Lifeguard of 38 years retires

After 38 years and more than 900 rescues, Del Mar Lifeguard Jim Lischer is calling it a career.

“I’m in search of warmer water,” he said.

Today will be Lischer’s last as a full-time Del Mar lifeguard, although he will continue part time as a trainer. A retirement potluck will be held Saturday on the beach in his honor. Lischer said he would eventually spend his newfound time traveling to Tahiti, Hawaii and Australia to find parts of the ocean with less of a chilling effect. Despite moving on to warmer waters, Lischer said he would miss the community and the people he worked with the most.

“People come to my job for recreation, so they’re coming to the beach with a good attitude or a release from stress,” he said. “I meet interesting people coming in search of happiness. The ocean is happiness, and the beach is a way to enjoy life.”

Putting minds at ease: Alzheimer’s agency is critical resource for caregivers

Approximately 50,000 people in San Diego have Alzheimer’s disease, the fourth-leading cause of death in the county, according to the Alzheimer’s Association/San Diego Imperial Chapter. Calculate the number of family members, friends, neighbors, employers and acquaintances of each of those individuals, and the number of lives impacted by the disease skyrockets.

“By 2030, there will be over 90,000 people in San Diego with the disease,” said Beth Davidson, director of resource development for the organization. “In that time, the number of Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders with the disease is expected to triple.”

Most individuals with Alzheimer’s receive care at home from at least two caregivers, 75 percent of whom are women. Because many of these caregivers miss work, leave a job or go part time, California employers lose about $1.4 billion annually in productivity.

Del Mar resident turns 100

Del Mar resident Henry Dalessio celebrated his 100th birthday this month, complete with a cake from his friends at Del Mar Community Connections.

“We adore Henry and we miss having him on the (grocery shuttle) bus,” DMCC program director Heather Glenn said.

Dalessio, originally from New York, wore his bright blue Brooklyn Dodgers jacket to his impromptu party. It came before a lecture on brain plasticity, or the way the brain “rewires” itself over time, by UC San Francisco professor Michael Merzenich.

“We thought that showing everybody a centurion would be a great way to kick off the talk,” Glenn said.

Del Mar letter carriers to collect food donations on May 8

Del Mar letter carriers will collect nonperishable food items, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, on May 8 as part of Feeding America’s Stamp Out Hunger! campaign.

Donations should be left next to mailboxes in sturdy bags prior to the time of delivery. Food items should be in nonbreakable containers, such as boxes and cans. Food donations may also be taken to the Del Mar post office.

For information, go to helpstampouthunger.com or call (858) 452-FOOD (3663).

Teresa Jacques sees the big picture and works to better it

Teresa Jacques came to San Diego in 2001 as a global human resources executive with more than 20 years of international experience within the telecommunications, oil field services, and professional services sectors.

Since arriving in San Diego, Jacques has volunteered to lead efforts to support various philanthropic causes.

Since 2008, she has been a board member of the San Diego Women’s Foundation and currently serves as chair of the foundation’s marketing committee.

Jacques has served on the Board of Casa de Amparo, co-chaired the San Diego Chamber Orchestra 25th Anniversary Fundraising Gala, and is chairing San Diego’s 1st eco-inspired golf tournament “Swing for Kids,” which will benefit Armed Services/YMCA, Camp Pendleton, Kids Korps USA, ProKids Golf Academy, San Pasqual Academy and Rotary Rancho Santa Fe.

City to get new computer system

The city of Del Mar will receive $25,000 in stimulus money to buy a new
energy-efficient computer networking system.

The grant, announced by Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, will allow Del Mar to implement a virtualized server computer system where software on one server will handle the tasks of the entire city staff. Del Mar’s current system requires six servers. Kehoe said Del Mar would save $5,300 in energy costs, and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 10 tons.

“The savings represents nearly a quarter of City Hall’s annual energy bill,” she said in a statement. “Small steps like this will reap tremendous rewards as the state works to lower its emissions and improve the health of all Californians.”

Emily Bernardo, Del Mar’s computer operations manager, said the savings would come due to the six servers currently running at all times with the air conditioning required to be 68 degrees. She said the new system would most likely not be implemented until September 2011, when the service life of the current six servers expires.

— Jonathan Horn

Center progressing

Work could start on Cove site this summer

Construction on the Fletcher Cove Community Center remodeling project could begin as early as this summer, City Manager David Ott said last week.

Solana Beach has raised roughly $190,000 in donations for the three-phase project, which is expected to require between $450,000 and $500,000 in either money or building donations.

It is still unclear whether the plans will have to be fully vetted by the Coastal Commission. If they need a more thorough review, Ott said construction would then likely commence sometime in the fall.

Doctor turns to training to cope with son’s death

By Arthur Lightbourn

Contributor

“Hitting the wall” is something Michael Capozza knows about, both as an athlete and as a father.

“It’s where you just don’t want to go on anymore … and you have to mentally push through that,” he says.

Capozza, 45, is an anesthesiologist, marathon runner, triathlete and two-time Ironman-distance finisher.

As a runner, he experienced that feeling earlier this month while competing as an invited VIP in the 114th Boston Marathon.

Cancer survivor fights for awareness

The Lung Cancer Alliance California will host the Second Annual Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk on May 2 at Cancer Survivors Park in San Diego. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. with registration and a health fair, followed by the walk at 9 a.m.

The goal of the event, according to co-founder and lung cancer survivor Mike Stevens, is to raise much-needed research dollars, as well as educate the public about a fatal disease that brings not only the very real threat of death, but a painful stigma as well.

‘Don’t ask if I smoke’

Stevens, a resident of La Jolla with a wife and two children, was given two months to live after being diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer in June 2005.

“The survival rate for that is under 5 percent,” he said. “Most people die … in the first year.”

Earl Warren students clean Del Mar beach

The Earl Warren Middle School Ocean Club hosted a beach clean up on April 25 in Del Mar from the 15th Street beach north to Dog Beach and south to Torrey Pines State Beach.

The Del Mar Lifeguards donated gloves and trash bags to help with the project. Sanuk, Sun Diego, and Transworld Surf sponsored the event. The top trash collectors won SANUK sandals and SANUK mustaches. The Ocean Club was formed to preserve, protect and enjoy the ocean. Krista Baldwin, a life science teacher at Earl Warren, serves as the advisor to the club.