News and Notes from Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Early Fall 2017

OB Pier Pancake Breakfast. All photos by South OB Girl

OB Pier Pancake Breakfast Raises Over $7,000 for OBTC Food and Toy Drive

By all accounts, the annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast was a success. Hosted by the OB Town Council, the event witnessed the sale of nearly 750 tickets. And over $7,000 was raised for the OBTC OB Food and Toy Drive and for the OB Holidays. The breakfast – pancakes, sausages, fruit with coffee and orange juice – was assembled by Breakfast Republic and served out by OB volunteers. Definitely one of the great social events of the year.

Breakfast off the coast.

Where else can you munch down with friends and fellow OBceans with the great views?

Whose breakfast was this? But check out the OB Rag placemats, made by Patty Jones.

(There is some discussion of having a contest for best placemats next year – and if it been held this year, the OB Rag placemats would have won, hands down, as the mats not only highlighted the news organization, they also highlighted our OB history!)

Carolyn and Jon Winn at the OB Rag Table

One of the social events of the year.

South OB Girl’s breakfast.

No Target in OB Events

The group that sponsored the “No to Target in OB” rally and march in late August is still going strong. They have 500 signatures on their petition and have been doing outreach during OB’s weekly Farmers Market – which they feel has been very successful. Here are their upcoming events:

Next Action Committee meeting is scheduled for Friday September 29th 5:30 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Green Center, 4843 B Voltaire Street.
Community Rally & Press Conference  Wednesday October 4th  Gather at the foot of Newport Avenue, starting at 5:00 p.m.   Press Conference at 6:10 p.m.  Flyers and posters will be made for this.

The group is also contemplating having a “No Target in OB Community Social Hour – Nightmare on Main Street” Friday October 13th.  Plus they’re discussing having a community forum, perhaps, sometime in mid-October.

OB Pier Surrounded by Hundreds of Local Surfers and Ocean Lovers

A huge symbolic statement was made on Sunday, Sept 24, when hundreds of local surfers and Ocean lover fought through choppy waves and paddled all the way around the Ocean Beach Pier. It was the 26th consecutive year the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation has organized the event to raise awareness of sewage spills, plastic, cigarette butts and other pollutants that threaten San Diego County’s coastline.

This year’s “Paddle for Clean Water” was also a fund raiser to help the foundation launch a new Blue Water Task Force, which will test water at all local beaches each Thursday and then post the results each Friday morning. Many of Sunday’s participants had surfboards, wore wetsuits and finished the one-mile route around the pier in about 20 minutes. But some used boogie boards or kayaks and had no wetsuit, making the outward trip particularly hard.  The waves were relatively small, however, and the warm air temperatures at 10 a.m. and the perfectly blue, cloudless sky also didn’t hurt. San Diego Union-Tribune

Cabrillo National Monument Open for Free on Saturday, Sept. 30

As the National Park Service continues celebrating 101 years, San Diego residents will have another opportunity to visit national parks free of charge. Saturday, Sept. 30, marks National Public Lands Day and free entrance to Cabrillo National Monument here in San Diego.

Car Crashes Into House on Nimitz – 4th Crash in 9 Years

A driver crashed into the bedroom of a Point Loma home Wednesday, Sept 21,damaging the resident’s car in the driveway at the same time. The crashed happened on Nimitz Boulevard, at Evergreen Street just after 5 a.m. A property manager told NBC 7 this is the fourth time a crash like this has happened at that address.  The driver was a 64-year-old woman, who suffered minor injuries, police said.  A couple and their son have lived in the home for nine years, according to the property manager and in that time, there have been 4 crashes. One of them was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The family will be staying with neighbors temporarily. Police said it did not appear the driver was under the influence of alcohol, but believe excessive speed may have been a factor in the crash. A guardrail had been installed to help prevent such crashes. The driver crashed right through that guardrail. NBC7

City Makes Improvements After Tragic Accident and Large Settlement

A family who lost their baby daughter when crossing a partially blind corner in Point Loma is getting a $12.5 million settlement check from the city. John Aavang was pushing his daughter Juniper across Canon Street at Catalina Boulevard in March 2015, when an SUV crashed into them, killing Juniper and severely injuring John. The intersection was filled with dangers, including a palm tree that was partially blocking a crosswalk sign, and even hid people crossing from view until a driver got close enough. Neighbors at the time said they’d been complaining for years.  The San Diego City Council approved the $12.5 million settlement Tuesday. But before that, made numerous changes to improve safety, including: Adding a traffic light for pedestrians, Clearing out the vegetation. Installing a limit line 50 feet form the crosswalk. Devoting only one lane to a turn across that intersection; Adding signage; Narrowing lanes.

One man who crossed the intersection said he felt it was now safe enough. But Nicole Burgess, a bike advocate, says more could be done. “Could there be other opportunities for better street design, where we incorporate better safe features, traffic calming devices, maybe even a possible mini roundabout traffic circle,” she said.  The settled lawsuit claimed the city allowed the dangerous conditions to persist at the intersection, leading to the accident. 10News

Point Loma Pocket Park Design Chosen by Workshop

Citizens turned out at the second workshop for the Avenida de Portugal pocket park on Sept. 19 and were presented with a choice of two conceptual plans.  It’s reported that 90% liked No. 1 and a couple features from the second. The landscape architect will make those changes and offer a final conceptual plan for a vote on Thursday Nov. 9. That meeting will be at 5:30 Nov. 9 in the Point Loma Recreation Center on Canon next to the playing fields.

It appears the favored concept is a nautical -historical and cultural themed park.  The design includes a huge compass greeting visitors at the Avenida de Portugal end, a curved trail past a small gathering area, monument signage, a work of public art, plants and low trees – plenty of native/drought tolerant plants -, turning the park into a coastal  demonstration garden. Also provided is a children’s play area with a light house and a whale. Other features include bench seating near shade trees or under sails, a picnic area with shade trellis, some pop-out nodes –,  a perimeter fence along the Canon slope, and a history wall.  Side trails of decomposed granite to be added while the main trail will probably be concrete, stamped with marine “fossils” or in a pattern suggesting the heavy timbers of a pier. The park is about three-quarters of an acre,  city-owned land and will be maintained by Park and Recreation.  Projected opening is 2020. (hat tips to Don Sevrens and Jon Linney)

Ocean Beach Woman’s Club Celebration – Oct. 5th

The folks at the OB Woman’s Club hope you can join them and their friends as they celebrate their new Foundation – the new floors!  Join them October 5th from 5-8 pm for nibbles and beverages and celebrations.  Space is limited – so go to their website to RSVP. Please, it’s required. This is a 21+ event. Ocean Beach Woman’s Club is located at 2160 Bacon Street.

City Feels Push Back on Parking Code Enforcement

An advocacy group hopes to convince the City of San Diego to change an oversized vehicle parking ordinance that they claim targets the homeless and the disabled. It’s against the law to park an RV or any oversized vehicle on a public street from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. or within 50 feet of public intersections and alleys, according to the San Diego Municipal Code. In Ocean Beach, recreational vehicles are often parked on the streets overnight. One resident told NBC 7 some of those living in the RV’s are respectful of the neighborhood however others leave trash behind. Those who violate the city ordinance face fines. The advocacy group Disability Rights California says the ordinance targets those people who don’t have a home and those who may be living with disabilities. They argue issuing tickets to people who can’t pay the fine isn’t the solution to the problem. The group is threatening legal action if city leaders do not make modifications to the ordinance. Just a few months ago, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the City of San Diego for not allowing the homeless population to set up tents on sidewalks. 7SanDiego

Alan Bersin On Trump’s Border Wall at Pt Loma Nazarene

Alan Bersin said the U.S.- Mexico border is “more secure than ever” and criticized President Trump’s proposed border wall as “not needed, and not feasible” because of the cost. Bersin, former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol during the Obama administration, spoke at a private reception at Point Loma Nazarene University on Saturday for the City Club of San Diego. Bersin predicted that a legal challenge to the wall filed by California might block portions of the wall for environmental reasons, but will not totally derail Trump’s signature project. Bersin said a close analysis of Trump’s comments on the controversial project indicates that “it’s not going to be the Great Wall of China, but will be a see-through wall” in places and less of a physical barricade than a high-tech deterrent to illegal immigration. NBCLosAngeles

Boat Rescued Off Point Loma

A 25-foot boat was safely escorted to Mission Bay after it began taking on water off the San Diego coast Sunday. The U.S. Coast Guard was informed the boat was taking on water about 20 miles off Point Loma at around 10:30 a.m. A Coast Guard cutter vessel and helicopter were diverted to assist the boat, which had two people on board, according to Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Joel Guzman. The Coast Guard escorted the boat back to Mission Bay, where it was handed off to San Diego Lifeguard Services. The boat made it safely to port, and the two aboard were not injured, Lifeguard Services confirmed. Times of San Diego

Amelia Helen Roache Has Passed – Life Celebration Sat. Oct. 7th

One of Ocean Beach’s long time and beloved locals has passed. Since Amelia had many friends in different pocket-corners of O.B, we’re trying to get the word out.

OB Home Host Needed for 1 Month

The San Diego Diplomacy Council (SDDC) is a local non-profit organization which brings in international leaders to San Diego on a variety of topics to share best practices and create mutual understanding among people and nations. The SDDC is currently seeking a home host for one international business fellow October 13-Nov 13, 2017. Tigran Grigoryan is that fellow and he works for the Armenian Ministry of Justice where is developing legislation against cybercrime. He will be working downtown at ESET. Tigran is fluent in English and will take public transportation to work 40 hours per week while in San Diego. Home hosts are asked to provide room and board in a loving home during their program. While we cannot pay home hosts, we can provide a letter of donation for tax purposes. If interested in hosting either fellow for 2 or 4 weeks, or learning more about the program, please contact Heidi Knuff: Heidi@ sandiegodiplomacy.org or 619- 291-8105.

Golfers Rally to Save Mission Bay Golfcourse

Local golfers are rallying to save iconic Mission Bay Golf Course from being reconfigured, reduced to nine holes or eliminated altogether to make way for restored marshland, camping and recreational amenities. The effort comes as Pacific Beach community leaders continue to lobby for the course to be shrunk or eliminated, and environmental groups pressure the city to designate more acres in Mission Bay for marshland restoration. SD U-T

Bay City Brewers Kick Off for the Growler

To kick off its crowler craze, Bay City Brewing Co. invites the community to its Point Loma tasting room for a celebration.From 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 29, guests can enjoy local food truck fare, a special release of Haze Against the Machine and all the canned beer their hearts desire. As the fourth addition to the Bay City Brewing Co. hazy train,Haze Against the Machine uses a Conan yeast strain that produces a style of hazy beer known as a known as New England IPA, with a 6.6 percent alcohol by volume, blending lime and peach flavors with the citrus and tropical fruit flavors found inGalaxy hops. Bay City Brewing Co. has found its home off Hancock Street in an industrial nook of Point Loma. The two-year-old brewery invites all to its indoor-outdoor tasting room to try any of its custom crafts on tap, now available in cans to-go, Monday through Sunday. Brewbound

OB Sushi Lounge Part of SD Restaurant Week

San Diego Restaurant Week begins this past Sunday, Sept. 24, offering patrons 180 restaurants to choose from. With the restaurant industry quickly growing in the region, it makes sense that there are new eateries participating in the week-long foodie event. The popular Sushi Lounge chain is also participating in Restaurant Week for the first time. The restaurant, which first opened in Poway and now has locations in Point Loma and Encinitas, is known for its fresh take on the Japanese dish. Sushi Lounge is offering a $15 prix fixe lunch menu or a $30 three-course dinner. Some of the offerings include ahi tacos, ponzu salmon and specialty rolls.