Kiwanis Club announces 63rd annual pancake breakfast
The Kiwanis Club of La Jolla’s annual pancake breakfast is back on for its 63th edition next month, planned for 8:30-11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15.
The event includes all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage, coffee and orange juice, pony rides, a bounce house, face painting, live music and a raffle. This year, 100% of proceeds from the raffle will go to first responders.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under before Aug. 12. At the door, tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under. Children under three are free.
Purchase tickets at kiwanisclublajolla.org by selecting “events” and “pancake breakfast.”
Jewel Award nominations now open
Nominations are now open for the 2026 La Jolla Historical Society Jewel Awards, which honor efforts to preserve and steward La Jolla’s architectural and cultural heritage. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 1, and winners will be announced in October.
This year, four types of awards will be given out.
The Jewel Award for Rehabilitation recognizes owners who adapt a property to contemporary use while preserving its historic, cultural, or architectural character. The Jewel Award for Restoration recognizes owners whose work returns a property as closely as possible to its original architectural form and character. The Jewel Award for Preservation recognizes exceptional long-term care and maintenance of a historic or character-defining property, landscape, or resource.
New this year, the Historical Society will present a Legacy Business Jewel Award to honor businesses whose continued presence contribute to La Jolla’s village identity and sense of place through longevity, stewardship, and preservation of character-defining storefronts, signage, traditions, or locations.
Nomination forms and a list of past winners are available at lajollahistory.org/jewel-award.
For questions, please contact Seonaid McArthur, Chair of the Landmark Steering Committee, at lajollalandmarkgroung@gmail.com; Meredith Baratz at mybaratz@icloud.com; or Susan Comden at scomden@aol.com for questions regarding the Legacy Business Jewel Award.
Birch Aquarium reaches record-breaking attendance
The La Jolla-based Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego broke its annual record for attendance during the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
Throughout that timeframe, Birch Aquarium welcomed 603,670 guests. This is their highest total to date and marks the first time they’ve surpassed 600,000 guests in a year.
The 600,000th guest was part of a family visiting from Atlanta and they were welcomed by the aquarium’s staff at the end of June.
Salk scientists looking at new target in neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases affect tens of millions of people worldwide. Among these, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are the most common. In the United States, the Alzheimer’s Disease Association and Parkinson’s Foundation report roughly 7 million people with Alzheimer’s and another million with Parkinson’s.
But a newly explored clue lies in the tangled mystery of neurodegeneration that scientists are working to solve: iron accumulation. Early in life, this iron accumulation appears to have little effect on neuronal function. However, later in life, it can contribute to a slow neuronal demise.
Thus, scientists at the La Jolla-based Salk Institute are looking at why iron that builds up in neuronal cells becomes harmful over time in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
The study, published in Cell Death Discovery on June 18, points to iron accumulation as a key target in the effort to predict, prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases. The hope is to perhaps develop new interventions to address iron imbalances and keep neurons more resilient for longer.
Bishop’s student wins $25,000 academic prize
Kayley Xu, an 11th grade student at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, continues to gather accolades for her scientific work.
Last year, Xu won in the senior division of the Computational Systems: Medical division in the 74th annual California Science and Engineering Fair for making a more modern, sensitive stethoscope. And last month, she was one of six students to win a grand prize in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, and $25,000 prize that comes with it.
Xu’s award-winning project applies the principles of beamforming — a radio frequency management technique — and artificial intelligence technology to modernize a wearable stethoscope.
See the full list of winners at mott.org/news/releases/top-student-ideas-win-grand-prizes-in-mott-million-dollar-challenge.
Birch Aquarium snorkeling program to return next month
A popular program from Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is returning for the first time since 2019.
Shark Snorkels, a guided snorkeling experience facilitated by Birch Aquarium educators, provides participants with an up-close look at local sharks, rays and other species in La Jolla. In particular, the two-hour experience will place its focus on Leopard Sharks, who are among the most common on the coast of California.
Tickets for Shark Snorkels will first be available on Aug. 1 at $35 for aquarium members and $40 for non-members. Participants must bring their own gear, including masks, fins and snorkels, and are required to have intermediate swimming ability.
Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu for more information.
Soledad Memorial Association to honor longtime volunteer
In honor of his 90th birthday and official retirement from volunteer service, the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association honors Robert “Bottom Gun” McCollum on July 17.
Having enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves at 17 years old, he served until his retirement at age 45 in 1981. McCollum spent the next 24 years serving at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration, eventually retiring in 2005. From there, he joined the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association where he served as the site’s only caretaker for over a decade, dedicating himself to keeping the grounds and memorial walls in pristine condition seven days a week.
McCollum was named the Mt. Soledad Veteran of the Year in 2020 and the Volunteer of the Year in 2024. At the end of 2021, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award Certificate and a Letter of Congratulations signed by the President of the United States, recognizing his milestone of over 4,000 hours of community volunteer service.
La Jolla youth to represent California at Miss Teen USA
La Jolla resident Ava Grace Nichols, a one-time Miss La Jolla Teen USA, is in the midst of a busy few months.
Having recently been crowned Miss California Teen USA 2026, Ava Grace is heading to Memphis, Tennessee this month, for the St. Jude NextGen Experience, where young leaders from across the country come together to support and learn more about the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Then she will represent California at the Miss Teen USA 2026 pageant next month in Florida.
Hearing officer to review Country Club-area project
A San Diego Hearing Officer will review a project for a development in La Jolla’s Country Club neighborhood during an upcoming meeting. The project calls for a coastal development permit and variance to remodel and add to an existing one-story, 3,435-square-foot house to add 3,232 square feet in two additional floors (for a total of three stories and 6,667 square feet of construction) located at 7354 Romero Drive.
Additionally, 495 square feet interior space will be converted into an accessory dwelling unit. The review will be at 9 a.m. on July 21 and livestreamed on the city of San Diego’s YouTube page.
La Jolla Light staff writer recognized in statewide journalism competition
La Jolla Light staff writer Noah Lyons took home a fifth place award in the 2026 California Journalism Awards.
Lyons was recognized for feature story, “Young band of La Jolla musicians gives back to the community ahead of the holidays” in the category of Arts & Entertainment Coverage. The story highlights Elemental Sparks, a local youth band that consists of three fourth graders from La Jolla Elementary and one seventh grader from Muirlands Middle School, and the performances they had to raise money for Feeding San Diego.
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