Elder abuse in Pacific Beach Elder abuse comes in many different forms. In our home it rears its ugly head whenever the phone rings. Everything comes to a halt; newspapers are lowered, television volume muted. Mother is the frequent target of fraud calls geared toward acquiring her personal information. In 2008 we closed her checking account three times. Each occurred after a conversation with a pleasant person voicing concern regarding her bank account. They assured her that their services would prevent any unauthorized parties from accessing her funds. On two separate occasions I stood over her and had her repeat the conversation. Both times I was able to show her the deception they had used on her. And each time resulted in our rushing to the bank before the information could be used. Recently she received the second of a different type of call. When she answered the phone she was delighted to hear one of the grandkids calling. After exchanging pleasantries I heard her say, “Oh, dear, that’s too bad.” Up went my radar. Sure enough, this as-yet unidentified grandchild was relating a tale of woe about a trip to Canada and being stopped and detained by the police. Money was needed immediately. Time was of the essence. Tow and storage fees for the car were accumulating. Could grandma help out? This time I was on the extension phone. Sometime during the conversation Mother had put a name to the grandchild, and was assured that “Yes, this is me, grandma.” A couple of specific questions on my part ended the call. Mother was quite angry that I would hang up on him when he needed her help, so I had her call his store in Texas. Five minutes later she was apologizing to me and we sat down and had another little talk. Even after she took the district attorney’s seminar on fraud, Mother still occasionally has a lapse. But she knows now not to give out personal information, even if they claim to be from the bank. She tells the person to send any requests through the mail and she will examine them. This morning was her shining moment. Another grandchild called from Canada. After a few minutes of commiseration Mother gently lowered the hammer. “Sorry, I won’t be able to help you.” Happy 91st birthday, Mother. You did good. Julie Reed, Pacific Beach The time is now So much has been happening of late in our lives, hasn’t it? Everything from international threats to a serious downturn in our economy. It hasn’t been easy and difficult times still lay ahead for us all, so it’s said. So, what does this mean to you and me and to our little communities here in Southern California? Perhaps we might consider such adversities as an opportunity to come together; to help one another and to help our neighborhood.  Perhaps, we might see that it’s not unlike finding ourselves with a lemon and deciding to make lemonade. And what might one do to help make such a positive difference? As an example, in our beautiful little community of Pacific Beach, one might consider becoming active with the Pacific Beach Town Council. They’re really looking for more folks like you. They really need you. And there’s so much one could be a part of with the town council. There’s the Safe and Beautiful Committee that is doing all it can to help clean up our neighborhoods. There’s the Neighborhood Watch program where we can learn how to watch out for one another. And of course you can be a part of many other activities as well. Call the Pacific Beach Town Council office any weekday morning at (858) 483-6666 for more details about what you might consider taking part in. You can also take a look at the town council website at pbtowncouncil.org. Other things are going on that you might find to be of interest as well. The Discover Pacific Beach organization has a newly redesigned web site you might want to check out: pacificbeach.org. And there’s the SavePB group which can be found at SavePB.org. Yes, there are lots to see and lots of things you can get involved in. There is also an interesting and educational time waiting for you at pacificbeach.tripod.com. There you’ll find everything from community activities and detailed crime reports to some great involvement opportunities. You’ll also want to check out the blog on the website. It’s where you’ll find an original brainstorming idea for our community. And yes, you can get involved in that blog, too. And that’s how it’s going.  A lot of problems in our time and a lot of opportunities for you to get involved in solving problems and having fun while you’re doing it. It’s all here for you and the time is now. Jonathan West, Pacific Beach My neighborhood has changed My kitchen window looks out over Emerald Street not too far from the beach. I love to watch the ever-changing parade that goes by. In recent years that “parade” gradually got noisier, language a little more foul, especially on the weekends. When I passed some of these people on the street, the “young” ones, they would look down or pretend to look somewhere else. I was beginning to not like this “younger generation,” with the loudness, the “about me” attitude, and I never wanted to be that way. In the last year, the change started and I wondered if I was imagining it. The “surfer dudes” were looking me in the eye, smiling and saying “hi,” as well as the groups of young girls, young couples. Out of my window I was seeing young people heading to the beach, laughing, talking and smiling, no “F” words. More families, older and younger parents walking by, happy. So now I understand. We have a lot of terrific “younger generation.” They just haven’t been around for a while. Could it be a nicer class of young people have moved in the neighborhood, people who don’t care if the beach “isn’t fun anymore” because they can no longer drink on the beach? I think so. Marilyn L., Pacific Beach