Month: March 2014

By John Lawrence / San Diego Free Press

In his final message after more than eight years as chief executive officer of Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), Paul Jacobs on March 4 gave employees shareholders what he called a “homework assignment.” “Send your Congress people your opinion that you’d like American companies to be able to bring offshore money back to the United States to either reinvest or return to shareholders”, said Jacobs, now executive chairman of the San Diego based chipmaker, which has $21.6 billion in overseas profits.

Marlise Muñoz was removed from life support, but a growing pattern of state intervention in pregnancies threatens women from Alabama to Wisconsin.

By Michele Bratcher Goodwin / Alternet

In Texas, hospital officials refused for over two months to remove 33-year-old Marlise Muñoz, who was declared brain dead, from life support because of her pregnancy. A court ruling on Friday ordered John Peter Smith Hospital to take Munoz off life support in accordance with the family’s wishes, and her body was disconnected from machines on Sunday, Jan. 26.

The tragedy of Muñoz’s case is that it fits a terrible pattern of state interventions in women’s pregnancies.

A ten unit apartment complex in the mid-5000 block of Cape May Avenue in Ocean Beach was just sold for $2.8 million.

Morena Properties Inc. bought the property at 5058-5072 Cape May Ave. (assessor’s parcel 448-102-04) from Kerry Sean McLoughlin. The development was initially constructed in 1951 on a 14,000 square foot lot.

By Marc Snelling / Special to the OB Rag / Mar. 25, 2014

Part 1

Thirteen years ago today – March 25th, 2001 – the first No Starbucks in OB protest took place. Hundreds gathered at the corner of Newport Ave and Bacon St to send a message to the corporation that the community did not want their store.

OB got the message, Starbucks corporate HQ didn’t.

Starbucks is back in the news this month opening another controversial San Diego location. After a vote allowing a Starbucks to replace the the fair-trade Espresso Roma Cafe, two UCSD students stand accused of arson and ‘eco-terorism’ for lighting fires in Price Center restrooms to prevent the opening.

The Ocean Beach Town Council is inviting the community to a debate and community dialogue on Wednesday, March 26th regarding the City Council election that is taking place on June 3, 2014 for District 2.

Each participant will have 3 minutes of introductory remarks followed by 15-20 minutes of ‘debate’ wherein questions are asked by our audience community members of the candidates.

By Tony de Garate / Special to the OB Rag

Six members of the Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB) were selected by voters in annual elections held March 20 at the Point Loma/Hervey Library.

Two incumbents – Peter Nystrom and Paul Webb – were returned to office for three-year terms. Voters also elected three newcomers:

• David Dick, the top vote-getter among all 10 candidates;
• Don Sevrens;
• and Jon Linney.

Incumbent Mike Ryan, who serves as the board’s first vice chair, tied for fifth with Linney and agreed to complete the one year remaining on an existing vacant position.

The final vote totals of the six winners were: …

A breakdown of the initiatives in the state

By Chris Conrad / The Leaf Online

With four marijuana legalization initiatives vying for the California ballot, one thing is clear: All four sets of reforms are better than the state’s current prohibition. The initials and names are confusing, but the core question is, which one or ones will voters get to vote on?

The California Cannabis Hemp Initiative (CCHI) has been gathering signatures the longest. TheMarijuana Control, Legalization and Regulation (MCLR) is the longest and took in the greatest amount of direct input from the public. A third version was drafted by a group of long-time reform activists, including remnants of the unsuccessful 2010 Prop 19 campaign. None of these has visible financial backing to make the ballot.

Annual Wisteria Party: A ‘Who’s Who in OB’

It was a virtual “who’s who” at this weekend’s Annual Wisteria Garden Party held by the OB Historical Society. ….

The Old Dover Is Gone as Construction Nears for Sunset Plaza

Yup, the old Dover building is now gone – near the intersection of Voltaire and Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Mission Beach Celebrates One Hundred Years

In 1923 neighbors were scarce. So were roads, indoor plumbing and electricity.

Knife Attack on Host by Party Crashers in Mission Beach

A Mission Beach man was stabbed early Sunday …

Car Plunges Into Mission Bay

That Time SeaWorld Tried to Slash Its Rent by 70 Percent

A decade ago, SeaWorld asked for something most renters can only dream of: A roughly 70 percent reduction in its annual

Daily Transcript Continues Mainstream Media History of Not Knowing Where Ocean Beach Is

By Jim Miller

Recently, in “Neoliberalism and Its Discontents: What’s Left Beyond More Impoverished Choices?”, I continued my analysis of the national debate that followed the publication of Adolph Reed’s sharp criticism of what qualifies as the “left” in the contemporary American political landscape.

After that column was posted, Reed wrote yet another piece in American Prospect, this time responding to Harold Meyerson’s dismissal of his call for a left less tethered to a Democratic Party increasingly colonized by Wall Street and other corporate interests.

By Judi Curry

Sometimes one hears a story that is so sad that you don’t even want to know the details because you know that you are helpless to do anything about it. Sometimes you hear a story that might have a happy ending if only the right set of circumstances happen in the right amount of time. Such is the sad tale of Pumbaa.

Just a little background information: I have a 13 year old Golden Retriever – 91 in adult years – older than me! He has been having severe hip problems in the last year or so and he is having acupuncture once a week and swim therapy twice a week.

The Friends of the OB Library held a book sale on Saturday, the 22nd, and their record-breaking success proves that books are still cool, and have not gone the way of the 8 Track Cassette.

For over 3 hours, the volunteer team headed up by president Judy Collier did their work on the green in front of the old branch that serves Ocean Beach. And the Friends have announced that they made $645.75 during their sale.

By Matthew Wood

Jim Liener knew there was a better way.

Working as a special needs teacher in San Diego, mostly dealing with autistic children, he saw how the public schools system would routinely fail the kids that needed the most attention.

Then he started working with an autistic child who was being home schooled, not able to make it in a normal school environment. He turned the family’s gazebo into a one-room home schoolhouse. An epiphany hit: Why can’t we take this home-school format, which works best for kids with these needs, and make it into an actual school?

“It was kind of like I told myself, ‘Shut up and do something about it,’” Liener said.