STEP-BY-STEP: Leilainia, a San Diego dance instructor, will release her first DVD of belly dancing instructions. Page 8
CREW CLASSIC: World-class collegiate rowers will descend on Mission Bay for the annual Crew Classic. Page 13
Thursday, March 18, 2010
www.beachandbaypress.com
Residents hear coastal district idea
MISSION BEACH
(Left) The Giant Dipper is a wooden roller coaster at Belmont Park that provides a short yet thrilling ride and has become symbolic of Mission Beach. (Top right) Mission Beach has its own castle on the shore, Hamel’s Surf Shop, 708 Ventura Place. (Bottom right) Ali Houston, a sales associate at Gone Bananas, 3785 Mission Blvd., holds a “Scrunch Butt Bikini” by PAUL HANSEN | Beach & Bay Press Luli Fama. The store has been outfitting female beachgoers since the mid-1970s.
BY ANTHONY GENTILE | BEACH & BAY PRESS Nine months ago, school district trustee John de Beck’s idea for a San Diego Coastal Unified School District seemed relatively farfetched. But with the San Diego Unified School District in a budget crisis and neighboring coastal communities seeking more and more autonomy, local school supporters seem willing to listen. “The intention would be to sit down and create a new school district with a new board and new vision and new budgeting policies, and create a successful school district for the students,” said Pat Hom, president of Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools, a nonprofit organization that supports area schools. De Beck presented his idea at a Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools meeting in February. Hom said she thinks the idea is feasible, even though it is something that, to her knowledge, has never been done. “This is almost like we’re defecting in a way,” Hom said. De Beck presented three options for the proposed district, all of which included schools in La Jolla, Point Loma and Pacific Beach and SEE DISTRICT, Page 7
Vibrant beach community buzzes with character BY ANTHONY GENTILE | BEACH & BAY PRESS Surrounded by Mission Bay on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west, Mission Beach is one of the most unique coastal communities in San Diego. The population consists of a combination of vacationers, locals and college students enjoying outdoor activities and nightlife with the sand and water as a backdrop. Single family, condominiums, cottages and apartment complexes share the area along Mission boulevard with an assortment of longtime businesses, most catering to those experiencing the beach culture. The nearby Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa, Bahia Resort Hotel and Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina, along with Belmont Park and Mission Bay, give this small beach community a feeling of perpetual vacation mode. Laid-back Mission Beach is sometimes overlooked because of Pacific Beach, it’s fast-paced relative to the north. But there is plenty happening in MB. The
area’s landmarks, businesses and organizations are a testament to its rich history. Here is a brief overview:
Hamel’s Surf Shop With an exterior made to look like a castle, Hamel’s Surf Shop, 708 Ventura Place, has stood out on the Mission Beach boardwalk for more than two decades. A legendary Southern California spot, Hamel’s is a great place for get- Mission Bay Yacht Club ANTHONY GENTILE | Beach & Bay Press ting some last-minute beach essentials or renting all variety of ocean equip- The club also puts on the annual Misment. sion Bay Parade of Lights, with more than 100 boats lighting up the bay durMission Bay Yacht Club ing the holiday season. Born at the beginning of the 20th century, Mission Bay Yacht Club has Gone Bananas Beachwear been in Mission Beach since 1927, curOutfitting female beachgoers since the rently residing at 1215 El Carmel Place mid-1970s, Gone Bananas, 3785 Misin North Mission Beach. Host to 15 dif- sion Blvd., helps women avoid going ferent racing fleets and home to social bananas when shopping for a suit by and junior sailing, Mission Bay Yacht offering mix-and-match bikinis. AccordClub also has junior and social sailing. ing to its Web site, Gone Bananas carries
more than 100 brands and 15,000 pieces of swimwear in the store. That’s enough so that even the pickiest shopper can find one that suits them.
The Beachcomber A hangout for locals and college kids alike, The Beachcomber, 2901 Mission Blvd., has some of the best drink specials in Mission Beach. Whether it’s $1 you-call-its on Thursdays (a campus favorite) or a 32-ounce beer for $2 on Friday nights, there’s usually a fair amount of money in your pockets when you finish your night at the ’Comber. Adding cheap drinks to a popcorn machine, dance floor and beer pong tables in the back makes an evening at the Beachcomber rarely disappointing.
The Pennant A laid-back local watering hole since 1962, The Pennant, 2893 Mission Blvd., SEE MISSION BEACH, Page 11
A map provided by San Diego Unified School District trustee John de Beck shows (in pink) a scenario that includes schools in Point Loma, Mission Bay and La Jolla as part of a breakaway coastal school district. De Beck presented the idea at last month’s Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools meeting.