A tortoise named Bentley

Bentley.

Many Airport Authority employees are animal lovers.  But here is a story of a very special relationship between one employee and an African Spurred Tortoise (geochelone sulcata).

Bentley, a geochelone sulcata, and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, came home with the employee’s daughter for a few weeks stay.  No one realized that she (yes- “she”  – Bentley as it turned out, was a female tortoise) was home to stay.  The daughter found a job and new digs, but Bentley stayed on – basking under the heat lamp in her critter cage or munching such delectables as: dandelion greens, kale, strawberries, and timothy hay (…timothy hay?).

Evenings were spent perched on a lap or shoulder as the family watched TV, and occasionally rubbing her tortoise head against someone’s cheek.  She waited patiently for the family to come home and followed them around the kitchen as they made dinner, always on the lookout for a stray piece of avocado, or anything green for that matter.  Bentley showed a special zeal for fresh guacamole.

Time passed and Bentley grew.  No longer able to sit on a shoulder, she contented herself with following the family around until bedtime, when she was tucked away for the night.  A custom cage was built for her in the back yard, with a heat lamp and an open area for sunbathing on those warmer San Diego days.  Bentley was still carried into the house each night, but she was getting too big even for this.  She was growing fast and now weighed close to 35 pounds.  Longer-term plans had to be made.

The search was on for the right home (with visitation rights, of course).  After weeks of searching,  a family was found in North County that already had other tortoises and lots of land for rambling.  It was time for Bentley to visit and be introduced to an older female tortoise.  The two tortoises hit it off and now occupy a sunny enclosure with lots of trees and water.   Bentley has plenty of room to roam, forage and keep growing (which she will surely do).  And she has a new companion with whom to spend her days.

And the employee (who remains fondly anonymous) … well, it will never be the same without this unique animal around the house, but she’s not far away for an occasional visit from that Airport Authority employee who became so fond of her.

Do you know and love any other strange critters out there?  Can we talk?  Tell us about them in the comments section below …

More about tortoises like Bentley:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_spurred_tortoise:

The Sulcata is the third largest species of tortoise in the world after the Galapagos tortoise, and Aldabra Giant Tortoise; and the largest of the mainland tortoises.^[4] Adults are usually 24 to 36 inch long (60-90 cm) and can weigh 100-200 pounds (45 – 91 kg). They grow from hatchling size (2-3 inches) very quickly, reaching 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) within the first few years of their lives. The lifespan of an African Spurred Tortoise is about 30-50 years.

The Airport Authority aims to keep employees safe

The Airport Authority takes safety very seriously.  Our most important mission is to help ensure the safety of our passengers at San Diego International Airport.  This mission extends to our employees, too.

In the days following After the recent region-wide power outage on Thursday, September 8, 2011, Airport Authority employees sent letters of gratitude to Jeff, the Employee Safety and Workers Compensation Analyst in Human Resources. Why? well, in recent years Jeff and the Airport Authority Employee Safety Committee have taken many opportunities to help our employees prepare for emergencies.

This team monitors employee evacuation drills, organizes our participation in the Great Shake Out statewide earthquake drill, and maintains all of our first aid kits. In addition, they hold an annual safety event to make sure “safety” remains a top priority for all of us. At many of these events, Jeff and the team have supplied employees with some great emergency tools. Among them:  a crank radio, a crank flashlight and an emergency kit in a water bottle.

Well, it seems that quite a few employees cranked up that radio and flashlight last Thursday night – and that made quite a difference.   Employees were able to stay informed on the outage and light their way around the house.

Thank you, Jeff, and thank you, Airport Authority Employee Safety Committee – for all you do to help keep us safe!

Happy Birthday SDIA!

Undated photo showing San Diego International Airport in America's Finest City.

Today marks the San Diego International Airport’s 83^rd anniversary.  In honor of the occasion, here are some interesting facts:

• The airport was dedicated on August 16, 1928, as Lindbergh Field, to honor famed aviator Charles Lindbergh.
• Another famous aviator, Amelia Earhart, participated in the grand dedication ceremony.
• San Diego’s then-mayor declared the Dedication Day a public holiday and urged businesses to close midday to witness the celebration.
• 222 military planes soared over Lindbergh Field as part of the festivities.

Interested in more SDIA history?  Check out this historic timeline on our web page.

Meals on … wings?

From left, Airport Planning staff Brett, Sandra, Annette, Lynda, me, Thao (our intern last year), and fellow Ambassablogger Ryan at the San Diego Food Bank.

When the winter holidays (and the tax deductibility at the calendar-year-end) are upon us, many thoughts turn to the less-fortunate among us and offering a helping hand. In these uncertain economic times, needs are particularly pronounced and far-reaching in our regional community.  Unfortunately, those needs exist throughout the year — not just when the colder weather and holiday spirit make us think about those who may need help.

Keith, Director of Airport Planning, has his hands full at the San Diego Food Bank.

In fact, one of the most critical times is actually during the summer months. When kids are out of school for the summer, they aren’t being fed breakfast or lunch in the school cafeteria. Maligned as it may be in popular imagination, these cafeteria meals are often the best nutrition many kids get. But when they’re not in school, a lot of young people may not have the same access to good food.

A primary resource for many needing food in our area is the San Diego Food Bank. A presence in our community since 1977, it distributes over 15 million pounds of food to hungry San Diegans every year. And ever-ready to help … is SDIA staff!

My Airport Planning Department colleagues have taken retreat time the last few years to volunteer at the Food Bank. We’ve all experienced a lot of joy working together to help our community members in need by preparing food packages for delivery. You also learn just how strong you are, packing bags of beans and heavy cans!

It’s just one way the airport acknowledges and gives back to the San Diego region. We’re proud to help and encourage anyone with some time to spare to consider volunteering at the Food Bank.

In this economy, and especially during the summer months, you will do a lot to help local families keep themselves afloat and thriving.

One final beam. One bright future.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

“One final beam. One bright future.” That was the memorable slogan on a large banner hanging over the final steel beam for The Green Build Terminal 2 expansion at San Diego International Airport yesterday, before it was lifted into place at a “Topping Out” ceremony attended by over 200 Airport Authority staff, construction workers, elected officials, community leaders and media.

There are several ways to get a taste of yesterday’s excitement if you didn’t happen to be there:

• Check out more pictures from the ceremony, including shots of the beam being lifted into place by a giant crane, at this photo album on the airport’s Facebook page.
• If you’re more the Flickr type, see some shots at the airport’s Flickr page.
• If you follow the airport on Twitter, you can see some of the first pictures posted from the event at the airport’s Twitter feed.
• Read about yesterday’s ceremony in this story from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
• Learn even more about the Topping Out ceremony and its significance for The Green Build in this news release issued by the Airport Authority.

In the near future, the Ambassablog will also feature a video documenting yesterday’s ceremony.

Home Treat Alert: Some of the social media links or multimedia features above may not be accessible at work. But you can view the Ambassablog at home & check them out there.