Ocean Beach and Point Loma News – Mid-November 2018

Rep. Scott Peters at the OB Pier Pancake Breakfast on Sept. 17, 2018.

Rep. Peters Calls on Mayor and Zapf to Investigate McMillion’s Management of North Chapel in Liberty Station

Rep. Scott Peters is calling on San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilwoman Lorie Zapf to seek an investigation into how McMillin Co. has managed the North Chapel in Liberty Station, the historic house of worship that the lessee has advertised as a restaurant venue. In a letter dated Nov. 5, Peters asked Faulconer and Zapf to submit a formal request to City Attorney Mara Elliott to investigate whether McMillin has complied with all of the terms of its lease. (Ed: Typo in headline intentional.)

“Several members of the community, including Save Our Heritage Organisation, have been in contact with my office to express their concerns regarding the leasings by the McMillin Company (or a successor in interest) of the North Chapel to a commercial tenant, which they claim violates the Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties at the Naval Training Center,” the San Diego congressman wrote. Faulconer’s office issued a statement saying he has directed his staff to reviews the concerns raised in Peters’ letter. As with Faulconer, Zapf’s office declined to say whether she would seek an investigation, but spokeswoman Donna Clearly said, “The council member is opposed to it being used for anything other than a place of worship.” San Diego Union-Tribune

Successful Book Sale at OB Library

Friends of the OB Library held a very successful book and CD sale last weekend. Over $1,000 worth of items were sold on Saturday, Nov. 10, with most items being either $1 or $5 – which makes for a lot of sales and a  brisk time for all the volunteers who helped. The money helps supplement all library programs, especially the music, nature, and daytime children’s programs.

Ladera Street Stairs Re-Open After Bluff Repair

The bluff next to the Ladera Street stairs in Sunset Cliffs has been repaired and the stairs are open once again. Called an “emergency bluff repair” by the city – despite months of inaction – reportedly took less than one week and came in under budget, reports the Beacon. Alec Phillipp, City public information officer, said “[The City] estimates that the construction cost will be less than our initial $1.5 million estimate.” The Beacon reports on some of the controversy and relief felt by locals about the city’s response:

On Aug. 6, the City Council allocated $1.8 million in Regional Park Improvement Funds for the Ladera Street Beach Access Stairway Emergency Project. That stairway had been closed and chained-off since a Feb. 13 cliff landslide impaired beach access below. The City’s decision to declare the project an “emergency,” which fast-tracked repairs, didn’t sit well initially with some nearby Sunset Cliffs neighbors who felt the community had been “left out” of the decision making loop. Some argued the project should have been required to have a full-blown environmental impact report done prior to construction.

But at least some detractors were won over by the City’s effective implementation of the project. “The Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council is pleased that the project was down sized and impressed by the careful, professional work on this sensitive project,” said council spokesperson Ann Swanson.

“Overall we are delighted with the response of the Coastal Commission that ensured that an environmentally sound minimal project was completed,” said Sunset Cliffs neighbor Dedi Ridenour.

City Planning Dept Accused of Deleting Sentence in Mission Bay Park Master Plan to Assist Evans’ Hotel Land Grab

The City Planning Department is being accused in a new law suit of deleting a sentence recently in the Mission Bay Park Master Plan in order to assist hotelier Bill Evans in his land grab at Bahia Point. According to the law suit, the City’s Planning Department made an “administrative correction” to the Master Plan for the huge, aquatic park by deleting a sentence that had been drafted in 1997 to “retain Gleason Road” in its current state. By deleting the reference to Gleason Road, it opens the door for Evans’ massive hotel development that if given the final go-head, will double the size of his current Bahia Resort and gobble up all the public parking and much of the public access at Bahia Point. For more, go here to 7SanDiego.

Woman Charged with Vehicular Manslaughter in Death of OB Man

Lauren Ashley Freeman, 23, was charged with murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in the Feb. 26 death of Justin Callahan, 35, from Ocean Beach. Freeman’s blood/alcohol level was alleged to be .28, three times the legal limit, when she is alleged to drive the wrong way on a ramp between Interstate 8 and I-5, and crashed into Callahan about 1:55 a.m.  Initially, the CHP had charged Callahan for causing the accident by driving the wrong way. His family pushed back, insisting that Freeman was responsible. The CHP reversed their decision – leading to the charges. Freeman is under $1 million bail, and remains in the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility. A preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 15. sdnews.com

OB Paddle Boarder Accused of Cracking Skull in Assault Will Go to Trial

Going to trial for assault with a deadly weapon, an OB paddle boarder is accused of cracking the skull of a popular surfer and swim coach when the two had a run-in at Sunset Cliffs over the summer. Paul Taylor Konen, 33, is alleged to have used his paddle to knock Kevin Eslinger on the head when the two were inches away from each other in the waves, a prosecutor said in a San Diego court. It was the preliminary hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence to hold the defendant for trial. Eslinger, 55, who broke a paddle-boarding distance record in 2005, testified that the blow fractured his skull and caused brain damage that continues to impair his speech. He was the only witness called during the hearing. Defense attorney Brian McCarthy argued that the prosecutor failed to present evidence that Konen was responsible for the other man’s injury.

The judge ordered Konen to stand trial on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and an allegation that he caused great bodily injury, and is set for Feb. 4. Kone has remained out of jail on bond since his June 27 arrest by San Diego police. Eslinger made news in 2005 when he paddled a 19-foot board 120 miles nonstop from Santa Barbara to Ocean Beach in 29 hours, 31 minutes. Three years earlier, he had paddled 73 miles from San Clemente Island to Ocean Beach. He said he has been surfing at Sunset Cliffs since 1971. He and his wife, Janae Kelley-Eslinger, live in Point Loma. For more, go to San Diego Union-Tribune.

San Diego Scientists Study Waves’ Impact on Global Climate

San Diego researchers are hoping a sophisticated set of experiments will give them a better understanding of how the ocean helps modulate the planet’s climate.  Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists just landed a second multimillion-dollar, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation so they can get a better understanding of the ocean’s effect on the atmosphere. The Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment, CAISE, is focused on a long wooden building on the Scripps campus. KPBS

OBcean Named a “Top 40 Under 40 Business Leader”

Jamie Hampton, founder of Mixte Communications Inc. public relations, was recently named a “Top 40 Under 40 Business Leader” by both the San Diego Business Journal and San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, as well as being declared a “Top 50 Business Influencer” by The Daily Transcript. Named for a type of bicycle frame, Mixte’s success is simple, claims Ocean Beach resident Hampton, an avid cross-country bicyclist. “We have values, and we’ve come to work with those companies that share our values, which makes it easy to find your customers,” Hampton said.
sdnews.com

Hodad’s Joins the Brewery World – Debuts First Brews

OB’s beloved and very famous burger joint, Hodad’s, has joined the world of breweries. On Nov. 10, the OB location and downtown began offering their debut creations, including Boss Brew Kölsch (5.5% alcohol-by-volume), Local IPA (6.6% ABV), Throwback Brown (5.5% ABV)  and Hefeweizen (Name TBD, 4.5% ABV). Hodad’s has a 3,000-square-foot facility, 10-barrel brewhouse and 60-barrel cellar which allows head brewer Marlow Myrmo to direct the first creations. More here.

High-Speed Chase in Stolen Vehicle from OB to Downtown

A pair of men in what police believe may have been a stolen vehicle led officers on a chase from Ocean Beach to downtown San Diego, crashing twice along the way before they were apprehended on Interstate 5 near state Route 94, police said. The pursuit began just after 8:20 p.m. when a patrol officer attempted to stop a driver for operating his vehicle with no headlights on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard near Nimitz Boulevard, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said. The driver refused to pull over, instead running stop lights and driving recklessly at speeds of more than 60 mph on surface streets, Buttle said. At one point near Nimitz Boulevard and Rosecrans Street, near Liberty Station, the suspect vehicle “clipped” a bystander’s vehicle, but the motorist in the vehicle was uninjured. SD U-T

Alternative Christmas Fair – Nov. 18

Westminster Presbyterian Church, at 3598 Talbot St., will hold an Alternative Christmas Fair to benefit Westminster’s supported missions 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.on Sunday, Nov. 18 on the church courtyard. Items for sale include handmade crafts, holiday cards and decorations, gift baskets of food and toiletry items, and more. Consider a non-traditional gift of a donation in the name of a loved one to a worthy project. Participating organizations include Genesis Diez Ministries, Women’s Empowerment International (WE), the Guatemala Mission Project, Heifer International, Serve International, Friends of Los Ninos, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, Peace Resource Center of San Diego, San Diego Military Outreach Ministries, and Presbyterian Urban Ministries. Enjoy free refreshments while shopping for gifts with a purpose.