Month: October 2013

This past weekend, the OB Rag celebrated its sixth anniversary – and we had a small party and pot-luck complete with a fire-dancer and player piano (and meats catered by the BBQ House).

Ah, yes, six years of being the online ‘news and views’ for Ocean Beach and beyond. We’ve now been publishing for as long as our name-sake predecessor, the original OB Rag, OB’s alternative community newspaper from the Seventies.

It’s been a great run for the Rag, these last years.

But we’re at a crossroads, because the practicalities of continuing to publish are forcing us to face where we’re at and forcing a sober re-assessment and re-evaluation of just what the Rag is doing.

By Judi Curry

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet David Alvarez at a “meet and greet” party. Although I walked into the meeting as a Mike Aguirre supporter, I was very impressed with the way David talked to the crowd; answered all questions without hemming and hawing, and told us his plans when he becomes the Mayor of San Diego. …

Welcome to Day 2 of the Virtual Mayoral Forum put together by editors at San Diego Free Press. (See Day 1, Asking about managed competition here. )

With input from our many contributors, editors put together a series of eight questions we felt were unique, not too opened ended and not trite. We’re publishing one response from the candidates per day (Monday-Friday) so readers can see the verbatim responses side by side.

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While attending a recent “meet and greet” for one of the mayoral candidates (David Alvarez), I spoke to a young couple who recognized my name as a restaurant reviewer for the OB Rag. They asked if I had reviewed the “Supannee House of Thai”. It is one of their favorite restaurants and return often for their authentic Thai food. I had not been there yet, even though it was one of the places I had flagged to try at a later time.

The following day I called my friend Eric and asked him if he would like to join me in reviewing the restaurant. He had gone with me when I reviewed another local Thai food restaurant and I felt that he complimented my tastes and likes and would do the same thing at the Supannee.

By Kelsey Lynore / The Tarot Nook

Each week, Kelsey from OB throws a “What to do?” spread for each of the zodiac signs. The first card is shown and the other two… well, you’ll just have to infer them from the written forecasts. Mind the heads up and have a lovely week!

Bulls

Sometimes, the most important part of the healing process is the recognition that you’ve been hurt, Taurus. Which paradoxically hurts! Although it might not feel like healing at the time, I assure you that this week, you are doing just that. The other shoe is about to drop and you may discover that someone wasn’t completely honest with you or that you’ve been duped in some way. But you’re better off knowing the truth than operating in accordance with a lie, no matter how comfy. Trust that strongest part within you, that part that transmutes pain and miraculously sutures its own flesh, and you’ll be healed.

Faulconer and Fletcher Both No-Shows at Mayoral Debate

In front of a full audience, the Ocean Beach Town Council held their mayoral election forum last night, Oct. 23rd, at the Masonic Center. Newly-elected president Gretchen Newsom led her first public council meeting and welcomed candidates David Alvarez and Mike Aguirre. Nathan Fletcher sent a representative – whereas no one from Faulconer’s campaign showed.

Sixty people filled up the meeting room on the bottom floor of the two-story building on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard – some had come to hear a presentation on San Diego banning plastic bags.

Newsom cleaned the agenda and got to the forum part of the night, using her favorite expression, “without further a due”.

David Alvarez – a native San Diegan and current City Councilmember – took the floor and explained his modest beginnings. He got into politics as a community activist for his neighborhood and, stressing that his campaign and office would focus on the neighborhoods of the city, Alvarez said,”San Diego is a neighborhood city.”

by Judi Curry / October 23, 2013

It appears that progress is being made at the cemetery. Slowly, in the areas I checked out, but some of the areas of the cemetery that were behind green fences are now sporting beautiful green grass. This is at the most northern part of the cemetery on the east side of the road and snaking down to the bay-side where there are benches to sit on while looking over the San Diego Bay and listening to the cry of the seals.

There was evidence of men working on cleaning the monuments; men were moving the flat markers from the “curb” to the headstones; grading was taking place close to the road on the inside of the eastern part of the cemetery and sod is due to be laid beginning next week.

Editor: The following is the first part in a series being published by our online media partner, San Diego Free Press, as a ‘virtual mayoral forum’.

One of the best ways for voters to learn about candidates is via debates.

Debates, however, have real limitations. The positive aspect of actually being able to see a candidate as a person can be countered by constraints of time and space. Sometimes its hard to follow what’s being said, especially if things get heated and candidates start talking across each other.

So we came up with the concept of presenting a virtual debate; an event where the only opinions will be the ones proffered by the candidates. And we tried to come up with questions that were not trite or unnecessarily open ended. (If you’re looking questions about the Chargers, go to any one of the other debates.)

By Norma Damashek / NumbersRunner

Let’s ease into this subject with a mindful autumn walk. Notice the days getting shorter…. morning air chillier… leaves turning gold on liquid amber trees.

Now notice a fact as unwavering as the seasons — the fact that sex plays a dominant role in San Diego public affairs. Hook it up with other San Diego mainstays (uninspired leadership, stunted civic aspirations, free-floating corruption, overinflated egos, corporate welfare, legal-establishment collusion, Republican Party strategy, dubious fidelity among leading Democrats, to name a few) and it wallops a punch potent enough to knock a new mayor out of the ring and force the city into a costly, rushed election to bring in a replacement.

Of course this is not how the Chamber of Commerce markets our city.

By Ernie McCray

I’m not, necessarily, one for seeing movies or plays or other things that are staged more than once unless there’s something really special about it. That being said I can’t wait to take in my friend Calvin Manson’s wonderfully soulful musical “Don’t Let me Be Misunderstood” again.

I highly recommend this beautifully crafted piece of theater because it’s so personal to me. It features the songs of one of my show-people-heroes, Nina Simone. This inimitable singer and pianist not only dazzled the world with her sultry sincere soulful voice but she also, at the same time, actively pursued dreams of that world being one where all people live in freedom. With dignity. Like Robeson and Belafonte. That kind of service to humanity resonates deeply within me.

The OB Town Council is holding a San Diego mayoral candidate forum tonight at it’s monthly meeting, October 23rd.

The meeting begins at 7pm and is held at the Masonic Center. The center is located at 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. in OB, 92107.

We have heard from the Council’s new prez, Gretchen Newsom, that of the major candidates, David Alvarez and Mike Aguirre are confirmed to be attending.

See inside for details and format, plus the rest of the agenda ….

OB Woman Missing for 2 Weeks

Sharon Chipman walked away from her group home in Paradise Hills around October 10th. Her family is very worried as they fear she is not taking her prescribed medications and needs to return to her mental health facility. Chipman, 34, is on medication.

Sharon, raised in Ocean Beach, was seen in OB over the weekend, and authorities want help from the public to find her. She apparently made a banking transaction in Spring Valley on the 11th. Reported missing by her Lakeside grandmother, Sharon’s purple bike was found locked at a McDonalds near Sweetwater Rd and Jamacha Blvd in Spring Vally on the 18th.