Bishop’s student, mother die in small plane crash
A small plane carrying a 12-year-old Bishop’s School student and his mother crashed onto Highway 4 in Concord around 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, while trying to land at nearby Buchanan Field Airport.
The small plane, a single-engine Piper Malibu registered to John Frank Mauricio, 78, of Las Vegas, Nev., took off from Montgomery Field Airport in San Diego. Mauricio, his wife Alice Mauricio, 73, also of Nevada, and their daughter Alyce Dreher, 45, of San Diego, were all pronounced dead at the scene, according to a report by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The 12-year-old boy, initially identified as Robbie Dreher, was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, and died during an emergency surgery, the CHP report said. The boy was a seventh-grader at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla. Alyce Dreher was a San Diego attorney.
The deaths were confirmed by Suzanne Weiner, Bishop’s pubic relations director.
“I think the entire school community is saddened by the loss,” she said.
John Frank Mauricio, who was thought to be operating the aircraft, allegedly lost control of the plane while trying to touch down for a second time at the airfield. Instead the aircraft collided with a dirt median on the highway, tumbled across the eastbound lane of traffic and landed on the shoulder of the highway, the CHP said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration took over the investigation and were at the scene of the crash early Friday, Dec. 22, according to the CHP. Rain and fog were thought to be factors in the accident.
An e-mail message sent at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22, to students, parents and staff of the Bishop’s School read, “Our community has suffered a tragic loss.”
The e-mail also explained that the family had been traveling to northern California to support the Bishop’s girls soccer team, which was playing in a San Francisco tournament. Cassandra Dreher, Alyce Dreher’s daughter, is a member of the team.
A gathering at St. Mary’s Chapel at the Bishop’s School was held Dec. 22 to offer support for students and parents. The headmaster and faculty members were also present, Weiner said.
“A large number of students came together to talk it over, to hug and to look to the school for support,” she said, adding that services will be held privately for family and the school community.
To offer support for the Dreher and Mauricio family, e-mail Bishop’s public relations department at [email protected]

Murder suspects arrested in La Jolla
Two men from West Virginia were arrested Sunday, Dec. 24, in connection with the death of a 45-year-old man found near the sea wall at the foot of Narragansett Street in Ocean Beach earlier that morning.
Wilford Lohr, 59, and his son, Matthew, 22, were taken into custody at 2:50 p.m. after police located them on La Jolla Shores Drive. Both have been booked into County Jail for murder.
Police and lifeguards responded to the scene at 7 a.m. after reports that a body was lying on the rocks near the sea wall. Due to the condition of the body, the death was deemed suspicious and homicide detectives were dispatched. Although the victim has been identified, police are withholding his name until the family is notified.
After a preliminary investigation, detectives determined that the victim had been in an altercation with two men, initially believed to be Irish but later identified as the Lohrs. Both men are believed to have been in the San Diego area for a week prior in search of work.
To report information about the incident, call the SDPD Homicide Unit, (619) 531-2293, or the anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline, (888) 580-TIPS.

Tanenbaums can be recycled for compost
Christmas trees that brought holiday cheer to homes across the city can bring life to yards and gardens as compost.
This year, the city is offering 17 drop-off locations specifically for Christmas trees, as well as curbside pickup for residential customers with yard waste collection. The goal is to divert the green waste and create a second use as mulch, compost and wood chips, which is available year-round free of charge at the Miramar Greenery, 5180 Convoy St.
According to the Environmental Services Department, organic plant materials compose 20 percent of Miramar Landfill’s current mass. Trees thrown in the regular trash or dumpster end up in the landfill, taking up valuable space.
The drop-off sites ” which include Kate Sessions Memorial Park at Soledad Road and Loring Street in La Jolla and Swanson Pool at 3585 Governor Drive in University City ” are currently open and will continue to accept trees during daylight hours through Jan. 23, 2007.
Trees from commercial lots or fund-raising projects will be accepted at the Miramar Greenery.
All trees should be stripped of lights, stands, ornaments and other decorations. Flocked trees are acceptable.
For more information, visit www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/ or call (858) 694-7000.

La Jollan shares 80th birthday with La Valencia
Jane Coursin has lived in La Jolla since 1970. Through her business, Importancia Contemporary Ethnic Jewelry, and by volunteering frequently within the community, the resident has made a name for herself.
In fact, Coursin’s name may be almost as eminent in La Jolla as that of the La Valencia Hotel, which has been a landmark in La Jolla since 1926 ” the same year Coursin was born. And this year, both will be celebrating their 80th birthdays together.
“People know me in La Jolla pretty well,” Coursin said by phone last week from her vacation home in Phoenix, Ariz. “My father was one of the early San Diego Bay settlers and had been here in San Diego since the turn of the century.”
Coursin’s three daughters have planned a birthday luncheon for her on Thursday, Jan. 4, at the La Valencia restaurant and will invite 20 of Coursin’s closest friends to tell funny stories, Coursin said.
La Valencia is located at 1132 Prospect St. For more information about the hotel and restaurant, call (858) 454-0771 or visit www.lavalencia.com.