Fashion gurus strut their stores. Garnet Avenue is awash with fashion personalities and their special wear. 12
City will impose water restrictions June 1 Are you ready? 15
Weekend Surf Report SATURDAY
Hi: 3:36 a.m. Low: 10:49 a.m. 6:14 p.m.
Surf: 2–4 ft.
Wind: 4–10 mph
SUNDAY
Hi: 4:51 a.m. 6:47 p.m.
Low: 12:06 a.m. Waves: 2–3 ft. Wind: 6–12 mph 11:39 a.m.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
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Mission Beach recycles the future BY RONAN GRAY | BEACH & BAY PRESS
District 2 councilmember Kevin Faulconer announced Tuesday that he plans to use $80,000 of discretionary funds to continue a longstanding program of supplemental trash pick-up in Mission Beach during the summer months. The program, which fell to budget cuts early this year, had provided two trash pick-ups per week during the summer in Mission Beach. The community does not have a curbside recycling program and annually experiences a dramatic population increase between Memorial Day and Labor Day accompanied by an increase in trash. After July 2010 the supplemental summer trash pick-ups – which costs the city approximately $58,500 per year – will
be replaced by a recycling program. A specially designed truck will be purchased to navigate the narrow alleyways of Mission Beach. Chris Gonaver, director of the Environmental Services Department, said the city currently has one such truck known as an “AlleyCat.” That truck is already occupied with trash collections in Mission Beach and parts of Downtown that also have narrow alleyways. The new truck, which will be dedicated to the recycling program, will cost the city an estimated $500,000 that includes blue recycling containers for Mission Beach’s roughly 3,500 residences. Faulconer’s office estimates that the program will cost approximately $90,000 annually thereafter. Citywide the recycling program costs approximately $9
million and generated almost $7 million in revenue from the recycled materials in 2008, according to San Diego City Waste Reduction Program Manager Stephen Grealy. “Last year we collected 80,000 tons of commodities,” said Grealy referring to the recyclable elements of the trash. He anticipates that the city will collect about the same tonnage this year but that the revenue will be lower. “With the commodities markets the way they are, we are anticipating only $4.5 million in revenue this year,” Grealy said. Mission Beach residents opted out of the curbside program in 2000. According to Kip Sturdevan of the Environmental Services Department, SEE RECYCLING, Page 5
Stimulus money will help dredge Mission Bay deteriorating parts of the Mission Bay channel jetty. Mission Bay will receive There have been approxiapproximately $10.5 million mately 150 boating acciin American Recovery and dents over the last four years Reinvestment Act stimulus near Bonita Cove due to the funds to dredge an area of jetty rock erosion. The eroQuivira Basin that has slowly sion has caused narrowing of filled with silt. Other the channel and shallower improvements include fixing basins, according to a stateBY SEBASTIAN RUIZ | BEACH & BAY PRESS
ment from the mayor’s office. Harris said work is slated to start by early fall. “There’s been a host of accidents, but nothing that major,” said Bill Harris, spokesman for the mayor’s office. SEE STIMULUS, Page 3
Yacht club shows off fleet BY ADRIANE TILLMAN | BEACH & BAY PRESS
Fifty years ago, the U.S.S. Mission Bay escort carrier had reached the end of its vitality, and there were plans to scrap the ship that had served during World War II. Commodore Sterling Rounthwaite of the Mission Bay Yacht Club wrote Congressman Bob Wilson asking him to secure one of the ships’
bells for the now 82-year-old yacht club. Today the bell stands at the entrance to the clubhouse on Mission Bay, off El Carmel Point. It’s a quiet welcome, rung each opening day, but symbolic of a club that takes pride in its long history on the bay and continued involvement in the community. Edna Johnson, the club’s third female commodore who served in 2002, ticks off a SEE YACHT, Page 16
A patient fills out documentation for medical marijuana to treat pain from his SEBASTIAN RUIZ | BEACH & BAY PRESS martial arts-related injuries at 929A Turquoise St.
Medical marijuana store opens on Turquoise St. “There’s nothing wrong or illegal, and they’re certainly necesA medical marijuana facility sary, but as someone who walks called the Pacific Beach Collective around with her children – for me opened at 929A Turquoise St. on – that’s not the kind of business Monday, May 11 to the dismay of we want in our community,” said several neighboring business own- Dawna Deatrick, president of ers and community members who Friends of Pacific Beach Elemensay the facility will attract crime tary School, a parent-teacher and illegal drug use to the neighorganization. “It’s a necessary evil borhood. but we just don’t want it in our While residents and businesses backyard.” in north Pacific Beach protest the Lenny Olsen, manager of the dispensary, they may have to grin Pacific Beach Gardens at 910 and bear it because marijuana Turquoise St., said there was no used for medicinal purposes is announcement about the facility. legal under state law. Federal law, There is no public noticing however, prohibits the sale of requirement for starting a dispenmedical marijuana. sary, according to Pacific Beach Some neighbors are livid. Collective store managers. Olsen “I don’t see any positive aspects said he wants one. to it,” said Jack Story, a 20-year “If I want to have an establishresident. “It’s probably not good ment to sell alcohol, I have to notifor business.” fy the community, but they can Story said many older folks in open up a medical marijuana north Pacific Beach fear the store store?” Olsen said. “How come will attract crime and make people they don’t have to notify [the pubafraid to patronize nearby busilic]?” nesses. Olsen added that he doesn’t And with Pacific Beach Elemen- want his 10-month-old son tary within walking distance, at exposed to a neighborhood culleast one parent fears the store ture that would “normalize” marimight attract dangerous drug juana drug use. addicts to the area. SEE MARIJUANA, Page 3 BY SEBASTIAN RUIZ | BEACH & BAY PRESS