Ocean Beach

Mayoral Debate for Beach Communities – Wed., Sept. 18 at Mission Bay High School

September 18, 2019 by Staff

Come one – come all – the Mayoral Debate for the beach and coastal neighborhoods of San Diego. Of course, you’re invited to join your local community organizations, like the OB Town Council and the OB Planning Board, the OB Mainstreet Association, the Point Loma Assoc., Save San Diego Neighborhoods, ReWild Mission Bay, San Diego Lifeguards, Surfrider, Coastkeeper …..

This the time for coastal issues to be debated by Barbara Bry, Todd Gloria and Tasha Williamson at the September 18th Mayoral Debate. That’s a Wednesday and it’s happening at the Mission Bay High School, 2475 Grand Ave.

A full auditorium will send a strong message to the candidates

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Ocean Beach’s TV Series, Terriers, Was Robbed of Long-Term Greatness

September 18, 2019 by Source

Editordude: Every now and then a TV critic bemoans the cancellation of “Terriers” – that detective series on FX that was filmed in Ocean Beach but let go after only one season – and it surfaces on the internet.

Just about every article that comes up post-cancellation on the topic of the show that starred Donal Logue as Hank Dolworth and Michael Raymond-James as Britt Pollack, opines despite bad PR and title the series was actually quite good and should have been continued on FX – or picked up by somebody else. Terriers developed a cult following – and not all of the fans live in Ocean Beach. Here is the latest –

by Bryan O’Donnell / 25 Years Later / Sept. 12, 2019

“Only the good die young” as the song goes. Over the years there have been a number of TV shows that have made an impact on us here at 25YL, which we have been sad to see struck down in their prime. A season or two that grabbed us, and…that’s it. Whether there is some sense of completion, or we are left dangling by a finger from the side of a cliff, these are shows that we think are worth remembering, re-visiting, or even watching now for the first time. This week Bryan O’Donnell takes a look at Terriers.

I’m upset all over again. In September 2010, FX debuted its quirky drama Terriers, about a pair of underdog private investigators in the San Diego area. Starring Donal Logue as Hank Dolworth and Michael Raymond-James as Britt Pollack, Terriers built a strong cult following and garnered tons of critical praise. However, after suffering from significantly low ratings, Terriers was canceled on December 6, 2010—a few days after the Season 1 finale aired.

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News and Notices for Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Mid-September 2019

September 17, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

People’s Cafe Has Closed

OB People’s organic cafe on Voltaire Street has closed. The O.B. Garden Café, at 4741 Voltaire, just opened their doors in mid-December 2017. Then last summer, the eatery was nominated for an Orchid in San Diego’s annual Orchids & Onions contest. But the fact remains, the doors are now closed – and we don’t know for how long.

San Diego Second Most Popular City, Says Airbnb – OB 5th Most Popular in SD

San Diego was the second most popular California destination for Airbnb hosts. Airbnb said Monday that San Diego County hosts earned a combined $112 million in supplemental income, welcoming about 482,400 guests from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. In the City of San Diego alone, hosts earned about $75 million and saw 345,000 guests. Once in town, the most popular neighborhoods Airbnb guests visited were Pacific Beach (first), Mission Beach (second), East Village (third), North Park (fourth), and Ocean Beach (fifth), Airbnb says. ABC10News

Port Hears More from Point Lomans on Master Plan; List of Changes Made

Monday night, Sept. 16, Port Commissioners once again heard from Point Loma residents about the Master Plan for the Port of San Diego. This time, lists were made. The Commissioners – after listening to the public comment, made the following recommendations to staff, for the Shelter Island Planning District:

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Why Should the Woman Always Have to Pay: Unsolved Murders in San Diego – OB Historical Society Presents – Thurs., Sept.19

September 17, 2019 by Source

Author Richard Carrico Returns to Ocean Beach for 1923 Unsolved Murder of Local Dancer and Actress

Richard L. Carrico will take the Ocean Beach Historical Society and guests back to 1923 to delve into the mysterious unsolved murder of Fritzi Mann, local dancer and actress. “Found dead on the beach at Torrey Pines, Fritzi showed evidence of blunt force trauma but died from drowning. In addition the autopsy report noted that she was in a “delicate condition.”

The police hauled in several suspects including a Hollywood producer, wealthy businessmen, and Louis Jacobs, a medical doctor from the Army base at Camp Kearny. Jacobs stood trial twice for the murder but ultimately got a verdict of not guilty.

To this day the case remains unsolved, but Carrico has a theory about who the murderer was.

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An Independent Police Review Board for San Diego: Why People Want It

September 17, 2019 by Staff

By Joni Halpern

An argument could be made that an assault on the First Amendment led to drafting of the proposed amendment to the San Diego City Charter that will come before the San Diego City Council’s Public Safety and Liveable Neighborhoods Committee on September 18, 2019.

A growing number of local individuals and organizations are hoping the Council will move forward to place the charter amendment on the ballot in the near future, allowing city voters to decide whether to establish an independent citizen review commission to investigate complaints of misconduct by San Diego Police Department officers.

Presently, the City’s Community Review Board (CRB) on Police Practices relies on initial review and investigation of any complaints by the Internal Affairs (IA) Unit of the San Diego Police Department as the foundation of the CRB’s review.

Learning how this new initiative for independent police review evolved, given that citizen boards concerned with police practices have existed in San Diego since 1989, is an important step in understanding the content of the proposed charter amendment.

The First Amendment has always troubled Americans.

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OB Town Council President Winkie and Other Residents Rip City for Lack of Progress at Point Loma ‘Natural Park’

September 16, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park was ripped apart three years ago as part of what the city called the Sunset Cliffs Improvement Project.

On Friday, September 13th, OB Town Council president Mark Winkie and other local residents ripped apart the City of San Diego’s efforts to complete the so-call Point Loma “Natural Park”.

KUSI reporter Dan Plante interviewed Winkie, Dan Dennison – a member of the OB Planning Board and retired drainage engineer – , as well as Anne Jackson Hefti – who has been active in opposing the use of RoundUp in the park.

Reporter Plante – who is a local – gave a rather impassioned report on the current state of the park,

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Consensus in Morena Area: San Diego City Officials Heed Developers Over Residents

September 16, 2019 by Staff

Councilmembers Campell and Bry Voted Against Morena Corridor Plan

By Joni Halpern

For more than three years, the machinery of the City of San Diego has been seeding the public with an idea. The broad skeleton of the idea is that San Diego needs more development to house expected population growth. But land within the City is built out, so city officials contend the only places left to accommodate new growth are in selected portions of existing planning areas.

If the details were as simple as that, the meeting last Wednesday night, Sept. 11, 2019, of about 80 residents of the Morena area – Bay Park, Overlook Heights, and Clairemont probably wouldn’t have been necessary. But flesh added to the City’s skeletal idea over the past few years foretells a change in the quality of life for San Diego neighborhoods targeted for intensive development of high-density housing in so-called “transit-priority areas.”

It is that change — which residents believe will lead to fearsome levels of population overload, severe traffic congestion, the overflow of parked cars from new developments onto existing residential streets, unhealthy air quality, and the loss of a neighborhood feeling — that has roused residents along the Morena Corridor to organize.

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The OB Pier Pancake Breakfast Is One of the Great Social Events of the Year in Ocean Beach

September 13, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

One of the greatest social events of the year in Ocean Beach is coming right up next Saturday, September 21st. It’s the annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast hosted by your OB Town Council. It’s actually the 21st Annual gig.

For the price of a ticket, you get a wonderful breakfast and nosh it down right over the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Plus it’s an event that mainly locals attend and you’ll get to chat with people who love this town. Not only that – but given that this is an election season – there will probably be a number of politicians showing up to show their shiny faces as they know this an important social get-together.

And there’s more! The proceeds from this breakfast go to benefit the OB Food and Toy Drive,

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Southern California Grocery Contract Approved for 47,000 Workers – Strike Averted

September 12, 2019 by Brent Beltran

Kroger and Albertsons Workers Ratify New Contract That Raises Hourly Wages, Improves Benefits, and Protects Customer Service – All With Strong Customer Support

This week, members of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) from Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new contract that improves the lives of hard-working grocery workers and their families across Southern California.

Marc Perrone, the President of the UFCW International, released the following statement:

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Does Todd Gloria Really Have the Mayor’s Race All Wrapped Up?

September 12, 2019 by Doug Porter

The 2020 Primaries: Is it Time for Todd Gloria to Do a Victory Lap?

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / Sept. 9, 2019

Short answer: Nah, he’s not gonna pull a Howard Dean.
The first round of polling made news this weekend. A poll has Assemblyman Todd Gloria leading Councilwoman Barbara Bry by more than a 2-1 ratio among likely voters in the race to become San Diego’s next mayor.

Here’s the fine print: 46% of likely voters are undecided,

Longer Answer:

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Teenager Pulled From Ocean at Sunset Cliffs Dies

September 12, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Flowers have been left near the site where a young, 15-year old boy from Sweetwater High School died Wednesday, September 11 at Sunset Cliffs. The teenager was pulled from the ocean after he had reportedly been underwater for nearly an hour.

Anthony Womack had been jumping with friends at the cliffs between Adair and Osprey streets, a favorite jumping spot, popularized on social media. The jump is at least twenty feet.

Rescuers responded after being called at 10 a.m. with a report of a teenager struggling in the water. Womack was finally found in the water after lifeguards searched on a boat and watercrafts for almost an hour.

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The Green Calendar for Ocean Beach and San Diego -September 2019

September 11, 2019 by Source

These events were put together by folks at the Ocean Beach Green Center – ( 4862 Voltaire Street, Ocean Beach 92107 oceanbeachgreencenter@gmail.com)

Events in Ocean Beach or Point Loma

September 19th Thursday 7 pm Film Night. “Time to Choose” In this 2016 documentary from Charles Ferguson (Inside Job, No End in Sight) he addresses the worldwide climate change challenges and solutions. He leaves audiences understanding not only what is wrong, but what can be done to fix this global threat. “Time to Choose” is a sobering polemic about global warming that balances familiar predictions of planetary doom with a survey of innovations that hold out some hope for the future. New York Times. Come watch this film and get yourself ready for the Climate Walkout Sept 20th. at the Ocean Beach Green Center – 4862 Voltaire Street,

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LA Times Opinion: ‘I’m 73 and live in a van. …already received a warning in Ocean Beach … It feels like there’s no place for me in California anymore’

September 11, 2019 by Source

Editordude: The following opinion piece was published in the LA Times two days ago and it’s already making the rounds on the net. It’s by LaVonne Ellis, a former correspondent for ABC Radio News Networks.

By LaVonne Ellis / Los Angeles Times / Sep. 9, 2019

I wake up early these days, when morning light outlines the blackout curtains and floods the skylight above my bed. After washing up with baby wipes and donning clean clothes, I slide open a curtain to reveal the front seats and windshield of the van that is my home, and check the back one last time to make sure everything is secure. Then I crawl into the driver’s seat and turn the key.

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San Diego Housing Commission Releases RFP for Famosa Canyon – Here It Is

September 11, 2019 by Source

The San Diego Housing Commission released the RFP (Request for Proposals) for development at Famosa Canyon at the end of August. The Housing Commission calls the 5 plus acres “Site 428.”

Here below are pertinent sections of the RFP for the layperson. Included is the Intro, “Background”,”Goals and Objectives”, “Site Information” and the minimum requirements for the site. (All graphics from the RFP.)

Site 428: RFP Executive Summary

INTRODUCTION

Development teams experienced in high-quality, affordable rental housing are invited to submit proposals for potential development of approximately 5.61 acres, designated Site 428, on the southeast corner of Famosa Boulevard and Nimitz Boulevard in zones RM-2-5 and RM-3-7 (Site).

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Here’s the Proposed Street Vendor Ordinance for San Diego

September 11, 2019 by Source

Have you checked out the proposed Street Vendor ordinance for San Diego?

It is supposed to go before the full City Council in October. This is a good time to check into it – and as in many ordinances, it starts out with “definitions”, so don’t get lost in those. Just skip down to the more substantive sections of the proposal.

At their last meeting, the OB Planning Board endorsed it and reportedly, the OB Mainstreet Association also favors the current version.

So, here it is – in its entirety – without edit, without comment (I did add graphics):

Chapter J
Business Regulations, Business Taxes,
Permits and Licenses Article 6:
Division 1: Sidewalk Vendor
§36.U1U1

Title
This Division shall be known as the Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance. This Division regulates sidewalk vendors in the public right- of-way.

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Albert Spalding, Madame Tingley and the Great Myth of Baseball

September 10, 2019 by Source

By Randy Dotinga / Voice of San Diego / September 2, 2019

If you head out to a Padres game this month, you might assume you’re enjoying the national pastime invented by a man called Doubleday in a bucolic place called Cooperstown. But this origin story is a hoax, perhaps the greatest in all of sports, and it has its roots right here in Point Loma, where wealth, the occult and shameless myth-making collided early in the 20th century.

At the center of it all was a man named Albert Goodwill Spalding,

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Beach Commemoration for Lifelong OB Resident Billy Holt – Saturday, Sept.14

September 10, 2019 by Source

Billy Holt passed away unexpectedly on July 8th. He was a native San Diegan and lifelong Ocean Beach resident. Billy was a 1966 graduate of Point Loma High School and many of his former classmates have been shocked at his sudden departure.

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OB Woman’s Club – ‘The Inside Secrets of Sesame Street’ Plus Buddha Bowls – Tues., Sept.10

September 10, 2019 by Source

Suuunny Day ….. Sweepin’ the clouds awaaay…?

You’re invited to join the women at the OB Woman’s Club for a fun and nostalgic trip down memory lane as we listen to insider stories from Dr. Lucille Burbank, a researcher on the show and the author of “The Inside Secrets of Sesame Street”.

There’s a fun meeting on tap, packed with info about the upcoming Ping Pong Tournament, Card Night, the Obcean Luau Fundraiser and more!

A light meal of Buddha Bowls will be served

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City of San Diego Map of Scooter Corrals in Ocean Beach

September 9, 2019 by Source

Here is the official map from the City of San Diego on scooter corrals in Ocean Beach.

 

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News and Notices for Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Early September 2019

September 6, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Contractor Found in Violations at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park for Pesticides.

The County of San Diego has found contractor Habitat West in violations for pesticides at Sunset Cliffs “Natural Park”. Their investigation started Jan 2019. The folks behind Campaign Non-Toxic San Diego also an investigation in progress. The County published a report on the violations; it’s 86 pages long and to request the entire report email campaignnontoxicsandiego@gmail.com

Lifeguards Rescue 2 on Catamaran Stuck in Point Loma Cave

Crews rescued two people stuck on a 26-foot catamaran that had floated into a Point Loma cave early Friday morning

OB Kid Raising Money from Lemonade Stand for Diseased Buddy

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Ocean Beach Town Council Needs Volunteers for the OB Pier Pancake Breakfast on Sat., Sept. 21

September 6, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

If you’ve ever been to one of the breakfasts that the OB Town Council puts on at their annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast event, you know how wonderful the food is and what a social scene it is. It’s definitely one of OB’s great social events of the year. Plus – you’re having your food while sitting over the ocean.
This year’s event on September 21 – actually the “21st Annual Pancake Breakfast” – is on schedule. But you know what – the folks who are organizing this gig, your town council board members – need help. They need volunteers.

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Ocean Beach Planners Approve Proposed Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance

September 5, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

At their Wednesday night meeting, the Ocean Beach Planning Board voted by 8 to 4 to approve the proposed Sidewalk Vendor ordinance. It’s supposed to go before the full City Council in October.

Here is the proposal ordnance verbatim (it’s a long 22 page document) in its entirety:

Chapter J
Business Regulations, Business 1 axes,
Bermits and Licenses Article 6:
Division 1: Sidewalk Vendor

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We Had the Bronze Age, We Had the Iron Age – Now, We Have the Plastic Age, Say Scientists

September 5, 2019 by Source

The Guardian
Plastic pollution is being deposited into the fossil record, research has found, with contamination increasing exponentially since 1945.

Scientists suggest the plastic layers could be used to mark the start of the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch in which human activities have come to dominate the planet. They say after the bronze and iron ages, the current period may become known as the plastic age.

The study, the first detailed analysis of the rise in plastic pollution in sediments, examined annual layers off the coast of California back to 1834. They discovered the plastic in the layers mirrors precisely the exponential rise in plastic production over the past 70 years

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Applicants Victimized by City’s Refusal to Abide by Ocean Beach Community Plan

September 5, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

When it came time for the applicants of a Coastal Development Permit to construct a new 3-story residence with decks and a new detached 2-story guest quarters on an empty lot at 4744 Cape May Avenue to appear before the OB Planning Board at Wednesday night’s meeting – planners had a case of deja vue.

The applicants – Alan and Nancy – had appeared before the Board earlier – they were in front of the Project Review Committee (a sub-committee of the entire board, which usually makes recommendations on projects), back on December 19, 2018. Here is our report from the Project Review Committee’s review of that project:

Owners of 4744 Cape May Ave Requested to Return to the Drawing Board

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Author G.M. Ford to Discuss Latest Book Set in Ocean Beach – Sat., Sept. 7 at OB Library

September 5, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Author G.M. Ford is all set to give a talk on his latest mystery novel, “Heavy on The Dead” which is set in Ocean Beach, of all places.

Ford will lead the discussion of his Leo Waterman mystery at the OB Library, this Saturday, September 7. The OB Library is at 4801 Santa Monica Ave. It’s at 2pm.

Back in July, our Bob Edwards wrote a review of the book and here is part of what he said then:

An award winning mystery and thriller novelist, G.M. Ford has just published a new book, Heavy On The Dead (Thomas and Mercer, Seattle, 2019) that is set largely in Ocean Beach.

From the first pages of the book when a body is discovered next to the Santa Cruz Avenue stairs during a beach cleanup to an episode searching for a homeless man along the San Diego River, to the protagonists battling traffic on Sea World Drive at rush hour, Heavy On The Dead has numerous local references that most OBceans will recognize.

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‘Come Show OB Some Love’ – 8th Annual After Summer Community Cleanup

September 5, 2019 by Source

‘Come Show OB Some Love’ – 8th Annual After Summer Community Cleanup

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‘Thank You Ocean Beach and Point Loma’ – OB Rag Makes Its Fundraising Goal

September 4, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

Thank you Ocean Beach and Point Loma! We made our fundraising goal of $2,000 – thanks to all the donations. The OB Rag is assured to be able to operate for another year.

We had 35 donations come in since last week – 25 of them from Ocean Beach and Point Loma residents.

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Reader’s Rant: ‘Why I Voted to Support Development at the Famosa Site’

September 4, 2019 by Source

By Jim Hare

The Peninsula Community Planning Board, of which I am a member, has considered the matter of a potential 78-unit workforce housing development on Housing Commission Site #428. The site is off Nimitz Boulevard near the end of Catalina Boulevard in Point Loma.

While the potential project is unknown except for a site feasibility study, many in the community and some members of our Board have sought abandonment of the project and dedication of the property to open space. That position prevailed by vote at the PCPB on August 28th. I cast a vote against the action based on these thoughts:

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OB Planning Board Has 4 Projects to Review, Plus Street Vendor Ordinance – Wed., Sept. 4th

September 4, 2019 by Frank Gormlie

The Ocean Beach Planning Board has 4 projects before it when it meets this Wednesday, Sept. 4th. It will also take up the possible appointment of a new board member to District 3 OB Planning Area and review the Street Vendor Ordinance that goes before the City Council in October. The Board meets at 6pm sharp at the OB Rec Center, 4726 Santa Monica Avenue.

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Sponsor a Table at the Annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast – Sept. 21

September 4, 2019 by Source

From OBTC:

Please mark your calendars! The 21st Annual OB Pier Pancake Breakfast will take place on Saturday, September 21st from 7:30am – 12:00pm.

Proceeds of this community event benefit our holiday events including the annual OB Food and Toy Drive, which helps as many 100 local families and seniors in need during the upcoming holiday season. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children. Tickets can be purchased online.

The Ocean Beach Town Council is seeking Table Sponsors for the Pier Pancake Breakfast. To become a Table Sponsor which includes 8 tickets to the OB Pier Pancake Breakfast, please

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