“Got breakfast?” – Ocean Beach’s Ted Caplaneris and the Old Townhouse Restaurant

July 13, 2011 by Jack Hamlin
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Got Breakfast?

By Jack Hamlin / Special to the OB Rag

Had Edward Hopper painted an antithesis to his famous Nighthawks, it would have been something akin to O.B.’s Old Townhouse Restaurant on Newport Avenue. Forget the melancholia of late night, the Old Townhouse has an atmosphere of combustibility, and with it, an energy found only in small town gathering eateries.

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Escape from OB

June 20, 2011 by Jack Hamlin
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By Jack Hamlin/ Special to the OB Rag

I have mentioned my father in past writings, and you have probably guessed we have a good relationship, looking forward to the time we spend together. Our political views are generally the opposite side of the same coin, so we typically have very common ground from which we address issues with each other. In fact during the course of our weekly breakfast we solve most of the nation’s problems and have decided to let the rest of the world to sort out theirs.

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Time to Regulate All Those Antique Stores

June 17, 2011 by Jack Hamlin
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By Jack Hamlin/ Special to the OB Rag

With the proliferation of Antique Stores in the Ocean Beach business district and in the greater San Diego area, I believe it is high time the City Council formed a task force to create regulations for these types of businesses. After all, they are popping up all over and as a homegrown problem the police need tools to oversee the manner in which these places do business.

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Reflections on the state of the homeless in Ocean Beach …

March 2, 2011 by Jack Hamlin
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Two weeks ago I made a nearly annual sojourn to the County Courthouse to do my civic duty; jury service. I go through the exercise on a regular basis knowing full well as an ex-cop, retired trial attorney, former judge pro tem, current law instructor and restorative justice mediator I am the equivalent of Satan to any trial attorney looking for an impartial juror. But it is my duty and it gives me a chance to meander around downtown during the ludicrously long lunch hour.

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Local OB Churches to Organize Community Forum on Homelessness

June 23, 2010 by Jack Hamlin

by Jack Hamlin / Special to the OB Rag / June 23, 2010

Yesterday (6/22/10), I was invited to attend a meeting of OB’s local faith community. The purpose of the meeting was a beginning point to discuss and work together with the community to address homelessness in OB and all the attendant issues. In particular, there was an overriding concern the current sentiments by some could lead to violence in our community.

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Will Ocean Beach come together and do something about our homeless?

June 16, 2010 by Jack Hamlin
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by Jack Hamlin

A week ago, I saw the article about the “Don’t Feed Our Bums” sticker. I was on my way out the door to conduct three days of restorative justice mediation training which involves methods of collaboration and reconciliation. I have to admit, I was a bit furious about yet another sign of intolerance and hate, and no, my mind has not changed regarding the character of the stickers, but my fury has subsided. After all, as a mediator, neutrality is one of our goals, regardless of personal feelings.

And so rather than enter into the fray on these issues, and there are many here, and adding to the fire, engaging in more community polarization, I decided to take some time and reflect. …

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