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 3092 articles for the OB Rag!

The Hubris of Jen Campbell

October 23, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Hubris

Hubris describes a personality quality of extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence, often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance.

Jen Campbell’s hubris is showing. The District 2 councilmember is suffering, it appears, from extreme or foolish pride and dangerous overconfidence. Her constituents have now learned that Campbell wants to be considered for City Council president. I wonder how many of them laughed out loud or said something else that’s unprintable when they heard this.

Jen Campbell for council president? What does the position do? The council president sets the council’s agenda and appoints members to the various committees. It’s not huge in these strong-mayor days, but it is something.

The Council – once the dust of the election is over – will elect the new council president in early December. With five new council members coming on board, Campbell – first elected in 2018 – is one of the “old-timers.” Councilwoman Monica Montgomery is also pursuing the position – and she, too, was elected in 2018.

This dangerous overconfidence on Campbell’s part shadows the dangerous under-confidence many of her constituents feel. People are not happy with Dr. Jen, especially those in the coastal neighborhoods of District 2.

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Bry and Gloria on Sports Arena Development and Measure E

October 19, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Mayoral candidates Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria were interviewed via email by the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board, and their responses were published in today’s U-T, Monday, Oct. 19.

Here are Bry’s and Gloria’s responses to the question about the Sports Arena redevelopment and Measure E.

The question asked of both candidates was this:

Q: Will —and how will—you accept and evaluate Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s proposal to redevelop the sports arena site?

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Ocean Beach News – Mid-October 2020

October 16, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

“Citizens Patrol” Formed to Control Homeless in Ocean Beach

A so-called “Citizens Patrol” has been formed in Ocean Beach to ostensibly control the homeless, who they contend are out of control. They say it’s worse than ever. …They did not deny they were vigilantes.

House Fire on Niagara

California research institute files application for yellowtail tuna fish farm

Positive COVID Cases Grow at Point Loma Nazarene

Bassist Benjamin Wanicur Revives San Diego’s Underground at Robb Field – With Masks, of Course

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Granny Flats Unhinged

October 14, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

On Tuesday, granny flats in San Diego became unhinged. They will no longer require any parking – none, zilch, nada, nunca.

Up to now, granny flats – or “accessory dwelling units” as San Diego calls them – were required to have one parking space per unit. Unless it is smaller than 500 square feet, in a historical area, within a residential parking district, or the granny flat is near a transit line or ride-sharing station.

The San Diego City Council Tuesday unanimously approved the new rules as part of a package of reforms to boost housing construction. Another new regulation allows property owners to construct extra – or “bonus” – granny flats if they agree to rent restrictions on at least one of them. For granny flats within a half-mile of an existing or planned transit line, the number of bonus units is unlimited. For granny flats not near transit lines, a maximum of one bonus unit is allowed.

Granny flats are popular these days. Over the last couple of years, many have been approved, for instance, by the Ocean Beach Planning Board.

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OB Public Service Announcement: Drop Off Your Ballot at the OB Library Lawn

October 13, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Thank you Friends of the OB Library

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OB’s Apple Tree Market Making Way for Krisp

October 12, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The saga of OB’s Apple Tree Market has entered a new chapter. After more than 3 decades in Ocean Beach, it will be replaced with Krisp Beverages + Natural Foods.

Owner Saad Hirmez and his family turned over its operations to Krisp managment in mid-August and the new owners are slowly making changes. They plan to rebrand the 9,800 square foot building in the upcoming months. The new owners include Sadeer Mikhail, Evans Salem and Omar Mikhail, and the OB location will be their third for Krisp, which currently has stores in Golden Hill and San Diego’s East Village.

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Planning Commission Sends Campbell’s Short-Term Rental Proposal Back to Staff for Details

October 9, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

After more than a 3 hour hearing on Jen Campbell’s proposal for short-term vacation rentals, the San Diego Planning Commission Thursday, Oct. 8, decided to send it back to city staff to address mostly technical issues of how the regulations would be administered and enforced. Another hearing date before the Commission has been set for Thursday, Dec. 3.

But from the comments of the Commissioners, once tweaked, they very well could approve the proposal that Campbell engineered with the billionaire-dollar rental platform, Expedia, along with Unite HERE Local 30, the union that represents hotel workers.

The proposal could very well be approved despite the criticism from community groups in the coastal areas of District 2 – Jen Campbell’s district – that they were not genuinely consulted.

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What Was Going On in Ocean Beach 10 Years Ago – October 2010?

October 8, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

jim grant sunset 10-9-10

What was going on in Ocean Beach a decade ago, in October 2010? There was a lot of focus on the upcoming November election and on Halloween. Here is a sampling of local things, people, photos, events and other news of note from October 2010. (Note: some of the first links are 10 years old, so be forewarned.)

OB Bus Routes Detoured Due to Digging Ditches

OB lifeguard part of team honored for dangerous rescue

On Wednesday, October 13, four lifeguards were awarded the Medal of Valor for a dangerous rescue off Mission Bay last November 4th. The San Diego U-T reported: Another honoree, Sgt. Jon Vipond, had reported early to the Ocean Beach station .

Sports Arena bought by San Pasqual Tribe & renamed “Valley View Casino Center”

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Gloria’s Mixed Messages on Bry: ‘Too Progressive’ to GOP Voters; ‘Too Republican’ to Democratic Voters

October 7, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Misleading advertising by Todd Gloria’s campaign is telling Republicans that Barbara is a progressive, and telling Democrats she is a conservative.

Mayoral candidate Todd Gloria can’t have it both ways. On one side, his campaign is sending out mailers to Republican voters touting her “progressive record”, with leading titles that say:

“Don’t believe the Republican lies … Barbara Bry has always been a champion for progressive causes.” This is being sent to Republicans.

On the other hand, Gloria’s campaign is mailing fliers to Democratic voters calling her, “Barbara Bry – The Republican Choice for Mayor”. Both mailers are from the same group supporting Gloria: the Neighbors for Housing Solutions Supporting Todd Gloria for San Diego Mayor 2020.

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OB Planners: Dedicated Turn Lane on Nimitz, Time Limits at Beach Lots and Ban of Cars at Del Monte Overlook – Wed., Oct.7

October 6, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The Ocean Beach Planning Board meets Wednesday, October 7 via Cisco WebEx – which people can join (details below)- at 6 pm. Although there doesn’t appear to be any private developments to review, there are plenty of public projects or improvements to check out. This issues at this meeting will probably have more impact on OB residents than usual meetings do.

Here are the issues and public projects to review:

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Todd Gloria Becomes the Main Man Behind the SANDAG-Navy Deal on Former SPAWAR Property in the Midway – One Month Before Election

October 2, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Today we learned that on the heels of Gov. Gavin Newsom putting his signature on Assembly Bill 2731 just yesterday, Tuesday – which pushes forward the whole SANDAG – Navy deal on the old SPAWAR property -, San Diego mayoral candidate and assemblyman Todd Gloria, is taking over as the lead politician on the project, with Faulconer only around another month or so.

(I know it’s not called SPAWAR officially any more but how can we give up such a great name – Spawars – short for space wars? Besides, I bet there’s only one person on the OB Rag who knows what the current name is.)

The signed bill removes, as the San Diego Union-Tribune touted, “much of the red tape associated with the environmental review process required by the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.” And there’s more:

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Point Loma Library to Open Saturday for Limited Use – Not Yet for Ocean Beach

October 1, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The Point Loma library is one of 12 the City is re-opening for limited use this Saturday, October 3. The Ocean Beach library, however, is not on the list. All 36 of the city’s libraries have been closed since March 13 due to the pandemic.

The PL branch – along with the other eleven – will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They will close daily between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. for cleaning. Face masks are required, and patrons must have their temperature taken upon arrival.

In-person library services will not be the same as pre-COVID days.

The libraries will allow the following:

  • computer use,
  • printing,
  • book pickups and
  • some in-person help from libraries to find titles;
  • expanding outdoor space at several library locations, and
  • renting out plastic-coated laptops so people can work or do distance learning outdoors.

Patrons will not be allowed:

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‘After Watching the Presidential Debate, Now I Understand Child Abuse’

October 1, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

By Jeoffry B. Gordon, MD, MPH

As I watched Mr. Trump’s behavior at the first Presidential debate, feelings grew within me that were not exactly political. I felt worn out, fatigued, put down, oppressed, overwhelmed and bullied; then disappointed, then irate, then angry, then scared. These responses were made boldly understandable when I listened to a post-mortum commentary by MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace: She described Mr. Trump’s behavior as frankly “abusive.”

Now I viscerally understood. In a small, albeit vicarious and totally sheltered way, I and the whole nation had an insight into the personality defects that produce abusive behavior toward defenseless children. I found it painful to understand what would happen to me – as an adult, never mind as a child – trapped in close quarters in a home dominated by a man like Mr. Trump. Painful to see. Sad for our country and upset to know 30% of Americans support him no matter what.

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Next Debate – Put Both in a Sound-Proof Box; If a Quiz Show Can Do It, So Can Debate Commission

September 30, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

We’ve just learned that “After a chaotic and nearly unwatchable first presidential debate that devolved into interruptions and insults, mostly by Trump, the Commission on Presidential Debates said it would look into changing the format of the remaining debates.”

Okay! I say, put both of them in a box. A soundproof box where the moderator can regulate the microphones and what the contestants can hear.

If a television quiz show could do it, so can the Commission on Presidential Debates.

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Airbnb and Its Hosts Oppose Councilwoman Campbell’s Short-Term Vacation Rental Agreement, as Coalition Forms to Push It

September 25, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Jacob Aere at KPBS has just written how Airbnb and its hosts are opposed to Councilwoman Jen Campbell’s proposal for short-term vacation rentals. Campbell, Expedia and the UNITE HERE labor union came up with a so-called Memorandum of Understanding back in July.

Airbnb’s senior public policy manager, John Choi, said Airbnb was not part of the discussion, and the agreed upon changes will eliminate critical revenue streams for Airbnb hosts during an especially difficult year. Aere quoted Choi:

“Our hosts have overwhelmingly expressed serious concerns that the proposed 0.7% cap on the number of city-wide vacation rental licenses will eliminate a critical source of income at a time where they need the income more than ever.”

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Trump Plots Coup D’Etat If He Doesn’t Win – Promises ‘Continuation’ and Makes Plans to Install Loyal Electors

September 24, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

From what Trump declared on Wednesday, we should all be memorizing the definition of a coup d’etat. When asked by a reporter at a White House press conference, Trump refused to say he would commit to a “peaceful transfer of power,” if he lost the election. Get rid of the ballots, he said, there won’t be a transfer, just a “continuation” of his power.

Coup d’etat is French and according to Wikipedia:

“A coup or coup d’état is the removal of an existing government from power, usually through violent means. Typically, it is an illegal, unconstitutional seizure of power by a political faction, the military, or a dictator.”

The Urban Dictionary shortens the definition:

“The overthrow of the current establishment, by dissidents within the government.”

So, just what did Trump say? His wording was jumbled but clear as day. He said:

“Get rid of the ballots, and you’ll have a very — we’ll have a very peaceful, there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There’ll be a continuation. The ballots are out of control. You know it. And you know who knows it better than anybody else? The Democrats know it better than anybody else.”

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Tired of Pandemic and Trump Fatigue

September 23, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

I woke up this morning in a funk. Maybe it was the subconscious acknowledging Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s death, and how Donald and Mitch were plotting to replace her before the poor woman’s body was even cold, and how it looks likely that they will force someone onto the Supreme Court that will undo everything RBG did.

Or maybe I’m just funky because of pandemic fatigue. Tired of being isolated; tired of staying at home, not being able to non-restrictively hug family members and good friends and visit them in their actual homes. I’m tired of not being able to fully play with my grandchildren. I’m tired of having to walk on the other side of the sidewalk or street when passing strangers.

But I’m also real tired of the anti-maskers, the people who refuse to wear masks or practice social distancing. Did you know some of them started to clamor to have businesses open up way back in April? April!

I’m tired of people burning masks;

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Fish Farm Proposed Off Ocean Beach

September 22, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

A fish farm is being proposed off Ocean Beach. Okay, it’s not directly off OB but 4 miles out (see map). The research institute connected with SeaWorld, Hubbs, and a corporation from Long Beach have proposed the first open-ocean fish farm in federal waters off the southern California coast.

Hubbs Research Institute and Pacific6 Enterprise want to build the Pacific Ocean AquaFarm and earlier in September, they submitted a federal permit application for the project.

The proposed farm would be about 4 miles offshore and west of San Diego’s beaches. Hubbs and Pacific6 claim it would generate 5,000 metric tons of sushi-grade yellowfish annually and create about 75 jobs.

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Suspect Arrested in Fatal Shooting of Ocean Beach Man

September 21, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

A suspect has been arrested for the fatal shooting near the Ocean Beach lifeguard station last week.

19-year-old Thurs Loo John of San Diego was arrested over the weekend for allegedly gunning down 58-year-old James Chase in the 1900 block of Abbott Street, according to San Diego Police Department Lt. Andra Brown. Chase was found mortally wounded just after 1 am on Tuesday, Sept. 15 by police.

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OB Rag Anniversary Party Is Here and Now!

September 17, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

This is the place – for the OB Rag online party for the 50th anniversary of the first OB Rag, published Sept. 17, 1970.

So join us! Come on in and make comments – post memories, observations, give greetings to friends and most of all send good vibes. We’re doing this for an hour … from 7 to 8 pm.

The party is also happening on OB Rag facebook. We’ll be monitoring both sites …

Meanwhile, peruse the articles about OB Rag and OB history that were posted this week.

Early History of the OB Rag and of Ocean Beach grassroots activism in the first half of the 1970s. The “Save Collier Park” battle, the emergence of the alternatives, the beginning of the anti-development movement …

The very first OB Rag – scanned and unedited – the language is hilarious – so be prepared.

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Early History of OB Rag Reflected the New Wave of Grassroots Activism in Ocean Beach

September 17, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

As we continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Rag, we bring forth some of the early history of the underground newspaper – whose pages reflected what was going on in Ocean Beach in the early 1970’s. From the Save Collier Park campaign to the birth of OB’s “alternatives” to the anti-development movement, the OB Rag reported on the changes OB was going through. A new wave of civic activism and hippie businesspeople.

The volunteer and dedicated staff succeeded in helping to fuel the community organizing in OB during the first half of the seventies, taking on the establishment and giving voice to the burgeoning counter-culture.

The Collier Park Battle

One of the first major issues the OB Rag jumped into wholeheartedly was to join up with a new OB environmental group, OB Ecology Action, and lead a fight to save Collier Park, an urban patch of land in northeastern OB. Ecology Action.

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The Very First OB Rag – Scanned and Unedited … So Brace Yourself … From Sept. 17, 1970

September 17, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Here it is – the very first OB Rag – the OB People’s Rag – published on September 17th, 1970. Unedited … so brace yourself if you are of tender ears, as of course, the language in the articles was sooo-seventies, a mix of the raw rhetoric and bravado of the campus militant with the casual drawl of the counter-counter, as the staff was a bunch of young twenty-somethings, half still in college and the other half fresh off the campus.

It was four pages – front and back of 2 pages stapled together. We have scanned all four pages – see below – plus we have retyped all of the articles so you don’t have to squint and ruin your eyes. In addition, we have included all of the graphics and most of the hand-drawn headlines.

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Join OB Ragsters Tonight for an Online Celebration of 50th Anniversary of First OB Rag

September 17, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Online Party Thursday Night, Sept. 17

Our readers and supporters are invited to join OB Ragsters from around the world in an online celebration tonight – Thursday, September 17, from 7 to 8 pm. We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the publication of the very first OB Rag on September 17, 1970!

The staff of the OB Rag is “hosting” a live, online party

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A History of Mexico for Gringos

September 16, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

By Frank Gormlie

Most gringos don’t know too much of the history of Mexico – our southern neighbor – even though Mexico is so much part of the culture of Southern California. U.S. public schools don’t really teach about its history. For instance, September 16 is Mexican Independence Day – the commemoration of the defeat of the Spanish colonialists – akin to our July 4th – when Americans defeated British colonialists and their German mercenaries.

This then is an attempt to bring Mexican history to our readers – it covers Mexico’s story through the Revolution.

Long before the European colonialists landed on the shores, native civilizations flourished in the Americas, building large cities, establishing trade and industry, exhibiting high levels of science, technology and art. By the time Cortes arrived in 1521 to seize land and riches for Spain, the Aztecs ruled over a highly complex society in Central Mexico. Employing the old method of ‘divide and rule’, the Spanish conquered the Aztecs and other peoples

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50 Summers Ago, the People of Ocean Beach Stopped the Jetty

September 15, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

The Jetty is Stopped

Fifty summers ago, the residents of Ocean Beach halted the construction of a jetty the City and the Army Corps of Engineers wanted to build- next to what is now known as Dog Beach.

Ostensibly, the project, according to city officials, was to protect OB from flooding from the San Diego River Channel, to prevent the loss of sand from the beach area, and to stop the spread of sand into the Mission Bay entrance.

But, the community didn’t buy it. Many locals viewed the jetty as a prelude to an attempt by the City and developer interests to create a marina and a high-rise resort district at Ocean Beach’s waterfront. Opposition to the jetty was wide-spread, from surfers to elderly retired grandmothers, from young professionals and local businesspeople to the long-hairs.

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Celebrate With Us the 50th Anniversary of the Very First OB Rag this Week

September 14, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Fifty years ago this week, the very first OB Rag was published and hit the mean streets of Ocean Beach. Called “The OB People’s Rag”, the first issue was four pages stapled together and distributed at OB’s main stores at the time, Safeway and Mayfair, on choice OB street corners and in front of Point Loma High School.

So, all this week, we’ll be publishing memories, background, the behind-the-scenes stories and actual articles of the gritty “underground” rag that became the main community newspaper for Ocean Beach for nearly five years. Art Kunkin, the editor and publisher of the grandparent of all underground newspapers, the LA Free Press or “LA Freep”, once called the OB Rag the best alternative, community newspaper in the country.

Online Party Thursday Night, Sept. 17

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Ocean Beach and Point Loma News – September 2020

September 11, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Lost Parking Spaces on Newport Ave

As OB restaurants and bars responded to the new COVID reality, they applied for and were granted the authority to set up outside – and in the process took over Newport Ave parking spaces. Out of a total of 204 parking places between Abbott and Sunset Cliffs, 45 have been occupied by tables and chairs of the eateries. It’s a trade-off, certainly.

New Management of OB Hostel Acknowledges Counter-Culture

Donations Starting to Flow For Prop E – Demolition of 30 Foot Height Limit in Midway

Coastal Tide Pools Being “Loved to Death”

Point Loma Sisters Start a COVID Safety Course for Small Businesses

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Trump Lied. 200,000 Americans Died.

September 11, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

It is true. It is not hyperbole. It is not partisan over-reach. President Trump lied about Covid-19 and now nearly 200,000 of our fellow Americans have died.

Sure, there were a handful of deaths and cases by early February when Trump told The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, “This is deadly stuff,” and “You just breathe the air,” the president explained, “and that’s how it’s passed.”

This is not like the other 20,000 plus falsehoods that Trump has uttered since taking up residence in the White House. These lies about the virus were fatal.

  • On February 24, Trump tweeted to the world, “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA.”
  • On February 27, he said, “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
  • On March 10, he said, “And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”

So, why did Trump say all this? Why did he lie? Why didn’t he fulfill his duty to protect American citizens?

On March 19, Trump told Woodward, ”I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”

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What Was Going On in OB 5 Years Ago – Mid-Sept. 2015 ?

September 6, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

Hey, as part of your Labor Day read, check out what was happening in Ocean Beach exactly 5 years ago. The following was originally posted on September 9, 2015. December 2015. Photo by Albert C Elliott.

OB Historical Society – Sept 17 – Kummeyaay On the Coast

The OB Historical Society presents Professor Richard Carrico, on Kumeyaay on the Coast –

Annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast – Sept 19

Friends of OB Library Book Sale – Sept 26 – In front of the OB Library

SD Police Chief: Release of Video of Cop Shooting Could Cause Violence

Largest Fish Farm in America Planned Off OB and Mission Beach

Bank Robber of Midway Store Sought

Driver Slams Brick Wall in Point Loma

Mission Beach to wait longer for new lifeguard tower

Brazen Taggers Piss OBceans Off

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Law Enforcement Blocks Police Reform in Sacramento While Cops Keep Shooting Black People

September 3, 2020 by Frank Gormlie

When the California legislation closed up their session for the year the other night, and after press reporters described the “chaos” at the Capitol, it became clear that state law enforcement had helped block any police reform bills that had been initiated in the shadow of the Black Lives Matter protests. Meanwhile, police keep shooting and killing Black people.

On the day that the legislators ended their business, LA County Sheriffs shot and killed Dijon Kizzee in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont. Najee Ali, a community activist, was quoted by the LA Times: “The deputies essentially executed a man riding his bicycle.”

“They’ll say he had a gun, but what they won’t say was that he was not armed with the gun. He did not point the gun. … There was no reason for deputies to shoot a running man.”

After the killing, deputies said that Kizzee was riding his bicycle in violation of the vehicle code.

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