Nearly Half Way to Our Goal in OB Rag Pandemic Summer Fundraiser

by on August 11, 2020 · 0 comments

in Ocean Beach

The OB Rag is almost half way to our Pandemic Summer Fundraiser goal of $2,000. In a little over 24 hours, we’ve closed in on $1,000 with the recent donations that came in today, Tuesday, August 11.

The stakes are high, the need is great.

We do this every year because we do have bills to pay – and obviously we’re not part of the mainstream media.

But we have been the online newspaper for Ocean Beach and Point Loma and now we’re in our 13th year. We’re funded primarily by our readers and supporters.

So, dear Reader, we’re asking you to go to the top of the home page and click on the PayPal logo and make a donation. Or you can donate to us the traditional way, by mailing it to us at our post office box (OB Rag, PO Box 7012, Ocean Beach, CA 92167).

Here are some more reasons to donate to the OB Rag – past victories and history:

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A Bigger, Better Job for Hillary Than President

by on August 11, 2020 · 0 comments

in Election, Health, Ocean Beach

By Colleen O’Connor

Seriously. The country needs real leadership, not photo ops from a full-time, “acting” President.

The economy is cratering. Businesses are shuttering. Malls are about to be scooped up as Amazon warehouses and millions are looking at evictions and possible homelessness.

And oh, yes, limited or non-existent health insurance.

Plus, COVID-19 is killing us. Over 5 million cases in the U.S. and over 160,000 deaths. Worldwide, the number is 20 million cases and counting, with deaths topping 740,000.

This is a global pandemic that promises to morph into something worse come fall with the flu season. Add the cold of winters driving most of the country indoors with risky ventilation. The virus is not “going away. Things just go away.” Leave “like a miracle.” Or “just disappear.”

We need someone to take charge.

Someone who can call world leaders “at 3 a.m.” and get an answer; be it Germany’s Chancellor Merkel, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Arden (who have corralled the virus), or every other world leader except possibly Russia’s President Putin.

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Ocean Beach Planning Board Refuses to Endorse Councilwoman Campbell’s Short Term Vacation Rental ‘Compromise’

by on August 11, 2020 · 0 comments

in Ocean Beach

By Geoff Page

One of the advantages of on-line community planning board meetings is that they are not constrained by the time requirements that owners of brick and mortar meeting facilities have set. The OB Planning Board meets in the OB Rec Center and has the room for a set period of time. As the three-hour OBPB meeting on August 5 demonstrated, the on-line venue easily allows for as long a meeting as needed.

Jen Campbell and Short-Term Vacation Rentals

The cause of the unusually long meeting was a discussion of short-term vacation rentals (STVRs). The discussion began with an appearance by District 2 council person, Jennifer Campbell. Appearing with Campbell was her chief of staff, Venus Molina, who did most of the heavy lifting. Campbell herself seems to have retreated to two talking points saying she wanted to create more housing for San Diegans and ensure that San Diegans have peace and tranquility in their neighborhoods. This was repeated several times.

What Campbell was referring to about creating more housing is a sleight of hand trick. According to Campbell, there are more than 16,000 existing STVRs. Her office, and it appears actually her chief of staff, helped “broker” a deal between $13 billion Expedia and the local union of hotel workers. And the result was that the number of STVRs would be reduced form 16,000 plus to 3,750, thus returning 12,000 plus homes back to the rental or purchase market. That was the increasing housing part.

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School Choice and White Supremacy Like Two Peas in a Pod

by on August 11, 2020 · 0 comments

in Civil Rights, Education, History

By Thomas Ultican / Tultican / August 9, 2020

In Overturning Brown, – as in the US Supreme Court case “Brown v Board of Education” – , Steve Suitts provides overwhelming evidence for the segregationist legacy of “school choice.” He shows that “Brown v Board” has been effectively gutted and “choice” proved to be the white supremacists’ most potent strategy to defeat it. In the 21st century, that same strategy is being wielded to maintain segregation while destroying the separation of church and state. (Note: In this article references to Overturning Brown given as Suitts page#.)

Defeating Brown

On May 17 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in the case of Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Chief Justice Earl Warren stated, “In the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place.” He added it is “inherently unequal” and plaintiffs were “deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.”

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Tuesday Press Conference to Unveil Enforcement Efforts to Deter Large Wednesday Night Crowds

by on August 11, 2020 · 3 comments

in Ocean Beach

City and County officials are holding a press conference today, Tuesday, August 11, in Ocean Beach to “unveil future enforcement efforts to deter large crowds gatherings on Wednesday nights at Veteran’s Plaza.” They will be joined by OBceans Mark Winkie and Corey Bruins from the OB Town Council and Denny Knox of the OB Mainstreet Association.

The presser will be at 1 pm at the OB Veteran’s Plaza. Officials will include Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, Dr. Joel Day, Senior Advisor for COVID-19 Response and Recovery, and Dr. Ankita Kadakia M.D., Chief/ Medical Director, County Public Health.

Sparked by large, irresponsible crowds at the Drum Circle after Wednesday’s Farmers Market

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It’s Time for the OB Rag Pandemic Summer Fundraiser

by on August 10, 2020 · 8 comments

in Media, Ocean Beach

Our Summer Appeal for Donations During the Pandemic – Keep the Press Local and Free and Healthy

The OB Rag‘s Pandemic Summer Fundraiser starts today!

For the last couple of years, we’ve held two fundraisers a year, in the summer and in the fall. But because of the amount of donations during last fall, we’re only doing the the summer one.

This week our goal is to reach $2,000 in donations and contributions from our readers and supporters. Most of us know the stakes involved, as trump continues to call the press, “the enemy of the people” and levels charges of “fake news” at the news he cannot accept. But the folks of OB and Point Loma (and the rest of San Diego as well) continue to need the OB Rag more than ever.

We do provide local OB news, a discussion platform that is better than a dozen facebook pages, and keep track of the various crises hitting us.

Unlike some other media platforms that were based on advertisements and had to fold during the pandemic, we are still here – because we rely on our readers and supporters.

The online OB Rag is currently in our 13th year of being the online newspaper for Ocean Beach. Please ensure that we can keep going.

If you need some reasons to support us, think of all the timely reports

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More Than 97,000 American Children Tested Positive for Covid-19 in Last 2 Weeks of July

August 10, 2020 by Source

By Christina Maxouris / CNN / August 10, 2020

More than 97,000 children in the US tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, a new report says.

The report, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, said in those two weeks, there was a 40% increase in child cases across the states and cities that were studied.

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Small Group Burns Masks as ‘Tools of Terror’ in Protest in Mission Bay Park

August 10, 2020 by Source

By Ken Stone / Times of San Diego / August 8, 2020

As if casting out demons, dozens of people tossed pricey KN95 face masks into a fire pit Friday in Mission Bay Park.

The coverings were depicted as “tools of terror” being used to “turn neighbor against neighbor.” They were a “precursor to adult mandatory vaccination” and “getting everybody angry.”

Said one older man, wearing a “MAGA FIGHT CLUB” shirt: “I’m ready to die for this mission” but: “First of all, we need to get Trump re-elected.”

The discarded five-layer masks — fresh from their cellophane packaging — carried their own defiant messages into the Ski Beach flames at an event labeled “Burn Your Mask Bonfire.”

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Lessons to Learn – Nagasaki 75 Years Later – Right vs. Might

August 10, 2020 by Source

By Scott Stephens

Sunday, August 9 marked the 75th anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing, which instantly wiped out 80,000 innocent civilians. We can debate whether or not this decision was warranted. However, most scholars feel the Nagasaki drop was unnecessary as Japan was close to surrendering following the bombing of Hiroshima and the Soviet Union joining the allies. But our debates won’t change history, and, likely, these disagreements may never be resolved.

But I think there is something we can all agree on: we should avoid war and look to diplomatic solutions whenever possible.

In a civilized world, victory shouldn’t be reserved just for the most powerful nations. Those of us who have lived most of our lives in the world’s most powerful, dominant country have grown accustomed to the chant of “let’s just bomb the shit out of them,” referring to whoever is our enemy at the time. But less powerful nations don’t have that luxury. The straightforward premise that right over wrong should carry more weight than who has the biggest bombs is hard to argue with.

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What Should Post COVID-19 Crisis America Look Like?

August 10, 2020 by Jim Miller

The American Federation of Teachers Lays Out a Bold Vision of a Just Recovery as San Diego Green New Deal Alliance Launches

By Jim Miller

This summer I was proud to see that my national union, the American Federation of Teachers, was thinking big at its biennial convention in late July. Clearly, the activist spirit sweeping the country was in the (virtual) air.

Building on some of the work my brothers and sisters and I did here in San Diego along with others in our statewide union, the national AFT followed the lead of California and passed both a resolution endorsing the Green New Deal and a wide ranging call to move beyond the necessary but narrow bread and butter response we have seen from the national and local AFL-CIO to thinking comprehensively about how we should pivot and seize the opportunity that this crisis presents to build a better future.

The resolution in support of a Green New Deal calls on the 1.7 million members of the AFT

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Police Officer Who Made Dramatic Rescue Off Sunset Cliffs Honored

August 8, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The San Diego Police officer who made the dramatic rescue of twin girls and their father on June 13 off Sunset Cliffs was just honored with a Day in Honor in San Diego, “Jonathan Wiese Day”. Wiese was presented with the proclamation Thursday night by San Diego City Councilmember Mark Kersey at the Rancho Bernardo Community Council Meeting via Zoom.

The father, Robert Brians, had intentionally driven his car off the cliffs with the girls inside. Upon his arrival, Wiese tied a leash around his body, giving the other end to officers and then rappelled down the cliff.

Once Wiese made it down the side of the cliffs, he could see the father in the ocean holding his two daughters, treading water and keep from drowning. According to 7SanDieog, Wiese said, “He had both girls. He was holding them and trying to tread water, but they were all going under. One was awake and crying the other one was pretty lifeless.”

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People From Around the World Watched a Video About COVID-19 in America and Could Not Believe It

August 7, 2020 by Source


See the video about COVID-19 in America that people from around the world watched and could not believe their eyes. Come inside.

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Trump’s Fatal Attraction: Himself

August 7, 2020 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Recent behavior and Tweets have highlighted the unraveling of President Trump. Under pressure, he reverts to type. He can’t help himself.

The latest happened on Thursday where Trump accused his Catholic opponent, Joe Biden, of being against the Bible.

“He’s against the Bible. Essentially against religion. But against the Bible.”

“No religion, no anything. Hurt the Bible, hurt God. He’s against God,” Trump declared.

Perhaps this was an effort to erase Trump’s bible-holding photo-op (complete with tear gas fogged images) to announce his latest “law and order” campaign theme.

That attempt backfired.

Trump is compulsive in his need to dominate every news cycle, especially now as he is drowning in more than just bad poll numbers. He is losing his audience. His Tweet storms are not just being ignored, but actually removed.

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A Kind of Ode to the Gray in My Hair

August 7, 2020 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

This is a kind of an ode
to my wild
and wiry hair
that’s ever so gray
that, particularly,
looked so beautiful to me
as I checked it out
in the mirror one day
because I happened to be thinking
how some old people like me
look at their gray hair
in utter despair
and turn it
into godawful colors
that hadn’t ever been seen
anywhere.

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Man Stabbed Early Friday Morning Found Under Ocean Beach Pier

August 7, 2020 by Staff

San Diego’s Fox5 News is reporting this morning, Friday, that a man suffering from a stab wound was found underneath the Ocean Beach Pier in the early hours, but he was expected to recover, police said.

The stabbing victim, a man in his 30s, was reportedly assaulted around 4:15 a.m. It’s not clear whether he was stabbed while under the pier or if that is where he went after being wounded.

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Joe Biden’s United Front Will String Up Trump’s Mussolini

August 6, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

On Sunday, August 2, the man – who vetted primary candidate Joe Biden for the nation and especially for African American Democratic primary voters – called Donald Trump, Benito Mussolini.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina likened President Donald Trump to Italian fascist Mussolini during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, with host Dana Bash. Bash had asked Clyburn about a PBS interview he had done several days earlier in which he said:

“Trump thinks that the American people will be duped by him, like the people of Germany was duped by Adolf Hitler.”

Bash asked whether Clyburn really thought Trump “is comparable to Adolf Hitler,” the No. 3 House Democrat replied, “I feel very strongly that this man has taken on strong-arm tactics. And I feel very strongly that he is Mussolini,” Clyburn said. “Putin is Hitler.”

Clyburn also insisted that Trump has no plans to leave the White House if he loses in November. His whole quote on twitter:

“I don’t think he plans to leave the White House. He doesn’t plan to have fair and unfettered elections. I believe that he plans to install himself in some kind of emergency way to continue to hold onto office.”

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Police Break Up Massive Crowd at Veteran’s Plaza in Ocean Beach

August 6, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Wednesday night, August 5, at about 10 pm, San Diego police broke up the massive crowd that had gathered at Veteran’s Plaza in Ocean Beach. SDPD officers made announcements from their vehicles parked in the Lifeguard Station lot – and the announcements were met with boo’s. It’s not clear what happened afterwards.

Police were responding to complaints from the OB Town Council and residents about the irresponsible, out-of-control huge parties, the noise and trash. Hundreds of people have been gathering on the greens for a drum circle, dancing, unlicensed vendors – without wearing masks or employing social distancing.

CBS8 quoted one drum circle attendee, Phaux, as saying, “The pandemic to me is not realistic.”

Police, Councilwoman Campbell and County Supervisor Fletcher were all notified of the complaints. At the base of the complaints is the inadequate and insufficient response by local government to these gatherings after Wednesday’s OB Farmers Market, which have been going on for weeks.

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Reader Rant: 3 Remedies for the Stupid Wednesday Night Crowds – How to Prevent It From Happening Tonight

August 5, 2020 by Source

By Pissed Off

I used to get a warm feeling seeing the drum circle and people juggling on the village green after the OB Farmers Market on Wednesday nights. It was quite a unique and friendly sight.

But now with the outrageous, irresponsible behavior of the crowds that gather during the Pandemic those nights – no masks, no social distancing – I find them stupid. And they’ll probably gather tonight, Wednesday, after the market and do it all again. Some guy has a DJ playing loud music and it’s a party-party-party.

So, here are three remedies for OBceans to take in dealing with the stupid crowds.

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San Diego County Moves to Enforce COVID-19 Health Orders – But Is It Too Little and Too Late?

August 5, 2020 by Source

By Gary Warth, Morgan Cook / San Diego Union-Tribune / Aug. 4, 2020

The county is beefing up its enforcement of its health orders to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus and is putting more money toward child care and food services to help people struggling during the pandemic.

Under a plan approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, the county will spend $1.8 million over the next six months for 22 staff members to respond to businesses violating the public health orders. The move is part of an effort for the county, rather than law enforcement, to take the lead in enforcing its health order.

The violators targeted in the new effort are separate from those considered egregious violators, defined as a willful and sustained disregard of the county health order, posing a significant risk of spreading the virus.

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‘Enough Is Enough!’ Says Ocean Beach Town Council Over Large and Irresponsible Wednesday Night Crowds

August 5, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The Ocean Beach Town Council is crying “enough is enough!” over the large, irresponsible crowds that gather Wednesday nights after the Farmers Markets.

In a public letter sent to political and government leaders, the Town Council implores those in authority “to do something about the unacceptable levels of crowds gathering in our beach community during this public health crisis,” particularly on Wednesdays, where “hundreds of people closely gathered on the lawn with live amplified music, unpermitted food and craft vendors, drug sales, and more.”

It’s not just the size of the unrestricted crowds, it’s their noise and sounds which “continue into the early hours of the morning disrupting our residents,” and the trash and mess they leave for the rest of the community to clean up.

The letter was sent to Councilwoman Jen Campbell, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, SDPD Officer David Surwilo, and Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten.

In the very timely letter, the OBTC also cites “the double standard” for local businesses and residents, where businesses must adhere to restrictive regulations to re-open safely, but there are no restrictions as yet on the crowds that gather without masks and safe distancing.

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The Widder Curry Wants to Know Why Feeding the Birds Is Illegal?

August 4, 2020 by Judi Curry

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

By Judi Curry

Several days ago I read a report on “Next Door” from someone stating that it was not legal to feed the birds in the neighborhood. I looked around my backyard and my 6 hummingbird feeders, my five bird-seed stations, and the plate of peanuts I put out to keep the crows at bay and I wondered if my life was going to change – again – for the worst.

I decided to do some research to find out if the information was correct. And you know what? It is! Damn!

First I contacted the “Fish and Game” department here in San Diego. I asked the nice woman that answered the phone if there was someone there that could answer my question. She said that she could. I asked her “ . . . is it illegal to feed the birds” and without hesitation she told me “yes.” Then I asked her if it was illegal to feed the humming birds and she said she would have to check.

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Enjoying an Old Photo As a Momentary Relief from Reality

August 4, 2020 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

Looking through a picture album to distract me from Trump lying and whining as people are dying and as federal troops violate the rights of protestors, one picture, in particular, caught my eye.

It’s a one of me standing on the top step leading to the front door of the first house I ever owned, a house that my daughter, Debbie, owned at the time. It was the summer of 1976 and I was taking a break from helping Debbie with her Lamaze training shortly before Cedric, her first child and my first grandchild, came into the world. Her future husband was out to sea with the U.S. Navy.

I don’t know what was on my mind at that moment in time but it very well could have been what had been on my mind for some time, thoughts of my daughter parenting a child as a teen like I had.

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Millions of Dollars in Criminal Conspiracies Keep Aging Nuke Plants Operating

August 4, 2020 by Michael Steinberg

Nuclear Shutdown News August 2020

By Michael Steinberg / Black Rain Press

Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear power industry in the US and beyond, and highlights the efforts of those working to create a nuclear free world.

Nuke Plant Multi-million Dollar Criminal Conspiracies Exposed

On July 23 Bloomberg News reported “Scandals taint efforts to save US nuclear plants.” The news service charged,” “Back to back scandals in Ohio and Illinois over the past week have given a black eye to efforts to prop up struggling US nuclear plants.”

As aging nuke plants continue to deteriorate and fail to make money, desperate utilities have been rolling out schemes to jack up prices on customers and funnel these ill gotten gains to corrupt politicos who further exploit the public to keep outdated nuclear plants spewing radioactivity into the environment from going under.

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Giant Kelp Forests Off Point Loma and La Jolla Stressed by Climate Change

August 4, 2020 by Source

By Erik Anderson / KPBS / August 4, 2020

The warming climate is putting environmental pressure on California forests that have towered over the Golden State for thousands of years.

They are not the only forests being stressed by climate change, the region’s iconic underwater forests are also facing challenges. Those forests are populated by giant kelp, and there is one located just off the La Jolla shore. The giant kelp forests off the coast of La Jolla and Point Loma can be spectacular. Biologists have compared them to an underwater forest of sequoias, but unlike the giant trees which can live for hundreds and even thousands of years, kelp grows fast and dies fast.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher Ed Parnell didn’t have to walk far from Scripps Pier to find strands of giant kelp washed up on the beach. “The root system is called the holdfast, it holds the kelp plant to the bottom, right there you can see that,” Parnell said.

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5 Reasons Why Biden’s V.P. Search Demeans Women

August 3, 2020 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

The Biden campaign’s search or the right woman to be his Vice-Presidential nominee has dragged on for over 5 months. He first committed to selecting a woman on March 15th.

Why no decision, yet? Not for any discernible rational reasons. Here are five unpleasant reasons that come to mind.

First, after declaring his intentions to name a “woman” to the ticket, Biden then named a man; a 76- old white, male and one-time Connecticut Senator, Chris Dodd to lead the search. The biggest reason given, “trust.” They have been bosom buddies for 30 years.

Herein, lies the problem. The country has changed. Connecticut is not representative. Chris Dodd is not representative. Even Joe Biden is not representative.

Women make up the majority of the Democratic voting base and Republican women have swelled those ranks with cross-over voting evidenced by their 2018 contribution to the Democrats historic House gains.

Women are the majority of voters now. Biden can count. But, which woman?

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August 2020 Events From the Ocean Beach Green Center

August 3, 2020 by Source

Here is the August 2020 Calendar from the Ocean Beach Green Center – 4862 Voltaire Street, Ocean Beach 92107 – oceanbeachgreencenter@gmail.com 619-613 5616

Every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Climate Mobilization Coalition Zoom Meeting. August 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th Keep up-to-date on climate issues and Climate Action events. To register email Jon Findley at jon@climatemobsd.org. More info: https://www.facebook.com/SDClimateMobilization

August 6th Thursday 5:30 pm – 7 pm Arab American Studies in Ethnic Studies: a racial justice issue for the Jewish community

August 6th Thursday The Peace Resource Center will be at an online vigil with Campaign Nonviolence on the 75th tragedy of the Hiroshima bombing.

August 7th Friday 4 pm First Friday Monthly Meeting Green New Deal at UCSD On Zoom –

August 8th Saturday 12 pm – 3 pm March to Free Them All- Shutdown Otay Mesa Detention Center Waterfront Park 1600 Pacific Hwy, San Diego 92101 A rally and march to bring home the injustices of immigrant incarceration as a first step to shutting down the Otay concentration camp and abolishing the carceral state.

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OB Planning Board to Consider ‘Amendments’ to Councilwoman Campbell’s ‘Compromise’ on Short Term Vacation Rentals

August 3, 2020 by Staff

The Board Will Also Review “Improvements” to Spray Street Park and Proposed Round-About on W. Pt. Loma

This Wednesday, August 5, the Ocean Beach Planning Board will hold its online meeting at 6 pm via WebEx and requires pre-registration (see below).

First up on its agenda is an informational item where the Board will hear about the upcoming round-about on West Point Loma Blvd and other ADA improvements. Also the volunteer panel will review recommendations from a Park Ad Hoc sub-committee on improved amenities at Spray Street Park or the grassy area next to Dog Beach parking lot.

The big ticket item on its agenda is a review of the Board sub-committee’s recommendations on short term vacation rentals (STVRs). In response to Councilwoman Campbell’s recent “compromise” proposal on STVRs, the Planning Board formed an Ad Hoc sub-committee which has come up with a number of recommendations for the full Board to consider.

The motion that passed in the subcommittee is as follows – note that this was not a recommendation to vote for or against the proposal – :

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Online Order Restaurant Review: Rubio’s Coastal Grill in Point Loma

August 3, 2020 by Judi Curry

Rubio’s Coastal Grill
3556 Rosecrans St.
Suite 101B
San Diego, CA 92110
619-223-2631

My First Review in Many Months and It Isn’t a Good One

By Judi Curry

Because of Covid-19, I had elected not to eat at any of the outside restaurants, nor have any food delivered to the house. Since I am in the vulnerable age group I felt it was safer to just stay at home and try different recipes for my 4th cookbook. I have pretty much followed that routine until yesterday. What changed my mind?

The other day was “National Avocado Day”! I love avocados. In fact, I have two productive avocado trees in my back yard, but they are not yet ready for picking. “Rubio’s” had a promo of “free chips and guacamole” if you purchased other items. How could I turn that down? (I make a wicked guacamole; Hugo’s makes a good one also. Do not like the one at Sunnies because it is too salty for me.) Since I received the notice about the “freebie” earlier in the week I found myself edging closer and closer to ordering on-line and having it delivered.

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‘It’s Alright. We’re All Dying’: Summer Chronicles 2020 #7

August 3, 2020 by Jim Miller

By Jim Miller

“It’s alright. We’re all dying.”

This is the feeling I get while consuming American media and walking the streets of downtown San Diego in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. I said these words to myself the other day as I made my way around a pack of maskless tourists by the harbor, heedlessly ignoring any need to be concerned about their health or that of anyone else’s.

On this particular date, we were experiencing what was a record number of new COVID-19 cases but that was no reason to interfere with vacation nation. We’re all dying, but it’s alright.

That was the refrain in Michael Ventura’s classic 1980s essay, “Report from El Dorado,” where he brilliantly outlined American media’s schizophrenic character. As Ventura puts it:

Media keeps saying, “It’s all right” while being fixated upon the violent, the chaotic, and the terrifying. So the production of media becomes more and more schizoid, with two messages simultaneously being broadcast: “It’s all right. We’re dying. It’s all right. We’re all dying.” The other crucial message — “We’re dying” — runs right alongside “It’s all right.”

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More ‘Reader Rants’ on Sports Arena, CirculateSD, Campbell and Mayor’s Race

July 31, 2020 by Source

Editordude: We couldn’t help but elevate the following comments by Paul Webb and Roy McMakin into full-blown “reader rants”. Their writings are worthy of more attention and touch on the Sports Arena redevelopment, the 30 foot height limit, CirculateSD, Jen Campbell and the mayor’s race.

Regarding the Sports Arena Redevelopment ….

By Paul Webb

This is not a case of a developer buying a piece of land, formulating a plan and then going through the entitlements process. This is publicly owned land, and has been for a very long time.

There is absolutely no fundamental necessity for any uses other than public uses on this property. We live in a city, and, in the case of those of us in the Point Loma/OB area, a neighborhood that fails to meet any standards for parkland per 100,000 population put forth by any rating organization. If there is a need for housing, there is also a great need for increasing park land available to the public.

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