Month: September 2011

Ocean Beach’s ocean front looks like it will experience a major new development at Saratoga Park without an adequate review of the development.

It appears that the California Coastal Commission is about to approve changes to the condo complex planned for the corner of Abbott Street and Saratoga Avenue, called Ocean Park Villas, near the Saratoga Park at the beach, 1984-92 Abbott St. and 5113-19 Saratoga Ave. This will likely occur at the Commission’s next meeting, scheduled for October 6, 2011. It will likely occur because the Commission’s staff says so. They have given their recommendation of approval to an amendment to the original plans.

San Diego: Home of the working poor

From the Center on Policy Initiatives

Poverty grew dramatically in San Diego County in 2010. CPI’s analysis of US Census Bureau poverty and income data shows that more than 1 million people in the county are struggling with economic hardship, including many who have jobs.

By Ken Stone/Patch.com

Author of a dozen books, including the definitive Afoot and Afield local series, had kidney cancer.

Jerry Schad, the prolific hiking writer and former La Mesan, died Thursday at his home in downtown San Diego, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on its website. He was 61.

According to Cal/EPA, San Diego Unified School District among those implementing textbook

By Susanne Rust/California Watch

Under pressure from the American Chemistry Council, a lobbying group for the plastics industry, school officials in California edited a new environmental curriculum to include positive messages about plastic shopping bags, interviews and documents show.

The San Diego City Attorney is going after marijuana dispensaries that are within 600 feet of schools. This legal maneuver may very well force the closure of the Newport Avenue herb shop – which is on the 4800 block of the main business street in Ocean Beach, as it is within half a block or so of OB Elementary. The Wellness Center is located approximately at mid-block, and presumably is within the distance that Goldsmith abhors.

There are Warnings and Alerts all around Abbott Street in Ocean Beach this week. And they are warning residents about a series of violent assaults of young men walking on that street late at night. The fliers are attached to multiple signs and telephone poles around the community’s main beach street.

The more substantive flier asserts that “in the past 4 weeks, 3 local residents have been viciously attacked on Abbott Street. All were young adult men and were walking home alone between the hours of 1 to 3 a.m. All 3 were attacked in the exact same manner: ….

REMEMBERING BOB

You passed away two years ago today,
And it has been very hard.
I wish you would get your ass back here
And take care of your frigging yard.
You didn’t tell me what to do,
Now all your trees are covered in white-fly goo.

There’s an unofficial and underground tussle going on right now between the OB Rag and the Bonnie Dumanis for Mayor Campaign. It is subtle and you have to look literally between the lines.

But it involves vague threats against Doug Porter, our OB Rag reporter, who published an article about Dumanis’ “secret” campaign with a comment referring to an Ocean Beach fundraiser for the District Attorney on Thursday, September 22nd.

About 200 Kaiser Permanente employees in San Diego walked off the job Wednesday to protest proposed benefit cuts and what they regard as insufficient staffing levels.

Audiologists, dieticians, health educators, social workers, speech pathologists and mental health therapists began picketing at the Kaiser Hospital in San Diego’s Allied Gardens neighborhood about 6 a.m. Leighton Woodhouse of the National Union of Healthcare Workers said the employees would return to work Friday.

Rand study finds less crime near pot dispensaries. Crimes such as assaults and thefts rose in areas of L.A. where the shops were forced to close last summer, researchers say. The city attorney’s office and a sheriff’s spokesman dispute the report’s conclusions.

Do you? Got your ticket for the OB Time Machine? It takes off every now and then on OB Time. Go to the Nav Bar – just below the masthead – click on “Ocean Beach” to see the scroll down options – tah dah! The OB Time Machine.

Here’s just a sampling of where the OB Time Machine goes (just click on the headline of the stop you want):…

We are pleased to present two of our new sponsors:

Kuba Uchi House of Massage – 4967 Newport ave. #13, OB

Stephanie Kuba is a Nationally Certified Holistic Health Practitioner specializing in the Eastern techniques of Thai Massage, Tuina, and Setai Shiatsu.

Victor’s Salon – 4989 Voltaire Street, OB

At Victor’s Salon, in San Diego, California, they hold ourselves to the highest standard of service possible, in a relaxed and friendly environment. Also are pet friendly.