Muirlands students ‘Most Original’ at Toy Challenge
A team of four Muirlands Middle School sixth-graders was honored for “Most Original Toy Design” at this year’s fifth annual Toy Challenge, held April 21 and 22 at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
A contest developed by Sally Ride Science ” a company founded in 2001 by Sally Ride. the first American woman in space ” the Toy Challenge is designed to help middle-school students develop an early interest in science and is open to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders across the country.
The Muirlands group’s board game titled “Infinite” works as a puzzle, making opposing teams go through a series of physical and mental challenges.
“Infinite” was entered in one of three categories at the competition dubbed “toys that teach,” and went against two other teams of sixth-graders from Muirlands Middle School that each designed separate toys.
The three teams were among 150 toy designs selected from schools throughout the country, according to Julie Latta, Muirlands science teacher and contest coach.
Although each team did well presenting their projects in front of a panel of judges, only one group placed, Latta said.
Students had been working since last October to finalize and construct project ideas and were excited to attend the national competition, according to Latta, who mentioned that the school also had three teams qualify for last year’s event.
Winning team members are Kaleb Crawford, Jennie Fan, Alicia Fan and Colin Czech.
For more information about the Toy Challenge, visit www.toychallenge.com.

Forum will examine mini-dorm restrictions
City Councilmen Kevin Faulconer and Jim Madaffer, along with City Attorney Mike Aguirre, will hold a housing forum to discuss proposed city code changes to prevent mini-dorm conversions citywide this evening, May 10, 6 p.m., in council chambers, 202 C St.
The public will have the opportunity to ask questions and comment on the mini-dorm issue.
For information, call the Council District 2 office, (619) 236-6622.

Postal carriers will pick up food May 12
The community is encouraged to help “stamp out” hunger May 12.
Help Stamp Out Hunger is part of a worldwide food drive that has collected more than three-quarters of a billion pounds of food since its inception 14 years ago.The Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) have partnered together on this campaign making it the worlds largest single-day food drive.
Postal customers are asked leave their nonperishable food donations in a bag near their mailbox on Saturday, May 11, before their letter carrier arrives. Donations will be brought to the local post office and delivered to the local food bank.

Smoking ban to cover more areas
The ban on smoking at all city beaches and parks was extended May 1 to include no smoking on all city-owned ocean fishing piers, on seawalls and on boardwalks next to all beaches following an 8-0 vote by the San Diego City Council.
The amendment to the existing ban on smoking at city beaches will go into effect in approximately 45 days. The City Council will have a second reading of the ordinance to make it official, and it will become law about 30 days afterward.
Deputy City Attorney Alex Sachs said the specified areas in the amendment have different land use designations and were not covered in the earlier ordinance passed by the City Council some months ago. The amendment also includes a ban on smoking on the Cabrillo Bridge in Balboa Park.
First-time violators will be given misdemeanor citations and not arrested. The maximum penalty for violators is six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine if they are convicted.
District 4 Councilman Tony Young voted for the amendment but said, “We’re getting real close to infringement” of smokers’ rights.
District 3 Councilwoman Toni Atkins said signs need to be posted as to the location of designated areas where smokers can legally light up.
There was only one public speaker on the subject and she urged the City Council to also ban smoking at all city lakes and reservoirs. The council could not act on that suggestion because it had not been published in legal notices.
No one addressed the council to oppose the amendment.

LJ Garden Club holds annual market for moms
The La Jolla Garden Club will hold its 30th annual gardener’s market Saturday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Washington Mutual Bank patio, 7777 Girard Ave., giving residents a chance to pick out the perfect Mother’s Day bouquet.
“We have a huge turnout,” said Fran Sheinbein, La Jolla Garden Club member and event chairwoman. “Last year we sold out of all the plants and all the arrangements. It’s something that’s going on every year, and because everything looks so beautiful and is ready to be given, people don’t have to do a thing. It always is a great event.”
The market will feature various plants and floral arrangements supplied from members’ gardens, as well as bake sale goods.
Proceeds will benefit conservation and civic projects in La Jolla, such as supplying the La Jolla Library with weekly floral arrangements and funding landscaping projects for the La Jolla Historical Society and the La Jolla Recreation Center. The Garden Club also provides funding for horticultural scholarships for students at four city colleges.
For more information, contact Fran Sheinbein, (858) 450-1769.

LJHS team in top 10 at Ocean Sciences Bowl
La Jolla High School’s science team placed ninth in the 10th annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl held April 28 through 30 in Stony Brook, N.Y.
The team went up against 25 schools from across the country and was selected from a total of 450 teams that competed at the regional level in February, according to Lee Decker, advanced biology and marine sciences teacher at La Jolla High School and the team’s coach.
“The students met many scientists, government officials and students from around the country,” Decker said by e-mail. “They represented San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and La Jolla High School in the best of fashions.”
The National Ocean Science Bowl, a tournament that tests students’ knowledge of marine biology through a series of jeopardy-style questions, has been held for the past nine years locally at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and draws students from schools spanning through Orange County and Arizona.
At the national level, LJHS was one of three teams that went undefeated during the initial round of questions, coming out over the team that eventually won the tournament and holding the longest winning streak of all the teams involved, Decker said.
This year, LJHS won the regional tournament for its seventh consecutive year and set a new record by placing its A team in first and its B in second, according to Decker.
For more information, visit www.nosb.org.

J*Company stages ‘Hansel and Gretel’
The J*Company Youth Theatre is performing the musical “The Story of Hansel and Gretel” from May 11 to 20 at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center’s Dorothea Garfield Theatre. Joey Landwehr will direct this production of the classic fairytale “Hansel and Gretel” with Susan Lavoie providing musical direction.
Based on a book written by Vera Morris, this musical production will feature lyrics by Bill Francour and a cast of students ages 7 to 13 from across San Diego County. The J*Company Youth Theatre, a program offered through the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the JCC, tries to annually hold a production that focuses on this young but talented age group, in addition to its two annual productions featuring high school-aged actors.
The JCC’s Dorothea Garfield Theatre is located at 4126 Executive Drive.
Tickets for the production are $16.50 and can be purchased by calling (858) 362-1348 or visiting the Web site, www.lfjcc.org/jcompany.

Y-ME Walk will aid breast cancer programs
This Mother’s Day, San Diego residents can celebrate the women in their lives by attending the third annual Y-ME Walk to Empower on Sunday, May 13, at Mariner’s Point in Mission Bay Park. Participants in this 3-mile walk will honor and commemorate breast cancer survivors and victims while raising money to benefit programs and services for those currently battling the disease.
The Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization, a nonprofit organization sponsoring the Walk to Empower, funds a variety of peer-support and informational programs, including a 24-hour hotline staffed entirely by breast cancer survivors trained to answer questions about breast health and breast cancer.
The walk was started 16 years ago in Chicago and has grown to include communities across the nation in raising awareness for the more than 2.3 million women in the U.S. currently living with breast cancer. Last year, more than 1,300 San Diego residents helped Y-Me raise $200,000 at the walk.
For information about the 2007 Walk to Empower or to register to walk, visit www.y-me.org or call (877) 963-7223 ext. 8527.