December 2023

OB Pier Loses Piling During High Tide Swell

December 29, 2023 by Source

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The Shield the City of San Diego Has Built Around Itself

December 28, 2023 by Source

By Geoff Page

Over the past several years, the City of San Diego has made a concerted, and somewhat stealthy effort, to build a shield around itself to insulate those in charge from the rest of us. The control the city exerts over citizen access to government is classic authoritarianism. It seems the Democrats in control don’t mind borrowing tactics, normally associated with the most despicable of historic regimes, and Republicans, throughout history.

This shield consists of three pieces, the city’s Communications Department, the Public Records Request system, and the push for community planning group reform. The first two are currently entrenched, the third will be by next year.

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‘My Generation of Seniors Need to Make Amends to Our Off-Spring for Supporting a Man Who Nearly Brought Our Democracy to its Knees — by Not Ever Voting for Him Again.’

December 28, 2023 by Ernie McCray

By Ernie McCray / Op-Ed San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 28, 2023

I’m but one of America’s nearly 60 million senior citizens, an 85-year-old. That’s an age filled with concerns, all kinds of concerns, concerns about walking into a room not knowing why, concerns about aches and pains that come in several degrees and recent concerns about rises in ageism.

Oh, the list of concerns could go on and on, ad nauseum, but I have a particular concern that has, for a while now, bothered me tremendously, one that stands high on my list of worries.

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Thursday’s High Tide Hitting OB

December 28, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Here’s a view from the Ocean Beach cam of this morning’s high tide at 9:25 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 28.

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Gentrifying 3-Story Units for Sale at Newly Constructed Abbott and Muir Development in Ocean Beach

December 27, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Well, it finally happened. The three, 3-story units built on the empty lot at Abbott and Muir have entered the housing market — each over $2 million dollars a piece.

The empty lot — used by neighbors for decades as a mini sports field — was coveted by various developers for years as they trooped to the OB Planning Board with their various proposals, only to have their plans shot down for various violations of the OB Community Plan.

Finally, somebody got it “right” and constructed the project – and now has placed two of them on the market.

2158 and 2166 Abbott are each listed as 3-story, 2 bedroom with en-suite bathroom and powder room, 2 car garage, second floor decks and a roof deck with a Jacuzzi.

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Biden Issues Federal Pardon to All Americans for Marijuana Use, Including Those Never Arrested or Prosecuted

December 27, 2023 by Source

By Francesca Chambers / USA TODAY /December 22, 2023

President Joe Biden announced Friday, Dec.22, he’s issuing a federal pardon to every American who has used marijuana in the past, including those who were never arrested or prosecuted.

The sweeping pardon applies to all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in possession of marijuana for their personal use and those convicted of similar federal crimes. It does not apply to individuals who have been jailed for selling the drug,

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‘As a lesbian in the Navy, I fought the good fight to eliminate the prejudice I experienced’

December 27, 2023 by Source

By Beth F. Coye / Op-Ed San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 26, 2023

The motivating factor behind my life has been protection and defense of America from all enemies. My dad, a World War II-decorated submarine skipper, instilled in our family that duty was above all else. So, it was no surprise to anyone that my adult career was spent as a naval officer, retiring as a commanding officer in San Diego, my birthplace.

I loved the Navy, I loved that we had a serious mission to protect and serve our country. I had always been so focused that the military’s raison d’etre was to protect against the enemy from without that it took me years to unravel that the military’s perception was that certain people were unfit to serve this mission, and I turned out to be one of those people.

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The Mills Act, the Missing Middle and Affordable Housing

December 26, 2023 by Source

By Bruce Coons / SOHO / Newsletter November -December 2023

Despite the considerable rhetoric about making housing more affordable, the Mills Act remains San Diego’s sole effective incentive that makes houses more affordable.

Named after the late San Diegan James Mills, our former State Senator and a great friend of preservation, the Mills Act offers a compelling incentive to owners of designated historic properties in California. In exchange for taking on the responsibility of preserving, maintaining, and restoring these historic landmarks for public benefit, they may receive a reduction in property taxes. Beyond its cultural and aesthetic impact, the Mills Act also addresses a pressing concern in San Diego: the need for affordable housing.

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City Doubles Down on H-Barracks Site for Homeless Shelter

December 26, 2023 by Staff

The City of San Diego has doubled down on using “H-Barracks” as a site for a homeless shelter of some kind. A recent article in the U-T by Blake Nelson recounts why that appears to be so.

Apart from Mayor Gloria’s director of community engagement, Kohta Zaiser, making public pronouncements about the positive attributes of the idea, work crews are clearing asbestos and lead from H-Barracks’ eight two-story buildings, shaped like giant “H’s.” When finished with the planned demolition, only a concrete slab will remain.

The prime real estate property has been promised to San Diego’s multibillion-dollar Pure Water recycling system, but which doesn’t need it for another five years, leaving the city with around seven empty acres.

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Wishing Well Kind of Wishes

December 26, 2023 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

As the world spins
seemingly out of control
I find unfolding in me
the kind of wishes
one would make at a wishing well
in a fairy tale,
wishing that
Secretaries of State
in America’s states
will rise early every day
and stay up late
ensuring that
a former president
who is filled with hate,
like a rattle snake
overflowing with venom,
will not be a candidate
in his or her state,

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Update on Hugo’s Shoe Repair

December 26, 2023 by Source

From Peninsula News:

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OB For the Holidays

December 23, 2023 by Staff

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Man Rescued From Sunset Cliffs Tunnel

December 22, 2023 by Source

Rescue crews have freed a man who became trapped in a narrow tunnel under rocks on Sunset Cliffs in San Diego County after a challenging 18-hour rescue mission.

The man, who is conscious, was first spotted on the cliffs at 3:43 p.m. Thursday, according to San Diego Fire Rescue. Just after 11 a.m., rescuers using a rope-and-pulley system hoisted the man via a stretcher onto the bluffs above the sea cliffs.

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Crews Work to Rescue Man From Under Concrete at Orchard and Cable

December 22, 2023 by Source

Since Thursday, first responders have been working to rescue a middle-aged man who slipped and fell under broken concrete sections on the side of a cliff in Ocean Beach. Fire officials believe he may have been stuck there for up to three days.

Around 3:42 p.m., a rescue team reported to Cable St. and Orchard Ave. about a medical emergency after someone heard him calling for help, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD).

As of 7:35 a.m. Friday morning, crews are still working to extricate the man from the hole.

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Have a OB Holiday! Best Wishes from OB Rag Staff

December 21, 2023 by Source

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What Did Jesus Do?

December 21, 2023 by Source

Roll Up for Cannabis Equity – A Monthly Column

By Terrie Best

By now there have been many articles written about political operatives Jesus and Andrea Cardenas alleged shenanigans with a Federal PPP loan. These alleged actions led to a criminal indictment against the siblings but not enough has been said about Jesus’s connection to the cannabis lobby.

I’m not an expert on the politics of cannabis but articles from local news outlets gave us some insight and I have many more questions.

A detail which concerned me was the disclosure that as late as 2021 March and Ash, the largest cannabis retailer in San Diego county, was paying Cardenas for consulting work

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San Diego in 2024: Who’s Running for What Office?

December 21, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Here’s a projection into San Diego politics 2024 – who is running for what office?  Here’s what we know now broken down by district and office, now that we’ve passed the signature qualification phase:

San Diego City Council

District 1

Joe LaCava represents north coastal District 1 and will run unopposed for re-election. Anthony Olmo was challenging him but failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

District 2

Jen Campbell is not up for re-election in 2024. She was re-elected in 2022.

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The Next Climate Acronym: ‘WHDSF’

December 21, 2023 by Source

WHDSF stands for “Wildfires, Heatwaves, Droughts, Storms, and Floods,” and is a handy way to remember the range of catastrophic change we’re going through.

By David Helvarg / Common Dreams / Dec. 17, 2023

If people can remember socially important acronyms like LGBTQ + and an older generation can’t get toxic advertising acronyms like LSMFT out of their brains (BTW—it stands for “Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco”) we might all want to start remembering WHDSF whenever the issue of climate change comes up.

WHDSF stands for “Wildfires, Heatwaves, Droughts, Storms, and Floods,”

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Final Curtain Call at Ocean Beach Playhouse Saturday, Dec.23 — Special Discounts Available

December 21, 2023 by Source

By Roma Chang / Hoodline – Fox5SanDiego / December 21, 2023

It’s lights out for the Ocean Beach Playhouse. The cherished San Diego theater is taking its final bow this Saturday, Dec. 23, after seven years of operation. Citing crushing rent hikes, owners Bill and Jennie Connard have to wave goodbye to their dual-concept space, which houses both OB eBikes and the intimate 50-seat stage.

In a city where gentrification is as common as the sunny days, small business owners are finding to barely keep up with the deep-pocketed retail chains. “The rent just too high for what we’re doing and way too high for a community theater,” the Connards told FOX 5 San Diego.

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‘United Taxi Workers’ Now Have Their Own Ride-Hailing App

December 20, 2023 by Source

By Thomas Fudge / KPBS / December 15, 2023

There are still taxi drivers in San Diego despite the storm of changes to the industry brought by ride-hailing companies. You can still call a dispatcher to get a ride from drivers with the United Taxi Workers of San Diego (UTWSD). But now those taxis also have an app, just like Uber and Lyft.

“You can go to your Apple App store, your Google Play store and just search for Ride United. You’ll see ‘Ride United (Passengers)’, and just click download like with any other app,” said UC San Diego communication professor Lilly Irani.

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The Pros and Cons of Beach Surf Cams

December 20, 2023 by Source

Surfer Today / December 19, 2023

Progress and technology are often associated with quality of life and happiness, but they sure come with more or less various downsides.
Throughout the history of surfing, beach surf cameras have always been the subject of love-hate discussions and some serious attacks on private property.

By beach cams, we mean video cameras installed near beaches and surf spots seldom pointed toward the best wave peaks.

Back in the day, in the pre-Information Age (roughly before the 1950s), apart from tides, surfers knew little about what to expect from the ocean.

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Homelessness in America Reached Record High in 2022 — 650,000 Living in Shelters, Tents or Cars

December 19, 2023 by Source

By Jennifer Ludden / NPR / December 15, 2023

Homelessness in America spiked last year, reaching a record high, according to an annual count that provides a snapshot of one night in January. The report, released Dec. 15 by the department of Housing and Urban development, found more than 650,000 people were living in shelters or outside in tents or cars. That’s up a whopping 12% from the year before.

To advocates, it hardly comes as a surprise.

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Reflections, Color and Light

December 19, 2023 by Source

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Official Start of Environmental Review Process for Midway Rising Reveals Changes to Re-development Plan

December 19, 2023 by Staff

ON Monday, December 18, the city published the “notice of preparation” for the sports arena area redevelopment — inviting the public and others to help craft what’s studied in the environmental analysis of the proposed development.

As we all know, the Midway Rising re-development team was selected in 2022 by the city council to remake the property in the Midway District. And as we all must know by now, the re-development team was headed up at the time by Brad Termini, head of housing developer Zephyr, who – along with his spouse – were the biggest contributors to Mayor Gloria’s campaign for mayor.

The mayor was the biggest fan of Midway Rising and convinced the city council to select it for one of the most massive redevelopment projects in modern San Diego history.

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Pt Loma Nazarene Graduates San Diego’s First Class of Physician Assistants

December 19, 2023 by Source

Point Loma Nazarene University’s inaugural class graduates 28 students.

By Paul Sisson / San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 18, 2023

They came to the stage one at a time, trailing parents, siblings, spouses and significant others who took white coats from a rack, holding them up as the graduates shrugged into them, getting a feel for a new level of responsibility in the medical world. And just like that, Point Loma Nazarene University minted its first 28 physician assistants Friday,

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Don’t Let ‘The Grinch’ Steal Your Christmas

December 18, 2023 by Source

By  Colleen O’Connor

Remember the timeless holiday poem by Dr. Suess., aka, Theodore Geisel.

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

Familiar?  As in current political events?  Global mayhem and sadness?

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Ousted for Espousing Dialogue on Same-Sex Marriage After 17 Years as Pastor at Pt Loma Nazarene, Dee Kelley Files Last Appeal

December 18, 2023 by Source

By Paul Sisson / San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 17, 2023

Four months into a church disciplinary process, the possibility of reinstatement looks remote for Selden “Dee” Kelley, the San Diego pastor who lost his job after writing 1,218 words that called for a broader dialogue on same-sex marriage in the Church of the Nazarene.

Kelley, who led San Diego First Church of the Nazarene for 17 years before his dismissal on Aug. 14, said last week that a regional church court denied his initial appeal on Nov. 20.

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Pt Loma High School Alumni – Your Input Wanted on New Head Football Coach as Coach Allen Steps Down

December 18, 2023 by Source

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Ocean Beach Pier Renewal – Link to City Website

December 18, 2023 by Source

Here’s the link to the City of San Diego’s website on the OB Pier Renewal – and here is how it begins:

Ocean Beach Pier Background

The Ocean Beach (OB) Pier first opened on July 2, 1966. Conceived as a sportfishing pier, the facility enables the public to access and interact with the ocean. There is no fee for walking out onto the pier and fishing licenses are not required.

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Michael Smolens: Jones-Wright Entry into Mayoral Race Upsets Any Coast to Victory Gloria Thought He Had

December 18, 2023 by Source

By Michael Smolens / San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 17, 2023

Mayor Todd Gloria’s re-election bid may have become more complex with a challenge from social justice advocate and former district attorney candidate Geneviéve Jones-Wright.

So far, the former public defender mostly has kept a low profile as a mayoral candidate, with no formal announcement speech or extensive media interviews to talk about running for the region’s most powerful local government office.

J

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