Terrie Leigh Relf

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has written 10 articles for the OB Rag!

Sustainability 101: The Rebirth of Riding Wood: An Interview with Larry O’Brien and Mike Shourds

December 30, 2020 by Terrie Leigh Relf

Originally posted August 2012

Nothing says OB more than surf, sweet boards, and social consciousness! In the following interview, OBcean Larry O’Brien, vintage body board collector, cave explorer, and aspiring eccentric shares one of his many passions: Creating boards from found wood and other materials.

Coronadoian “Paipo Mike” Shourds, builder of wooden body boards and recycled junk bikes since 1960, is also a collector and all-around creative person.

Terrie Leigh Relf: What inspired you to create your body boards?

Larry O’Brien: Back when I was in junior high school, carpentry was something taught in school, and sex was something you learned …

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When Should Passengers Intervene on the Bus?

November 29, 2012 by Terrie Leigh Relf

Sustainability 101: When Should Passengers Intervene on the Bus?

Picture this: You’re on the bus and you see a mother with three beautiful school-age children and one adorable toddler in a stroller. The children are well-behaved, the toddler is babbling excitedly, and the mother is yelling at the children, especially the toddler, even covering his mouth, threatening to slap his face if he doesn’t sit still and be quiet.

What would you do?

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Put the “Public” Back in Public Transportation

October 29, 2012 by Terrie Leigh Relf

Sustainability 101: Put the Public Back in Public Transportation – Part 1

With this first introductory segment on public transportation, I wanted to raise just a few points. The next segment will feature a few anecdotes I’ve been collecting. I hope that you, dear reader, will also chime in so I can include your experiences as well.

For those of you who know me, I don’t drive, and have never had a license. I am therefore dependent upon my feet, public transportation, and the goodness of others to get where I need to go. Since I live in OB, I can walk most places, but when I leave this walker’s paradise, I mostly rely on the bus and trolley.

Other riders have their reasons for using public transportation, such as the following:

Limited parking where they work or attend school

The cost of parking garages and lots

To avoid ever getting a parking ticket

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Sustainability 101: CALPIRG Knockin’ on My Door

August 15, 2011 by Terrie Leigh Relf

The other night, after dark, there was a knock on my door. I thought it was a friend, but lo and behold, a young woman with a clipboard. I thought, no, not another person with a clipboard asking for donations or to buy a subscription to the UT.

I admit I may have been a bit brusque with my usual “I’m sorry, I’m not interested in buying anything… ” and she said, “I’m not selling anything,” or something to that effect. I then informed her that I wasn’t able to make any donations. I don’t remember what she said after that, but within the next moment or two she said she was from CALPIRG.

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Sustainability 101: Time, one of our greatest resources

August 4, 2011 by Terrie Leigh Relf

It’s Sunday, and you’re in line at Jungle Java in Ocean Beach, and can’t decide whether to have one of those bliss-filled vanilla lattes or a cup of ah-choo tea.

Or maybe you’re standing in front of your closet on Monday morning, running late for work, and you don’t know whether to dress up or down, as you know you’re going to be shredding files.

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Attention Bouncers and Bar Staff! Free Introductory Integrated Threat Response Security Tactics Seminar

July 28, 2011 by Terrie Leigh Relf

This Saturday at The Vault

On Saturday, July 30th, from 10:00 a.m. until noon, Jack Gialanella, a licensed and certified Senior Full Instructor in Rapid Assault Tactics, will be teaching a free seminar geared toward bouncers and bar staff. The seminar will take place at the Vault Combat Academy Mixed Martial Art Training and Fitness gym, located inside the Ocean Beach Surf and Skate Shop, at 4976 Newport Ave. in Ocean Beach.

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Sustainability 101: Repurposing & Upcycling

July 26, 2011 by Terrie Leigh Relf

Recently, I heard the term, upcycling, and was curious what it meant. I also wanted to determine whether, or if, it differed from repurposing.

It seems that these two concepts are basically synonymous. Repurposing may be as simple as cutting off the top of a plastic milk jug to make a planter for burgeoning aloe plants, or filling old wooden barrels with dirt and compost to plant tomatoes, onions, and squash. Upcycling may be just as simple in that it takes products that may not be as easily recycled and utilizes them to make new products. These include wine cork bulletin boards as well as juice pouch purses.

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Sustainability 101: Keep it Flowing

April 25, 2011 by Terrie Leigh Relf

by Terrie Leigh Relf

While the title above may sound a bit clichéd, as does the proverbial “pay it forward”, etc. it is still a practice upon which cultures are created, sustained, disrupted, and otherwise meet their demise. When pondering this behavior, I often ask myself about various cultural practices—both simple and complex—and how they shape my daily life.

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Ocean Beach Sustainability 101: Reduce, Recycle, Re-use, Repurpose—and Repeat!

January 25, 2011 by Terrie Leigh Relf

by Terrie Leigh Relf While the mantra of ‘reduce, recycle, re-use, repurpose’ may be familiar, individual experience varies. Yes, it is important to dispose of your glass and plastic bottles, as well as other obvious recyclables, in the blue bins. Yes, creating a home-based compost bin is also an excellent practice. . .and yes, donating your […]

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What Happened to Marisco’s Taco Truck?

September 11, 2010 by Terrie Leigh Relf

By Terrie Leigh Relf / Special to the OB Rag

Marisco’s German Taco Truck was a neighborhood presence from mid-March to mid-August of this year. Parked next to the Pirate Cove café in the Apple Tree Market’s parking lot on Cable and Santa Monica, they offered a delicious variety of Mexican-style seafood. Their $1.00 fish tacos and samples of spicy seafood soup were quite enticing, and nearly every time I passed by, there was a line of dedicated patrons.

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Mary Cairns October 16, 2021 at 2:57 pm on Coast Repairs, ADUs, Replacing Car Parking and Public Input on New Library Design – OB Planning Board ReportHi Frank. So you remember that fancy older design, huh. That was when they had thought about getting the gas station property too. Now we...
Diane October 16, 2021 at 11:45 am on The Case for a Universal Basic IncomeI am so tired of people misrepresenting and appropriating Andrew Yangs' proposals. He advocates for stacking ubi on top of all but means tested programs...
Frank Gormlie October 16, 2021 at 10:57 am on Competing Images for the Midway ‘Emerge’Okay, thanks for the head's up; it's now fixed.
Frank Gormlie October 16, 2021 at 10:53 am on Coast Repairs, ADUs, Replacing Car Parking and Public Input on New Library Design – OB Planning Board ReportThanks Mary. Do you wish to promote a town hall meeting on the design? BTW, I was on the OB Planning Board when that design...
Mary Cairns October 16, 2021 at 8:23 am on Coast Repairs, ADUs, Replacing Car Parking and Public Input on New Library Design – OB Planning Board ReportYes! You are correct. There was a design completed about 20 years ago that was beautiful, but the recession of 2008 put an end to...
unwashedWalmartThonG October 15, 2021 at 9:45 pm on UPS Driver Killed in Santee Plane Crash Was Steve Krueger of Ocean BeachTotal bummer. Total unequivocal bummer.
sealintheSelkirks October 15, 2021 at 6:12 pm on Mid-October 2021 News from Ocean Beach and Point LomaGee Geoff, as a 60 freaking year surfer/skater it would be hard to nail me to the barn door with that label I would think...
Carl M Zanolli October 15, 2021 at 5:26 pm on Photographer for Original OB Rag Passes – Bruce Gardner RIPI knew Bruce from the dorms at San Diego State in 1970 and lived with him, Bob Edwards and George Kenegos on Cape May Street...
Debbie October 15, 2021 at 3:28 pm on Competing Images for the Midway ‘Emerge’I do not think the link above to VOS is working And why is a water feature being presented? (water shortage on Colorado River, upkeep,...
Dave Roberts October 15, 2021 at 2:14 pm on Lessons Learned From San Diego Housing Commission Pilot Project on Building ADUsThanks for the useful guidance about the ADU construction process.
Deb Porter October 15, 2021 at 2:14 pm on A Special Relationship With Point Loma BenchesWe needed PERMISSION to put in a nicer looking bench???... Now that we have no setbacks, split lots, multiple units per tiny lot, and no...
Geoff Page October 15, 2021 at 12:49 pm on Coast Repairs, ADUs, Replacing Car Parking and Public Input on New Library Design – OB Planning Board ReportThanks, kh, for clarifying the parking requirements. You are correct, I remember there were parking requirements for mixed-use project businesses. So, if a retail establishment...
Geoff Page October 15, 2021 at 12:38 pm on Coast Repairs, ADUs, Replacing Car Parking and Public Input on New Library Design – OB Planning Board ReportWow, Joni, a compliment from one who writes as well as you do really means something. Thanks.
Geoff Page October 15, 2021 at 12:25 pm on Mid-October 2021 News from Ocean Beach and Point LomaWell said, seal. Now get ready to be called a victim blamer, like me!
sealintheSelkirks October 15, 2021 at 10:46 am on Ernie McCray Recites His Poem ‘Rapper Mellow’s Epiphany of Love and Hope’Ernie, I wish it were so; in the nick of time. Too many categories of behaviors for any one person to keep up with that...