Coronado Common Sense

501(c)3 Relief Fund Established To Help The Families Of The Fallen Firefighters

 

Prescott, AZ Memorial for fallen firefighters. Photo by Susan Quihuis-Bell.

 

The Yarnell Fire is believed to have been started by a lightning strike on Friday, June 28, 2013.

 

It has been estimated that the fire has already destroyed 8,300 acres. It is currently 0 percent contained.

 

On Sunday, June 30, 2013, 19 fire fighters were killed in the line of duty while fighting the blaze.

 

The United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, together with the Prescott Fire Fighters Charities, have established a 501(c)3 relief fund to help the families of the fallen at any Chase bank. Ask for the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association Account set up to benefit fire fighters killed in the Yarnell fire.

 

Every penny of your tax deductible contribution will go directly to the families.

 

Additionally, donations can be made through the 100 Club or the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

Three Coronado Meetings Canceled This Week

 

Several meetings previously scheduled for this week have been canceled. Please make note on your calendars.

 

• Coronado City Council meeting on July 2nd CANCELED. Next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 16th.

• Historic Resource Commission meeting on July 3rd CANCELED. Next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 17th.

• Coronado Tourism Improvement District meeting on July 4th CANCELED

Watch Out For Jelly Fish

 

The City has experienced a higher than average number of jelly fish stings over the past two weeks. When stung, it is best not to rub the area but rather wash it with fresh water and/or spray with a solution of one part white vinegar to 10 parts tap water and then rinse again.

 

Stingray stings have been abnormally low. Remember to shuffle the ground when entering the water to avoid encountering a stingray. Here is a Coronado Lifeguard handout on jelly fish and sting ray stings. Click on the handout below to get a larger version.

 

Source: 06.28.13 City Manager's Weekly Update

Second-Hand Smoking Ordinance Survey

 

CORONADO, CA (June 26, 2013) - Coronado is asking the public for help as it considers a second-hand smoking ordinance.

Current federal and state law prohibits smoking in certain enclosed public places such as restaurants, places of employment, etc.  The City of Coronado hopes to get the community's input as it considers adopting a second-hand smoking ordinance that would prohibit smoking in various open, outdoor public places. 

To assess the opinion of Coronado residents, the City has created a survey. Please fill out the short survey, which is being circulated on paper and online.

• To take the online version, click on, type or cut-and-paste the following link into your computer: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MS6NQXM.
•  To take the paper version, please click here for a copy that may be printed then either mailed or delivered to City Hall c/o Jerome Torres, 1825 Strand Way, Coronado, CA 92118.

 

Please take or return the survey by Friday, July 5, 2013. The survey also may be dropped off at the Second-Hand Smoking Ordinance Public Workshop to be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 27, 2013.

 

The City of Coronado appreciates your input.

 

Source: City of Coronado

Free Summer Shuttle Coming To Coronado In Early July

 

Here's an update on the Summer Shuttle after the City Council approved converting the local MTS 904 bus into a FREE Summer Shuttle. The Summer Shuttle will operate every day during the summer from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Summer Shuttle will serve the area between Civic Center and the Coronado Island Marriott including the Ferry Landing.  Each bus will be "wrapped" with special graphics that promote Coronado and the most popular shuttle destinations such as the Hotel del Coronado, Historic Downtown, Ferry Landingband the Coronado Island Marriott.  Special bus stop signs and promotional material will also be created to promote the free shuttle.  Look for this new free Summer Shuttle hitting the streets in early July.

 

Source: 06.21.13 City Manager's Weekly Update

Ron Donoho, Gary & Lisa Carter, And Joe Ditler To Pen Manuscript For Clooney's "Coronado High" Movie

 

"TSG signs local journo Ron Donoho to pen the true story of THE CORONADO COMPANY, to be lensed in San Diego by George Clooney."

 

"Ron Donoho, a freelance writer and past editor of San Diego Magazine, San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles and SanDiego.com, comes together with Coronado residents Gary and Lisa Carter and Joe Ditler to write a book about the Coronado Company, a group of Coronado High School students and their Spanish teacher who started smuggling pot out of Tijuana by surfboard in 1972 and evolved into a global drug empire before getting busted in 1981.

Clooney’s movie is said to be based on an article, published in the July, 2013 issue of GQ, by Joshuah Bearman, whose story for Wired magazine became the award-winning movie Argo.

As part of his research for the GQ piece, Bearman interviewed Gary Carter and Ditler and sampled a bit of their extensive catalog of research and photos, collected over 13 years of interviews and investigation.

THE CORONADO COMPANY will be the true and indepth story of this incredible saga, told with the nuanced understanding that only witnesses and long time residents can bring.

The book is due to be published by La Jolla-based The Sager Group in Spring, 2014."

 

Source: The Sager Group

Fourth Of July Preparations Underway

 

 

Photo courtesy of Coronado Tourism Improvement District

 

CORONADO, CA (June 21, 2013) - The City of Coronado has been busy preparing for its daylong Fourth of July festivities that include a parade, 15K race, rough-water swim, community concert and fireworks show, among other things. Locals should also be prepared for the big crowds expected for this event-filled day.

As part of the Fourth of July planning, City officials are working to get the word out about parking restrictions, road closures and safety zones. Large crowds are expected at the various events being held all around Coronado.

Here is the list of events:

 

7 am: 37th Annual Independence Day 15K Run/5K Run-Walk; Registration/start at Tidelands Park; http://kathyloperevents.com/cor15K/

 

8 am to 4 pm: Art in the Park; Spreckels Park at Sixth Street and Orange Avenue; http://www.coronadoartassn.com/

 

9 am: 55th Annual Rough Water Swim; Central Beach; registration at 7:30 a.m.; http://www.july4roughwater.org/

 

10 am: 64th Annual Independence Day Parade; Orange Avenue; Parade Participants

 

4 pm: Concert in the Park at Spreckels Park; Coronado Community Band; http://coronadoconcert.com/

 

9 pm: Fireworks Show over Glorietta Bay broadcast live on radio station KYXY 96.5 FM; Big Bay Boom over San Diego Bay; http://www.bigbayboom.com/

 

See parade line-up here.

 

Click here on the map below to see a larger image of the parade route, fireworks display areas, portable toilets, bus stops and no-parking areas.

With the Fourth of July holiday falling on a Thursday, traffic is sure to be an issue citywide. Drivers are advised to arrive early to find the best parking particularly for the parade, which begins at 10 am.

The Coronado Police Department will create a safety zone, within a one-block radius of the Orange Avenue parade route, to ensure event security and to provide an area for emergency vehicles and City cleanup crews. Signs will be posted in advance, notifying people of the upcoming closure.  Barricades will be erected and more signs will be posted in the days immediately preceding the parade.  Please note that vehicles found in this area once the barricades are up WILL BE CITED AND TOWED.

Things to keep in mind this Fourth of July holiday:

POLICE: Officers will be strictly enforcing bans on alcohol on public streets, in City parks and on the beach. Bans also are in effect for tents and overnight camping, fireworks and unleashed dogs.

 

TRAFFIC: Orange Avenue will be shut down in both directions during the parade from First Street to RH Dana Place, beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting until about 1 p.m. Additionally, streets around the parade staging area - bounded by First Street to the north, Orange Avenue to the east, Third Street to the south and Palm Avenue to the west - will be closed to through traffic.

 

PARKING: In addition to the restrictions in the parade safety zone, other parking restrictions will be in place on July 4.  Parking is permitted along the northbound and southbound lanes of State Route 75/Silver Strand Boulevard north of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, where it is normally allowed.  However, no vehicles may park AT ANY TIME along the medians of State Route 75 from Pomona Avenue to Tulagi Road, or along the southbound or northbound shoulders of State Route 75 south of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado south, where parking is always prohibited.

 

RV PARKING: The RV staging area for entering the Silver Strand State Beach is north of the Coronado Cays guard shack along the western curb of Coronado Cays Boulevard.  In the Village area, RV parking will be temporarily permitted Thursday along Glorietta Boulevard and along State Route 75 on the City Hall side, or across from the Coronado Shores. However, no overnight sleeping or awnings and pop-outs are allowed.

 

PARADE: No one may stake out a viewing spot in the City's medians to watch the parade until 6 a.m. on Thursday, July 4.  Any items placed in the medians to reserve spots before 6 a.m. will be removed and stored by Public Services. Any items removed and taken to Public Services may not be retrieved until July 5.

 

BOAT RAMP: The Glorietta Bay Boat Ramp will be closed during the 15K race, which begins at 7 a.m., and again during the fireworks display, which starts at approximately 9 p.m.

 

FIREWORKS: A fireworks show will be discharged from a barge in Glorietta Bay at 9 p.m.  The show will be broadcast live on radio station KYXY 96.5 FM.  The show will last approximately 16 minutes.  The Port of San Diego's Big Bay Boom fireworks show will be discharged simultaneously from barges placed around San Diego Bay, and at the Imperial Beach Pier. Those shows will be broadcast live on the radio on 105.7 FM.  No stopping or parking is permitted AT ANY TIME on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, a state highway, to view the fireworks show.

 

FIRES: No fires are permitted outside of the established fire rings located near Coronado's Dog Beach and at Glorietta Bay Park. 

The City reminds residents and visitors to keep a watchful eye on their children.  Parents of lost children should contact a Police Officer, security staff or call 911.  For non-life-threatening emergencies, Police Dispatchers can be reached at (619) 522-7350.

Public Services crews will be out cleaning up at the different events but City officials ask that people leave the City as clean as they found it. To reach Public Service crews to report overflowing trash bins, damaged barricades or broken tree limbs, call (619) 522-7380.

Have safe Fourth of July holiday and please don't drink and drive.

 

Source: City of Coronado website

Don’t Let Crime Ruin Your Summer

Summer is a busy season for crooks. Homeowners go on vacation and leave homes unprotected. Other homeowners might leave windows open to beat the heat.  Both of these make homes an easy target for criminals.

 

The San Diego Sheriff’s Department is reminding residents about its free vacation check service, which they offer to residents year round. Residents who live in the unincorporated areas or sheriff contract cities can sign up to have a Sheriff Senior Volunteer Patrol come check on their home.

 

The senior volunteer patrol will perform a security inspection outside the home Monday through Saturday. They check to make sure doors, windows and the garage are locked. They also hide newspapers and packages in a side fence or back patio.

 

If the patrol sees anything suspicious or unusual, they call a deputy to investigate.

 

To sign up for the service, visit www.sdsheriff.net. Click on the Vacation Home Checks box to get to the form and then take it into your nearest Sheriff’s station or substation to verify your identification.

 

For those staying home, it’s important not to get too lax with security around the house.

 

As summer approaches, people take advantage of the sunny weather to do outdoor projects, take their families to fun places, relax and keep cool. It can be easy to forget to close a door or window, but if they are left open it creates an easy opportunity for a burglar.

 

Sheriff crime prevention specialists compiled some handy tips to help residents better safeguard their homes and vehicles,

 

At Home

• Always lock your doors and windows especially at night and when you're away
• Close your garage and pet doors
• Secure ladders and tools so they can't be used to gain entry into your home
• Be wary of anyone who approaches your front door and don't let them take up too much of your time. Criminals work together; one will come to your door and distract you while the other sneaks into your home
• Ask for an ID of a utility person
• Be a good neighbor, lookout for one another
• Excessive dog barking could be a sign of an intruder and may warrant a call to the Sheriff's Department
• Report suspicious activity to the Sheriff's non‐emergency line (858) 565‐5200
• Sheriff's Crime Prevention Specialists offer a free security check to show vulnerabilities in your home. Call your local Station or Substation. For more information, click here

 

When going on vacation

• Lock up your home, activate your alarm
• Don't broadcast your plans on social media
• Hold the delivery of your mail and newspaper or ask a trusted friend to pick them up for you
• Buy a timer for your lights and set them in a random pattern
• Ask a neighbor to occasionally park in your driveway
• Sign up for a FREE vacation check so Sheriff's Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) members can keep an eye on your home. Visit www.sdsheriff.net

 

Car Safety

• Never leave your car running unattended, even to dash into a store
• Always roll up your windows and lock your car even in hot weather
• Never leave valuables in plain sight
• Park cars in well‐lit areas
• Never leave any keys in the car or ignition

 

Source: San Diego County News Center

Good Eggs Or Bad Eggs? A Sure-Fire Test

 

How fresh are those eggs in your refrigerator? You're hungry for an egg salad sandwich, but the expiration date on the carton has come and gone. But you REALLY want that sandwich. Use the method shown below and then you'll know for sure!

 

Coronado Beach Still A Top Ten Beach

 

Coronado Beach is no longer on Dr. Beach's Top Ten Beaches. The list of Top 10 Beaches is produced annually by coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach. He is the director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research. Coronado Beach moved steadily upward on Dr. Beach's list until it reached #1 in 2012. But it is nowhere to be found on that Top Ten this year.

 

But no worries . . . those summer tourists will continue to arrive so that they can enjoy the warm silver sand beneath their feet and the cool ocean breeze on their faces.

 

Coronado Beach made the 10 Best Beaches for Families in 2013 list, picked by the "family vacation critic®". FVC writes:

 

"Coronado Central Beach (and really anybeach in this area) never disappoints. There's plenty of parking lots (which are often free) and shower and bathroom facilities available. Lifeguards are on duty, and the clear-blue waves are picturesque as they calmly sweep ashore. It's a great spot for boogie boarding and body surfing, and the tide pools during low tide are a hit with kids."

 

Who needs to pay for a vacation when you live in one of the best tourist destinations around?