Lifeguards to plead for budget help, support San Diego lifeguards said they were left out of the mayor's revised budget proposal released on May 23. They will urge the City Council to augment lifeguard-service funding by $368,000 to fill three relief positions and create a wellness program. The City Council will finalize its budget revisions on June 11 and public comments will be fielded. For the full story, visit www.sdnews.com.
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 26, Number 12
THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
City’s mayoral candidates weigh in on beach issues
TOUCHING TRIBUTE
The San Diego Community Newspaper Group presents coverage of the city mayoral race on Tuesday, June 5. A five-question format was developed and submitted to each of the four major candidates. Candidate:
CARL DeMAIO (City Councilman)
What is the single-greatest challenge or obstacle facing San Diego’s beach communities and what would you do as mayor to meet this challenge or obstacle? DeMAIO: The single-greatest challenge facing all of our communities are the fiscal problems at City Hall — driven by runaway pension costs. For our beach communities, we have seen the fiscal crisis result in service cuts, reduction in police and fire coverage, threats to our fire pits, and streets and boardwalks that are falling apart. I’m not waiting to be mayor to fix this problem, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma was brimming with American flags and patriotism over the Memorial Day weekend in tribute to fallen heroes. Left, members of Christian Family Schools — a group of San Diego homeschoolers — has been taking the flags down the day Photos by Jim Grant I The Beacon after Memorial Day and rebundling them for reuse for the last 15 years.
OB Beach Ball draws disciplined crowd in kickoff for summer event series BY BIANCA KOCH | THE BEACON
dreds of people for fun in the sun. But despite the sometimes-volatile mixPolice officials reported a well-behaved ture of crowds and alcohol, the event was throng of funseekers during the annual OB largely peaceful and incident-free, accordBeach Ball Festival on May 18-19, which ing to Sgt. Gary Mondesir, charged with served as one spoke in the wheel of the crowd control for the San Diego Police Ocean Beach 125th anniversary celebra- Department’s Western Division. tion and as the prelude to a series of summer As of 7:30 p.m. on May 19, Mondesir fun events in 2012. reported an uneventful day but for one A Ferris wheel, an enormous water slide minor arrest of a man in his twenties for at Saratoga Park, live music and a beer gar- public intoxication and disturbing the peace. den in the OB Pier parking lot attracted hun“I don’t expect it to get any crazier from
here on out,” said Mondesir. “We’ve got this under control.” Mondesir added, however, that officers have observed “a lot of intoxicated people this year.” Still, he said he was pleased with the outcome of the event and the behavior of the crowd. Mondesir said he is in his fourth consecutive year monitoring crowd control at SEE SUMMER, Page 4
2012 PLHS graduates prepare for jump into real world BY SCOTT HOPKINS | THE BEACON
Pointers’ cream of the crop stand as examples BY SCOTT HOPKINS | THE BEACON Two young men will share the title of valedictorian of the Point Loma High School (PLHS) class of 2012. With their common love of mathematics, the numbers 4.7 and 5.0 describe both students. Those numbers represent their 4.7 overall grade-point average — 5.0 during their senior years. Tied for valedictorian honors, the two are also like brothers, definitely close friends. Corten Singer and Sabahudin Redzepovic shared much else in common
Corten Singer, left, and Sabahudin Redzepovic are valedictorians of Point Loma High’s class of 2012 with 4.77 GPAs. Photo by Scott Hopkins I The Beacon
during a recent conversation on the PLHS campus. They chose a favorite place to talk:
Three young men — two honored as valedictorians and one salutatorian — will lead their 425 classmates onto Bennie Edens Field at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 12 to the familiar sound of “Pomp and Circumstance” as Point Loma High School’s (PLHS) 87th commencement unfolds before an overflow crowd of parents, relatives and friends. Valedictorians Corten Singer and Sabahudin Redzepovic achieved 4.77 cumulative grade-point averages. Salutatorian Aaron Bagnell, who is headed to UC Berkeley, would also have the same average, but he ran for the cross country team, earning four points for an “A” instead of the five given in weighted classes.
CE
FIR
Candidate:
CARL DeMAIO
BONNIE DUMANIS (District Attorney)
What is the single-greatest challenge or obstacle facing San Diego’s beach communities and what would you do as mayor to meet this challenge or obstacle? DUMANIS: Our beaches are San Diego’s natural treasures and the single-biggest obstacle for beach communities is the city’s overall financial condition. We currently don’t have the money to make real progress on sewer upgrades, for instance. Sewer spills can be devastating in our beach communities, causing environmental, health and economic problems for those communities. As mayor, SEE DUMANIS, Page 6 Candidate:
BONNIE DUMANIS
BOB FILNER (U.S. Congressman)
What is the single-greatest challenge or obstacle facing San Diego’s beach communities and what would you do as mayor to meet this challenge or obstacle? FILNER: During my career, I’ve been committed to clean beaches and clean streets. I’ve always had a strong voting record and have been an exceptional advocate for better awareness of environmental issues both in Congress and in San Diego — our city and communities need an environmental SEE FILNER, Page 6
BOB FILNER
Candidate: NATHAN FLETCHER (State Assemblyman)
What is the single-greatest challenge or obstacle facing San Diego’s beach communities and what would you do as mayor to meet this challenge or obstacle? FLETCHER: Water — our region’s most precious resource — is the heart of San Diegans’ quality of life. Whether it is ensuring a healthy economy or preserving clean beaches and bays, both our economic base and our quality of life depend on how our city protects its water resources. Unfortunately, we continue to pollute our beaches,
SEE STANDOUTS, Page 4 SEE GRADUATION, Page 4
ST PLA
SEE DeMAIO, Page 6
SEE FLETCHER, Page 6
NATHAN FLETCHER
Announcing the 18th Annual Peninsula Beacon AMATEUR Photo Contest Who Has The Best Photo of the Peninsula Area? Enter your best photo portraying the Peninsula area taken in the past year. Photos will be displayed at the Beacon booth during the June Ocean Beach Street Fair. The public will vote for their favorite pictures. Prizes will be awarded for the top 3 photos & winning photos will be published in the Beacon.
HURRY! Deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Photos taken over the past year (June ‘11–June ‘12 may be entered!
Entries may be dropped off at our new location: The Beacon Offices 1621 Grand Ave. 2nd Floor., Pacific Beach (Above Wendy’s Restaurant) or Mailed to: The Beacon ATTN: Photo Contest,1621 Grand Ave., Ste C San Diego, CA 92109