News From Around the Ocean Beach Empire

Man Bitten By Rattler Near Dog Beach

A rattle snake bit a 30-year-old man on his right hand in Ocean Beach on Saturday afternoon, March 14th. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department responded around 2:30 pm and took the man to UC San Diego Medical Center.  He was conscious at the time but his condition is unknown. Another person killed the snake. One news report stated that the rattler was a “baby” – baby rattlers’ bites can be worse than from an adult one.  The reports are varied in where it happened exactly. One said at the grassy area near Dog Beach, another at Dog Beach, yet another on Voltaire Street.   Last year, warmer weather at the start of the year resulted in more than triple the number of rattlesnake calls to the County’s Department of Animal Services. News sources: U-T San Diego, NBCSanDiego CBS8

Local “Boomer” Wells As Coach at Pt Loma High School Discovered by the Press

The media, particularly the AP, has just discovered one of our big-name locals is now a coach where he used to play baseball – Point Loma High and now it’s everywhere across the country in the news. See this: “David Wells baseball coach of his alma mater in San Diego” –

It’s 2 o’clock on a typically brilliant San Diego afternoon and David “Boomer” Wells is on the mound at David Wells Field.  OK, technically he’s just in front of it, setting up a pitching machine to run his Point Loma Pointers through situational hitting drills. Eight seasons after throwing his last big league pitch, Wells is head coach at his alma mater, which he pitched to a city championship 33 years ago.  Who could have ever imagined Wells, the wild child from gritty Ocean Beach, being a high school head coach?  It certainly wasn’t in his post-career plans. For more.

Midway Area Hit and Run

Another hit and run – this one in the 4200 block of Pacific Highway – which occurred around 7:30 pm, Sunday, March 15. The male victim, 53, crossing the block, was struck by a northbound silver BMW sedan, and suffered a fractured elbow. The motorist, described as Latino, around 5 feet 8, in his 20s or 30s, had apparently stopped briefly but did not give any of his personal identifying information to the victim. SanDiego6

Man Wins $450K From Settlement of Robb Field Gopher Hole Injury

A San Diego man won a $450,000 settlement this month after injuring his knee on a gopher-infested soccer field in Ocean Beach.  In September 2012, Andre Walker, 30, suffered severe knee damage which required total knee reconstruction after stepping into a gopher hole at Robb Field, also known as Ocean Beach Recreation Area.  Despite complaints from other recreational users, the city failed to safely maintain the field, Walker’s attorney Rocky Copley argued. In a presentation during arbitration he displayed letters from other players noting that dangerous conditions had led to injuries ranging from sprained ankles to fractured femurs.  For more.

Beach-Area Robberies Getaway Driver Pleads Guilty

The getaway driver in a series of 11 robberies and attempted robberies that started in Ocean Beach and expanded to Mission Beach and La Jolla has pleaded guilty to committing two hold-ups and faces up to six years in prison. The Beacon

Canoe Flips in Mission Bay and Man Drowns

A 52-year-old man died Friday after the canoe he was in flipped in Mission Bay, authorities said. Lifeguards received a 911 call at 11:43 a.m. for a man in distress near the Ski Beach boat ramp. They found people trying to resuscitate him when they arrived, said Lee Swanson, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. The victim had no pulse and was not breathing when he was transported to a hospital. For more go to U-T San Diego

 Friends of the OB Library Meet Tues, March 17th

Dear Ocean Beach Friends of the Library, our next meeting is on Tuesday, March 17, at 2:00 pm, in our historic library. We will discuss our upcoming Book Sale, participation in the Street Fair, and other salient issues. Everyone is welcome! Please contact me if you have questions or concerns. Thank you for your support! Judy Collier, President – Ocean Beach Friends of the Library

City Council President Sherri Lightner to Speak at Democratic Women’s Club Event – Mar 16th

Please join Democratic Women’s Club with a conversation with Sherri on Monday 16 March, 7pm at the Women’s Museum of California. She has served as the Councilmember for District 1 in the City of San Diego since December, 2008 and Council President since December, 2014.  Women’s Museum of California is at 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92106.

OB Planners’ Project Review Committee to Be Held Wed., March 18th

The Project Review Committee of the OB Planning Board will be holding their monthly meeting on Wed., March 18th, at the OB Rec Center at 6pm. 4726 Santa Monica Ave.

OB Historical Society: Speaker Margaret Francis:  Thursday, March 19, at 7 pm

Margaret Francis worked on the decoding machines as seen in the movie “The Imitation Game” and is a a WWII Veteran of the WRENS (Women’s Royal Navy Service) in England. She worked on the decoding machines (the bombe) 10 miles from Bletchley Hall at Gayhurst Manor. Margaret will talk about her experiences bringing history to life. She is an excellent storyteller remembering with vivid details some of her experiences. She is 91 years old and has lived in San Diego since the 1957. Come join Margaret as she documents her experience as an important part of WWII history. This program is FREE! at P.L. United Methodist Church at 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B.

Peninsula Planners Holding Annual Election – March 19th

The Peninsula Community Planning Board elections will be held on Thursday, March 19 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Pt Loma Library. Eligible voters need to bring ID that identifies them as residents of Pt. Loma or something that shows they own land or operate a business within the PCPB boundaries. The only other requirement to vote is that a person be at least 18 years of age. The PCPB encourages everyone to get out and vote because the planning board represents the community for the City.