Month: October 2014

Editor: Ever since the OB Rag first published articles about the reconstruction of a replica of the San Salvador, the flagship of Juan Cabrillo, the Spanish explorer who was the first European to land on San Diego’s shores, a debate has ensued over how modern society views and values the new ship which represents so much of the past. The ship is docked right off Point Loma, in Spanish Landing.

By Will Falk

As a settler, I think it’s my responsibility to say this: The San Salvador was a weapon of genocide and, today, is a symbol of genocide.

“A Historically Accurate Replica”

How accurate are we going to get with the San Salvador? Are we going to use African and indigenous slave labor to build it? …

Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 28th at OB Rec Center

The Ocean Beach Town Council does want you to volunteer for the numerous holiday events coming up in this seaside village.

And there’s a meeting for the volunteers – tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 28th at the OB Rec Center, from 6:30 to 8pm.

The theme for this year’s holiday parade in early December is “35 Years of Peace, Love and OB”, as this is the 35th year of the holiday parade.

The main event, of course, is the Holiday Parade, which will take place on Saturday, December 6th at 5:05pm. And that’s where the OB Town Council needs volunteers.

Volunteers are needed for everything from block captains for the parade line-up, security, traffic guards and clean-up. Here’s what the OBTC says, from its website: …

Building a Historically Accurate Replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s Flagship

By Judi Curry

There are not many times in life that you meet a person you don’t want to say goodbye to. This was not a romantic endeavor, but rather a person that is so genuine, so humble that you obtain energy just from being with him.

I recently met one of those extraordinary men – a Sicilian, who has worked in the boat business for 50-odd years, learning the trade as a teen in Sicily. He is a wonderful craftsmen and you can’t help but marvel at the finished product he creates.

Who is this man, you ask? A little background first. A while ago I did a story of the “Women volunteers of the San Salvador.” This is the ship that you can see being built just west of the airport on Harbor Drive. I was going to go back and do a story of the men volunteers but never got around to it.

It’s a Gay Thing

By Linda Perine / Democratic Woman’s Club

As you may have noticed, October has not been a happy month for the San Diego LGBT community.

Earlier this month the Harvey Milk American Diner in Hillcrest closed abruptly, bouncing checks to workers and simply failing to pay others, including the Harvey Milk Foundation.

At an October 8 press conference an LA Times reporter began asking questions about allegations of sexual harassment against Republican Carl de Maio. He is an openly gay candidate for the 52^nd congressional district.

Both stories have grown into full-fledged embarrassments for the LGBT community.

This is the 7th birthday for the online OB Rag. During the October fires of 2007, Patty Jones and I launched the OB Rag out of our small cottage on Long Branch Avenue. Many of our early articles critiqued both the mainstream media’s coverage of the fires plus how the fires were being fought.

Seven years later, much has changed, of course. We’ve gone from a little-known blog to one of the best community-based websites in Southern California, which is constantly referred to by the local mainstream media, police, and local politicians, and occasionally we make the national news. Other notes of interest: quotes from the OB Rag made it up on the ceiling of OB’s newest public “comfort station” on the beach – whose design won an Orchid Award in 2012.

By Marc Snelling

Last month Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama, who was elected to end two wars, addressed the nation to announce an open-ended bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria. As the Afghanistan War (now the longest in American history) and the conflict in Iraq continue it is clear Obama has failed to live up to his election promises.

Not only has his administration failed to live up to it’s word to end two wars and close Guantanamo prison, he has even changed his tune about the initial invasion. The US “sought to work within the international system” he said earlier in March of this year at a speech in Brussels. Obama further declared the the US had “left Iraq to it’s people in a fully sovereign Iraqi state that can make decisions about it’s own future.”

By Jim Miller

Recently, California lost one of its last remaining, genuinely progressive weeklies, the San Francisco Bay Guardian. As [people.power.media] tells the story:

The San Francisco Bay Guardian, the prize-winning newspaper and progressive voice, was shut down immediately by the San Francisco Media Company, after 48 years of “printing the news and raising hell.”

No warning for staff, just pack your boxes and get out. Boom. This historic independent newspaper, so long a pivotal force in San Francisco progressive politics and culture was suddenly treated as a corporate portfolio item, and lopped off the balance sheet . . .

By Anthony de Garate/ Special to the OB Rag

A trio of representatives for a developer explained the definition of a “bedroom” to members of the Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB) Oct. 16th at the group’s monthly meeting at the Point Loma-Hervey Library.

On the website of Acropolis Development, owner of four, three-story units with roof decks and underground parking envisioned as luxury condos now under construction in Roseville, the project is alternately referred to as Carleton 4 Row, Carelton Row Homes, or Carleton 4 Homes.

And in response to the question of how many bedrooms each of the four units contain, there also appears to be more than one answer. …

By Lois Lane

The OB Town Council met for the last time this year on Wednesday, October 22. The usual full house at the Masonic Lodge was down in numbers – only about 50 people there – including the board members. (The general opinion was that the World Series had lured some people away who are usually there.)

As always, the public had a lot to say, and the government was well represented, although the fire department officials who were there to be introduced ran out to an emergency call instead.

But most of the program was about the OB Town council itself, looking back at a year of accomplishments, and looking forward to the busiest time of year – the holidays. October is the last meeting of the year because the OB Town Council is busy with what’s coming up.

Part Two

By Frank Gormlie

As we delve more now in Part Two into Malin Burnham, “the last Corte Maderan” as Mike Davis calls him, and his possible take-over of San Diego’s only daily newspaper, longtime City Heights community activist, Anna Daniels, one of the editors at San Diego Free Press, cautioned:

When the news broke that Malin Burnham was interested in purchasing the U-T San Diego with the intent of turning it into a non-profit, the main and often only description of him was as a San Diego “philanthropist”. And it is true–Burnham is known for his extensive philanthropy.

He is also known for his role as a local real estate developer, as chairman of First National Bank at San Diego and as a former Director of San Diego Gas and Electric. It might prove useful in the future to keep these other interests in mind.

Which pretty much sums up Part One for me. As City Hall veteran, Norma Damashek, reminded us:
…

Every now and then, we set out with camera in hand and attempt to record and track the various construction projects in and around OB. And there’s a lot of them, from CVS Pharmacy coming on line to the OB Entryway Project to the latest mansion starting to be built along West Pt Loma Blvd.

So here they are in all their glory.

CVS Phamacy to Keep Mural

Spoke to Mike Smith of Hearne Corp., supe at the CVS Pharmacy site.Smith explained that he and his crews have to be ready to turn the building over to CVS by November 17th – this year.

At last night’s Ocean Beach Town Council, Wednesday, Oct. 22, the newly elected top leadership of the Board was announced.

Gretchen Newson remains as president. Gio Ingolia was elected as vice-president. Donna Zoll selected again as treasurer, Marin Green as recording secretary and Jon Carr as corresponding secretary.