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Roosting around Mission Bay
Parking for the new condo complex on Mission Boulevard is not okay, says PB planning group. 5
Birders capture the lilac-crowned parrot on lens. see photo 5
Weekend Surf Report SATURDAY
Hi: 12:17 a.m. Low: 5:02 a.m. noon 6:52 p.m.
Surf: 5–6 ft.
Wind: 6–9 mph
SUNDAY
Hi: 1:15 a.m. noon
Low: 5:12 a.m. Waves: 5–6 ft. Wind: 4–7 mph 7:55 p.m.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
www.beachandbaypress.com
Gun lobbyists carry liberties down boardwalk BY ADRIANE TILLMAN | BEACH &BAY PRESS
Shamrock shenanigans Three Pacific Beach locals celebrate beer, the color green and Ireland at Hennessey’s Tavern on Mission Boulevard on St. Patrick’s Day. Nearly 1,000 people crowded into the Irishthemed tavern. Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, is celebrated for the era’s most sweeping conversion of pagans to Christianity. He drove “the snakes” out of Ireland. Historians
say St. Patrick, whose real name was Maewyn Succat, was likely born in Wales or Scotland. St. Patrick’s Day follows on the heels of Ostara, the pagan feast that ushers in the spring equinox. Around green beer, under green wigs and with loose tongues, there was probably little talk about the acclaimed saint on his most famous day.
Coastal water testing fizzles out go,” Slater-Price said. “It’s so inexpensive and yet it does so good. The Surfers and swimmers will now state let it lapse because they can’t enter the water at their own risk get their act together.” since the state cut funding to the Slater-Price said the Board of county’s decade-old water monitor- Supervisors is meeting with other ing program to test bacteria levels in counties, as well as environmental coastal waters. groups, to discuss the dilemma. State officials say the state can’t Supervisor Greg Cox said the sell bonds in this economic climate Board of Supervisors is “continuing for the coastal water monitoring, to search for a short term, and perand County Supervisor Pam Slater- manent, long-term funding source Price said the county is not about to for beach water testing in San pick up the slack. Diego.” Slater-Price said the county canCox traveled to Sacramento in not withdraw money from its gener- mid-March to urge the State Water al fund - which is $3.58 billionfor Resources Control Board to provide fiscal year 2009-10 - to pay for the interim funding for the program. water monitoring. Moreover, she Last September, Governor Arnold said the board doesn’t want to set a Schwarzenegger cut $984,000 precedent of paying for the program from the statewide beach water that might encourage the state to monitoring program, and San Diego permanently drop the program in County lost $302,000. the county’s lap. A month later, the State’s Water “It’s an abberation of duty on the Resources Control Board offered to part of the state to let the program bond $1.97 million to monitor BY ADRIANE TILLMAN | BEACH &BAY PRESS
coastal water through 2010 but the state has not been able to sell the bonds. In 2000, voters had approved selling $1.97 million in bonds for clean water purposes “Unfortunately the credit crunch hit at a point that we need $2 million,” said Bill Rukeyser, spokesperson for the State Water Resources Control Board. Under the coastal water monitoring program, the county tested bacteria levels at 55 beach and bay sites, including 16 sites around Mission Bay. In the summer months, between April 1st and October 31st, beach water was tested weekly. When counts of total coliform, fecal coliform and enterococci exceeded state standards, the county’s Department of Environmental Health posted advisory signs to beachgoers not to swim in the ocean SEE CLEAN WATER, Page 4
Nathan W. and 40 other gun-rights demonstrators secured unloaded, semi-automatic guns to their hips and headed to Pacific Beach boardwalk to demonstrate their constitutional right to bear arms. They were an informal group of men and women who organized the demonstration, the third in San Diego, through Internet forums including Nathan W.’s Open Carry blog, caopencarry.blogspot.com, and Calguns.net. Nathan W., who said he did not want his full name printed to protect himself from police retaliation, said the group chose the area because his brother had previously been arrested for carrying an unloaded gun and then released. The sight of people strolling down the boardwalk with handguns hanging on their waists intimidated and shocked hundreds of beachgoers, who expressed their dismay to Police Capt. Shelley Zimmerman. “People were angry and upset,” Zimmerman said. “There was a lot of people asking [me] ‘What’s going on? There are kids around. This is a family environment. Why are you not arresting anyone?’” Zimmerman said approximately 300 people approached her personally to express concern. They pointed to city signs that prohibit dogs, alcohol and cigarettes on the beach and couldn’t understand why guns would be allowed, Zimmerman said. Some people made eye contact with the police captain and then pointed to the people carrying handguns. Zimmerman said police officers were present the entire day from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. while the armed demonstraSEE OPEN CARRY, Page 4
Gun-rights demonstrators hoist unloaded, semi-automatics to their waists and walk down Pacific Beach boardwalk to demonstrate their constitutional rights. Courtesy of Sean Newton