Category: OB Heroes

Claudia Jack – a venerable fixture in a “who’s-who” of the people who make OB run – is definitely THE “Go-to-Woman” of Ocean Beach. If you need something, somebody, or have a question or issue about OB, Claudia’s the woman to see. It was just a couple of months ago that the OB Town Council presented her with their Lifetime Achievement Award for 2014.

Finally catching up with her last Wednesday as she sat in a chair almost in the middle of Newport Avenue, I grabbed a metal folding chair next to her, got out my (paper) tablet and pen and for the next hour or so quizzed Claudia on who she is and what she does.

It was a Farmers Market day and that block of Newport is closed down to traffic and canopies and the aroma of foods take over.

By K.C. Libman / Phoenix New Times

Few bands remain as succinctly Californian and categorically challenging as San Diego’s Slightly Stoopid. Signed to the late Bradley Nowell’s Skunk Records in 1995, they’re an act that’s been a signed Golden State institution for almost 20 years, carving out their niche by pulling together a variety of genres into a melding that’s all their own. Having been road dogs for the entirety of their career, even after two decades, they still wouldn’t have it any other way, tribulations and personalities aside.

“You can’t be lazy as a touring artist,” says frontman and founding member Miles Doughty.

“So many bands just want that quick success when you need to have longevity. We’ve never been a band that’s exploded on the radio, that had any Top 10 singles, but we’re a band that draws people to shows, and that’s the difference — we can always tour. We strive to have the longevity in being on the road.”

By Matthew Wood

Jim Liener knew there was a better way.

Working as a special needs teacher in San Diego, mostly dealing with autistic children, he saw how the public schools system would routinely fail the kids that needed the most attention.

Then he started working with an autistic child who was being home schooled, not able to make it in a normal school environment. He turned the family’s gazebo into a one-room home schoolhouse. An epiphany hit: Why can’t we take this home-school format, which works best for kids with these needs, and make it into an actual school?

“It was kind of like I told myself, ‘Shut up and do something about it,’” Liener said.

Editordude: We have just learned that village giant Dave Martin has passed. The OB Rag interviewed Dave back in March of 2013 – he was still the president of the OB Town Council and Dave’s restaurant, Shades, was still up and running. Here, we repost that interview.

Originally posted March 22, 2013

Dave Martin, the President of the OB Town Council, agreed to meet me at Shades at 1 pm the other day. That was easy – as he has his own table there – the one closest to the kitchen, the bar, and the serving area – for, as many know, Dave owns Shades. Or rather Dave – along with his wife Jennifer, his daughter and her husband; they’re the four owners.

Even though it was mid-week, the inside of the restaurant was about half-filled, with a few outside in the front. The lunch hour had just passed. But everyone in OB knows Shades – it’s a fairly popular place (even the Widder Curry gave it a thumbs-up).

As I mounted the few steps to Tom and Jane Gawronski’s front porch of their house on Coronado the other day, I wondered who of the two had the green thumb – as the modest front yard was sprinkled with succulents, small palms and other drought-resistant plants and landscaping .

I was also wondering just which questions to ask them, as they both had agreed to be interviewed before they left for their hiking trek later this month – an incredible trip to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. My god, they’re both in their 70’s, I thought, as I was hobbling up the walkway and steps due to a swollen left foot.

The room was packed, standing room only the other night as the OB Historical Society led all of us in a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 30 foot height limit. The downstairs community room of the Methodist Church on Sunset Cliffs Blvd. opens its doors every month to the OBHS presentations, and the night of November 15th was no exception as Society president Pat James welcomed the crowd.

Nearly 50 OBceans and friends had come to hear speakers and presentations on this historic fight four decades ago to preserve San Diego’s coast, and I saw many people in the audience who had waged their own battles to save OB over the years.

Roger and Yasuko’s Shop Help Make OB What It Is

Bernie’s Bicycle Shop has been an Ocean Beach institution for almost 45 years. That’s a long time in a town that is celebrating it’s 125th Anniversary!

Current owner, Roger Lovett, had been a regular customer of Bernie’s since he was a kid. Not every grown up can claim they bought the bike shop they used to hang out in when they were little. When Roger bought the shop in it’s original location on Voltaire and Ebers in 1989, he was jokingly threatened by long time customers to retain the original name of Bernie’s. And so he did.

Two years later in 1991, he moved the shop to it’s current location at 1911 Cable Street (used to house the Sunshine Surf Shop). Twenty-one years is a long time in a town that has seen too many businesses close in just the last few years alone. There used to be 4 bike shops in OB but most have closed.

Tales of NED – A Man That Made OB History

From the Ocean Beach Historical Society

Thursday, November 17th, at 7 PM
At P.L. United Methodist Church, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B.

Beloved Obecian and local historian Ned Titlow passed away Oct. 29th, 2011. Ned was an active community member, Past President and sitting – Vice Chair of the Ocean Beach Historical Society. His legacy stories and joy of growing up in Ocean Beach made him an integral part in teaching Ocean Beach History.

By Gail Powell

Mourners filled Sacred Heart Church in Ocean Beach on Friday morning, October 28th, to pay their respects to a beloved local lady named Luisa Allen.

Many regulars who enjoy eating at Nati’s Mexican restaurant on Bacon Street have most likely made the acquaintance of this longtime hostess and waitress. Luisa started out at the popular eatery as a waitress 51 years ago! She always greeted every customer with hospitality and a friendly smile. Luisa remembered the favorite menu items of her patrons and she watched as the babies who enjoyed Nati’s in the womb grew up and became Nati’s regulars themselves with kids of their own.

You could spend all your time in OB and still miss it. There’s a wonderful garden right next to the Blue Parrot restaurant on Niagara that you can just walk right into.

It’s Louie and Kathi’s Hidden Garden at 4973 and 4975 Niagara. It is simply an amazing place and these photos I took don’t do it justice, but at least it gives you an idea of what it is like. Look for an upcoming post about Louie and Kathi and their delightful garden. In the meantime, check it out yourself.

Gary Gilmore – Newport Avenue’s goldsmith par excellence – is proud of the fact that he arrived in Ocean Beach in 1973 with nothing else but the clothes on his back, his guitar, and his leather tools. He had journeyed across the country and had found heaven. And he’s been in OB ever since. His is a true classic rags to riches story. Yet it’s an OB hippie version of the classic. For Gary Gilmore certainly looked like a hippie when he arrived 37 years ago.

Gary’s love for OB is so evident that it’s almost difficult to get him to talk about anything else. This was all apparent as we took our seats for a lunch at the quintessential OB restaurant – the Old Townhouse – featured prominently in the current television series “Terriers” which was filmed in OB.

Who is this man who knows all about you but you know nothing about him?

Let me give you a hint: He is a native San Diegan. Born and raised in San Ysidro thirty-five years ago. (Need more clues?)

Received an AA degree from Southwestern College in Administrative Justice in 1999. Has an AS degree in the Science of Criminal Justice.