Seal activists say pup was stepped on
Seal activists and locals claim weekends at La Jolla’s Children’s Pool have been heating up between activists on both sides of the issue “” and for the animals at the center of the controversy, harbor seals.
Marissa Streibler of the Animal Protection and Rescue League said a loner baby seal has been the object of tourists’ affections. But animal activists are worried about the marine mammal, because last weekend Streibler said children kicked sand on him and a man stepped on him.
City crews removed the rope barrier at Children’s Pool at the end of May that had been keeping humans from getting too close to the seals during pupping season, and although signs warn of high bacteria levels, tourists continue to use the waters.
At least one elephant seal joined the Children’s Pool harbor seal colony recently; San Diego lifeguards said the small elephant seal mingled with the colony the past few days, and Craig Decker, producer of “Spike and Mike’s Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation,” said he also saw a sea lion.
“There was an elephant seal there and on Sunday a sea lion was on the rock,” Decker said. “Three breeds or types of seals are down there.”

Peters addresses Village vandalism, crime spree
Residents around La Jolla discovered they’ve been victimized recently by a string of car thefts and vandalisms on Mount Soledad and in the La Jolla Shores area.
“We had a recent situation in the Shores area where a woman found nuts and bolts underneath her car,” said Jim Heaton, president of La Jolla Shores Association. “It was for the platinum in her catalytic converter. They are literally stealing catalytic converters off of cars.”
A string of vandalism that escalated from the perpetrators using BB guns to tossing bricks and cement blocks through the windshields of cars at six homes on Mount Soledad has residents frustrated, Heaton said.
One Soledad resident who was a vandalism victim last weekend warded off a car thief hours earlier.
In an e-mail, Kasia Biernacki described the man that tried to steal her car Sunday morning, but she confronted him and he sped away, she said.
“This was just rampant vandalism,” Heaton said. “Stones and bricks thrown at houses and Kasia thought it was from the previous guy.”
While Biernacki may have scared her thief away, Izzy Tihanyi, co-owner of Surf Diva Surf School, wasn’t so lucky. According to Tihanyi, a thief took her car Saturday morning between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.
“I heard a light knock at my door “¦ then my husband went outside a few minutes later and my car was gone,” Tihanyi said.
Keely Sweeny, representative for City Council President and District 1 Councilman Scott Peters, said she will coordinate between residents and the police department, mainly to set up a neighborhood watch.
“The whole neighborhood is very concerned about the crime going on and something needs to be done immediately,” Tihanyi said. “I think a neighborhood watch is a good idea. I just hope it would work.”

Hands-free cell-phone driving law looms
The state’s new “hands-free” cell phone laws, which will take effect Tuesday, July 1, prohibit all drivers from using a handheld wireless phone while operating a motor vehicle.
However, drivers 18 and older can use a hands-free device. It will be illegal for all drivers 16 and 17 years old to use either a cell phone or hands-free device while behind the wheel.
The San Diego Police Department is allowing a 30-day grace period and will begin issuing citations on violations beginning Aug. 1. Other law enforcement agencies, such as the California Highway Patrol or sheriffs, could possibly issue tickets for drivers using cell phones. The penalty will be $97 for the first offense and $211 for the second.

Sheele begins anti-aging lecture series
George A. Scheele, M.D., will give four free health lectures on anti-aging techniques beginning Tuesday, July 2, at the Riford Adult Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. The lectures run from 7 to 8 p.m. and include refreshments.
The first lecture is “Lose Weight and Improve Core Body Health” with the Factor4 Weight Control Program developed by Scheele, a physician, inventor, scientist and author.
Scheele was trained at Johns Hopkins and served as a professor of medicine at The Rockefeller University, Harvard Medical School and Yale University.
The following three lectures are July 16, July 30 and Aug. 13. For information, call (858) 459-0831.

Recruits needed for cancer prevention study
The American Cancer Society’s Department of Epidemiology & Surveillance Research is looking for between 200 and 400 San Diegans to participate in the Cancer Prevention Study Three (CPS-3).
Those who are interested must be between the ages of 30 and 65, with no personal history of cancer. After signing a consent form, enrollees will complete a brief written survey, and provide waist measurement and a small blood sample. Society researchers will follow them for the next 20 years through bi-annual questionnaires. The information is confidential.
There will be an enrollment opportunity Saturday, June 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the La Jolla Relay for Life.
The 24-hour relay is a campout designed to increase awareness of cancer and to raise money for prevention and education.
The Relay for Life takes place at the North Track at UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive.
Cancer survivors will be honored with a special lap around the track, and a luminaria ceremony will take place after dark. Each luminaria is decorated with the name of a cancer survivor or someone who succumbed to the disease. Minimum donation is $10 per luminaria bag.
Cancer survivors may register for the Relay for Life by calling (858) 442-5521.
For general information, visit www.events.cancer.org/rfllajolla.

Charity poker event slated at Liberty Station
Matt Vasgersian, Channel 4 San Diego’s voice of the Padres, will host the second annual charity Texas Hold’em Tournament today, June 26. The event will be held at the NTC Promenade/McMillin Event Center at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Vasgersian has enlisted a slew of local celebrities and sports greats for a night of poker playing fun to benefit two local charities “” Tender Loving Canines assistance dogs and the Fallen Officers Fund. Celebrities anteing up in support include San Diego Padres catcher Michael Barrett, former Padre Wally Joyner and Padres’ bullpen, hitting, pitching and bench coaches.
Poker players of all levels are encouraged to register soon for the no-limits, 400-player maximum tournament.
Walk-up registration, space available, begins at 4:30 p.m.; pre-registration begins at 5 p.m.; and the first round of play will begin at 6 p.m.
The early entry fee is $200 per player until June 24, with a one-time $100 optional re-buy fee the day of the event. The walk-up fee is $250 and there is a non-card playing spectator fee of $50.
For registration and more information visit www.4sd.com.

Monumento a Cabrillo lanza concurso de fotografía
Los funcionarios del Monumento Nacional Cabrillo han iniciado un concurso de fotografía hasta el 31 de julio, lo que permitirá a los residentes tener la oportunidad de que su imagen capturada aparezca en miles de pases anuales para parques de 2009.
The contest is designed to attract submissions of everything from the Juan Rodriguez statue and the 19th-century Old Point Loma Lighthouse to spectacular images of San Diego Bay, tide pools, the ocean and wildlife.
The Cabrillo National Monument Foundation will award three prizes that include foundation memberships and gift certificates.
Photos will not be returned and become the property of the Cabrillo National Monument and Cabrillo National Monument Foundation; Complete contest rules and photo submission guidelines can be found at www.cnmf.org.
For more information, call (619) 557-5450.