Anthony Melchiorri, one of the most sought-after hotel "fixers" in the country, interviews La Jolla’s Krista Baroudi for Monday’s episode of “Hotel Impossible” on the Travel Channel. Travel Channel website photo

The program will focus on owner Krista Baroudi and her struggles to operate the oceanfront family resort, which was built in the late 1950s by her grandfather. The 110-room hotel sits on two acres of prime La Jolla shoreline.
For more photos from the show, see http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/hotel-impossible

Dist. 1 City Council Candidates Bryan Pease (center) and Dennis Ridz joined forces May 15 to support a year-round rope barrier at Children's Pool to keep humans and seals separated. A six-month rope barrier, which is up during the seals' pupping season, came down earlier in the day. Pat Sherman photos

By Pat Sherman

On May 15, as a six-month rope barrier meant to separate humans and seals at Children’s Pool was removed, advocates for keeping the barrier up year-round met above the iconic beach to state their case — most notably, a Republican and Democratic vying for the District 1 San Diego City Council seat.

Hours after the rope barrier came down, attorney Bryan Pease, a Democrat, and Dennis Ridz, the Republican chair of the Torrey Pines planning board, spoke in solidarity about what they view as the danger to both humans and seals by not maintaining a rope barrier during the summer. Both candidates blasted incumbent Dist. 1 Councilwoman Sherri Lightner for voting against the rest of her city council colleagues, who support the year-round barrier.

“Our message is simple,” Pease said. “If you want this mismanaged situation here, where people are encouraged to get way too closed to resting seals, vote for Sherri Lightner. If you want a better managed situation and you want to have a safe distance between people and seals, and protect our natural resources, vote for Pease or vote for Ridz. We’re both in favor of protecting this natural treasure in La Jolla and the rest of the city council is also in favor of it and voted two years ago to put this rope barrier up year-round.”

San Diego’s Planning Commission rejected permits for the year-round rope in December 2010, claiming that it prevented full beach access — a decision Pease said Lightner orchestrated behind the scenes.

“I had to sue the planning commission to overturn that decision,” he said.

The California coastal commission is set to rule on whether to allow a permit for a  year-round rope on July 11.

City Council candidates Dennis Ridz (left) and Bryan Pease agree that a year-round rope barrier should be established at Children's Pool. Both Dist. 1 city council candidates characterized incumbent Sherri Lightner as the lone obstructionist on the council preventing the year-round barrier.

Ridz focussed on what he called “an inordinate amount of time and money” being spent negotiating the issue via lawsuits.

“My understanding now is the only one who can put the rope back, if you will, is the mayor — who doesn’t seem to want to be involved,” he said.

Ridz questioned whether the city has the proper liability insurance to cover injuries to humans if they are bitten or attacked by seals, which can be especially territorial during mating season.

“People don’t understand that these are wild animals and the pups are going to be protected by their mothers, just like the picture of that little girl,” he said, noting one of several photos depicting incidences when curious humans wandered too close to seals. “One second she’s there with her mother, the next she’s gone over to pet what looks like a big dog. Someone’s going to get hurt and we don’t need that. … We don’t have the money for this.”

Ridz said he began to favor a year-round barrier several years ago, after attending mettings of the San Diego City Council and its various subcommittees, where the issue was discussed at length.

“I thought, we have this solved, and my council member basically went against what we were trying to do,” he said.

Asked for a response, Lightner e-mailed a statement  through council aide Jennifer Davies.

“My goal at the Children’s Pool has always been the same – to try to keep the peace so that locals, visitors and the seals are able to safely enjoy the beach,” the statement read. “That is why I found a private donor to fund a Ranger program to help educate and mediate.”

During pupping season, as would be the case with a year-round barrier, the public is allowed limited beach access for sunbathing, as well as a a three-foot strip down the east side of the beach to access the water, which is primarily intended for use by divers.

Seal advocate Dr. Jane Reldan (left, in blue) listened as diver David Johnson spoke to media in support of full human access to the Children's Pool during the summer.

Jane Reldan, a volunteer with La Jolla Friends of the Seals, said the beach has been deemed unsafe for swimmers by the county health department.

“This beach has a constant advisory because of the pollution,” she said noting a posted warning sign about high coliform counts, partly due to seal excrement and a drainage pipe that runs down Jenner Street and empties into the ocean at Children’s Pool. Both elements are tapped by a sea wall along the western border of Children’s Pool that is used for observation.

“I swim at the cove and there’s no problem … because the water washes in and out,” Reldan said. “The sea lions are all over (La Jolla Cove) and there’s no problem (with fecal contamination).”

Diver David Johnson, who does not support a year-round barrier, took advantage of the easy beach access May 15, diving at Children’s Pool during the press conference. Johnson said he often swims at La Jolla’s Shell Beach, though he was “too tired” that day and the waves at Shell Beach there were too strong.

“I had no problem with the rope as it was” during pupping season, Johnson said. “It’s good that it’s down because it’s not necessary. This is a legal city beach. These people drive us off in the middle of the summer when there are no seals on the beach. In the summer (the seal advocates) say the seals would be here if we would just be off the beach — and it’s just not true. In the summer there’s very few seals here, in the winter there’s more. It’s just a cycle.

“As far as the seals go … they’re like little submarines,” Johnson added. “When we swim in and out we see them sleeping in the seaweed. So there was no harm done to the seals from my swimming.”

Pease said he expects the Coastal Commission to vote with the city council majority and approve the year-round rope, though he and other seal advocates are asking the people who prefer a year-round rope to write the commission prior to July 11, expressing their support for the barrier.

To voice your opinion to the coastal commission, pro or con, send a letter C/O File6-11-078 to the California Coastal Commission, 7575 Metropolitan Drive, #103, San Diego, CA 92108-4402

For more information on the year-round rope barrier effort, visit lajollafriendsoftheseals.org

Countless veterans struggle to access adequate mental health treatment.

By Stephen M. Pfeiffer, PhD

In response to the overwhelming number of returning veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries and related mental health concerns, the Department of Veterans Affairs has initiated an expansion of military mental health operations effective last month. According to The Washington Post, the VA will bring on approximately 1,600 health clinicians, ranging from nurses and social workers to psychiatrists and psychologists. In addition, the VA mental health workforce of 20,590 will increase its support staff by 300, for a total expansion of more than 9%.

Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington supported the decision as a “desperately” necessary measure on behalf of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “Too often, we have seen staff vacancies, scheduling delays and red tape leave those veterans who have been brave enough to seek help in the first place left with nowhere to turn,” he told the Post.

Previous congressional hearings found what all too many veterans and their families have seen first hand – that treatment delays for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental health problems can lead to self-harm and even suicide. By expanding the VA mental health workforce, the government hopes to increase preparedness for new cases – and prevent a continuation of the oftentimes inadequate care resources that have plagued many veterans in recent years. However, as in the case of the Mental Health Parity Act of 2008, many believe that the expansion is long overdue – and that equitable treatment for mental disorders should become a much greater priority in all sectors of government.

Ensure fair mental health assessment with help from a Qualified Medical Evaluator

In 2011, the VA provided mental health care to 1.3 million veterans – up by 35% since 2007.  As troops return home from the deployment, the number will continue to grow, revealing just how prevalent mental health disorders are among military veterans and reinforcing the necessity of adequate and equitable care for the nation at large.

Increasingly, institutions are working to provide better mental health resources for employees. But the fact remains that, in the interim, many workers and veterans alike will suffer from undiagnosed or misunderstood mental ailments – and just as many employers will find themselves ill equipped to identify and evaluate workers comp claims pertaining to mental disorders. In such cases, a Qualified Medical Evaluator can provide essential diagnostic services and court testimony to ensure fair and comprehensive assessment. To learn more about these types of psychological services here in San Diego, email Stephen@PfeifferPhD.com or visit www.pfeifferphd.com.

Living as we do in San Diego County, homes sprawled from ocean to desert, around canyons, lagoons and bays, it’s not surprising we share space with much wildlife. Most of us are used to waking up to songbirds, watching hummingbirds hover in our gardens or gulls swoop down from high wires. And we are not always surprised when we open our front doors to see an opossum on the porch. But what do we do if we find abandoned baby rabbits in the garage or an injured animal or bird in the driveway?

Project Wildlife Education volunteer Amanda Plante handles Animal Ambassador KwaPai, an adult male Red-shouldered Hawk, during the group’s 2012 Wildlife Baby Shower event.

A hummingbird patient in a pre-release flight cage at the home of a Project Wildlife Satellite Care rehabilitator.

Project Wildlife Satellite Care volunteer Rae Dietsche, a member of the Hummingbird Team, feeds hummingbird hatchlings at her Poway home

We can turn to Project Wildlife, an organization that has been helping San Diegans live in balance with wildlife for 40 years. What started in 1972 as a husband and wife team rescuing wild animals in Alpine and training others to do the same has since grown into one of the largest non-profit wildlife rehabilitation organizations in the United States. The group takes care of about 10,000 animals a year from more than 320 different species in San Diego County, which is one of the most biologically diverse

areas in the country, according to Sarah Whorley, Project Wildlife communications manager.

Project Wildlife includes a full-time staff of nine, a part-time staff of 20-25 veterinary technicians, and about 525 volunteers who do everything from office work and educational outreach to transporting and caring for animals, cleaning cages and running rehabilitation centers in their homes.

The organization operates two triage centers where San Diego residents can drop off injured or abandoned animals. The North County center in Carlsbad is open only from mid-April to mid-September, the busiest time of the year, when most baby animals are born. The central center, at 887½ Sherman St., off Morena Boulevard, is open year round.

After being admitted, each animal is examined and stabilized, and given water and food if necessary. If it is a bird, it stays at the center, where care can include incubation and round-the-clock feeding for neo-natals, until the birds are ready for larger cages and, finally, release back into the wild. About 80 percent of the animals brought to the center are birds; the most common are the house finch, house sparrow, and mourning dove.

Birds with special needs and all mammals are transported to one of Project Wildlife’s satellite rehabilitation centers, categorized by type of animal — bat, opossum, fox, rabbit, raccoon, skunk, small mammal, hummingbird, raptor (owls, hawks, falcons, etc.), duck, songbird, and sea/shorebirds. The most common mammals brought to the center are the Virginia opossum and the cottontail rabbit.

In the busy season, this can mean as many as 100 animals a day, with people lining up and down the street, according to Whorley. In the less busy months, the average daily intake is about 10-15 animals. The amount of time animals spend recuperating varies from a few days to a few months, with the average being about 12 weeks.

About 40 percent of the animals people bring to the center survive, which is 8 percent above the national average. As soon as they recover, they are released back into their natural habitat, within three miles of where they were found.

As a non-profit organization, with an annual budget of $1.3 million, Project Wildlife relies on its volunteers and donations. In 2011, its volunteers contributed about 80,000 hours, according to Whorley. The organization also brings in money from two of its services: wildlife extraction (helping people remove animals safely and humanely) and educational outreach programs for schools, scouting, and other groups.

Project Wildlife’s educational program won the third annual ECO Ambassadors People’s Choice Awards last year sponsored by The San Diego River Park Foundation, SDG&E, and KFMB-TV Channel 8. This support and positive feedback from the community was very gratifying, according to Whorley.

And the more we can learn about living in balance with wild animals the better, said Whorley.

One common misunderstanding is that baby birds (or animals) have been abandoned if they are alone. Some mammals only check on their young every 12 hours, so it is best to wait. Some birds are fledglings learning to fly and can be put back in their nest or a makeshift nest.

Another misunderstanding is that opossums are dangerous or dirty. “People think they are a nuisance or that they have rabies but that’s not true. They clean up rodents, insects, snails, fruit and garbage and are good to have around,” said Whorley.

Project Wildlife

Emergency Wildlife:
(619) 225-9453
projectwildlife.org

Donations: (858) 866-0555, ext. 20

Wildlife Triage Centers

Central San Diego
887 ½ Sherman St., San Diego
Open 7 days a week, drop-off area open 24/7

North County
2481 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad
Open mid-April through mid-September
Open 1-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Tip: Wear Gloves

— The advice people receive when they call the Project Wildlife Hotline is to always wear gloves before picking up an animal and to not feed it. Unlike opossums, many animals such as bats and rodents do carry rabies and if they are brought in and handled without gloves, they have to be euthanized.

By Will Bowen

It was overcast and windy and the surf was up at WindanSea Beach on the morning of Sunday, May 6. The waves feathered overhead and only a few brave surfers were out, bobbing around like corks in the churning whitewater. Plein-air painters Rita Pacheco and Andrea Gaye were also out there, huddled over their canvases, brushes in hand, trying to stay glued in place, as they braced against the wind and huge surf just outside the splash zone on the rocks above the water.

Andrea Gaye painting plein-air style at WindanSea

They were cold and their hands were quivering from a combination of the weather and the excitement of trying to finish a painting of the crashing surf in just three hours for the plein-air competition, “Under the Sky,” coming to the La Jolla Art Association (LJAA) Gallery, May 17-June 3. The First Prize will pay $300.

Painter Sallie Sachse looked out enviously at Pacheco and Gaye from the sidewalk above the rocks. She, too, had her portable paints and easel and wanted to paint, but she couldn’t get down the steps to negotiate the rocks due to an injured knee. A dog she was walking that morning had sprinted off and pulled her hard to the ground — knee first.

Plein-air project curator Rae Anne Marks was on hand to comfort her, while barking encouragement to her painters at work below.

“I am freezing, but happy,” said Pacheco on her return to the sidewalk. “My hands are shaking, but I think I’m in an altered state, what they call ‘The Zone,’ at one with everything. Just look around! It’s fabulous … to paint and to enjoy nature here.”

Gaye piped in, “I was watching out for big waves because once before I was painting here and a large wave splashed over me and filled my paint box with water. I didn’t want that to happen again.”

Pacheco added, “It was overcast when I got here. A few years ago I would have just sat in my car and waited for the sun to come out, but now I am challenged by the overcast conditions. I was looking for an impression of the seascape to paint. I tried to create something that showed the qualities of good composition and restraint.”

Gaye said her goal was to capture the changing light before the sun came through. “I am used to painting in difficult conditions, “ she said. “I have painted in the snow in Julian and in the Mayan marketplaces in Guatemala. Some people think us Brits are a bit stodgy, but it’s not so. Actually, we are quite adventurous!

Rita Pacheco paints at WindanSea Beach

“I could sell the painting that I did today for about $750 — that’s $250 an hour. I know that sounds like a good wage, but as my teacher, Sebastian Capella, says, ‘Yes, it only took me three hours to make a $750 painting, but don’t forget it also took me a lifetime of study!’ ”

The sidelined Sachse said she’s envious of Pacheco and Gayle’s productions. “But I’m not worried because I have a painting of WindanSea at home that I’m going to enter in the show. I call it ‘Red Tango.’ It’s a somewhat non-traditional plein-air painting. I captured how the rocks at WindanSea turned red just for a moment as the sun set one day.
“The ‘Tango’ in the title refers to my parakeet. He’s not a touchy-feely type of guy — he likes chewing on grass and the sound of red fire trucks — but he inspires me to remember the importance of interaction in life.”

Exhibit curator Rae Ann Marks said she’s excited about the competition. “Right now, I have 28 plein-air artists in the show and more than 80 paintings, and I think I will get even more submissions,” she said. “I’m worried that I won’t have enough gallery space for all of them! Luckily, plein-air works are usually small, so I should be able to hang them all.”

Marks said there is resurgence in the popularity of plein-air paintings and the exhibit is expected to draw a crowd. “I took on this project because I want to revitalize and reinvent LJAA,” she said. “I want to shake things up and elevate the status of the association so that it can again be the great organization it was meant to be.”

IF YOU GO

What: ‘Under The Sky’ plein-air exhibit
Where: La Jolla Art Association Gallery, 8100 Paseo del Ocaso
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to June 3
Admission: Free
Awards Reception: 5-7 p.m. Saturday, May 19
Contact: (619) 252-9564
Website: lajollart.org