The Coast News, Aug. 17, 2012

AUG. 17, 2012
by CHUCK
SHEPHERD
ODD
FILES
Freedom Under
Attack
First Amendment
Blues: (1) A bar in Horry
County, S.C., named the
Suck Bang Blow filed a lawsuit
in May challenging the
county’s new ordinance prohibiting
motorcyclists’
“burnouts” (engine-revving
with back-tire-spinning, creating
smoke — and enormous
noise). The bar claims
that burnouts are important
expressions of its customers’
“manliness and
macho” and as such are protected
by the First
Amendment. (2) Luigi
Bellavite complained to
reporters in Mountain View,
Colo., in July that the theft
of his “Vote Satan” yard
sign ought to be prosecuted
as a “hate crime” under
state law — as he is a member
of the Church of Satan.
Police called it an ordinary
theft.
Government in
Action!
Miniature golf is
remarkably simple to play,
requiring neither experience
nor much exertion,
and even toddlers can negotiate
their own brand of fun
on the course. However, in
March, a set of “accessible
design” standards went into
effect, under the Americans
With Disabilities Act, governing
such things as the
“slope” of courses (maximum
1:4 rise on some
holes), the maximum length
of the blades if artificial
turf is used, and the minimum
area of the “tee-off”
landing (48 inches by 60
inches, with a slope not
steeper than 1:48).
Frisky Friday
The only unlimitedissue
U.S. visa allowing fastlane
entrance for certain
foreign workers is the O-1,
available to those (e.g., scientists,
technology engineers)
who, in the opinion of
the State Department,
demonstrate “extraordinary
ability.” Reuters reported in
June that an O-1 recently
went to British journalist
Piers Morgan, whose extraordinariness
seems limited
to replacing Larry King on
his CNN interview program,
and another to Shera
Bechard, Playboy’s Miss
November 2010, whose
other accomplishment
seems to be the creation of
an online photo-sharing
experience called “Frisky
Friday.”
Sufficiently patriotic
Canadian rap singer
Manu Militari was, until
earlier this year, sufficiently
patriotic to have received
more than $100,000 in government
grants that originated
with the Canadian
Heritage department.
However, a June video
released ahead of his new
album “L’Attente” portrayed
Afghan Taliban fighters
targeting a convoy of
Canadian soldiers, planting
a roadside bomb and aiming
their rifles at the
Canadians’ heads. Over 150
Canadian soldiers have died
fighting the Taliban and
their insurgent allies.
THE COAST NEWS
Event for injured troops breaks records
By Bianca Kaplanek
RANCHO SANTA FE —
The Operation Game On Golf
Classic continued to break
records this year, selling out
in less than three weeks,
attracting major sponsors
from outside California and
for the first time featuring
wives playing alongside their
husbands.
Now in its fifth year —
and third at Morgan Run
Club & Resort — the tournament
raises funds for a golf
rehabilitation program for
combat-injured troops.
With two $10,000 contributions
from donors in New
Jersey and Arizona, 160
golfers who paid $300 each,
raffles and an auction,
founder Tony Perez said he
raised approximately
$75,000 this year, a $35,000
increase over 2011. Proceeds
from the Aug. 13 event will
go toward lessons, specially
fitted clubs, reduced green
fees and playing opportuni-
ties for soldiers returning
from Operation Enduring
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom
with physical and mental
challenges who are going
through rehabilitation at
Naval Medical Center San
Diego.
Participants receive free
lessons from PGA-certified
instructors at the Del Mar
Golf Center and a professional
fitting session from The
Kingdom at TaylorMade
Golf.
There is no cost to the
soldiers, hospital or military.
In the past, wives of the
soldiers volunteered at the
event because few if any
played golf. Perez recently
founded Wives of Warriors to
complement his previous
program and allow spouses
to enjoy the game as well.
“You’re playing together
so be good to each other,” he
said jokingly as he greeted
one couple the day of the
event.
Professional golfer Pat Perez, whose father Tony founded Operation
Game On, sinks one while offering putting tips before the tournament.
Looking on is Jim Flick (left) golf instructor and a retired pro who provides
gold lessons for the program.
Golfers chat before the start of the 2012 Operation Game On classic, which raises funds for a program for
combat-injured troops Photos by Bianca Kaplanek
Trey Humphrey finds a shady spot
to escape the heat as participants
wait for the opening ceremonies to
begin.
Area shelters offer cats at ‘purr-fect’ prices
COAST CITIES — You
set the price when you adopt
a cat or kitten now through
Aug. 31 during the “Pick your
Purr-fect Price” cat adoption
campaign. Six animal shelters
in San Diego County are
“joining paws” to find homes
for cats and kittens during
this kitten season. The huge
influx of unwanted babies
has left the shelters with hundreds
of felines that need loving
homes.
In North County, the participating
shelters include:
— The San Diego
Humane Society, North
Campus: 572 Airport Road,
Oceanside
— County of San Diego
Department of Animal
Services: 2481 Palomar
Airport Road, Carlsbad
— Rancho Coastal
Humane Society: 389
Requeza St., Encinitas
While the fees are negotiable
during the campaign,
standard adoption procedures
will still apply. The
goal is to not only create
space in the shelters, but
also to assure that the cats
and kittens are going to good
homes.
Shelter leaders are also
asking potential adopters to
keep in mind that the opportunities
for reduced adoption
fees, do not take away
from the value of the cats.
Depending on the age and
health of each pet, the cost
for the animal shelters to
provide care for the cats and
kittens runs from $300 to
$400 during the first month.
Adopters are welcome
to pay more than the standard
adoption fee, to help
care for other cats until
they’re adopted. Be sure to
say that you want to “Pick
Your Purr-fect Price” when
you visit the participating
shelters.
Coaster goes off duty for two days
OCEANSIDE — Due to
scheduled construction of
rail track related to the
Encinitas Pedestrian
Crossing project for the
coastal rail line, there will be
no rail service south of
Oceanside Transit Center
(OTC) Sept. 8 and Sept. 9.
Following the departure
of the northbound Coaster
train — scheduled to leave
Santa Fe Depot 50 minutes
after the last out of the Sept.
7 Padres game, all regularly
scheduled Coaster trains
have been canceled for the
two days.
Further details and
information on alternate
service options will be available
at a later date. Visit
gonctd.com or call (855) 467-
3511 for more information.
The North County
Transit District is a public
transportation agency providing
11.5 million passenger
trips annually throughout
North San Diego County and
into downtown San Diego.
NCTD’s system includes
Breeze buses, Coaster commuter
trains, Sprinter light
rail trains, and LIFT paratransit
service.
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B3
Derrick Ford (far right), who lost his left leg while serving with the Army in
Afghanistan, said his golf game has gotten “a little bit better” since he
took up the sport 18 months ago. He and Richard Bauldwin catch up
before the start of the Aug. 13 tournament at Morgan Run Club & Resort.
Power plant talk
OCEANSIDE — The
Peace Resource Center of
San Diego will host a special
visiting speaker, Daniel
Hirsch, at its 10 a.m. to noon
meeting Aug. 25 in the
Oceanside Community
Room, 330 N. Coast
Highway.
The topic will be “The
Risks of Restarting the
Damaged San Onofre
Nuclear Plant.”
Hirsch is a lecturer on
Nuclear Policy and former
director of the Stevenson
Program on Nuclear Policy
at UC Santa Cruz.
He is also president of
the Committee to Bridge
the Gap, an organization
concerned about nuclear
safety, proliferation and
waste.
The PRC is a membership
organization and community
clearinghouse of
information on peace and
social justice issues and
activities.