For years, Leucadian Doug Fiske has been pointing out that the City of Encinitas has the wrong spelling on one of its popular beaches — Beacon’s. Until now, his plea for historical accuracy has fallen on deaf ears.
Years ago, Fiske started doing research on Beacon’s when he found a 1963 "Surfing Guide of Southern California Beaches." It did not use the possessive "Beacon’s"; it was "Beacon Beach." He searched local museum records and even the state’s library in Sacramento.
His research showed the beach got its name from an aeronautic beacon mounted on the bluff, overlooking the ocean. Fiske found a 1939 aeronautical map showing seven such beacons in use from Dana Point to Point Loma. They flashed every ten seconds, as a navigational guide to airplanes.
1948 USGS topographical map
“It's not supposed to be Beacon’s,” says Fiske emphatically. “It's Beacon.”
Thursday, August 4, 2016
It's Beacon. Not Beacon's.
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Who the fuck cares. It's the beach.
ReplyDeleteSomeone obviously has too much time on his hands . Go take a swim in the ocean at Beacons. .
It's part of community character. Just like Dabbers, 85/60's, Tippers, suck-outs. Part of the initiation into the tribe is to get the names right. Not doing so is downright disrespectful. So I hope to see you at Beacon real soon!! Great spearfishing in the kelp beds out there!
ReplyDelete- The Sculpin
Idiot posts as always.
DeleteIdiot for sure. there hasn't been a kelp bed out there in 12 months. Scuplin don't surf. Scuplin aint shit.
DeleteIf we're considering letter elimination, why not Bacon Beach.
ReplyDeleteBecause, bacon.
Hey...if you live in Leucadia, do you list Leucadia as the City or do you put Encinitas as your address???
ReplyDeleteput down the bong.
DeleteRumor has it in the 60's Bekins moving vans use to park there, adding to the name migration.
ReplyDeleteMr. Fiske needs a hobby.
ReplyDeleteIf we're being that pedantic about the possessive apostrophe s, then technically the eponymous Swami didn't own the beach either.
Somebody call the Beach Boys, because Surfin USA contains an error.
You highlight the major point.
DeleteFiske is the grammer grandma nazi.
Give it a break Fiske- Its a fricken blog!
Actually, the SRF did own the beach. That's why surfers named it Swami's.
DeleteThe state/county bought the beaches from private owners, including Moonlight Beach, starting in the 1940s.
Did the "85/50" railroad speed sign also own the beach where the campgrounds now are?
DeleteAnd Georges is often written without the apostrophe, so I'm assuming it's named for King George, George Wallace, and Boy George?
Or,
maybe,
just spitballing here. . .
Surfers give zero fucks about pedantry. Last I checked most surf organizations do not have a cartography and linguistics committee.
I wonder if Mr. Fiske would be a less uptight person if he spent more time on the water, and less time obsessively researching something that doesn't matter.
Everything is better with bacon!
ReplyDeleteBelieve we have bigger fish to fry than pedantic insistence over a beach name.
ReplyDeleteRumor has it Fiske ancestry used to spell their name Fisk.... but after 200 hundred years of long winters and heavy drinking, they finally can to the conclusion to add an e at the end of their name to add spice to their nights, hense. Fiske
ReplyDeleteI for one don't give a shit whether they call themselves Fiske or whether our local beach is called Beacons or Beacon.
This proves the point, that people will always find things to fuss over, no matter how small.
If your faced with no food or slaughter, you think about how to survive.
If you've accumulated enough wealth by selling cheap writings, then you start to wonder about about whether beaches like stonesteps is actually stonestep.
Give it a break Friske- Your a basket case.
Wow...so much anger at a local guy trying to correct an error. Suggest that you try to move your self loathing in a more constructive way. Good luck
DeleteWow...so much anger at a local guy trying to correct an error. Suggest that you try to move your self loathing in a more constructive way. Good luck
DeleteWow... so much anger.... at a local nut.. trying to repeat.....
DeleteNever mind...
Hey Doug Jim here give me a buzz man you remember me from Encinitas Lake Elsinore mushrooms
DeleteSo Fiske- Get the City to change the name of Leucadia Blvd. Back to Fulvia.
ReplyDeleteOh Thank you fisk for makin our livs so much better. Oh Waite.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they named it Beacons Beach because more people liked that name and started using that name and thats why the City named it Beacons Beach. Thats what all the locals call it.
I'm local and call it by its proper name
DeleteBEACON.
When one comes from the publishing world, correctness is a must. Geez folks. Give Doug a break. For the rest of us mere non-publishing mortals, we can stretch the proper usage all we want and we do.
ReplyDeleteAs a positive take on this issue, except for using the correct historically based term, if that matters to anyone and apparently it doesn't to some trolls, at tonights Planning Commission meeting Mike Strong was talking about our beaches and mentioned Beacons before immediately correcting himself to Beacon Beach.
Anyone can call anything what they want at anytime. Do what you like. In the publishing world that is not an option. Thanks Doug for the historical lesson on why Beacon Beach is is the proper name. Everyone,of course, can continue to call it whatever they want. Because of Doug we know what it should be called and the city along with Plannings Mike Strong knows too.
Some of the trolls could not resist crawling out from under their rocks of choice to comment. That says much more about themselves than it does about someone in the publishing world that expects accuracy at all times. For the rest of us, we get to spout whatever we like, conscious free. Don't worry. Be happy. Call Beacons Beach to your hearts content.
At least we all know where the correct name historically came from and I and many others, more than likely did not. Geez. Thanks Doug, all the same.
Pffffff. Mike Strong is a brainless idiot like you.
DeleteFiske needs a life and probably is looking for one in grammar corrections. Poor soul. I for one pity the old boy.
Lets all show pity on Fiske.
ReplyDeletePity Fiske, Pity, Pity, Pity, Pity Fiske.
You are almost absolved.
Here's what you need to know about Beacon, Beacon's, Bacon... Whatever...beach :
ReplyDelete1- the cliff is crumbling into the ocean.
2- the city can't get their head out of there ass and figure a way to resolve the problem.
3- when the cliff collapses the access will be gone( it's entirely unsafe as it is now).
4- the city will fence off what remains destroying any views.
5- the parking lot will be closed.
6- the coastal commission will be unhappy and sue the city for failing to protect a major beach access.
7- surfrider and the other idiot save the ocean yahoos will praise the natural retreat. All the while losing access to their joyous surf break.
8- THERE ARE NO TOILETS !!! Which means all the beach users SHIT and PISS in the OCEAN. ( which doesn't seem to bother those idiot surfrider fools nor Mr. Patterson and his precious Madonna).
8:58 AM
DeleteThis is one case where you can't blame the city. The coastal commission has been very reluctant to approve any kind of shoring to the bluff to safely support stairs. Even state parks has come around to some kind of protection needed. But the coastal commission is sticking to their managed retreat mantra. Pity anyone who is on that path when the bluff decides to retreat a little more.
Absolutely right! Surfriders are morons who use poly wetsuits and styrofoam boards and claim to be environmentalists. Sand replenishment doesn't come from the bluffs - it came from the rivers that have been altered, dammed up or otherwise diverted. The shoring of the bluffs would have minimal impact on sand deposition or wave action. SurfRiders need to take some geology courses.
DeleteHere's another thought: let the rich people pay for their own shoring up. How many times have they come begging to the city, asking the rest of us to pay for their decision to build monstrosities on the edge of sandstone cliffs?
DeleteStop asking the rest of us to foot your bill and stop begging the Coastal Commission for money and stop building megamansions on the edge. This is not that complicated, folks.
12:35 PM
DeleteActually, some sand does come from the bluffs just not nearly as much as they want you to believe.
12:39 PM
Rich people do pay for their own shoring of the bluffs and the coastal commission doesn't give out money.
They sure show up at city hall every year, crying poor.
DeleteAnd still toilets at any Leucadia beaches...
DeleteBluff retreat is nothing new. There was major retreat at Moonlight Beach in the 1880s, long before any dams were built on rivers blocking sand reaching the ocean in wet years.
DeleteBetween 1883 and 1891 more than 600 feet of retreat took place at Moonlight Beach. One thunderstorm hit Encinitas on October 12, 1889 dropping 7.58 inches of rain in eight hours. Imagine that happening now!
The 1889-1890 San Diego County Tax Assessor records show that land at the mouth of Cottonwood Creek and to the south was greatly devalued or removed from the tax rolls.
The Coastal Commission is requiring three property owners on Neptune to move their planned construction further back from the bluff edge. City requires 40 feet, CC is saying 65 to 95 feet, depending on the bluff condition. Anyone can take a walk on the beach below the bluff and see for themselves. A couple of wet years will see bluff failures
The coastal commission required it. How stupid, greedy, look-at-me do you have to be to build too closely? What engineering firm said ok? What city worker gave the plans two thumbs up?
DeleteSeriously all qualify for the Darwin Awards. The prize goes to the first of the three property owners to go over the edge.
2:10 PM The "toilets" are the alley behind 7-11, Cottonwood Creek or private property (driveways or lawns).
DeleteAlso important to know...the signs that are at the parking lot warning of bluff collapse protect the city. Legally, anyone who parks there or goes on the path is "assuming a risk", so if the bluff goes, you won't be able to sue the city. look closely at the north end of the parking lot...the concrete slabs are moving.
ReplyDeleteRubish.... Signs do nothing for liability.
ReplyDeleteWhen it goes, if someone is hurt, city will lose at least 20 million. Guaranteed
6:41, 10:46, 8:08, 10:37 et al: Doug has lived/surfed here for over 40 years. And YOU???
ReplyDelete10:49: Leucadia Blvd: almost sure it was previously Woodley Road. Newb'.
Here hear! I appreciate Doug's careful consideration of what this place was and say - shut up to the trolls - friggin losers.
DeleteOOO'
DeleteSome peeps are so mean and speak the truth. Doug has way to much time on his hands. Why doesn't he do something good for the community like pick up trash at Beacons.
I aspire to be/surf here long enough that everyone must accept my silly nonsense without question.
Deletesurf... Did fiske ever surf? Is that what you call it?
DeleteSomeone went there.
DeleteThanks 5:15pm for your input. It is actually closer fifty years around here for Doug. His public advocacy has more than proven his worth to this community for more years than most of those trolls have been around or even taking a breath. We are fortunate to have him here.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can call Beacon whatever they want, but that is beside the issue, when the ignorant few spout their inanities that reflect more upon themselves than whatever anyone chooses to label our local beach.
I myself called it wrong for almost forty years and it doesn't bother me one bit to use the correct form now once that I learned a little of the history of our neighborhood beach.
Thanks Doug for honoring our community with your efforts on many fronts. We are lucky to have you.
Read it here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thecoastnews.com/2016/07/29/mired-in-a-bureaucratic-morass/
Before the freeway, Woodley Rd went from Orpheus Avenue east and dead-ended where the Ecke property started, which is approx where Quail Gardens Dr now meets what became Leucadia Blvd.
ReplyDeleteWoodley Rd ended at Orpheus Ave. Fulvia started a block south on Orpheus, curved as it still does, crossed Hygeia, Hermes, Vulcan, the tracks, PCH and ended at Neptune.
Woodley Rd became Leucadia Blvd, which cut through the avocado grove starting at Orpheus and replaced Fulvia's name from just east of Hygeia all the way west to Neptune.
Again... who the F)*(&) cares?
DeleteGo enjoy the beach whatever you chose to call it.
You are only here for a very short time. Try and enjoy yourselves.
Hugs.
Ms. Leucadia
Ms. L FTW.
DeleteLet return the name to Hard Penis Road than. Right!?
ReplyDeleteThanks Fisk!
I live in Encinitas, in California, in the United States of America. If anybody called any of those by a different name, I'd tell them they got it wrong.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same about Beacon, a beach and surf spot I've enjoyed since the 1950s.
I don't think you folks are giving proper serious consideration to Bacon Beach.
ReplyDeleteThe old caretaker of the beacon, Mr. Neptune, he actually blazed the trail down to the beach so he'd have a nice place to eat breakfast. Some even say if you get down there early enough on dawn patrol and close your eyes at the bottom of the trail, you can hear the sizzle and pop, and smell a faint whiff. If you bring a burrito as an offering to old man Neptune, you'll have the best session of your life. And if not, you can paddle back in and have a tasty burrito.
Either way, you win.
To perpetuate this atrocity (and I don't think that's exaggerating) shows great disrespect. If it continues, some day soon old man Neptune is going to bring down that bluff.
You have been warned.
Actually, I believe his name was properly spelled Nepthune.
DeleteInstead of joining the debate, my buddy Jeff Spicoli and I will check the surf at Moonlight's. If it's not good there, we'll check Grandview's. If that's not breaking, we'll check the inlet at Ponto's.
ReplyDeleteI just read Fiske's op-ed in the Coast News. I take his points. I think many people who commented above missed his points.
ReplyDeleteOK, I read the history.
ReplyDeleteThere was a beacon on the edge of the bluff there, so locals named the place Beacon.
Why call it anything else?