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www.SDNEWS.com Volume 25, Number 24
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010
OB forum shifts focus from homelessness to community action
N O C A E B A Y R O T S I H R FO
BY ANTHONY GENTILE | THE BEACON With a shift from homelessness in Ocean Beach to local community action, the faith-based community held a third and final community-led forum Nov. 16. About 30 people attended the meeting at Point Loma United Methodist Church, as neighborhood leaders hosted talks on tangible plans to improve the community and its image. “Homelessness is the issue that brought us all together,” said Jack Hamlin, San Diego Restorative Justice Program board chair. “[The homelessness discussion is] now creating a better community and, by doing so, hopefully alleviating some of the aspects of the homelessness issues.” At the forum, members of three of the four task forces that were created at the previous forum presented reports from their respective meetings in recent weeks. The only group that did not make a presentation was the government group, which did not have a representative at the meeting.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument drew plenty of interest from visitors Monday when park officials opened the viewing area atop its 70-foot peak — one of only a couple of times each year visitors can take in the 360degree panorama from the breathtaking perch and get a glimpse at the magnificent lens inside. Curious visitors waited in line from a half-hour to an hour to climb to the top of the structure that began operations in 1855. The lighthouse was abandoned in 1891, however, because of poor visibility from low clouds. A new lighthouse was opened at a lower elevation, closer to the water, but the lure of the old lighthouse beacon continues.
Homeless people sleep atop the city’s sewage pumping station at the foot of the Ocean Beach Pier on Tuesday. PHOTO BY JIM GRANT | THE BEACON
Here is an overview of the presentations: • The community task force held a recent cleanup on Newport Avenue in which about 30 people participated. Group members also met about a month ago. Looking at ways to impact the community in a positive way, a representative from this group shared ideas that included future cleanups, using unused buildings in the area to shelter the homeless and planting small gardens around Ocean Beach. • The charge of the activities task SEE HOMELESS, Page 8
PHOTOS BY JIM GRANT I THE BEACON
Coyote sightings near PL Community Park spark concerns BY ANTHONY GENTILE | THE BEACON Typically, friends of the four-legged variety are embraced on the Peninsula, but that hasn’t been the case over the last month. Coyotes have been spotted regularly near Point Loma Community Park, raising concerns for residents and their pets living in the surrounding area. “It is surreal. It is kind of amazing to see them, but on the other hand it is a little scary to have them out there,” said Laurie Randerson, who lives one house to the north of the park. “It seems to me that right now we have more than we’ve had for a long time.” Randerson said she hears coyotes frequently yipping in the canyon behind her house that borders the park. Within the last two weeks, she has also seen them on her front driveway, seemingly not bothered by her presence.
“One morning, I came out of my house and there were two of them in my driveway,” Randerson said. “One of them took off and ran into the field and the other one stood its ground and stood there and watched me. I threw something at it to make it run.” In addition to her own safety, Randerson is concerned for the welfare of her five cats that are out and about in the neighborhood. Her coyote sightings haven’t been daily, but have been regular enough to cause concern. “My experience is that they are pretty brave and that there are quite a few of them in the canyon right now,” Randerson said. On the west side of the park, Santa Barbara Street resident Carrie Noe has seen coyotes almost every evening over the last month. Earlier this month, Noe had a coyote tail her home — an experience she
More pain in the pocketbook The City Council will consider hiking the cost for parking tickets by $12.50 each to pay for higher surcharges by the state of California. 2
found frightening. “I sprayed pepper spray on it, it made a U-turn and came right back toward us, still in the middle of the street,” Noe said. “It didn’t come lunging at me, but it was toe to toe. As I moved faster, it moved faster. It was very, very frightening.” Noe works with Animal Rescue and typically fosters a couple dogs at a time at her She is afraid to let her dogs out because of the coyotes, she said. “You just wouldn’t think [of it being prevalent in] Point Loma. It’s reall, really bizarre,” Noe said. Beverly Roth, who lives near Cañon Street and Liggett Drive, hasn’t seen a coyote but hears them quite often. On Nov. 3, Roth was awakened to the presumed sound of a coyote attacking a small animal. “I heard an animal being attacked — it
Barnard Elementary School students Eddie Kapelczak (center, right) and Victor Ortero (far right) take in a lecture in Mandarin Chinese at Chongqing Renmin Primary School in Chongqing, China. The two students participated in a lanCOURTESY PHOTO guage competition during a 10-day visit to China last month.
Barnard students experience a true taste of Chinese culture “They were invited to come and study over there.” Five years ago, the Mandarin ChiEddie Kapelczak and Victor nese magnet program kept the Ortero spent 10 days in China last doors open at Barnard Elementary month, studying at Chongqing School. Now, the Point Loma school Renmin Primary School in is opening doors for its students to Chongqing, China, participating in study in China, where two local a language competition and experisixth-graders recently completed a encing Chinese culture. The visit two-week trip to the Far East. took place Oct. 21-31. “They were the only elementary “Giving an opportunity for stuschool kids invited because of their dents like this to go abroad — they fluency,” said Edward Park, SEE BARNARD, Page 9 Barnard Elementary principal. BY ANTHONY GENTILE | THE BEACON
SEE COYOTE, Page 8
Lending a helping hand this holiday Sacred Heart Church and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post will host free dinners for those in need of a meal this Thanksgiving. 14
Pointers dominate The PLHS football squad crushes its final two regular-season rivals to launch into postseason. 10, 13