Category: Ocean Beach

Christopher Bowd, the OBcean knocked unconscious around 11pm on July 4th and who has been unconscious or in an induced coma ever since, has awoken. This is great news!

We received emails from close friends who spent time with him Tuesday. The first email (dated July 22nd, 8:30 am) reported:

Hi, I visited Chris last night at around 8:30 with his mother and he seems to be making progress. …

by Mary E Mann

Two weeks ago the OB Rag published an article I wrote about burners (people who spin fire at Burning Man), and hoopers (people who dance with flaming hula-hoops). A group of hoopers had been ticketed on June 4th, with fines totaling $2,500. They got these tickets practicing in a small, controlled group at the beach in OB.

The article received a great response, but I started thinking about the voices that hadn’t been heard.

One of our bloggers, Jon Carr, has just written a new song for OBceans about his experiences picking up trash and painting out tagging the past couple week.

Here it is – sung to the tune of “The Twelfth Day of Christmas”:

On the 22nd of July the homeless left for me
A twelve pack of cheap beer …

Editor: World Oil’s Sunset Plaza is coming back to the OB Planning Board on August 5, 2009. We thought it would be worthwhile to re-post this article, originally posted December 3, 2008.

ORIGINALLY POSTED DEC 3, 2008
Will Ocean Beach be left with an ugly and empty office building at Voltaire and Sunset Cliffs? On Dec. 3rd, in a 9 to 4 vote, the Ocean Beach Planning Board approved the “concept” of World Oil’s Sunset Plaza, a two-story 6600 square foot building, designed to provide medical and dental offices at the controversial corner.

For a week, we ran a poll asking the reader whether Ocean Beach is becoming gentrified. 63% of the respondents said ‘yes.’ Most of those – 2/3rds – believed it was a very slow process. 33% of the respondents asked us back – in answer number 4 – “What does gentrified mean?”

So, here it is: GENTRIFICATION:

– the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents. …

by Mary E Mann

“All this shit – the benches, the trail, the signs – none of it matters if we don’t stop the erosion of the cliffs.”

This is Richard Aguirre’s main message, filtered through a long discussion of erosion, geology, politics, surf culture, and safety hazards.

by Jon Carr

UPDATE: NEXT CLEAN-UP: SAT AT 10 AM
Hey Ragsters, Jim Grant and I were down at the Veteran’s Memorial yesterday to clean. Here’s the results…
Only two people showed up to help clean the marshmallow mess off the veterans memorial. In the heat of day, we worked for one full hour before calling it quits. The task is simply too large for two people to complete in a reasonable amount of time. However, in just one hour, the two of us were able to make quite a noticeable difference in about 20 square feet. And we learned some good stuff along the way.

First of all, the goop, which now resembles tar, comes up rather easily with just warm water (NO SOAP) a bristle brush, and a scraping tool such as a putty knife.

Editor: OB Rag blogger Jon Carr and local photographer Jim Grant are heading up a clean-up of the Veteran’s Memorial at the foot of Newport Ave this Saturday morning. The Memorial was grossly soiled by marshmallows thrown two weeks ago on July 4th.

The clean-up is at 1:00 pm and volunteers are asked to bring appropriate cleaning implements.

Jeff Stone, our local OB photographer and contributor to this blog, is in the hospital. He was admitted Wednesday night with severe intestinal pain, and has been diagnosed with a type of colitis.

He is feeling much better today, as his spouse Carole has reported. Jeff has inspired us with his images, so we thought we’d run a few of his best shots. Whether it’s parrots, fireworks, surfers, graffiti, or random pics of OB, you can readily see his love for our beach community.

by Jim Grant

I wonder though about cliff diving….I was at the cliffs yesterday and took this of two guys diving head first off a famous jump spot along Sunset Cliffs – south of Ocean Beach. These guys did this about 20 times.

Now should this be deemed illegal? Is it ?? Is it enforced ?? Is it safe? I have a whole slew of questions……

by Mike Lee / Union-Tribune / July 16, 2009

Add playing in the sand to the long list of fun things that may be bad for your health.

A new study says you risk getting an upset stomach and diarrhea if you dig into the granular stuff to fill toy pails, build sand castles or bury yourself. You’re better off walking along the shore or swimming in the surf.

From San Diego Crime Stoppers

San Diego County Crime Stoppers and detectives from SDPD Western Division are asking for assistance from the public in determining how a man was seriously injured on July 4, 2009 in Ocean Beach.

On July 4 at about 11 p.m. SDPD dispatchers received a call from a citizen saying that he found a man who had sustained a head injury and was unconscious in the 1800 block of Bacon Street.

MORE ON CHRIS BOWD – CRIME STOPPERS OFFERING REWARD …