Sunset Saga: News Updates

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August 2003

Quote of the month:
"We do our best work when we've been drinking."
—Jacqueline Gregory

News
Quality of life takes a dive
The United Way of San Diego County released survey results from the "Outcomes and Community Impact Program" which showed that residents of San Diego believe there is a decline in the ability to meet a variety of health and human care needs. The annual survey included more than 3,600 residents contacted during the summer and fall of 2002. Highlights of the findings included: There has been a decline in the number of people receiving essential services; the proportion of the population with medical coverage has declined; the number of households with at least one person unemployed has increased; overall satisfaction with essential services has decreased.

On the other hand...
A study by the Milken Institute rated the city of San Diego as the fifth best in the nation for job growth, wage and salary growth and high tech output. Last year's study ranked San Diego number 1. In March, California CEO magazine rated San Diego number 1 in California in its "Best Cities for Business" study. Meanwhile, the Reason Policy Institute rated San Diego the "most efficient big city" in California and sixth in the nation.

Triking through the West
Magician Loch David Crane is at it again. The guy who rides his Star Trike motorcycle through the streets of San Diego is off on his summer tour, giving free magic show performances at hospitals, Air Force bases and reservations. This time he is riding his "Stealthy Trike," making a loop up to Vegas, Wyoming, South Dakota, Denver and then the Southwest. He will arrive in Sturgis, S.D., in time to photograph the notorious annual Sturgis Black Hills Motorcycle Rally for Trike Magazine.

Brew & View
Movie goers who are fed up with long lines and stale popcorn at the theaters now have a fun alternative with San Diego's Brew & View, movies with beer. Event sponsor Transient Productions has begun to present quality independent films at some of San Diego's favorite local taverns. The idea was hatched when a couple of guys were at the Sundance Film Festival and started joking about the times they snuck booze into movie theaters without getting caught. July's movie was held at the Whistlestop Bar in Southpark. For more information see www.johnryanshea.com.

Bugging out
Fans of IMAX cinema now get the chance to explore the tiny world of the insect in a scale that is larger than life. Imagine seeing the eye of a fly magnified up to 250,000 times its normal size. The IMAX film "Bugs!" takes viewers to worlds where raindrops fall like grenades and a leaf weighs more than a car. The movie stars real insects — Papilio, a butterfly, and Hierodula, a praying mantis. "Bugs!" begins Aug. 8 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park; www.rhfleet.org.

Squirreling away the plague
The County of San Diego announced that two ground squirrels found at William Heise Park, south of Julian, were inflected with wild rodent plague. This plague can be carried by fleas and transmitted to humans. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, chills and development of a swollen/tender lymph node. Suggested precautions for campers in the San Diego outback include: avoid contact with chipmunks, squirrels or other wild animals; do not rest or camp near animal burrows; do not touch or fondle a sick or dead rodent.

Review
Not much happened in July. A record 500,000 people celebrated the Fourth of July along San Diego city beaches. Seems like a new record is set each year and still the locals are amazed at the amount of trash left behind. They just can't seem to believe that lots of people equals lots of trash. What can we do about it? After all, these are public beaches.

The San Diego County Fair closed after the holiday weekend and it, too, claimed record crowds. Then, the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club held a record number of games during its 50th annual Over-the-Line Tournament, an abortionated version of softball on the beach. Comic-Con 2003 drew another record crowd of morons, misfits and nerds to the San Diego Convention Center and once again clogged downtown traffic. Then, the Del Mar racetrack opened another season of horse racing on July 23 and another record crowd attended opening day. Ho-hum. Meanwhile, the fabulous San Diego Police Department has yet to find the murderer in the July 3 shooting of Gregory Angert at his downtown pawn shop even though the crime took place at 12:30 in broad daylight in a busy commercial district. Just another crime victim who will soon be forgotten in paradise. Who knows? Maybe the new police chief will light a fire under the homicide detectives. The San Diego City Council unanimously conformed William Lansdowne as the new San Diego police chief. He was formerly the chief of police for San Jose. This guy and his whole family is really dedicated to law enforcement. His wife, Sharon, is a retired cop, and one of his sons, Greg, is a sheriff in Santa Cruz.

Preview
• Point Loma Summer Concert Series Arts Festival, free, Aug. 1 and 8, 6-8 p.m., Catalina Boulevard at Point Loma Park, www.plconcertseries.org

• San Diego Sports Arena events: Magic 92.5's Old School Summer Jam, Aug. 2; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Aug. 6-10; Iron Maiden in Concert, Aug. 26

• Annual Party on Ocean Beach Pier fund-raiser, Aug. 8, 5-9 p.m., OB Main Street Association, (619) 224-4906

• San Diego Cat Fanciers Show, world's largest and most prestigious feline registry, Aug. 9-10, San Diego Concourse, 202 C St., www.cfain.org

• 30th annual Midnight Madness bike ride through the streets of San Diego, Aug. 16, events begin at 8 p.m., ride begins at midnight, 20 mile course, wear your jammies, (619) 645-8068; www.midnightmadness.active.com

• America's Finest City Half Marathon, Aug. 17, 7 a.m., starts at Cabrillo National Monument and ends in Balboa Park, www.afchalf.com

• La Jolla Benefit Kayak Fishing Tournament; Aug. 30, start at La Jolla Shores boat launch ramp. 4-7 a.m., weigh-in at Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores, noon-2 p.m. deadline; sharks, rays and calico bass not eligible; $35 in advance, $45 day of event; open to all non-motorized, human-powered water craft, including paddleboards; (619) 461-7172, www.kayak4fish.com

New issue of Sunset Saga on Sept. 1
• Summer is over, but the beaches are no longer crowded. Yea!!!
• Don't miss the new adventures of A Newspaper in Paradise, Tequila City and Crustacean Chronicles.

Do you know how to get to Tequila City? Just click on the Tequila City icon in the left column near the top of this page. Once the Tequila City page opens, click on the Tequila City banner or the picture of the guy standing in the ocean or the words Tequila City at the top left corner of the Tequila City page. Enjoy your visit!

Anybody having trouble finding the new chapters of A Newspaper in Paradise, Crustacean Chronicles, Tequila City or any of the other ongoing stories? Once you click on any page of these stories, just scroll to the top right. All the links to the past chapters are on the upper right hand column of the pages. There are lots of chapters on this site.

Sunset Saga, www.sunsetsaga.com, Tequila City, A Newspaper in Paradise, Crustacean Chronicles, Cityside Saga and San Diego Saga are copyrighted by John Gregory, 2003. All rights reserved.