by OB Anonymous
The Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association. Will they rent spaces to anyone during The Farmers Market? It appears so.
Perhaps I’m alone out there but I would think that one of the roles of the OBMA is to support the local business’s on the 4900 block of Newport. It’s not bad enough that there is a significant drop in revenue from having all the parking spaces taken from 4900 block merchants, but now, to add insult to injury, they seem to be working against local merchants by renting spaces to jewelry vendors, massage therapists, clothes vendors, hot food booths etc etc etc. How does that help the tax paying businesses on the 4900 block of Newport Avenue?
During a recession it becomes much harder for local merchants to make a living – not to mention having to compete with our own weekly Farmers Market. I’m shocked to find that in spite of any list they may have, they appear to be ignoring their own guidelines and renting to anyone who offers the right amount of money. Is body piercing next? Facials? Haircutting? Beer garden?
We have a number of business’s on the 4900 block that sell jewelry, offer massage, serve hot food and sell clothing and considering the rate that small businesses are closing, I believe that MUCH more consideration should be given to the 4900 block merchants who supposedly benefit from having a Main Street Association in the first place. What the heck is their purpose other than that?
According to the OBMA web-site this is “their credo”:
“To find a unique balance of economic development, within a neighborhood setting and through special events, to contribute to the health, welfare, and pride of our coastal community”.
But at whose expense do they do these things?
{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
This is based on the ranters’ assumption that it is the 4900 block merchants who suffer the most on Wednesdays – maybe the market should alternate blocks between Abbot, Bacon, Cable, and Sunset Cliffs. That way the individual businesses will only be effected once every 4 weeks rather than every week. Just a thought.
Yes these ideas have already been presented to Denny at the OBMA but her answer was simply…..”We can’t move the Farmers Market”.
Even better since the OBMA uses the pier parking lot so much for other OB events why not have it there?
The market does bring people from out of OB to our main street. Those of us who live here have our stores we shop in any day of the week we want. So the merchants should receive some benefit from the simple increase in numbers, regardless of what is sold at the market.
unless you’ve walked in our shoes and owned a business on the 4900 block of Newport you’ll never know.
oy vey!
obviously here’s another merchant who’s “too busy” to walk around the corner to the OBMA office and ask a few questions.
here are a few things to think about…
there IS a committee that screens sellers.
don’t like the criteria they use? come to few meetings & get involved.
ever thought of offering up an experience on farmers market days that increases your exposure to the thousands of people who are on the street? (you don’t need to discount!)
ever thought of the impact that having NO farmers market would have on OB and the many sellers who earn their living there?
do you know–obviously you do, that’s why this is anonymous–how much bad will blondstone generated earlier this year by attacking the farmers market?
bottom line……if you went up & down the 4900 block of Newport and asked every merchant if the weekly Farmers Market was a positive/ negative experience for them I think you would be in for a big surprise. Most of the ones I’ve spoken with are “over it” and tired of losing income.
Obviously you aren’t a merchant on our block. Possibly a OMBA board member?
no i’m not.
a board member.
or a merchant on your block.
i’m just someone who knows how to make lemons into lemonade and who sees the world beyond the end of my block.
i’ve also been around long enough to know that when people indulge in name calling, it’s usually a good indicator of intellectual or moral bankruptcy.
i appreciate that you are angry. i just think your anger is misdirected and unlikely to solve your problem.
Turn lemon’s into lemonade? Perhaps you should be renting a FM booth on Wed’s.
Partner I’m not angry at all.I’m actually a very mellow guy. My business is way down on Wed’s but overall were doing excellent in this economy. But I do believe that everyone (OBMA) should be held accountable for his/her actions. And I will go to bat for my gals as they rent from me.
What they (OBMA) needs is a better list of what type of business’s NOT to rent spaces to. And the OBMA should be going business to business on the 4900 block asking merchants how the market is directly effecting them. I mean isn’t part of their purpose to support the “local merchant”.
I also believe that the pier parking lot might be better suited for this event. I mean they seem to favor that location for most every other event they hold.
p.s. I love OB. I was raised here. I still live here. I rarely speak out unless it’s justified. I know this is unlikely to solve many of the merchants problems but it’s a start. I don’t wish to rid the llama’s. I like Denny & Claudia . But more needs to be done.
Mr Fresh the # 1. issue is that OBMA rents a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote many different types business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. (Yoga, Manicures, Massage,Fitness Spa, Hair Salon’s etc etc. NONE OF THE BUSINESS’S THEY REPRESENT ARE IN OB. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas/Yoga and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets?
I have often wondered how OB merchants deal with the Farmers Market. Obviously, there’s concerns around parking and access. In my walks around OB, I have asked the occasional store owner I meet how the FM affects them. And it is mixed. Some thrive on the influx of people, and some hold their breaths.
Lane, I think we have to assume this person is not just ranting at the moon, but knows a little of what they speak (OMG – an actual merchant???).
yes and there’s many more of us Merchants out there who feel the same………….
Molly the # 1. issue is that OBMA rents a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote many different types business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. (Yoga, Manicures, Massage,Fitness Spa, Hair Salon’s etc etc. NONE OF THE BUSINESS’S THEY REPRESENT ARE IN OB. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas/Yoga and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets? Am I still just a complainer Abby?
Blondstone didn’t generate any bad will with me. I still shop there. It’s a great little family-run store with good jewelry and a great resource for nice gifts. I know the owner went a little far last year regarding the farmer’s market but it seemed fairly obvious that the OBMA did as well. That didn’t stop me from visiting the farmer’s market.
And here we have someone offering up a perfectly reasonable criticism of the farmer’s market and he(she) is very quickly being skewered for going about it the wrong way or for having any complaints at all.
I like the farmer’s market as much as anybody, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. It has gotten a little crazy with the number of vendors that aren’t selling food. Not that I don’t enjoy some of the others, but if we’re going to expand could we get a local butcher or egg supplier?
Catherine the # 1. issue is that OBMA rents a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote many different types business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. (Yoga, Manicures, Massage,Fitness Spa, Hair Salon’s etc etc. NONE OF THE BUSINESS’S THEY REPRESENT ARE IN OB. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas/Yoga and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets? Am I still just a complainer Abby?
““To find a unique balance…”
It’s in their 1st 5 words…so why can’t we have both? I support both the merchants on that block AND the Farmers Market. I’d hate to think that simply by having a business on that stretch of Newport gives anyone here a sense of entitlement because it shouldn’t…we’re all in this together and the sooner we all start getting along, the better.
I don’t see why this keeps becoming an issue either. This is America and we all (every single one of us) have the right to earn a decent living here and hopefully not at the expense of any of our fellow human beings.
Btw, that Beer Garden idea isn’t bad, if you’re not generating your normal income on Wednesdays, why not try throwing in a free adult beverage with whatever else it is that your selling? ;)
Let’s work on keeping OB rawckin’ for everybody here!!!
Obviously you wouldn’t care if your beer garden hurt the business local taverns/bars???
Should we also allow Body piercing vendors from PB?
How about shell shops from Mission Valley.
Have you heard the saying….Support your local merchant?
Do you live in 92107?
Yes, I’m your neighbor, we have good friends in common, we dig the same things. My point is to look beyond the small picture and realize that there is income to be made here from beyond 921OB, we just need a dialog and then to get creative.
Dave I’m all for being creative as long as it doesn’t hurt your fellow man. (In this case your fellow merchant’s pockets).
Here would be my questions: How do merchants on Newport fare during the FM compared to the same times on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays? And if there is a disparity in sales during those times, is this something that has gotten worse as more artisans have been permitted at the FM?
How do we know that the Farmers Market isn’t generating new income for the merchants on Newport? Has someone done a study? Just because Wednesdays are slow, doesn’t mean that folks aren’t noticing them and coming back at a later date or time.
They’re there for the Farmers Market and have a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time, especially now that it’s getting darker earlier. I’d think that the free advertising must be paying off some too, just maybe not with the instant gratification that we’ve come to expect in our culture.
On the other hand, I do know that rents are very high there and in this recovering economy, slow days can really hurt a business if you’re not careful and a bit more frugal.
Is the pier parking lot even big enough or does it have enough fire escape lanes? Where would people park? Not that I think that it’s a viable option BUT…it IS certainly more fun to look at the ocean, waves, surfers, pier, sunsets, etc….
Seth the # 1. issue they rent a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote many different types business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. (Yoga, Manicures, Massage,Fitness Spa, Hair Salon’s etc etc. NONE OF THE BUSINESS’S THEY REPRESENT ARE IN OB. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas/Yoga and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets? Am I still just a complainer Abby?
Dave I hope you would give us merchants some more credit. Our regular bread & butter clients are what keep us going. When our B & B clients avoid coming to OB on Wed’s we all suffer. When Sunday’s (our old slowest day) is now busier then Wed’s we worry. (Wed being our new slowest day of the week)
Especially when 15-20 private contractors are concerned. Most of these being women who are single parents striving to survive. Especially we when see the OBMA renting booths to vendors who are in the same profession as us. We don’t need any more competition from non-local business’s.
I understand the sentiment, it’s the same way I feel when I hear bands play for free and take money out of working musician’s mouths.
But 15-20 private contractors is a lot of folks to be concerned about not to mention a pretty huge staff for anything that I’ve seen on Newport, but I can see where you’d be worried. Frankly though, unless OB becomes it’s own country I don’t see how you can regulate your fellow Americans from selling their wares anywhere that they’ve paid their booth/space fees. I also have some good friends that sell at the FM and regardless of their zip codes they need to put food on the table too.
Has anyone ever thought of moving the FM one block north to Santa Monica? The merchants on Newport wouldn’t get the free advertising anymore but that may help restore those precious Wednesday dollars that have been so elusive since the FM came to town and brought all local business’ to a grinding halt.
Dave the # 1. issue is that OBMA rents a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote many different types business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. (Yoga, Manicures, Massage,Fitness Spa, Hair Salon’s etc etc. NONE OF THE BUSINESS’S THEY REPRESENT ARE IN OB. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas/Yoga and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets? Am I still just a complainer Abby?
Sorry man but I don’t buy into your whole, OB against world diatribe. Yes, it sounds noble that you are “employing” 19 or so single Moms that are all from the 92107 zip code, but to blame it on this Elifelive as the reason that you can’t make ends meet or that you’re losing money just doesn’t fly with me.
I personally think that you’ve over hired/rented and that in order to save face you’re going on the attack and blaming others for your own miscalculations. As a fellow OBcean I hope that you can see beyond your own problems and realize that everyone is able to try and earn an honest living in this world irregardless of one’s zip code.
Dave once again your missing the whole point. (BTW I don’t recognize your name when you mentioned “being my neighbor”). Do you own a local business in OB? If so my apologies but I don’t know you. I see your in a band though. That’s cool so am I.
Elifelive is NO different than a person with a megaphone encouraging the FM crowd to leave OB and take your business elsewhere. This takes $$$ out of the local merchants hands. If you can’t understand or relate to that then I doubt you’ll ever “get it”.
Me over hiring/miscalculating ? Hardly were actually very busy. And once again Dave your not reading all the above blogs. Wed’s from 3-8 are my problem. Vendor’s take $$$ out local merchants pockets are another problem.Please don’t get me confused with the llama hating merchant. Please stop by & introduce your-self sometime. I’m always there in the Am’s. Let’s chat ok? I’ll put Led Zeppelin 3 on. That’s always a peace-maker.
peace
Hmm, there’s no “reply” option at the end of http://obrag.org/?p=14984&cpage=1#comment-28850 so here we go….
I’m not missing your point, nor am I or lumping you in with “Llama hater” and yes, I do own my own small business here in OB. Between that, and playing music I get by. When I started my new business a few years back, I’d freely exchanged my ideas and methods with my competitors and to this day that line of thinking and working with folks pays me back often…so as far as me “getting it” that’s what I get. I also certainly wouldn’t like it if I took work in say, P.B. or Coronado and someone took exception to me doing as such.
I applaud what you’ve done on Newport and your City Beat awards are nothing to scoff at either, it’s just too bad they’re not picking up your financial slack every Wednesday. So, if you’ve narrowed it down to 1 single vendor that needs to be eradicated in order for you and ALL of the other merchants on Newport to start earning good money again every Wednesday from 3 til closing then that’s great, let’s run them out of OB on a rail…those dirty no-account out-a-towners!
Personally I don’t think that one single out of town company can offer our locals a better service and/or products than you or I. People are going to shop where they feel like it and believe it or not, folks have a certain sense of loyalty when it comes to where they will part with their hard earned cash.
I really think that you’d be fighting a losing battle to take on the FM without a very strategic & precise game plan rather than simply saying that Elifelive is now the bane of OB’s existence. Imho, it would probably be better to find a more creative way to make the FM work for you during that short time-span on Wednesday aft/eves.
Yes, I’ve heard of your band and they sound like they could be a lot of fun. As someone who plays, you understand the competition between bands seeking paying gigs can be quite heady as well and yet, the music business is completely made up of relationships too. Btw, your bass player from your 4th & B gig is one of my closest friends.
Led Zeppelin III Rawcks!!! ;)
I had set the “REPLY” feature so it nested five layers deep and you guys just went deeper than that… reset it to 8.
your right there’s not “leave a comment” on your latest e-mail either.
If your a friend of Richie’s your a friend of mine !! Are you in his band? What business is yours in ob?
Dave first let me say this. I like the farmers mkt. It’s good for OB. I wish it was in a different location that’s all. I know probably it will never happen. And that’s ok. I’m not going to turn into “the other OBMA bashing merchant”. I’ve never met him. I have bought a necklace from his wife though. He carried his frustraton a little too far from what I hear.
However he did have some valid complaints (from a fellow merchants point of view). But I don’t know the whole story on him. I really don’t have the time/energy to take this any farther.
One of my propopals to the OBMA is to start a blog for merchants only. I don’t think the OBRAG is the right forum for my complaints. I do enjoy reading the other artciles it provides though. I believe a merchants blog would help the OBMA understand our issues. Also there are many who are afraid to voice their opinions/can’t attend meetings so the blog would be perfect for them.
Come by and introduce yourself sometime but…….is it ok if I put on Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti album instead? I’m in a different mood today.:)
the rebel johnny yuma
The FM is one of OB’s gems; there’s no way the neighborhood would stand for it being eliminated from the equation completely. There needs to be a balance; if the local merchant is missing out on Wednesday business, in this economy, then something needs to be done.
Bringing up the Blondstone issue is relevant because that method didn’t work. If a large percentage of the merchants on Newport banded together and came up with a plausible solution and went about it in an organized and sensible way, I can’t see how OBMA could ignore them. Personally, I only know of a few merchants who complain about it. But I’m just one guy. If there is a consensus that it is hurting business, then bring it to the public and to people like me who have no idea this is going on; then the argument gains credibility. In the meantime, most OBceans will just assume the benefits of our FM outweigh the negatives.
No I don’t want the FM eliminated just regulated. I just have issues with who they rent to.
# 1. issue they rent a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets?
I can say though, that now that this issue is coming from a merchant – I assume, since the poster is anonymous – not connected to Blondstone, that this issue is not going away and should not be cast aside by our community.
# 1. issue they rent a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote many different types business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. (Yoga, Manicures, Massage,Fitness Spa, Hair Salon’s etc etc. NONE OF THE BUSINESS’S THEY REPRESENT ARE IN OB. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas/Yoga and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets? Am I still just a complainer Abby?
I think Anonymous is forgetting one important thing. WE ARE IN A RECESSION MR. COMPLAINER!
Most of what is sold on Newport is luxury items I don’t need to live. And right now, if I don’t need it to live I do without. And I don’t need jewelry, clothing or antiques to stay alive.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some wonderful little shops along Newport, and when things improve I will be happy to spend my money there.
Dear Abby- your comment above ” Most of what is sold on Newport is luxury items I don’t need to live”. Can you explain to me what that means?
Please read our #1 issue below and hopefully you’ll understand why us merchants are upset.
No we don’t want the FM eliminated just regulated. I just have issues with who they rent to.
# 1. issue they rent a space to a company called Elifelive.com.
They are a marketing company who are trying to promote many different types business’s OUTSIDE of Ocean Beach. (Yoga, Manicures, Massage,Fitness Spa, Hair Salon’s etc etc. NONE OF THE BUSINESS’S THEY REPRESENT ARE IN OB. They’ve been vendors at the FM for many years. I checked their web-site under Haircare/Spas/Yoga and there aren’t any local OB or Point Loma business’s they are promoting. So my point is why is the OBMA allowing this to happen? (Denny from OBMA) is looking into it). Why take $$$$ out of OB and out of the local merchants hands/pockets? Am I still just a complainer Abby?
Not only are you a complainer, you’re very, very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Very redundant. Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V – it works for me too. But I think posting the same comment in reply to every single post on this discussion thread waters down the potency of your argument. I know I wasn’t any more moved reading it for the 8th time here than I was the first, second, or third time. I was, however, rather annoyed, which turned me from being sympathetic into sounding like a dick in my response to you. I’m sorry for that.
Also, anonymity means making some effort to conceal one’s identity…if I come down and get my hair cut on Wednesday will it help business out any? Have any of the girls that rent your booths tried standing outside your shop and passing out flyers or doing some kind of promo? And are you overall really losing business, or are people who’d otherwise be Wednesday clients coming in on Tuesdays or Thursdays instead because they’re either avoiding the crowds or partaking in the festivities outside?
As far as this booth you’ve got a beef with, I’m with you 100% on not thinking it’s a good fit for the FM, but more because I don’t think it’s a good fit than because I’m scared of it driving people out of OB for their beauty needs…though if I was in the beauty business I’d be pissed about it for that reason as well. I don’t have a problem with the artisans or the cooked food people, but I do think they’re a little overboard and I’d like to see a local butcher, a dairy, or some more produce vendors driving some of them out. To me a farmer’s market should at least feature farmers as the main event rather than as the minor component they are now. But maybe they’re not interested in renting space and the ‘county fair fare’ people are.
All in all Mr./Ms. Anonymous – I think you’ve got a good point and some good observations, but maybe a little less venom would help start the dialogue off on a better foot.
A local butcher? YIKES!!!
There are a few out there – when I lived out east I’d stop by Benny’s in El Cajon or Valley Farms in Spring Valley with some frequency…and the more cows I eat the more carrots I save for the hippies.
my my my. Who has the venom here? If I knew where you lived I would bring one of my Lexapro’s over for you.
The same goes for you. You know who I am & where I work. Please come & say hello some am. I’d love to discuss the above issues any am.
peace to you as well…
No doubt man…harsher on my part than intended. I’ve taken my chill pill now, apologies. You’re obviously reading here and following the issue – it would be cool to hear back on what happens after the OBMA inquiry runs its course, both on the booth you’re calling out and on the more general issue of some businesses having a negative opinion of the farmer’s market in its current state. I wonder, for example, if the restaurants (in the general area, not just on the Bacon-Cable block of Newport) see it as a boon because of all the non-locals that come to town or a nuisance because all the prepared-food vendors are taking the visitors’ business and siphoning off some of their regulars…
Would you like cheese with your whine?
Jewelry, hair styling, antiques, eating out, these things are luxuries. Most of my money these days goes to food and rent, you know, things I need to stay alive. I’ve even resorted to cutting my own hair, which isn’t too pretty!
You aren’t losing money because people are taking their money to businesses outside of OB, you are losing money because PEOPLE AREN’T SPENDING MONEY AT ALL.
Nah I’m a beer drinker Abby but thanks.
How about a bloggers discount for your next haircut? Would 25% off help?
I have some brain cells still functioning so I’m aware of the recession/luxury items etc.
What one (merchants) DOESNT need is a vendor attempting to steer business away from OB.
Thanks for your comments.
I don’t see why local merchants dont give a discount to local residents. If you want business to stay in the community, try offering some incentives. For instance, I get my haircut in North Park. The guy gives me a discount because I’ve been going to him since he started in OB. (Since when has it been the norm to charge 30-40 bucks for a guys haircut anyways?)
In these financial times I’ve been looking for the best bargain that produces the same results.
I know that the OB Tire store gives discounts to residents. (And they don’t even have an ad up here.)
Frank personally for me yes I’m happy to honor a “local discount”. I know Susy cut you hair for years so let me ask her as well. I’m sure she would be up for it. We switched over in June to having them all Booth Renters so they all have different prices/hrs etc (meaning I have zero control over their prices etc).
On a different note……me & Lynne saw Barb yesterday after many years.
She looks the same (beautiful as ever) !!
Cool. Local resident discounts are great. Say hi to Susy and Lynne. (yeah, Barb and I have been divorced for, gee, 8 years now, but we still talk – she even has an ad up on our blog.)
Susy just called and said she would love to have you back Frank. She cuts one of your friends hair for $22 (25% off) so if that works for you give her a ring (223-1112) (Good for any other ob local’s who needs one as well).
You do make a point, and I agree it’s silly to promote outside businesses. But I am also pretty sure most people who live in ob would rather spend money it OB.
Thanks for seeing my point Abby. Now I’m signing off. I’m done blogging. (first time blogger). Hoping to start a “merchants blog” on the OBMA web-site. Happy Thanksgiving to you !!
What’s the #2 issue?
Jon there are maybe 2-3 more issues which we will address with Denny (OBMA) first. If we don’t receive satisfaction from that we’ll bring it ALL up on this blog and get everyone’s feelings on the subjects.
Anonymous – we know you’re trying for most comments for the week, but instead of responding to each commenter with the exact same comment, please simply either leave a general comment for all to read, or ask others to refer to the comment you made to so-n-so.
Jon and Doug, thanks for helping move this conversation/ discussion along. This is good. Anonymous – why not discuss the issues here – and still take them to Denny of OBMA?
Molly- Denny has much on her plate now. She sounds stressed in her e-mails/phone conversations. I don’t want to give the poor Woman a heart attack. I like Denny & Claudia.
But things do need to change. For this vendor to be here the last 4 years promoting business’s outside of OB is a MAJOR blunder. And during a recession at that. How much income has been lost by local OB merchants who have Yoga, Nail, Hair, Massage, Spa & Chiropractor business’s??
This vendor should have been monitored WEEKLY to assure they were promoting local business’s. But no-one ever bothered to check. Whose job was that?
We will address our other issues with Denny first and give her a chance to “fix them”. If she can’t or won’t then I’ll voice them here.
No not trying to win the comments award category just thought before your other readers leave comments they should read the most important one that some readers seem to have not read prior to replying. Sorry boss it won’t happen again. BTW why did you censor Abby’s “Moron”comment? I’m not offended. She spoke her mind. That’s her right correct?
I don’t mind, It’s their blog, they can do what they like. Besides, I was being grumpy. I get that way when I have to leave OB to go to work! :-)
Anon – the “moron” comment is demeaning and we have standards here at this blog. No racist, sexist comments or ones that are dehumanizing or demeaning. Now, if she had, following our governor’s example, had cleverly placed the “M” and “O” and “Ron” etc at the beginning of each line, she could have gotten away with it.
Anonymous – okay – you win for the most comments to a post for the month! Congratulations. Of course half of them were your responses – (good goin’) Your prize: free haircut and wash at a local hair place that has local resident discounts called Electric Chair. Oh, that’s right, you don’t get haircuts. Um, okay. Let’s see. Discount at the local OB tire place? Uh, how about the special discount that People’s Food store offers OB Rag bloggers. Just go in and tell them that you’re from the Rag ….. no, don’t do that. LOL. I guess it’s just an honorarium that you can attach to your name.
Was never trying to win. Just want my side heard.
But if you are giving out awards……can I have a plaque to put on my wall? Just like the ones Citybeat & The Beacon gives me?? I will display it with pride.
And yes you can out me if you want.
It does feel good to finally be out. Should I be worried about assassination attempts now?? Any crazed bloggers that you know about out there?
ps: Thanks for letting me participate in your blog. (I was a virgin blogger before this). What a release it was !! Now I’m back making frames in the back yard. Happy Thanksgiving to you !! peace out
Paul
Anonymous aka Paul, this community blog is a great place for us to present “our side.” For many of us, it is one of the few places or the only place to do that. I’m glad you took the plunge and hope you continue to join the discussions on other topics. You are no longer a virgin blogger…
I don’t think you really stayed anonymous for very long. We bloggers are deft at finding out who “anonymous” posters are. Especially when they live/work in our own backyard.
I think you should be commended for keeping it so civil. You definitely have some valid points, and aside from losing it momentarily with the “#1 issue” cut & paste rapid fire response thing, you kept your cool and stuck to your guns. Very respectable. I hope that you find some resolution to your grievances. You are and always have been an important piece of this community.
So I don’t think you have much to worry about in the way of crazed bloggers. Shawn Conrad didn’t even make an appearance regarding this issue…..
Thanks Jon-
Yes I have been scolded by the editor for my “copy & paste” techniques. (I’m new at this blogging stuff).
And Denny has addressed my issue and the vendor has been suspended unless he can come up with more local OB’s business’s he’s promoting.
Thanks for you kind words too. Without OB I wouldn’t still be here.
paul
Thank you all. I love being educated on different local business issues. I really like exercising my right to boycott businesses that I think are detrimental to the community. I will never go to Wings for example. Maybe it is silly and will never change the world but I love my middle fingers as they salute that crappy trinket store as I walk by feeling superior to the people shopping inside. I will do the same at the FM. The more educated our community becomes on these issues perhaps we will see more middle fingers. Those businesses will find the FM less profitable and they will eventually leave the FM. Quick question. Why doesn’t the cookie guy sell chocolate cookies called “llama plops”?
I have to be honest. If there was a comedy club outside of O.B. promoting their Friday shows at FM I would not be very pleased. Guys- give up the music crap. Don’t you know
that stand up comedy is where it’s at? Just kidding. Once again thank you.
Steven Kendrick – The guy who started Ocean Beach Comedy.
obsteven – some of us have been boycotting wings since it opened, not only because it was another corporate franchise selling crap but because it took over the old strand theater building and some of us wanted to save it as an historic place. but alas, not enough of our fellow obcians agreed or at least nobody with enough mulah to save it. so the building was gutted.
this is the problem with a quaint neighborhood like OB where the turnover of residents is very high – people don’t know the history, or not enough people know the history (or don’t care) and travesties happen without a ripple of sorrow or concern.
that’s why this blog is important, to educate the new waves of residents to the history of this place. OB just didn’t pop up out of no where. people had to fight to keep it this way over the decades.
i say, get involved with your community, get to know who’s who, what’s what and why things are the way they are. before it’s too late.
i will now don my fins and jump on those cold but gorgeous waves.
I too remember the days before wings. I’m not local, but I have been a responsible resident for almost 8 years.
Maybe some farmers grow jewelry instead of llamas. Have you ever considered that?
Personally, until every booth at the Farmer’s Market is laden with illegal narcotics and fine booze I could care.