Weekly News From Ocean Beach and Beyond

Early birds at OBTC Pancake Breakfast, Sept. 19. Photo by Patty Jones

Pancake Breakfast Served 850 Mouths – a Great Success

Trudy Levenson was EM at Pancake Breaky.

By all accounts, the OB Town Council’s Pancake Breakfast held last Saturday, Sept. 19th, on the OB Pier was a huge success. Beginning at 7:30 a.m. hungry people started chowing down on pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages, fruit and coffee. Lines formed for the rest of the event. Gretchen Newsom said that about a 1,000 tickets were sold and a rough count of those attending stands at 850. And 23 tables were sponsored by different groups or businesses.  Many volunteers helped out and of course the proceeds all go to the OBTC’s toys for tots program.

Friends of OB Library Book Sale Sept 26

Friends of the OB Library are holding their next Book Sale this Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9:30 to 12:30 in front of our historic library. Donations of gently used books, DVD’s, Video Tapes, and audiovisual materials are greatly appreciated. If you would like to help sort books, please come to the children’s section of the library on Friday, Sept. 25, between 1:00 and 3:00. Help is always appreciated at sorting and at the Book Sale itself.  Proceeds from the Book Sale go to fund books, materials, programs, and equipment for our wonderful library.

Last Week of OB Library Fine Discount Month

Speaking of libraries, don’t forget that this is the last week to have your library book fines cut in half. Customers who visit the branch can pay half price on library fines all September long. Almost all fines are included. Treasurer’s Accounts, Library “Circuit” fees, and Interlibrary Loan charges are the only fees not included. You are encouraged to search your bookcases, cars, and kids rooms for overdue library items. If you haven’t used your library card for years because of fines, now is the time to pay them off and come back! Discounted payment will be accepted at any branch of the San Diego Public Library in cash or check. The offer does not apply to online payments. Fines return to full price once September is over. The Ocean Beach Branch Library is at 4801 Santa Monica Avenue. Staff can be reached at  619-531-1530.

OB Residents Upset at Stench From Feral Cats in Apartments at Bacon and Santa Cruz

Some OB residents are mad at a stench from an apartment complex on Bacon and Santa Cruz they say is a result of feral cats who have taken over the nearly-vacant complex. They also blame a cat lover who lives in a back unit upstairs, who indiscriminately feeds the feral cats, who then breed and multiply, leaving a smelly mess.  One neighbor said: “Cats everywhere — they’re having little kittens everywhere. There are feces everywhere.”

The County Animal Control said cats are only part of the problem. “You’re not only feeding cats, you’re feeding everything else in the community,” said Animal Control Deputy Director Daniel DeSousa. “So you’re drawing in mice, you’re drawing in rats, possums, skunks.” However Animal Control said there isn’t much they can do to resolve the issue. They said there are no leash laws for cats, no laws have been broken and so far it’s not a public health issue. “Cats are considered to be free roaming creatures so animal services cannot go out and just pick these cats up,” said DeSousa.  Fox5

Kevin McKay Passes – Former Peninsula Beacon Editor

Kevin McKay, managing editor of San Diego Community Newspaper Group for seven years, died Thursday, Sept. 10, after a lengthy illness following a medical leave of absence. He was 51. McKay was perhaps best known as editor of the newsgroup’s biweekly Peninsula Beacon, covering Point Loma and Ocean Beach. …“Kevin was always a pleasure to work with,” said OB MainStreet Association Executive Director Denny Knox. “When we celebrated the 125th birthday of Ocean Beach (in 2012), he worked to make sure the Beacon had the best feature story on our community. We use the information in that insert all the time even today.”  sdnews.com

Boarded-Up Medical Building in Midway District Sold

The seven-story, over 100,000-square-foot medical building in the Midway area at 3455 Kenyon St., San Diego 92110, has been sold for $20 million.

Crash at End of I-8 Prompted Sig-Alert – Motorcyclist Loses Foot

The CHP issued a SigAlert on Saturday, Sept. 19th where I-8 ends at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in OB. A motorcyclist ran a red light and crashed into the front of a car driving through the intersection, prompting the closure. San Diego police say alcohol was a factor and are investigating the incident. Fox5 A witness told NBC 7 a 36-year-old man on a Suzuki motorcycle was speeding between vehicles, heading toward Interstate 8 on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard at about 6:10 p.m. Waiting at the intersection of Sunset Cliffs and Nimitz was a 52-year-old man in a Dodge vehicle. When his light turned green, the driver moved northbound on Nimitz into the intersection. He said that’s when he felt an impact, but he didn’t know what it was. Police say the motorcyclist ran a red light and rammed into the Dodge’s front end. Police say he suffered a severed right foot and was taken to UCSD Medical Center for nonlife-threatening injuries. nbcsandiego.

Reporter Confronts Man With Stolen Bike from Animal-Rights Activist

Animal rights activist Mike Minnick has been reunited with his stolen bike. He travels the country with his 5 year-old rescue dog, Bixby, on his bike. The pair spread awareness for pet adoption, sharing updates via their website and Twitter account. His bike was reported stolen from Mission Bay on Thursday, Sept. 17.   According to Minnick’s Facebook page, it was a reporter who found the stolen bike.

Itica Milanes from ABC News 10 had done a news story on the situation, and had photos of the bike on her phone. While Milanes was driving later, she saw a cyclist pull over with the stolen bike. Milanes confronted the man, who fled the scene. She then alerted police, who were able to reunite the bike with Minnick and Bixby. The bike was found and returned to him on Saturday by San Diego Harbor Police. Sun Times of San Diego     Meanwhile, we’ve learned that Minnick set up a GoFundMe account and ended up receiving nearly $10,000 in donations for his stolen bike.

Paddle Around OB Pier for Clean Water Expected to Draw Hundreds of Surfers – Sunday, Sept. 27th

The Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter’s longest running and largest awareness event is back, calling all surfers, stand up paddle boarders, and ocean enthusiasts to paddle around the OB Pier for clean water.  This year marks the 24th anniversary of the organization’s Paddle for Clean Water event, which is happening on Sunday, September 27st from 9am to 12pm. The non-competitive event is an effort to raise awareness about the need for clean water and healthy coastlines.  Participants are encouraged to bring a surfboard, kayak, body board, or other human-powered craft to paddle around Southern California’s longest pier in a mass display of solidarity for the protection of our precious coastlines.

Also, there’s a donation-based yoga class starting at 8:30am, followed by a free breakfast for all paddlers at 9am, guest speakers including Emily Young, from the San Diego Foundation, and former District 2 Councilmember Ed Harris. There will also be live music from San Diego’s very own Todo Mundo Acoustic, a raffle, and an after party at Wonderland Ocean Pub.  Support clean water initiatives by visiting classy.org/surfriderpaddle . More info: or contact Chapter Manager, Mandy Sackett at mandy@surfridersd.org or (440) 749-6845.

Fund Raising for Injured San Diego Lifeguard

San Diego Lifeguard Gareth “Chappy” Chapman, after completing a routine rescue at Windansea beach in La Jolla on August 15th, was struck by a large wave in shallow water and driven headfirst into the ground. The resulting impact left Gareth with several broken vertebrae in his neck and back, but fortunately did not cause any permanent damage to his spinal cord or nervous system.  Despite sustaining his injuries while on-duty in a rescue situation, Gareth is only receiving approximately $250 a week from the City of San Diego’s Workman’s Compensation program, and is unable to seek other types of work and is suffering a prolonged loss of earnings.

In order to support their injured teammate, the San Diego Lifesaving Association has started the SDLG Relief Fund and will be holding a fundraising event at 6pm on September 30, 2015 at Galaxy Taco located at 2259 Avenida de La Playa in La Jolla. Persons interested in supporting Gareth during his recovery are encouraged to visit http://www.sdlifesaving.org/apps/donations/ to donate, or attend the September 30th event at Galaxy Taco. Checks can be made to SD Lifesaving Association Relief fund and dropped off at any San Diego Main Lifeguard Tower.

Bi-National Project Tracks Beach Pollution Dynamics

In an ambitious bi-national effort to investigate how pollution and other contaminants travel across and along beach waters, scientists from both sides of the border are leading a novel experiment at Imperial Beach and Coronado, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico. The National Science Foundation-funded project includes researchers from UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Jacobs School of Engineering, and several Mexican institutions.

During the Cross Surfzone/Inner-shelf Dye Exchange (CSIDE) project, from Sept. 22 to Oct. 17, researchers will perform three experiments releasing non-toxic bright pink fluorescent dye into beach waters and track its movements along the coast some 10-20 kilometers (6.2-12.4 miles) for nearly 36 hours. A team of scientists, engineers, and technicians will follow the dye with a variety of instruments to obtain a clearer picture of how pollution moves and dilutes along the coast. With this information, study results will eventually be used by managers and policy makers to guide beach closure decisions and evaluate upstream mitigation possibilities. Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Inaugural Ken Whalen Surf Challenge set for Oct. 3 in Mission Beach

The inaugural Ken Whalen Surf Challenge will take place 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at San Fernando Court in Mission Beach. October marks a year since the community lost this well-loved avid surfer to a massive stroke at the age of 49. Whalen grew up surfing all the local beaches, and traveled the world with his friends and family to find the perfect waves together.

The event, for surfers 6 to 16 years of age, is free and family-friendly. Donations of any size are encouraged to be made to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). Free parking will be available at the Belmont Park lot. Pre-registration for surfing is required at www.kenwhalensurfchallenge.com. Sponsors of the event are Rubios, Rusty Surfboards, Hanger 94, Better Buzz Coffee. Rubios will be providing free food for participants and Better Buzz will be providing complimentary morning coffee. sdnews.com