San Diego Community Newspaper Group
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 24, Number 26
THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009
Review, audit now key role of MBPC BY ANTHONY GENTILE | THE BEACON
With the Mission Bay Park Committee in a transition period, the committee's regular July meeting was cancelled. According to Mayor Jerry Sanders' spokeswoman Rachel Laing, the mayor and City Council are in the process of identifying and considering candidates to fill the committee seats by September. The Mission Bay Park Committee typically does not meet in August. When the board resumes action, it will also act as the Improvement Fund Oversight Committee. This new role was stipulated by Proposition C
which was passed by voters in November of 2008. The role entails meeting quarterly to review and audit expenditure of the Improvement Fund, including determining priorities for fund expenditure, making sure it's being properly collected and allocated according to priorities and in accordance with Proposition C, and reporting improper expenditures, Laing said. In light of Prop. C, City Council voted in June to term out the current 15 committee members by July 1 and replace them with an 11-memSEE COMMITTEE, Page 5
Spectacle in the sky with a patriotic punch
Point Loma resident Ryan Levinson, who suffers from a specific form of muscular dystrophy, will participate in the 58-mile Long Beach to Catalina and Back OffCOURTESY PHOTO shore National Championship on July 12.
Residents had plenty to celebrate this Fourth of July weekend, including some impressive pyrotechnics from the Ocean Beach Pier and others from the Princess Resort along Mission Bay. Ocean Beach residents were treated to an added bonus with a special fireworks show themed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the OB Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off, held June 27. Despite a creeping marine layer during the holiday weekend, the pyrotechnics displays went largely unobscured. Weather forecasters are calling for warmer temperatures in the mid- to upper COURTESY PHOTOS BY JOE EWING 70s this weekend, with mostly clear skies and lows in the mid-60s.
Gutsy Point Loma athlete set for grueling challenge BY ANTHONY GENTILE | THE BEACON
Beaches brim but holiday trash, arrests drop BY ANTHONY GENTILE | THE BEACON
City officials estimated more than 1.2 million flocked to the beaches over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, about 300,000 more people than in 2008. Despite the increase in people celebrating Independence Day on the sand, the amount of trash and the number of arrests and rescues were down this year.
On area beaches, misdemeanor alcohol citations doubled from last year. A total of 210 citations were handed out. Although alcohol citations were up, no misdemeanor arrests were made on the beaches. Thirteen felony arrests were made, seven less than last year. "We believe it's a lot more family-friendly environment and a lot more families," said Capt.
Shelley Zimmerman of Northern Division. "Those that drew attention to themselves drew attention to themselves in a very family-friendly environment." There was one DUI checkpoint over the weekend on July 3 at 2700 Garnet Ave. at which 13 arrests were made. Zimmerman said police also held saturation SEE HOLIDAY, Page 7
Discovery Before we get down to crunching numbers, we’ll talk about the things that are most important to you— family, community, pastimes, church. I’ll ask a lot of questions about what you’re really thinking, feeling, worried about; your experiences with money; and what you’ve accomplished so far. Together we’ll figure out where you are now.
Racing a Jet Ski at 60 miles per hour in 58 miles of open ocean is not easy for any athlete of any skill level. That’s what makes the task ahead even more daunting for Point Loman Ryan Levinson and La Jollan Warren Frank, who plan to race July 12 in the Long Beach to Catalina and Back Offshore National Championship. Their participation is especially impressive because Levinson and Frank are physically compromised athletes. Levinson was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscu-
lar dystrophy (FSHMD), a genetic disorder that results in muscle loss. Frank’s left leg is amputated above the knee. Levinson and Frank are the first compromised athletes to race in the annual personal watercraft race and will participate in the challenged athletes division. Both athletes will face unique challenges during the race. Levinson has no abdominals as a result of his muscular dystrophy, which means he has a core imbalance. This requires him to wear a SEE ATHLETES, Page 7
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