OB, POINT LOMA BANK ROBBER DRAWS 3-YEAR TERM
An Ocean Beach bank robber has been sentenced to three years in state prison after he completed a 90-day diagnostic study in which authorities recommended prison. Douglas Michael Ellens, 40, was handed the term by San Diego Superior Court Judge Leo Valentine Jr., who reviewed a report by prison officials. Probation was denied on May 23.
Valentine said drug addiction was the reason Ellens robbed three banks in Ocean Beach, Point Loma and Clairemont. He could have received seven years for his guilty pleas in the hold-ups.
Valentine ordered Ellens to pay more than $1,700 to the Comerica Bank at 3361 Rosecrans St., and more than $1,000 to the U.S. Bank branch at 4827 Newport Ave., which were robbed on Sept. 12, 2013 about an hour apart. Ellens received credit for 290 days in jail and was fined $4,603. Ellens was arrested Sept. 13 in a Midway-area motel room where some of the stolen money was found. A GPS tracking device was placed with the money at the third bank he robbed, which led police to the motel.
No one was injured and no weapon was shown, although the prosecutor said Ellens wrote on two notes that he had a gun. One teller quit after being robbed.
— Neal Putnam COMMUNITY INVITED TO FETE LOCAL FIRST-RESPONDERS AT BBQ Enjoy a barbecue with all the fixings at the beach and give local first-responders a pat on the back at the same time on Saturday, June 7. The Public Safety Appreciation Barbecue is being put on by umbrella group Respect OB, which is a partnership of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association Crime Prevention Committee, the Cleaner Streets Initiative and the Ocean Beach Town Council.
Anyone may attend the barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. at Veterans’ Plaza at the foot of Newport Avenue. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12. The event is free for local lifeguards, police officers and firefighters. Some seating will be available but it may be a good idea to bring blankets or chairs, organizers said. For more information, visit obtowncouncil.org/event/respect-ob-public-safety-appreciation-barbecue.
— Tony de Garate OBMA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR ANNUAL STREET FAIR The Ocean Beach MainStreet Association is looking for some helping hands to volunteer in various capacities during the 35th annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival on June 28.
Volunteers may sign up for three- to four-hour shifts and receive a free event T-shirt. A variety of jobs are available, including setting up and breaking down the chairs and tables at the eating areas, helping sell T-shirts and miscellaneous OBMA products, selling tickets to the chili cook-off, assisting with the community mural and other tasks.
To volunteer, leave a message at (619) 224-4021 or e-mail [email protected]. Applications may also be downloaded from the OBMA website at www.OceanBeachSanDiego.com. DANA MIDDLE’S SURF CLUB TO HOST ‘ENDLESS SUMMER’
Dana Middle School’s Surfrider Club will be showing a family-friendly surf movie, “Endless Summer,” at the Dana auditorium on Friday, June 6. from 5 to 8 p.m.
All are welcome to attend the special screening of Bruce Brown’s iconic movie, presented by Dana’s Surf Club members. The auditorium will be rocking with hoots and hollers as audience members follow two surfers on their journey to surf summer waves year-round across the globe. Tickets are $4 online at www.danaassociation.org or at the door for $5. Children 5 and under are admitted free. POINT LOMA STUDENTS FINALISTS IN CONSERVATION FILM CONTEST
Three sets of Point Loma High School students were among the finalists for the city’s annual Waste No Water Film Contest Red Carpet Premiere on May 21 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center IMAX Theater in Balboa Park. The event, wherein the winning films from 11 finalists were shown on the big screen, is part of an effort to engage student filmmakers in the concepts of water conservation and re-use awareness. The finalists from Point Loma High:
• Brian Lithicum and Declan Robinson for their film “Water Is as Sweet as Candy,”
• Blake Brubaker and Devon Knox for their film “Wasteland,” and
• Kimberly Cole and Louise Johansen School for their film “The Breakup.”
Among the judges was widely acclaimed former PLHS visual and performing arts educator Larry Zeiger, BestFest Film Festival.
For more information about the film contest, visit www.sandiego.gov/wa-ter/conservation.  For more information about water conservation, visit www.wastenowater.org or call (619) 515-3500.