Month: February 2016

In our continuing series of looking at each of the seven planning districts in Ocean Beach, we come to District 5 in southwestern OB.

The OB Rag is performing this public education service as the OB Planning Board is having its annual election on March 2nd. And we feel that development issues are coming to the fore once again in OB’s history, as funds bottled up during the Great Recession are being unleashed and the village is facing multiple pressures – and in fact, is at a development crossroads.

Here are the other districts we have covered. Here’s why it’s important.)

District 5 – the Cliffs at Ocean Beach

The fifth district within OB is the smallest district geographically, but because it hugs the gorgeous Sunset Cliffs, it has some of the most stunning views of sunsets, the coast, the surf, and provides an aura of solitude at those cliffs.

Editor: As we continue in our series looking at the different districts within the Ocean Beach Planning Area, today we settle in District 4 – the Hub of OB. See their website for details.

District 4 – The Center of the Village – the Hub of OB

It’s easy to see why District 4 is indeed the center and hub of the community of Ocean Beach. Just look at a map and you’ll see that the business district and the main beach are both in this district.

Downtown OB – the 3 commercial blocks of Newport Avenue and the adjacent side streets – is certainly the center of the community, no matter how you measure it. Traffic, pedestrians, events, happenings, music, food – and of course drink – it all – or most of it anyhow – happens right there.

By Jim Miller

If you are an observant reader you might have noticed that last week, amidst the usual banal political commentary surrounding the Presidential race, the New York Times matter-of-factly reported that, “Seas are Rising at Fastest Rate in Last 28 Centuries”.

If you managed not to spit out your coffee, you read the alarming news that:

The worsening of tidal flooding in American coastal communities is largely a consequence of greenhouse gases from human activity, and the problem will grow far worse in coming decades, scientists reported . .

Those emissions, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, are causing the ocean to rise at the fastest rate since at least the founding of ancient Rome, the scientists said.

And if that didn’t send you into a morning funk, you might have …

Summary – Pt. Loma Democratic Club Meeting

The meeting was called to order by President Susan Peinado with a full agenda awaiting the audience. Rather than go into much detail, the following is a brief synopsis of the meeting itself:

1. There was a petition to abolish the death penalty discussed by the originators of the petition. This is very similar to the one presented a few years back, but there are some changes that will make it more palatable this year, or so the originators think.

2. Lawrence Zynda made a brief presentation as to why he is thinking of running for mayor.

3. The campaign manager for Lori Saldana made a presentation as to her running for mayor as an Independent this year against the current mayor. It should be noted that she has always been a Democrat, but the party treated her poorly during the Filner fiasco, and although her beliefs are primarily those of the party, she will run as an Independent.

By Annie Lane

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus. We all know this. But there’s a pretty key difference in how women prep for dates — especially first dates — and it’s way bigger than shaving our legs, trying on multiple outfits multiple times or otherwise attempting to look cute.

In a “so sad it’s funny” social commentary, the YouTube channel Unsolicited Project offers up its newest video, How Women Get Ready for First Dates. In it, the woman tells her roommate: “Just remember exactly what I’m wearing right now just in case I go missing.” By contrast, the guy throws on a jacket and heads out the door.

The third district of the OB Planning Area is an anomaly because its neighborhoods are diverse and a good portion is physically separated from the others.

The district includes OB’s most north-eastern area, that neighborhood hemmed in by West Point Loma Boulevard and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, but also includes a huge section on the other side of Nimitz Boulevard that has some more expensive condos as well as a sizable area of affordable housing.

The district almost looks like a giant bow tie (or maybe a giant seagull) with two large wings centered at Seaside and Nimitz.

Restaurant Review:

Kanda Thai Cuisine
3545 Midway Drive #M

It seems that I am still celebrating my birthday last week, because my friend Mary wanted to treat me to a special birthday. I really wanted to have good Chinese food in a restaurant, but could not find any locally that have good reviews. I had a coupon for the “Kanda Thai” restaurant in the same location that another Thai restaurant was at only six months ago and we decided to try it. (It is interested to note that our waitress told us that the “Kanda” is owned by the same owner that owned the now defunct “Thai Time II.”)

The coupon stated that it was their “Grand Opening” but when we asked the waitress how long they had been there the answer was six months. This is important because of several things that occurred during our meal.

SeaWorld has now admitted for the very first time, that some of its employees spied on animal rights groups while they posed as activists. This admission is 7 months after PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – accused SeaWorld of having one of its San Diego HR employees pose as an activist, attend protests and then make outrageous comments on social media.

Meanwhile, could it be that the big story is actually that SeaWorld’s stocks have fallen nearly 10%? It’s 4th-quarter earnings report, released Thursday, February 25th, stated that its stocks were down 9.2%. The company’s admission here was that attendance for the first quarter this year was down.

* 50 Years Ago – Ocean Beach Held the World Surfing Championships
* Falling Sky Pottery Gallery/Studio – Art by Kathy Blavatt – Reception Friday, Feb. 26

* OB Elementary School News
* Storm Water Hotline
* Credit Card Swindlers at Gas Pump?
* “San Diego I Love You” – Romantic Comedy Performed Around Ocean Beach, Feb 27 & 28

* OB Library News : The AC is now installed and working; The Library is now open to 6pm on Saturdays.Demonstration on landscaping with native plants – Sat., March 19th,
* Official Opening of First Winery in OB and Point Loma
* Midway Post Office Copper Wire Theft Gets 30 Months
* Decriminalizing homelessness
* Shark of least concern caught off pier – “No one should gurgle up their own blood — no one!”
* Sandbags Available
* Sexual Assault and Violence on Newport
* OB Library Essay Contest Awards
* OBMA Collecting Stories of the OB Pier
* Vets Plaza Begun
* Point Loma Extortionist Looking at 11 Years

District 2 – The Heart of OB

District 2 – the virtual center of the community – is indeed the heart and soul of Ocean Beach.

Positioned within the northwest sector of the community along with District 1 to its north, District 2 consists primarily of residential units, apartments, cottages and houses.

It has about 12 blocks of residences along its 3 major streets, Long Branch, Brighton and Cape May Avenues; Brighton and Cape May have the awesome distinctions of being a few of the OB streets that end in the sand.

Somebody is shooting and killing parrots with pellet guns in the OB and Point Loma area. Three parrots have been killed in the last 6 or 7 days.

Five parrots have been killed this year.

Two were found on Monday, Feb. 22nd in the area of Talbot Street and Gage Drive. Number three was found dead near the Mariners Cove Apartments on Point Loma, with an X-ray showing a small pellet in it.

Around 5pm Wednesday, Feb. 24th, a section of Sunset Cliffs collapsed. No one was hurt – as the collapse had been anticipated and an area had been cordoned off.

The falling dirt came at 1303 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue officials, near the first parking lot south of Adair Street.