Month: November 2018

By Geoff Page

The continuing effects of Senate Bill 1069 were seen once again at the Peninsula Community Planning Board’s regular monthly meeting Thursday, November 15 at the Point Loma Library. SB 1069 is the bill familiarly known as the “granny flat” bill that became effective on January 1, 2017.

It essentially removed almost all rules governing what are called “accessory dwelling units,” second units that can be placed on a property in any type of zoning. The bill has de facto rezoned all single-family neighborhoods into multi-family neighborhoods.

The OB Christmas Tree was put up this morning. Came from somewhere on Froude Street, according to social media.

Bob Edwards was there to witness the annual event and took these photos.

by Brett Warnke

The park’s gates had been ripped down and rebuilt, higher and fiercer than he had seen in the year he had lived near the coast. Barbed wire had been looped in a crown around the fence’s top and iron doors installed at either entrance. The nest had fallen and lay in the park beneath a tree thirty feet from the new fence.

On his daily morning walks he looked inside the park, before and after the fence’s reconstruction. The flat green grass of the park appeared so different than the faded winter brown of trees in a California city.

In the evenings, walking by the fence, he looked in the park out of habit after completing his part-time shift at the library near the border-crossing. However, the nest, a ratty gathering of dead grass, straw, and tangled stems and fibers, had fallen.

In response to some push-back from Ocean Beach residents, the city forester dealing with the Torrey Pine on Long Branch Avenue has agreed to keep the tree and make some “corrective measures” to it and the surrounding area.

On Monday, November 26, Brian Widener, City Forester of the city’s Urban Forestry Program sent an email to the members of the City Forestry Advisory Board advising them the program “will be retaining the 44-inch diameter Torrey pine at 4633 Long Branch Avenue at this time”.

He stated the city would remove 3 branches, reduce the crown by up to 15%, and paint the adjacent curb red. Widener added that the city would take the corrective steps no earlier than 2 weeks from Monday. Which means no sooner than Monday, December 10.

The Resister Sisters of Ocean Beach haven’t faded away now that the Mid-terms are over.

Nope. Donald Trump is still president, isn’t he?

The sisters were active late last week

Back in March of this year, the OB Rag reported that SeaWorld and Evans Hotels had entered a deal in January to build a hotel at SeaWorld’s location in Mission Bay.

But it has all gone sour. Earlier this month, SeaWorld Entertainment released its quarterly report which stated the company had decided in September to cancel the agreement with Evans. SeaWorld reported it lost $2.8 million in expenses and fees in unraveling the deal.

So, why the termination? What are the official explanations?

Congressman Kevin McCarthy represents California’s 23rd district, up north in Kern County. He’s been there since 2006 and was just recently elected the Republican’s Majority Leader in the House of Representatives. So, for a short time – the lame-duck post-Midterms period – he’ll be the top guy in the House.

But there’s been a bubbling controversy about McCarthy since mid-October when reports first surfaced that his brother-in-law won over $7 million in federal contracts on a dubious claim that he is Native American.

From the OBTC:

2018 Holiday Parade Volunteers

The Ocean Beach Town Council (OBTC) is seeking the help of 100 responsible persons who would like to volunteer and help ensure that the 39th Annual Ocean Beach Holiday Parade is a successful and wonderful event for our community. \

The Holiday Parade occurs on Saturday, December 1, 2018, and it cannot occur without the dedicated support of our volunteers.

UPDATE: “Feigley House” Burned – Once Considered Historic (See Inside)
It was really bound to happen. On Friday night, Nov. 23, in the wee houses, a fire broke out in the old, abandoned Craftsman house at 4921 Voltaire St. (U-T listed it as “4927”.) By time firefighters arrived around 4:40 a.m. it had already been badly damaged. They had the flames out in minutes.

Fortunately, a retaining wall prevented the fire from spreading.

We have become the barbarians at the gate
By Anna Daniels / San Diego Free Press

As if ripping children from their parents’ arms, locking them up in cages or sending them to facilities on the other side of the country weren’t the absolute low point of the Trump administrations response to immigrants seeking asylum, we are now tear gassing children.

Let that sink in for a moment. We are tear gassing children, who were reported as running screaming and crying from the tear gas canisters shot into Mexico, a foreign country, by US Border Patrol. (Imagine this situation reversed, with Mexico lobbying canisters into the US.)

We live under oligarchy. Yes, we have elections, but the interests of a tiny opulent minority are far better represented in our government than the concerns of the vast majority of Americans.

That conclusion was the central takeaway of a Benjamin Page and Martin Giles study published a few years ago that grimly observed, “economic elites and organized interest groups play a substantial part in affecting public policy, but the general public has little or no independent influence.”

All Day Activities: 10am-4pm

Greetings from Ocean Beach Giant Postcard: Veterans Plaza Lawn
(Newport Ave. & Abbott St.)

Take a holiday photo that’s larger than life with a giant postcard from local muralist Celeste Byers on the Veteran’s Park lawn. A professional photographer will be taking free portraits throughout the day. Don’t forget to stop by the Small Business Saturday booth on the lawn and pick up a goodie bag and your “Passport to OB” card for a chance to win great prizes from local businesses!*

Local Musicians
(Throughout the Community)

Stop by Tiki Port (2201 Cable St.), Jungle Java (5047 Newport St.) and Noodle House 1502 (4993 Niagara Ave.) to hear local musicians playing music from around the globe.

Clean Oceans Art Installation
OB Surf Lodge Patio (Abbott St. & Santa Monica Ave.)