The ceremony included musical performances by graduating seniors Casper Messmann, Stewart Wirick, Scarlett McCarthy, Braidy Gruzd, Alicia Holliday, John Kray and Forrest Gitlin.

Speeches were given by graduating seniors Martha (Tita) Gonzalez, Trustees Annual Service Award recipient Keanan Gottlieb, Leadership Award co-recipient Rayna Shah, and Leadership Award co-recipient Forrest Gitlin.

Keenan Jones received The Grauer School’s highest graduation honor, the Resourcefulness Award.

For more information about The Grauer School, visit grauerschool.com or call (760) 944-6777.

Brian Shay, math teacher at Canyon Crest Academy, was named STEM Teacher of the Year. Courtesy photo

Summa Education honored local high school students, teachers and a counselor who epitomize educational excellence. Summa Education will fund the following cash and sponsorships to the following recipients:

— Summit Student Award: Negin Behzadian, graduating senior at Torrey Pines High School (attending Stanford this fall) as well as Juniors Jason Ge and Cameron Ramos of Westview High School, and Reece Akana, graduating senior at Olympian High School (attending Harvard this fall). These students who demonstrated high academic achievement, exceptional leadership, and have contributed in a unique way to the community, were awarded honorariums.

— Summit Teacher Awards, Humanities and Sciences: Brian Shay, math teacher at Canyon Crest Academy, was named STEM Teacher of the Year, and Stephanie Tanaka, Westview English teacher, was named Humanities Teacher of the Year. These teachers, who were recognized for their genuine and exceptional commitment to their students, classrooms and community, were awarded honorariums for the benefit of their classrooms.

Do you have a surfboard, stand-up paddleboard, paddle or board bag collecting dust in the garage? Or maybe a bike, fishing gear or camping gear? FCCSB will pick up these items and other new or used sports gear, and turn them into cash to help fund its non-profit’s beach preservation activities.

Companies can help out with new item donations or gift cards, and get some great exposure for their products in return. Corporate Silent Auction prize donors get their contribution and promotional materials displayed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of the event. All donors will receive a tax-deduction letter from the FCCSB, a 501 c 3 non-profit organization and the donation is fully tax-deductible.

FCCSB’s motto is “Returning Your Support with Service to the Community.” Without generous sponsors and donors, the group could not continue to make improvements in the local beaches, do beach clean-ups and organize weekly campfire programs and other free family events at the local state parks. Readers interested in making auction item donations to FCCSB should contact (858) 603-2705 or e-mail Bill@FCCSB.org to arrange to drop-off or pick-up of your prize.

Christmas in July is a free event open to the public. Special beach day parking is available at the July 27 event at the entrance of South Carlsbad State Beach for $15 in exchange for $10 in coupons for food and silent-auction item discounts, plus a $5 prize drawing ticket for the 5 p.m. drawing. The FCCSB will also conduct live and silent auctions of twi prize certificates, each one good for a free week of camping at South Carlsbad or San Elijo. The winner gets to pick any week of the year to camp in an ocean-front site without the needing to make a reservation.

Upcoming topics include:

— June 25 and June 29, “Premarin Update – Less Breast Cancer When Taking Estrogen”

— July 9 and July 13, “Good Fat/Bad Sugar – Why our foods make us sick”

— July 23 and July 27, “The Testosterone Story – How Androgens Might Be Killing Us”

— Aug. 6 and Aug. 10, “Complete Endocrine Balance – How to protect against Endocrine Disruptors”

—Aug. 20 and Aug. 24, “Why Can’t I Find a Doctor? – The New Medicine”

— Sept. 3 and Sept. 7, “Evidence Based Medicine – Where is the Evidence?”

— Sept. 17 and Sept. 21, “How Alain Enthoven and Database Technology is Dismantling America and Its Medicine”

— Oct. 1 and Oct. 5, “Gender Differences – What Determines Our Sexuality”

— Oct. 15 and Oct. 19, “Why Race isn’t Real – A New Theory”

For reservations, visit drtimdelivers.com/office.

Residence Inns by Marriott Gaslamp General Manager Nicole Masri was part of the work crew who prepped for the grand opening of Helen Woodward Animal Shelter’s new second-hand shop June 10. Courtesy photos

The animal-loving staff from the pet-friendly hotel chain, designed for extended stays, adopted the center during the last year and a half, engaging in multiple fundraising and hands-on projects to support the orphan pets and programs. A brand new resale shop named “Orphaned Objects,” set to open on the center grounds Aug. 3, was their latest focus.

The hotel staff isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Earlier this year, local Residence Inns by Marriott managers and assistant managers jumped in to overhaul a number of Helen Woodward Animal Center structural amenities in need of repair – cleaning, scrubbing, sanding, painting and rebuilding the sheep enclosure, the Therapeutic Riding ramps and fences and the adoption department retaining walls.

June 10, the staff was at it, once again, readying the upcoming “Orphaned Objects” resale shop for its summer opening. In one hard day’s work, the hotel group provided a top-to-bottom fresh coat of paint to the walls of the store, which will offer previously loved and recycled goods such as clothing, furniture, art, jewelry and more.

“Even if I can make just a small bit of difference, it means a lot to me to help with something that will provide a source of revenue for the orphan pets at Helen Woodward Animal Center,” said Residence Inns by Marriott Gaslamp General Manager Nicole Masri who has two rescued Chihuahuas of her own. “My dogs were considered ‘unadoptable’ but I adopted them anyway. I love them so much it’s hard to put into words. If I could give even more of my time to help homeless animals, I would.”

For information, call (858) 756-4117, ext. 305 or visit animalcenter.org/volunteer.

Many area organizations and businesses, such as the Oceanside Museum of Art, which is providing artwork for the event, are donating time and resources to make Pacifica’s Grand Opening truly grand. On June 22, Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary is painting interiors and contributing amenities such as bird feeders outside patient rooms. North Coast Church is constructing a pergola, bench seating and other outdoor features. Community Service Pastor Connor McFadden said that he and his crew look forward to “our day of service at Pacifica on June 29. We plan to transform the back yard into a peaceful, inviting place to be.”

HNC Executive Director Nerice Kaufman said, “This residence will be the first freestanding in-patient facility in the area.”

Earlier this year, HNC seized an opportunity created by the state legislature’s adoption of Senate Bill 135, which, effective January 2013, made licensing of a freestanding hospice house far less cumbersome. Also in January, HNC was awarded a $1,065,000 Community Development Block Grant from the city of Carlsbad toward the $1,250,000 purchase of the nearly 4,500-square-foot property. Kaufman said that several naming and giving opportunities are available. “The funds will enable us to offer patients continuity of palliative care in a tranquil environment with around-the-clock care. We have arrived full circle from our inception in 1980 when Father Paul Camm of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Encinitas organized congregation members to help care for a terminally ill congregant in her home.

Nonprofit Hospice of the North Coast was established in 1980 to fill the need for comprehensive, compassionate hospice care in North County San Diego. HNC hosts fundraising events, operates a family support camp and resale shop, and maintains a cadre of volunteers.

OMWD also launched a high school photo contest that challenged students to capture images that expressed the value of water in everyday life. Catherine Quinto of Maranatha Christian High School took home first and second place, while Wen Zhang of the Grauer School placed third.

The contests work to teach students the value of using water efficiently, while providing OMWD with locally produced artwork to reinforce this message to its customers. Seven schools in OMWD’s service area participated in the 21st annual “Water for Life” poster contest that sees fourth-grade students draw images to demonstrate the importance of water in San Diego.

The Institute of Noetic Sciences was founded by Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell with the mission of researching the relationship between science, spirituality and religion and finding new solutions to the challenges facing humanity today. Visit noetic.org for more information.

Project Turnaround is a nonprofit organization based on the principle that when human beings shift their fundamental orientation or belief system in life, challenging possibilities that seem impossible become available. Project Turnaround’s mission is to empower individuals with developmental challenges to help awaken innate abilities and potential so they can be contributing members of society. For more information, visit project-turnaround.org or call (858) 481-3998.

“We are currently in a cooler water cycle. As a result of deep-water upwellings, these cooler water temperatures are nutrient-rich and set the stage for massive plankton blooms, which in turn provide ideal conditions for krill to flourish in the region. Every year the krill congregate in different places, following the cool waters and these massive blooms,” Ursitti said.

Blue whales thrive on krill—an example of one of the largest animals on our planet surviving by consuming one of the smallest. An adult blue whale can eat up to 40 million krill in a day.There are only a few places on the planet where one can observe this behemoth, and San Diego is currently one of the premier destinations.

Whale-watching tours can be booked at Helgren’s Sportfishing, 315 Harbor Drive South in Oceanside and H&M Landing, in San Diego.

— June 21, Village Music Walk by the Carlsbad Music Festival and the New Village Arts Mural Walk

— July 12 through July 19, Pay-What-You-Can rocking ’60s musical soap opera, ”Suds” preview, a 60’s Jukebox Musical at New Village Arts, 2787 State St.

— July 14, Carlsbad Triathlon

— Aug. 4, New Village Arts Sock Hop

— Aug. 11, Art in the Village

— Sept. 8, Carlsbad Family Fun Ride

— Sept. 20 through Sept. 22, Carlsbad Music Festival

— Friday Night Live Sidewalk Music, 7 to 9 p.m.

— State Street Farmers’ Market, every Wednesday 3 to 7 p.m.

The free outdoor movie series, “Flicks at the Fountain,” will take place over eight Thursday evenings from July 11 through Aug. 29, and includes “Goonies” and “The Princess Bride.” Visit the Web site, carlsbad-village.com/endless for more information.

More than 150 new custom bike racks and bike corrals, funded through a SANDAG grant, will be installed by the end of July, making the Village even more bike-friendly, and the city’s Transportation Department recently widened stretches of bike lane on Coast Highway to nine feet.

The “Curb Cafe Policy,” enacted by Council earlier this year, will see its first project in the form of an outdoor deck in front of Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant on State Street, allowing customers to enjoy the weather while dining.