Midway bank robber
to receive work furlough
An apologetic bank robber pleaded guilty July 24 to holding up a teller at a Midway Drive bank in April, and to his role in two other bank heists.
Anthony Ray Barrett, 36, of Chula Vista, faces up to one year in a work-furlough program under terms of probation, according to court records. San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeff Fraser indicated he would not sentence Barrett to prison but instead let him live in a facility where he would be locked up at nights and on weekends and be allowed to go to work.
Sentencing was set for Oct. 9 to give Barrett time to pay restitution. The judge allowed Barrett to remain free on $21,000 bond.
The maximum sentence, had it been imposed, is seven years.
A teller at a Washington Mutual Bank on Midway Drive testified June 12 that Barrett told her to “give what I could” from her register. She said he apologized twice and he didn’t threaten her.
She said she saw no weapon in the April 9 incident.
Barrett took $1,539 from that holdup but the money was recovered during his arrest minutes later. Barrett also pleaded guilty to holding up another Washington Mutual bank on Telegraph Canyon Road in Chula Vista the day before. According to testimony, $2,523 was taken, but he discarded all of it after a dye pack exploded. The money was found about 60 feet away from the bank.
Barrett also pleaded guilty to holding up the Union Bank on Third Avenue in Chula Vista on March 7 ” a heist that netted Barrett about $2,500. That money was never recovered.
Quake rattles San Diegans but inaction still abounds
If tradition is any barometer, the July 29 earthquake ” a 5.4 temblor centered in San Bernardino County but felt keenly in the San Diego area ” won’t shake area residents into the response mode.
A 2006 study by the county’s Office of Emergency Services showed that only 60 percent of area residents had a survival plan in place although virtually all of them said such a plan was vital.
The Rose Canyon fault runs through San Diego, and several small quakes have been felt throughout the west and central areas of the county over recent years, although the vicinity is deemed less seismically active than Los Angeles or San Francisco.
OB Town Council race
will feature 7 seats
The board of directors of the Ocean Beach Town Council (OBTC) will soon host elections for seven open board positions. Candidates for the board of directors must be members in good standing of OBTC and must be at least 18 years of age. OBTC membership is open to any person over 16 years of age who lives, works, owns property or operates a business within the 92107 ZIP Code.
OBTC board members attend at least two meetings each month and participate in a number of OBTC events throughout the year, like the annual chili cook-off, the holiday food and toy drive fundraising, the annual Christmas parade, beach cleanups and a yearly Halloween costume-contest judging.
Potential candidates interested in serving on the OBTC board should submit a signed letter declaring their candidacy, stating their reasons for wanting to join the OBTC board and describing any relevant experience or skills.
Letters can be submitted by e-mail or regular mail.
Forms can be obtained by visiting www.obtowncouncil.org and can be submitted through either an e-mail link or by sending a letter to: OBTC Election Committee, P.O. Box 7225, San Diego, 92167.
Letters must be e-mailed or postmarked no later than Aug. 11.
Voting for OBTC board members takes place in the month of August. All candidates will have an opportunity to address the Aug. 23 general meeting. Newly elected board members will start their term of office during the board meeting Oct. 8. Officers will subsequently be chosen by the newly constituted board.
The OB Town Council provides discussion forums, hosts political debates and sponsors events such as the Restaurant Walk, Pancake Breakfast at the Pier and numerous other community events.
The Town Council is also involved in multiple aspects of the community, from traffic and parking issues to discussions impacting Ocean Beach’s lasting identity and outlook.
For more information, call OBTC at (619) 515-4400.
County posts warnings after sewage spill
County officials warned of a sewage spill at Kellogg Beach in Point Loma on July 30 after an estimated 162 gallons spilled into the San Diego Bay from a line blockage on McCall Street in the La Playa neighborhood.
According to Mark McPherson, a spokes man for the county Wastewater Department, the incident occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. and was contained less than two hours later. The spill entered a storm drain on McCall Street that empties into the bay, McPherson said.
As a result, county workers posted signs warning of the sewage-contaminated water at Kellogg Beach north and south of McCall Street, he said. The signs will remain in place until field measurements indicate the bay water is safe for recreational use.
Residents are encouraged to check the status by calling (858) 292-6414. For updates on beach closures, call the 24-hour hotline at (619) 338-2073, or visit www.beaches911.org.
Groundbreaking planned
for Harbor Drive bridge
A groundbreaking ceremony is set for later this month for the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge, a project that represents the final phase of the public right-of-way between Balboa Park and San Diego Bay.
The bridge, to be located at the foot of Park Boulevard at Harbor Drive opposite Petco Park, will allow Petco visitors and Convention Center guests passage across Harbor Drive. It will also connect the 2,000-space Port of San Diego parking garage with Park Boulevard. The 500-foot crossing is designed to improve traffic circulation and access to and from the waterfront and Barrio Logan.
Upon its completion, the intersection of Harbor and Park will reopen.
The bridge’s development represents a collaboration of local, state, regional and federal agencies, including the California Department of Transportation, the California Transportation Commission, the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), the San Diego Association of Governments and the Unified Port of San Diego.
The ceremony had been scheduled for July 30. The new date is pending. More information is available at www.ccdc.org.
IMAX Dome Theater
to close for upgrades
The Space Theater in Balboa Park’s Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, site of the Fleet’s IMAX Dome Theater and planetarium, will close Thursday, Sept. 4 to undergo a $20 million renovation that includes the installation of the first screen of its kind.
The project, called “Creating Possibilities, Inspiring Tomorrow,” includes funding for hands-on exhibits, educational outreach enhancements, an upgraded physical plant and a larger financial endowment.
The facility is scheduled to reopen in December or January and will feature the world’s first NanoSeam, or seamless domed screen, for brighter images and crisper colors; a 16,000-watt digital sound system; new seating and upgrades to the IMAX projector.
About 300 theaters around the country are IMAX compatible. IMAX, or Image Maximum, is a film format that can display extremely large images and can carry the detail involved in science fiction or nature films.
The Fleet’s IMAX theater, built in 1973 and measuring 76 feet in diameter, was the world’s first.
County high school
dropout rate hits 22.9%
New data based on the 2006-07 school year show that more than one in five San Diego County public high school students will drop out of school by their senior year.
The state Department of Education report says that 22.9 percent of the county’s public school students will drop out before they become seniors. The Hispanic dropout rate is 28.8 percent, while the black dropout number is 41.7 percent.
More than 15 percent of white students in the San Diego Unified School District “” the county’s largest ” will drop out by their senior year. The study adds that an estimated 30.5 percent of the district’s Hispanic students and 28.7 percent of black students drop out.
Some administrators caution that the figures are inflated because the report doesn’t take charter schools “” run independent of many educational statutes ” into account.
PL Actors to present ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
The Point Loma Actors and the merchants of Liberty Station Marketplace will be launching the inaugural performance of Shakespeare’s beloved “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” this summer.
The free performances will be presented on Friday, Aug. 8, followed by other performances Saturday, Aug. 16 and Friday, Aug. 22 at Liberty Station.
All performances will begin at 8 p.m. and will be held on the grassy historic Promenade in front of the fountain near Panera Bread, Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and Tender Greens.
Organizers said the events will offer members of the community an opportunity to enjoy a live theatrical performance outdoors featuring one of Shakespeare’s most known plays.
The play will be produced by David Sein and directed by Hannah Ryan. Parents and children are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs for comfort.
According to event organizers, this is the first theatrical production to be staged on the expansive grassy promenade, opening the potential for more entertainment and activities within Liberty Station Marketplace.
Flyers are available at Liberty Station Marketplace. For more information, call (619) 335-0221.
Event raises $60,000
for historical society
The San Diego Historical Society’s 2008 History Makers Gala at Liberty Station raised an estimated $60,000 on June 27 during an awards ceremony celebrating the contributions of many individuals and groups who made the society’s programs possible.
Winner of the 2007 Association of Defense Communities’ Base Redevelopment Community of the Year Award, the South Promenade at the former Naval Training Center (NTC) was the site for the event.
The 2008 History Makers Gala brought together more than 400 people.
The awards ceremony honored five individuals and groups who have helped Liberty Station become a successful model for Base Realignment Alignment and Closure Commission communities around the country. This year’s honorees were: Susan Golding, former mayor of San Diego; Jack Ensch, the final commander of the former NTC; Michael Stepner, former city architect of San Diego; Wayne Raffesberger, past president of the Point Loma Community Association and a community volunteer; and Wayne Donaldson, preservation architect and author of “Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties for NTC.”
The event also featured a special appearance by Mayor Jerry Sanders.
The 2008 History Makers Gala was co-chaired by San Diego Historical Society Trustees Ann Hill and Helen Kinnaird. The Master of Ceremonies was Dennis Morgigno of Channel 4. A special guest was David Kahn, who assumed his role as executive director of the San Diego Historical Society on Aug. 1.
Airport fetes 80th anniversary with SAN Skyfaire event
The San Diego International Airport will celebrate its 80th anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 16 with SAN Skyfaire, a festive gala to be held at the NTC Promenade at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Event organizers said the free event will feature music, dance, food, arts and educational booths, children’s art, free kites, Skyfaire wristbands and tree seedings at the NTC Promenade.
Airport officials said the event will be a celebration of the past and a preview of the future, with displays highlighting the airport’s commitment to the environment.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Rosecrans Road just off Rosecrans Street.For more information, call (619) 400-2880, or visit www.san.org.