News from Ocean Beach and Point Loma

50 Years Ago – Ocean Beach World Surfing Championships – Poster

Falling Sky Pottery Gallery/Studio – Art by Kathy Blavatt – Reception Friday, Feb. 26

Local artist Kathy Blavatt, has created thought-provoking works that express the spirit of Ocean Beach. Please join Kathy and friends for an evening reception with music by John Tafolla.
Also view the lovely ceramics by the talented Falling Sky potters. Reception – Friday, February 26, 2016, 6 PM to 9 PM, 1951 Abbott St. #B, San Diego, CA 92107 – (Across from Ocean Beach Lifeguard Station) 619 226-6620

OB Elementary School News

According to principal Marco Drapeau:

• The staff and students were very saddened when a large tree in the school’s courtyard fell during that recent windy storm; its roots turned out to have rotted.  The school will look to the community for suggestions for how to replace it – right now they’re still removing the stump.
• The school will now have a health nurse for 5 days a week;
• Seventeen classroom teachers will be on staff next year.
• Community is invited to a special program on March 18th : 3rd graders poetry and 4th graders hip-hop dancing; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Storm Water Hotline

Got issues and complaints about storm water? Here’s the city’s hotline: 619-235-1000.

Credit Card Swindlers at Gas Pump?

There have been recent reports of possible credit-card data skimming occurring at the gas stations in Ocean Beach. According to numerous folks in O.B., after purchasing gas by “swiping at the pump,” they soon noticed fraudulent charges on their account.  “As soon as I swiped I got a bad vibe,” commented Jen Carter via Facebook. “I even grabbed [the credit card reader] to see if it came off or moved, it didn’t, but a week later ‘I’ was spending $400 up at a Target in Culver City.” The alleged swiping incidents seem to be coming from the USA Gas station on the corner of Sunset Cliffs and Newport Avenue. More – SD Reader

“San Diego I Love You” – Romantic Comedy Performed Around Ocean Beach, Feb 27 & 28

If you usually have a hard time choosing between watching a play or heading to the beach, this weekend you can enjoy both. “San Diego I Love You, I Love You Not” is a romantic comedy by Circle Circle Dot Dot being performed at various locations throughout Ocean Beach.  Feb. 27 and 28 – with show times of 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:45 pm, 3:00 pm, Starting Location: The Electric Chair Salon, 4944 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107. Meet at the the salon 10-minutes prior to your showtime to check in. They will lead you to the rest of the show. Audiences will receive a digital map before the event if tickets are purchased in advance.

OB Library News

Librarian Matt Beatty provided the following in his report to the OB Town Council:

• 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, from 2 to 3pm – where local landscaper John Noble of Coastal Sage will demonstrate how to landscape using Southern Cal native plants.
• The OB Library will be celebrating its 100th anniversary come September 10th – look for future programs around that celebration. The OB library first opened on Abbott Street.

Official Opening of First Winery in OB and Point Loma

Gianni Buonomo Vintners at 4836 Newport Ave. in Ocean Beach, held their first official opening, after unofficial ones. It’s the first winery in OB and even on the Peninsula. We heard it was packed, with standing room only.  “It’s a tasting room and a full-blown, functioning winery,” said Keith Rolle, winemaker and managing partner.

Midway Post Office Copper Wire Theft Gets 30 Months

A man who caused more than $100,000 in damage to the Midway Post Office by breaking in and stealing thousands of pounds of copper wire was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.  James Stephen Dudley, 40, was charged last October with theft of government property and other counts in connection with the Sept. 16, 2015 break-in. Times of San Diego.

Decriminalizing homelessness

“Not everyone who lives in a van is a disrespectful drug-addicted hoodlum.” For nearly a decade, Sam Moore (not his real name) has called Ocean Beach his home. For the past seven months, his abode has been a 1991 Chevy van.  His lifestyle choice has not been without consequence. Until the past couple of weeks, the police were disturbing Moore’s peace about once a week. This week, it’s been almost every night via civilians or the police.  More – SD Reader

Shark of least concern caught off pier –  “No one should gurgle up their own blood — no one!”

The sun was setting as Elsa Brum neared the left wing of the Ocean Beach Pier during her stroll on February 16. There she saw what looked like a baby shark gasping for air as it bled all over the pier. “It was so wrong,” said Brum. “I felt so helpless and sad.”  Brum thought about throwing the four-foot shark back into the water but it was cut through the gills. SD Reader

Sandbags Available

The bags used for sandbags are available through the OB Lifeguards, the Park and Rec Department, as well as Councilwoman Zapf’s office (ask for Conrad). Folks have to provide their own sand.

Sexual Assault and Batteries on Newport

Troubling news of 2 incidents; one where a woman was sexually assaulted while sitting on the OB Wall. She was a Newport Ave employee on a break when the assault occurred. Lifeguards were notified and the private security patrol was credited with detaining the suspect until police arrived and arrested him for felony assault. The suspect was a traveler and relatively new to OB.

The other incident involved travelers assaulting a woman working at one of the Newport clothing stores, and also her employer.

OB Library Essay Contest Awards

All are  invited to the OB Library Essay Contest Awards Event on next Tuesday, March 1, 6:00 pm, at the Library, 4801 Santa Monica Avenue, San Diego, 92107. The three local winners will read their essays, receive gifts and certificates, have pictures taken with our esteemed Librarian, Matt Beatty, and be first in line for cupcakes and juice. Our winners are: First Place–Finn Ogden; Second Place–Emilee Canepa; Third Place Tie–Luke Moscona and Dylan McCoy. Many thanks to our judges: Penelope Tomlinson, Maureen Roeber, and Judy Collier. The First Place Winner will go on to the citywide Essay Contest.

OBMA Collecting Stories of the OB Pier

The Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association is collecting stories about the OB Pier – looking at its 50th anniversary this summer. Here’s one: As a teenager on the beach during its construction, we used to tell time by how many pilings had been set. For example, I broke up with my girlfriend on the 13th piling but we made up on the 15th.

Vets Plaza Begun

Building the Veterans’ Plaza has finally begun down at OB’s waterfront. This has been a project of the OB Community Development Corp., and has been long in its development as the group has been raising money for its construction. 3-D models of the project were publicly unveiled back in the Fall of 2024. See here for background.

Point Loma Extortionist Looking at 11 Years

• A prison term of 11 years and four months was handed down Feb. 17 to a Point Loma man who posed as a modeling agent with the purpose of extorting money from young women.  Maverick Mendez Rosales, 24, was ordered to pay restitution to the victims, many of whom posed nude and he later extorted money from them with the threat he would release the photos on the Internet.  Rosales pleaded guilty to sexual battery, oral copulation by threat, extortion and attempted false imprisonment of a minor. He was ordered to register as a sex offender after he is paroled. He pretended to be a modeling agent by the name of Michael and persuaded young women to take their photographs for his fictitious modeling agency. He took nude photos of one woman and then extorted $3,000 from her by threatening to publish the photos on the Internet.  sdnews.com