OB Christmas Tree ‘christened’ by Charlie Brown

Christmas Tree 2009 001-sm

OCEAN BEACH, CA.  The Christmas Tree for Ocean Beach went up at the foot of Newport Avenue, as one does every year.

This year several people suggested to me that it’s a real “Charlie Brown” tree.  It appears to be missing some limbs or was damaged in transit. Nevertheless, it was put up and adorned by the traditional balloons.

OBceans are proud of it anyway, those that appreciate the effort.  Some in OB don’t even want there to be a tree.  Yet many do, and the Tree will tower over the annual Holiday Parade – one of OB’s most favorite events – this Saturday, December 5th.

Frank Gormlie
A former lawyer and current grassroots activist, I have been editing the Rag since Patty Jones and I launched it in Oct 2007. Way back during the Dinosaurs in 1970, I founded the original Ocean Beach People’s Rag - OB’s famous underground newspaper -, and then later during the early Eighties, published The Whole Damn Pie Shop, a progressive alternative to the Reader.

42 thoughts on “OB Christmas Tree ‘christened’ by Charlie Brown

  1. Frank, thank you for the positive comment…Some people are so Negative & live under a rock & can be so cruel but with Holiday Spirit, I feel are Tree has character & someone told be yesterday not all trees are the same… Some people have to realize this is the only Tree some people have.. Yesterday I had a little boy come to me & say, I can’t wait till my OB Class comes to the Tree to see Santa & I’ll get my picture taken with my class… We will treat this Tree with Pride, even it is a Charlie Brown Tree… Just remember all the wonderful things that the OB Christmas Tree Festival Committee does for the Community with PRIDE….. From what I hear the town across the bridge doesn’t even have a Community Tree or a PARADE…. Real OB people are SPECIAL…. Happy Charlie Brown Christmas to all of You!!!!! xo claudia (chair of the Tree Festival) PS I invite everyone to jump on the Magical Mystery Charlie Brown Tree Tour……

  2. Kinda magical. Where else do candy canes hang in mid air? Must be one of those OB Wiccans using magic for good.

  3. WOW! When I looked down Newport I thought my eyes had deceived me. Really if you’re going to kill a living tree… make it a good one! I understand the need to be positive, but really that’s one of the worst trees I’ve ever seen at the end of Newport… and there have been plenty of stinkers.

  4. only in Godless Ocean Beach would people tolerate such an abomination as a “holiday” tree. you people are so stoned that you don’t even notice the missing branches or the conspiracy to keep Christ out of Christmas. may you burn in hell.

    1. r hoobler,

      Why does your avatar look like Obama having an orgasm?

      You can’t take Christ out of Christmas or you just have mas, and that is just plain dumb.

    2. Nice troll. People, don’t feed the bitter angry trolls. He’s probably from the Onion-Tribune looking for inspiration. :D

  5. The tree is screwed. But it’s OUR tree. I will love it because maybe no one else will. I don’t think it’s an evil tree like that tree in Poltergeist. I don’t think it’s evil like the kite eating tree. It’s just a tree that got real messed up on it’s way to Ocean Beach. Come to think of it, so did I.

  6. gosh, hoobler sure sounds like a cranky sob. anybody got any ideas for presents other than coal (it’s so 20th century) for the old coot?

  7. ask & ye shall receive, mr fresh. funny you should ask. we’ve got just the perfect presents for hoobie… as soon as Frank posts my next article.

  8. I saw the tree being set this morning and was shocked at first but then realized this is OB and it is our tree and it is geat, different perhaps, but so is OB and that is why I like it here DIFFERENT. Good job Claudia and the rest of the tree crew. thanks Stu

  9. Tree is fine…..VERY OB……

    Congrats to all of the volunteer people of the hamlet of OB who worked on making the entire OB Christmas festival unique and special

    note….PB had to cancel theirs….

  10. When I first saw it Tuesday, I immediately thought of Charlie Brown.
    But come on, something that sad shouldn’t have been put up.
    Rather have a good 12′ tree than that sad thing.
    And don’t remember the fence around it last year.

  11. It was cool hangin’ on the seawall yesterday and watchin’ the sunset with the bunkin’…but as I looked just to the North of us, I gotta say that…out of all of the Charlie Brown Christmas Trees, the one at the foot of Newport is (and I mean this with all the love in the world) “the Charlie Browniest”. ;)

  12. I think it is cool to have real hypodermic needles for the kids to play with in the playzone. OB is always keepin it real.

  13. I have a nice video of the Charlie Brown tree and two illegally parked cop cars on facebok. Check it out, OB Rag and I are friends.

  14. Is the parade still going on? Man was that long… Macy’s aint got nothing on OB. fer sure. Maybe dial it back a bit next year? Loved it and my 3yr old new home town anyway.
    Merry Christmas
    &
    Happy NewYear
    from
    ClubstyleDJ Entertainment

    1. Yo Club, – Give me a goes on forever OB Holiday Parade to wade amongst the people and ride their swells of joy. It did, however, lack the Saturnalia vibe that groups like The Brightonians, OBGO and others brought into the mix. The delayed start time coupled with the security forces sweeping people off “whose streets our streets” at the end made it suck the “J” outta joy. Does anybody remember how long the 4th of July fireworks used to be? How’s about the Street Fair? Oy, for the luv of $****ucks I could go on forever…but a good parade trumps a Charlie Browntree any day.

      Peace and Love,
      Danny

  15. Ok….I looked into this further just to find out for myself….

    So the word is this…. Nice, pretty, tall, perfect trees can cost as much as $3000….

    OB Tree Festival Committee gets theirs donated every year in order to have more money to give back to the community through donations and to help pay for parade.

    I get that.

    So…..If Charlie Brown Tree helps out the less-fortunate and needy people have a Christmas during tough times….then I support that and LOVE this little piece of OBness.

    Tis the Season people….

    Lisa

  16. I am so glad you put these picture up! I needed documented proof for my disbelieving midwest kinsfolk. A true christmas tree – flawed, oddly decorated, and loveable.

  17. We love it!
    Lesson to my 8 year old;
    “We don’t dislike anything because its not perfect. ”
    The uniqueness of our 2009 OB Tree will just make us
    remember it better!

    1. Amber, nice. Thanx for all your efforts. OB Parade story will be here soooon.
      It’s always great to hear from ya, Mary.
      Lisaob – thanks for the update. Anytime you want to say sumptin, come on by.

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