Frank Gormlie

Articles by Frank Gormlie

A lawyer and grassroots activist, I was finally convinced by Patty Jones to start this blog of citizen journalists after she got tired of listening to my rants about the news. Way back during the Dinosaurs in 1970, I founded the original Ocean Beach People’s Rag - OB’s famous underground newspaper -, and then later during the early Eighties, published The Whole Damn Pie Shop, a progressive alternative to the Reader.

Frank has written 2994 articles for the OB Rag!

George Floyd and 100,000 Are Dead But We All Can Soon Go Sit on the Beach

May 29, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

George Floyd, the Minneapolis African-American man who told police, “I can’t breathe” multiple times while former Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on his neck for over 8 minutes before he died, has joined our country’s history, as the latest victim in a lynching of a Black man. But Floyd joins our history at a devastating moment.

It was announced this week that 100,000 Americans have now died due to COVID-19.

Chauvin, the former Minneapolis cop – who was caught on a passerby’s phone appearing to have a depraved disregard for Floyd’s life as it drained away before our eyes and the millions around the world who have now seen the video – has been arrested as of today for third-degree murder after parts of Minneapolis – including a police precinct station – burned last night.

The 100,000 Americans who have died in just 4 months, died alone and nameless for the vast, vast majority of us. No one is demonstrating for their loss – except those patriotic white people who have been demonstrating at the beaches against all those unconstitutional restrictions we’ve all been suffering from under the thumbs of our commie masters in Sacramento.

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Ocean Beach Town Council to Hear From Local Businesses – Tonight, Wed., May 27 on Facebook Live

May 27, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Join the Ocean Beach Town Council tonight, Wednesday, May 27 as they hold their regular monthly meeting via Facebook Live.

They will be joined by representatives from: Raglan Public House, Dirty Birds Ocean Beach, OB Hardware, OB Playhouse & Theatre Company, Newbreak Ocean Beach and OB Beans Coffee Roasters as they discuss the challenges of re-opening OB for business.

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Ocean Beach and Point Loma News – May 2020

May 26, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Man Fell 50 Feet at Sunset Cliffs

A man fell about 50 feet down a cliff at Sunset Cliffs early Sunday, May24 and had to be rescued by a firefighter helicopter crew,

Point Loma Library Open for Curb-side Pick-Up

Beginning Tuesday, May 26, the San Diego Public Library is offering contact-free pickup service at 11 of its branches beginning Tuesday, including Point Loma’s. There is no word about the OB library. Pickup service will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Patrons with existing holds will be notified by email when their materials are available.

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Ocean Beach Business News During the Pandemic

May 26, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The pandemic of 2020 has brought news to the world of Ocean Beach businesses. It’s tough enough to maintain a business during these crazy times – but to have to open a new venture must be doubly difficult.

Home of the Original Panini Dog

One brand new business has just opened up at the intersection of West Pt Loma and Bacon, where a coffee cafe once stood. It’s the “Home of the Original Panini Dog”, which offers, besides panini dogs, smoothies, shakes and acai bowls. That’s Jim and Jason at the outside window. They opened 3 weeks ago, and are associated with the Pioneer Day School, the adult vocational facility across from OB Elementary on Santa Monica Ave.

Hugo’s Mexican Food Divides Into Tres

Hugo’s Cocina, the historic “vegan options” Mexican restaurant on Sunset Cliffs Blvd., has redefined itself in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic –

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More Charts to Worry and Think About – San Diego County COVID Cases and Deaths as of May 21

May 22, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Here’s more charts to worry and think about – some negative, at least one positive. They’re all from the San Diego Union-Tribune tracking program current as of May 20, and one from today’s issue, current as of May 21.

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Most Citations Issued by San Diego Police for Violations of COVID Orders Were in 92107 Zip Code Area

May 22, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The most citations that San Diego Police officers have issued for violations of the orders put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were in the 92107 zip code area – which include Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs.

In an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune Friday, May 22, writer David Hernandez reported that San Diego police issued 157 citations between April 2 and May 6. And most of them – 55 – were issued in the 92107 area. In comparison, 35 were for the 92101 zip code area – downtown, and 9 for 92109, which includes Mission Bay and PB. Most citations were issued in April.

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Unruly Brigade of Bicyclists Burst Through the Beach Area – Beat Up Woman Motorist

May 19, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Several people in the beach area took videos of a large group of unruly and rude bicyclists who rolled through Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach on Sunday, May 17. Most – if not all – the riders did not have masks on and didn’t practice social distancing. They were also ignoring stop signs, red lights, pedestrians and motorists in their massive jaunt around the beaches, flipping people off who raised concerns of their behavior.

At one point in Mission Beach, several of the bicyclists punched and kicked a woman motorist who had gotten out of her car to scold some of them for running a red light.

10News collected the different videos and interviewed a man who shot some instagram video. Pacific Beach resident Steve Paen told the station:

“We were at a stoplight and then this massive bike brigade [started] rolling down Garnet, heading east, and it looked like there were maybe a 100 or 200 of them just rolling down the street.”

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What Parks Are Open in Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Mid-May 2020

May 18, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The Rules for San Diego parks, as of May 1, 2020:

Here’s the latest list of what parks are open in Ocean Beach and Point Loma.

Bill Cleator Community Park – Open
Bob Kenny Field (also known as Ocean Beach Elementary Joint Use) – Closed
Cabrillo Elementary Joint Use – Closed
Cabrillo Recreation Center – Closed
Cabrillo Tennis (SUP Holder) – Closed
Collier Neighborhood Park – Open

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Barbara Bry Only Councilmember to Oppose Placing 30 Foot Height Nix in Midway for November Ballot; Gloria Supports Measure

May 14, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The San Diego City Council Rules Committee voted yesterday 3 to 1 – with Councilmember Barbara Bry the only ‘nay’ vote – to push Jen Campbell’s measure to rescind the 30-foot height limit in the Midway area towards the November ballot.

The entire Council still needs to vote on it sometime this summer. Councilmember Chris Cate has joined Campbell in recent months pushing the initiative to “open up” the Midway District to more large-scale development.

As KPBS reported, “Councilwoman Barbara Bry, in the midst of a mayoral campaign, voted against putting the measure on the ballot, arguing it was not an urgent need for the city,….” Bry’s opponent for mayor is Assemblymember Todd Gloria, who supports the measure. Again, from KPBS:

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Lifeguards Kept Busy at Sunset Cliffs with 2 Rescues on Tuesday

May 13, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

San Diego lifeguards were busy at Sunset Cliffs on Tuesday, May 12, with two rescue operations.

The first rescue was of a 23 year old woman who suffered major trauma when she fell 30 feet off the cliffs to the beach below. The SDFD helicopter was brought in to hoist her up to the bluff top and then she was transported to a local hospital. What the status is of the unidentified woman is unknown at this time. Fox5

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News from Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Mid-May 2020

May 11, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Cancelled

The 41st annual OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off has been officially cancelled for this year. It will be held next year, on Saturday, June 26, 2021. Originally set for June 27 this year, the annual event – like many other things – had to be cancelled due to health concerns. Denny Knox, ED of the OB Mainstreet Assoc which sponsors the fair, told the Beacon:

“We had to make the call. We just couldn’t commit to signing a contract. The risk is too great.
Some OB Businesses Have Limited “Openings”

OB Teacher Concerned About Opening Schools Too Soon

Joanne Ensign who teaches at Ocean Beach Elementary School, says it’s a challenge teaching kindergarten, but “It’s going well. Kids are participating…. kids are doing it, they’re doing it.” But Ensign is concerned about talk of opening the schools in July. She needs a break, she told 7NBC.

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OB Planners and Town Council Consider Converting 5 Blocks of Bacon Street to One-Way ‘Slow Street’

May 8, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Ocean Beach organizations are considering turning 5 or so blocks of Bacon Street into a “slow street” which means converting it into one-way traffic going southbound, leaving the northbound lane for pedestrians, skateboarders and bicyclists. It would be from Voltaire to Saratoga.

On Wednesday night at their electronic meeting, the OB Planning Board voted in favor of making the temporary conversion. The initiative for this, for the proposed street change came from the Slow Street Initiative of the city of San Diego. Streets are blocked off with signs to through-traffic – and a section of Diamond Street in Pacific Beach has already made the conversion, as well as a street in Normal Heights.

For the last couple of years, OB planners have been talking up the idea of making Bacon a “bike-friendly” street. Those in favor think now is especially the time to make the changes, as it would make it makes it easier for people to run, bike and walk during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially since sidewalks don’t always provide six feet separation.

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May 8, 1970 – the Day the Anti-Vietnam War Movement Came to Point Loma

May 8, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Exactly 50 years ago today, May 8, 1970, the anti-Vietnam war was thrust upon the sleepy neighborhood of Point Loma.

4,000 mainly college students showed up in the early hours of that day on Catalina Boulevard and created a passive resistance march and blockade of the gates of NEL, the Naval Electronics Lab (since renamed). NEL was known for its war-related research and the action was seen as a blow against the Vietnam war by thousands of trying to jam up the gears of the war machine.

Nixon had just invaded Cambodia instead of winding down the war, as he had promised. Protests at colleges and universities blew up across the nation. Protests at Kent State in Ohio turned deadly when National Guardsmen fired into crowds of unarmed demonstrators, killing four and wounding eleven others. Fifty years ago this day, the entrance to the military facility was effectively blocked

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UCSD Student George Winne Burned Himself to Death in Protest of the War – May 10, 1970

May 8, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

George Winne, 23, a History major at UC San Diego strolled out to the middle of Revelle Plaza on Sunday, May 10, 1970. It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. A huge anti-war protest had occurred earlier that weekend in downtown San Diego. It’s not known whether Winne attended it, but it’s unlikely.

President Nixon had invaded Cambodia and the campuses across the nation blew up in protests. One protest at Kent State University in Ohio ended in the deaths of four students shot by National Guardsmen.

When Winne came out to the plaza, he carried a sign, which read, “In God’s name, end this war.” It was a simple message. He also carried rags which he had saturated with gasoline.

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City Police Review Board Asked to Investigate Arrest of Black Woman at Ocean Beach

May 8, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The San Diego Community Review Board on Police Practices has been requested to investigate the arrest of an African-American woman on Friday, May 1, at Ocean Beach while walking her dog.

Filing a complaint with the Board, Francine Maxwell, president of the local NAACP office, said she wants it to investigate the arrest – an arrest which created a stir after it was recorded and shared on social media. Maxwell said three officers involved in the arrest used excessive force and she questioned whether they targeted the woman because of her race. Maxwell asked:

“Was she arrested because of her race? Was she assaulted because of her race? Would the officers have found a better way to deal with the situation if (she) had been white?”

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The Murders at Jackson State, Mississippi During the May 1970 Student Rebellion

May 6, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The killings at Jackson State occurred 5 minutes after midnight, May 15, 1970
Besides the Kent State Four, there were two other murders during the May 1970 student rebellion fifty years ago. Police opened fire on a Black girls’ dormitory at Jackson State College in Mississippi on May 15, killing two young, African-American men, and wounding another dozen people.

The Jackson State killings, however, never received the media and protesters’ attention as those at Kent State did. There were demonstrations in response, of course, but not as wide-spread as those following the deaths of the 4 white students. From an ingrained media racism, to the privileges of white, middle-class young, to the fatigue and exhaustion of a protest movement nearly spun out – there are a number of factors for this difference.

But – as in the Kent State incident – no one was ever held accountable for the killings.

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May 5, 1970 Was the Most Violent Day Within the Country in American History

May 5, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The day after the Kent State Massacre, Tuesday, May 5, was one of the most violent days in American history. It was the day when college and university students realized that four from their generation were dead because of protests against the Vietnam war. It certainly ranks up there as one of the most turbulent days inside the country.

What follows in our latest installment in the series commemorating the student rebellion and strike of May 1970. We offer it without apology, without recourse but with the knowledge that despite the tedious repetition, it is part of our American experience, an important day in our modern history.

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Rough Treatment and Arrest of Black Woman Walking Her Dog at Ocean Beach Raises Questions

May 5, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The arrest and rough treatment Friday, May 1, of an African-American woman for walking her dog at Ocean Beach without a leash raises troubling questions.

A video taken of the incident shows a Black woman in a white bathing suit being taken into custody by several San Diego police officers, accompanied by a couple of lifeguard on the shores of Ocean Beach. She apparently had been noticed by lifeguards walking her dog without a leash.

During the incident, she was taken to the ground at least twice by officers, with her arms twisted behind her and handcuffed. She was taken down on the sand and then on the asphalt. At one point the woman being arrested asked bystanders to continue taking a video of the incident.

Councilwoman Monica Montgomery and the head of the local NAACP have raised questions about “equity in enforcement”.

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May 4, 1970: Kent State Murders 50 Years Ago Today – ‘The Day the World Turned Upside Down’

May 4, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Fifty years ago exactly, on May 4, 1970, was the day the world turned upside down for an entire American generation of young people. It was the day National Guardsmen on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio aimed their M1 rifles at crowds of unarmed demonstrating college students and fired.

15 students were hit by bullets – four of them died either instantly or within minutes and eleven were wounded, one so badly he was maimed for life.

This day, then, stands out – as Pearl Harbor did for an earlier generation, as 9-11 did for a later generation. It was one thing to protest the Cambodian invasion and the war in Vietnam, it was quite another to be shot to death by American soldiers on an American college campus for protesting the wars.

The date May 4, 1970 will forever be associated with the murders of four young people.

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May 2-3, 1970: The Weekend Before the Storm 50 Years Ago

May 2, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The weekend of Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, 1970 – exactly 50 years ago – was the “lull” before the storm of protests that erupted and enveloped the nation in response to President Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia.

Thus, we continue our series of installments of a day-by-day recounting of what came down half a century ago, which is actually just a sampling of what happened during that first week of May 1970. From coast to coast and everywhere in between college and university students rebelled – sometimes violently – against Nixon’s expansion of the Vietnam War.

Nixon had been elected in 1968 because he had a “peace plan” and had actually begun bringing US troops back to the states – when he announced on April 30 that he was sending American troops into Vietnam’s neighbor Cambodia, a diplomatically neutral country.

Protests began immediately (see the intro to the series here, and Part 1 here) and ultimately involved literally millions of students and faculty members with the closings of hundreds of campuses,

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50 Years Ago Today – May 1, 1970 – the Rebellion Begins

May 1, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

As part of our week-long commemoration of the student rebellion of 50 years ago exactly, we begin with May 1, 1970. (See the intro here.)

On April 30, 1970, then President Richard Milhouse Nixon announced he was sending US troops from Vietnam into Cambodia, a diplomatically-neutral country. His announcement set off a month of intense protests by mainly college and university students across the country, from Maine to Southern California.

What follows here is a sampling of the reaction by students on April 30 and May 1 of that year (raw data for my upcoming book, 1970: The May Rebellion). It was a different time. The only people bringing guns to campuses then were cops and National Guardsmen. And on May 4, National Guardsmen shot and killed four unarmed students, wounding 11 others on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio. Ten days later, two young Black men were murdered by local police at Jackson State in Mississippi.

But first … this, as we cross the country from the northeast to the southwest, the rebellion began:

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Dueling Protests Besiege the Nation: Nurses and Retail Workers vs. Anti-Lockdown Activists

May 1, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Online Retailer employees, Grocery Chain Store Workers and Package Deliverers Plan Job Actions Today

America today, May 1, the annual workers’ day, is being besieged by dueling protests.

On one hand we have nurses staging protests for more equipment and who also have counter-protests against those who want to reopen the country. They along with retail workers, and employees at many online retailers, grocery store chains and package-delivery services are protesting the lack of sufficient personal safety equipment.

And on the other hand, we have protests by the anti-lockdown activists – some of whom are armed with assault rifles for some reason.

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Only Orange County Beaches Are to Close Friday, May 1

April 30, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

It was all clarified by Thursday afternoon. Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed the the temporary close of only Orange County state and local beaches beginning Friday, May 1. He gave the order, after some confusion, after thousands of people treated this past weekend like it was a holiday at the beach, particularly in LA and Orange Counties.

Which means San Diego beaches are still open – but their strict restrictions still apply. Currently, beachgoers are allowed to surf and swim in the water, as well as jog or stroll on the beach. But they have to keep moving: Sitting down or sunbathing is not permitted.

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50 Years Since the Rebellion of May of 1970

April 30, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

By Frank Gormlie

Introduction to Series

A half century ago exactly, our country was being literally torn apart over the war in Vietnam and its subsequent escalations. Today, the only reference to the Vietnam War is how the number of American deaths from the COVID-19 virus have now exceeded the deaths of US servicemen during the entire Vietnam period.

Yet, history has caught up with us.

Fifty years ago exactly to the day, on April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon announced to the nation that he had ordered the invasion of Cambodia by US troops. Nixon didn’t call it an “invasion” but it was clear he was expanding the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, not de-escalating it as he had pledged.

With his announcement, Nixon set off a month-long torrent of protest mainly by college and university students, an intensity never seen before on American campuses.

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Joe Biden Warns that Trump May Try to Delay the November Election

April 28, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Have you checked out lately what Joe Biden has been saying? He said that he fears Trump may try to delay the November presidential election, using the coronavirus as a pretense.

Now, this isn’t something from some extreme, left-wing blog editor, or some marginal conspiracy theorist, or the rantings of some bearded guy holed up in a mountain cabin.

No, this is from the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, the majoritarian party in the country, the unofficial leader of the main electoral opposition to an autocratic maniac in the White House.

Here’s what Biden said at an online fundraising event last week:

“Mark my words. I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” as he warned his supporters Trump could use the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretense for trying to push the election away or otherwise undermining it.

Just to be clear, the president cannot unilaterally delay a presidential election, as it would take an act of Congress

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Isn’t This What We’re Trying to Avoid? Hundreds Go Surfing in Pacific Beach

April 27, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The day after a protest in Pacific Beach against the COVID-19 restrictions, dozens – perhaps hundreds – of people show up and go surfing today, Monday, the first day of a limited opening of the beaches in San Diego.

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Fierce Blow-Back on Planned Protest of Restrictions in Pacific Beach

April 26, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

There’s a unprecedented and fierce blow-back on a planned protest against the coronavirus restrictions for Sunday in Pacific Beach – a day before many of the restrictions at the beach are to be lifted.

Local residents of PB are telling the organizers and participates to reconsider the use of their community as a stage by outsiders and not to put their neighbors and frontline people, like police officers, at risk by carrying out their protest.

The Pacific Beach Town Council, PB activists and Councilwoman Jen Campbell have all deplored the event, which is scheduled for a key intersection a block from the beach. Brian White, the president of the PB Town Council didn’t mince words when he asked the protesters to stay away:

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Ocean Beach and Point Loma News – Late April 2020

April 24, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

OB Street Fair 2020 Likely to Be Cancelled

Whether OB’s iconic annual Street Fair will be cancelled this year or not due to the coronavirus situation was supposed to be decided by its main host, the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association Board on Thursday, April 23. But Denny Knox, its executive director told the press, “Our board didn’t take any action today. We’re waiting for the City to notify us we have to cancel.”

Bernie’s Bikes Is Still Open

There was a concern going around OB that Bernie’s Bikes on Cable had closed. But no, it’s open – but with limitations. See the sign on the front door. See this if you’re interested: San Diego bike shops riding high with sudden boom in sales.

Point Loma Summer Concerts Cancelled

The Point Loma Summer Concerts board has decided to postpone the 20th season of the Point Loma Summer Concerts until the summer of 2021.

With Faulconer Opening Sunset Cliffs Park – Too Many Visitors Not Employing Precautions

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Without a Mandate, Jen Campbell Leads the Charge to Destroy the 30-Foot Height Limit in the Midway

April 23, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

San Diego Councilwoman Jen Campbell, we find, is leading the charge to destroy the 30-foot height limit in the Midway District. And she is doing this despite the lack of any mandate from her District 2 community or constituents.

Yes, it is true, Campbell is touting the recent approval of her plan by the Midway planning committee.

But that decision by literally a handful of people who, under the cover of the pandemic, voted without public participation to get onboard her roaring train – is definitely not a mandate. There’s barely a Midway District resident on that committee of business-minded planners. Okay, there aren’t that many residents in the planning area, which also includes the Pacific Highway area. As OB Rag reporter Geoff Page recently described:

The Midway group is made up mostly of business people who own property or businesses in the Midway area. After having attended these meetings for more than three years, this reporter can say that this is a nice group of people, they are not a rapacious group of developers like the Mission Valley planning group. The Midway people have good reason for wanting to see the area improved, anyone who has spent any time there would understand. But, many do have a vested interest in the future development.

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Ocean Beach Town Council to Meet Wed., April 22 on Facebook Live

April 22, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Please join the Ocean Beach Town Council meeting this evening, April 22nd, at 7pm on Facebook Live.

As always, you’ll hear from elected officials, public servants, and the board. Also Assemblymember Todd Gloria – who is running for mayor – will be joining the OBTC on the call.

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