News from Ocean Beach and Point Loma – mid-February 2018

‘Peace and Love’ on Santa Monica Ave.

Are There More Parrots in OB Now?

Parrots migrate to Ocean Beach every year around this time for their mating season. But Ocean Beach residents are noticing more now than in prior years. “I’m not sure what it is, but there’s been four times as many parrots this year than normal,” said Jason Holland, who lives in O.B.  Residents say the parrots make noise en masse, especially around dawn and dusk.

Brooke Durham, founder of the rescue group So Cal Parrot, said last year’s rains may have contributed to more baby parrots having the food they need to survive. “The rains stimulated a larger supply of blossoms and fruits that the parrots require,” she said. “So that in turn helps the parrots fledge a larger brood of healthy babies.” The parrot influx took a dark turn in 2016, when a suspected group of teenagers fatally shot five parrots with pellet guns. Outrage and some digging by community members put it to a stop. Durham said her group hasn’t seen large numbers of parrot shootings since then, but said it’s an ongoing problem. So Cal Parrot has already seen one parrot shooting in 2018, in El Cajon. 10News

Biggest Increase in Median Resale Home Price in San Diego County Last Year Was in Ocean Beach

The median resale home price in Ocean Beach had the biggest increase in San Diego County in a year, rising 21.9 percent to a median $1.06 million. Other communities with big increases were Pauma Valley, Solana Beach, Spring Valley and Logan Heights. San Diego UnionTribune

Recycling Center Next to Stump’s Evicted

The owner of Prince Recycling Center on Voltaire Street, next to Stump’s, James Prince, was served an eviction notice Monday, February 12th by the property manager that owns the plaza. Prince described the notice as blindsiding after operating the business for four years. Prince says he had an agreement with Dirk Stump, the Vice President of Stump’s Family Marketplace, to operate the recycling center nearby. But after community pushback, Stump also wants the center to close. CBS8

Pt Loma – OB Dems to Endorse for County Supervisor on Feb. 25th

On February 25, 2018, Point Loma Democratic Club holds their second endorsement meeting of the year, where they’ll consider the contest for County Board of Supervisors District 4. This is of great interest for members living north of Pt Loma Avenue. This is your chance to hear from all of the candidates in person and to ask them questions. The four candidates that we will bring forward are: Nathan Fletcher, Ken Malbrough, Omar Passons, and Lori Salda?a. In addition, if you have not already renewed your dues for 2018, please be prepared to do so at the meeting. Only members in good standing will be allowed to vote on the endorsement.

Irish Snowboarder Lives With Parents in Point Loma

Seamus O’Connor slipped landing his final trick in the qualifying round of snowboard’s halfpipe late Monday night (San Diego time) and finished in 18th place. Only 12 advance to the final. He’ll take it. Sixteen months ago, he was sitting in the bowl of a halfpipe in New Zealand with, as he put it, “a bunch of damage to my knee.” Six months ago, he still wasn’t back on his board. Even in Korea, he competed at “85 percent” capacity. … O’Connor was born in Poway, grew up in Ramona and now stays with his parents in Point Loma when he’s not training in Park City, Utah. His father grew up in England, his mother is from Siberia. He represents Ireland, though, eligible for a passport through his grandparents. He also did four years ago in Sochi, where at 16 he was the youngest entrant in slopestyle and the second youngest in the halfpipe … SD Union-Tribune

Local David Wells Donates $100,000 to Treat Vets

David Wells donated a check for $100,000 to target the treatment of 10 Navy SEALs. The non-invasive wave manipulation, which costs up to $10,000 per patient, begins to return brain function to normal function in about two months. For those who benefit, it’s like a light switch slowing dousing the darkness. “Everyone watches something like, ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ when they were after Bin Laden,” Wells said. “Well, those guys are heroes. Then I kept hearing about them going into the V.A. and just being handed a pill or whatever. “The more of those guys I met, it kind of pissed me off when they weren’t getting what they need.” Norris said the tenacity brought to the mound by Wells — a Point Loma High School grad from Ocean Beach who pitched a perfect game for the Yankees in 1998 — generated a spark. SDU-T

Resume-Writing Class at OB Library – Feb. 21

The OB Library has hosted this résumé workshop several times and the rave reviews from the participants tell the story: “I wish I’d had this workshop in college.” “I learned what employers are really looking for …” “Best two hours I’ve ever spent.” If you want to spiff up your résumé or create a new one, come to the Résumé Workshop on Wednesday, February 21 at 2 pm at the OB Library, 4801 Santa Monica Ave.

OB’s Verigolds Finishing Up New Album

The Verigolds have been on a tear as of late, with impressive performances at 2016’s Kaaboo and 2017’s San Diego Music Awards, in addition to radio play on BBC Radio London and several major stations in San Diego. They’re showing no signs of slowing down, either. The Ocean Beach-based psych-pop quartet are currently putting finishing touches on a brand new album, which they started producing in December. “Almost everything is recorded and now we’re heading into mixing,” frontwoman Jenna Cotton told me over the phone on Monday afternoon. “We’ve been doing all of the recording ourselves, but I’ve also been going up to LA to meet with Mike Nicastro, who’s been doing a lot of producing for us.” The band is planning a mid-April release show. nbc7SanDiego

OB Hardware Has Cool History – Turning 100

A pretty cool find/history inside the Ocean Beach Hardware store. About 6 months ago a house in Mexico was being sold and within the stuff left behind someone found a collection of OB Hardware yearly calendars dating back to 1976 and donated them to the store. The store now has them proudly hung up on a rafter in the middle of the store. It’s perfect timing because this upcoming year this hardware store is turning ONE HUNDRED! (Hat tip to Steve O)

Motorcyclist Injured in Midway Area

A 57-year-old male was driving his 2010 Subaru Outback and was stopped at Sutherland Street waiting to make a left turn to southbound 3850 Pacific Highway on Feb. 15 about 4:45 p.m. A 20-year-old male was riding his motorcycle northbound 3850 Pacific Highway. The Subaru made the left turn in front of the motorcycle causing the motorcyclist to hit the Subaru. He was thrown from the motorcycle and sustained multiple fractures. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. San Diego Police Traffic Division is investigating. Anyone with information related to the above incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. sdnews.com

PLNU’s 23rd Writers Symposium by the Sea

It’s time for Point Loma Nazarene University’s 23rd annual Writers Symposium by the Sea, where some of the world’s most celebrated authors gather to be interviewed and share their insights and experiences with an audience.  This year’s symposium will run from Monday, Feb. 19 through Friday, Feb. 23, making it the biggest one yet. The itinerary for the week includes interviews with six guests. The week will begin with New York Times bestselling author Deepak Chopra, Pulitzer Prize winning author Jane Smiley, Peabody Award-winning author and host of the podcast “On Being,” Krista Tippett. On Thursday, co-sponsored by both the Society of Professional Journalists and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be interviewed. The interview sessions for the week will close with Patrick Gray and PLNU alumnus Justin Skeesuck, co-authors of the book “I’ll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair.” Each interview session will close with a book signing. For more information on the Writers Symposium by the Sea, visit pointloma.edu. Where: Point Loma Nazarene University, 3900 Lomaland Drive; When: Feb. 19-23.; Info: pointloma.edu, 619-849-2200.

Raise in Housing Vouchers Will Enable Low-Income Renters to Live in More Expensive Neighborhoods

Low-income San Diego residents who receive rent subsidies are able to move into more-expensive neighborhoods through a new program that went into effect Jan. 1, but it’s too soon to tell how many are taking advantage of it. … In months and years to come, however, the initiative could allow thousands of poor families to live in neighborhoods of their choice, possibly cutting their commute times to work, giving them access to different schools and creating more-integrated neighborhoods.

The Housing Commission, which has about 15,450 housing vouchers that provide rent subsidies to qualified San Diego residents, has mapped the city into three areas based on housing costs and increased the value of the vouchers in the more-expensive areas. Not surprising, communities the commission calls “Choice” include La Jolla, Del Mar Heights and Point Loma, as well as Rancho Peñasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Miramar, Mission Valley and University City. Vouchers in those communities can provide as much as $3,186 in rent subsidies for a five-bedroom house, while traditional vouchers would have provided $2,637. …

Besides the top tier of most-expensive Choice communities, the new initiative launched Jan. 1 creates a mid-level voucher for “Enterprise” neighborhoods that include parts of downtown, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Morena, Linda Vista, Clairemont, Paradise Hills and Miramar. “Standard,” where the rent subsidy is at the traditional level, includes downtown, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, North Park, City Heights, Logan Heights, Encanto, College Grove, Normal Heights, Nestor, South San Diego and San Ysidro. As an example of the voucher range, families living in a Standard community can receive up to $1,304 in rent subsidies for a two-bedroom house, while the subsidy would be $1,567 in an Enterprise community and $1,740 in a Choice community. San Diego Union-Tribune

Couple Do Do-Over in OB Laundromat

Laura McNary and her husband Vale became inspired to renovate a formerly forsaken laundromat after hearing the owner was selling the building. “We use laundromats ourselves and when we saw this place…well, it was a dump,” said McNary. “All of the machines were full of water and dirty, they didn’t have hot water and nothing worked. We decided it’d be a good opportunity to get in there and give the neighborhood a safe and clean place to do laundry.” With the renovation team consisting of McNary, her husband and a few friends, rehab of the facility took three months and Launderland had its grand opening this past December. “We ripped out pretty much everything,” said McNary. “All the washing machines are brand new. All the dryers are the same but needed quite a bit of maintenance. We redid the paint, the floor and the ceiling… It was definitely a process.” The fresh interior is incredibly unique, with food and drink vending machines right at the door, chrome Speed Queen dryers placed up against a newly finished wooden wall along with ocean-blue pillars between folding stations which actually consist of butcher-block tables. …

But the pride and joy of the laundromat is the back-wall ocean mural made up of orange seahorses, salmon-colored coral and, at the center of it all, a woman’s face with wavy blue hair that blends into the oceanic background. At the bottom right-hand corner is the creator’s signature: Gloria Muriel. The local artist also added a smaller-scale mural on a side corner wall of the laundromat. Laura and Vale are at the laundromat three times a day: in the morning to open and in the evening to clean and straighten up. They feel like the business has made them more acquainted with the people in the community and still have plans for improvements. “We have a huge to-do list,” said McNary. “We talked to the community right when we started renovations and we’d like to add a soap machine and, eventually, a fluff-and-fold where people drop off their clothes and the person here would be doing the laundry for them. We’re just excited to be here for the community.” Launderland – 1960 Cable St.; Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  sdnews.com

OBcean a Top Brewer

Chris West started brewing in his bedroom when he was just 15 years old. After learning the basics from his high school biology class, Chris taught himself how to make beer by experimenting with different ingredients to come up with his own craft specialties. According to Chris, “The beers I create are like my children and I enjoy the engineering process that goes behind every single one of them.” After learning the ropes at Half Door Brewing Co. and Monkey Paw Brewing, Chris is now the head brewer at Bay City Brewing Co. He’s implemented creative ideas such as a barrel-aged program, stouts made with local coffee beans and the production of more radlers than any other brewery in town.  Chris moved to OB during his last semester of college at SDSU when he was busing at Thee Bungalow back in August of 2009. He has been living there ever since! He finds OB to be a cultural center for food, music, theatre, and of course, his specialty — beer.

Everyone Welcome at Congress of History – Portuguese Historic Center – March 2 – 3

Believe It or Not – It’s Time to Register for the 2018 Conference on Friday, March 2, and Saturday, March 3, 2018, in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego at Portuguese Hall, 2818 Avenida de Portugal, San Diego (PL). You don’t have to be a member of the Congress of History to attend; everyone is welcome to the conference. Pricing for the two-day conference is extremely reasonable: $35 for adults, $25 for seniors (65+), and $15 for active military or any student with ID. (There is no discount if you will only attend one day.) Authors will also be selling books. Believe It or Not – Speakers are coming from all around the region to share their unique neighborhood stories. This includes three OB Historical Society Board Members- Kathy Blavatt, Eric DuVal and Jonnie Wilson. Local historians will share interesting, odd, funny, beautiful, or weird stories about their particular location. Visit the COH website at www.CongressOfHistory.org to learn more.

OB Fashion Designer Hits it Big with African Mud Cloth

Chic. Funky. Cool. One-of-a-kind designer jackets, presented by Annie Margot Designs, are splashing their way through San Diego. Spearheaded by fashion designer Annie Margot St. Lifer, this eclectic collection of African Mud Cloth-embellished, Levi-denim jackets are replete with color, swank and fashion pizzazz. An array of “100 percent handmade,” tailored denim overlays weave trendy with vintage, showcasing the young designer’s extraordinary talent. In less than a year, St. Lifer’s one-time hobby turned business venture has” blossomed into a reality right before my eyes.” Humbled by her own success, the Ocean Beach resident admits that “my dream evolved into a successful assembly line of artisan professionals who are dedicated to supporting each other.” Encouraged by “the environment” and “fellow artisans” the former New Yorker describes her journey as a step-by-step process that began with kudos. Within weeks of arriving in the coastal city, the “artisan shop gal” immersed herself in San Diego’s “maker’s culture,” a scene she describes as “big,” to learn everything she could about the local artisan ethos.  San Diego Community News Group

Eventual Plans to Divert 100 Million Gallons of Water a Day From Point Loma Treatment Plant to Potable Water

The City of San Diego Public Works Department is building an even bigger system of purifying wastewater. Spokesman Brent Eidson said they plan to eventually divert 100 million gallons a day from the Point Loma treatment plant and turn it into potable water. A San Diego City Council vote on the environmental review documents for the new facilities comes up in April. The cost of building phase one of the project is $1.3 billion. The diversification of San Diego’s water supply has come at a cost. Since the early 1990s, the cost of an acre-foot of water has tripled even as per capita demand for water has dropped substantially. KPBS

Man Arrested by Feds in Arizona for Comments Had Called in Bomb Threats to Robb Field in OB in 2012

A man is in federal custody in Phoenix after gun dealers became concerned about his comments Friday, Feb. 8th while he reportedly went shop to shop trying to buy a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Phoenix Division arrested Kreighton Kilgore with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department. Kilgore is wanted for allegedly making several recent bomb threats in Jackson, Wyoming. According to Special Agent Tom Mangan, Kilgore came up on police radar Friday after firearms dealers grew worried about remarks the 33-year-old male. … In 2012, Kilgore was accused of threatening employees at Lower Valley Energy, records indicate.
“I’ve got a rocket launcher, and I’m going to blow up your Palisades Dam,” he reportedly told dispatchers. “Call the Coast Guard.”
That same year, Kilgore was arrested in California for calling in two bomb threats to Robb Athletic Field in Ocean Beach, according to reports by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Jackson Hole News & Guide

Capsized Boat Found Near Pier

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department found a boat capsized near the Ocean Beach Pier Monday morning, Feb. 12th. The 16-foot boat was empty. No registration information or numbers were found aboard. The U.S. Coast Guard was called to the scene at the end of Del Mar Avenue, just five blocks south of the pier. Dean Holmstorn, a nearby resident, spotted the boat, saying he saw life jackets floating in the water and could smell fuel. He believed the motor broke off. There have been no signs of passengers at the time of the report. NBC7