November 2014

Midway Construction Project Will See 190 Units on Former Barnard School Land

November 26, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

The San Diego School District sold the property of the former Barnard Elementary School over in the Midway area about 2 years ago. Now, it’s the site of a massive construction project that will when completed host 180 apartment units and 10 townhomes.

The project – called the Barnard Apartments – is on 9.5 acres and will be a gated apartment complex. A company called the Monarch Group bought the site at auction for a reported $16.5 million, and plan to have the project completed by January 2016.

The apartments will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, as there will be 19 residential buildings. In addition, plans call for a rec building with a fitness center and “teaching kitchen”, and there will be a swimming pool and an artificial-turf dog park. Each apartment will have their own garage space as well.

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In Solidarity With Ferguson, San Diego Protesters Shut Down 2 Freeways

November 26, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

Over the course of about 12 hours, protesters in San Diego blocked two freeways in solidarity with people in Ferguson, Missouri, upset with the decision by the Grand Jury not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

Last night, Tuesday, demonstrators in City Heights of San Diego moved down from University Avenue and blocked I-15 for a few minutes. Some arrests were made by police.

Then this morning, Wednesday, about 50 protesters from UCSD shut down I-5 northbound for about a half hour. No arrests were made in this action.

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Feeling Grateful and Giving Thanks

November 26, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

By Ernie McCray

Giving Thanks

Last Saturday was a very pretty day and to celebrate the beauty of it all I took off on a walk at a nice steady pace. As I moved along I gave thanks to the very universe for my being able to take in such a sparkling day up and about on my old size 14 feet.

I thought of so many things I’m grateful for: a great childhood, athletic glory, a marriage that thrilled my soul until my soul-mate passed away and then another fine woman came my way; children, grand children, great-grand-children, leading positive lives; college degrees; having traveled to exotic places overseas.

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Point Loma Robbery Suspect Arrested

November 26, 2014 by Staff

An armed robber who went after targets of opportunity mainly in Point Loma, was just arrested, police say.

Channel 10News reported:

A community relations officer for the San Diego Police department posted a note on social media Monday saying the serial armed robber had been arrested.

Here is what we reported in early October about the seemingly random targets: …

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Dog Beach Dog Wash Washes Their 500,000th Dog

November 26, 2014 by Staff

It was a big day on Saturday over at the Dog Beach Dog Wash, OB’s iconic dog wash storefront, a really big day – actually a LANDMARK day.

At precisely 8:10 a.m., on the 22nd of November, the dog wash folks washed their 500,000th dog.

At that moment, GusGus – the dog – and his mom, Chris Uzeta (from Clairemont , was the Dog Wash’s 500,000th dog wash – or the half millionth dog wash!

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Ferguson: The System Is Indicted

November 25, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

Too upset over what was announced last night in the failure of the Grand Jury to indict officer Darrin Wilson in the murder of Michael Brown to post today.

There are planned protests, vigils and demonstrations in 120 American cities today, Tuesday, Nov. 25th, including several in San Diego.

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New OB Rag Poll: What do you think about a “round-about” at West Pt Loma and Bacon?

November 24, 2014 by Staff

The OB Rag has a brand new poll – begun today, Nov. 24 – on the City installing a “round-about” at the intersection at West Pt Loma and Bacon Street. Please take a look at it and tell us where you’re at about the issue. The poll is on the home page.

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Readers – Both Residents and Visitors – Voted Overwhelmingly to Keep “Hippie Floral” Design on OB Hostel

November 24, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

OB Rag readers who participated in our most recent poll, voted overwhelmingly to keep the current “hippie floral” design on the OB Hostel on Newport Avenue.

67% of our readers want the new owners of the hostel, USA Hostels, to keep current paint job.

22% of those who responded want to see the exterior painted over. Seven per cent had no opinion.

In a recent post by our writer Matthew Wood on an interview with the new staff of the hostel, the issue was raised whether the new owner and its management would paint over what Wood called the “OB-esque Hippie Floral Design”.

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Models of Aborted Fetuses on the OB Pier

November 24, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

Much to their surprise, walkers on the Ocean Beach Pier on Saturday, Nov. 22nd, were confronted much to their disgust with ceramic models of aborted fetuses. The grotesque models were on a table along with pamphlets and books being handed out to anyone interested by an anti-abortionist group.

The table had a canopy and had been set up close to the stairs leading to the beach. It was staffed by about 5 people – one of whom held a toddler – and had been set up by a group named the Saint Paul Street Evangelization -with an address of 525 B Street Suite 2200, in downtown San Diego.

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Thanks for Nothing (and Everything): On Walmart, Black Friday, and Thich Nhat Hanh

November 24, 2014 by Jim Miller

By Jim Miller

walmart bins It’s Thanksgiving week and Walmart is getting ready to ruin the party by asking nearly one million of its workers to come in on the holiday to get a jump-start on the Black Friday consumer frenzy. Given its size and influence, Walmart’s move, if successful, is likely to set a trend in the industry and wreck Thanksgiving for millions more underpaid service sector workers in the future.

Fortunately, OUR Walmart is responding in kind by promising the biggest Black Friday Strike ever with allies in labor and the community promising to join hands with them in their protest. As Think Progress recently reported:

Workers have gone on strike and protested for the past two Black Fridays.

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Wall Street Criminals Walk Free After Inflicting Enormous Damage on American Citizens

November 24, 2014 by John Lawrence

Wall Street Fraud on a Massive Basis

By John Lawrence

In an article in Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi lays out the case involving massive fraud on the part of JP Morgan Chase, one of Wall Street’s biggest and un-finest banks, considered too big to fail and, evidently, too big to prosecute for the massive criminality it is guilty of. It has been well documented what they and other Wall Street banks did that caused the financial crisis of 2008.

First, their counterparts lured everyone with a beating heart into their offices and gave them a mortgage regardless of their credit score, regardless of whether or not they were working, regardless of whether they could even afford to make a mortgage payment. Countrywide is the prime example of the predatory recruitment of low income people in order to turn them into homeowners despite their inability to pay.

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Tears for Justice, Peace and Compassion

November 24, 2014 by Ernie McCray

By Ernie McCray

I found myself, a day or so ago, kind of tearing up, thinking about a passage I had read in “Just Mercy,” a story of justice and redemption, or better yet, the lack thereof.

Bryan Stephenson, the author of this incredibly revealing narrative about the inequities in our justice system, says, concerning a man who was less than a day away from being executed unbelievably wrongfully, “Why do we want to kill all the broken people? What is wrong with us, that we think a thing like that?”

I’d say that we can entertain such thinking because we have no real values of any substance to guide us as a society. Oh we have documents that say we’re high on freedom of speech and freedom of religion and so on and so on and we sing:

America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.

But do we really honor such thinking? Not by a long-shot.

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Students Fear that UCSD Administration Will Evict CHE Cafe During Thanksgiving

November 21, 2014 by Source

From Media Advisory – CHE Cafe

On Wednesday, November 19, UCSD administrators decided to seek a writ of possession to enforce an earlier unlawful detainer judgment and evict the CHE Cafe Cooperative and any students from the cafe space it has continuously occupied for over 34 years.

Despite a resolution by the UCSD Associated Students Council asking the Chancellor to not proceed with posting a 5-day notice to vacate, and 14,000-signature petitions and open letters demanding that UCSD stop the eviction actions against the C.H.E. Cafe, delivered to the Chancellor earlier this month, action by the administration to evict the CHE Cafe continues rather than negotiations for a new lease agreement with the Co-op.

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“OB Time” – Shrooming in Joshua Tree

November 21, 2014 by Source

The Old OB Hippie Speaks – Writes

Shrooming in Joshua Tree is one of my most favorite things to do. I haven’t done it really for decades, but I did it last weekend. Are you shocked? Are you shocked I would put it in a headline?

Well, I’m here to tell it like it is.

Besides being a naked effort to attract young readers to my column, I wanted to push the online OB Rag more in the direction its original predecessor was – a “real” underground newspaper. The original Rag published in the first half of the 1970s. It and other allied alternative newspapers in San Diego, like The Door and The San Diego Street Journal, would publish articles about drugs, their effects, reviews, exposing undercover cops, blah blah blah. Other underground newspapers – like the Berkeley Barb – would even post drug prices and qualities.

So, I’m here to be real honest with my readers. I took shrooms – psychedelic mushrooms – last weekend in Joshua Tree.

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Friends of OB Library Install the Bench

November 21, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

It’s finally happened! A brand new bench was just installed in front of the OB Library.

The Friends of the OB Library are the responsible group for this venture into making our public facility a better place to be. What’s a library without a bench in front?

With a grant from the OB Town Council and through their own fundraising, the Friends were able to purchase the metal outdoor furniture. This is a great tribute to the community by one of the most wonderful band of local OB lovers.

There is a little background story that involves yours truly.

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“OB Needs You!” Community Clean-Up Sat. Nov. 22nd

November 21, 2014 by Staff

There is an OB community clean-up happening Saturday, November 22nd. Sponsored by the Cleaner Streets Initiative OB, it will start at 9 am and continue to noon.

Volunteers are asked to meet on the grass north of the OB Pier, and even though supplies are provided, people are asked to be Green and bring their own gloves and bucket.

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Keeping Up With OB’s Slightly Stoopid in New Hampshire

November 21, 2014 by Source

Editor: Keeping up with OB’s iconic band, Slightly Stoopid, here’s a review from a New Hampshire online mag. They played at the Whittemore Center Arena on Nov. 15th in Durham, NH .

From NewHampshire.com

While it’s a rare commodity for a band to tour as consistently as Slightly Stoopid, the group’s diligent commitment to live music provides some insight into their loyal fan base and unique creative metamorphosis throughout their 17-year existence.

Though it’s been a couple of years since the release of their last studio album, Top Of The World (August 14, 2012), the Ocean Beach, California-based group—…

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National Scrutiny of Fatal Police Shootings Reminds Us of Two OBceans Killed By Cops

November 20, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

There is a soul-searching national scrutiny going on right now about fatal shootings of civilians by police officers.

In a LA Times article, published Nov. 16th, the issue of police killings of civilians is raised and it describes how the ranks of families are expanding “who demand answers about why lethal force was used, and who decides what is reasonable use of force.”

The key and central question is : What’s reasonable force?

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Lessons Learned from What Was Lost at Sunset Cliffs Park

November 20, 2014 by Source

By Bruce Coons

Sunset Cliffs Park was originally landscaped in 1915 by sporting goods magnate Albert Goodwill Spaulding at the cost of two million dollars. It was to be given to the City of San Diego with the provision that they maintain it.

This bequest consisted of landscaped walkways along the cliffs with rustic railings, pebbled steps and stairways, palm thatched shelters with benches, Japanese-style rustic arched bridges, caves with stairway access, even a 15 x 50 foot saltwater swimming pool carved into the natural rock that cleaned itself with every high tide. This was a major tourist attraction of which there are many postcards from the time around today that attest to its popularity.

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Too Much Salt Delays Ribbon-Cutting at OB Entryway Park

November 20, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

Park’s Walkway Does Not Enter Adjacent Robb Field

Reporter Tony de Garate in an excellent Nov. 17 piece in the San Diego Reader, has informed us that the much-ballyhooed ribbon-cutting on the Ocean Beach Entryway Project – Park is being delayed – once again.

De Garate reports that “there’s too much salt in the soil” at the planned park at the intersection of West Pt Loma Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, according to the City, and that the November 20th opening of the new park will have to be pushed back into next year. The city’s latest estimate of the completion date – as of Nov. 1st – is now February 2015.

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Another Hit and Run in OB

November 20, 2014 by Staff

Apparently, there has been even another hit and run incident in Ocean Beach lately. This one occurred on November 6th, reportedly.

In a post at Reddit.com San Diego, LksdG2 stated that on Nov. 6, around 7 pm, his girl friend’s vehicle was t-boned at the intersection of West Pt Loma and Bacon Street by a drunken driver – who fled the scene.

The post states that a white Toyota with a camper shell ran the stop sign and hit the other car. The male driver got out of the truck, approached the other car, still in the intersection. The woman in the hit car was still badly shaken up and didn’t respond to the guy who had come up to her vehicle – who smelled strongly of alcohol.

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How Ocean Beach got it’s Empty-way

November 20, 2014 by Marc Snelling

Hillcrest

[Originally published June 14, 2008]

by Marc Snelling

In case you didn’t know you were in Hillcrest , or AbNormal Heights there is a big sign to tell you. Same goes for University Heights, which despite the marketing does not have a university. Even streets have them.

Nothing says NEIGHBORHOOD! in San Diego like a huge sign on the main road.

This got some OBceans to thinking that our puny sign, and the first few blocks of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard were not a complimentary enough entryway to OB. …

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OB Rag Poll on Whether to Repaint Exterior of OB Hostel

November 19, 2014 by Staff

The OB Rag is running a poll right now on our home page on what readers think about the possible repainting of the exterior of the OB Hostel by its new owner, USA Hostels. Take the poll and tell us what you think.

If you’d like to explain your position, please use the comments below.

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Visual Review of Proposed Bike Corral in OB

November 19, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

The Ocean Beach Planning Board voted unanimously recently to support the installation of a bicycle corral in OB. The main idea is to install one along Bacon Street, the “bicycle boulevard”. And Pizza Port is interested as OB’s first bike corral, but no deal has been made and discussions continue. The bike corral takes a street parking space, so Pizza Port if chosen would have to give up a space in front of their corner business at Santa Monica and Bacon.

Having one or more bike corrals is a way to raise bicycle safety awareness, especially after the recent accident that occurred to one of Pizza Port’s employees. The hope is that if one is installed, the momentum for more would evolve.

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University of California Campuses Explode As Students Protest Proposed Tuition Hike

November 19, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

UPDATE: According to the LA Times:

A key UC regents committee moved Wednesday to hike tuition by as much as 28% over the next five years despite strong opposition from the governor, legislative leaders and students.

The regents committee on long-range planning approved the hike in a 7-2 vote after an unusual debate that pitted the state’s most powerful political leaders against administrators of the 10-campus UC system. The full Board of Regents is scheduled to vote Thursday on the proposed increase,

University of California campuses up and down the state exploded yesterday, Nov. 18th, as students protested a devastating tuition hike proposed by the UC administration.

Protests included a sit-in in front of the main library at UC San Diego – plus demonstrations at UC Berkeley, Irvine, Davis, LA.

DETAILS INSIDE, PLUS SUMMARY OF UC PROTESTS

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Mounting Protests Over 43 Kidnapped and Massacred Mexican Students Hit San Diego

November 19, 2014 by Doug Porter

Missing-students-Ayotzinapa By Doug Porter

Unrest in Mexico, triggered by the disappearance and probable execution of 43 students in the state of Guerrero is reaching a fevered pitch. Nationwide demonstrations in Mexico on November 20th are prompting activists north of the border to hold protests that day. Here in San Diego, a protest is scheduled for Thursday at the Mexican Consulate (1549 India St) in Little Italy.

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OB Project Review Nov. 19th: Demolition – Construction on Del Mar Ave and Crosswalk at Newport and Abbott

November 19, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

UPDATE: MEETING CANCELLED – due to applicant withdrawing project, and lack of update on crosswalk.

The Project Review Committee is a sub-committee of the OB Planning Board, the Project Review Committee, chaired by John Ambert, gets to review projects before they are considered by the full Board, and then usually makes recommendations to the Board on whether to approve them or not.

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Ferguson Organizers say State of Emergency Violates Laws, Thwarts Civil Liberties

November 19, 2014 by Source

Governor’s declaration ‘only threatens to stir up tensions and denigrate the peaceful efforts of countless non-violent activists’

By Nadia Prupis / Common Dreams

Ferguson October

In the wake of Governor Jay Nixon’s Monday afternoon declaration of a state of emergency in Missouri, activists and civil rights groups are speaking out against a move they say threatens the civil rights of protesters on the ground in Ferguson.

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New OB Hostel Owners’ Upgrades May Include Covering Exterior “OB-esque Hippie Floral Design”

November 18, 2014 by Matthew Wood

By Matthew Wood

When the Ocean Beach International Hostel was sold last month, OB residents couldn’t help but be a little worried about the future of the neighborhood relic.

Fortunately, the business is in the hands of USA Hostels – a company that started in San Diego with a hostel in the Gaslamp District and seems to have the best intentions of the relic on the heart of Newport Avenue in mind.

Here’s USA Hostels president David Reuter response to those worries:

“We’re in it for the long haul. We’re the owners and operators. It’s going to be a hands-on approach. We’re interested in becoming members of the community.”

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Women’s Perspectives and Changing Roles In the US and Iraq War

November 17, 2014 by Source

By Lori Saldaña

In March 2010, Katherine Bigelow made history at the Academy Awards, by winning in the Best Director category. This was the first time a woman had done so in the Academy’s history. She won for her film “Hurt Locker,” about men who disarm IED’s (improvised explosive devices) in Iraq.

“Hurt Locker” was also was named Picture of the Year, and won for Best Sound Editing- so congratulations for all that, too, Ms. Bigelow. Well done.

If you haven’t seen it, “Hurt Locker” is an amazing and suspenseful film — with hardly a woman character in it.

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Gilbert Field April 24, 2024 at 10:23 am on ‘Hey You! Get Up! We’ve Outlawed Sleeping in Public!’I looked at Zillow for a typical home in Claremont. House is 1200 square feet and the price is $1 million. 1200 time $250 =...
nostalgic April 24, 2024 at 10:09 am on Reader Rant: ‘Why I’m Breaking Up With Cox Communications’For this very important topic, keep us all informed. I would like to send an email. As a complication, there is occasionally an attachment. I...
Gilfield48@gmail.com April 24, 2024 at 9:24 am on ‘Hey You! Get Up! We’ve Outlawed Sleeping in Public!’OK. Not sure where you live, but the $250-300 square feet and value of most homes generates that land is worth more than the home....
Frank Gormlie April 24, 2024 at 6:48 am on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingCouldn't agree more. Labor is not just a special interest group -- until they act like one and our local labor council has become just...
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ingrate April 24, 2024 at 1:22 am on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingFrank, check the money pouring into the Dems and paying for those flyers. Unions are catching up with developers in funding the candidates and sending...
unwashedwalmartThong April 23, 2024 at 8:03 pm on Reader Rant: ‘Why I’m Breaking Up With Cox Communications’For e-mail I went to Hushmail a decade ago. I've had no problems with the company or my e-mail account. It's about $35/year & based...
Marc Davies April 23, 2024 at 4:28 pm on Adam Avenues Unplugged — Saturday, April 27I miss Isaac Cheong hosting open mics at Lestat’s on Adams Avenue, when Gregory Page and Greg Laswell would perform.
chris schultz April 23, 2024 at 2:52 pm on ‘Hey You! Get Up! We’ve Outlawed Sleeping in Public!’I just said my land was assessed at 38% of value. $300 x my sq footage puts me at appraised value for the entire property,...
Chris April 23, 2024 at 2:11 pm on Adam Avenues Unplugged — Saturday, April 27I miss when it was the Roots Festival.
Gilbert Field April 23, 2024 at 1:27 pm on ‘Hey You! Get Up! We’ve Outlawed Sleeping in Public!’You are very correct that many sections of our city are outliers, like LaJolla and El Cajon. But, if your home is within a typical...
chris schultz April 23, 2024 at 12:57 pm on ‘Hey You! Get Up! We’ve Outlawed Sleeping in Public!’Sounds like way more land then house based on your numbers. My assessor value tells me everything. Maybe the location differs which would explain some...
Gilbert Field April 23, 2024 at 12:42 pm on ‘Hey You! Get Up! We’ve Outlawed Sleeping in Public!’Of course the land value % will vary within the city. I just had my home reassessed after some improvements, and since I know about...
chris schultz April 23, 2024 at 12:03 pm on ‘Hey You! Get Up! We’ve Outlawed Sleeping in Public!’My land is 38% of the value on my tax assessment. 75% seems like speculative assumptions on what?