By Donald H. Harrison
B Marty
Block,
chairman of the San Diego Community College Board of
Trustees, will be pushing for passage this November of an $870 million bond
issue for capital construction projects for more than 20 buildings.
"I think the strength of San Diego's economy in the long run depends on
the strength of the community college district," Block told San Diego
Union-Tribune reporter Eleanor Yang Su. "There are no frivolous
projects on the list. Almost all of them are for academic buildings."
D
District Attorney Bonnie
Dumanis, Sheriff Bill
Kolender and Mayor Jerry Sanders will be speakers at a 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. fundraising reception Monday, August 14, to promote passage of
Proposition 83, "Jessica's Law," on the state's November election
ballot. Featured guest will be Mark Lundsford, whose 9-year-old daughter
Jessica was kidnapped, raped and murdered last year by a sexual predator who
without knowledge of authorities had moved into the Lundsfords' neighborhood
in 2005.. The proposed law, more formally known as the Sexual Predator
Punishment and Control Act of 2006 will, according to its sponsors, provide
for the following:
- Ensure that all child molesters who molest children under the age of 14
are put into a prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years or 25
years to life. Closes all loopholes in California’s “one-strike”
laws.
- Eliminate all “good-time” credits for sex offenders ensuring that
these sex offenders are required to serve their entire sentence and will
not be released for good behavior.
- Electronically monitor convicted sex offenders for life, if they are
ever released from prison, through GPS tracking.
- Create a 2,000 foot “predator-free” zone around schools and park to
prevent sex offenders from living near where our children learn and play.
More information on the $150-per-person reception may be obtained by
telephoning Mary England at (619) 466-1111
L Risa Levitt-Kohn
will become an increasingly well-known figure in the San Diego Jewish
community in her two new positions: curator of the Museum of Natural History's
upcoming (July-Dec 2008) exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls and director of San
Diego State University's Judaic Studies Program. The professor has
written a piece on the upcoming Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit for Makor, the Agency
for Jewish Education publication that tracks Jewish learning opportunities in
the community. She also has scheduled speeches to
various groups, including one at last night's Shabbat services at Congregation
Dor Hadash.
Nomi Levy, librarian at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, has won a
national Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.
She was cited for helping the day school design its derech eretz program,
which emphasizes respect and good manners as the appropriate way for children
to behave. She will be honored in November at the General Assembly of
the United Jewish Communities.
N Leon Natker,
general director of the San Diego Lyric Opera, has
developed an Academy for the Performing Arts, which is recognized by San Diego
City Schools as a venue for providing "comprehensive hands-on skill
development to middle and high school students who have expressed an interest
in pursuing careers in the performing arts." Recently, the San
Diego Foundation granted $5,000 for the program, thereby providing five
students with $1,000 scholarships.
O Igor Olshanksy is
to his San Diego Chargers teammate Luis Castillo the guy with "that cocky
Russian personality – 'I'm the strongest guy in the room. I'm the best guy
at playing the run in the whole league,' ” according to an article by
sportswriter Kevin Acee in The San Diego Union-Tribune. In
Russia, more than likely, he would have been known as that "big
Jew." Whatever his religion or former nationality, Olshansky's
opponents on the field don't have much time to think about anything other than
trying to get out of the way of the 300 pound, 6 foot 6 defensive right
end.
P Jenny Poliakoff recently
was presented a certificate by Sheriff
Bill Kolender at an appreciation dinner for volunteers of the
Friendship Circle, a group which pairs youngsters with children with special
needs. Those interested in participating in the program may contact
Elisheva Green at (858) 487-4879.
Sheila Potiker has
been named chair of the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation, succeeding Edgar
Berner. Meanwhile, Marcia Hazan has become chair of
the Jewish Women's Foundation of San Diego, succeeding Betty Byrnes.
R Alan Rusonik, executive
director of the Agency for Jewish Education, recently made a guest appearance
for the Jewish segment of the "Interfaith Nights" series sponsored
by the Poway Interfaith Council. His lecture about Judaism to attendees
of many faiths was well received, according to Rev. Gail Albert of the Child
Centered Church, who urged attendees: "Let
us all keep his daughter in our prayers knowing she will return home from
Israel safely."
S Jeffrey Stein,
a partner in Sofinnova Ventures, was the subject of a "People to
Watch" write-up in the technology portion of the business section of the The
San Diego Union-Tribune. He told interviewer Teri Somers, that
"for someone with a science background, getting to evaluate the latest
and greatest technologies at their earliest stages is fantastic. If you add to
that having the opportunity to create companies that will discover drugs to
treat life-threatening diseases, and having the financial and other resources
at your disposal to do so, it's difficult to imagine a more interesting and
rewarding job."