Month: June 2016

June 20th Is World Refugee Day and Day Mayor Authorized Sweep of Homeless Possessions

Today – June 20 – is World Refugee Day. It is also the day that Mayor Kevin Faulconer has authorized a massive “sweep” to clear tents, tarps, and other personal belongings from areas downtown.

Whether from economic or political crisis, displaced families with no safe, permanent housing face increased health risks on a daily basis. They are more likely to be victims of violent crime. Women and young people are more vulnerable to rape and sexual assault.

Forcing people away from shelter, and/or to pack up their belongings and move on the hottest day of the year, will add to physical and emotional stress that may result in more emergency responders being called to manage their care. That cost falls on all San Diegans- both in economic and humane ways.

by Gregory Fearon

Over a million dollars worth of scholarships were announced last night in a ceremony in the Point Loma High School Gymnasium.

Representative of local organizations recognized student achievements in academic, athletic, and community participation.

Included for the first time, were students who announced the amount of academic or athletic scholarships awarded from schools they planned to attend.

The Class of 1966 Pointer Sisters and Brothers selected nine more students, and were pleased to see them selected for numerous other awards. in

In one of the most touching moments of the evening, Judy Hagar Schon, mentioning that the Pointer Sisters had been meeting monthly after 50 years in social gatherings, said –

“Remember that you can all stay friends even after all these years”.

Here’s a series of photos of OB surfers at the Pier – today, Friday, June 17th.

All taken by ACE, Albert C Elliott, long-time OBcean, surfer, surfboard maker, and photographer.

Flags throughout San Diego and the rest of country have been half-staff this week to honor the victims of the attack in Orlando, Florida.

The Ocean Beach Recreation Center has had flags at half-staff this week. And the OB Elementary also had flags half-staff all week.

Flags were half-staff until sunset Thurs. June 16. Per President Obama’s proclamation. Flags were half-staff until sunset Thursday, June 16, per President Obama’s proclamation.

Here’s a sad story about canine cruelty in Ocean Beach but it has a happy ending .

Somebody abandoned 2 dogs in a crate in an OB alley near Voltaire and Lotus – and they sat there in the heat for hours apparently. The dogs were poodle-mixes.

Fortunately for the dogs, OBcean Cynthia Salgado noticed them and kept an eye on them to see if anyone was coming for them. When no one did, Salgado got on one of OB’s facebook pages and sent out a call for help.

Within minutes, a neighbor came over to help. Channel 10 News reported that “Samantha Caan lived a few blocks away and ran over to help.” Salgado told the news:

“She came in two minutes. I just told her ‘hey, you know what, like, I need help’ and she’s just like ‘I’ll be there in two minutes.’”

Other community folks joined in and assisted the women load the dog crate into a jeep owned by Caan, that she drove over to the Animal Services on Gaines Street.

By Joe Flynn

“Planning? We don’t need no stinking planning!” No, I am not talking about The Treasure of Sierra Madre, I’m talking about the treasure of our old Central Library. One would think after decades of working to build a new central library, some thought would have been given to a new use for the old library.

And it is not just another old building; this one has a lot or treasured memories for many San Diegans, especially those who spent hours there doing school projects and term papers or just for the pure enjoyment of literature.

Many of us look back with nostalgia on digging through the card catalogues using the Dewey Decimal system, and going to the stacks for a needed reference.

The National Weather Service – San Diego – is keeping in effect a “Beach Hazard” warning for San Diego County beaches, and it will remain in effect through 10 pm today, Thursday evening, June 16th.

Elevated surf and dangerous rip currents are expected through today. Surf is expected to gradually lower on Friday, although, the weather service warns, rip currents will remain strong.

The warning states:

“Strong longshore currents will accompany the surf at all area beaches.”

By John Lawrence

On Wednesday, June 15, 2016, there was a well-attended meeting of the Rules Committee of the San Diego City Council.

Many diverse topics were covered, some at exhaustive lengths. The meeting lasted over three hours with a dozen or more speakers pleading their causes.

Most were asking the Rules Committee to take issues to the full City Council for consideration on the November ballot.

There was a discussion of the nature of the voting system.

The way it is right now someone running for office who gets 50% of the vote plus one in the June primary is considered elected.

What Are the Community’s Thoughts – 2 Plus Years After the CVS Debates

By South OB Girl

Following up on Judi Curry’s recent article, some issues were brought to the table by community members concerning the community’s abundance of bars and restaurants.

I have done a preliminary search in the Ocean Beach Planning Board Bylaws and the Community Plan on the terms liquor, alcohol, and license. (If I am missing reference to any say the OBPB has in liquor license approval, I would greatly appreciate being informed about that.)

My interest in this goes back to the heated CVS debates.

By Reid Corley

In response to an article that was written about possible crosswalks at certain intersections in Ocean Beach, which encouraged residents to contact the City of San Diego about them – I did.

As a surfer and someone who takes my daughter down to the OB Pier/seawall regularly, I see people try to cross at Abbott and Newport frequently and almost get hit by cars!

Editor:

Most of the following is a repost of an article published on September 8, 2015, in celebration of the OB Rag’s 45th anniversary.

It was September 1970 when the very first issue of the OB People’s Rag hit the streets of Ocean Beach.
With the banner date of September 17 1970, Volume 1 No. 1 was published on a mimeograph machine, it included 4 pages, back and front, stapled together.

By John Lawrence

I have been writing about my friend Dr. Luis Garcia for almost 10 years. That’s how long he has been doing my dental work in Tijuana at the Baja Oral Center.

Over the course of those years, Dr. Garcia has become much more than my dentist; he has become my friend. Way back in 2007 I had broken my front tooth off by biting into an English muffin that was hard as a rock.