Hospital emergency training may snarl traffic
An emergency training event will be the cause of likely traffic delays Wednesday, July 23, from approximately 8 to 9 a.m. at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, 9888 Genesee Ave.
As part of Golden Phoenix 08, a coordinated emergency training event taking place throughout the county July 21 to 24, Scripps caregivers and law enforcement personnel will be conducting a simulated response to a mock bio-terrorism attack.
From 8 to 9 a.m., officers dispatched from two military helicopters will set up barricades and inspect all vehicles entering the hospital, practicing traffic control at the main traffic intersection of the hospital, just off Genesee Avenue.
Local law enforcement agencies will practice protecting the hospital as a critical infrastructure asset to remain operational during any disaster. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department will practice “wash downs” of victims and first responders “contaminated” with bioterrorism materials as well.
Scripps develops disaster response strategies for its five hospital campuses and 10 Scripps Clinic locations at its office of disaster preparedness and holds a strong record of plan and response to disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the 2007 San Diego wildfires.

T & T seeks officers for board
Mark T. Broido is seeking his replacement after four years as chair of La Jolla’s Traffic and Transportation Board. The board is also seeking a vice-chair and secretary. Nominations will be accepted at the July 24 meeting, Broido said in a letter.
“I am looking forward to resigning my position once a solid replacement is found,” Broido said. “With your support, this replacement could be nominated in July and elected in September.”
According to Broido, the public can elect T & T officers from other groups. Broido asked for area group members to nominate volunteers for open positions from other committees.
¦ I encourage you strongly to consider their skills and recommend them, as appropriate. As with many of the volunteer boards, there is some skill that comes with experience, and we particularly welcome those with some time at T & T,” he said.
According to La Jolla Community Planning Association President Joe LaCava, joint committees like T & T “provide some of the most important service to the community.”
While experience with T & T is preferable, LaCava said any resident is welcome to join the committee.
“Anyone who is passionate about solving traffic issues in La Jolla, whether it is the major issues that face us all or the smaller issues that might only affect a few neighbors, should think about this opportunity,” LaCava said.
La Jolla’s Traffic & Transportation Board will meet at 4 p.m. July 24 at La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St.
For more information, go to www.la-jolla-traffic-and-transportation-committee.

Gotch to be remembered at Crown Point
Mike Gotch will be remembered in a “celebration of his life” during a gathering on Crown Point Shores Friday, July 18, at 3 p.m. according to his longtime assistant Evonne Schulze.
While living in Mission Beach and working for the County of San Diego as the executive director of the Local Agency Formation Commission, Gotch first ran for public office in 1979, when he won the District 6 seat on the San Diego City Council. At that time, District 6 covered Clairemont, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach.
Gotch was host of plans to create the Ocean Boulevard boardwalk near the Crystal Pier, the redevelopment of Belmont Park, cleanup of stormwater going into Mission Bay, completing the walkways around Sail Bay, the 20-year extension of the De Anza Cove lease from 1982 to 2002, the managed growth elements of the City General Plan and many other accomplishments.
He went on to serve two terms representing the beach area in the State Assembly from 1990 to 1994. Schulze was his chief of staff while on the City Council and in the Assembly.
He stayed in Northern California as a consultant until he was hired by Gov. Gray Davis to serve as legislative secretary to the governor. Gotch represented the governor’s policy interests to the elected legislators and state agencies. He resigned the position months before that administration began to collapse.
“I keep a close eye out for the interests of San Diego,” Gotch said while serving in the governor’s office in 2001.
Gotch died May 18 at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla of skin cancer at the age of 60. He had been living in Borrego Springs.
He is survived by his wife Janet, his father Howard of Arizona, brothers Jeff of Napa and Steve of Glendora, sister Deborah of Pauma Valley and Myhro.
The gathering on Crown Point will be around the grassy rise on the easterly shore. Dress is casual.

Area rattlesnake bites proving unusually potent
For the second year in a row, medical center toxicologists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are reporting unusually powerful rattlesnake bites and unusually extreme reactions to those bites.
“Our victims are showing symptoms of severe weakness, trouble breathing and low blood pressure this year,” said Richard Clark, M.D., director of the UCSD medical technology division and the San Diego medical director of the California Poison Control System. “We really don’t know why the venom is becoming increasingly potent. Some speculate that, with the modern world encroaching on nature, it could be survival of the fittest.”
Snakebite symptoms can include extreme pain at the bite location, nausea and sometimes diarrhea, followed by swelling in the mouth and throat. The most common injuries are to the fingers, hands and feet; the bites result in tissue damage and swelling. Within minutes, the victim can become lightheaded and go into shock. UCSD toxicologists reportedly see 50 to 60 snakebite cases a year.
August is said to be the peak month for reported bite cases.
UCSD toxicologists emphasize that traditional first aid treatments, such as applying ice or a tourniquet, are of little value and may cause further injury. They advise bite victims to seek emergency treatment at a hospital or a nearby care facility.
UCSD will soon be conducting clinical trials for a new antivenin product.

Sharks attack at Birch Aquarium!
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) will dedicate a week of activities and giveaways to celebrate the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, July 19 through 26.
The aquarium teamed with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Discovery Channel to bring shark-related activities for aquarium attendees.
Birch will include shark-friendly activities with admission, including a meet-and-greet with the local sharks and their relatives.
“Discover why sharks are vulnerable and must be protected,” aquarium spokeswoman Jessica Crawford said in a press release. “Learn from Scripps Oceanography scientists about research discoveries and conservation efforts that may help sustain declining shark populations.”
Birch Aquarium will hold daily activities throughout the week, including daily live shark encounters, special giveaways from the Discovery Channel, more than 10 shark species on display and SIO shark experts ready to answer the public’s questions. Workers will feed sharks during several shows inside the aquarium’s kelp tank.
The two-story kelp forest feeding shows will take place Saturday, July 19, 2 p.m.; Sunday, July 20, 10:30 a.m.; Tuesday, July 22, 10:30 a.m.; Thursday, July 24, 10:30 a.m.; and Saturday July 24, 2 p.m.
Shark Week begins airing at 9 p.m. nightly, July 20 through 27, on the Discovery Channel.
Birch Aquarium is open daily at 9 a.m. Admission is $11 for adults, $9 for seniors over 60 and $7.50 for children ages 3 to 17. Children age 2 and under are free.
The aquarium is located at 2300 Expedition Way. For information, visit http://aquarium.ucsd.edu or call (858) 534-FISH.