Month: October 2023

By Judi Curry

Dozens of people attended the Neighborhood Watch meeting at St. Peter’s by the Sea meeting room earlier this month. Over half a dozen signs had been put over the local area notifying people that there was a watch group forming in the neighborhood. Two people – Rosamaria Acuna and Gary Werchak – were responsible for bringing the effort together.

The City of San Diego served notice on October 23, 2023, of a upcoming decision by the Development Services Dept on the permit to build a new 3-storty multi-unit complex at 4705 Point Loma Avenue in south OB.

Development Services Staff will make a decision to approve, conditionally approve, modify, or deny an application for a (Process 2) Coastal Development Permit to demolish an existing commercial structure and to construct a new 3-story multi-dwelling unit, located at 4705 Point Loma Av.

Development of the 0.17-acre site has long been anticipated – and the corner itself has an interesting and controversial history.

Earlier this month U-T reporter Phillip Molnar wrote that a new study by Lending Tree, a loan website, determined that “6 percent of homes in the San Diego metropolitan area — which includes all of San Diego County — are vacant. In terms of raw numbers, that is 74,936 homes.”

Again, that is nearly 75,000 homes, houses, apartments, condos, studios, ADUs – that are taking up space that have no humans in them. In an area in an affordable housing crisis, that’s an astounding number.

SOHO has released a Preservation Action Alert and Call to Action for today, Oct. 26 for San Diego’s Preservation Ordinance is in jeopardy.

By Geoff Page

This is an account of a disabled homeless woman who was tossed out, at night, from the city’s homeless encampment at the city’s Operations Maintenance Yard at 20th and B. She was left to fend for herself huddled against a fence with a few of her belongings in the dark and the drizzle of a Tuesday night.

This writer met Jane – not her real name – last Friday, October 6, during a visit to the camp. She had contacted The Rag around noon desperate for some immediate help because she was about to be kicked out of the camp that day. Jane is disabled because of issues with a leg making walking difficult.

Cucina Caprese
3545 Midway Drive
San Diego, CA 92110
619-228-9325 

By Judi Curry

During the past few weeks, I received three calls asking me if I had had a meal at “Cucina Caprese”.  I asked for more information from each caller and last night, when I did not have to cook dinner for my three ESL students, Steve and I decided to try it out.  And we are glad that we did.

By Kate Callen

The Little Red Bungalow, a community icon in the heart of Mission Hills, was demolished on Friday, October 6, to make way for an eight-story market-rate housing tower. The Craftsman bungalow was 111 years old. (see before-and-after pictures below). I was invited to speak at Saturday’s vigil at the demolition site. Here are my remarks:

Today, we are mourning two losses. First, we are mourning the death of a beloved landmark.

The following is a statement by Stephanie Trimis on behalf of the OB Elementary PTA — Trimis is its president:

Last week, the parents and guardians of Ocean Beach Elementary students received heartbreaking news regarding the impending relocation of a beloved 3rd-grade teacher, Ms. Bailey Ringer, due to lower enrollment than projected.

This decision has far-reaching consequences, affecting not only Ms. Ringer’s 3rd-grade class but six additional classrooms. The sudden shift in classrooms, effective next week, has left parents, students, and educators deeply concerned.