www.BeachandBayPress.com | Thursday, June 21, 2012
IGNITING THE NIGHT SKY WITH JULY 4 FIREWORKS DISPLAYS
PACIFIC NISSAN
Citing rising costs and waning support, the Mission Bay Yacht Club cancels its pyrotechnics display on Mission Bay for the first time in 20-plus years. But the show will go on for others. Check out our roundup of area fireworks displays and other Fourth of July-related activities on Page 9.
“Highway 5 on Mission Bay Drive” www.PacificNissan.com
(858) 581-3200 • 4433 Mission Bay Drive, Pacific Beach
Big Brother is watching in PB, Mission Bay Park
GEARING UP FOR SUMMER
Homeland Security funds 14 surveillance cameras at 12 strategic beach, bay sites BY PATRICIA WALSH | BEACH & BAY PRESS
New surveillance cameras, like this one installed at the north end of the Ingraham Street Bridge, will be monitored by lifeguards. The cameras will be accessible to police, the U.S. Coast Guard, DepartPhoto by Patricia Walsh I Beach & Bay Press ment of Homeland Security and other governmental agencies.
City officials have installed surveillance cameras at key waterfront locations from Ocean Beach to De Anza Cove as a result of funding from the Department of Homeland Security. The 14 cameras are atop buildings and light poles in 12 locations: • encircling Mission Bay at Hospitality Point • San Diego Lifeguard Headquarters • Rose Marie Starnes South Shores Boat Launch • entrance to Fiesta Island • Dana Boat Launch • Vacation Island • the north end of the Ingraham Street Bridge • Mission Point • Ocean Beach Pier • Santa Clara Point • Ski Beach • De Anza Boat Launch Funding for the cameras comes from a grant the city received in 2011 from the Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). Of the $16 million grant, $385,000 pays for the cameras, according to Darren Pudgil, spokesman for Mayor Jerry Sanders’ Office. Pudgil said the city receives a grant from Homeland Security annually, and that camera-maintenance costs will be paid for over time from the city’s budget. The cameras, which will be shared by a cross-section of law enforcement and government agencies — including the SEE CAMERAS, Page 6
Collaborative summertime cleanup series set to polish PB BY KEITH ANTIGIOVANNI | BEACH & BAY PRESS Discover Pacific Beach (DPB), the Pacific Beach Business Improvement District (BID) and District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer’s office are joining forces with the community this month to spruce up Pacific Beach for the summer. The greater improvements include powerwashing sidewalks, sweeping, weeding planters and wells, repaving Garnet and replacing old trash receptacles. The cleanup is made possible through $21,000 from discretionary funds from Faulconer’s office that has paid The Urban Corps of San Diego County to work on the cleanups. “Unfortunately, many of the big cleanup projects tend to cost more than, for example, promotional efforts … Something of this size is really unique and we are grateful and excited for the opportunity,” said Sara Berns, director of DPB. SEE CLEANUP, Page 5
A member of The Urban Corps powerwashes a sidewalk during a previous summer cleanup day in Pacific Beach. More cleanups are slated this month as a result of $21,000 in discretionary funds provided by the office of District 2 City CounCourtesy photo cilman Kevin Faulconer.
Lifeguards jump from a rescue helicopter as part of a recent round of training at Mission Bay. The City Council last week authorized an additional $372,000 for San Diego Lifeguard Services for three relief positions and Photo by Jim Grant I Beach & Bay Press the creation of a wellness program.
City Council comes to rescue of lifeguards Funds OK’d for relief positions, wellness program pass the budget, but not before BY MARIKO LAMB | BEACH & BAY PRESS agreeing to revise expenditures San Diego lifeguards — who to accommodate the lifeguards’ said they were left out of Mayor funding request for three relief Jerry Sanders’ budget priorities positions and a wellness profor the coming fiscal year — gram. were rescued by the City Council “You guys really looked after a on June 11 at the council’s sec- group of professional rescuers ond public hearing of the who look after the public, and mayor’s revised budget. you’ve really taken into considerCouncilmembers voted 7-1 — ation our health and our wellwith District 5 City Councilman Carl DeMaio dissenting — to SEE FUNDS, Page 6
Guards bracing for a busy summer of rescues, beach ambassador duties BY DAVE SCHWAB | BEACH & BAY PRESS June 11 was the first official day of San Diego lifeguard’s super-busy summer season lasting through Labor Day on Sept. 3, and the department was ready with a beefed-up staff to handle the annual mass-migration of tourists and locals to coastal beaches. “There is full summer staffing at all Mission Bay beaches from now until the end of summer every day from Ocean Beach to Torrey Pines State Beach,” said San Diego Lifeguard Lt. John Everhart. “We base our summer schedule on the city school district being out.” Everhart said the annual displacement of students, local and not, from classrooms to beaches adds greatly to the daily coastal population as does “people traveling with their kids out of school trying to get an early jump on summer vacation.”
A lifeguard sprints into action during a rescue. Photo by Jim Grant I Beach & Bay Press
Since spring, Everhart said lifeguards have been gradually “ramping up” equipment and personnel preparing for summer during which time medically certified seasonal lifeguards are added to bolster staff up and down the coast. “We look forward to having SEE SUMMER, Page 6