Grassroots and Progressive views on local, national and world news

Hello Neighbors!

As we look forward to the holidays (with the gift of rain), there’s clearly a lot to celebrate here in San Diego. I’m proud of the progress that we’ve made so far.

The Biggest SDPD Recruiting Class in 25 Years – Addressing our police force’s recruitment and retention issues have been a high priority for me since coming into office. One big step towards increasing the size of the police department was in the budget we passed, which increased pay, funded a better marketing campaign to recruit officers from other departments and bonuses for those who join. That work is paying off, with more officers on the streets and the largest recruiting class SDPD has seen in 25 years. While there are more spots to fill, more officers means more community policing, safer neighborhoods and increased quality of life.

Clean Power Coming to San Diego – As an alternate to the board of San Diego’s new community choice energy program, I’m seeing firsthand how quickly our region is moving towards a clean energy future.

by Bob Edwards

Some say that the Holiday Season starts with the trick or treaters. Others say Thanksgiving dinner is the opening event. For this reporter the holidays really kick off with the arrival of the OB Holiday Tree, an event that happened this Tuesday morning in a finely coordinated process perfected over the years by Town Council volunteers, arborists, crane operators, and SD Police Department officers.

Community members and neighbors gathered at 7 am today to observe the harvesting of the 40 foot tree from a home on Muir Street, a few blocks east of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Three hours later the tree had been cut down, transferred to the foot of Newport on a flatbed truck, and lowered into the concrete-encased vertical steel pipe that lies dormant beneath the sand for eleven months out of each year.

Grown from a live Christmas tree purchased in 1975 and planted about five years later, the tree was donated by a family with deep OB roots who wish to remain anonymous. In high winds the tree was starting to threaten the family’s home as it swayed back and forth so they kindly decided to donate the star pine to the community.

Tuesday, December 3, the Electric Chair – one of OB’s mainstay hair salons – is closed and locked up. A hand-written sign taped on the glass says “Closed Tuesday 12/3/19 – Open on Wednesday 12/4/19“.

Yet over one of the large main windows hangs a banner that boldly states:

“New Ownership – Grand Re-Opening Just Days Away!”

Here’s the Ocean Beach Holiday Calendar for this glorious week, the first week of December 2019.

Holiday Tree Arrives at the Beach – Lower Newport – December 3, help decorate Dec. 4

OB Holiday Auction, December 5, 5:30-9pm at Sunshine Company

OB Elementary Decorates Holiday Tree with Santa – December 5

40th Annual OB Holiday Parade – December 7, 5:05pm (OB TIme) – Come join editordude as he does his announcements at Newport and Sunset Cliffs.

And don’t forget these:

General Rain Advisory in Effect

The Department of Environmental Health has issued a GENERAL RAIN ADVISORY for the coastal waters of San Diego County due to contamination by urban runoff following rain.

Swimmers, surfers, and other ocean users are warned that levels of bacteria can rise significantly in ocean waters, especially near storm drains, creeks, rivers, and lagoon outlets that discharge urban runoff – such as Dog Beach and the San Diego River.

Activities such as swimming, surfing and diving should be avoided for 72 hours following rain. The most recent rain event occurred November 28, 2019.

For some, the Thanksgiving season is a time for reflection. So, we thought it would be far-out to take a walk down memory lane back to Ocean Beach in November 2014 – 5 years ago.

Fundraiser for Katie Connor Passes $10,000 as She Nears Complete Recovery

A fundraiser for OB hit-and-run victim Katie Connor at Pizza Port surpassed $10,000. …

The Widder Curry Finishes Her 3rd Cookbook

For the last 2 years, I have been working on my third, and final cookbook. …

Gas Prices Down, Solar Energy Production Up

Gas prices have dropped below $4.00 a gallon for the first time in several years.

Just Who Is Mindy Pellissier – “OB Citizen of the Year”?

We love making fun of local TV stations. Especially when they whip into OB chasing down the latest controversy or scandal, usually having to do with people who are homeless or drugs – or better yet – both. The newscasters often project a total lack of institutional memory when they report on the latest, but they certainly know the expression “Ocean Beach is in the news again,” will turn heads towards thousands of TV sets across the city.

So it was last week when reporter Dan Plante from KUSI News set up his camera on the OB Pier