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A Coronado Summer tradition continues for the 48th consecutive year when the Optimist Club of Coronado’s Sports Fiesta gets underway next Saturday, July 27, at Sunset Park.

You can be part of history by participating in the world’s longest continuously running triathlon. It’s a short course, fitting for all skill levels. The competition begins at Coronado’s North Beach near the main lifeguard tower at 7a.m. with a 400-yard ocean swim. The swimmers leave the water for a mile-long run on the beach followed by a 4-mile bike race on Naval Air Station North Island.

For the more competitive, there is a 5K run that begins at 9 a.m. at Sunset Park. Check-in begins at 7 a.m. and continues until 8:45 a.m. The fast, flat course is on Naval Station North Island. The field is limited to the first 300 entrants.

And, for the competitive swimmer, there is a 1-mile rough water swim, also at North Beach. It begins at 10 a.m. Check in is from 9 to 9:45 a.m. “Day of” entries are accepted, but the field is limited to the first 100, so to guarantee your spot, its best to enter early online.

by David Axelson

Among the many great resources available to the City of Coronado is the vast pool of retired and talented military personnel who live here. Capt. Tom Mitchell, Jr. (USN-Ret.) is another fine example of the men and women who serve on the boards of directors of local non-profits, serve in city government posts and generally supply their organizational expertise where needed.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Mitchell graduated from Brevard High School in Brevard, North Carolina. His father, also named Tom Mitchell, was a World War II Army Field Artillery man, who stayed in the Army reserves and retired as a Colonel. On Tom Sr.’s military resume was his landing in the Battle of Anzio, Italy, a fight which lasted from Jan. 22 to June 5, 1944.

Mitchell the Younger was a fine high school and collegiate athlete, which he reviewed. “In high school I played basketball, track and tennis. I was the best foul shooter in high school and the long jump champion of Western North Carolina. My best distance was 21 feet in high school and in college at Auburn University, I was captain of the track team. I won the Southeastern Conference long jump title indoors and outdoors and was the runner-up in the triple jump.”

Hokey Smoke! It’s Rocky and Bullwinkle!

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Nado Natterings by David Axelson

San Diego Lacrosse Hall of Famer Courtney Reidarson (HOF Class of 2010) has been named Director of Coaching for the Coronado Lacrosse Club. The non-profit youth organization is in its third year and according to Board Vice President Nicole Belong, last spring the club had 115 girls playing at four age group levels. Practice for the fall season is set to begin Aug. 19.

Specifically the team levels are kindergarten through second grade; third/fourth grades; fifth/sixth grades; and seventh/eighth grades. Belong said, “At each level we have multiple teams. At the kindergarten/second grade level the games are four-on-four with no goalie. By third grade it starts looking like lacrosse and it’s eight-on-eight with a goalie. In the fifth-sixth grade levels it’s 12-man, with the same number of players you see at the high school level.”

by Alessandra Selgi-Harrigan

It’s the story of a young man who loves the girl next door but she ends up marrying someone else. To lift his spirits and help him discover his roots, his uncle takes him on a road trip down to Baja to the family ranch.

Joey Molina was that young man who lived in Imperial Beach and he never thought his road trip one day would be made into a film called “Ruta Madre.” As a winner of six awards at various film festival I expected “Ruta Madre” to be a good film. My expectations were exceeded after seeing the final cut of the film at the Coronado Village Theatre on July 13, a presentation by the Coronado Island Film Festival. The film has everything one can ask for - adventure, comedy, and drama - and not a dull moment in between, plus 10 original songs. This Baja road trip film has been described as a coming of age film with love, family and community in the mix.

This local story, based on the life of Molina, was partially filmed in Imperial Beach with scenes shot at the beach, pier and a local home. Molina has ties to the communities of Imperial Beach where he lived as well as Coronado where he had his first job at Vons.

Molina and friend Agustín Castañeda co-wrote the screenplay which was produced by Alpha.

The Coronado Eagle & Journal’s e-blast, the Eagle Weekender, randomly selects a weekly winner on their subscribers list to receive 2 free tickets to the Coronado Village Theater. This has been a huge success due to the support and donation of tickets from the Coronado Village Theater.