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RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
MAY 17, 2013
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SERIOUS SCIENCE Torrey Pines High School Science Teacher Brinn Belyea, top left, and his two student teams, were selected as 2013 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Honorable Mention winners. The winning projects and their teams included “CENTR: Compact Efficient Nuclear Thorium Reactor,” submitted by, top row, from left, Peter Manohar, Eric Chen, Gha Young Lee, with Colleen Smith and “TRACE: Transplantation via Release of Antigen-Coated Erythrocytes,” submitted by, second row, from left, Apoorva Mylavarapu, Lillian Chen and Selena Chen and, not pictured, Drake Levy. Courtesy photo
communication, knowing where to be and line up; and he’s going to help us,” Butler said. Butler described Te’o a “high-energy guy who likes learning, asking a lot of questions, always trying to get better. And that’s all that we can ask for.” As for the veteran Rivers, McCoy said he was doing a phenomenal job of learning what they’re doing and buying into the change. “This is completely different for him. What he’s doing out there is rare. He’s picked it up so fast,” he said. Rivers said their first day was off to a “good start,” adding that he has a way to go learning the verbiage of the new system. “I can handle what we’ve done,” he said. “I feel fine running it, but I’m glad we’re not playing this week.” A majority of the passes made during the first
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dents who want to work on MavLife next year will have to do it after school, potentially interfering with other extracurricular activities. Mineiro said she would have to quit the cross country and track teams in order to find the time to fulfill her duties as editor in chief. Ruggles said the school will still provide a stipend to whomever advises the journalism program next year. Suzi Van Steenbergen, who teaches the journalism class, said regardless of the deci-
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along. “It’s easier to justify repairing your bike than continuously putting money toward new ones,” Contreras said. Not only is this good for his business, but making what’s old new again sits well with Contreras, who specializes in repurposing old bikes. “The philosophy of Schwinn used to be that you would give a bike to your oldest kid and it would eventually make its way to your youngest,” Contreras said. “I like that more people are supporting that idea these days,” he added. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Skip McDowell, the owner of the high-end Nytro Multisport, said that he went from one full-time mechanic and one part-timer three years ago to three full-time mechanics. McDowell attributes the spike in demand to bike shops becoming more like car dealerships. To retain customers, those who purchase a bike are encouraged to come in regularly for tuneups and other services. “They want to protect their investment,” McDowell said. McDowell noted that
sion on next year’s journalism class, she will keep her job teaching AP English Language and Composition as well as AVID, a college readiness course. MavLife’s circulation ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 copies, Mineiro said. The journalism students sell advertising and subscriptions to cover the roughly $1000 it costs to print each issue, so the status of the course will not affect funding to cover printing costs. Ruggles said the school is struggling with a drop in enrollment. There will be 800 fewer
students on campus this fall than there were three years ago, he said. As a result, administrators have been forced to cut staff and programs. Those cuts are hurting students and weakening school spirit, said Chase McAllister, a MavLife photographer who spoke at the May 2 board meeting. “Journalism being cut is just one of the many things that is diminishing on our campus,” McAllister said. MavLife Sports Editor Anthony Fregoso said the district should prioritize La Costa Canyon’s journalism
class because it fulfills many of the Common Core standards by which the district must abide. “It seems that cutting this course at this time is the exact opposite of what we should be doing,” Fregoso said. California’s Brown Act barred SDUHSD board members from discussing the issues presented by the students, but board President Barbara Groth asked Deputy Superintendent Rick Schmitt to investigate the matter on behalf of the district.
cycling repair is becoming more science than art at upscale shops with the proliferation of high-tech bikes that feature carbon fiber frames and electronic shifting. “It used to be you learned everything from ‘tribal knowledge’ — those around you in your shop,” McDowell said. “But now, you have complicated diagnostic and computer tools that take special training to operate.” “We’re not just talking about fixing gears with a simple wrench,” McDowell added. “Everything has to be fine tuned just so.” Consequently, more people are obtaining bike repair certifications in order to land jobs in the field. And McDowell said he regularly sends his mechanics to classes so they stay on top of technology developments. Jon Baxter, an administrator at the United Cycle Institute in Oregon, one of the three mechanic schools in the country, concurred that more shops are requiring mechanic certifications. Typically, in May, he said the institute’s job board consistently has around 50 or 60 postings from bike shops throughout the nation. But this year, he said the number is more than 100. Although there’s more
demand for mechanics, what’s interesting is that bike sales are relatively flat throughout the country, Baxter said. “Young people aren’t as crazy about driving, so they’re picking up cycling,” Baxter said. “Rather than buy new bikes, they’re dusting off bikes that are already out there and taking them in for repair.” Baxter noted that obtaining certification involves a month of intensive classes. Currently, there aren’t universal requirements for what’s covered in bike schools’ curriculum. But shops accept certifications from the three major repair schools, which are outside California, as the industry standard. Fred Breidenthal, owner of Leucadia Cyclery, said that Internet sales have provided a shot in the arm to repair work. He noted that some customers buy hightech suspension kits online, only later to realize they need help installing them. Still, most of his repair work comes from bicyclists running over thorns. And while bike repairs are on the upswing, Breidenthal said the wages for the profession — ranging from $10 to $16 an hour — have been stagnant the past few years. Pay could jump if
a bike mechanic shortage develops in the county, he said. Breidenthal said that there’s been a slight uptick in cyclist traffic on Coast Highway 101 due to bikefriendly infrastructure projects. Two months ago, the city painted a new bike lane and “sharrows” — markings that remind cyclists and motorists to share the road — on the highway. For Breidenthal, whose shop is a street east of Coast Highway 101, more bicyclists frequenting the area “has provided a nice little boost of customers.” Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition said that more people are recognizing the growing economic impact of cycling — and bike mechanics play an important part in that. In the state’s 50th Congressional District, which includes much of North County, bike retailers brought in an estimated $11.8 million in gross income in 2011, according to the League of American Bicyclists. “It’s green living that’s good for the economy,” Hanshaw said, adding that bike mechanics are “vital” to the health of the biking industry.
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jammed. As a result, I didn’t expect her to clean in there at all, so I failed to stack. I love that she couldn’t resist removing the several layers of grit that has piled up, but I spent a good part of the next day searching for one thing, then another. Since nothing is really where it belongs to begin with, it got truly challenging. But it was an epiphany. Now I truly understand what “My cleaning lady moved it and I can’t find it” means. As frustrating as it is from the librarian’s side, I now have a deeper understanding of the syndrome. Which brings me back
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made a final decision on the Quarry Creek proposal, “We’re going to have to give input on those items that we discussed in closed session so we can provide the final documents.” Brewer said that Hall misspoke due to the late hour, and he was instead referring to items publically brought forth by the Planning Commission, which he had referenced seconds before. “It was 11:30 at night,” she said. Preserve Calavera has been the largest, most continuous opposition to the 656-housing unit Quarry Creek development during the city’s months-long review and deliberation. Dozens of members have spoken and made presentations against the project at public meetings and collectively submitted hundreds of pages of correspondence to the city, citing concerns about the project’s impact on the natural habitat and historical attributes of the development’s site. “It is certainly public knowledge that Preserve
day of OTAs were intermediate passes rather than long throws down field, something that Rivers noted. Wearing a glove on his left hand, Rivers also said that most of the footballs he’s thrown this year so far have been made while wearing gloves, though he’s not yet fully committed to playing with them or not. On whether Rivers thought it was unfair or not that some are saying this is a make-or-break year for him: “Unfair? I don’t really get caught up into worrying about what people think; I really don’t. I think of it that way every year because you’ve got to win and we haven’t won enough the last few and ultimately that gets pointed at the quarterback and like I said, I deserve my share of it. But it’s a new go at it, a new year…. “Good luck predicting what’s going to happen. We’ve got a chance to go win a game, and we’ve got 16 of them and see where we stand.” to throwing myself on the mercy of cleaning persons everywhere. Just don’t move it. Or I would be especially grateful if you might just pick it up, dust under it and put it back where it was. Remembering where things are is getting tough enough for me these days. And besides, we need those books back. I thank you. Librarians everywhere will thank you.
Jean Gillette is a freelance writer with a photographic memory but someone left the darkroom door open. Contact her at jgillette@coastnewsgroup.com.
Calavera does not support the Quarry Creek project as it was approved,” said DeLano. Should the group be able to establish that a closed session meeting took place and actions were taken, the city would be required to retract the decision by City Council on April 2 that approved the Quarry Creek project, according to DeLano. When asked whether the Brown Act claim was an attempt by Preserve Calavera to find legal means to delay or halt Quarry Creek, DeLano said, “I don’t think it’s (the allegation) a foil. (Brown Act violations are) definitely a part of Preserve Calavera’s concerns.” But he said further, “Does it have Preserve Calavera’s attention because it’s Quarry Creek? Well, I’d have to say yes.” He also stated, “If it were another open government issue that didn’t involve Quarry Creek, would they be involved? I don’t know.” Brewer said that the city will respond to Preserve Calavera’s letter within 30 days to establish that no violation occurred.