San Diego Community Newspaper Group
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 14, Number 38
Kiwanis grease the griddle for flapjack fund-raiser The Kiwanis Club of La Jolla will host its 46th annual pancake breakfast this Saturday, Aug. 1. “Flapjacks & Families” offers all-you-can-eat blueberry pancakes, sausage and beverage from 7 to 11 a.m. at La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. Adding to the festivities will be a live local band, raffle drawings and beach prizes. Tickets, which are $10 (children ages 10 and under free) can
be obtained at the door or by calling chairman Brant Westfall, (858) 922-8610. The pancake breakfast is a major fund-raiser for the Kiwanis Club of La Jolla, which holds the La Jolla Half Marathon and Junior Olympics in spring and supports the La Jolla Rough Water Swim each fall. Through its La Jolla Kiwanis Foundation, the club gives out more than $100,000 each year to aid local children. ■
Lifeguards claim union reps strong-arm votes BY ALYSSA RAMOS | VILLAGE NEWS
PUMPED UP A surfer (top) streaks through a grinding wave at Casa Beach reef July 24, as a large southern Pacific storm off Tahiti hit local beaches. A bodyboarder (above, left) takes an elevator drop into a wave at Casa. A lifeguard (right) keeps VILLAGE NEWS | DON BALCH watch until dark for swimmers or surfers in distress during the big surf at Casa Beach.
San Diego city lifeguards will cast their votes via secret ballot Aug. 1 to determine whether a majority wants to stay with the San Diego Municipal Employees Association (MEA) union or join the local 911 Teamsters. But some lifeguards said MEA members sent letters threatening dissenters with loss of contracts. “In the [e-mail, the attorney says] we would absolutely lose our contract that we are in, but there’s no law supporting that,” Lifeguard Sgt. Ed Harris said. “In
fact, there are laws to the opposite of that.” Harris and other lifeguards began lobbying months ago for the opportunity to leave the MEA — the union that represents lifeguards in addition to other city workers — in order to join the local 911 Teamsters. According to Harrris, joining the Teamsters would allow lifeguards more individual representation. So lifeguards asked city council members to approve an election. “The council gave us the right SEE VOTES, Page 4
AUGUST PERSONAGES Renowned musicians gather for sparkling SummerFest BY CHARLENE BALDRIDGE | VILLAGE NEWS
La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) has reasons to rejoice. The first and last concerts in SummerFest 2009’s spectacular lineup (July 31-Aug. 23) are sold out. Though it appeared the free concert at Scripps Park would not be offered this year due to financial constraints, it will indeed take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, thanks to the diligence of a 90-something dynamo Helene Kruger, who singlehand-
Surf Report SATURDAY
Hi: 8:51 a.m. 7:08 p.m. Low: 2:01 a.m. 12:53 p.m. Size: 2-3 ft. Wind: 10-2o mph
SUNDAY
Hi: 9:18 a.m. 7:48 p.m. Low: 2:36 a.m. 1:37 p.m. Size: 2-3 ft. Wind: 18-22 mph
edly raised funding to defray costs of the free concert. There’s more: LJMS president and artistic director Christopher Beach expects to end the fiscal year in the black. That’s especially gratifying when one considers that SummerFest completes the organization’s 40th anniversary year. Speaking of SummerFests past as well as this edition’s programming, Beach said, “Every year I think, ‘How can we top that?’ Maybe it’s just the blind affection of a proud papa, but I think this
year’s festival is exciting from opening night to finale.” SummerFest 2009 makes even the most jaded concertgoer salivate. The pianists have it all season, but especially so on opening night. Those who have opening and closing night tickets feel like trifecta winners at Del Mar. The opening-night piano extravaganza features pianists Helen Huang, Anne-Marie McDermott, Jon Kimura Parker The Calder String Quartet is one of the resident ensembles for La Jolla Music SEE SUMMERFEST, Page 8 Society’s SummerFest, which runs July 31-Aug. 23.
Sea of sorrow
In the backyard
Environmentalists distribute sample from Pacific’s Eastern Garbage Patch. 3
Sandy Lippe gives detailed directions for a low-cost, high-fun local weekend. 7
Italian accent Mike and Victoria McGeath’s Trattoria Acqua celebrates 15th anniversary of cooking with quality. 8