June 2019

Why Should It Be Considered a Risk Trying to Get Rid of Trump?

June 6, 2019 by Ernie McCray

(Thoughts Inspired by Erica Jong)

by Ernie McCray

There’s so much talk about the risks that would be involved in trying to impeach the president.

And I’m thinking: Risks? What risks?

A literary hero of mine, Erica Jong, once said: “If you don’t risk anything, you risk everything” and to me it’s a bigger risk not trying to give El Numero 45 a pink slip than allowing him to sink the ship that is America.

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Update From Councilwoman Jen Campbell

June 5, 2019 by Source

By Councilwoman Jennifer Campell / May 2019 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors!

Here is an update on some of the most prominent pieces of legislation that City Council has passed recently.

First, scooters. On May 14th. City Council followed up it’s previous unanimous approval of scooter regulations with another 9-0 vote on the legislation’s second reading. That means that the new laws regarding scooters will come into effect on July 1st, laws that include geofencing on the boardwalk and bayside walk that will slow scooters to 8 mph.

Even with the new rules many of us are disappointed that there is not a scooter ban on our boardwalks. When the Mayor’s regulations came to Council, for both the initial hearing and the second reading. I was vocal about my support of banning scooters from the boardwalk.

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Why Restoring Wetlands on Mission Bay Is More Important Than Ever

June 5, 2019 by Source

By Jim Peugh / The Times of San Diego / June 4, 2019

The last several years have seen a deluge of news about infrastructure in San Diego. Whether it’s the future of the stadium site in Mission Valley, the extension of the Blue Line trolley to UCSD, or the push among urbanists to revolutionize housing in our city, refining our development footprint has taken up a sizable volume of bandwidth in our civic conversation.

As plans move forward to reshape San Diego’s built environment, it’s easy to overlook how these changes can negatively affect our quality of life and the sustainability of our communities. In the rush to redevelop, we often miss out on opportunities to incorporate green infrastructure

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An Octogenarian Reflects on a Life of Writing

June 5, 2019 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

Just finished year one
as an octogenarian,
glad to still be among
the living ones,
still holding on
to precious memories
that remind me
how good
life has been to me…

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Summertime Book Sale by Friends of OB Library – Saturday, June 8

June 5, 2019 by Source

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Highs and Lows from the California Democratic State Convention

June 4, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / June 3, 2019

Getting Democrats organized is like herding cats –attributed to Bill Clinton.

The really big fight at last weekend’s gathering of Democrats in San Francisco the establishment pundit class wanted you to buy popcorn for was a dud. Nonetheless, I’m sure there is and will be a major effort to sell the narrative of “Dems Divided” after each of these gatherings.

The reality is more like a group of like minded people got together to (sometimes) passionately debate ideas for moving a country they love forward. I heard there were also cocktail parties.

Los Angeles labor leader Rusty Hicks won handily on the first ballot in a three way contest for Chair of the California Democratic Party.

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2 UCSD Doctors Publish Paper Based on Research From Unethically Collected Samples of Veterans Without Their Consent

June 4, 2019 by Source

by Brad Racino & Jill Castellano / inewsource / May 30, 2019

Two prominent doctors associated with the University of California San Diego and the local VA used blood and stool samples taken from sick veterans to bolster a paper published this month in an academic research journal.

The specimens were not supposed to be used, according to the project’s lead researcher, because they were part of a study that unethically collected biological samples from living subjects without their consent, which investigators called “serious noncompliance.”

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‘No Nukes’ News from May 2019: Three Mile Island Nuke Plant Shutting Down – Finally!

June 4, 2019 by Michael Steinberg

By Michael Steinberg / Blackrain Press

On May 8 the New York Times reported, “Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Is Shutting Down.”The story explained that Chicago-based Exelon, the plant’s owner, would be permanently closing the plant at the end of this September because it had been losing money, and a plan for the state of Pennsylvania to bail it out had failed.

There are two nuclear reactor’s at the plant. Reactor #1 started up in 1974, so it will be 45 years old when it shuts down in four month. The plant is located on the Susquehanna River, south of Harrisburg, the state capital.

Exelon is closing down reactor #1 even though it is licensed to operate it until 2034. The utility said that decommissioning the plant, taking down the structure and dealing with leftover high level nuclear waste, will cost $1.2 billion, but won’t even start until 2074.

What Is a “Partial” Meltdown?

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Ocean Beach Planning Board Has 2 Projects, Scooter Corrals, CIPs, SB 50 on Agenda – Wed., June 5

June 3, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

The OB Planning Board has a full agenda for its Wednesday night meeting, June 5th. It’s got 2 projects to review – one on Santa Cruz and one on Pescadero. The Board is also to review, vote and submit its ideas on Capital Improvement Projects to the city by July 1, review the city’s proposed dockless scooter corrals for OB, discuss SB 50 – and that’s just for starters!

The Board meets at 6pm sharp in the Community Meeting Room at the OB Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave.

4684 Santa Cruz

This is an application to construct a “granny flat” of 260 square-feet on top of an existing garage and workshop – at 46j84 Santa Cruz Ave.

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Green Calendar for June 2019

June 3, 2019 by Source

June 15th Saturday 2 pm – 3 pm Beginning Vegetable Gardening Workshops Ocean Beach Library 4801 Santa Monica Ave. San Diego 92107 The Master Gardener Association of San Diego County will be teaching Beginning Vegetable Gardening (BVG) Workshops at the Ocean Beach Library beginning on April 6th. Today’s topic is Soils. Learn about what soil needs to thrive and the science of this essential ingredient in gardening. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/347128559230630

June 15th Saturday 9 am – 6 pm Youth Climate Action Summit The Youth Climate Action Summit is a one-day event taking place in Hillcrest that will better equip high school students to become climate leaders at their school and in their community. Youth will gain leadership and teamwork skills, knowledge, and support to effectively influence policy and inspire their peers to take meaningful action on climate change and climate justice. More info: sd350/org/youth-summit

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Will San Francisco’s Tech Bro Nightmare Become San Diego’s Future?

June 3, 2019 by Jim Miller

By Jim Miller

Bohemian San Francisco is deader than a doornail. That was the theme of a recent Washington Post piece by Karen Heller, “How San Francisco Broke America’s Heart”, that observed how “the great American romantic city” had been ruined by an army of tech bros and the economic forces they represent. As Heller writes, “everyone agrees that something has rotted in San Francisco,” and it’s not a product of the city’s liberalism, but of a new wave of libertarian capitalism:

Real estate is the nation’s costliest. Listings read like typos, a median $1.6 million for a single-family home and $3,700 monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment.

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Noah Jackson Found Guilty in Ocean Beach Stabbing Death of Walter ‘Ras’ Riley – ‘the Incense Man’

June 3, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

On Friday, May 31, a jury found Noah Mitchell Jackson guilty of the stabbing death of Walter “Ras” Riley, a well-known Ocean Beach homeless man known as “the Incense Man”.

After deliberating for nearly 2 and a half days, the jury found Jackson guilty of second-degree murder for the unprovoked knife attack on Riley on June 22, 2017. The fatal attack occurred on Bacon Street, near Newport Avenue after Jackson encountered Riley around 12:30 a.m.

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‘Impeach’ at Ocean Beach in San Diego and San Francisco – Updated

June 2, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Between 80 to 100 people turned out for the “Impeach at the Beach” event held at Dog Beach in OB yesterday, Saturday, June 1st.

And with their bodies, towels and blankets, they spelled out “IMPEACH”. Drone photographers were on hand as was 10News.

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