January 2023

Peninsula Planners Told By City It Will No Longer Review Proposed Accessory Dwelling Units

January 31, 2023 by Staff

By Geoff Page

The Peninsula Community Planning Board’s regularly monthly meeting, Thursday, January 19, was relatively unremarkable until a certain piece of very remarkable information popped up, almost routinely.  It appears the evisceration of the planning board system has begun.

About one hour into the meeting, the PCPB reached the point in its agenda called “Applicant-Initiated Action Items.” Board chair, Fred Kosmo, pointed out that there were no projects on the agenda and explained why. Kosmo said that the PCPB’s Project Review subcommittee chair, Joe Holasek, informed him of a change at the city.

The planning boards will no longer be reviewing projects involving accessory dwelling units or ADUs. So, how does removing projects – the most common and of numerous projects these days – from planning board review square with the following?

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11 Years Ago Today, San Onofre Nearly Became the Next Fukushima

January 31, 2023 by Source

From San Clemente Green

Eleven years ago today — Jan. 31, 2013, we almost nuked Southern California. We owe a debt of gratitude to the nuclear operators that managed a swift and flawless emergency shutdown.

A Thank You Note to Edison Employees and a reminder to all. It is important to remember that they prevented a major disaster eleven years ago.

Your quick actions when radioactive steam began escaping into the environment, prevented a chain reaction from occurring in one of the newly replaced steam generators. It turns out that whistleblowers, afraid of known retaliation from management for such things, had rightfully warned us of this possibility two years prior.

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‘What a Difference a Day Makes’

January 31, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

There’s more snow in them thar hills today, Tuesday, the last day of January 2023.

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Covid in San Diego Killed Local Republicans at Higher Rates Than Democrats After the Vaccine

January 30, 2023 by Source

After the Vaccine, Republicans Became Far More Likely to Die with Covid-19 Than Democrats

A Voice of San Diego analysis of death certificates and public voter files reveals that partisan affiliation was a predictor of one’s likelihood to perish during year two of the pandemic. Those who decline to identify with a party also saw a higher rate of death.

by Will Huntsberry and Jesse Marx / Voice of San Diego / January 30, 2023

America’s partisan divide isn’t only bitter. It’s deadly.

During the first year of the pandemic, Democrats died at higher rates than Republicans. But during the second year, as Covid vaccines became widely available, Republicans in San Diego County began dying at significantly higher rates than Democrats,

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The Luminosity Pledge: 200 Drone Light Show for 4th of July in Ocean Beach

January 30, 2023 by Source

From Luminosity Newsletter

There Will be Drones.

The LUMINOSITY Steering Committee is currently in negotiations with a major Drone Company. A contract should be signed in February. On the Fourth of July of 2023, Ocean Beach WILL have at least 200 drones with additional drones added as more funding becomes available.

Further information will be made available after the contract is finalized.

The LUMINOSITY Arts Council Meets

The first meeting of the Arts Council recently met to begin planning the Festival of Lights element of LUMINOSITY. The panel is made up of individuals with a background in the arts and who have ties to Ocean Beach. The role of the council is to determine the scope and vision of the festival.

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Mt. Laguna Today: ‘There’s Snow in Them Thar Hills’

January 30, 2023 by Source

Mt. Laguna live cam at the Mt. Laguna Lodge, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 at 9:35 a.m.

In comparison, look at Lake Cuyamaca this morning, just down the hill. So, there’s snow in only some of them thar hills.

Obviously, “There’s snow in them thar hills” is a take-off of Yosemite Sam’s favorite expression, “There’s gold in them thar hills.”

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Smokin’ in Ocean Beach

January 27, 2023 by Source

Check out these black and whites taken by ACE, Albert C Elliott, on Thursday, Jan. 26 at Ocean Beach. Smokin’, dude.

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The Saga of What Once Was a Car Wash on Midway Drive

January 27, 2023 by Source

From Peninsula Newsletter of PLA

Remember this? (At 2959 Midway Drive) For many years it did a pretty good job of quick-washing vehicles.

An added thrill (for kids of many ages) was staying in the car as it moved through brushes, chamois and soapy waterfalls. One day it closed. We don’t remember the exact date.

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‘Scam Me Once – Shame on You – Scam Me Twice, Shame on Me’

January 27, 2023 by Judi Curry

By Judi Curry

There is no question that I am an insomniac. I have been for over 13 years and it started when my husband Bob was diagnosed with lung cancer.  As the cancer advanced, it was difficult for him to speak, and so we developed a method of communication by turning on a light whenever he needed anything.  It didn’t matter what time of day it was – the light went on.

But insomniacs seem to “run” in my family. 

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Locals Protest Federal Government Plans to Build 30-Foot Tall Border Wall at Friendship Park

January 26, 2023 by Source

From San Diego Fox5 News

The government’s plan to replace old border walls at Friendship Park is getting a lot of pushback from a nonprofit group.

A rally and march in protest of the plans was held at the U.S. Border Patrol station in Chula Vista Tuesday morning, Jan. 24.

Friends of Friendship Park believes the new border wall that will go up near the binational park will undermine the cross-border connection and friendship between the United States and Mexico.

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U-T Editorial: City Proposal for Taller Apartments and More ADUs ‘Flawed’

January 26, 2023 by Source

San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial:

California’s emergence as the U.S. epicenter of poverty because of extreme housing costs has galvanized state lawmakers, but the resulting legislation hasn’t had a huge impact on the problem.

The latest study to make this point was issued last week by the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation. It found that 2021’s Senate Bill 9 has had “limited or nonexistent” results in 13 California cities, including San Diego.

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Task Force: New OB Pier Will Be Completed — Hopefully — In 5 Years

January 26, 2023 by Source

It is full speed ahead on initial planning to replace the iconic Ocean Beach Pier creating an updated regional landmark to last up to a century.

A best-case scenario would be to have construction on a new structurally modern pier likely costing upwards of $100 million beginning before the end of 2026, with completion by mid-2028.

It will be a new pier for a new age, said OB resident and OB Pier Task Force member Mark Winkie.

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TV Reporter and Local Resident Dan Plante Has Good News for Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach

January 26, 2023 by Source

KUSI reporter Dan Plante, an OB resident, has good news for merchants along Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach.

It’s all about classical music being piped out onto Newport; it’s about the perception that unhoused people have moved off the main street; it’s about how the community has stepped up to assist some of the merchants who’ve been burglarized recently; it’s about how there may be more police officers driving down Newport Ave.

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Feral Cats on Campus at Pt Loma Nazarene

January 26, 2023 by Source

By Lily Damron / Lomabeat.com / Jan. 25, 2023

Many on-campus Point Loma Nazarene University students may be familiar with the feral cats that roam around campus, especially the ones that live in the wooded area along the southern edge of Nease Residence Hall. Some may also be familiar with Jim Gaupsas and his wife, who feed and take care of them. I first heard about Gaupsas, and the cat population, from my roommate after she had unsuccessfully attempted to befriend the campus’ cats.

One afternoon, she ran into Gaupsas, who furthered her interest in becoming a cat whisperer.

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San Diego County Considers Minimum Wage for Traffic Control Workers

January 26, 2023 by Source

From 10News

The county Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Wednesday to advance a proposed minimum wage for traffic control workers on privately funded projects on county roads.

Wednesday’s vote, with Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond opposed, was technically the first reading of the ordinance. Supervisors will consider the issue again on Feb. 8 for possible final approval.

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Midway Planners: If There’s No Community, How Can There Be a Community Planning Group?

January 25, 2023 by Source

It’s Disclosed 3pm Meeting Time Is For Convenience of Business & Property Owners and Government Staffers – Not for Residents

By Geoff Page

The Midway-Pacific Highway Community Planning Group held its first meeting of 2023 on Wednesday, January 18 using the Zoom meeting format. The meeting was a head shaker once again.

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San Diego Plans More Compassionate Vehicle Towing Policies

January 25, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Because a recent audit showed the top two reasons a vehicle in San Diego gets towed typically affect low-income people, San Diego officials are proposing changes to the city’s vehicle towing policies. If adopted, the new policies will be more compassionate than current ones.

The city is exploring:

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After Weeks of Rain, California Reservoirs Still Not Full

January 25, 2023 by Source

By Jamie Joseph / Epoch Times / Jan. 24, 2023, Updated Jan.25

Most of California’s major reservoirs failed to reach full capacity after more than two weeks of rainstorms, according to the latest data from the state water department. As of Jan. 23, among the 17 major reservoirs, only the smallest one—the Cachuma Reservoir northwest of Santa Barbara—was nearly full, at about 1.5 times its historical average level, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

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News from Ocean Beach and Point Loma — Late January 2023

January 24, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Midway Eatery Makes Yelp’s Top 100 Pizza Joints in US

OB Home and Garden Store Gets Props

28th Annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea at Pt Loma Nazarene – Feb 20-24

Poet’s First Novel Set in Beachfront Similar to OB

10 Reasons Why Smoking Should Be Banned at the Beach

OB Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Provided Fentanyl-Laced Pills that Caused Death of Other OB Man

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Remarks for My Ring of Honor Induction – After Arizona v. UCLA Game

January 24, 2023 by Ernie McCray

By Ernie McCray

Back when I was playing
in the old Bear Down Gym
doing my “Easy Ernie” thing,
draining 2’s
and what today|
would be 3’s
and snatching rebounds
like I was taking back
something that had been stolen from me,
I couldn’t have dreamed
that all that balling
would someday
result in my name hanging from a rafter
in the University of Arizona’s
Basketball Ring of Honor,

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Democratic City Councilmembers Sounding More Like Republicans – Now Want to Charge Homeless for Use of Public Restrooms

January 23, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

What’s the big deal with having a totally-Democratic City Council if they all start sounding like Republicans? That’s what’s happening in San Diego. The City Council now wants to start charging homeless people — and others — for using public restrooms.

City elected leaders say they could solve the shortage of downtown restrooms by charging users “a nominal fee,” as much as, say, a quarter or 50 cents. Plus, they claim unhoused people would be actually better off because they would have access to more and clean public restrooms. That’s more of a Republican view, isn’t it? Let folks pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and plug in a quarter or two to go to the bathroom.

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OBcean Is ‘Officially Over Disneyland’

January 23, 2023 by Source

An OBcean has just posted on facebook: “I’m officially over Disneyland!” Then the person posted a time and expense chart to show their grief. We thought it timely and funny and and not so-funny and reposted it.

I think I’m officially over Disneyland. I’ve gone so many times that I have hit my lifetime limit of waiting in line for minimal amounts of entertainment value.

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Reader’s Rant: ‘Congratulations City Council – You’ve Made a Short-Term Rental Ghetto in Mission Beach’

January 23, 2023 by Source

By Gary Wonacott

Congratulations Councilmember Campbell and supporting cast:

You have taken a small beach community, allowed an unrestrained proliferation of short term rentals from 2010 to 2020, a time period that coincidentally correlates with a loss of almost twenty five percent of our population.  Then you legalized it solidifying what is now an area surrounding Belmont Park that is, in my opinion, a STR ghetto.

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The Right to Strike Is on Trial at the US Supreme Court

January 23, 2023 by Source

By Marjorie Cohn / TruthOut / January 2023

The right to strike is on trial in the Supreme Court. At stake is a 64-year-old precedent that shields workers and unions from state lawsuits while they pursue unfair labor practice claims in the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). If unions have to defend against costly lawsuits, it will likely discourage them from going on strike.

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Pt Loma High Baseball Pancake Breakfast — Feb. 4

January 23, 2023 by Source

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Ocean Beach Library Will Be Last to Fully Re-Open

January 20, 2023 by Staff

As the San Diego Union-Tribune reported today, “The long-awaited return of Sunday public library hours in San Diego could come this spring as library officials say they’ve made significant progress filling a rash of 275 employee vacancies spurred by the pandemic.”

Some branches will reopen on Sunday over the next two months. But not the Ocean Beach Library.

As the U-T stated: “San Diego was also relatively slow to reopen its branches on days other than Sundays, with four branches remaining fully or partially closed until last year and with Ocean Beach still not fully re-opened.”

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San Diego Audubon to Host Dramatic King Tide Viewing Saturday in Mission Bay

January 20, 2023 by Source

On Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, from 7:30 to 10 a.m. (high tide at 8:06 a.m.) San Diego Audubon, ReWild and UCSD will host a King Tide viewing in Mission Bay’s Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve. The Reserve is at 2055 Pacific Beach Dr., 92109 (southeast corner of Pacific Beach Dr. and Crown Point Dr.)

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King Tides Are Back in San Diego! January 21-22

January 20, 2023 by Source

King tides are returning to Ocean Beach and other coastal communities this weekend, Jan. 21 – 22.

They only happen a few times a year. Simply put, a King Tide is the time of the year when the tide is the highest. King Tides are caused by the normal gravitational forces from the moon and the sun that create normal tides. However, a king tide happens when the earth, sun, and moon are in full alignment; causing an increase in gravitational pull.

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Keepers of Martin Luther King’s Spirit of Love

January 20, 2023 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

Two people kept Martin Luther King’s
spirit of love
breathing
for me
on MLK Day,
Steve Phillips,”
writer and founder of Democracy in Color,
and Grammy Award winning jazz trumpeter
and film score composer,
Terence Blanchard.

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‘Organic’ Food Label Rules Tightened as USDA Closes Loopholes

January 20, 2023 by Source

By Laura Reiley / The Washington Post – Reader Supported News / Jan. 20, 2023

The Agriculture Department announced new guidelines for products labeled “organic,” a term that has been increasingly abused as shoppers have sought healthier, environmentally friendly food.

The USDA has a strict definition of “certified organic,” allowing the label to be used only for products that meet certain standards for soil quality, animal-raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives.

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