News From Ocean Beach – Mid-February 2019

Betty Morse in wheelchair coming out of court. Screen grab from abc10News

98 Year-Old Betty Morse’s Eviction Dismissed

Just in time for her 99th birthday, a woman on the brink of losing her Ocean Beach home won a legal victory to stop her eviction. On Monday, Feb. 11, attorneys agreed to dismiss an eviction lawsuit against 98-year-old Betty Morse. “They didn’t cross their T’s and dot their I’s the way they are supposed to, so I brought that up to them in a formal brief,” said Betty’s Attorney Andrew Griffin. “So they capitulated and said ok we’re going to dismiss the case and start all over again.”

The victory may be short-lived. Griffin says there’s nothing to stop the landlord from starting the eviction process again. “Legally she gets to stay there until they start again and do the paperwork correctly,” he said. Last year Morse received a 90-day notice terminating her tenancy. According to the termination notice she showed to 10News, the owner is electing to opt out of the Section 8 program and not renew the lease. It states the owner will be conducting substantial renovations to the unit and following the renovations the owner desires to rent the unit at a higher rental value, being that of the market rate value. The notice states the owner will be opting out of Section 8 entirely. 10News discovered there’s nothing illegal about opting out of Section 8.

“They are saying it’s been this time, I’ve remodeled all the other properties and now I want to remodel yours, and I can’t remodel it while you’re here,” Griffin said. After the hearing, the landlord told 10News she had no comment. She also would not say whether she planned to start the eviction process again. Betty Morse says she thinks Monday’s hearing was terrific and remains. ABC10News

OB Pier Repairs Delayed Even More

Poor weather conditions and high surf caused delays in the repair assessment for the iconic Ocean Beach Pier. The waves at Ocean Beach were safe for surfing again. But a big part of the beach remained off limits. On January 18, 2019, giant waves destroyed parts of Pier’s infrastructure, forcing the City of San Diego to close down the pier and block access to the cafe. Three weeks later, the City had not been able to finish their repair assessments, due to continued high surf.

“We are still in the process of assessing the pier,” City of San Diego Senior Public Information Officer, Alec Phillip said in a statement to 10News. “Assessments still need to be done on the bottom of the pier deck and the columns, which haven’t been done because of tides and surf conditions. We are working to complete the assessment by the middle of next week, weather permitting. Once the assessment is done, we will have a better understanding of the damage and possible strategies for repair.” The WOW Cafe’s current menu advertised for Valentine’s day. However, re-opening the pier and the Cafe by February 14th could be tricky. At the time of publication, the city had no exact date for the re-opening of the pier. 10News

Fake Tickets Harass People Who Live in Cars

Just days after the San Diego City Council voted to repeal an ordinance that prohibited people from living in their vehicles on city streets, fake parking citations have popped up in Ocean Beach. Near Dog Beach, RVs and giant vans are practically everywhere you look. It’s no secret to the people who live in OB that a lot of people also live in these vehicles.

“I have [lived in my vehicle], and at the current moment I do,” said Kyle, who didn’t want to give his last name or show his face out of fear for his safety. “When I got in my vehicle I started it and looked over and I see a ticket,” he said. At least, that’s what he thought it was. It was stuck to the driver side window with some sort of gooey adhesive.

“Normally they don’t stick them with adhesive to your window, they put them under your wiper blade,” he said. Kyle said other than that, “It looked very, very, very official … as if it came from the city.” Only problem is it didn’t. San Diego Police said their citations have dollar amounts on them, come with an envelope, and have “City of San Diego Police” or “Treasury Office” on them with an official city seal. Earlier this week, the City Council voted unanimously to repeal a 1983 ordinance that prohibited people from living in a vehicle on city streets. “They seem to be profiling and targeting,” Kyle said. “It seems to be solely off the vehicle I choose to own.” But some OB residents say they don’t mind the fake citations at all.

“We have a problem in OB with transients in vehicles,” one man said. “They come to our neighborhood and squat here like it’s a camp ground. Residents are fed up.” Another man said, “You’re not going to find any sympathy here camping out living off the land where rent is high and parking is sparse.” Kyle said it’s not sympathy he wants but safety.

“As you’re doing that, someone jumps in your vehicle and steals your vehicle, and or attacks you,” he said. “I think they’re potentially doing more harm than good.” San Diego Police said they have a civilian who does check to see if people are staying in vehicles between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. The agency said that one person gets around 250 reports a night in one division alone, making it impossible to check on them all. KTLA5

Denny Knox Offers Solution: Lots for People Living in Cars

Denny Know is quoted : “The City must act now and designate certain secure parking lots to be overnight spots for those in need (and provide the necessary sanitation and security) and at the same time not allow anyone to sleep in or out of a car on our public streets, playgrounds, parks, and sidewalks.”

East County Man Stabbed Outside Winston’s Is Recovering

An East County man is recovering after he was stabbed outside an Ocean Beach bar for trying to break up a fight. Kaya Hall says he was stabbed just after midnight on Jan. 17, in an alley outside Winston’s Beach Club. Hall says he just finished playing there. “I was going to my car, and I saw a friend of mine in a fight with someone else,” he said. “I went over there and like two people jumped on him, and it was like “oh no” gotta get this guy off. A fifth guy came up and stabbed me. I thought I just got punched. I looked down, and I was gushing blood.” Whoever stabbed him got away.

Hall says there were tendon and nerve damage to his arm and he had to undergo surgery. It’s going to take about six months for his arm to heal properly. Hall plays guitar in two bands and bartends. He can’t do either of those things with his hand in a cast. He says he can still do vocals for his bands, and mix music. Police are investigating the case. Any witnesses or people with information is asked to call the San Diego Police Department. 10News

Surprise! You’re On Candide Camera – Pt Loma Woman’s Cat Cameras Catch Miscreants

Home cameras meant to keep an eye on a Point Loma woman’s cats instead caught a pair of suspected cat burglars, taking off with $50,000 worth of items. Dr. Sabine Purps’ cameras spotted three young men appear to break into her home Tuesday afternoon. Jewelry, guitars, electronics, and a safe full with her green card and her family’s passports were taken, Purps told NBC 7. “It’s maddening,” Purps said. “The boldness of somebody being here during the day just blows me. It’s just not right.”

She said one of the suspects came in through a back window, using a chair near her garden to climb up. Then he went to the front door and let the others in. “They were in and out in five minutes,” she said. “They knew they had to be fast.” Purps noticed the men weren’t wearing gloves or masks, calling them “rookies.” Footage picked up one of the suspects saying, “Look at that view,” as he looked out the windows of the Point Loma home.

Police swept the area, finding fingerprints “everywhere,” she told NBC 7. “They’re not getting far with it,” Purps said. Purps’ camera system was set up to catch a neighborhood cat that comes in and eats their food, she said. The “handy” security system footage was put on Facebook and Nextdoor, Purps said, in the hopes of finding the suspects. Purps said her neighbors were able to get the suspected thieves’ license plate number. With that information, her reports filed with the police, and the fact that everything stolen was insured, Purps said she just wants to move on and “get it over with.” Though upset, Purps said she did wish the best for the burglar suspects. “I would just wish the best for their lives, hopefully this is a wake-up for them,” she said. “Get serious. Do something good for the world. Don’t live off other people like parasites.” As for future measures, Purps said she will add a wired alarm system to her home, so she and police are notified of any other break-ins. 7SanDiego

OB Theatre Opening: “The Wedding Singer”

The Wedding Singer: The stage adaptation of the film about a ’80s wedding singer who falls in love with an engaged woman. Presented by OB Theatre Co., it opens Feb. 7 at the OB Playhouse in Ocean Beach. obtheatrecompany.com

In February – 40 San Diego Museums Are Half Price

This month, you can get into over 40 San Diego museums for half the price. Museums aren’t just for your grandparents. Museums also don’t have to break your wallet. With the Museum Month pass, you can experience San Diego museums at a price that won’t make it look like you’ve been chopping onions. Museum Month passes are free and can be picked up at numerous San Diego libraries, including Point Loma/Hervey Library and Ocean Beach Library, both a ten-minute drive from the Point Loma Nazarene University campus. With a pass, up to four people can get into a participating museum for 50% of the normal price. Of more than 40 participating museums, several are close to our cliff side home. Easily accessible by shuttle, the New Americans Museum and Visions Art Museum are located in Liberty Station and accept the Museum Month pass. Lomabeat.com

Any Idea of Why and Who and What Production Company Is Parking in CBS Parking Lot?

One of our readers asked us: Do you have any idea what the production company is doing that is parked in the CVS parking lot. Also, how did they get authorization to reserve such coveted parking spots (about 15 spots) on Santa Monica Ave? And not just for a couple days a week or a couple hours a day, but 24/7 for 2 fulls weeks. WTF? I live on Santa Monica and those parking spots are very much needed by my neighbors and I. I’m currently parked up on Eberts and Cape May…many blocks from my home. Who is the uninformed person who lackadaisically allowed this to happen?” Anyone have any ideas or info they can share?

Pt Loma Nazarene’s Writers’ Symposium – Monday, Feb. 18 to Thursday, Feb. 21

Every spring for the last 24 years, Point Loma Nazarene University has hosted reporters like George Plimpton, authors like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, poets like Nikki Giovani and screenwriters such as Destin Daniel Cretton for their annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea Monday, Feb. 18 to Thursday, Feb. 21. Moderated by journalism professor and symposium founder Dr. Dean Nelson, discussions of the intimate inspiration behind the writer’s renowned stories has always been a part of past panels.

But this year, the idea of “Restorative Narrative” seems to be a common driving force for the speakers set to attend this year’s symposium, not just in their work but in their career choices as well. That was the case for former ABC “World News” and CNN reporter Jody Hassett Sanchez, who spent 17 years in network television, until she decided to “jump off the cliff” and try her hand at documentary filmmaking.

“After years in the trenches of the news business, I was no longer interested in contributing to what I think of as, ‘Our collective compassion fatigue,” said Sanchez, who will be speaking at Crill Performance Hall Monday, Feb. 18. “Stories about conflict, horror, human rights abuses – I still want to shed light on those stories but now I want to be able to find that thread of hope, or something small that points to the possibility for change.”
San Diego Community News Group

OBcean Gains as Office Manager

WRA, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Nieto as San Diego Office Director. Mike brings more than 16 years of experience in environmental consulting and natural resources management throughout southern California. “I am really excited to have Mike join the WRA family,” said Geoff Smick, WRA Chief Executive Officer. “His technical and regulatory experience is a perfect fit for our growing San Diego office. We value his ability to build trust, be responsive to client needs, and provide innovative solutions. He is a great resource for our southern California clients as well as our San Diego team.” Digital Journal

Local Businesses In the News

• New Italian Cezarina’s
• Ocean Beach’s Tec/scape Design,
• Surf Rider Pizza