Armed robber strikes OB gas station The San Diego Police Department’s Robbery Division is investigating the June 20 armed robbery of the Shell Station at 4974 Voltaire St. in Ocean Beach. According to police reports, a 5-foot-8-inch, 140-pound white male suspect entered the gas station shortly after 5:30 p.m., displayed a handgun and demanding cash and cigarettes. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes, the suspect fled on foot on southbound Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. At the time of the robbery, the suspect was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. PLHS’s Silberman a National Merit finalist Alex Silberman, a fresh graduate of Point Loma High School (PLHS), has excelled with academic distinction — and the accolades keep coming.  Silberman has been a Gold Scholar recipient three of his four years at PLHS and was a Silver Scholar recipient during in his sophomore year. In February, Silberman was notified that he was a National Merit finalist. He is the only one from Point Loma High School. Of the 1.5 million entrants across the country, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT Selection Index Scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Of the 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT, 34,000 receive letters of commendation. Silberman was notified June 18 (PLHS graduation day) that he was selected as the winner of a National Merit Scholarship by National Merit University of Southern California Scholarship. Silberman has been admitted into the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He received a Presidential Scholarship for being a National Merit finalist. He will receive a half tuition scholarship for four years. He was admitted to an honors program, the Thematic Option, limited to 200 entering freshmen. Book details plight of homeless man who died San Diego author h. Alton Jones will soon launch his new book, “The Man on the Bench,” which chronicles the life of a mentally-ill homeless man who came to Point Loma and sat on the same bench for 20 years before his death. Jones will host a public event Thursday, July 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Wine Pub, 2907 Shelter Island Drive, to autograph copies of the book and discuss his relationship with the subject of the book — schizophrenic Jeffrey Pastorino.    Pastorino came to Point Loma in the early 1990s. He sat down on a bench and soon became a fixture at the corner of Rosecrans Street and Avenida de Portugal. When he died in August, most residents didn’t know his real name or his history, but seemingly everyone had seen the man on the bench. Over a period of many years, Jones slowly built a relationship with Pastorino and ultimately became a trusted friend. The book not only gives insights into the world of a severe schizophrenic, but also tells the story of how Jones tracked down the Pastorino family and resurrected the history of the man who touched the hearts of so many Point Lomans. “The Man on the Bench” is available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon and other book sellers. OBMA still selling street fair T-shirts The Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA), which organized the popular OB Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival on June 26, still has event T-shirts and tank tops available, according to OBMA officials.  They will be for sale at the OBMA farmers market booth every Wednesday and at the OBMA office (1868 Bacon St., #A) Mondays through Fridays.  All proceeds from the T-shirt and tank top sales help pay for the Fourth of July community fireworks display at the Ocean Beach Pier and for beautification projects in OB.  To purchase items or for information, call (619) 224-4906 or visit www.oceanbeachsandiego.com. Fresh & Easy to host free summer barbeque In celebration of the summer grilling season, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has again partnered with Neil Strawder, a.k.a. Bigmista, an award-winning grilling expert, to barbeque for its customers at various stores throughout the summer. Fresh & Easy officials are inviting neighbors to bring their friends and family to enjoy the free barbecue at its Point Loma store on Saturday, July 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Catalina Boulevard location. Strawder will be grilling the Fresh & Easy Grill Pack, which consists of chicken, Italian pork sausages and quarter-pound beef patties, and serving high-quality sides to customers, along with providing grilling tips. For more information, visit www.freshandeasy.com or www.bigmista.com.