Sax on the boardwalk Dead whale washes in Lifeguards towed in the carcass of a 45-foot dead whale drifting a mile away from Boomer Beach in La Jolla on Saturday, Feb. 14. Lifeguards towed the whale, believed to be either a fin or sei, to Fiesta Island where NOAA experts swiped blubber and skin samples for DNA tests to help determine the species. The thoroughly rotted whale carcass was then loaded onto a truck and towed to the Miramar Landfill on Sunday morning. “It’s either one of those two species,” said Joe Cordaro, a wildlife biologist for NOAA. “They’re very similar in appearance but the animal had decomposed.” The whale had been slashed but it’s unclear whether from a ship’s propeller or from another animal, like a shark or scavenging birds, according to Cordaro. “We’ll probably never determine that,” Cordaro said. He stimated that the whale had been dead two weeks or more. An average of seven, dead gray whales are found floating along the California coast each year, not uncommon since the species migrates south each year. But only two or three of the other whale species are discovered dead along the state coast each year. In total, seven whale species populate the California coastal waters, including the blue whale, gray whale, humpback whale, fin whale, sei whale, sperm whale and the rare Bryde’s whale. The online Los Angeles Times science page features a video of the dead mammal. Big Boy Bandit arrested An Ocean Beach man has denied he is the so-called “Big Boy Bandit,” a serial bank robber who has held up banks in La Jolla, Point Loma and Pacific Beach since 2006. Stephen Francis Colburn, 54, was arrested by San Diego police on Jan. 26 outside his Ocean Beach home. According to jail records, Colburn is 6’2″ and weighs 240 pounds. He is charged with nine armed bank robberies and one attempted bank robbery, six of which occurred at various Citibank branches. He was arrested after an attempted robbery at a Citibank in Mission Valley. He is also charged with robbing the California Bank & Trust on Wall Street in La Jolla twice in 2008. Colburn pleaded not guilty in San Diego Superior Court, and Judge David Szumowski set Colburn’s bail at $1 million. Colburn’s first alleged bank robbery occurred on July 12, 2006 in Pacific Beach. He was charged with holding up a Citibank branch in La Jolla on Oct. 5, 2006. He is also charged with robbing the Pacific Western Bank on Rosecrans Street in 2008. The amounts taken in the robberies have not been disclosed. Colburn remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility. Driver hits bicyclist The driver of a Ford Ranger a moment to retrieve something and struck a 28-year old bicyclist from behind, who was cycling along the bike lane on Sea World Drive on Feb. 16 at 8:24 a.m. The bicyclist suffered serious head injuries and was transported to UCSD Medical Center for treatment. The Traffic Division is investigating the accident. MTS loses money, again Funding for public transportation in San Diego may get cut as much as $14 million this year as the state moves to reduce or eliminate its transit assistance. The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) must battle once more with reducing services and increasing fares to handle the lack of state funds. The bus company is holding open houses throughout February to discuss proposals to restructure routes, eliminate routes and reduce frequency of service. The public is invited to submit comments for public hearing. For more information visit www.sdcommute.com. Hearings will be held at various locations throughout the city, including: Old Town Transit Center Saturday February 21 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 4009 Taylor Street San Diego Fashion Valley Transit Center Saturday Feb. 21 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1205 Fashion Valley Rd. San Diego (Friars Road & Fashion Valley Road) Iris Avenue Station Sunday Feb. 22 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 3120 Iris Ave. San Diego (Iris Avenue & 30th Street) OB brews a cold one The Ocean Beach Brewing Co., a new venture based in OB, provided preview tastes of its new beer at Crave’s Café on Newport Avenue on Feb. 5. Brew partners Kip Coleman, Michael Lukacs and Steven Lombardi invited friends and press members to the exclusive tasting. Coleman, an architect in Ocean Beach, said he hopes the local hospitality, bar and restaurant community will eventually serve his self-described Belgiun-style India Pale Ale. Coleman has been brewing for about 10 years — longer than he’s been in architecture, he said. “I brew my own beer [and] I drink it because it makes me proud,” Coleman said. Lombardi, also an architect in Ocean Beach, said he helped design some of the bottle labels. One label features the Peace Rockers’ Peace sign currently sitting atop the Ocean Beach International Hostel on Newport Avenue. The Ocean Beach Brewing Co. doesn’t have a license to sell or distribute the beer commercially so the owners are giving it away during quiet, brew party-style taste tests. The trio is tentatively calling the seasonal ale OB Brew, or OBrew, Lukacs said. Recycle electronics at SeaWorld Residents looking to get rid of old TVs, cell phones, fax machines, telephones and other electronics can dump them at SeaWorld’s sixth annual electronic recycling event on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 8 a.m. to noon. SeaWorld’s recycling program has collected nearly 225,000 pounds of waste and raised more than $23,000 for conservation projects. Proceeds from this year’s event will go towards the Chula Vista Nature Center. Acceptable electronics to recycle include computers, TVs, VCRs, PDAs, cell phones, fax machines, copiers, MP3 players, monitors, stereo systems, calculators, speakers, telephones, laptops, plasma screens, LCD screens, keyboards, CRT screens and microwaves. Unacceptable items include household and car batteries, items containing mercury, fluorescent light bulbs, washers and dryers, refrigerators and hazardous waste. The electronics drop-off is free to all California residents who can show proof of their residency. Participants will receive a coupon for $10 off general admission at SeaWorld for up to six people, valid through June 30, 2009. For more information visit www.seaworldsandiego.com or call (800) 257 4268 State wants traffic help on Mission Bay Dr. Traffic accidents and careless drivers has prompted state traffic engineers to propose the installation of better traffic signals and a median on southbound West Mission Bay Drive as it crosses under Interstate 8 into Sports Arena Boulevard. Traffic officials hope to start the $1.2 million project in summer 2010. Drivers exiting the I-8 westbound on Mission Bay Drive/Sports Arena Boulevard often dangerously cross over to the far side of the street to get back on the eastbound I-8. This puts pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers in danger, said Richard Estrada, a California Department of Transportation engineer. “[Caltrans] staff have actually seen people cross lanes,” he said. “[Drivers] will get into that free-flow lane and cut across, driving over the delineators (small plastic poles).” City of San Diego staff, however, is concerned the change could back up traffic along West Mission Bay Drive as motorists try to leave Pacific Beach and the Mission Bay area. Traffic currently flows freely on the West Mission Bay Drive lane leading to the eastbound I-8. City traffic engineer Julio Fuentes said Caltrans will meet in the coming months to consider the city’s comments. According to a preliminary Caltrans staff report, the area has been the scene of 105 collisions between April 2000, and March 2006. Bingo Night at Lutheran school St. Paul’s Lutheran School will host Family Bingo Night on Friday, Feb. 20 starting at 5:30 p.m. at 1376 Felspar St. Prizes include restaurant certificates and movie passes. All ages are welcome. For more information, call St. Paul’s school at (858) 272-6282.