Calls Grow to Halt the Marshmallow Wars of Ocean Beach

Enough locals in Ocean Beach have been incensed at the horrible mess left after the July 4th marshmallow fights that some of them are now calling for an end to the summer holiday tradition.

Mike James – a former leader of the business community –  has now began a facebook page, calling for “No More Marshmallow Wars“.  As of this morning, it already had 214 “likes” – and they were increasing by the hour.

Here is what James says on his facebook page:

The now infamous Ocean Beach Marshmallow Wars has been taken over by idiots who could give a rat’s ass about our community. Take back our beaches.

This page was started by Mike James. Mike was instrumental in bringing back the fireworks to O.B. in 1980 after a long hiatus. His hope is to bring the community together to find a solution to what has become a destructive event in our community. He is joined by Tyler Brand, who has seen first hand the violence and the negative environmental impact the Marshmallow Wars have caused to Ocean Beach. …

There are a number of suggestions and observations on the page:

• One thing that can be done is for the merchants to stop selling marshmallow a few days before.

• Even one restaurant was selling marshmallows for $5 a bag.

• The OBMA permitted a booth at the street fair to sell marshmallow guns.

•  One suggestion is for an official public statement from the OBMA asking to bring it to an end with outreach being provided by the Beacon and OB Rag

•  Locals can discourage visiting friends from taking part.

In addition, more suggestions, observations, and comments on the issue have been left at several articles here at the OB Rag in recent days.  (We are simply outlining them here and do not necessarily support each one.)

• Organize a long line of locals and volunteers holding hands and wrap around the beach area, and slowly corral the marshmallow throwers and gently have them congregate only in the original area of the marshmallow fight;

• Marshmallows have become sand-studded projectiles hurled full-force by college “students” who care more about alcohol than their studies,

• Young men roll M-80s into the path of passing cars,

•  OB’s funky-hippy vibe has taken a turn toward anarchy.

• ban all disposable containers. That means no soda bottles no beer cans.

• Impose a strict limit on the size of reusable drinking containers that are permitted on the beach. That pretty much puts a limit of 2-3 drinks per person, so if one wants to remain hydrated the use their drink space wisely.

• Throw a couple cops on the beach to check coolers and write tickets to anyone who is in violation.

• Bottom line – if we actually care about our beaches and community, we wouldn’t allow this to continue to happen.

• for events like this streets need to be made “one way” and have officers controlling the traffic. It would have been virtually impossible to get an emergency vehicle anywhere in to OB – or Pt. Loma – if needed.

• the city shouldn’t permit block parties that last to midnight on the 4th. Some very drunk and aggressive homeowners had blocked off Cape May from Santa Barbara to Venice and wouldn’t let anyone through even though we were all stuck in gridlock.

• crowded frenzy of the marshmallow fight creates the opportunity for anonymous violence that psychopaths love. What’s to stop someone from embedding a steel ball or a nail into a large marshmallow?

• No fireworks , no fight.

• organizations that speak for Ocean Beach such as the OBMA, Town Council and OB RAG, among others, to work throughout the year on ways to avoid a replete of this years mess.

• This year the marshmallow throwing started a good ten minutes before the end of the show, which was very distracting since it took our attentions away from the show

• Marshmallows that hit  were thrown with some vengeance (not like before), and several of them actually hurt. A couple of 20-something young women were chasing after each other thru the crowd and ran into us, not even bothering to apologize.

• Five years or so ago, the marshmallows rarely went much past Abbott St., last year up to Bacon St., this year we saw remnants up to Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

• Marshmallows found at Muir and Guizot – substantially further away from the sand and grassy area.

• Time to stop the fireworks and get rid of all of the drunks that come into our community to act like pigs.

• Eliminate the fireworks completely.

• rope off a designated “Marshmallow throwing” area .

• have a volunteer(s) walking around in the crowd before the fireworks and getting volunteers for July 5 clean-up.

• Install 6 mil plastic on the plaza area concrete to minimize degrading substrates. Clean up would require scraping up the sand , marshmallows and plastic and hauling it away.

• hire a competent pressure wash company to do the clean up.  Gutters and drains are blocked and high suction wet vacs are used to collect the waste water which has to be dumped in the sewer for treatment. It can not be in the untreated storm drain it has to be disposed of properly

• Try to contain the wars to a specific area it will make the clean up faster , cheaper and more complete.

• Have the clean up cost come right off the top of the funding for the fireworks.

• Still finding marshmallows everywhere as late as July 7.

• The sidewalk near the beach looks gross and will for months to come(again).

• Grown men throwing marshmallows as hard as they could at people who were looking the other way(BEFORE the fireworks started) and then high fiving each other for nailing the unsuspecting lady or kid.

• The vibe was not a good one. Lots of people taking the marshmallow thing and using it as an excuse to be drunk dicks.

• The line of cops on quads and in cars wasn’t cool either.They looked like they were waiting for a riot.They may get one