Alcohol may be banned from city beaches, but some residents think it still flows too freely in Pacific Beach.
At its March 19 meeting, the Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) asked if anything could be done to curb the number of liquor licenses issued. The town council also discussed recent bylaw changes as well as Project Heart Beat, a countywide program that improves the survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest victims.
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) stopped sending email notifications of expansions and other liquor license changes last month, town council director Marcie Beckett said. “How can we monitor?” she asked.
PBTC President Ruby Houck said she learned of the Pacific Beach Shore Club’s planned expansion after she happened to spot a sign outside the establishment. “It’s pretty huge,” she said of the proposed addition.
Though the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) has been opposing recent expansions, “in most cases they will be granted,” Lt. David Nisleit said.
Asked if Assemblywoman Lori Saldaãa could help prevent new liquor licenses from being granted, Melanie Cohn said that the state legislature does not have direct oversight of ABC. Cohn also said that the recent lapse in email notifications could be due to a limited number of ABC representatives, a possible result of state budget cuts.
Sean Wherley, a representative of State Sen. Christine Kehoe, called the budget stalemate “a perfect storm.” In response to the same question on what could be done to stop new liquor licenses in Pacific Beach, he said Kehoe is not prepared to offer legislation on the issue.
Meanwhile, the handrails at the boardwalk are again being replaced, Thyme Curtis, a representative from Councilman Kevin Faulconer’s office, said. Since recently installed stainless steel rails rusted within a couple of months, the city is exploring other alternatives, such as railing with a sanded-down surface or protective clear coating. The city also plans to reweld seams along the rails, Curtis said.
The railing may be deteriorating, but the overall condition of the boardwalk is improving, Nisleit said. “The atmosphere is changing along the boardwalk,” he said.
“The beach alcohol ban should help” as police ramped up for spring break and prepare for the peak summer months, Nisleit said.
Returning to the Northern Division after working on the beach team in 1995, Nisleit said two separate beach teams will be patrolling during the day and night, with additional officers working Thursday evenings. Extra officers also will work overtime on busy weekends such as the Fourth of July, which falls on a Friday this year.
Security cameras like those installed in Mission Beach could be coming to Pacific Beach. “We’re going to be raising money in PB and we’re going to need everyone’s help,” Curtis said.
The the Beach Area Community Court (BACC) also needs volunteers, Curtis said. Volunteers can serve as work crew supervisors or community impact panelists, informing misdemeanor offenders how such crimes as public urination affect residents’ quality of life. To volunteer, call the PBTC offices, (858) 483-6666.
Curtis said residents can also take advantage of a new program sponsored by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
As part of its Dusk to Dawn program, SDG&E will install a light on an existing pole for monthly rental fee. Call (800) 411-7342.
A countywide program, Project Heart Beat, has saved 48 lives since it began in November 2001, program coordinator Maureen O’Connor said.
She said that while 48 may not sound like a huge number, it gives her chills to think that these people would not have survived if they hadn’t had immediate access to an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Project Heart Beat provides AEDs to facilities such as Mission Bay High School, which has one machine, and recreation centers. Houck said an AED saved the life of a man who collapsed while playing basketball at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center.
As the leading cause of death in San Diego County, sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, O’Connor said. Though people tend to think the elderly are more vulnerable, a child with an undiagnosed heart condition can collapse without warning, she said, adding that sudden cardiac arrest is not age- or gender-specific.
Because of the sudden onset and severity of the condition, with every passing minute, chances of survival decrease 10 percent.
The average arrival time for paramedics is six to nine minutes, O’Connor said.
“Every second counts, every second matters,” said Enrique Christopherson of Cardiac Science. “There’s a very small window of opportunity.”
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, more commonly known as CPR, will not save the life of someone during cardiac arrest, Christopherson said.
While many people are trained in CPR, most have not used an AED, but they should not hesitate to do so, he said, because the machine will talk the user through the procedure with voice prompts.
In a live demonstration, Christopherson showed how, after opening the lid of the machine, the user is instructed on everything from how to remove the shock pads from their wrappers to where to place them. The user is then instructed when and how to administer a shock, when to stop and whether shock is even necessary.
“You cannot shock a person who doesn’t need it,” Christopherson said, because the machine will only administer the jolt if it detects a sudden cardiac arrest rhythm.
Christopherson also said that anyone who uses the machine in good faith is free from liability, so people should not be afraid to pull the machines from the wall and use them.
“Wherever there’s a human heart, there should be a defibrillator around,” Christopherson said.
The machines cost $1,500. The San Diego Foundation has a fund for donations. For information visit sdfoundation.org.
In town council news, the Special Events Committee denied a permit request of StayClassy.org, an organization with more than 5,000 members that holds various social and philanthropic events. The group asked to hold its charity jam fund raiser at Pacific Beach and Grill, 806 Garnet Ave., and the adjacent parking lot. The committee denied the request because they felt the event, featuring more than 15 bands and disc jockeys on four stages, was too alcohol-centered. The city could still approve the permit. "It will be interesting to see what happens," Houck said.
The town council’s board of directors approved recent bylaw changes affecting the amount of time directors can serve, mail-in ballots, the status of members who lapse on their dues, special meetings, committees and appointments. For detailed information, visit pbtowncouncil.org.
The PBTC will hold its next general membership meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at the Earl & Birdie Taylor Library, 4275 Cass St.