All the members of the different groups that received grants from the OB Town Council, July 23, 2014. (All photos by Meredith)
By Lois Lane
Everybody was happy. The determined OB Town Council had formulated a plan that routed the forces of anarchy at the marshmallow wars on the Fourth of July. It was also awards night, where 10 lucky and deserving recipients got grants from the Town Council for their projects.
Members of the Friends of the OB Library: front – Judy Collier, Suzi Moore and George Murphy.
The Town Council meeting on July 23 began with congratulations all the way around for the success of their “Mallow Out” campaign. The doom-sayers who predicted riots were proved to be wrong. Reported later by the Surfrider Foundation, the trash pickup the next day was dramatically reduced from 1802 pounds of trash in 2013 to 621 this year, not all of it marshmallows, of course.
It seemed that the Executive Board was also happy that the major initiative, with nationwide publicity and intense media coverage was OVER, and they could move on to another initiative that resulted in happiness for all concerned: providing funds for worthwhile projects.
Pat James, head of the OB Historical Society.
After the usual set of committee reports and government reports, the annual distribution of grants to Ocean Beach organizations for specific projects was a good reminder of how so many people are dedicated to this community.
Our prize winning recipients and their award projects are:
• OB Woman’s Club – The Community Garden Water Conservation Project, $500.00
• OB Community Foundation – Ongoing Support of OB Community Foundation Activities, $750.00
• Sunset Cliffs Surfing Association – Gromfest Surfing Contest, $500.00
• San Diego River Park Foundation – San Diego River Estuary Trail Interpretation, $550.00
• Surfrider Foundation – Strategic OB Ashcans (Hold On To Your Butt Campaign), $750.00
• OB Friends of the Library – Ocean Beach Library Bench, $500.00
• Peninsula Shepard Center – Out & About Peninsula Senior Transport Program, $925.00
• Ocean Beach Historical Society – OB Historical Walks, $500.00
• Ocean Beach Planning Board – Operations for OBPB, $500.00
• OB Elementary School – OBE Running Club, $500.00
Pete Ruscitti, Chair of the OB Planning Board.
Congratulations and photos all the way around! Just before the awards, Planning Board members filed in following their own meeting, accepted THEIR award, and presented discussion regarding their plan for the City of San Diego City Council hearing for the OB community plan. These reminders to wear blue and show up at City Hall brought our OB leaders back to the reality of trying to keep Ocean Beach the way they want it.
Finally, the evening’s closing events – cupcakes for all of the almost 150 attendees! With the Town Council’s coming election, is it possible to get a sample of their baking skills? The cupcakes were truly the end of a perfect meeting.
Editor: Headline is a paraphrase of a famous line from OB in the 1970s.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
In a world of grim news and daily reports of warring factions, this is a nice story (good photos, too). The people of Ocean Beach participate in activities as if OB is a unique small town, rather than simply another community in a large metropolis. Kudos to the OB Town Council for recognizing and rewarding the excellent goals of all of the people in the recipient groups.
Who made that many cupcakes???? And whaddaya mean, enough for almost all??
South Park is not at all so civically organized by groups distinctly branded as S Parkers – the business owners have their little group, but most of the rest of us tend to enjoy the solitude and peace of our small, quiet neighborhoods on bird- and animal-filled canyon rims.
Perhaps our motto should be…
Serenity is your marque when you live in South Park.
To clarify the cupcake count: some people left without eating cupcakes, and some cupcakes were left over. So nobody went without a cupcake that wanted one, contrary to what a discerning reader may have concluded.
brilliant!