VILLAGE NEWS LA JOLLA
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
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WHEELS TO WATER Wheelchair-bound and injured surf La Jolla waves
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www.SDNEWS.com Volume 16, Number 49
BACK TO SCHOOL 2011:
Good, bad, ugly changes made to this year’s school programs BY MARIKO LAMB | VILLAGE NEWS Like it or not, summer is over and the school year is back in session on Sept. 6. San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) trustee Scott Barnett names good, bad and ugly changes that parents and students should be aware of in the upcoming school year. In good news, class sizes in grades K-3 will remain small, school police services have been maintained and the school board was able to restore more than $1 million to the visual and performing arts program. Bad news? Recent layoffs have limited the number of staff members across the board. “Individual schools will continue to see a diminution of fund-
Barnett and his colleagues on the school board are pursuing a number of initiatives to salvage funds and increase ifficiency in San Diego’s school districts.
Patrick Ivison of Scripps Ranch, who was diagnosed as a quadriplegic due to an incomplete C-4, C-5 spinal cord injury suffered as a small child, rides a wave during the "Wheels 2 Water" event, above, at La Jolla Shores on Aug. 27. Ivison, who has been featured on the Today show and E! Entertainment, has surfed with his disability since he was eight years old with the help of volunteers and a custom-made surfboard, inset. Photos by DON BALCH | Village News
BY MARIKO LAMB | VILLAGE NEWS Wheels 2 Water (W2W), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those who are wheelchair-bound or have spinal cord injuries share the same ocean experiences as others, held a surf event at La Jolla Shores on Aug. 27. Of the 11 riders at the event, some were from other countries and had never even been to the beach before — much less out to surf the waves.
Founder Travis Tremble unintentionally established the organization seven years ago after taking his brother-in-law — who is in a wheelchair — out to surf with him and his cousin. After photos were posted on a popular surfing website, he received numerous emails about how to get others with physical limitations out into the water. “We’ve really seen the sport grow throughout the country,” he said. “A guy SEE SURF, Page 3
La Jolla sees shark fins, opponents of shark finning Animal rights activists gathered on Aug. 27 at La Jolla Shores to show their support of AB 376, a bill currently being considered in the state legislature that will ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in California. Turning a contentious political issue into a day of educational fun, organizers set up tables for children to color shark-themed coloring sheets (which will be sent to legislators) and provided face painting, shark costumes and shark pool toys for kids to enjoy. Activists assert that the demand for shark fin soup has led to the
practice of shark finning, which involves cutting the fins off live sharks and dumping them back into the water. Current laws do not restrict the number of sharks killed. According to a 2005 report to Congress by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, San Diego and Los Angeles are two of the top U.S. entry points for shark fin imports. The event, organized by the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL), a grassroots nonprofit based in San Diego, included information from guest speaker Judy Ki, co-chair of the Asian Pacific Amer-
ican Ocean Harmony Alliance. “AB 376 is an important bill not only because it protects the lives of sharks but also because it protects the health of our oceans,” Ki said. “The ocean needs sharks more than I need soup.” — Kendra Hartmann
Judy Ki, top and right, chats with La Jolla Shores beach goers about the facts of shark finning. Above, leopard sharks were seen in the waters around La Jolla two days before the Aug. 27 event. DON BALCH | Village News
ing due to over $90 million in cuts from the state of California,” said Barnett. “There will be approximately 400 less teachers than last year. In addition, there will be almost 1,000 less support staff, including bus drivers, attendance clerks and others.” The battle between the school board and teacher unions may be the ugly. “The school board asked our employees’ unions to forgo future raises (negotiated by the past school board) in order to free up funds to save jobs, but, unfortunately, except for our school police, the unions representing teachers and support staff all refused to even open discussions,” Barnett said. “Sadly, we are already looking at over $50 million in higher costs in the 2012-13 year, due mostly to raises and other salary adjustments, which will require more cuts if the employee unions continue to refuse to negotiate.” Barnett proposed solutions to counter the bad and ugly components facing schools in the upcoming year. Barnett and his colleagues on the school board are pursuing a number of initiatives to salvage funds and increase efficiency in San Diego’s school districts. Initiatives include leveraging excess school property, reducing non-mandated busing and creating a series of “tiger teams” that take a critical look at district departments, review them and report back to the board in an effort to increase transparency about the district’s use of taxpayer dollars. For additional information, suggestions, questions or concerns, email Scott Barnett at sbarnett@sandi.net. To volunteer on a “tiger team” visit www.sandi.net.
How are La Jolla schools faring within the district? Turn to Page 3