Grassroots and Progressive views on local, national and world news

Storm Wreaks Havoc on OB’s Shoreline

by Source on March 24, 2023 · 0 comments

in Ocean Beach

By Kathy Blavatt / March 23, 2023

All Photos by Kathy Blavatt

This was not a traditional Grunion run, this was storm damage from a high tide and huge waves.

Because of the high tide and waves up to 12 feet, Grunion washed in and were stuck in a new pond at North O.B. almost to the parking lot. A few of us tossed the live
flopping fish on the sand into the pond. None of us had buckets to take them down to the ocean. We were hoping the next high tide would take them out top into ocean.

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Reader Rant: ‘How California Set Up the Licensed Marijuana Industry to Fail’

by Source on March 24, 2023 · 3 comments

in California, San Diego

By Midnight Toker

Very briefly, here is how the State of California set up the licensed marijuana industry to fail.

For context, in June 2021, the California Legislature had to approve a $100-million plan in order to bolster California’s legal marijuana industry, which continues to struggle……

Here is the receipt I received after purchasing an eight of an ounce (3.5 grams) of decent cannabis flower recently at a licensed dispensary (not in the city of San Diego):

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OB Pier Renewal Community Workshop – Liberty Station Sat., April 1

by Source on March 24, 2023 · 0 comments

in Ocean Beach

The City of San Diego is holding a community workshop on the OB Pier renewal Saturday, April 1 at the Liberty Station Conference Center.

Presentations will be given at noon and at 2 pm followed by “self-paced interactive workshops” about the condition of the pier and for community input on “its potential renewal.” This workshop will be the first in a series of public meetings about the pier and “options for the structure.”

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Here Are the 3 Main Methods the City of San Diego Will Use to Dismantle Local Community Planning Boards

by Frank Gormlie on March 23, 2023 · 8 comments

in Ocean Beach, San Diego

By Frank Gormlie

Last September, the San Diego City Council enacted a series of what they called “reforms” to supposedly make local community planning boards or groups “more independent” and the development review process more “streamlined.”

In truth, as the Rag and our writers Geoff Page and Mat Wahlstrom have been warning, is that the city is actually moving to dismantle these volunteer panels, including the Ocean Beach Planning Board — which has been around since 1976, three years shy of half a century. From a review of their writings, the following is offered:

Here are the 3 main methods the City of San Diego will use to dismantle local community planning boards:

#1 Force current planning committees / boards to “re-apply”, to re-certify themselves as the valid community planning groups; other groups within the community can also apply to be the planning committee. Applications will be reviewed by the city council. A city official told the Peninsula Planning Board that applications will be available by April 2023.

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How We Can Stop the Corporate Surveillance State of Vladimir Gloria

by Source on March 23, 2023 · 2 comments

in Civil Rights, San Diego

By Matthew S. Melin & Brittany M.Pope

Preface

The most profitable mother-load of the $68 Billion mass data collection industry is dragnet surveillance, tracking everyone’s movement 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in perpetuity.

We believe the City has violated the Brown Act and failed to adequately notify the public on the San Diego Police Department “Smart Streetlight Surveillance” presentations between March 3-10th.

To be clear, San Diegans have NOT acquiesced our First and Fourth Amendment rights to the Mayor, City Attorney, City Council, the Council President, SDPD, San Diego County Sheriffs, SANDAG and local governments.

This unconstitutional dragnet surveillance proposal is just that, A PROPOSAL. Educating San Diegans about the reality of unleashing this Orwellian surveillance proposal and the pandora’s box that it opens, is in a word, paramount.

San Diegans must collaborate with activist organizations and attorneys to put a stop to this unconstitutional domestic spying program of unlawfully tracking the movement of every citizen.

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3-Month Effort to Get City to Move Unsafe Fencing in Downtown San Diego

March 22, 2023 by Source

By Geoff Page

Apparently, no one in city government cares if things fall off a downtown building and hit people on the head or care about pedestrians being hit by vehicles in the street. That is despicable enough, from a humanitarian standpoint. It is also a ridiculous financial risk of city money that is already in short supply.

Back in December 2022, a complaint on Twitter about a fence blocking the sidewalk on C Street and 4th Ave. caught this writer’s eye. Having had a long career in construction, it appeared that this was an illegal construction fence. A visit to the downtown location showed fencing around the old California Theater on C St. between 3rd and 4th Avenues. The fence began blocking

From One End of the Rainbow to the Other Over Ocean Beach

March 23, 2023 by Source

San Diegans Challenge Banks to Stop Funding the Fossil Fuel Industry

March 22, 2023 by Source

From Third Act

Over 50 San Diego climate activists rallied at Chase Bank Plaza at 101 West Broadway and marched to Citibank on Tuesday, March 21 as part of a national day of action across the US to pressure the major banks to stop financing the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

Organizers included Third Act SoCal, Sierra Club, SanDiego350, SanDiego350 Youth, Climate Action Campaign, ACT, Hammond Climate Solutions, Surfrider, and the Interfaith Coalition for Earth Justice.

The rally was among the more than 100 events that took place in over half the United States involving rallies, art installations

Tonight’s OB Town Council Meeting Only on Zoom and Facebook Live – Wed., March 22

March 22, 2023 by Staff

The word has gotten out that the venue for the OB Town Council meeting tonight, Wednesday, March 23, Water’s Edge, has sustained damage from the storm and won’t be available to host the OBTC Monthly Meeting.

The meeting will still take place on Zoom and Facebook Live, as always.

Public Input Needed on Robb Field Improvements in OB — Tuesday, April 4

March 22, 2023 by Source

‘If You Can Read This, Thank a Teacher’ – L.A. School District Teachers’ and Workers’ Strike Is On

March 22, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

More than 1,000 campuses were closed Tuesday and Wednesday, affecting about 420,000 students in the nation’s second largest school district, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Tuesday at 4:30 a.m., more than 60,000 LAUSD workers and teachers began walking picket lines in the rain.

To which I respond, good for them. It is long overdue.

The Snow Is Baaaccck!

March 22, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Yup. Snow has returned to our local San Diego mountains. Here’s the live cam from Mt. Laguna Lodge at 9:50 a.m. today, March 22, 2023. The Lodge is at 6000 feet elevation.

Snow also reached Lake Cuyamaca.

University City Residents Pushback Against Community Plan Update that Adds 30,000 Housing Units

March 21, 2023 by Source

Editordue: The following is an open letter to Mayor Gloria and other San Diego officials.

Dear Mayor Gloria, Ms. Vonblum, and Ms. Graham:

This letter is to provide collective comments from a large group of University City (UC) residents substantiating reasons why the City of San Diego needs to further reduce the proposed number of housing units in Land Use Scenarios A and B of the proposed University Community Plan Update.

Adding between 30,000 and 33,000 housing units,

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Osprey Wrapped in Fishing Line in Ocean Beach Rescued

March 21, 2023 by Source

From 7SanDiego

The San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife team Monday assisted in the rescue of an osprey who was wrapped in fishing line, tethering her to her nest high on a light pole in Ocean Beach.

The bird had first been spotted stuck in the nest Sunday afternoon, according to a San Diego Humane Society statement. “The osprey made several desperate attempts to free herself so she could feed her three nestlings,” the statement read.

Ocean Beach Pier Renewal Project Timeline — First Public Workshop Planned for April 1

March 20, 2023 by Source

From the City of San Diego:

Ocean Beach Pier Background

The Ocean Beach (OB) Pier first opened in 1966. Conceived as a sportfishing pier, the facility enables the public to access and interact with the ocean. There is no fee for walking out onto the pier and fishing licenses are not required.

During the first 25 years of service, the structure received normal ongoing maintenance required by exposure to the harsh marine environment, where it is subjected to wind, waves and the salt-laden marine atmosphere. In 1991, the pier underwent major structural rehabilitation. Since the early 2000s, exposure to large waves and ongoing degradation has required structural repairs with increasing frequency. The pier is currently closed to the public after being damaged by storms and high surf in January, which has happened several times in recent years.

San Diego’s ‘Trailergate’ Gets Some Attention

March 20, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Somebody was listening.

Late last week, we reported that the city was close to utilizing 12 or 13 of the trailers it had stored for 3 years, given to the city by the state for unhoused needy families. On Wednesday, March 15, the San Diego City Council‘s Rules Committee had voted unanimously to move forward a plan to open a safe parking lot in the Clairemont – Rose Canyon neighborhood for people who sleep overnight in campers or other vehicles.

We’ve been covering the “lost trailers” for the homeless for weeks in the hopes there would be some public and or media traction that would pressure the Gloria administration to get on the ball and put the trailers to the use that was intended.

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National Day of Action Against Banks that Finance Fossil Fuels — Tuesday, March 21

March 20, 2023 by Source

Activists in downtown San Diego and around the country will demand that the world biggest banks stop funding fossil fuel projects on Tuesday, March 21.

The national day of action against banks over climate change comes ahead of investor resolutions at their annual general meetings next month to pressure them to stop funding climate chaos.

The top four fossil fuel financing banks are:

JP Morgan Chase,
Citi,
Bank of America and
Wells Fargo

These banks are pumping over one quarter of the $4.6 trillion total financing for fossil fuels by the top 60 global banks between 2016 and 2021.

Relief for Lifers Is an Imperfect Road to Freedom

March 20, 2023 by Source

By Terrie Best

The inhumane “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” philosophy is being reevaluated in the state of California and it sometimes has startling results. It’s the “throw away” part that has always been crushing to those who watched the harm of mass incarceration over the tough-on-crime decades. But lawmakers are offering hope and it’s working.

California plans to close a whole schedule of prison yards over the course of 3 years and there will be tears of joy and significant fear. The effects are staggering to some. A lot of prison guards will be out of jobs. Clearly folks’ spirits are better off without a job warehousing others.

Prison cops who get laid off, if they even do, will land on their feet because the California Correctional and Peace Officers Association, a union that protects them, will do their job and the union is powerful.

Ocean Beach Pier Taskforce to Inform Public Only Option Is to ‘Rebuild’, 2 Years After OB Rag Said the Same

March 17, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Beginning in early April, the Ocean Beach Pier Taskforce and city will hold a series of workshops to find out from the public what they want to see and what having a pier in Ocean Beach means to them. The Taskforce will show the public what options they have to either repair, replace, or rebuild a new pier.

But by all accounts, from community leaders, Campbell’s office and city officials, the only real option is to rebuild a brand, new pier.

The OB Rag rarely toots our horn, but it was two years ago in April 2021 that the Rag determined that the iconic structure had to be replaced, not just patched up. In his seminal April 13, 2021 post, Rag writer Geoff Page claimed, “Unless there’s a miracle, the Ocean Beach Pier is history.” No miracle is expected.

As early as February 2021 Page raised questions about the viability of the pier and its future.

This was after the city had consistently downplayed and even mislead the public about the crumbling status of the pier.

Experience Native Plants in Bloom at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park – Sat., March 17

March 17, 2023 by Source

If All California’s Homeless Lived in One Place, They’d Make Up the 32nd Largest City in the State

March 17, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

California is now home to more than 171,000 homeless individuals, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a 6.2% increase since 2020.

Roughly 67%, or more than 115,000 are unsheltered meaning that they’re living outside.

If all the state’s homeless individuals lived in one locale, they’d make up the 32nd largest city in California. This may not seem so much. But consider this.

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St. Paddy’s O’Beach Party — OB Pier Parking Lot – Friday & Saturday, March 17-18

March 17, 2023 by Source

St. Paddy’s O’Beach Party – Friday & Saturday, March 17-18, 2023 – 1 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Ocean Beach Pier Parking Lot, Newport Avenue

From St. Paddy’s O’Beach Party:

“The organizers behind the legendary OB Oktoberfest, announced their beachside event, ‘St. Paddy’s O’Beach Party’ is returning for its second year March 17-18.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2023 by Source

Row of Large, Shady Trees in Midway District Removed by City

March 16, 2023 by Staff

Take a good look of the trees in this photo. They’re fairly large, provide lots of shade — and now ….

Take another look at them — they’re all gone and dead.

The massive chop down was discovered by Rag writer Geoff Page today, and here is a brief report:

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After 3 Years in Storage, San Diego Finally Readies Trailers for the Homeless

March 16, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

After storing for 3 years more than a dozen empty trailers meant to be used by homeless people, San Diego appears ready – finally – to utilize them for a safe parking lot in the Clairemont neighborhood near Rose Canyon.

The 20 trailers were given to the city by the state for the unhoused during the height of the pandemic. But for some reason, the city just stored 13 of them near the city’s Rose Canyon Operations Yard on Morena Boulevard — north of Costco. (It’s unclear where the other 7 are.) So, San Diego’s Trailergate — a minor scandal that no one really cares much about — may soon be over.

Lake Oroville March 14 – A Picture Is Worth a 1,000 Words

March 16, 2023 by Source

California’s second largest reservoir was down to its lowest levels ever recorded in September 2021 (628’).

Incessant parades of atmospheric rivers have almost refilled the 3.5 million acre-foot reservoir by March 2023 (845’).

Elizabeth Warren: ‘We Know Who’s Responsible for the Bank Failures’

March 16, 2023 by Source

By Senator Elizabeth Warren / NY Times – Reader Supported News / March 13, 2023

No one should be mistaken about what unfolded over the past few days in the U.S. banking system: These recent bank failures are the direct result of leaders in Washington weakening the financial rules.

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act to protect consumers and ensure that big banks could never again take down the economy and destroy millions of lives. Wall Street chief executives and their armies of lawyers and lobbyists hated this law. They spent millions trying to defeat it, and,

Proceeds From Sale of Deceased OB Artist’s Work to Benefit Feral Cat Coalition — March 18-19

March 16, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Usually dogs get all the attention. But not this weekend. Cats — especially feral cats — will be the beneficiaries of an art sale this weekend in Ocean Beach.

Hundreds of pieces or art will be on sale to help cats in need.

Stuart Glennon was a lifelong artist in OB and loved cats. He died on December 23, 2022 at the age of 93.

His daughter Alison Glennon is selling his entire collection to the public and donating all of the money to the Feral Cat Coalition. “He dearly loved cats. He had them his whole life and so I thought that it would be something good to do,” said Alison.

Where Did All That Snow Go? Mission Valley?

March 16, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Mt. Laguna late this morning, Thursday, March 16, 2023, from the live cam at Mt Laguna Lodge. Where did all that snow go?