In November Pacific Beach Town Council heard about the plight of bees from a local high school student and the importance of saving them, and were also briefed on a pipeline replacement project.
It was also Catherine Jolley’s last meeting as Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) president. Jolley thanked residents and spoke of PBTC’s annual installation dinner Saturday, Jan. 30 at Mission Bay Yacht Club starting at 5 p.m. Cost is $35 before Jan. 23 and $40 at the door.
City staffers Lisa Maclarty and PIO Monica Munoz clued residents in on ongoing construction with Pacific Beach pipeline replacement.
“We’re replacing more than six miles of water and wastewater pipeline, some of it more than 100 years old and in much need of refurbishment or replacement,” said Maclarty, noting project construction is now on Ingraham Street headed south toward West Mission Bay Drive.
“The entire project is expected to be done by May 2017,” Maclarty said, adding that work is being done nights between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m with no road closures.
“Once construction is done, we (city) will be resurfacing all the affected streets and putting in curb ramps, which will make them accessible for people with disabilities,” she said.
Mission Bay High School student Martina Pulido, who noted she’s “very passionate about bees,” discussed their dwindling numbers while imploring residents to be concerned.
“We need to do something about it (bee decline) as a community,” Pulido said. “It’s a global problem, but we as a community can make a difference.”
The global bee decline is linked to industrial agriculture, parasites/pathogens and climate change, as well as the loss of biodiversity due to the widespread use of bee-killing pesticides threatening honeybees and wild pollinators.
“Some of my favorite foods are avocados, cherries, oranges and pecans, and without (pollination by) bees, these would all be gone from grocery stores,” Pulido said. “Bees pollinate about 90 percent of the world’s food crops outside of bread grains and rice. It’s very tragic.”
Pulido pointed out bees are dying because of environmental-stress related changes, pesticides, pathogens and “a whole bunch of factors that really everyone has contributed to.”
Pulido called upon beach residents to become more aware of bees.
“You can educate your neighbors that bees are here to help us, do no harm to anyone, and that the best thing you can do is spread the word that bees are important – not just flying annoying little insects that want to sting you,” she said, while suggesting people put “basins of water outside because bees work so hard and get thirsty.”
Pulido added she’d like to “create awareness in the schools,” about bees suggesting the possibility of a future “beefest,” wherein “people could buy raw honey and have some competitions with neighbors as to who has the most bees in their gardens, etc. Just play with it and have a little fun.” In other action:
• During non-agenda public comment, Paula Gandolfo gave a brief report about community gardening noting donations are being requested at www.seedmoney.org.
• Also, Matt Gardner, who owns bike rental shops in Mission Beach, noted an ad hoc committee is being formed to deal with issues surrounding DecoBike, which has installed bike stations on the boardwalk. where the community has said they’re not wanted.
“This committee will be what DecoBike has to go to before they can have any plans vetted,” Gardner said adding, “Now we’ve got something with some teeth finally.” • Also during non-agenda public comment, Paula Gandolfo gave a brief report about community gardening noting donations are being requested at www.seedmoney.org. • A Crown Point resident thanked the town council for supporting the initiative to get a crosswalk put in at Crown Point Drive, noting the crosswalk was “not just a community issue but something that affects San Diegans and tourists alike.”