OB Rag

Reader Rant: ‘OB and PL Are Targeted by Developers – Time to Fight the Billionaire Buyers’

by Source on May 14, 2024 · 0 comments

By Lynne Miller

Hey Friends! Some of you know that we have been opposing a 20-unit building in our Ocean Beach neighborhood. The good news is that OBPB voted to deny the project. The bad news is that the City of San Diego does not have to accept the recommendation, so we will likely have a long appeal process ahead.

I attended Peninsula Planning Board (subcommittee) meeting and found out something disturbing. Here is a copy of a post I put on Facebook pages. Here is the article:

OBcians, protect Ocean Beach! We are fighting a 20-unit high-density building on Point Loma Avenue.

A few houses up the street, there is an 8-unit building beginning, and on Pescadero and Froude, another 9 units are being built that will look like an apartment complex.

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OB Community Foundation Ready to ‘Share Details’ — Wednesday, May 15 at Pt Loma Library

by Staff on May 14, 2024 · 0 comments

in Ocean Beach

The Board of the Ocean Beach Community Foundation says it’s “ready to share some details with the OB community” from their attorney and CPA.

They’re hosting a meeting (they call it a “Community Town Hall”) this Wednesday, May 15 at the Point Loma Library — at 7 pm.

In their monthly newsletter, the board writes, “We appreciate your patience as we are diving in to past year financials back through 2018….”

They’re also getting ready to hold elections and have a candidate forum planned for Wednesday, June 26.

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Local TV Station Questions Why City Is Keeping Dirt Parking Lot Near Robb Field Closed

by Source on May 14, 2024 · 0 comments

in Ocean Beach

By Eric S. Page / NBC7 /May 13, 2024

Four months after it was abruptly padlocked, a free city public parking lot near the shore in Ocean Beach remains off-limits to cars, a pair of sun-bleached printed signs hanging from the gates telling people that the lot would “be locked indefinitely due to safety issues.”

In January — apparently on Jan. 29, when the signs were posted — workers padlocked the dirt lot, which city of San Diego spokesman Benjamin “Benny” Cartwright told NBC 7 was “currently closed but is available for overflow parking for special events and tournaments. Robb Field users are directed to use the parking lots within the main park.”

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Environmental Activists Lobby San Diego Council to ‘ReWild’ Mission Bay — Tuesday, May 14

by Source on May 14, 2024 · 0 comments

in Environment, Ocean Beach, San Diego

ReWild Holds Rally for Vital Environmental Protections in the Mission Bay Park Master Plan Amendment

A coalition of 89+ member organizations, known collectively as the ReWild Coalition, are hosting a rally at San Diego City Hall on Tuesday at 1PM, before delivering comments at the City Council meeting to adopt critical amendments to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan.

It’s part of their effort to lobby the City Council to “rewild” northeast Mission Bay.

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UC San Diego Faculty and Graduate Student Statements on Resignation of Chancellor and Condemnations of Police Action

by Source on May 10, 2024 · 4 comments

in Civil Disobedience, Education, San Diego

Here are two statements made this week by UCSD faculty and graduate students in response to the use of law enforcement to make arrests and break down a tent encampment in solidarity with the people of Gaza. The faculty call for Chancellor Pradeep Khosla’s immediate resignation.

UCSD Faculty Call for Chancellor’s Resignation

Faculty of the Ethnic Studies department at UC San Diego are outraged at the vicious suppression of students by our administration under the leadership of Chancellor Pradeep Khosla. This morning, May 6, 2024, Chancellor Khosla called on the UCPD, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and California Highway Patrol in military riot gear to raid an encampment of peaceful demonstrators exercising their free speech

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Man Who Grabbed Boy on Newport Avenue Sentenced to 2 Years in County Jail

by Source on May 10, 2024 · 0 comments

in Ocean Beach

Christopher Higginbotham was the man who was captured in widely circulated footage grabbing a young boy on Newport Ave., outside an Ocean Beach business and trying to take the child with him was sentenced Wednesday, May 8, to two years in county jail.

Higginbotham, 39, pleaded guilty to a felony false imprisonment count for picking an 8-year-old boy up on March 22 along Newport Avenue.

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Now, County Board of Supes Wants to Jump In and Help Finance ‘Midway Rising’ Promises in Sports Arena Redevelopment

May 10, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

At the beginning of the month, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors decided it wanted to jump in and help with the financing of projects pledged by Midway Rising in the Sports Arena redevelopment.

It came in the form of an agreement on Wednesday, May 1, by the Board “to explore a partnership with the city of San Diego on an enhanced infrastructure financing district at the Midway Rising/Sports Arena site,” reports 7SanDiego.

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New Online Petition: ‘Stop Big Development in OB’ and ‘Keep Ocean Beach Historical!’

May 10, 2024 by Source

There’s a new online petition to “Stop Big Development in OB” and it’s aiming for 500 signatures. Begun by Sara Hickman to keep OB historic, the text to the petition is a slap at Mayor Gloria’s “Complete Communities.” (The Rag has a media inquiry to Sara Hickmann.)

Here’s the link to the petition.

Here’s the text:

We are raising our voices in the hope of stopping development unprecedented in OB, unprecedented waivers,

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Demand Ceasefire in Gaza — OB Entrance on Saturday, May 11 at Noon

May 10, 2024 by Source

Come out This Saturday, May 11th, 2024 at Noon in Ocean Beach !!

This weekly demonstration, organized by the San Diego Veterans For Peace and the progressive women’s group, Code Pink, will mark the fifteen consecutive Saturdays at the same location, corner of West Point Loma Blvd and Sunset Cliffs Blvd

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Mayor’s Office vs. OB’s Historical District

May 8, 2024 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Last night’s overflow crowd of concerned OB and Point Loma residents at the monthly meeting of the OB Planning Board demonstrates once again, the deafness of the Mayor, most of the Council and a slew of bureaucrats.

It was yet another serious event to stop the overdevelopment, the neighborhood destruction, the arrogance of Mayor Gloria

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OB’s ‘Volley Ball Wars’ Over Public Beach Leave the Public Out

May 8, 2024 by Staff

By Geoff Page

A volleyball company’s use of OB’s sands to make money has residents who live nearby upset. This was all detailed in The Rag’s February 22 piece. It appeared that this problem was solved recently when the city denied Volo Sports, the subject of the previous Rag story, a permit to use “pop-up” volleyball nets.

The immediate issue, the apparent reason why the city denied the permit, was a safety concern brought forward by the lifeguards. The official word from the lifeguards is not forthcoming, but it is known the objection had to do with “pop-up” volleyball nets.

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Is Money So Tight in San Diego, That Lights on Ocean Beach Pier Have to Be Turned Off at Night? Navigational Hazard Created by Dark Structure

May 9, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Rag reporter Charles Landon has noticed something troubling at night in Ocean Beach.

The lights on the Ocean Beach Pier have been turned off at night during this last week. He says the lights on the pier have “been lit up every night for as long as I’ve lived here, 12 years — but now it is as dark as the dead structure it is.

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Push Back Grows Against UC San Diego for Violent Crackdown, Calls Mount for Chancellor’s Resignation

May 8, 2024 by Staff

The push back is growing against the UC San Diego administration’s violent crackdown on the peaceful Palestine solidarity encampment on Monday, May 6.

65 people were arrested when UC police, Highway Patrol and County Deputies confronted students and supporters and tore down the tents, placing dozens in zipties.

Also, there are mounting calls for UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla to resign for his role in bringing in law enforcement

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San Diego Library Advocates Are Calling for Residents to Speak Out at City Council Tonight — Wed, May 8 at 6 pm

May 8, 2024 by Source

Patrick Stewart, the head of the San Diego Library Foundation, a non-profit advocate for the City’s libraries, is calling upon residents to attend tonight’s City Council meeting to show elected officials that libraries are essential to our communities. They deserve to be funded in our City budget, not neglected.

Directions for Wednesday, May 8 Budget Review Committee meeting at the City Administration Building, 202 “C” Street, 12th floor Council Chambers

The City Administration Building is a one block walk from the Civic Center trolley stop off the Orange or Blue lines and is served by several MTS bus lines.

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San Diego’s Cannabis Equity Program at Risk in Mayor’s Proposed Budget

May 8, 2024 by Source

By Joey Safchik /7SanDiego /April 29, 2024

A city of San Diego cannabis social equity program has been in the works for years.

The program’s goal is to open doors for people and family members impacted by the criminalization of cannabis so that they can enter the now-legal industry. The city’s own study found people of color were disproportionately affected.

Megain McCall has a felony cannabis conviction for possession of a bag of cannabis-infused candy. McCall has spent half a decade advocating for the social equity program.

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Ocean Beach Planning Board Rejects 20-Unit Complex on Point Loma Avenue

May 8, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Before a packed community meeting room, the Ocean Beach Planning Board last night rejected a proposed development with 20 units on Point Loma Avenue. The vote was 7 to 1 – and immediately, applause broke out.

Board member Kevin Hastings made the successful motion to reject the project — an earlier motion to approve it failed for lack of a second — and Kevin based his motion on the loss of commercial space and for being out of compliance with the OB Community Plan.

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The Real ‘Outside Agitators’ at UC San Diego

May 8, 2024 by Staff

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It’s Always the ‘Outside Agitator’ Who’s to Blame

May 7, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

By Frank Gormlie

In my book, The May 1970 Rebellion – about the height of the anti-Vietnam war movement, I discuss “outside agitators.” Here’s an excerpt:

From college administrators, mayors, local politicians and governors to the President of the United States, the real instigators of all the violence and turmoil were the outside agitators, the Weathermen, professional instigators and rioters.

For example, Kentucky Governor Louie Nunn blamed “outside agitators” and “professionals” for the disturbances at the University of Kentucky. At Ohio University Athens and at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, outside agitators were blamed for the violence.

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How the Anti-Vietnam War Movement Hastened the End of the War, the Draft and Improved America

May 7, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

The May Rebellion of 1970: It Hastened the early withdrawal from Cambodia and the End of the Vietnam War

By Frank Gormlie

The month of May 1970 was the very height of the anti-Vietnam war movement — and I just wrote an entire book about that fateful month, The May 1970 Rebellion. Here, then, is an excerpt from an earlier edit.

The May Rebellion changed America and changed American politics forever – both in the immediate sense and over the ensuing decades.

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An Investigation by County Grand Jury Into San Diego’s Planning Process Picks Up Support

May 7, 2024 by Source

There’s a movement afoot to have the San Diego County Grand Jury investigate the city of San Diego’s planning process, and it just recently picked up support from the La Jolla Community Planning Association.

The idea for such an investigation started with a complaint from the Community Planners Committee, which meets monthly and is composed of the leaders of community planning groups across the city. (OB Planning Board head Andrea Schlageter chairs the CPC.)

CPC has asked the planning groups to “endorse a request for an investigation of the San Diego city Planning Department, Development Services Department and reporting structures that have led to improper project classifications, improper legislation of municipal code and non-compliant communications.”

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SDSU Claims No Documents Exist About Free Sports Arena Offer

May 7, 2024 by Source

By Arturo Castañares / La Prensa / May 2, 2024

San Diego State University and the California State University Chancellor’s office now claim there are no public records related to a 2022 proposal from a private developer to build a new sports arena at no expense to taxpayers within the SDSU West campus in Mission Valley, although a term sheet was reviewed in mid-2022.

SDSU President Adela de la Torre, several University officials, and two private businessmen flew to Texas on a private jet in May 2022 to tour a similar sports arena built at the University of Texas at Austin’s campus

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Restaurant Service ‘Fee’ Will Soon Be Illegal in California

May 7, 2024 by Source

By Chris Lindahl / Patch San Diego / May 5, 2024

From automatic service charges to vague “living wage” fees, California restaurants have increasingly been tacking on extra costs to diners’ bills in recent years, much to customers’ chagrin. But starting later this year, that practice will become illegal — the menu price (plus tax) is all you’ll have to pay.

Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October and set to take effect July 1, SB 478 will prohibit hidden fees, defined by state officials as fees in which a seller uses an artificially low advertised price to attract a customer, disclosing additional required fees in fine print or tacking on unavoidable charges later in the buying process.

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Researchers at UC San Diego Create ‘Self-Recycling’ Plastic

May 7, 2024 by Source

By Jared Aarons / ABC10News / May 02, 2024

By Jared Aarons / ABC10 / May 02, 2024

A team of researchers from UC San Diego has come up with a unique solution to help with the world’s plastic problem.

They created a form of plastic that can basically recycle itself.

Dr. Adam Feist and Professor Jon Pokorski combined traditional polyurethane with a microbial spore to create plastic that can break down in compost or any other natural environment in around 5 months.

They published a paper this week in Nature Communications detailing their process and results.

“There are some studies that show, of the millions, trillions of microbes out there, some can eat the plastic itself,” says Feist. “So we were saying if we combine them together, what would happen? And how can that better facilitate that massive problem we have with polymers everywhere?”

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2024’s Last Chance: Divine Intervention or ‘Megalopolis’

May 6, 2024 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

“Ahead of the movie’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, the first trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi passion project, Megalopolis, has been released online.”

Coppola, the magician of movies with relevance (Godfather I and II and Apocalypse Now) worked on his new film for more than a decade. Part Sci-Fi and part morality play, it may demonstrate a last chance for salvation. Dwindling audiences define politics while Blockbuster moments prevail elsewhere.

Barbie and Oppenheimer in movies. In sports. Katlin Collins and the WMBA finals. Add Saturday’s 150th Kentucky Derby crowds and photo finish. Blockbuster concerts like Taylor Swift. All mega events. All with cheers. Massive crowds of appreciation. Not so in current U.S. politics.

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Making Sense of the Federal Policy Changes for Cannabis

May 6, 2024 by Source

Roll up for Cannabis Equity

By Terrie Best

The Department of Justice has announced they plan to move “marijuana” (they call it that because they are silly and won’t get onboard) from class I to III on the controlled substances schedule.

74% of Americans live in a state with a cannabis program of some kind. This is the first change to federal cannabis policy in decades and it is to be celebrated for sure. Still, the goal is and must remain full legalization and removal from the controlled substances schedule altogether. Which could mean that medical cannabis will take a different track then adult use.

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OB Historical District Should Prevent Proposed 20-Unit Complex for Point Loma Ave., But City Says ‘Forget About It’

May 6, 2024 by Source

By Geoff Page

Mayor Todd Gloria’s Complete Communities Housing Solutions are coming for OB in the form a 20-unit anthill on a 7,396 square foot lot with virtually no parking or outdoor space.

Anyone who wants to defend Ocean Beach from this kind of mutant development showing up next door to them should attend the OB Community Planning Board meeting tomorrow, May 7, 6:00 p.m., at the OB Rec Center.

The Project

The project was detailed in The Rag’s April 16 story. The project is designed to take advantage of the city’s new Complete Communities Housing Solutions, or CCHS, program. The problem is, the city’s own CCHS documents state the project is not allowed because it is within an historic district.

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OB Planning Board to Review Proposed 20-Unit, 3-Story Complex on Point Loma Ave. — Tuesday, May 7

May 6, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

The OB Planning Board meets this Tuesday May 7th at 6pm at the OB Rec Center.

There is one project on agenda: 4705 Point Loma Ave.

The Board’s sub-committee, the Project Review Committee reviewed the project on April 17, 2024. Their action was as follows:

“Motion to approve the project with a condition of approval requiring a 30-day minimum rental agreement for all building occupants. (Passes 3-2-0)”

What’s being proposed at the corner at 4705 Point Loma Avenue is a 3-story, 20 unit complex — but only 3 of its units will be “affordable” and it will only provide 9 parking spaces.

The density that is being proposed in way out of whack with OB’s normal density limits. But the developer can bypass local community plans as long as it’s complying with Mayor Gloria’s so-called Complete Communities.

Here’s the official agenda (see below for more on “The Point”).

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UPDATED: Gaza Solidarity Encampment at UCSD Cleared Out — Dozens Arrested

May 6, 2024 by Staff

Law enforcement has cleared out the “Gaza Solidarity” encampment at UC San Diego. Dozens of protesters were detained or arrested, according to media reports.

Authorities declared the encampment an unlawful assembly at about 5:45 a.m. and ordered the protesters to leave.

The university announced that there was police activity from North Torrey Pines Road to Interstate 5. Non-essential employees were advised to move to remote operations, while essential employees were directed to report to work as usual, according to UCSD.

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Is UCSD Palestine Solidarity Encampment About to Be Shut Down?

May 6, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

A contact of the Rag’s at UC San Diego has just informed us that the situation on campus appears that law enforcement is preparing to shut down the Palestine solidarity encampment.

The encampment — now in its 5th or 6th day — consists of some 50 tents and is mainly near the Geisel Library.

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E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Organic Walnuts Sold in San Diego Stores, Including OB People’s Food

May 3, 2024 by Source

An E. coli outbreak has been linked to organic walnuts sold at stores in San Diego County.

Gibson Farms, a company based in Hollister, California, voluntarily recalled its Organic Light Halves and Pieces shelled walnuts after discovering the nuts could be contaminated with an E. coli strain that “causes a diarrhea illness often with bloody stools.” So far, 12 people have been sickened and seven have been hospitalized,

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Chris May 13, 2024 at 7:49 pm on UC San Diego Faculty and Graduate Student Statements on Resignation of Chancellor and Condemnations of Police ActionGood learning experience for them.
Mateo May 13, 2024 at 8:57 am on UC San Diego Faculty and Graduate Student Statements on Resignation of Chancellor and Condemnations of Police ActionThere has been a $175 Billion worth of outrage since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Mateo May 13, 2024 at 8:49 am on San Diego County Has Already Met State’s Housing Unit Mandate for Projected Population Growth Thru 2050Susan - We worked on an CA Assembly candidate's campaign in 2018 that had received the backing of the Democratic Central Committee. The CA DEM...
BRIAN J CHECKAL May 13, 2024 at 8:34 am on New Online Petition: ‘Stop Big Development in OB’ and ‘Keep Ocean Beach Historical!’Freewheeling development is out of control. Parking is horrible in OB, need some common sense from our gov't but that might be impossible..........
FrankF May 12, 2024 at 10:51 am on UC San Diego Faculty and Graduate Student Statements on Resignation of Chancellor and Condemnations of Police ActionActions have consequences. Congratulations kids, you now have your protest merit badges and an arrest record. But I have to wonder, where was the outrage...
Susan May 12, 2024 at 8:30 am on San Diego County Has Already Met State’s Housing Unit Mandate for Projected Population Growth Thru 2050Mateo - Can you kindly provide a link or links to the SANDAG reports you are referencing from 2014 and 2018? I am unclear as...
Gravitas May 11, 2024 at 11:46 am on 2024’s Last Chance: Divine Intervention or ‘Megalopolis’Divine Intervention! "Trump May Owe $100 Million From Double-Dip Tax Breaks" Great article...WOW timing. IRS
Mateo May 11, 2024 at 8:28 am on Now, County Board of Supes Wants to Jump In and Help Finance ‘Midway Rising’ Promises in Sports Arena Redevelopment"EIFDs are a type of tax increment financing district cities and counties form to help fund economic development projects." That should read "tax excrement" not...
Mateo May 11, 2024 at 7:38 am on UC San Diego Faculty and Graduate Student Statements on Resignation of Chancellor and Condemnations of Police ActionCompare descriptions in the demand letters with the paultry coverage, if any, by Corporate Media Monopoly run local San Diego tv newsrooms, including KPBS, of...
Gravitas May 11, 2024 at 6:50 am on The Mean Green Angels – the Heart and Soul of Point LomaMean Green Angles cleaned up Point Loma last weekend 2024!
RickV May 10, 2024 at 7:42 pm on An Investigation by County Grand Jury Into San Diego’s Planning Process Picks Up SupportCorrect. She says she was on the commission during Faulconers term and then appointed to vice chair by Gloria in 2020.
pats May 10, 2024 at 7:10 pm on Now, County Board of Supes Wants to Jump In and Help Finance ‘Midway Rising’ Promises in Sports Arena Redevelopmentthese hi-rollers mentioned in the story, have NO clue what affordable housing is. A person on social security only gets a maximum of $1,800 a...
Michael May 10, 2024 at 5:28 pm on An Investigation by County Grand Jury Into San Diego’s Planning Process Picks Up SupportMy bad kh! My point was related to SB 9 that was recently ruled unconstitutional in LA Superior Court, for the 5 Charter Cities that...
Vern May 10, 2024 at 4:32 pm on An Investigation by County Grand Jury Into San Diego’s Planning Process Picks Up SupportKelly Moden Vice Chair Of The San Diego Planning Commission. Appointed by Todd Gloria
kh May 10, 2024 at 3:49 pm on An Investigation by County Grand Jury Into San Diego’s Planning Process Picks Up SupportSan Diego is a charter city. And don't fret, the Toad Gloria is already working on that sales tax increase.