Month: September 2018

Musing From the Old Broad

Midway Area Plan

Does anyone else wonder what the City Council was smoking a few days ago when they approved the revitalization of the Midway area? Do you think that they have EVER driven on Sports Arena Blvd. during rush hours? Do you think that they have EVER driven on Sports Arena Blvd at any time of the day, any day?

I had heard years ago that these plans were in the works because different businesses were not having their leases renewed.

by Geoff Page

The Midway-Pacific Community Planning Board’s September 19 meeting was something of a celebration because the city council voted on Monday, September 17, to approve the long awaited community plan. Councilmember Zapf’s office even sent over two boxes of pastries for the occasion. The process is not yet over. Because part of the Midway area is under the jurisdiction of the Coastal Commission, the plan has to go there next, although no one expects any problems.

Impact Fee Study

The board is now turning its attention to the Impact Fee Study that is being implemented for the Midway area. As stated in the document presented to the board by Angela Abeyta from Facilities Planning, the purpose of the IFS is to “provide a list of facilities that are needed to implement the goals of the community plan and to develop applicable Development Impact Fees or DIFs” that will be paid by new development. The fees includes $7,975 for each new dwelling unit built and $748 for non-residential development. The imbalance was notable.

By Kathy Blavatt

The end of summer has left me with an unwieldy forest that needs tending as autumn sets in. But with all the work it entails, my garden that was once primarily grass in 2004, has now grown into life force that only nature can create. Much like a watercolor painting, where as an artist throws ideas and paint onto a canvas, it metamorphoses into its own creation. The unexpected can and does happen.

Fourteen years of mulching, weeding, planting, and trimming, have brought beauty and death in the harmonic way nature works. September has brought multiple dragon fruit blooms!

Restaurant Review

CAFÉ RIO
3309 Rosecrans St.
San Diego, CA 92110
(Loma Square Shopping Center)
619-488-6849
Caferio.com

Editordude: When you have two foodie restaurant reviewers, sometimes the reviews end up differently. That’s the case here. Bob Edwards did a review of this eatery back in March and called it “soulless food“. Today Judi Curry has another perspective.

I have heard many different things about this restaurant. Some were very positive; some were negative. I have tried to review it several times with different people but for some reason never got to it until today, when Candy and Irene agreed to trying it out with me. I had no idea what to expect, and told them nothing about what I had heard so that they could form their own opinion.

Physically the restaurant is cavernous. Tables all along the walls, in the middle of the room, with the ordering down at the far end of the building. It is definitely cafeteria style, and as you get in line to place your order

It was another success for its sponsors – the 20th Annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast – now history but not forgotten.

Over 700 tickets were sold – a bevy of politicians showed – it was a great event, a wonderful breakfast by Breakfast Republic, and a fascinating dedication by the many volunteers.

The Ocean Beach Town Council can place another feather in its multi-tiered hat.

It was the social event of the season – and conveniently placed just before an election, as the pols came out.

Are We About to Witness Trump’s “Saturday Night Massacre”?

President Trump will meet with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein this Thursday, September 27, in the White House after rumors and speculation swirled today, Monday, through Washington DC and the mainstream media that Rosenstein was about to be fired today.

Rosenstein did go to the White House today – and initially the White House reported he was coming to resign – something the Department of Justice at the same time denied. Trump is in New York attending the United Nations conference. Rosenstein also attended a previously scheduled “Principles Committee” meeting at the White House in place of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Rosenstein did meet with Chief of Staff John Kelly –

After failing to prop-up Antonio Villaraigosa’s flagging gubernatorial campaign last June, Michael Bloomberg apparently spent the summer pondering whether it would be wiser for him to personally save the United States rather than waste his time trying to rescue California by proxy. Last week the New York Times reported that Bloomberg was mulling a run for the Presidency as a Democrat because that represented the most viable path to victory. As the Times story observed, while Bloomberg has engaged in some good work on guns and the environment, many of his other positions might not be very likely to win over the liberal base of the Democratic Party.

Before a good-sized audience of at least 80 people who had assembled in the old pews of the Water’s Edge Faith Community church, Richard Carrico – the well-known archeologist, writer and lecturer – entertained with his stories of Warner Springs Thursday evening, the 20th of September. Carrico appears in Ocean Beach once a year to give lectures – mostly about the native peoples of San Diego County – and this time was no different. Accompanied by a slide show, Carrico and his knowledge and wit held the audience for over an hour and half.

The Original Cupeños and Warner Springs Ranch

Carrico explained he was hired 4 years ago by the new owners of the Warner Springs Ranch

By Thomas Ultican / Tultican

The destroy public education (DPE) movement is the fruit of a relatively small group of billionaires. The movement is financed by several large non-profit organizations. Nearly all of the money spent is free of taxation. Without this spending, there would be no wide-spread public school privatization.

It is generally recognized that the big three foundations driving DPE activities are The Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation (Assets in 2016 = $41 billion), The Walton Family Foundation (Assets in 2016 = $3.8 billion), and The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation(Assets in 2016 = $1.8 billion).

It really was inevitable that the San Diego City Council would approve – as they did – the Community Plan for the Midway District earlier this week on Monday, Sept. 17. Being touted as the next best thing to sliced bread, as my old man used to say, its proponents claim it will bring thousands of jobs, needed development of the old red light district, thousands of new homes to help alleviate San Diego’s housing crisis – and heaven on earth.

The plan – over the next couple of decades – will enable the population of the area to increase from between 3000 and 4600 to 27,000.

With concerns over water quality and warming ocean water increasing, Surfrider Foundation San Diego is working to raise awareness on the challenges we’re facing together. So, this Sunday, Sept. 23, the chapter will host its 27th Annual Paddle for Clean Water in which hundreds of San Diegans will paddle out to the water in Ocean Beach.

This is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers, it is free for all, and seeks to raise awareness on the importance of water quality.

Come inside for detailed agenda of event

Beautiful Sunset Cliffs claimed another victim, Wednesday, September 19. A woman was found dead out on a stretch of rocks off Point Loma Avenue in south Ocean Beach.

About 2:30 pm, a call came in to lifeguards, reporting a woman appeared to be stuck on the rocks. But by time first responders got to her, she had already passed. She was then covered, placed on a stretcher and hoisted up the bluffs using a lifeguard cliff rescue vehicle. A purse was found next to her body.

At this point, she remains unidentified and the cause of her death is yet unknown.