Greg Crowley and Jon Carr being interviewed by TV reporter.
Locals Clean-Up After El Nino Deluge
Already having scheduled it and now faced with the challenge of cleaning up after a wild series of storms hit OB, a group called Clean Ups For Change took charge and charged into the mess. There were over 90 volunteers who picked up more than 650 lbs of trash off the streets, beaches and alleyways of OB. It was also sponsored by Pizza Port Ocean Beach who let them use their parking lot and hooked up volunteers with $2 beer specials and a ton of great pizzas.
Two guys who helped to spearhead the clean-up efforts, Greg Crowley and Jon Carr, board members of the non-profit Clean Ups for Change, got some media attention (the media was all over OB during and after the storms.) And yeah, Jon, we caught your comment about the Lamborghini. Other sponsors included, the OB Town Council, CSI-OB, People’s Organic Food Market, The Kindley Law Firm, and The Lazy Hummingbird who provided coffee.
Point Lomans Mobilize Against CVS Coming in to Old Fresh & Easy Site
Already nearly 2600 signatures have been gathered on a Petition that opposes CVS coming in to the former Fresh & Easy location on Catalina Boulevard. Here is what the Petition states:
It seems we need to communicate to CVS Corporate that Pt. Loma residents don’t want another CVS in the Pt. Loma area. There is a sense that it will be virtually boycotted if they move into the old Fresh and Easy location. Let’s do what we can to make this clear to CVS Corporate.
CVS has an uphill battle to get in, it appears. According to the San Diego U-T: “Building owner Catalina-Talbot Properties said last week in Delaware bankruptcy court that the lease for the building Fresh & Easy once operated from requires it to be a grocery store and not a pharmacy.”
SeaWorld Files Suit Against Coastal Commission
SeaWorld San Diego has followed through on its promise to sue the California Coastal Commission for approving a new orca enclosure, but only with the condition that the park stop breeding and transferring its killer whales. SeaWorld filed the suit on December 29th in California Superior Court in San Diego, alleging that the state panel does not have the authority to impose a “no-breeding” condition on the construction project that would more than double the enclosure size for the park’s 11 killer whales. For more.
January 16th, Climate Mobilization Coalition Meeting
Ocean Beach People’s Cooperative Community Room, 4765 Voltaire Street, 92107. Come help plan for the upcoming Climate Action events. Contact: oceanbeachgreencenter@gmail.com
January 21 Thursday OB Historical Society: “OB’s History of Volunteerism”
at the P.L. United Methodist Church, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
Join us Jan. 21 as Claudia Jack presents “OB’s History of VOLUNTEERISM”. The many organizations and volunteers are what has helped make OB special… from it’s parade, beach clean-ups, planning board, Friends of the Library, and many more. We are thankful to the multitude of caring and helpful residents that are the heart of our beach town. Claudia will include information about the many local organizations and how you can get involved and keep OB’s wonderful community volunteerism spirit alive!
New Veggie Restaurant Gets Shout Out!
The new vegetarian restaurant coming to Sunset Plaza (corner of Sunset Cliffs and Voltaire) got a shout out from a local foodie online site:
PlantPower Fast Food will launch later this month with a GMO-free, mostly organic menu that’s loaded with healthier alternatives to ‘traditional’ fast-food favorites. There are burgers based on tempeh, black bean or faux ‘beef’, plus wraps, street tacos, crispy ‘fish’ and ‘chicken’ sandwiches and shakes blended from housemade ice cream. On the lighter side are raw dishes, smoothies and juices.
If this is how the landlord, World Oil, plans to integrate its much-opposed Sunset Plaza into hippie OB, they have found a clue. Once open – and that’s happening real soon – it will be one of 2 veggie eateries scheduled within half a block of each other – the other being People’s Co-op’s place.
Speaking of Restaurants, OB Warehouse Makes SurfRider’s “Ocean-Friendly” List
Restaurants that have been certified as Ocean Friendly by the local SurfRider chapter and which are participants in Restaurant Week include one in Ocean Beach: OB Warehouse. Others outside OB includee The Patio on Lamont and The Patio on Goldfinch. These eateries offer discounts to Surfrider members from January 17th through 24th, while Surfrider San Diego provides additional marketing and promotional support to encourage diners to choose these restaurants that have agreed to voluntary practices that decrease beach and ocean pollution.
An Ocean Friendly Restaurant meets the following three requirements:
- No polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) is used.
- Only reusable tableware is used onsite.
- Proper recycling practices are followed.
An Ocean Friendly Restaurant must also meet at least three of the following six criteria:
- Plastic straws provided only upon request.
- Takeout food and beverage containers are recycled, recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.
- Takeout bags are not made of plastic.
- Takeout bags are provided only upon request, or pickup customers are asked to provide their own takeout bags.
- Disposable utensils are provided only upon request.
- No beverages are sold in plastic bottles.
Higher Internet Royalty Fees Could Shut Down Local OB Radio
The San Diego Reader reports: A veteran San Diego radio jock says that because he is facing fees “six times greater” in internet royalty fees than they were last year, his nine-year-old website that originates from “a funky little cottage in Ocean Beach,” may be going dark. Rich “Brother Robbin” Werges sent out an S.O.S. about his oldies station richbroradio.com. While oldies stations on traditional radio now favor ’80s and ’90s, richbroradio.com lives mostly in the ’50s and ’60s.
But unlike other Internet oldies webcasts, Werges makes a point to play the less-familiar hits that many people have long forgotten or didn’t even know existed. The recent increase in Internet royalties was requested by recording artists and record labels. But it was the larger web monoliths like Pandora, with its 80 million monthly users, who the artists often sited as unfair. The hundreds of small, nonprofit websites like richbroradio.com that are largely operated as a labor of love, do not seem to get slammed by the artists and their labels as rip-offs, as do Spotify and Pandora. Nevertheless, even the small one-man operations like richbroradio must now face the music.
Werges is solely responsible for keeping richbroradio.com on the air. He does it without any paid advertising. Loyal listeners help defer the costs. “But I still foot at least half the bill myself,” Werges tells the Reader. “The hundreds of small operations like mine that are going to be forced offline by these increases is staggering. If these rate hikes stay, a giant percentage of stations like mine will go silent.” Werges suggests richbroradio.com is a good thing for some of the old pop stars he plays.
Trial Ordered for 23-year-old Man Accused of Shooting Parents in Point Loma Home
Gunning down his parents in their Point Loma home must stand trial on murder charges that could lead to the death penalty if he’s convicted, a judge ruled Tuesday. Peter David Haynes, who has been diagnosed with a form of schizophrenia, was arrested on Nov. 28, 2014. Fox5
OB Community Plan Up for Final, Final Adoption by Coastal Commission
The final step in the adoption of the new OB Community Plan is upon us. The Coastal Commission meets this week to vote on final concurrence with the City Council’s November 2015 adoption of the revised plan. The item is scheduled for Thursday, January 14th (no specific time given) and the meeting location is the San Diego County Administration Center on Pacific Highway.
Because the policy issues have been resolved, this final approval is not expected to be controversial or occupy much time on the agenda. As shown in the staff report below, Coastal Commission staff recommends approval.
January 24th Sunday 4:00PM – 5:30PM Point Loma and OB Democratic Club Election Endorsements, Point Loma Assembly, 3035 Talbot St, San Diego, CA 92106; For additional info call (619) 800-5098
At our January meeting we have three races to consider, with three club members running as candidates. As well as the two state races for Point Loma & Ocean Beach SD39 and AD78 we will also vote on the City Council race for District 1 that covers Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, La Jolla, Pacific Highlands Ranch, Torrey Hills, Torrey Pines and University City.
January 24th Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. San Diego Audubon Invasive Plants Removal
Mariner’s Point, meet at the parking lot at the end of Mariner’s Way in Mission Bay. Wear long pants, sturdy shoes, sun/rain protection, reusable water bottle and if able, work gloves. RSVP to: flaherty@sandiegoaudubon.org
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