Category: Ocean Beach

By Kate Callen

State Senator Akilah Weber Pierson’s August 9 “Community Conversation” about the Midway Rising `project was the first time in the Pechanga Arena’s 60-year history that it staged a Kabuki theater performance.

The first-term senator has become a pro-density rising star by authoring Senate Bill 958 to circumvent a state Supreme Court ruling that Midway Rising must adhere to a legal 30-foot height limit.

News that Weber Pierson was holding a public forum took the public by surprise. Was she genuinely interested in an honest discussion about overcrowding, traffic congestion, air pollution, loss of naturally occurring affordable housing, and flood risks from a rising water table?

Uh, no. Weber Pierson was interested in acting as if she cared about the opinions of community leaders who have those concerns. Maybe she thought that few people would turn out on a scorching Sunday morning. Maybe she hoped those who oppose her bill would be converted by the presentations of Midway Rising’s leadership team.

The resulting “community conversation” was a tightly orchestrated show with long stretches of developer hype, short bursts of community emotion, and quite a few surreal touches.

Weber Pierson began her opening remarks by saying, “I do want to mention that I did invite the mayor, but he was unable to attend.” Well, of course not. There was no ribbon to cut.

When boos erupted at the mention of Todd Gloria, Weber Pierson bristled. “I have been very accommodating so far,” she warned her guests. “This is going to be a productive conversation. We will not permit any further conduct that disrupts the peace. And if we don’t get that, then you will have to be removed.”

Her ominous tone explained why security men were circling the audience of fewer than 200 people.

Two recent reports out on San Diego’s bicycle network find troubling problems with the hundreds of miles of bike lanes, from difficult and dangerous corridors, gaps in the infrastructure and insufficient bike routes for school kids.

One report from San Diego State University — the “State of the Ride”– published in May, ” identifies corridors for improvement and highlights how biking could feel safer for more communities, as UT writer Maura Fox reported August 5. She wrote that “San Diego’s expansive bicycle network remains difficult and sometimes dangerous for cyclists to navigate and contains key gaps that prevent continuous riding.”

The report was done in conjunction with the group BikeSD, whose executive director quipped:

“It’s not the question of, how many miles did we build? It’s more like, can an average child or a 70-year-old woman actually ride there?”

The report highlighted these issues, looking at what it says is the nearly 700 miles of bike facilities :

• Only about 75% of the 2013 bike master plan’s goal for bike infrastructure has been implemented;
• The most common type of facility — which accounts for nearly 60% of the mileage — are class II bike lanes, which are designated specifically for cyclists.
• bike infrastructure is not distributed evenly across the city.

By Philip Hernandez / Seasonal Entertainment / July 31, 2026

SeaWorld San Diego has no fireworks scheduled on any night in 2026. The park’s nighttime calendar now runs on the 600-drone Ocean of Dreams show …, a change that comes out of a Clean Water Act lawsuit: SeaWorld sought the drone pilot while the case was pending, and the settlement signed in May requires it to pursue drones as a permanent replacement for fireworks. Last summer’s Enchanted Wonders was the final fireworks season, closing a run local reporting puts at nearly six decades.

(Please go to the original for all the great links)

What the Settlement Requires
San Diego Coastkeeper and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF) sued SeaWorld in March 2025 over repeated noncompliance with the park’s Clean Water Act fireworks permit, documenting plastic, foil, sharp wiring, and toxic metal residues recovered from Fiesta Island and the Mission Bay seabed. The settlement, announced May 20, 2026, requires SeaWorld to pursue drones as a permanent replacement for fireworks in good faith and to run more robust pollution prevention and cleanup for any fireworks it still shoots.

Council Candidate Went Down to Defeat Because He Was Out-of-Touch With District 2 Voters Despite Spending $80 Per Vote

By Paul Krueger / Special to OB Rag

Josh Coyne and his supporters raised more than $450,000 in his run for the San Diego District 2 City Council seat.

That money was not well spent.

Coyne finished a very distant third in the June primary, with just 5,622 votes. First place finisher Richard Bailey got 14,800 votes; Nicole Crosby was second with 14,325.

Bailey is a Republican-turned-Independent who raised and spent less than Coyne. He was also the target of $148,000 in negative ads sponsored by labor unions. But the former Coronado mayor still beat Coyne by more than 9,000 votes.

Democrat Crosby’s cost-per-vote total was even more impressive. She and her supporters raised $153,000 — one-third of Coyne’s war chest — but she beat him by almost 9,000 votes.

The starkest comparison is Coyne versus fourth-place finisher Mandy Havik, who raised just $45,000, or one-tenth of the money raised and spent on Coyne’s behalf.

Havlik is a long-time Democrat stalwart and beach-area activist who campaigned on limiting ADU and highrise development and empowering neighborhood planning groups. She captured 4,750 votes, at about $10 per vote, compared to Coyne’s $80 per vote.

By Debbie L. Sklar / Special to the OB Rag

(All photos courtesy of the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club)

The Ocean Beach Woman’s Club is a familiar landmark to many OB residents — a historic building at the corner of Bacon Street and Muir Avenue that has hosted meetings, fundraisers, celebrations and community gatherings for generations.

But the story of the club is about more than a century-old building. It is about the women who kept it alive through changing times, shifting generations and the challenges faced by many longtime civic organizations.

Founded in 1924, the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and continues its mission of community service, friendship and philanthropy with members ranging from their 20s to their 90s. Some of the most interesting chapters in the club’s story are found in the details — the unexpected turns, personal connections and challenges that shaped the organization over the decades.

Here are 10 things behind the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club.

1. The club’s first “home” was a disappearing landmark

When the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club was founded in 1924, members did not have a permanent clubhouse. Early meetings were held in rented locations, including Ocean Beach’s Flatiron Building at Abbott Street and Newport Avenue.

Public Comment on This Use of Public Land Closes After August 24

by Andi Ruiz / Times of San Diego / Aug. 4, 2026

Lights, poles and nets at a proposed waterfront golf and entertainment center could have a negative impact on habitats and native species, according to an environmental analysis of the project.

The concerns are addressed in a draft environmental impact report (EIR) on the redevelopment of East Harbor Island being sought by the Port of San Diego, which would include a Topgolf complex and waterfront park, each covering about 10 acres.

The report cites light pollution and height of the Topgolf poles and nets as notable impacts.

Bright light, according to the analysis, could disrupt the behavior of birds and attract them to nets in the structure, leaving them entangled.

A proposed alternative would limit the Topgolf to one story, as compared to the currently proposed three stories. The planned 108 hitting bays would drop to 34 and the height of the netting poles would fall from 170 feet to 140 feet with the shift to a one-story structure.

San Diego Police Have Recently Issued 18 Misdemeanor Citations and 300 Warnings at Sunset Cliffs 

By Omari Fleming / 7SanDiego / August 4, 2026

A cascade of cliff-jumpers continues to catapult themselves off Sunset Cliffs, a week and a half after two high-profile rescues. One case involved a 17-year-old who jumped and crashed on the cliffs. The other involved a man who fell trying to climb the cliffs.

Law enforcement has made it abundantly clear — cliff jumping is illegal.

San Diego police and lifeguards said they have increased patrols in light of the recent issues.

NBC San Diego crews witnessed lifeguards in boats using bullhorns to try and get jumpers off the cliffs on Tuesday, Aug. 4. A crew was also stationed in one of their trucks, parked off the cliffs, trying to dissuade illegal activity.

San Diego police said they handed out over 300 warnings and 18 misdemeanor citations to would-be jumpers. But people who take the plunge say that won’t do the trick.

By Staff at River Cities’ Reader / August 2026

With Americana Highways praising the artist for delivering a “sweet, steamy pot of serious country music and lyrics.” singer/songwriter Stacy Antonel headlines an August 18 concert at Davenport’s Raccoon Motel, her debut album Always the Outsider hailed by Saving Country Music as “quite an exquisite collection of songs that gives Antonel a unique role in the country landscape.”

As stated at StacyAntonel.com: “Imagine Tammy Wynette crossed with the Ventures and you’ll have an idea of the sonic world of Americana artist Stacy Antonel’s forthcoming EP, The Seahorses: Volume 1. Always a genre-defying artist, Antonel blends her passion for classic country, jazz and surf rock with this collection of songs, and the result is a fresh hybrid of musical styles that feels both vintage and hyper-modern. Recorded at Nashville’s Fitting Room Studio, the band includes heavy hitters Ethan Ballinger (Miranda Lambert), Joe Reed (Merle Haggard), Paul Sgroi (Josh Hedley) and San Diego jazz phenom Tony Econom.

“Antonel grew up in a seaside San Diego town called Ocean Beach, listening to pop and R&B hits and studying classical piano until she was eighteen. “

By Jillian Butler

Residents of Mariner’s Cove Apartments in eastern Ocean Beach say years of deferred maintenance have left some affordable housing units with mold, deteriorating cabinetry, broken stairways and other unresolved problems, raising concerns about whether tenants in subsidized units are receiving the same level of maintenance as market-rate residents.

As the cost of living soars, many people turn to government programs in order to find a place to live. Being the ninth most expensive city in America, San Diego is no exception to this. In fact, there are approximately 80,300 people in San Diego County living in government subsidized housing. However, some landlords give preferential treatment to those not in subsidized housing, creating two separate classes of people.

Several sources have reached out to the OB Rag, citing negligence towards those in rent controlled units at the Mariner’s Cove Apartment complex. Issues range from mold to the landlord illegally painting over fire lanes.

Mariner’s Cove is a two story apartment complex with 500 units. Of those 500 units, 300 are considered “affordable”, with 100 being low income. Many such residents are elderly, have disabilities, or both.

One resident I spoke with recounts:

“For years, I have expressed serious concerns regarding the lack of ventilation and potential mold in my unit, as well as the deteriorating plywood and peeling veneer in my kitchen. These issues pose legitimate safety and health risks rather than cosmetic concerns. Although management acknowledges the poor bathroom ventilation and has previously patched a water-damaged wall, they have refused to test for mold. Furthermore, the deteriorating wood in my kitchen cabinets sheds debris onto my dishes every time the drawers are opened.

By Gabriella Rubio

We’re in Ocean Beach, California, where the grey sky looming overhead begins to burn away, the air is well… earthy, and our eclectic bubble fills with vacationers.

This time we zoom back into the beloved Template coffeehouse on Niagara, a cornerstone and home for many in the community. This summer, this colorful portal hosted a few small, silly and playful creatures in its back garden, looked after them and took them on wild adventures in the great outdoors of OB. This was all by the enchanting and mythical guardian, Miss Chula, accompanied by her magic bus, Rover.

Chula, or more fondly known as ChuChu to the lively kids attending her camps, is the sole founder of Down to Earth Nature School. At the heart of it all is what she calls “Kids Empowered” — a school where radical self-expression is a core value, a place kids feel safe to be their pure, authentic selves and applaud others for doing the same. Where “Odd-Ball” behavior is welcomed, embraced and encouraged, while learning environmental impact and the importance of taking care of the planet. Speaking with her about her vision, you can see the passion bubbling up from within, which makes learning from her all the more fun.

To understand where this vision comes from, let’s go back in time a bit, to Chula’s past. She grew up nannying and being around kids her whole life, surrounded by the support of her parents and sisters. Along the way, she gained entrepreneurial influence from her dad. This led her to San Francisco State, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a complimentary degree in Holistic Studies. She went on to earn her teaching credential in 2025.