www.BeachandBayPress.com | Thursday, January 17, 2013
BOARDWALK BEAT
PACIFIC NISSAN
If you spend much time strolling the boardwalk, you’ve probably run into this gentleman crafting flower bookmarks and crosses from palm leaves. So what exactly is James Kimo Garcia’s story? Page 3
“Highway 5 on Mission Bay Drive” www.PacificNissan.com
(858) 581-3200 • 4433 Mission Bay Drive, Pacific Beach
Lifeguards raise bar on 2013 budget goals GHT I S N I L LL U A A W H A R E G S OVE N I L B UM FOR CR
BEACH & BAY PRESS
About 900 feet of Mission Beach's patchwork seawall and boardwalk will get a much-needed facelift thanks to a $700,000 flood-prevention grant from Photos by Mariko Lamb I Beach & Bay Press the state. The announcement was made formally by city and state officials, as well as the Mission Beach Town Council.
Funding formally secured to rebuild 88-year-old icon at Mission Beach BY MARIKO LAMB | BEACH & BAY PRESS A portion of Mission Beach’s crumbling historic seawall and boardwalk will receive a desperately needed facelift to restore the deteriorated and patchwork concrete to its glory days of 88 years ago. Thanks to a $700,000 state grant secured through a collaborative effort by city and state legislators, nearly 900 feet of the concrete wall and boardwalk adjacent to the iconic Belmont Park will be completely rebuilt late this SEE WALL, Page 4
so you go down to your beautiful, world-class beach and you see our Like everyone else focusing on rusted mobile-minis. Ocean Beach self-improvement after the holi- has two of them. Mission Bay has days, the San Diego lifeguard several of them and South Mission union has established its goals for Beach, North Pacific Beach and the new year and hopes to see its the Children’s Pool each have objectives become reality in 2013. them, too,” he said. “We’ve really Here are six areas of improvement got to get out of the trailer, mobilethe lifeguard union hopes to focus mini business and really try to on alongside city leaders as it sets make some progress on facilities.” its sights on the coming year. STAFFING The lifeguard union’s next INFRASTRUCTURE “We want to work with the new greatest concern is increasing mayor [Bob Filner] and be in con- staffing levels for the safety of cert with his goals as much as we beachgoers and baygoers along can,” said lifeguard union spokes- San Diego’s coastline. “The public pays us for the man Sgt. Ed Harris. “Part of that for us — and he’s talked about it guards that rescue them,” said Harris. “Our priority is there — — is doing infrastructure.” Certain projects, like the Chil- lifeguards, not upper managedren’s Pool and La Jolla Cove life- ment. We want to prioritize guards guard towers, are fully funded and in the field. In Mission Bay and the are simply awaiting shovels to start surrounding coastline, we want to get to a point where we can mandigging. “The Children’s Pool and Cove age them again and be proactive, tower are big on our list,” said Har- rather than reactive.” He said the staffing level on the ris. “We’ve been told for the last three to four years that the Chil- Boating Safety Unit (BSU) is inaddren’s Pool and the Cove towers equate to handle multiple emerwould get built starting next year. gencies, especially in the winter So our goal is to find out why that months or at night. “The BSU hasn’t seen a staffing is not happening.” Another objective for the life- increase for its winter and night guard union is to secure funding staffing in over 25 years,” he said. for the North Pacific Beach life- “We’re hoping to get two 24-hour guard station, which is currently positions — two more boating in its community-level design safety officers year-round, 24 hours a day.” phase. “We have mobile-minis and SEE LIFEGUARDS, Page 5 trailers on just about every beach, BY MARIKO LAMB
From left, Mission Beach Town Council (MBTC) President Scott Morrison, state Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins, Mayor Bob Filner, District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer, past MBTC president Bob Ruane and Mission Beach Precise Planning Board (MBPPB) chairwoman Debbie Watkins.
Catching a glimpse of one of nature’s behemoths in action on open sea FUN FACTS • A baby gray whale weighs 2,000 pounds at birth • Gray whales’ gestation period lasts 12 months, so some of the pregnant individuals being spotted off San Diego's coast this season could possibly be the same ones who were spotted last year heading to Baja to breed • A mother’s milk contains 50 percent milk fat • A gray whale can eat up to 2,400 pounds of food a day • Gray whales are estimated to live up to 70 years • Gray whales communicate with a series of clicks and grunts • A gray whale’s flukes can measure 10-12 feet across — Courtesy of Birch Aquarium
Despite cold-weather woes, whale excursions offer an opportunity to enjoy San Diego’s great outdoors BY KENDRA HARTMANN | BEACH & BAY PRESS Despite cold-weather woThough San Diego's weather has not exactly been providing locals with bragging rights, it has offered a chance to prove that, even through record-breaking low temperatures, the city continues to be America’s Finest for all the same reasons. Take, for example, the yearly phenomenon that, rain or shine, cold or hot, takes place just off the coast from December to April. The annual gray whale migration, which sees roughly 20,000 whales pass San Diego on their way to Baja California, is in full effect. Every year, starting in October, the California gray whale embarks on its
10,000-mile roundtrip journey from the Bering Sea down to the lagoons of Baja. The pregnant females — the same ones who made the trip during last year's migration to breed in the lagoons — usually leave first, followed by the males, young adults and juveniles. Covering roughly 85-100 miles a day, most of the entire population will reach their destination by mid-January. To witness the whales’ path through San Diego’s coastal waters, Birch Aquarium, along with several other companies around San Diego — including some located in Point Loma — takes to the high seas to give locals Passengers aboard a whale-watching cruise hosted by Birch Aquarium watch as a Califorand tourists a glimpse of nature’s nia gray whale blows condensed vapor into the air. The blow is the most common and easSEE WHALES, Page 4
iest way to find the whales in the open ocean as they make their way from the Arctic down Photo by Kendra Hartmann I Beach & Bay Press to Baja California’s tranquil lagoons.
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