February 2019

The Adrenaline Was Flowing Over Movie Tickets

February 18, 2019 by Judi Curry

The Old Broad Loses Her Cool

I have a birthday coming up in a few days. This is a BIG birthday and I have been trying to not think of it; just want the day to pass quietly without any attention being given to the day. Unfortunately that is not going to happen, in spite of two of my daughters on a trip to India and not being here to “commiserate” the day with me.

The remaining daughter has already asked me a dozen times where I want to go to celebrate; has asked me if there is anyone I would like to have join us, etc. And not only that, she was planning a party for me – more about that in another column – and she inadvertently sent me the guest list.

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It’s Not Those Pushing the Green New Deal Who are Naïve About Our Current Crisis

February 18, 2019 by Jim Miller

The Moderate Threat to Climate Action

By Jim Miller

As heartening as the emergence of the Green New Deal as a political rallying cry and litmus test of sorts for the early field of Democratic presidential candidates is, the predictably negative response in other quarters is equally dismaying.

Of course, the most obvious naysaying comes from the Republicans and the rightwing media following the lead of a president who suggests that snowstorms and cold weather are evidence that climate change isn’t happening.

But that’s not the real problem.

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Nature Talk by Point Loma Garden Club at OB Library – Saturday, Feb. 16

February 15, 2019 by Source

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The Windoms of the Dusty Cotton Fields of Mississippi

February 15, 2019 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

I look at a picture of my cousin, Pearlie Mae, and me, thinking how proud she would be of her grandchild, Renee Purdie, who’s written a collection of poetry she’s calling “Pieces of Me: Love, Lust and Lentils.”

She’d literally glow seeing how this young woman is blossoming as a human being, writing poems that touch the heart.

Like Pearlie Mae and me, she is a descendant of the Windoms of the dusty cotton fields of Mississippi. She’s one of our family tree’s many beautiful flowers who’ve risen above what society expected of us, and managed to do well in life, learning and giving, far and wide, some of us landing in Tucson.

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If Trump Declares a National Emergency, He’ll Be Breaking the Law

February 15, 2019 by Source

Originally posted Jan. 11, 2019

By Marjorie Cohn / Marjorie Cohn Blog / Jan. 11, 2019

Congress refuses to enact legislation containing the nearly $6 billion that Donald Trump is demanding for an unnecessary wall on the southern US border. In response, Trump is considering whether to declare a national emergency, take money Congress has appropriated for other purposes, and divert it to build his wall. But under US law, the president cannot usurp the spending power the Constitution grants only to Congress.

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Building Housing Should Not Lead to NIMBYs and YIMBYs

February 14, 2019 by Source

Editordude: The following appeared as an Op-Ed in the San Diego Union-Tribune online Feb.13 and in newsprint on Feb. 14; we repost it with the author’s permission.

By Roy McMakin / San Diego Union-Tribune / Feb. 13, 2019

San Diego has always built new housing, and will continue to do so. We’ve always been a city that welcomes those wanting to live here. Currently there is need to focus increased energy on home building, both due to demand, but also because the state has mandated we do so. That doesn’t mean we should disregard good planning and robust community involvement in the process.

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5 Ways to Make Grocery Shopping More Zero-Waste

February 14, 2019 by Source

By Mukta Patil / Sierra Club Magazine / Feb 4 2019

Shopping for groceries can be overwhelming. Once you get past the sheer volume of products staring down from the aisles, you’ve got to reckon with their ingredients, prices, and the way the food is packed. For environmentally conscious shoppers, the latter—excessive packaging and the resulting pollution—is especially irksome. Enter the zero-waste grocery store.

These small-but-budding enterprises are increasingly popping up, and they’re promising plastic-free, packaging-free products ranging from grains and produce to detergent and shampoo.

The original zero-waste grocery story was the late in.gredients in Austin, Texas, which unfortunately shut down last April after five years of selling exclusively (un)packaged and locally sourced food.

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Here’s Mayor Faulconer’s New Proposals for Regulating Scooters and Bikes

February 14, 2019 by Source

After months of feedback from some communities of San Diego, Mayor Kevin Faulconer has adjusted his October proposals for regulating scooters and e-bikes and on Thursday, released the newest version.

The proposed ordinance will be discussed at the City Council’s Feb. 20 Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting, which meets at 2pm in City Hall, 202 C Street, 12th floor.

Here is the summary of what his office describes is included in the new proposed ordinance:

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News From Ocean Beach – Mid-February 2019

February 13, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

98 Year-Old Betty Morse’s Eviction Dismissed

Just in time for her 99th birthday, Betty Morse – on the brink of losing her Ocean Beach home – won a legal victory to stop her eviction.

OB Pier Repairs Delayed Even More

Poor weather conditions and high surf caused delays in the repair assessment for the iconic Ocean Beach Pier.

Fake Tickets Harass People Who Live in Cars

Just days after the San Diego City Council voted to repeal an ordinance that banned people from living in their vehicles on city streets, fake parking citations have popped up in OB.

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.

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Billionaire Jacob’s Plan for Balboa Park Back On the Shelf

February 13, 2019 by Source

Mayor Kevin Faulconer and a group of major philanthropists are shelving a plan to remodel Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama after bids for the project came in way over budget last month.

Lisa Halverstadt / Voice of San Diego / February 12, 2019

A controversial plan to clear cars from Balboa Park’s central mesa is on hold.

Philanthropist Irwin Jacobs, who has long championed the Plaza de Panama project, said this week that philanthropists have halted fundraising efforts necessary to get the project to the finish line after three construction bids each came in at least $20 million higher than earlier estimates for the project.

“There is an excellent plan for how to proceed, but the costs are a little too high at this point,” Jacobs said.

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A Green New Deal Builds Local Support as the Right Goes Bonkers

February 13, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words & Deeds / February 12, 2019

Socialism, Flintstone cars, and cow farts. Oh. my! *

The introduction of HR 109, Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal supporting the vision of a more just and sustainable path for the country has shifted the conversation about climate change simply by pointing out the need for a comprehensive approach.

Assemblyman Todd Gloria announced introduction of Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR 7) urging Congress to pass a Green New Deal. If passed by the California State Legislature, this will put California officially on the record in support of the recently introduced federal legislation.

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council was first in the nation among its type of local coalitions to pass a resolution supporting a “Green New Deal with strong labor provisions in concert with our environmental and community partners.”

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Socialism Is More Popular Than You Think, Mr. President

February 12, 2019 by Source

Most surveys show Trump would lose in a matchup against a democratic socialist named Bernie Sanders.

By John Nichols / The Nation / Feb. 6, 2019

Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address did not feature a musical soundtrack. But, if it had, surely the orchestral accompaniment would have soared when he got to the line: “We are born free, and we will stay safe. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.”

But, just as surely, the music would have quieted down as the camera shifted to the assured countenance of newly elected US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who was elected last fall after campaigning as “an educator, organizer, Democratic Socialist, and born-and-raised New Yorker running to champion working families in Congress;

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Councilwoman Jen Campbell Coming to Ocean Beach for a Conversation – Friday, Feb. 15

February 12, 2019 by Staff

Join the Ocean Beach Town Council and the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club for “A Conversation with Jen Campbell”, our newly elected Councilwoman for the 2nd District.

It’s all happening Friday, February 15th at 7:00 pm at the OB Woman’s Club at 2160 Bacon Street. There will also be light refreshments provided.

Your questions can be submitted

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Renaissance on Voltaire Street?

February 11, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Is there a renaissance happening on Voltaire Street right now? There’s a bunch of new businesses that appear to bring a sense of renewal on this major east-west boulevard that connects Ocean Beach and Point Loma.

Two new eateries – both Italian – are happening on “upper Voltaire” – on the other side of Catalina from OB. Check them out.

Leucadia Pizza Opens

A new pizzeria – Leucadia Pizza Kitchen has opened at 4161 Voltaire Street (where the salad in a jar place was previously, as was another pizza franchise).

“Super High-End” Italian, Cesarina, Opens This Week

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City Council Repeals Ban on Sleeping in Cars

February 11, 2019 by Staff

On Tuesday, February 6, the San Diego City Council voted unanimously to repeal a1983 law that banned people from living inside their vehicles.

The Council vote is partially a response to recent Federal court decisions. There’s the 2014 ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down a similar ordinance in Los Angeles as unconstitutionally vague.

And then there’s the ruling 6 months ago by U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia here in the Southern District of California that ordered the City to stop ticketing people under the law, also stating it was unconstitutional because it’s too vague for enforcement.

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Trump Says There’s an ‘Urgent National Crisis’ at Border – Here’s Actual Numbers

February 11, 2019 by Source

Trump sees ‘urgent national crisis’ at border. You decide. Here are U.S.-Mexico border apprehension numbers.

by Shyla Nott & Brandon Quester / inewsource / February 8, 2019

President Donald Trump urged Congress to pass funding for a border wall during his State of the Union address on Tuesday for what he called an “urgent national crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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Fear of a Socialist Planet: From Davos to D.C. to the Democratic Party, a New “Red Scare” Emerges

February 11, 2019 by Jim Miller

Last week in the State of the Union, Trump unveiled one of the pillars of his re-election campaign in the midst of his speech:

“America will never be a socialist country.”

While this line of attack is clearly a predictable jab at the rising popularity of policy ideas promoted by Democratic Socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez like free college, Medicare for all, and raising taxes on the rich, it also reveals a rising fear on the part of the global elite that a populist left might be far more dangerous to their interests than the current brand of extreme rightwing populism in the United States and elsewhere across the globe.

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OB Planning Board Approves 2 Projects, Sets Election for March 6

February 8, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

This is Part 2 of a report on the Wednesday, Feb. 6 meeting of the OB Planning Board (Here’s Part 1.)

The Board approved 2 projects, one on Saratoga and the other on Narragansett, approved Dirty Birds application for an alcohol license but with a condition that they prohibit alcohol sales after 10 pm (See Part 1 and comment), and set their annual elections for March 6.

There was also a presentation about Transit Priority Areas and the push to allow multi-unit housing in those areas (OB is not in one – yet).

Also, right off the bat, the OB planners need to be congratulated for

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Trying to Get Answers From City Hall

February 8, 2019 by Judi Curry

The Old Broad: Gagging on Porta-Potties on Neighbor’s Construction Site

Have you ever tried to find out an answer to a question from City Hall? I have been trying to find out an answer for two days. Here is the comment and question:

Scenario – there is a house being built next door to me. I am on the alley on the corner of Tivoli and Devonshire. The house being built shares the alley and is on the corner of Granger and Devonshire.

There are two “porta potties” in the construction area right on the alley, behind a makeshift fence. I am not sure how often those porta potties are emptied, but it is too often as far as I am concerned.

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Some of San Diego’s Lines in the Sand Are Getting Washed Away by 2018’s Blue Wave

February 8, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words & Deeds / Feb. 8, 2019

Recent developments at both the county and city level in San Diego reveal the impact of victories by Democratic candidates in the 2018 general election.

Supervisor Diane Jacob’s State of the County speech shows the door is now open for a host of new and improved policies, a promising shift in attitude from the not so recent past.

While Jacob is a Republican, the election of Democrat Nathan Fletcher to the Board has already changed the political dynamic.

From the Union-Tribune coverage:

Standing before a full gallery that included leaders from cities, Jacob said the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has entered a new era.

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OB Planners Approve Liquor License for Dirty Birds – But with a Condition

February 7, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

At last night’s Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting, after a long discussion with a heady amount of input from community members who showed, the Board approved the liquor license for Dirty Birds, a sports bar and grill moving into the newly constructed OB Plaza. But with a key condition.

The restaurant has to stop serving alcohol at 10 pm. Two of the owners of Dirty Birds present told the audience and Board they would abide by that condition. The condition would be on the ABC-issued license.

It was a lengthy discussion – with the pro’s and con’s of another restaurant serving booze being expressed by a good number of the 40 plus people who crammed into the Community Meeting room at the OB Rec Center – and the Board members themselves, who were split on the issue.

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Thoughts on the Dilemma Ocean Beach Planning Board Faced on Approving Another Liquor License

February 7, 2019 by Source

OB Should Be Proud of Its Planning Board

By Geoff Page

Having been on a planning board for some years, I really had an appreciation for the dilemma facing the OB planning board as they struggled with the issue of another liquor license in Ocean Beach.

Board member Craig Klein took an informal street poll in his quest to see what the community thought, and he said the 50-50 result was not much help to him in making a decision. What that did illustrate was that the board would make half the community happy and half angry no matter how they voted. The discussion was very impressive, and it was plain that the board members took it very seriously.

The problem was they were facing

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San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art to Honor the 2019 Keepers of the Culture

February 7, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

On February 9, 2019, the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art in collaboration with the San Diego History Center will host the 2nd annual recognition of individual’s whose contributions have resulted in retaining and expanding the cultural expressions that are uniquely African American.

The event will be from 5:30-7:30 PM at the San Diego History Center, located in Balboa Park, Casa de Balboa, 1649 El Prado, Suite #3 San Diego, CA 92101.

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Good Samaritan Who Died in Jumping Off Bridge Had Ocean Beach Connection

February 7, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

The good Samaritan who perished in jumping off an east county bridge Wednesday had an Ocean Beach connection.

Robert Bruno – who had stopped to assist a stranger in a wreck on the Pine Valley Creek Bridge and then jumped off the bridge to avoid a second wreck – lived in Ocean Beach with his fiancée Gwendolyn Sneed for years and raised his son here.

Bruno, 48, lived in Jacumba Hot Springs and was on his way to work in San Diego, according to Sneed, when around 5 a.m. he saw a Ford F-150 blocking the westbound Interstate 8 near the bridge.

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Warfare Between Pot Dispensaries: Urbn Leaf vs. Golden State Greens

February 6, 2019 by Source

By Sheila Pell / San Diego Reader

As cannabis facilities grow, so does the traffic around them. Emissions increase, air quality degrades. Yet the San Diego City Council is ignoring those environmental impacts.

That’s what several appeals of permits for three new pot production facilities before the city on Jan. 14 claimed. After a preliminary review, the city exempted the projects — 3443 Pickwick Street in southeast San Diego and 8330 Arjons Drive and 9151 Rehco Road in Mira Mesa — from further environmental study, since the applicants would use existing buildings, make limited modifications, and the impacts in these light industrial zones should be minor.

Environmental concerns have nothing to do with the appeals, speakers for those applying for permits alleged. The California Environmental Quality Act, a state law that can be used to block development permits, is being abused by competitors.

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What’s Really Going On in Venezuela

February 6, 2019 by Source

By Marc Ash / Reader Supported News / Feb. 06 2019

What the US corporate media is not telling you about the situation in Venezuela is why the Venezuelan economy is in such trouble.

Since 1999, the US has waged economic warfare against Venezuela in an attempt to destabilize and deconstruct the Socialist Revolution started by former Venezuelan president and close Fidel Castro ally Hugo Chavez.

The US wants Venezuela, with its rich oil reserves, to be a compliant client-state. That was what motivated the Cuban Revolution and that is what drives anti-colonialist sentiment in Venezuela today.

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A ‘Feel Good Story’

February 6, 2019 by Judi Curry

The Old Broad Shares a Story About 2 of Her Foreign Language Students

I have been hosting foreign language students since 1992. They come to the US to learn English, and live with me during their stay here. I am now on my 521st student – and I have to tell you – I am so proud of Lea, from Switzerland, and her friend Serena, from Italy, that I have to share the story.

Yesterday Lea and Serena found a wallet on B Street in Downtown San Diego. It wasn’t just any wallet; it had 24 credit cards, a driver’s license, and $400 in cash in it. They took it to an authority – not quite sure if it was a police officer or not – but they were directed to someplace else. It was late, and Lea brought it home.

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A Friend Makes Me Feel Like I’ve Lived in a Dream

February 6, 2019 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

I just finished “Platitudes and Attitudes,” a little book that was written by a dear lifelong friend, Shirley Robinson Sprinkles, “Shirlgirl.”

Shirley and I grew up in Tucson, Arizona in the 40’s and 50’s and as I read the “random thoughts and memories” that she had collected over the years, I was transported back in time, like in a dream.

She’d mention a street and I could see myself riding my bicycle down that street, popping a wheelie, with my levi’s ripped at the knees (light years before that was cool).

She’d describe an event, and I was there (trying to be cool).

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Orca Supporters Sue to Force SeaWorld to Release Necropsy Reports

February 5, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Animal rights groups are trying to get SeaWorld corporate to release necropsy reports on the 3 Orcas that have died under their supervision in the last few years, including one killer whale who died here at San Diego SeaWorld.

The groups believe the Orca death reports need to be reviewed by independent experts which will allow them to analyze the clinical histories of these mammals and the treatments they received, the effectiveness of these treatments- not simply why they died.

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The Great Dolphin Dilemma and the San Diego Connection

February 5, 2019 by Source

For years, animal rights advocates have waged war against the US Navy for its use of dolphins in warfare and research. Is a resolution possible?

by Lina Zeldovich / Hakai Magazine / February 5, 2019

1. The Great Divide

Michele Bollo stood on Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge, close to the US Navy base in Point Loma, San Diego, looking through a video camera trained on a network of pens in the water below. The nine-by-nine-meter ocean corrals held 70 dolphins and 30 sea lions belonging to the US Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP). Bollo was there to document how the navy treated the animals.

One animal, a 46-year-old bottlenose dolphin named Makai, once deployed to find mines in the Persian Gulf during the 2003 Iraq War, was sick and unable to swim.

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