Month: September 2015

By Ernie McCray

I’ve read comments somewhere out there in social media land that try to put Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in the same bag as the perception that there isn’t much difference between democrats and republicans.

Well, I could take both sides of part of that argument but there’s a galaxy of separation between Bernie and The Donald. I mean one’s a progressive minded human being and the other is a narcissistic buffoon.

As to the clown, according to The Atlantic millions of people feel he is the best choice to lead America. Millions more “are motivated by giddyness at the chaotic spectacle of his success” which should involve, it seems to me, adding giddyness to the list of mental illnesses.

By Jim Miller

Toward the end of June, as many liberals were cheering the Supreme Court’s unexpectedly nonpartisan legalization of same-sex marriage and its equally surprising upholding of the Affordable Care Act, they missed the signal of some potentially very bad news to come this fall.

Indeed, while it was fun to see the Republicans being frustrated by a high court of their own making, that very same court reserved the right to bring some serious pain to progressives for the long term by agreeing to hear Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association in its next session.

By Susan Taylor / San Diego Free Press

Traditionally Labor Day weekend is the harbinger of fall in much of our nation. The eastern states put away their garden furniture, barbeques, and lawn mowers and locate storm windows and heavier jackets. Here in the sunny southern California clime, we expect at least another six weeks of warm weather, beach parties and more clear, warm days and nights. In San Diego, most would agree that the August heat was epic for people and gardens alike and maybe summer has just begun!

I am a fickle home gardener and confess I gave up on my whole tomato crop, picked as many as I could and ripped the rest out. I replanted several lettuces and put in some beets and another round of herbs. I plan to plant a few broccoli types, a few more tomatoes and carrots in the coming weeks. Feel free to follow your own enthusiasm level!

By Terry Ratner

I capture covert performers in a split second and that’s all I need.

Are they making a drug deal, part of a gang, or planning a bust?

They’re on a rooftop or below walking the streets, but seen from a vantage point of a higher building.

I’m watching, snapping, and hoping the subject matter turns out to be bigger than my wildest imagination.

Around mid-afternoon today – Friday, September 4th – the replica of the San Salvador – Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo’s flagship galleon – will be motored out to lead the 10th Annual Festival of Sail – opening the gala nautical Labor Day Weekend.

The ship, which cost $6.2 million, built mostly with thousands of hours of labor donated by the some 400 volunteers, and 2 years behind schedule, will not have sails itself, as the rigging is still being prepared, but it will be powered by an auxiliary engine.

The replica, a project of the San Diego Maritime Museum, is the closest resemblance to Cabrillo’s galleon that modern engineers and naval experts could come up with as blueprints were never discovered for it. And this weekend is the ship’s debut as it is expected to lead the parade of 16 tall ships. It’s billed as “the West Coast’s largest exhibit of tall ships, complete with cannons and sea battles.”

Coronado House Approved and Re-Naming Park After Ruth Varney Held Supported

Last night, Wednesday September 2nd, the Ocean Beach Planning Board nearly voted to reject for a second time a large, proposed two story condo project for Abbott and Muir. Instead, their vote was tabled until the Board figures out its own policies under a particular City building green program.

Did you think that was confusing? You should have been at the meeting.

Okay, let’s try it again.

Four old-school looking 2 story townhouses in south Ocean Beach just recently sold for $1.8 million.

The large units, built in 1987, are located at 1736 Cable Street, and sit on a 7,000 square foot corner lot with Del Monte Avenue. A lengthy hedge along Cable protects the bottom floor (or at least it was there the last time we looked).

The units include two 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath units and two 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath units.

A memorandum – or actually, a Notice – was made available last night at the OB Planning Board meeting that indicates the City of San Diego is ready to move on the dangerous Orchard Cave, as it is now set to enact “emergency slope repairs” at the site in OB.

Actual repairs, however, are a month away, the Councilwoman Zapf representative estimated at the meeting.

This is the same cave in dangerous condition investigated by the OB Rag earlier this week – where it appears people are living – .

The Ocean Beach Branch Library is participating in the San Diego Public Library’s Fine Discount Month.

Customers who visit the branch can pay half price on library fines all September long. Almost all fines are included. Treasurer’s Accounts, Library “Circuit” fees, and Interlibrary Loan charges are the only fees not included.

OB Rag Demands Immediate Emergency Mitigation of Dangerous Conditions at the Cave

By Frank Gormlie

Based on complaints heard at the most recent Ocean Beach Town Council meeting, the OB Rag sent a small investigative team out to the end of Orchard Avenue to check into reports that a cave with dimensions of 30 feet by 30 feet existed in the coastal bluff.

My associate, Shawn Drake, and myself set out on an overcast Tuesday with cameras in hand to investigate just what was there, who – if anyone – was there, just how dangerous the cave or caves were, and if the condos above were in danger themselves. What we found was both disturbing and partially reassuring.

3 Projects and a Park Re-Name on Agenda

Looks like it’s a full plate for Ocean Beach planners at their upcoming monthly meeting this Wednesday, September 2nd.

They have the re-naming of Saratoga Park to deal with, as well as 3 projects to review;

• one is a coastal cliff stabilization project at 1759 Ocean Front Street;
• a garage demolition and construction of a two-story 2100-plus square foot single family residence, with an existing house, at 4821 Coronado Avenue;
• the construction of two 3,365 duplexs (total of 4 condos) at 2150 Abbott Street.

Originally posted on Sept. 1, 2015

Short-term vacation rentals are on the minds of a lot of people these days, especially with those who live at the coast in San Diego.

The issue bubbles up at community meetings. An OB resident brought it up at a recent Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting. And it was the subject of a panel discussion organized recently by the Point Loma Democratic Club. Also, back in February of this year, residents of Pacific Beach made their complaints about them heard publicly.