San Diego is My Home

25
Apr

Shark Attack

Author: HelenKay, Category: Beaches, Environment

Not to cause mass hysteria, but…  There was a fatal shark attack north of Fletcher Cove this week.  For those not sure where that is, think North County/Solana Beach.  This is extremely rare, but you should know that beaches in Solana Beach, Del Mar and Encinitas are all closed for now.

 Apparently the sea lions have been beaching themselves in and around the area.  Experts take this to mean there’s a predator (shark) in the water.  San Diego, Carlsbad and Oceanside beaches are all open.  Lifeguards are warning swimmers about the nearby attack, but you can go in…if you want. 

18
Mar

World Water Week

Author: HelenKay, Category: All For Charity, Environment, Food, Restaurants

In case you were wondering, it’s World Water Week.  As part of The Tap Project, a campaign to help bring clean and safe drinking water to children around the world through UNICEF, several San Diego restaurants are stepping up for charity.  In these establishments, you’ll have the opportunity to donate $1 for tap water.  The amazing part is that every $1 raised translates into clean drinking water for 40 days to someone who desperately needs it.

Participating area restaurants include: Aubergine, Celadon, Chive, Laurel, Stingaree, Rama, and JRDN.   The week ends March 22nd, so get out there and order some San Diego water.

08
Feb

Lake Wohlford

Author: HelenKay, Category: Emergency Situations, Environment, Neighborhoods

Because you don’t have enough to worry about with earthquakes, fires and landslides…

A new report says that the Lake Wohlford Dam could liquefy in a major earthquake.  It seems that a portion of the dam is made from sand and silt.  Two-thirds of the dam, to be exact.  This is not the best news for Escondido.  The city is looking at its option, which include building a new dam or strengthening the old one.

But don’t worry.  The folks in charge in Escondido insist the dam is safe.   They are trying to look at the worst-case scenarios and prepare.  In the meantime, all is well.

Kind of makes you wonder if this is what the San Diego folks told those homeowners on Mt. Soledad…right before a big sinkhole sent some houses sliding down the mountain…

26
Dec

Those Christmas Trees

Author: HelenKay, Category: Environment, Holiday Events

It may be a little early to take the ornaments off the tree and get your family room back in order, but it’s never too early to start planning.  San Diego’s Christmas Tree Recycling Program offers you an easy way to dispose of the tree and all of those needles.  Starting today and continuing until January 23rd, residents can drop off their trees at one of 16 locations around the city.  Your only job is to remove everything, including the stand, and get it to one of these places.  Folks lucky enough to have curbside green-waste recycling can just add their tress to that pile.

For questions and a list of locations, go here. 

17
Dec

A Downtown Casino

Author: HelenKay, Category: Casino, Environment, Neighborhoods

Plans push forward for a casino off Route 94 in Jamul.  While the proposed site is not actually in downtown San Diego, it is within about 20 miles.  That would make this the closest casino to the downtown area.  Caltrans has not approved a traffic light proposal or figured out if the plans are safe for pedestrians.  Despite that, the Jamul tribe has started construction on the driveway and is moving forward.

Not that the casino is a certainty even once the stoplight issue is resolved. There are complaints by former reservation residents relating to ancient artifacts, land grabs and the validity of the tribe.  A judge found the 50-member tribe to be legitmate and recognized it as such.  The Bureau of Indian Affairs agrees.  However, the battle over the casino continues, as do the arguments that the Jamul tribe should wait until it has all of the encessary approvals to begin any sort of construction.

So, don’t start saving your pennies to spend at this potential new casino.  It’s not happening yet.  The good news is that there are about six other casinos within 30 miles you can visit instead while the Jamul casino arguments continue.

14
Dec

More Seal News

Author: HelenKay, Category: Beaches, Environment

You just thought the issue of the seals and their residency at The Children’s Pool in La Jolla had been settled by the courts.  Not so fast… 

The courts have said that the beach belongs to people and not to the seals - ie, people needing one more place to play in the water trump nature here.  Problem is, the seals birthing season is January through May.  The city usually puts up a rope and signs to protect the seals during this time.  The court’s recent decision saying San Diego should no longer protect the seal sanctuary threatens this year’s birthing season.  In response, the National Marine Fisheries Service has asked that the beach be closed for the birthing season.  The city doesn’t know know what it can and should do.  To figure that out, the city asked the court for a hearing to determine if putting up the usual rope is a violation of its order mandating the removal of the seals.  The hearing is scheduled for Janaury 4th.

All of this so that a bunch of swimmers and some kids can have easier access to the water.  Sounds ridiculous if you think about it for two seconds.  The seals congregate in one area.  Why not give them the area?  And, who’s going to explain the court’s ruling to the seals?   

05
Dec

Slip Away

Author: HelenKay, Category: City Council, Emergency Situations, Environment

The news is not good for the homeowners in Mt. Soledad. Recent rains caused even more damage to the soil in the already environmentally unsound area.  Geologists have noted additional movement on the hillside where houses have already been condemned due to the sinkhole/slide of early October.

To prevent a complete disaster, the City Council approved $20 million for emergency repairs.  Patti Boekamp, city engineering and capital projects director, says:  ”We’re racing against the clock, we’re racing against the weather, and we’re working between rain spells.”

In other words:  more trouble ahead.

30
Oct

After The Fire

Author: HelenKay, Category: Emergency Situations, Environment

There’s a movie coming out with Halle Berry called Things We Lost In The Fire.  Right now that could be our city’s theme.  Fires still burn, but the majority of the danger is past.  All towns with “Rancho” in the title appear safe.  With over 300,000 acres gone, 7 people killed and many more injured, the time has come to talk about blame. 

For the most part, everyone from the firefighters to the governor is getting high marks for their handling of the crisis.  Still, there is a water problem in Ramona, a potential underinsurance issue for those who lost homes, warnings about rental gouging for those now desperate to find temporary lodging near where their old homes once stood and questions about air support during the fire.  Yeah, plenty of questions, concerns and recriminations to go around. 

Yet, life goes on.  The Chargers played at Qualcomm on Sunday and won.  Concerts, theater and other events go on as scheduled.  And, the air is clear…well, clearer than it was last week.  The bad news is the Santa Ana winds are coming back.  We’re all hoping for wind without fire this time around. 

05
Oct

Water Issues

Author: HelenKay, Category: Environment, Neighborhoods

San Diego is bordered by ocean on one side and desert on the other.  Being a beach community of sorts, water usually is considered a good thing.  Not this week.   In addition to the landslide/road collapse/sinkhole in La Jolla, there’s a huge problem with broken water pipes in Pacific Beach.  The combination resulted in closed roads and heated tempers.  And something even worse…lawsuits.

Yep.  Didn’t take long.  Lawyers are lining up to blame the La Jolla mess on the city, leaking pipes and other problems (other than the homeowners’ decisions to build there).  With the cost of mudslide insurance - and, really, who knew there was such a thing - being ridiculously high, many folks in the La Jolla destruction zone likely don’t have it.  Lawsuits might be the only way to recoup money.  Sure, that doesn’t resolve the issue of this neighborhood being built on a known geologically catastrophe, but it does gives us all something about which to argue.

03
Oct

Landslide

Author: HelenKay, Category: Environment, Neighborhoods

A portion of Soledad Mountain Road in La Jolla buckled this morning around 9 a.m.  It’s being called a landslide, a sinkhole and a bunch of other things.  The bottom line is the road collapsed, houses have been destroyed, additional houses are in danger and the area has been evacuated.

Apparently gas leaks had been reported in the area over the last few weeks.  The area has been on an informal watch list for this sort of activity.  Trucks have been diverted from the area for some time in order to keep the ground shaking to a minimum.  The only good news might be that the folks living there had some inkling of impending trouble.  As if that helps somehow…

Geologists and others are on the scene.  The Red Cross is on the way.  Everyone is working to figure out if the buckling and slipping has stopped since more than 15 houses are in the downhill path of the slide.  Once everything stabilizes, crews can get in there and we’ll have more news.