Peninsula YMCA to break ground on gymnasium The Peninsula Family YMCA will open a new chapter Feb. 20 with the groundbreaking of phase 2 of expansion at the Claude and Gladys Family YMCA — the heart of which will be the new Haas Family Gymnasium. The Haas Family Gymnasium (phase 2) will expand YMCA programming and will serve as an extension of Correia Middle School during school hours for physical education classes and be used by the YMCA for basketball, gymnastics and other programs at other times. Additionally, the school district will share some of its parking to create a unique community collaboration that helps local youth. Phase 3 is expected to begin in early 2011 and will include a new two-story complex with group exercise studios, community meeting rooms, teen/senior technology lab, expanded lobby, and an expanded fitness and wellness center. Phase 1 of the construction was completed in 2006 and included locker room renovations, a new therapy pool, poolside family picnic area and landscape enhancements. Residents are invited to the Feb. 20 celebration at 4390 Valeta St., adjacent to Correia Middle School. The event will include a free poolside barbecue, community swim, bounce house and surprises. The groundbreaking ceremony will also include a special program to honor key project donors and feature remarks by District 2 City Councilmember Kevin Faulconer, San Diego Unified School District board member John de Beck and other civic leaders. The Ryan Family Charitable Foundation made a lead gift of $1 million to the YMCA in 2003 to begin the project. In 2007, the Haas Family announced a $500,000 gift to the project, followed by $4.4 million in contributions from 100 other major donors. For more information, call (619) 226-8888, or visit www.peninsula.ymca.org. City readies to repair six coastal stairways The city of San Diego has begun the permitting process to repair beach access stairways and walkways in six locations. “Most of them are old. It’s old concrete. Saltwater and erosional forces just take their toll on them,” said Helene Deisher, project manager with the city’s Development Services. “There’s some walkways that have been undermined a bit.” Locations on the list in Ocean Beach are the Old Salt Pool stairway at the terminus of Narragansett Avenue at the ocean, the Orchard Avenue walkway and the Pescadero Avenue lower stairway. Other areas identified as needing work in Pacific Beach are the Diamond Street walkway and the Capri by the Sea walkway/stairway west of Ocean Boulevard between Chalcedony and Missouri streets. Repairs in La Jolla are intended for the south Casa De Mañana stairway west of Coast Boulevard between Jenner Street and Ocean Lane. The process to gain permits is in the very beginning stages and a project date has not been established. A source of funding has not been identified and the cost has yet to be determined, Deisher said. The project is for repairs and maintenance only and no new design work will be included. Lifeguards initiate two rescues minutes apart Two surfers lost their boards recently when their leashes broke, forcing both men to be rescued at Sunset Cliffs on Jan. 31 around 10:30 a.m. Surf hovered around four to five feet at the time, according to Lt. Andy Lerum with the city’s Lifeguard Service. Lerum said the first surfer lost his board near Osprey Point and came dangerously close to the rocks as he tried to retrieve it. A former lifeguard and now firefighter saw the distressed surfer and swam out to help him, Lerum said. A lifeguard rescue boat picked both men up. Shortly after, a second surfer was stranded near the rocks when his leash broke as well. A lifeguard on a Jetski made the second rescue.  Funds awarded for dredging Mission Bay The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $5.3 million stimulus contract to Manson Construction Co. of Seattle, Wash., to dredge Mission Bay. A start date for the project has not yet been determined. The project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which President Barack Obama signed into law in February 2009 to help in the recovery of the U.S. economy. “This project will vastly improve navigation in and around Mission Bay by clearing out sand that has shoaled into the channel over the years,” said Scott John, of the Corps’ Los Angeles District, who is managing the project. “We have been working closely with the City of San Diego as well as the San Diego Lifeguard Service on this project to make sure that we dredge the areas that need it most, protect important environmental resources and enhance the recreational resources at Mission Beach.” John said the job will dredge approximately 500,000 cubic yards of sand from the federal channels, which were last dredged in 1984. Manson will place most of the material on Mission Beach, where it is compatible with the sand already there. OB planners seeking board candidates The Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) will conduct its annual election on Tuesday, March 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave.   Candidate petitions may be obtained from the OBPB or by e-mailing [email protected]. All candidate nomination petitions must be submitted by Feb. 14. Candidates must present to the board a nominating petition signed by at least 35 electors of the OBPB district in which he or she desires to run, must be at least 18 years old and meet at least one of the following criteria: • Has been a resident of the OBPB district for at least 30 consecutive days.?• Is the owner of real property situated in the district for at least 30 consecutive days.?• Is a business person with a business address in the district at which employees or operators of the business are located for more than 30 days.  Voters may also place advisory propositions upon the election ballot by submitting a “qualified” proposition petition at a board meeting.  To be qualified, the proposition must be verified by the OBPB secretary as having been signed by 225 electors within the Ocean Beach planning area. The Ocean Beach planning area is bound to the east and south by the middle of Seaside Street from Nimitz Boulevard to Greene Street, the middle of Greene Street from Seaside Street to Froude Street, the middle of Froude Street from Greene Street to Adair Street, the middle of Adair Street from Froude Street to the Pacific Ocean and extending seaward to the city limits. Maps of the planning area are available at www.oceanbeachpb.com. For information, call (619) 224-1280 or e-mail [email protected]. Peninsula planning board to hold election The Peninsula Community Planning Board is seeking candidates to run for several open seats. Candidates will vie for the positions during an election March 18 at the Hervey/Point Loma Branch Library, 3701 Voltaire St. Ballots will be cast from 4 to 8 p.m., with a candidates’ forum prior to the election. To qualify, a person must be at least 18 years of age, be a Peninsula community property owner or resident, or be a local businessperson with a business address in the Peninsula community and have attended at least one of the last six board meetings prior to the March election meeting. Applications can be obtained online at www.pcpb.net or by calling (619) 224-9897. Mail applications to Helen Kinnaird, 3215 Tennyson St., San Diego, 92106. 2010 California Open Wildlife Art Festival More than 150 artists and carvers from parts of the United States, Canada and Japan will converge on Liberty Station the weekend of Feb. 13-14 to compete for awards and exhibit their work during the 2010 California Open Wildlife Art Festival. The event, which features a popular wildfowl and fish carvers’ competition, takes place at the NTC Promenade’s Corky McMillin Event Center, 2875 Dewey Road, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.  The 37th annual festival is sponsored by Pacific Southwest Wildlife Arts (PSWA), Inc.  PSWA is a nonprofit organization founded to support and promote wildfowl art, particularly the traditional hunting decoy.  The show has gained a national reputation as one of the best decoy competitions and wildlife art shows in the country.  The entry cost is $5; children under 12 are admitted free. This show is funded in part by the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.  For more information, call (619) 421-1034, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.pswa.net. Girls on the Run launches spring signups Girls on the Run, an organization striving to foster self-esteem, physical improvement, emotional well-being and healthy lifestyles in young women ages 8 to 12, will soon host signups for the spring 2010 season. Each 12-week session combines curriculum with training for a 5k event. The objective of Girls on the Run is to decrease the number of at-risk behaviors among participants, including reducing eating disorders and adolescent pregnancies, substance/alcohol abuse problems, depression and confrontations with the juvenile justice system, according to organizers. The new session begins Feb. 1 and concludes May 1. Registration remains open until Feb. 19. Registration takes place in Point Loma at NTC Promenade at the field at the corner of Cushing and Womble streets on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 5:15 p.m. For additional information or to register, visit www.gotrsd.org. Cabrillo civic clubs to offer scholarships  The Cabrillo Civic Clubs of California (CCCC) opted to offer 155 scholarships of $500 in June to senior students who qualify for the honor. The decision was made by the CCCC during the organization’s recent convention at Lake San Marcos Resort. According to CCCC officials, applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or better, be of Portuguese descent and have been involved in school activities. Completed applications are due March 15 to Alda Lawrence, 12823 Kent Ave. Hanford, CA, 93230. Applications have been sent to all local and county schools. Applications will be screened in April and winners will be notified in May, according to CCCC officials. For more information, call (760) 305-8021, or e-mail [email protected].