News and Notes From Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Early April 2019

Unidentified lifeguard with legendary OB surfer Mouse. OB, April 1, 2019. Photo by Albert C Elliott

Ocean Beach Green Center Open Saturdays Till May’s 30th Anniversary Party

Big things in the works at the new location of the OB Green Center, 4862 Voltaire St. They will be having their grand opening, 30th year anniversary party, spring fundraiser in May at the new location. Until then someone will be there on Saturdays from noon to 6 pm if you want to stop by and check in with them.

Screwball Whiskey Making Began in OB

The creators of Skrewball Whiskey announced their peanut butter whiskey will soon be available nationwide. Wait, there’s such thing as peanut butter-flavored whiskey? YES. It was invented by a couple in Ocean Beach, California in 2018 and has been popular with Southern California locals ever since. In the 2018 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, it won a Double Gold Medal for Best Flavored Whiskey.

Slightly Stoopid Trombonist Andy Gelb

There’s a local school of funk. From their web page: “The Ambassadors of Soul are a collection of some of the finest high school musicians in San Diego, directed by Slightly Stoopid trombonist Andy Andy Geib. It is an 18-piece big band performing funk, R&B, and pop music, delivering high energy shows all over San Diego. Their first album Just Make it Funky was nominated for a San Diego Music Award.” … “I’ve been in the funk scene here for a long time. I’ve seen it come, and I’ve seen it go. I moved out here in 1994 with the Wise Monkey Orchestra.” Geib settled first in Ocean Beach. Now, he and his wife and son live near Lake Murray. San Diego Reader

OB Band Gowing By Leaps and Bounds

One band currently making major inroads into the national scene via touring is Ocean Beach-based indie rock quartet, Brothers Gow, who are in the midst of a West Coast tour. The current leg of this road trip wraps up May 5 in Mt. Shasta, before the band heads out yet again for another round of dates that includes an appearance at the three-day OC MusicFest taking place Memorial Day weekend in Silverado, Calif. Featuring guitarist Kyle Merrill, bassist Ethan Wade, keyboardist Alex Mello and drummer Nathan Walsh-Haines, the band formed in 2007 during their college years in Flagstaff, Ariz. “Some of the guys grew up together and jammed as kids too, so there’s a lot of history there,” Walsh-Haines said. As for their name? “It’s the middle name of our original keyboardist Alexander Gow Bastine. Legend has it that Kyle and Alex were going into a bar and Kyle wasn’t 21 so he needed someone else’s ID. So Alex offered his and said, “if they ask just tell them we’re Brothers Gow!”
San Diego Community News Group

OB Cottage for Sale on Longbranch Is Tiniest House on San Diego Market

A very small cottage on Longbranch is up for sale. And apparently, it’s the tiniest house on the San Diego market. Measuring a petite, 384 square feet, the home, built in 1939 and priced at $569,000, offers one bedroom, one bath, an open-space, and living-kitchen area.

Cross-Border Biker Gang Member Pleaded Guilty to Jeep Thefts – Including in OB

A member of an international biker gang pleaded guilty Tuesday to his role in a scheme to steal more than 150 Jeep Wranglers throughout San Diego County and send them to Mexico, where they were sold or stripped for parts. Jimmy Josue Martinez, 33, of Tijuana, admitted to participating in the theft of around $4.5 million worth of Jeep Wranglers since 2014. Prosecutors said the gang members stole the vehicles by using handheld electronic devices and stolen key codes, allowing them to create duplicate Jeep keys. The gang members were able to use the duplicate keys to disable the Jeeps’ alarm systems and access the vehicles, which were typically snatched in the span of “a few minutes, in the middle of the night, while unsuspecting owners slept nearby.” The thefts occurred in Pacific Beach, Serra Mesa, Chula Vista, Mission Valley, Ocean Beach, Hillcrest and North Park, prosecutors said. Fox5

Stabbing in Midway District

A 55-year-old man was stabbed in the neck March 25, Monday morning but was expected to survive following an apparently random attack at a Midway-area sex shop. It happened around 1 a.m. at the Barnett Avenue Adult Superstore just south of Pacific Highway, San Diego Police Officer Robert Heims said. The man was in the store attempting to make a purchase when another man walked up behind him and stabbed him in the neck with a knife, Heims said. The suspect then fled in an unknown direction and the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of at least one stab wound to the neck, which was not believed to be life-threatening, Heims said. Times of San Diego

Liberty Station Arts District Hits “Re-Set” – First Friday April 5

Event producers at the NTC Foundation are hitting the reset button with a new name and new expanded format. Beginning on April 5, the event will be renamed FIRST FRIDAY ARTS DISTRICT and expanded with additional activities and more programming from community partners for a more energized arts experience. In addition, NTC Foundation is launching a new grant program that will help groups throughout the San Diego region bring their innovative art and performances to the ARTS DISTRICT.

“When we started in 2009, the ARTS DISTRICT had seven completed buildings,” said Andrew Waltz, NTC Foundation Associate Director of Marketing & Communications. “Ten years later we’ve grown to 45 renovated buildings filled with over 120 art galleries, artiststudios, museums, cafés, a food market and much more. The new name reflects our new approach to this signature event and puts the focus on the arts, the communityand the visitor experience. Now, the FIRST FRIDAY ARTS DISTRICT name says when it is and where it is!”

The April 5 FIRST FRIDAY will feature the LeVieux Labyrinth in Barracks 15/16 Plaza, San Diego Ballet performing Poetry in Motion!, Malashock Dance Company excerpts in Barracks 17 Plaza, Uchidashi Japanese-style jewelry demo in Anneville Jewelry Laband much more

Point Loman Launched San Diego Architecture Awaking

Susanne Friestedt, a lifelong Point Loma resident, launched OH! San Diego in 2012. The community-based program has a mission to demonstrate how architecture and design directly impact the quality of our lives. She hopes to motivate residents and community leaders to engage in planning a sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future. Her personal goal was to give back to her hometown in a meaningful, lasting way. Now over 300 trained volunteers generously help to keep the program running smoothly in participating neighborhoods each year. Times of San Diego

Point Loma’s High Tech Middle School Students Are Lip-Smacking Innovative

A group of creative seventh-graders at High Tech Middle Media Arts in Point Loma have started their own lip balm business called SD Lip Balm. A group of 55 total students are involved, and humanities teacher Gina Wickstead is their supervisor. The students are doing this as their project, as High Tech Middle Media Arts is a project-based school. The school’s grant, Real World Scholars, gave these students the start-up money to help them progress on their idea. San Diego Community News Group

One of Hottest Up-and-Coming Bands in San Diego Got Start by Busking the Streets of OB

Coral Bells (from Imperial Beach) has a folk/indie-rock sound upon first listen. For a group that started out by busking on the streets of Ocean Beach, they’ve established themselves as one of the hottest up-and-coming groups in town (they were nominated for Best Indie/Alternative act at this year’s SDMAs). Just scope the video for their tune “Seasick” here and see what is meant.  7SanDiego

Midway Businesses Say Former Strip Club Better Neighbor than New Owner – Rock Church

Frustrated business owners in the Midway District say an old strip club was a better neighbor than the current property owner, which happens to be a church. The Rock Church bought the strip club, formerly known as The Body Shop, in August of 2018. Now, businesses say nothing has changed except there’s now more trash and drugs. Neighbors say they want the church to clean it up. Noor Shamoon comes to work at Navis Pack and Shop to a very unwelcome sight. “Food, trash feces on wall, on our vehicles.” He says it’s a foul odor and claims people who hang out in the area vandalized the businesses work truck. Employees at the Midas muffler business across the street also say trash and loitering have become huge problems. “We’re trying to run a business and it’s hard when you have that across the street,” said Gary Stricker. For more – go here to 10News.

Rock Church Responds

The Rock Church has responded to criticism that the Body Shop strip club it bought in the Midway District last year is languishing, and that drugs and trash in the neighborhood has worsened. See here.

Target Opens “Mini-store” in North Park While OB’s Is Still Being Prepped

Target opened its second “miniature” Target in San Diego at 3029 University Avenue in North Park. OBceans can expect something very similar in the near future as Target preps the former antique mall on Newport Avenue into its next wave of small-format stores. Others are being planned for Spring Valley and on UCSD’s campus. The new North Park Target takes up 35,200 square feet, or around 100,000 square feet less than the retailer’s big boxes. The store’s product selection is said to be tailored to neighborhood residents and includes a specialized collection of baby apparel, health and beauty items, and home essentials. The venue also features a CVS Pharmacy, as well as ChargeItSpot kiosks for guests who need to power up their mobile devices (at no cost) while visiting. Target North Park is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays; it’s open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays. SD Union-Tribune

Cheapest Rentals in OB

Ocean Beach is very walkable, is convenient for biking and has a few nearby public transportation options, according to Walk Score’s rating system. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in Ocean Beach look like these days—and what might you get for your money? They took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Ocean Beach via rental site Zumper to find out what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this San Diego neighborhood. Take a look here at the cheapest listings available right now, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.)

Senior Gleaners Feed Hungry With Surplus Produce – Including From OB and Pt Loma Backyards

Calling all active seniors in need of productivity and vegetable farmers and homeowners with backyards filled with fruit trees. San Diego’s Senior Gleaners are ready, super excited and able to glean surplus produce in an effort to feed the hungry. Celebrating 25 years as a nonprofit organization, this dedicated group of volunteers collects food that would otherwise be wasted. Members glean surplus produce from farms, fields, groves, and backyards. The group also collects damaged or outdated foods and products donated by grocers, food services, and even restaurants throughout San Diego County.

Picking occurs almost every Tuesday morning, year-round. Grocery crews are scheduled four mornings a week to grocery stores the include Windmill Farms, Vons, Ralphs, Keils, even Outback Steakhouse. Crew sizes and detailed surplus varies. The coastal communities of La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach and Point Loma are abundant with produce. … Volunteers are needed for gleaning and transporting at least 300 pounds of produce to Heaven’s Windows, a satellite facility of the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding America. There is no minimum time requirement, however all volunteers must be 55 or older. San Diego Community News Group

Local Businesses in “the News”

• Little Lion Cafe
• Culture Brewing in OB
• OB’s Farmers Market gets a nod
• And a 2nd nod
• Brand new Midway District eatery – Euphoria XIX Grill – located at 3944 W. Point Loma Blvd., Suite A and B
• Pizza Port
• Winston’s – a nod
• El Jardín in Point Loma
• The 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro
• Point Loma Seafood – a nod
• Chubb Dub Studios in OB
• Mike’s Taco Club in Ocean Beach is mentioned
• Eppig Brewing

Local Action Item:  We Need Your Votes!  Local Hostel, HI-Point Loma at 3790 Udall Street near the Point Loma Library, is trying to win funding through an HI (Hosteling International) contest to GO SOLAR!!  Please vote for their project at:  https://bit.ly/2Vgx9sp     Voting Ends on April 12th!

Every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Climate Mobilization Coalition Meeting April 6th,  13th, 20th, 27th. We will be having a booth at Earth Fair in Balboa Park on the 28th. If you would like to volunteer that day please come to one of our Saturday meetings. Ocean Beach People’s Cooperative Community Room, 4765 Voltaire Street.  Come help plan for the upcoming Climate Action events.  More info https://www.facebook.com/SDClimateMobilization/   Contact: oceanbeachgreencenter@gmail.com

April 6th Saturday noon – 2 pm  Ocean  Beach People’s Annual Meeting and Lunch.  Ocean Beach Women’s Club   2160 Bacon Street, 92107. Annual reports from Board President and General Manager.   Guest speaker Georgette Gomez, San Diego City Council President.   Speaker topics:   climate change, plant based diets, environmental activism, and community owned businesses.   Free of Charge.

April 6th Saturday 2 pm Getting Started in the Garden Ocean Beach Library  4801 Santa Monica Ave. As part of the educational component of our recently launched Ocean Beach Seed Library (the OB Library will be hosting the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County for this six- part Beginning Vegetable Gardening series! Learning the essentials about home vegetable gardening.  All levels welcomed. More info:  https://www.facebook.com/events/339940449949441/?event_time_id=339940456616107

A novel idea is taking root at the Ocean Beach branch library. It is adding a Seed Library. Card holders will be able to “check out” seeds and are urged, but not required, to return seeds harvested from their plants.

It’s specializing in organic and heirloom seeds that haven’t been genetically modified so as to preserve genetic biodiversity, says Destiny Rivera, the library assistant shepherding project. Fifty to 75 seed varieties are currently on hand — primarily vegetables but also herbs, flowers, fruits and native plants such as white sage, black elderberry and Torrey pines.

April 16th Tuesday 6 pm POTATOES, PETUNIAS AND PATRIOTISM: SAN DIEGO’S VICTORY GARDENS Ocean Beach Library 4801 Santa Monica Ave. San Diego , CA 92107 Today’s community gardens have long-established roots. Come hear how San Diego residents did their part in growing vegetables during the harsh years of two World Wars.

With the help of the San Diego Floral Association, urban community gardens were established in 1917. “War Gardens” (later renamed “Victory Gardens”) declined in popularity over the two decades after World War I but, with the threat of another war, their importance was revived. Lee Somerville, a landscape historian, master gardener and author of Vintage Wisconsin Gardens, (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2011) will bring examples of the seeds, plants and recipes of the time period. Lee will also discuss the substitutions that provided nutrition for San Diego families during those lean years. Learn what today’s home gardeners learn from yesterday’s Victory Gardens. More info here .