Month: June 2011

by Lucas O’Connor / Two Cathedrals

The first draft of state redistricting maps were released and approved [June 10th]. There will still be revisions, but this should be relatively close to what we’re dealing with. Flash analysis, roughly based on current numbering and roughly South to North.

If Palomar Mountain State Park is closed, as the gov wants to do, our big state will really not save all that much from its closure. According to Roy Sterns, Deputy Director of Communications for the California State Parks, California will only save less than $160,000 a year by closing Palomar Mountain State Park. That isn’t much for one of the grandest natural treasures San Diego County currently claims.

As you have probably heard, Governor Jerry Brown wants to shut down 70 state parks up and down California in light of the state’s budget crisis. The parks slated for closure would meet the governor’s $22 million budget cuts. These include Palomar Mountain State Park here in our county.

Last week was a milestone in journalism, as the Huffington Post exceeded the New York Times in Web traffic and cemented its role as a main rival to the Gray Lady. It was also noted that the combined AOL-Huffington Post newsroom staff of 1,300 people is now bigger than the Times’ 1,200 person newsroom staff. While much of the debate about the rivalry has focused on Huffington Post’s adoption of savvy Internet tactics versus the much more old-school New York Times, very little of the discussion has focused on where the two newsroom differ the most: their labor practices.

Remember when I wrote this article about Gaston, our mail man. Here is the latest news about him:

His daughter, Maiah Gianna was born on March 22, 2011. She weighed in at 6.75 pounds and was tiny at 18″. The post office offers a “twelve week bonding period” to get to know your child.

In our coverage of SlutWalk San Diego we’ve noted the number of young people involved in this event. I want to give a more formal introduction to two of the young women that were involved in organizing this the movement in San Diego.

Editor: Here’s yet another TV critique that heaps kudos onto “Terriers” – the private eye series filmed in OB but cancelled earlier this year. The Television Critics Association’s (TCA) announcement of its the nominations for the its 2011 awards included Terriers, which made the list for Outstanding New Program.

For a week the OB Rag ran a poll on the mayor’s race, listing declared and undeclared candidates for San Diego’s top executive post. With nearly 200 respondents, current Congressman Bob Filner – who has now declared – came out on the very top with 58 votes or 30%. Former Councilmember Donna Frye – who has not declared – came in second with 43 votes, or 22%. In third place, was Democratic State Senator Christine Kehoe, 38 votes and 20% of the total. Kehoe has begun a process to set up her campaign although some pundits do not consider her a “declared” candidate as yet.

There are two important happenings this week in Ocean Beach.

Friends of the OB Library Meeting – Tuesday, June 14th, 6 to 7 pm

OB Historical Society Presesnts: Charlie and Tonii… The Boys from the Other Side of the Hill! – June 16th

From the United Farm Workers

Our vital bill, the Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act (SB 104) has passed the CA Senate and Assembly and will shortly go to Governor Jerry Brown.

The United Farm Workers has won solid laws to protect California farm workers who provide more than half of our nation’s produce. But with over 400,000 field workers migrating among 80,000 farms, these laws have not and cannot be enforced by the state of California.

As the mayor’s race continues to unfold, the election season rite of local Republicans trying to morph themselves into “moderates” palatable to the ever-malleable Democratic electorate in San Diego continues. The most recent example of this is Nathan Fletcher’s announcement that he is coming back from Sacramento to save San Diego.

As reported in the Union Tribune and KPBS Fletcher has a vision:

“When I look at the city I see an amazing potential for the future of San Diego over the next decade and I believe I represent a new generation of leadership that can get us there . . . “

I’ve attended many rallies and protests at downtown San Diego’s City Hall, but never have I attended one with so much sizzle. Sexuality was the issue– predominately, but not exclusively female sexuality. As Patty Jones has noted here the message was “yes means yes and no means no.” Participants were as unequivocal about everything that the “yes means yes” part implies as they were unequivocal about the “no means no” part. “Yes” put the sizzle in Slutwalk and it was a deeply sensual and life affirming “yes.” That is probably why Slutwalk was not only empowering and thought provoking but also a whole lotta fun.

I realize that I am not a restaurant reviewer – although I always thought it would be fun to be one – and I also realize that this restaurant is not in the 92106/92107 zip code, but it is pretty darn close – 92110 – on Midway (3185 to be precise), but I was served one of the best meals I have had in years. The “PUNJAB RESTAURANT, Taste of the Himalayas” smelled divine as we entered the small restaurant for lunch. There were 3 of us; all women that had met when we were in a water aerobics class at the “Y”.