Month: October 2012

Looking through words about California history, my mind wanders momentarily, and a tall timeless man with reddish brown skin and long braids ala Russell Means, appears in the periphery of my daydreams. He says:
They, these conquering men, stepped from their boats
wearing more clothes than was necessary,
shiny metal hats and vests,
heavy leather foot wear,
bearing swords and knives,
boasting of braveries
and discoveries
and some day living in the memories
of civilizations yet to be
and when they gazed our way
they never looked us in the eye
with any deep sense
of wonder
or human curiosity.

A long-time member of the OB Town Council – Dave Martin – has just recently been elected its new president in elections for the Board. Martin has taken the reins of the Ocean Beach organization at a time when there seems to be new blood and energy stimulating the council.

Martin, who has served on the Council as a Director for 11 years, is the owner of Shades restaurant on Abbott Street.

Also elected to the executive board was Brennan Bazar as vice president, Gretchen Kinney Newsom as recording secretary, Heather Richards as correspondence secretary and Melinda Therkalson as treasurer.

With the latest legalization of live chickens in the City of San Diego, many people are starting to flock to the idea of gathering their own eggs from their backyard.

If you are interested in raising backyard chickens, “Backyard Chickens” class will be held at The Green Store, 4843-B Voltaire St. , Ocean Beach , Sunday, October 28 from 10 am until 12:30 pm. There is a $30 charge for participants.

The class is being taught by poultry specialist Paul Barbano. Mr. Barbano is an experienced chicken raiser who recently taught this class at the San Diego Botanic Garden ( Quail Gardens ) in Encinitas.

They did it again!

Without any warning, the No. 35 bus has had its route changed.

Two of my foreign exchange students who live with me waiting for the bus at Sunset Cliffs and Pt. Loma Avenue were informed by another passenger that due to construction on Sunset Cliffs, the “new” bus stop would be at Cable and Del Mar beginning Monday, Oct. 22nd (the day this was written)!

When heroes from our past pass on, sometimes it seems like there’s a rush to the exit doors. This weekend and today, both George McGovern and Russell Means passed through that door. Both of these heroes of the Seventies lived and died in South Dakota.

George McGovern, the peace candidate from South Dakota, a former Congressman and Senator from that state, who won the Democratic Party’s nomination for president in 1972, died early Sunday in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was 90.

And Russell Means, a former American Indian Movement activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee, reveled in stirring up attention and appeared in several Hollywood films, died early Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D. He was 72 years old and had fought throat cancer.

Minority students, members of San Diego State cultural organizations and members of the the Residence Hall Association placed red duct tape over their mouths in a silent demonstration last week against the student government’s restructuring plan, a plan that they way will result in a loss of representation and votes for these students and their organizations.

During their assembly last week – the focus of the protest – the A.S. Council approved a proposed model for its governmental restructure through a majority vote—eliminating individual votes for cultural organizations. The current structure – the one just pushed aside – allowed for “cultural organizations” to sit on the council, giving each sitting representative one vote. The restructure model which was approved will be implemented once finished, combines the cultural representation in A.S. into what the restructuring committee called the “Student Diversity Commission”.

Like the poster on Fox Mulder’s wall, we, at the OB Rag, aim to find it.

I’m referring to the rumors that have been flying around our little beach community in regards to all the assaults, sex crimes and attacks that have been occurring in alarming numbers here the last couple of months and even longer. Most of them are true, but some of them just ain’t.

It seems that we hear of an incident, and within 24 hours, we “hear” of several more. In response to all of this, many of us have formed the OB Citizen’s Patrol, along with the guidance of Tim Nolan, owner of Tower Two Cafe.

The first meeting was on October 8, and over 30 people crammed into Tim’s resto to voice their concerns and sign up for the first organized patrols since the 1970’s. Tim said it started way back then in response to local crime and the time had come again to relaunch the patrols. Tim was involved back then, and has been patrolling ever since. He has gone out on his own for many years to make the neighborhood safe for his family.

The Munger Muddle, Democrats for Education Reform, Obama, and the Koch Brothers et al Weave a Tangled Web that Might Just Kill Our Children’s Future (if we let it)

In a recent column, I outlined the connections between the advocates and funders of Proposition 32 and opponents of Proposition 30, noting the central role of Proposition 38 backer Molly Munger’s brother, Charles Munger, who has donated over $20 million of his own money to a campaign fund to gut unions and defund education. Charles’s main allies in this effort, as I pointed out in that column, are also big supporters of the privatization of education and other forms of profiteering at the expense of public schools.

While having a conversation about the upcoming Presidential debate I asked a coworker if he was going to be voting. He replied, “I wish I could, but I’m on probation.” Whoa… This was a moment in a busy shop, that is normally filled with Mitt Romney and Ron Paul supporters, where two like minded people had a few minutes to chat. The young man I was talking with is quiet about his political affiliations and before I could respond to his statement we were surrounded by republicans, once again.

Once I was back at my desk I did a quick internet search and printed a page from the Northern California ACLU website that I handed to him later in the day. He thanked me with a big smile on his face.

Come on out to the Book Sale Today – Saturday, Oct. 20th – in front of the OB Library – Santa Monica and Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Volunteers needed to help set up and help break down before and afterwards

Please come to the Book Sale, and bring your friends, etc. We need help setting up and taking down our upcoming Book Sale. We especially need help between 9:00 am and 10:00 am and between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm.

Has anyone noticed the entrance to OB by the skate park has been beautified with painted waves?

Katy Helen was contacted by the OB Community Development Corporation to paint the K-Rails. The OBCDC is paying for the materials and Katy has volunteered her time to do the project. She has been working a few hours each day since October 9th and her artwork is near completion.

Bob Filner Among 16 Congressional Members Urging Review of Deadly Force Use by Border Patrol Agents

Since 2010, at least 16 civilians have been killed by Border Patrol agents along the US-Mexico border. Many of those killed were involved in throwing rocks at agents during confrontations with border smugglers.

Yet, since September, there have been three persons killed by agents – including the young mother of 5 who was a US citizen right here in Chula Vista. The three also include 16-year-old suspected rock thrower from Nogales.

But it was the 2010 taser-linked death of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas here at San Ysidro that pushed members of Congress to urge a review of how border patrol agents use deathly force. After a video surfaced showing a customs officer in San Diego using a Taser on Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, who later died of a heart attack, some Congressional members were moved to act and send their letter to the Inspector General.