OB FLASHES – News, Calendar, and Discussion: January 19 – 25, 2010

Tuesday, January 19, 2010. Photo by Nate Hipple.

OB Pier Closed Due to High Surf and Damage

The Ocean Beach Pier was closed Tuesday, January 19th, due to the high surf and some damage.  A hand-written sign – with Tuesday’s date – appeared on the Pier’s closed gate announcing its closure. The sign stated:

Ocean Beach Pier will be closed due to surf damage.  Repairs will be made as soon as possible.

Inquiries were directed to the local lifeguards.  I called the lifeguards and spoke with Sgt. Travis Gleason, who told me there is some damage to the Pier, but he didn’t have any details.

Circle of Life Comes to the OB Rag

From the People Answer column, Mid-March 1972, OB Rag.

When the original OB Rag was publishing back in the early and mid-1970s, it ran a “People Answer” column – sort of a ‘person-on-the-street’ series of interviews on pertinent questions for the community.  For the Mid-March 1972 issue (Vol. 2, No. 8 ) it was my responsibility to ask the questions. So, with camera in hand, I went out to Newport Avenue, asking a whole bunch of people what they thought OB needed.   I found one gentleman sitting in a local restaurant and asked him the question, wrote down his answer and took his photo.

The guy I talked to was Vincent Finneran, a 34 year old teacher-to-be, who had just moved to OB with his spouse, and who lived on Greene Street.

Fast forward to today’s OB Rag – a number of new bloggers have joined our online journal – including Shane Finneran – who it turns out is Vincent Finneran’s son! This amazing bit of life’s circle hit me while I was perusing old copies for a series on urban planning in OB.  I called Shane, and sure enough, it was his father, who passed away a dozen years or so ago. Shane wasn’t born until 1977 – five years after I interviewed his dad. Shane’s mother still lives in OB, and every now and then contacts us about some video her son has done.  Well, now father and son are united, in a sense, in that magical circle of life.

Local Coastal Commission Manager Insists on Public Hearing Before Removal of Fire Pits by City

Deborah Lee, district manager of the San Diego office of the California Coastal Commission, insists that a public hearing is required before the City can remove its 186 fire pits.  Lee said that a hearing will be required because of extensive public interest and the number of pits involved. Lee told SignOnSanDiego that it would take six to eight weeks for a permit application to be docketed for a commission hearing.

City officials had argued that removal of the 186 fire enclosures could be approved by commission staff, without the  “fuss” of a public proceeding.  Go here for the SignOnSanDiego article by Helen Gao.

Contest to Find Missing 9th OB Fire Pit

The ninth fire pit that the City claims is in Ocean Beach is still missing. We are sponsoring a contest – whoever finds it receives a free OB Rag T-shirt!  Find it, take a photo, and send it to us via our email.

OB Cottage Becomes Home Design Classroom

Photo - Eduardo Contreras - Union-Tribune

A tiny and gutted Ocean Beach bungalow served as a makeshift classroom for more than a dozen High Tech High students, who got a crash course in home design during their intersession period after winter break.  … As part of an intersession project, teacher Josh Saxe offered up his home — or at least, what he hopes will become his home — as the ultimate teaching tool. 

Go here for the remainder of the article.

Don’t Crap On Us

The other day, before the big storms hit, our ever-observant photog Jim Grant  was at the Pier checking out the surf taking a few photos. He witnessed the following humorous incident and filed this report:

I was on the pier and started back down the stairs to the parking lot. I noticed the Lifeguard heading my way in the 4 WD SU.  He said on his loudspeaker – “Lady on the stairs with the dog on the leash – come down the stairs and over to the lifeguard truck.” She looked around playing dumb. But after 3 times asking for her to come and talk to him, she finally did.

I inched over to where he was and when she got close he said, “The lifeguards in the tower noticed your dog defecated on the grass. Were you going to pick that up??”

She muttered “I did not have a bag but was going to find one and pick it up.” He said “Well, follow me – we will make sure you find a bag and get it picked up.”  She looked kind of embarrassed and pissed off to say the least. They got her a bag and TWO lifeguards followed her and her friend to the pile of dog poop and MADE sure she picked it up…then followed her to the trash can where she threw it away….Then He WROTE her a ticket !!!! Gotta love it !!! I am sure she was not from OB….but one many who came to check out the surf !!!

Besides the humor and the lesson in OB civility, it is interesting to note that it took 2 lifeguards to ensure the woman got it. Perhaps the high surf meant that not that many were out in the water, so the guards were available.

Volunteers Needed for Dog Beach Dune Habitat Restoration Project – January 23rd

Volunteers are invited to care for this endangered area at Dog Beach on Saturday, Jan. 23 – 9 a.m. Activities include invasive plant removal, native plant rescue, trail maintenance, litter removal. Tools, supplies provided. Dress in clothes that can get dirty, wear closed shoes. Meet in grassy area near Dog Beach. RSVP: 619-297-7380.

OB Poet Hosts Poetry Reading at Jungle Java

Ocean Beach poet Larry Kuechlin hosts a launch of his new book, Along a Ruined Sea, at Jungle Java, 5047 Newport Avenue with “poetry reading, signing, and excellent coffee.” 619-224-0249.  This will be on Saturday, Jan. 23 – 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.