PB Briefs October
Surf Club supports Middle School Orchestra program
The Pacific Beach Middle School Orchestra program received a $300 check from the Pacific Beach Surf Club, as the club’s 2019 beneficiary. The funds were raised during the 21st annual Summer Longboard Classic in June. PBSC presented the check based on recognition of the immense benefits students receive from being involved in the music program and the way it brings long-term scholastic and academic rewards.
Additionally, PBSC will have its 10th annual Tourmaline Club Challenge with Cardiff Surf Club, Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6 at Tourmaline Beach, 601 Tourmaline St. The beneficiary from this event will be the PB Middle School Surf Team. pacificbeachsurfclub.com
Pedestrian safety behind women’s walk
Six women from PB strolled its neighborhoods from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 to note whether they felt safe on the streets and make a list of needed improvements so more residents can feel comfortable relying on transit and walking.
The group was joined by Angelica Rocha and Jana Schwarts of the nonprofit Circulate San Diego, and included bicyclists, a transit commuter, a senior citizen and mothers of young children. They walked along Mission Boulevard, Felspar and Dawes streets, Grand Avenue and some side streets to uncover these findings:
1. The prominent bar scene offers limited opportunities for seniors and families to engage in nighttime activities, and influences the perception of safety in the neighborhood.
2. Residential areas are uncomfortably dark, in contrast to the well-lit busy corridors such as Garnet Avenue and Mission Boulevard. PB’s strict lightning ordinance makes mobility connections challenging.
3. Pedestrian crossings are unsafe and need to be improved, possibly by adding bulb-outs, marked crosswalks and more rapid flashing beacons where warranted.
4. Transit stops are ill-lit and no one is at them, making them barriers to the walkers’ perception of how safe they are.
5. Women do not typically walk alone.
This walk audit is one component of Move Free SD, a program that began in March with the goal to “develop strategies that can increase access and use of alternative modes of transportation to help the City achieve its climate action mode shift goals,” Rocha wrote in an e-mail to PB Monthly.
The last walk audit is set for Oct. 2 in the Hillcrest neighborhood. “The hope is that through community dialogue we can share the findings with City decision-makers to institute positive changes in these communities,” Rocha said. circulatesd.org
Registration underway for ‘Light the Night Walk’
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk runs 7:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway. Registration begins at 5 p.m., the Lighting Ceremony is at 7 p.m.
The walk is intended to bring light to the darkness of cancer by funding lifesaving research and support for people battling the disease. It will be filled with music, fireworks and empowering ceremonies honoring survivors and remembering lost loved ones.
All registered participants receive an illuminated lantern. Those who raise $100 or more, aka Champions for Cures, will receive a T-shirt and wristband, which entitles them to event food. Register at lightthenight.org/events/san-diego Erin.Brown@lls.org or call (858) 427-6653.
PB artist creates ‘Harambe Returns’
Pacific Beach artist James Heldt said he’s always had a sweet spot for gorillas, since his reoccurring dream about King Kong debuted when he was 10 years old. Heldt took three years creating an art piece to pay homage to the Western lowland gorilla species and to Harambe, the gorilla that was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2016, after he grabbed and dragged a 3-year-old child who entered the enclosure.
Heldt describes gorillas as his “spirit animal of sorts.” His 25-inch by 35-inch 3-D painting depicts Harambe pushing through another dimension in green and purple acrylic paint and texture paste. To learn more, visit fineartamerica.com and search James Heldt.
True Local gives back to PB schools
The True Local, a Pacific Beach lifestyle online retailer, is a one-person operation owned by resident James Scherr, a single father on a mission to give back to his community. Thetruelocal.com sells clothing, longboards, art, beach towels, mugs, backpacks and more.
Half of all proceeds from items sold are donated to Crown Point Junior Music Academy, Kate Sessions and Pacific Beach elementary schools, Mission Bay High and PB Middle School. The company motto is: “Because being a true local means more than just sticking around.”
Scherr asks residents to keep a look out for future community events hosted by The True Local and new products coming in October. The Back-to-School sale is underway at thetruelocal.com
Come to your Census for a job!
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting hundreds of temporary census-takers in San Diego in advance of its Nonresponse Followup Operation for the 2020 Census.
The purpose of the operation, according to the bureau, is to count people in person at housing units who have not self-responded to the census questionnaire, which is mailed out every 10 years. Visiting and counting the members of these households requires more field workers than any other operation for the national population count.
Nonresponse Followup influences how more than $675 billion from more than 100 federal programs are distributed to states and localities each year. The pay is $20.50 per hour. Apply at 2020census.gov/jobs
Orb Weaver spiders are in time for Halloween
The County reports that San Diego residents may see an increase in Orb Weaver spiders this year, due to the excess of small bugs caused by spring’s heavy rains, which created more vegetation and an increase in insects overall.
Supervising vector ecologist Chris Conlan is quoted as saying Orb Weavers are generally harmless — they can bite, but generally only do so when they feel very threatened. Conlan explains: “In all honesty, if you run into their web, their general reaction is to bail off quick. They don’t like to hang around once something that’s big enough to smash through their web hits it.”
He suggests walking with a hand in front, or using a stick to knock webs out of the way.
GiGi’s Playhouse gala set for Oct. 19
Tickets are on sale for the third annual GiGi’s Playhouse San Diego gala to raise funds for individuals with Down syndrome. GiGi’s supports families by providing access to free, life-changing therapeutic and educational based programs. There is a location in PB at 4761 Cass St.
This year’s dinner will take place under the stars at the Solamar Rooftop in downtown San Diego, 435 Sixth Ave. at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. “Party with a Purpose: ’80s Night” will feature dancing, a reception style dinner, open bar (beer and wine), silent auctions, raffles and a costume contest while 1980s cover band Betamaxx performs.
Tickets from $150 at (858) 333-5743 or gigisplayhouse.org
SIO links Atlantic and Indian ocean warming
Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Yale University report that despite the 5,000 miles separating them, the Indian Ocean’s accelerated warming can influence rainfall, ocean salinity and circulation in the Atlantic Ocean.
The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, suggests that Indian Ocean warming could bolster the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a flow of water in the Atlantic Ocean that moderates Europe’s climate. The fate of the AMOC has been a central plot point in global-warming scenarios. Scientists have surmised that if that flow were to slow down or stop, catastrophic results ranging from dramatic global sea-level change to extreme cooling in Europe would ensue.
“This work shows that tropical ocean temperature patterns, by modulating rainfall over the Atlantic and surrounding continents, can drive AMOC change,” said Scripps climate modeler Shang-Ping Xie.
The study’s authors — including Scripps postdoc Shineng Hu — say their finding suggests a need for scientists to take the global influence of the Indian Ocean into greater consideration.
Free weekend hikes with the Canyoneers
Canyoneers from the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM) are offering 80 free, guided hikes on trails throughout San Diego Country, September-June. Most occur on weekends and cover diverse terrain, ranging from the Coast to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and from the Tijuana Estuary to Palomar Mountain.
Canyoneers are citizen scientists and volunteers with comprehensive training by SDNHM scientists and local experts on the natural history of the region. The hike schedule and interactive map are available online at sdnat.org/canyoneers, and brochures are available from outdoor retailers such as REI and Adventure 16, as well as at Subaru dealerships.
Additionally, the Canyoneers are offering guided hikes to local schools, at no cost.
For more information or to book a hike, visit sdnat.org/schoolnaturehikes or call (619) 255-0349.
New closing date for Pernicano’s
Pernicano’s Family Restaurant, 711 Turquoise St. will close Sunday, Oct. 13. Pernicano’s has been a town favorite for the past 70 years, with classic Italian eats and evening entertainment by the owner Johnny Pernicano, who performs on the piano, marimba and accordion for diners. The building will be leased by another business owner, but a Pernicano’s staff member was unable to give details to PB Monthly by press deadline.
—Compiled by PB Monthly staff from local reports