CHULA VISTA – California Coastal Commission chairwoman Meg Caldwell will speak tomorrow to civic and business leaders at the Mayor's Breakfast, hosted by Mayor Steve Padilla.
The meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. at the San Diego Country Club, 88 L St., Chula Vista.
Caldwell will speak about how the Coastal Act relates to local issues, including redevelopment of the city's bay front.
The Mayor's Breakfast is among a series of early morning meetings sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
Reservations are required. The cost is $11 per person. For more information, call (619) 585-5606.
– Tanya Mannes
Gas leak closes
park buildings
A broken gas line forced four Balboa Park buildings to close yesterday until crews repaired the break.
City workers were excavating to fix a sinkhole in The Prado area of the park when they accidentally cut a natural gas line about 11 a.m., said Paul Sirois, a park official.
No one was injured, but people had to evacuate the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, the San Diego Natural History Museum, Casa de Balboa and Casa del Prado.
The line was repaired at 1:30 p.m. and authorities gave clearance to re-enter about a half-hour later, a city spokesperson said.
The science center closed for the day and rescheduled its evening planetarium show for next week.
– Jeanette Steele
Sailboat damaged
by fire; no one hurt
SHELTER ISLAND –
A 50-foot sailboat caught fire in America's Cup Harbor yesterday, causing several explosions but no injuries.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Damage was estimated at $40,000.
Someone in a nearby hotel called 911 at 4:19 p.m. to report flames on a boat in the harbor moorage, a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department dispatcher said. Other witnesses heard several explosions aboard the boat, “Katana.”
Crews on two San Diego Harbor Police fireboats found the aft cabin engulfed in flames. The boat owner, found on shore, told authorities no one was aboard.
It took about an hour to extinguish the fire. No other boats were damaged.
– Pauline Repard
Rescuer of boy, 4,
to receive award
DEHESA –
The Sycuan Indian band's police and fire departments will bestow a lifesaving award of valor today to a tribal public safety officer who helped save a 4-year-old boy from electrocution.
Officer Andy Lanz, 25, who joined the Sycuan Tribal Police Department about six months ago, was off duty at the pool of his El Cajon apartment complex Sept. 24 when the boy was jolted with electricity. The boy, identified by Sycuan officials as Joshua Weiss, had tried to turn on the jets of a whirlpool sauna.
Lanz helped the boy's mother remove the child from a metal fence surging with current. The child had no pulse and was not breathing. Lanz revived him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the boy suffered no lasting injuries, tribal officials said.
Lanz will be presented the award in a ceremony at Sycuan Resort at Singing Hills.
– Chet Barfield
Man steps in front
of Amtrak train
MISSION HILLS –
A man committed suicide yesterday by stepping in front of an Amtrak train at West Washington Street, authorities said.
The 35-year-old San Diego man stepped onto the railroad tracks and was struck by a northbound Amtrak Surfliner train that had left downtown at 4 p.m.
The train stopped and was delayed about 90 minutes during an investigation by sheriff's deputies assigned to railroad incidents. A medical examiner's investigator said other trains continued past the scene on a second track.
– Pauline Repard
