Month: November 2016

By Frank Gormlie

On Friday, November 4th, the California Coastal Commission finally gave SeaWorld what it wanted. In what veteran San Diego Union-Tribune writer, Lori Weisberg, called an “easy approval“, the Commission okayed new decorations for its old Orca tanks.

Call them a new backdrop for the set, call them a new stage for a new Orca encounter, call them whatever – the new decor – which will include a “Northwestern” motif, complete with fake fir trees, fake waterfalls, and a fake rock fiberglass facade – will be for the patrons, the visitors – to make them feel better – it won’t be for the Orcas. They’ll still be in the same old tanks.

Hearing all the recent news accounts about how elements in the highest reaches of our top national law enforcement agency – the FBI – have worked to flip the Presidential election in Donald Trump’s favor, made me pull up a definition of “coup d’etat“.

Wow, you might say, how extreme, how hyperbolic – how over the top you’re getting these last few days of the election campaign.

But isn’t it a significant intervention into this election when James Comey, the head of the FBI, announces that the agency is reopening its investigation into a new batch of emails that may involve Hillary Clinton – a bombshell meant to disparage her certainly? And isn’t it intervention when sources within the FBI leak damaging and false information about Clinton to both right-wing media and the Trump campaign?

And when an anchor and reporter on Fox News announced that according to his FBI “sources”, Clinton is likely to be criminally indicted, and this is supposedly confirmed by others close to the agency. So, is all of this an attempted coup d’etat by FBI agents immersed in Trumpland to throw the election to their favorite candidate?

Albert C Elliott caught the flavor of the day down at the OB Pier this morning, Friday, the 4th of November.

Here’s a collection of his shots.

Tis a sad state of affairs when citizens have to resort to legal options to force their government to enforce its own laws.

But that is what the frustrated leadership of the Ocean Beach Planning Board is advising the community to do in light of the roadblocks that are being thrown up regarding the controversial project at Ebers and Greene Streets.

At one point near the end of the Wednesday night meeting of the Board during the discussion about the project, Board member and veteran planner Craig Klein – himself a lawyer – asked:

“What is the process for citizens to compel the city to enforce its own laws?”

This came minutes after Board chair John Ambert had declared:

“The community needs to take legal action at this point. Our words seem to fall on deaf ears …”

“Restaurant” Review:

Surf Check (An Apparition)
Corner of Sunset Cliffs and Pt. Loma Avenue
Ocean Beach

Let’s follow this unlikely scenario. You are driving down Sunset Cliffs, heading South from Newport Avenue, and you pass a Thai restaurant, a couple of Italian restaurants, an Indian restaurant, a defunct Mexican restaurant, a donut shop, a coffee shop and a market. And as you continue your drive all of the places to eat, or have a cup of coffee, vanish.

You are quickly approaching one of the most scenic areas of San Diego, when, out of the blue, on a piece of cement no bigger than 40 feet wide, you are met with a blue and white trailer sporting a yellow surf-board on the top, and, in a wide array of colors, a “menu” featuring coffee, acai, smoothies and hot dogs.

The “Surf Check” is owned by someone that has been in San Diego – more importantly Sunset Cliffs – for years. His name is Richard Aguirre; he is the president of “Save Sunset Cliffs” and a dedicated, concerned person – concerned about so many things.

By Linda Hutchison / head wind journal

A few years ago, in between jobs, I started hanging out at nearby Mission Bay during the day when I needed a break from my computer.

I’d take a beach chair or blanket, a sandwich, a notepad and pen and sit under a tree for an hour or two. Peaceful, balmy, fewer distractions than at the oceanfront beach (also nearby).

If people came along, they kept a respectful distance, cycling or strolling by on the path, arranging a lunch picnic at one of the many tables. Kayakers glided by on the glistening water.

I began to notice that several large RVs ringed the outer edges of the parking lot. How cool, I thought. What a great idea. Roll on down for the day. Bring kids or grandkids and your own kitchen. Play ball, fix whatever you want to eat whenever. Memories of my in-laws parking their RV at Disneyland so we could duck in out of the heat and then head back into the maddening crowds.

Janis Joplin’s Old Band at OB’s THC to Raise Funds for Toy and Food Drive

By Mercy Baron

A pretty big fundraising event went down in hippie town on October 22nd. It was the arrival and concert of Janis Joplin’s old band, Big Brother and the Holding Company. With two original members, drummer, Dave Getz and bass player, Peter Albin, holding down a solid rhythm anchor, they rocked out to a sold out audience at the old Gallagher’s on Newport Ave, now called, by some strange coincidence, The Holding Company.

I got to have a meet and greet with the band after their soundcheck and then was invited to dinner with them at Bar 1502. The club and restaurant are both owned by local, Steve Yeng, who also owns OB Noodle House. When I arrived for soundcheck, Steve said, “We’ve sold a lot of tickets in advance and expect to be sold out tonight.”

He further told me –

“The name of the place was inspired by the band and I thought how awesome it would be to have them play here and now here they are!”

COME INSIDE FOR THE FOLLOWING STORIES (No, they are not links)

OB Dog Barked Every Time Trump Came on TV – Gives Owner Idea to Market Trump Dog-Chews

EPA Approves San Diego’s Recycle Plan – Pt Loma Treatment Plant Avoids Upgrade – Again

OB Man Dies in Motorcycle Crash

OB Lab Owner Concerned about Pesticides on Marijuana Products

News Blog for Point Loma Nazarene
Clean-Up on Voltaire Street – Nov. 5th

Audubon Urges Wetlands Conservation in De Anza Cove Restoration November 7th
How tall is too tall in Point Loma?

Point Loma Girl, 10, Competes on TV Cooking Show – Viewing Party Held at Raglan
Animal Rights Activists Call Navy’s Treatment of Dolphins Worse than SeaWorld

Point Loma Residents Still Upset Over FAA Changes in Airplane Departures
Homeless Serial Killer Suspect Incompetent to Stand Trial

Mission Beach Parents Receive Anon. Letter Criticizing Them for Raising Kids in “Tiny House”
Local Commercial Realty Firm Swinging Its Weight Around OB, Point Loma and Other Beaches

New Point Loma History Book Available
OB Restaurants Tapped as the “Third Space”

World Beach Games Coming to Mission Beach in 2019
$23B defense spending in San Diego County last year, report says

“Tellabration” Coming to Ocean Beach – Nov. 12th

An Appeal to Our Point Loma Friends

Oil Corporation Tramps on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

By John Lawrence

Finally, there is an alliance of a major group — U.S. Indians — and environmentalists who are taking a stand to prevent the furtherance of fossil fuel interests.

Bill McKibben of 350.org says we must stop now insofar as building more fossil fuel infrastructure, which is what a pipeline represents, if we are to have a hope and a prayer of saving the planet from the effects of global warming.

The Native Americans have those interests and more — they rely on clean water from the Missouri River for their lives and livelihoods. This pipeline would probably result in the pollution of the water they rely on because pipelines aren’t foolproof. They break and spew their pollution. In addition, the pipeline construction is desecrating Indian burial sites.

Rick Shea versus Walmart and Company

By Gregg Robinson, President, San Diego County Board of Education, and Jim Miller, Vice President, American Federation of Teachers Guild, Local 1931

Somebody is trying to buy control of San Diego’s education system and few in the local media seem to have noticed until Sunday’s San Diego Union-Tribune finally covered it.

The Voice of San Diego has been quiet on this front, perhaps because, as the SDUT article reports, its co-founder Buzz Woolley is part of the action. He and his fellow corporate education reformers have San Diego in their crosshairs and are spending big money to drive their agenda.

Statement by Save San Diego Neighborhoods

“We fight on!”

Yesterday, in a 7-2 vote the San Diego City Council declined to make edits as suggested by sitting City Attorney Goldsmith in his December, 2015 memo to the “Visitor Accommodations” ordinance (SDMC section 131.0112(a)(6)(K)).

The proposed edits were to delete the word “primarily” and to insert a definition for “visitors and tourists” to conform to the definition of “transient” used by the City Treasurer when levying Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). TOT is presently levied on all hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts, as well as short-term rentals (STRs). Council President Lightner and Councilmember Zapf presented these edits as minor amendments which would clarify the Visitor Accommodations ordinance and facilitate enforcement.

Board Meets Tonight – Wed., Nov. 2nd

The OB Planning Board meets tonight, Wednesday, November 2nd, and on top of their action items is the controversial Ebers and Greene project (2269 Ebers Street). The Board plans to review the status of the project and take action if necessary. It is unknown to us whether city staff or the owner of the project will be present at the meeting.

The Board meets at 6 pm in the OB Rec Center, 4726 Santa Monica Avenue.

Also on the action agenda is the Newport Avenue “striping and street improvement recommendations”, during which the Board will discuss the results from a number of workshops, discussions and meetings on improvements to the main commercial drag in the village. The Board is then expected to “formulate recommendations” on the improvements to be taken to the city.