporary Jewish-themed films from around the world and is presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla. In honor of the festival’s 25th anniversary, four favorite films from years past will be shown again. Sixteen of the films included in this year’s lineup are from Israel. Screening 38 more films than last year’s festival, the 2015 installment is expected to draw an additional 3,000 to 6,000 attendees and will employ twice as many screens at ArcLight Cinemas and Edwards San Marcos Stadium 18 as last year. Other participating theaters include Clairemont Reading Cinemas Town Square 14, Carlsbad Village Theatre and David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre at the community center. “I maintain that the film selection is such an impressive lineup that anyone and everyone — Jewish or not — will be interested,” said Craig Prater, festival director. “For instance, everyone would enjoy ‘Run Boy Run,’ a true-life drama about a young boy who was orphaned and is always on the run from his enemies. It has a great happy ending.” “The increasing popularity of Jewish film festivals worldwide,” festival founder Joyce Axelrod added in an email, “has made one fact extremely clear: Jews crave a meaningful connection to their roots. But festival films now have such diversity of themes that they attract an audience beyond the Jewish community.” The festival, Axelrod said, was the brainchild of Lynette Allen, the community center's first director of cultural arts. “I joined her as a volunteer to promote a film series... Two years later, we presented our first annual San Diego Jewish Film Festival, with a selection of four films at Sherwood Hall in La Jolla. We were buoyed by the community's response to our festival. It was well attended; it was lively; it was like a big family event. Acclaimed Austrian-American actor Theodore Bikel will make a special appearance for an advanced screening and discussion of his film “Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem” on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The public can view the documentary Saturday, Feb. 7 at Carlsbad Village Theatre and Sunday, Feb. 15 at Clairemont Reading. Aleichem, a leading Jewish author whose stories on Tevye the Dairyman inspired the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” was known for the precise descriptions of Eastern European Jewish life in the early 19th century. On opening night, Thursday, Feb. 5, Clairemont Reading will feature the French comedy “Serial (Bad) Weddings,” about the tribulations of a traditional Catholic family with four daughters, three of whom marry men outside their faith. At last, the fourth daughter marries a nice Catholic boy – but there’s a twist. Photographer, screenwriter and native San Diegan Ari Seth Cohen will be a guest speaker during the screening of “Advanced Style” on Friday, Feb. 6 at the Garfield Theatre. Cohen is known for his photos capturing the elegant street fashions of women in their golden years in New York. Spotlighting the festival that afternoon, a live fashion show featuring models from the local community and fashion designers from Israel will be presented by Pomegranate La Jolla. Another festival highlight is Indian comedy “Shree 420,” directed by and starring Randhir Kapoor, which will be shown at the Garfield Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 8. “A little-known secret about early Indian cinema is that many of the Bollywood actresses were actually Jewish,” said Prater. “Several generations of the Kapoor family have been involved with filmmaking in India, and this year Randhir Kapoor will be available to Skype with us about his film ‘Shree 420,’ followed by a live Bollywood dance performance.” The Joyce Forum will bring 45 short films to ArcLight Cinemas and Garfield Theatre beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Due to the popularity of last year’s three programs, this juried competition will feature 10 different programs, each including four to seven short films. Winners will be announced in each category the following morning during a presentation at the community center (includes free breakfast, limited to the first 300 people), where the winning films will be screened. The forum is named for festival founder Joyce Axelrod, who created the short film program. “The Joyce Forum,” Axelrod said, “started about 10 years ago. I decided that I wanted to have a showcase for young filmmakers to expose their talents to established filmmakers, artists and industry peers. This idea evolved into a full day of short subject films from emerging and now-seasoned filmmakers.” Especially for teenagers, the free Teen Screen program, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at Clairemont Reading, will feature “Havana Curveball,” about a 14-year-old boy who wants to send baseballs to Havana, where his Jewish grandfather found refuge during the Holocaust. Closing out the festival on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Clairemont Reading is “Little White Lie,” a documentary based on director Lacey Schwartz’s own life experience as she goes off to college and questions her cultural and religious identity. The festival is sponsored by the Leichtag Foundation in Encinitas to support educational activities and programs inspired by traditional Jewish customs. Tickets to most films cost $13 to 16. Multi-film passes, senior and student discounts and group rate discounts are available. For more information, visit sdjff.com.

It was ring out the old, ring in the new for La Jolla in 2014 as the upscale community lost some of its storied businesses — Jonathan’s Market and Burns Drugs among them — but will be gaining some new ones, like Boffo Cinemas, in 2015. Meanwhile, there were some new developments with “big-ticket items” — seals at Children’s Pool, the Mount Soledad Cross— none of which are likely to resolve the central issues involved: animal rights versus public beach access and the constitutionality of a purported religious symbol on public land. A month-by-month recap of 2014 in La Jolla: JANUARY The city opened a gate in the Cove fence, allowing residents to access the rocks there on New Year's eve with the hope that human access would gradually displace marine mammals and birds and help quell the smell from hell over accumulated bird and marine mammal waste. Jerry Coleman, the voice of the San Diego Padres and the only major league baseball player to see combat in two wars, died Jan. 5. The rechristened Audrey Geisel University House was rehabbed at an estimated $10.5 million to convert it into UCSD Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla’s home and a venue for special events. The eighth annual Bird Rock home tour showcased some of the finest dwellings throughout the neighborhood on Jan. 25. FEBRUARY La Jolla Brewing Company opened Jan. 30 at 7536 Fay Ave. Stakeholders on short-term vacation rentals began meeting monthly and vetting their concerns at an ad hoc subcommittee of La Jolla Community Planning Association. Though significantly downsized, the controversial Hillel Jewish student center, proposed adjacent to a single-family neighborhood across from UCSD, met with undiminished public opposition by a La Jolla Shores subcommittee, which voted to deny the project’s environmental impact report. Bird Rock Community Council Feb. 4 reported on improvements to La Jolla Hermosa Park, which included picnic tables, benches, charcoal grills and a beach path. Mike Glance of Moonglow Design/Erling Rohde Plumbing, who has found plumbing and art can go together, was profiled in La Jolla Village News. Kayak concessionaires, optical problems with the Shores’ new lifeguard tower and rules regulating commercial vehicles parked in residential neighborhoods were dealt with by the La Jolla Shores Association. Kevin Faulconer outmuscled opponent Councilmember David Alvarez in a hard-fought mayoral runoff. Four alternative routes for the proposed Coastal Rail Trail bike-and-hike pathway project were unveiled Feb. 5 at a public workshop. La Jolla Historical Society marked its 50th anniversary with a yearlong, $1 million restoration of historic Wisteria Cottage. MARCH The Mt. Soledad Memorial Association unsuccessfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time to review Mt. Soledad Memorial Association vs. Steve Trunk, et al. and were turned down once more, with justices declining to hear the case until it is resolved in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Bird Rock Community Council heard renewed complaints from neighbors about off-leash dogs running wild at Calumet Park. La Jolla Village News ran an editorial/cartoon on U-T owner “Papa” Doug Manchester and his penchant for gobbling up independent newspapers. A 30-plus-year battle over historic beach access at Princess Street dragged on as blufftop homeowner Ure Kretowicz vowed to continue the legal battle to prevent people, other than lifeguards during emergencies, to use a beach path crossing his property. La Valencia Hotel exhibited the work of photojournalist Brian Hamill, including such iconic stars as John Lennon, Frank Sinatra and Muhammad Ali. Shores planners heard about problematic homelessness at Torrey Pines Road pedestrian bridge. APRIL Community activist Bernie Segal, trying to get a musical he’s written produced by La Jolla Playhouse, was profiled by La Jolla Village News. The 10th anniversary of La Jolla Concourse d’Elegance classic car show at the Cove went down the weekend of April 11. The annual La Jolla Half-Marathon on April 27 was sold out. Lifeguards requested the city spend more than $5 million over the next five years to beef up equipment and other life-saving services. A community memorial service was held April 12 for Rob Hildt, a town council member who succumbed to cancer. Burns Drugs closed its doors after 62 years on April 15. La Jolla Community Planning Association voted 7-6 to approve an AT&T proposal for installation of a cell tower in Cliffridge Park near Torrey Pines Elementary despite fears about the possibility of negative impacts from electromagnetic tower radiation. MAY On May 9, condo residents near the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project, which would bring the trolley from Old Town to UCSD and UTC mall were successful in petitioning the San Diego Association of Governments not to divert the route closer to their complex. The public got a rare behind-the-scenes peek at the Salk Institute with guided tours on April 12 and a presentation by researcher Sreekanth (Shrek) Chalasani. Stakeholders failed to reach agreement on what to do about short-term vacation rentals other than agreeing it was time to put teeth into the police’s Community Assisted Party Program, which penalizes repeat violations for excessive noise and other infractions. Attorney Steve Haskins was sworn in May 8 as La Jolla Town Council’s new president. Adolfo Fastlicht and Carlos Wellman announced plans for Boffo Cinemas, a boutique theater with indoor dining, to replace Jonathan’s Market with a premium multiplex theater. Sidewalk cafes became bones of contention between some residents who believe the sidewalks should be free for pedestrians and others who feel increasing the amount of outdoor dining space is more important. La Jolla’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display, threatened yet again by funding problems, was saved at the last minute and the show went on as usual at the Cove. Scripps La Jolla was named one of the nation’s 100 best hospitals. San Diego Community Newspaper Group publisher Julie Main wrote about her trip to Kenya in Africa. JUNE La Jolla Village Merchants Association announced development of LaJollaopoly, a fundraising board game based on the world-famous Monopoly model. La Jolla Village News profiled Orangetheory, a new fitness modality at 7734 Girard Ave., which uses high-tech workouts maximizing metabolic “burn.” Columnist Linda Marrone wrote about the declining numbers of monarch butterflies. Advocates launched a drive to secure disabled-ramp access at Children’s Pool. Community planners balked at plans to bring bikeshare short-term bicycle rentals to La Jolla. Che Café, a celebrated UCSD vegan eatery and art/music venue, was the topic of an eviction notice. On June 16, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and police Chief Shelley Zimmerman held a community parley at La Jolla Rec Center. The business practices of Schroeder Piano Company in Bird Rock were called into question by mostly local residents who claimed their consignments had been mishandled. JULY The fifth annual La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival was held July 23-26. La Jolla Village Merchants Association voted unanimously to consider “adopting” the annual Cove Fourth of July Fireworks Display. Bird Rock Community Center was updated by the city on plans to repair Midway Bluff. La Jolla Shores Association vetted neighborhood concerns about increasing noise and congestion from commercial kayaking. Boffo Cinemas’ design plans and George’s at the Cove restaurant terrace expansion were approved by La Jolla Planned District Ordinance. A plan to raise the city’s minimum wage incrementally to $11.50 an hour by 2017 was passed by the City Council and later rescinded, with the issue to be placed on a future election ballot. A partnership agreement unanimously approved by San Diego Unified School District gave La Jolla Cluster Association’s five schools greater flexibility and autonomy. Local Israelis and Palestinians renewed dialogue amid conflicts in the war-torn Middle East. AUGUST Tara Moore, former Jack’s La Jolla bookkeeper, was convicted of embezzlement Aug. 4. She did not testify during her seven-week trial. Overriding objections by beach-access proponents, the California Coastal Commission Aug. 14 unanimously endorsed a five-year ban on public access of Children’s Pool during the marine mammals’ five-month pupping season. On Aug. 18, the City Council overrode Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s veto of a proposal to phase-in a higher minimum wage over the next three years. The suicide of beloved comedian Robin Williams was lamented by La Jolla Village News editor Martin Jones Westlin, who commented on the movie star’s connections to La Jolla. These included his participating in the San Diego Challenged Athletes Foundation’s annual October triathlon fundraiser. SEPTEMBER SeaWorld announced plans to double the size of its orca environment in San Diego. The Village of La Jolla was a target of city code enforcement cleanup efforts to eliminate illegal signage and intrusions into the public right-of-way. Plans were set in motion to “polish the jewel” as merchants association board member Nancy Warwick announced a new fundraising campaign, Sparkle & Shine, involving banners to generate funds to clean sidewalks and beautify the Village. OCTOBER The sixth annual La Jolla Art & Wine Festival went off Oct. 11-12 in the Village, with the addition of stein-holding contest. California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation banning plastic shopping bags starting in the summer of 2015. Pillage the Village Halloween trick-or-treating, co-sponsored by La Jolla Village Merchants Association and La Jolla Real Estate Brokers Association, got bigger and better with more downtown merchant participation. Cove stench from marine mammal and bird waste at the Cove continued to be a problem and an issue of public debate. Beach-access proponents Friends of Children’s Pool filed a suit in Superior Court Oct. 10 alleging city mismanagement of the pool and violation of constitutionally protected ocean access. NOVEMBER I-5 traffic was halted for a time as UCSD students protested the Ferguson, Mo. decision not to indict a white police officer in the fatal shooting of a black teenager. San Diego City Council Nov. 18 unanimously endorsed a water recycling program to provide one-third of San Diego’s potable water by 2035, reducing reliance on costly imported water. La Jolla Rec Center celebrated its 100th anniversary. Larry Himmel, TV newscaster and former stand-up comic at La Jolla’s Comedy Store, succumbed to cancer at age 68. Bird Rock Community Council heard complaints about “mansionization” in the neighborhood. Shores merchants and neighbors complained of disruptions caused by ongoing infrastructure replacement along the small commercial strip on Avenida de la Playa. DECEMBER On Dec. 5, famed wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelsen visited his Images of Nature Gallery, at 7916 Girard Ave., to clue the public in on his latest retrospective book, “The Last Great Wild Places.” La Jolla Community Planing Association nixed a revamped proposal for a manse on Whale Watch Way as well as voting down a proposed Alzheimer’s unit in the former Chopra Center building downtown. The 57th installment of the La Jolla Christmas Parade & Holiday Festival delighted residents and visitors on Dec. 7. The five-month ban of humans at Children’s Pool took effect Dec. 15. Village merchants were informed by neighbors of a new problem, recycling scavengers pillaging the Village and parking their smelly, leaky open-bed trucks in nearby residential neighborhoods such as Park Row.