SAN DIEGO: While most San Diego youths are clinging to the waning days of summer vacation, a free conference will be held today to get parents and students back in the school mode.
Parent workshops, student health screenings and 3,000 fully stocked backpacks are among the offerings at this year's New ERAA (Everybody Recommitting to Academic Achievement) 2008 Back 2 School Conference and Festival.
The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lincoln High School, 2777 Imperial Ave. Entertainment, free food and 27 exhibitors will be on hand.
The Office Depot Foundation has sponsored the event and donated the backpacks. The nonprofit Pazzaz also sponsors the program, which is supported by 30 organizations, City Councilman Tony Young and Shelia Jackson, a San Diego school trustee.
For more information, call (619) 264-6870. –M.M.
I-15 stretch in Mira Mesa
to close briefly tomorrow
MIRA MESA: Interstate 15 through Mira Mesa will be closed briefly tomorrow morning because of construction.
Caltrans plans to close both sides of the freeway between Mercy Road and Mira Mesa Boulevard from 5:45 to 6 a.m. to allow an explosives crew to blast a nearby slope.
The state agency is expanding the freeway's network of express lanes. Officials are urging motorists to use alternative routes during the closure. –S.S.
Health experts to explain
childhood immunizations
A coalition of doctors, public health experts and community groups will hold a forum today to stress the importance of childhood immunizations.
The forum will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA, 200 Saxony Road in Encinitas. Its sponsor is the San Diego Immunization Coalition, which consists of about 150 health care and social services organizations, including the county's Health and Human Services Agency.
At the forum, medical researchers will talk about why they think vaccines for various diseases are safe and will go over the recommended schedule for childhood inoculations.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation circulating about vaccines,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer. “This is an opportunity for parents to have their questions answered.”
For more information about immunizations, go to sdiz.org. To discuss a child's immunization record with a nurse, have the record in hand and call (888) 692-2575 weekdays during business hours. –H.T.P.
Five candidates seeking
to be Coronado's mayor
CORONADO: One former and two current City Council members are among five candidates seeking to replace Mayor Tom Smisek, who decided not to run for a fourth term Nov. 4.
Phil Monroe and Casey Tanaka, currently on the council, and former Councilman Frank Tierney join environmental lawyer Barbara Denny and bank chairman Tom Stickel in rounding out the candidates.
Monroe's council term ends this year. Tanaka is running midterm for the mayoral seat. The deadline to file for the mayor's race and council seats was Aug. 13 because incumbents in those races did not file for re-election.
In the Coronado council race for two seats, Councilwoman Carrie Downey will try to retain her seat. Candidates Peter Fagan, a lawyer, and Ledyard Hakes, a businessman, both ran in 2006 for council seats. Peter Jensen, a lawyer and substitute teacher, and Michael Woiwode, a business owner and engineer, are also running.
Also on the ballot is Proposition F, an advisory measure sponsored by the city. The proposition supports the purchase of Sharp Coronado Hospital property from the Coronado Hospital Foundation by the city's redevelopment agency. –J.Z.
Staff writers Maureen Magee, Steve Schmidt, Hieu Tran Phan and Janine Zúñiga contributed to this report.
