“Resist!” spelled out by human bannering, OB Dog Beach, March 4, 2017.
Human Banner Event Set for Saturday April 21 on the Sands of Ocean Beach : “VOTE!”
We’re doing it again. Last year hundreds of us were successful in creating a RESIST and IMPEACH human banner on the beach. Our event received extensive media coverage. This year, the people who organized the March 2017 event are now organizing a new one – a human banner that spells out “VOTE!” And it’s set for April 21st at Dog Beach – plus it’s being coordinated with folks up at the Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Our plan is creating a 100 foot high human VOTE! banner. This year to get out the VOTE!, we will be coordinating with our friends in the Bay Area who will be simultaneously creating another VOTE! banner on the sands of Ocean Beach in San Francisco. We hope with our combined effort that we will reach a national audience. Here is the Human Banner website: http://www.humanbanner.org/
OB and Point Loma Planning Boards Have Vacancies
Both the Ocean Beach and Point Loma (Peninsula) planning boards have at least one board vacancy. The Peninsula Community Planning Board has a vacancy for a remaining one-year term and anyone who qualifies is invited to apply. The position on the 15-member advisory board will be filled by a vote of the board members at the Thursday April 19 meeting. It meets 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Point Loma /Hervey branch library at 3701 Voltaire St. Persons interested in being considered for the position must meet several requirements, including being a resident, own property or operate a business within the PCPB boundaries. (The district includes Point Loma except for Ocean Beach north of Adair and west of Froude. A map and vacancy-filling details are on the website pcpbsd@gmail.com.) so for more information, visit pcpb.net or email Fred Kosmo at fkosmo@wilsonturnerkosmo.com. The board meets the third Thursday of each month.
The Ocean Beach Planning Board also has several vacancies – possibly as many as 3. Since the Board just held its annual election, it can – and often does – fill empty seats by way of appointments. And the eligibility requirements to be appointed are the same as those for regular board candidates. Candidates must first demonstrate that they are 18 years of age and meet one of the following conditions within the OB Community Plan Area for more than 30 days: Resident: Residing and maintaining a physical address; Property Owner: Owning property; Business Owner/ Licensee: Owning/operating a business with a physical address/location. The 14 member board meets the first Wednesday of every month at the OB Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave. For more info on being a candidate for an appointment, go here.
STVRs Return to City Council in April
At the last OB Town Council meeting in late March, Conrad Wear of Councilwoman Zapf’s office, cautioned the crowd that the issue of short term vacation rentals is probably returning to the city council sometime in April. Mayor Faulconer, reportedly, has a compromise to offer the different sides. So stay attuned.
Women’s Museum at NTC #METOO Art Exhibit
Just as the #metoo movement has commanded a place in the mainstream public debate, so does it seek to inspire the private forces that fuel its fight against sexual abuse. From Friday, April 6 to Sunday, April 29 at noon, that inspiration takes the form of #METOO, a Latin American Art Festival exhibit at the Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road on the Naval Training Center campus. “#METOO,” the festival says,“ is not a fight born of anger; it is not a declaration of war against men, and it is not a witch-hunt. #METOO is a strong, unified, voice that seeks to put an end to silencing those who have been hurt and to say out loud, “No more!” The ten female artists include Nuria Bac, known for her deadpan, square-featured female characters, and San Diego’s Haydee Laborin, whose art embraces oils, acrylics and mixed media in creation of the figurative and conceptual. “It is time to put an end,” Mexican author Aracell Martinez Rose said in a festival statement, “to suffering in silence, to avoiding the reality of abuse and to hiding in pain. Now is the time to yell the truth, because truth becomes beauty, freedom, dignity and equality for all of humanity.” Tickets are $3 and $5. For more, see womensmuseumca.org or call 858-233-7963. San Diego Community News Group
OB Bike Path Still Closed due to Trolley Construction
Bicyclists in Ocean Beach must continue making detours due to work on a trolley extension in the area. The Ocean Beach Bike Path will continue to be temporarily closed through the end of April to allow crews to complete demolition of a bridge abutment to make way for the extension of the San Diego Trolley from Old Town to University City, according to the San Diego Association of Governments. The closure effects the portion of the bike path that runs along the San Diego River Pathway from just east of Morena Boulevard to just west of Pacific Highway. Detour signs have been posted detailing alternate bike routes around the construction closure. Crews will also be installing the foundations for the new Mid-Coast Trolley bridge.
The bike path closure began March 12. Once construction is complete, the bikeway will be returned to its original condition, SANDAG officials said. During the closures, cyclists can detour the work area via Pacific Coast Highway, Taylor Street, and Morena Boulevard. An alternate bike route is also available north of the river and on Friars Road. “This work is related to the San Diego River Bridge project and the Mid-Coast Trolley project construction,” SANDAG reported. “As part of the Mid-Coast project, the rail for passenger and freight trains is being double tracked over the San Diego River, requiring the construction of two new bridges.” The Mid-Coast Trolley project will extend Blue Line Trolley service from Old Town north to the University City community, serving major activity centers such as Mission Bay Park, the VA Medical Center, UC San Diego, and University Town Center. Nine new stations will be constructed. Major construction work began in 2016, with trolley service anticipated to begin in 2021. Times of San Diego
OB Rec Center Gym Closed for Maintenance
The gym inside the Ocean Beach Recreation Center is closed for maintenance. It will reopen on Monday, April 9th.
Slightly Stoopid to Headline Beer X Festival – Special Presale Sale for “OBceans”
Slightly Stoopid, the beloved Ocean Beach-based roots/reggae band, announced a big hometown show on Wednesday morning. The San Diego Music Award-winning group headlines 91x’s Beer X Festival on June 23 at downtown’s Waterfront Park — and it looks to be an all-day, extremely Stoopid event. … It’s particularly good news for area fans of the band: When they initially announced dates for their upcoming tour, a hometown shindig was notably missing. Last month, they announced that they’d in fact be performing in town on June 23, but conveniently left out any mention of a specific venue so we were all left scratching our heads. It’s all making sense now. Beer X Festival tickets go on sale here to the general public on Friday, April 6, at 10 a.m. PST and options include VIP packages as well — but we’ve got a presale head’s up for you: If you head to this link and enter the promo code OCEANBEACH, you’ll be able to purchase tickets before they go on sale (while supplies last). 7SanDiego
$9,000 Reward Offered in Midway Shooting
Authorities offered a $9,000 reward Saturday, March 17 for information leading to the arrest of a man suspected of gunning down a romantic rival last month outside a Point Loma Heights workout center. Ernesto Castellanos Martinez, 41, allegedly killed 27-year-old Alexander Mazin of San Diego in a parking lot behind 24 Hour Fitness, 3675 Midway Drive, shortly before 11 a.m. Feb. 25, according to police. Police soon identified Martinez as the suspected assailant and determined that he might have fled to an apartment in the 3000 block of Upas Street in North Park. About an hour after the shooting, officers surrounded the residence and tried in vain to contact Martinez. Following a roughly six-hour standoff, a SWAT team forced entry to the apartment, discovering that the suspect was not there. The victim’s parents told reporters their son had been going out with a woman that Martinez previously had dated and that the suspect had assaulted her several weeks prior to Mazin’s slaying.
Family and friends of Mazin have added $8,000 to a $1,000 reward in the case previously posted by San Diego County Crime Stoppers. Anyone who might be able to help investigators track down the suspect is asked to call the nonprofit agency at 888-580-8477. Peninsula Beacon
Little Italy Eatery Has Chef With Long Culinary Ties to OB and Point Loma
A Little Italy bar and restaurant, Nolita Hall, is about to launch later this month, and has revealed that its culinary director is Nathan Coulon, as chef, who is part of a local culinary dynasty; his grandparents ran the legendary Belgian Lion restaurant in Ocean Beach, his mother owns renowned pastry shop Michele Coulon Dessertier in La Jolla, and his cousins created Point Loma’s charming Little Lion Cafe. Coulon, a 2007 James Beard “Rising Star” Award nominee, once owned Modus Supper Club in Bankers Hill and was the executive chef of Andaz San Diego before most recently working as manager of culinary standards for Fox Restaurant Concepts’ True Food Kitchen. San Diego Eater
OB Residents Learn How to Make a Citizen’s Arrest
San Diego Police on Wednesday April 4 met with members of the newly formed neighborhood watch program in Ocean Beach. Their goal was to teach volunteers how to properly make a “citizen’s arrest.” Making a citizen’s arrest, as Ocean Beach Neighborhood Watch Zone Captain Isaac Darby learned, is not about taking matters into one’s own hands, but being a good witness. “I thought, literally, we were going to learn arm bars and how to zip-tie somebody. It’s nice to know that you don’t have to physically confront somebody to do a citizen’s arrest. Most people think you have to detain somebody and that can be pretty dangerous,” said Darby.
Police strongly discouraged intervening if you see a crime in progress. “You can follow them, but bottom line – don’t place yourself in danger. Your life is not worth whatever it may be,” said detective Bryan Roberts of the San Diego Police Department Graffiti Strike Force Unit. During Wednesday night’s meeting, police explained to the Ocean Beach neighborhood watch that a citizen’s arrest is simply being a witness – a witness that calls and tells police you want to make a citizen’s arrest and is willing to testify in court. Police recommend that if you see a crime in progress, including a tagger spraying graffiti, call 911 to report it. You can report graffiti through the City of San Diego’s “Spray and Pay” program offers up to a $500 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. You can also report on the “Get It Done” app. CBS8
Motorcycle Passenger Seriously Injured in Crash on Nimitz
A 52-year-old woman was seriously injured when she was thrown off the back of a motorcycle in Point Loma, police said Monday, April 2. The crash happened just after 6 p.m. Sunday when the 51-year-old man driving the motorcycle failed to negotiate a curve in the 3700 block of Nimitz Boulevard, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said. Investigators suspect the driver, riding a 2017 Harley-Davidson, was under the influence of alcohol. “The road bent to the left and the driver continued straight,” Buttle said. “They struck the curb and the passenger was ejected from the motorcycle and suffered a serious injury.” She was taken to a hospital but was expected to survive, Buttle said. The driver was also taken to a hospital after complaining of pain. Traffic division officers from the San Diego Police Department were investigating the crash. Fox5
Sailor Assigned to Naval Base Point Loma Suspect in Wife’s Poisoning
Navy sailor, Race Remmington Uto, assigned to Naval Base Point Loma, was trying to kill his wife by poisoning. The 27-year-old Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class was arrested last Thursday on attempted murder charges. He is accused of purposely poisoning his wife with a highly toxic chemical called Thallium. He became a suspect in March after his wife became sick from an undiagnosed illness and had to be hospitalized. Sheriff’s investigators say tests revealed she had extremely high levels of Thallium in her system. Thallium is a pesticide that was widely used to kill rats, but has since been banned in the US. Uto is currently under suicide watch at the Vista Detention Center. He is expected to be in court Wednesday for arraignment. Fox5
Armstrong Garden Center on Morena to Give Green Thumb Classes Through April
Armstrong Garden Centers invites California gardeners of all skill levels to its upcoming community classes. Each workshop will encourage attendees to nurture their green thumbs with a wide range of topics for the end of the winter season. Here are thes scheduled activities for April 2018: Saturday, April 7 at 8:00 a.m. – Homegrown Produce – Produce doesn’t get any fresher (and healthier) than from your own backyard. Armstrong gives you growing tips and advice from planting to harvest;
All Day: Friday, April 20; Saturday, April 21 & Sunday, April 22 – Ladybug Weekend – Armstrong Garden Centers will be giving away over two million free ladybugs this weekend with purchase. Ladybugs are the most popular organic pest control for any garden. One free packet of ladybugs per purchase, per family. Supplies are limited and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis at all Armstrong stores. Saturday, April 21 at 8:00 a.m. – Beneficial Bugs – Beneficial insects are excellent garden helpers, and now is the best time to introduce them into your garden. A garden expert will show you which plants are best for maintaining beneficial insects as well as what they do to help your garden flourish. Sunday, April 22 at 9:00 a.m. – Organic Gardening – Armstrong is the one-stop nursery for everything you need to know to start and maintain an organic garden. The class will focus on soil health and problem-solving using organic products and techniques. Saturday, April 28 at 8:00 a.m. – Container Gardening – Learn tips and techniques for creating a colorful, stylish container garden using a variety of flowers and foliage for a great combination of colors, textures and shapes. Each class is instructed by a nursery professional who will offer timely gardening advice and hands-on demonstrations. Morena: 1364 Morena Boulevard, San Diego , California 92110; Phone: 619-276-9970
Taste of Point Loma – April 11th
Enter by: 12:00 am on April 8. Sip and savor your way through Point Loma and Shelter Island during the annual Taste of Point Loma. Sample fresh seafood, decadent desserts and a variety of ethnic cuisine from an array of restaurants, cafes, and bakeries in San Diego’s Point Loma peninsula. For one ticket price, attendees will be able to taste the best that Point Loma has to offer, as participating restaurants will offer samples of their finest and most popular menu items. Attendees will also have the option to purchase a drink that complements the restaurant’s food sample for an additional fee. Dog-friendly patios will be identified with a paw print next to a restaurant’s logo on the ticket. Shuttle services will be available to attendees throughout the night. In addition, a discounted ticket will be offered to students, military or anyone going by bike.
Proceeds from the event go to the Peninsula Chamber and Point Loma Association to support business outreach, promotion and the community. Find more info, and buy tickets here! On Wednesday, April 11, 5:30 – 9 p.m. – begin at Portuguese Hall, 2818 Avenida De Portugal, San Diego 92106. To Claim Tickets: Your name will be on the will call list. Check in at the registration tent at the Portuguese Hall and let them know you’re a contest winner.
Peninsula Community Conversation – April 17th
A PLA Peninsula Community Conversation will take place 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, at UPSES Portuguese Hall. It’s like NextDoor but without the typing. Meet, face to face, in person… and talk. So it’s more like getting coffee. But instead of coffee, there will be free food and a bar. Leaders from Peninsula, Ocean Beach and Midway planning boards, Ocean Beach Town Council, Ocean Beach MainStreet Association and the Point Loma Association will discuss things that affect all residents. Find out what each group does. Discover how they work together, sharing concerns, collaborating on solutions, learning from one another and speaking with a unified voice to advocate for neighborhoods. – Greet friends and neighbors; – Free food; – Open bar; – Community organization displays; – Program begins at 6:45 p.m.
Planned Parenthood in Pacific Beach Vandalism for 2nd Time in 6 Weeks
The fact San Diego police are trying to determine who threw red paint on the sign and windows of a Planned Parenthood office in Pacific Beach early Monday, April 2nd, is outrageous. It’s the second such vandalism incident at the health center in six weeks. Police received a call shortly after 2:45 a.m. about paint thrown at the office on Mission Bay Drive near Bunker Hill Street. The caller didn’t see the person throwing the paint but reported seeing a gray hatchback driving away, said San Diego police Sgt. Tom Sullivan. Planned Parenthood issued a statement Monday expressing disappointment at the vandalism but said its work will continue despite the acts.
An earlier incident was reported at the same location in mid-February. In that case, police said someone vandalized the office over a weekend — sometime between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12. An office manager found the splattered paint as she arrived for work. “While we are disappointed by the recent vandalism to our health center, no attempt at intimidation will stop us from serving our patients,” the office’s statement said. “We’ve been a part of the fabric of this community for 55 years, and we’ll be here for many more to come. You can count on our doors staying open, no matter what.” The office reopened for patients at 10 a.m., according to the statement. Planned Parenthood clinics – which offer abortion services, birth control education, contraception, pregnancy testing and counseling and STD testing and more – has been under attack as an institution especially since Trump was elected.
The right of women to choose was one of the most important struggles over the last few decades – and victories. Ever since, extremists have harassed and terrorized these and other clinics. This reporter recalls similar acts of vandalism against the PB Planned Parenthood office when it was in a less visible location in the 1990s. And now with Trump in, these extremists feel liberated. We don’t know how many women from OB and Pt Loma use the PB office, but the OB Rag remains determined to uphold these rights. (Partially from San Diego U-T)
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