LA JOLLA NEWS NUGGETS

La Jolla paddles out for Chloe Buckley

La Jolla’s surfing community paid tribute to beloved Mission Beach lifeguard Chloe Buckley with a paddle-out at WindanSea Beach attended by more than 200 on Saturday, July 28.

Buckley was just 27 when she was killed on June 29, after her car crashed into the center divider and overturned on the eastbound 52 at Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa.

“She was a fantastic lifeguard and very strong person in the water,” said interim lifeguard chief James Gartland. “She just had a very positive energy and was a very positive, outward person, so she was a great team member to have.”

In addition to being a lifeguard, Buckley was a pro surfer on the ASP World Tour, and WindanSea was one of her favorite surf spots.

“She was an extraordinary young lady,” added family friend Scot Cherry, “beautiful, sweet and talented, and with a huge heart. Chloe had hundreds of best friends. And to have a best friend you have to be a best friend. Chloe was that kind of person to everyone.”

Paddle-outs are sacred ceremonies during which friends and family members paddle out beyond the waves to honor the lives of a fallen surfers. Often, as in Buckley’s case, the ceremony includes scattering the honoree’s ashes at sea.

At Saturday’s paddle-out, lifeguards covered their badges with black bands and San Diego Fire Rescue flew a WindanSea Surf Club flag in Chloe’s honor on a ladder truck. A GoFundMe page, set up to raise $12,000 in memorial costs, has hit nearly $30,000 in donations.

La Jolla research breakthroughs

Scripps Research scientists have uncovered a new strategy to kill tumors, including some triple-negative breast cancers, without harming healthy cells. The study, published in “Nature Communications,” could lead to more ways to treat tumors while reducing side effects.

“This could give us a way to kill tumors without harming normal cells,” says Xiaohua Wu, Scripps Research professor and senior author of the study. “That’s the future. That’s the goal for targeted cancer treatments — to make these treatments a part of precision medicine.”

Elsewhere on the mesa — and in the pages of “Nature Communications” — a new Salk Institute study finds that mice that have their microbiomes depleted with antibiotics have decreased levels of glucose in their blood and better insulin sensitivity. This has implications for understanding the role of the microbiome in diabetes.

“This research is very exciting, because the situation we’ve created in these mice is very similar to what humans go through when they’re treated with multiple antibiotics,” says Satchidananda Panda, a professor in Salk’s Regulatory Biology Laboratory and the paper’s senior author. “Now that we know about these effects on glucose metabolism, we can look for components of the microbiome that influence them.”

La Jollan makes financial advisors list

Alex Howell of the La Jolla branch of UBS (formerly Union Bank of Switzerland) has made Forbes magazine’s “America’s Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list.

“It’s a great honor to be part of this list,” said Howell, who joined the firm in 2008. “I personally know several of the advisors on here from across the country and it’s nice to see that the wealth-management industry is in great hands for the next generation.”

To qualify for the ranking, advisors must have been born in 1980 or later and show leadership capabilities beyond their years. Compliance records, client retention, revenues produced for their firms and assets managed are some of the factors that produce the ranking — although portfolio performance is not.

School Board super’s contract extended

The San Diego Unified Board of Education voted to extend the contract of superintendent Cindy Marten — which originally ran through June 30, 2020 — through the 2021-22 school year.

“Our schools have made tremendous progress over the past five years, but I am even more excited about what we are building for the future,” Marten said in a statement. “I am grateful for the hard work of our students, our families, and our staff, the support of our City, and the continued confidence the Board of Education has expressed in our work.”

The decision followed a positive annual evaluation during which the board said it was “extremely proud of the district’s continuing progress.”

Time to sign-up for Youth Surf Challenge

Registration opens Aug. 17 for the fourth annual Ken Whalen Surf Challenge, a free event for beginning surfers ages 5-16 — including those with physical challenges who need adaptive surf equipment. Boards and instructors will be provided, along with food, music and games.

The event runs 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30 at San Fernando Court, Mission Beach. Registration is required online: kenwhalensurfchallenge.com

In the past three years, the Challenge has brought together more than 600 young surfers. Multiple simultaneous heats allow for up to 250 total surfers to show off their skills. Participants take part in one 15-minute heat (no advancing). Experienced high school and college-aged surfers volunteer to assist participants in the water as needed. For family members observing the heats, great music and beach games make it fun.

The event honors Mission Beach surfer Ken Whalen, who suffered a fatal stroke at age 48.

Surf rucksacks with T-shirts, hats and other goodies will be provided for all participants, along with awards and prizes. Merch proceeds benefit Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Connect adds two new connections

Startup advisory company Connect has added two staff members: Tom Murphy as senior vice president of business development and Ruprecht von Buttlar, a returning employee, as interim senior strategic advisor.

“We are excited about the additions of Tom and Ruprecht to the Connect team,” says president and CEO Greg McKee. “Tom’s efforts will be focused on engaging current and new members and sponsors of the organization, while Ruprecht will be providing strategic input and support to the Springboard Strategic Planning Committee and Springboard staff.”

The Springboard Accelerator Program is Connect’s mentoring program for technology and life-sciences companies.

Playhouse sets cast for ‘Seize the King’

The world premiere of Will Power’s “Seize the King,” a reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” will star Jesse Perez as Richard III, in addition to Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Julian Parker, Luis Vega and Jenapher Zheng.

Performances, under Playhouse associate artistic director Jaime Castaneda, will run Aug. 21 to Sept. 16 in the Potiker Theatre on UC San Diego campus.

For ticket information, visit lajollaplayhouse.org or call (858) 550-1010.