Category: Ocean Beach

The Ocean Beach branch Library has no better friends than Dorothy Shumway and her family. Over the past year, this long-time OB family donated nearly $13,000 to the OB Branch of the San Diego Public Library. Dorothy Shumway, now 83, and her family wrote checks that totaled $12,900 at two different times during 2008, and sent them to the San Diego Public Library Foundation ear-marked for our local branch. This incredible act of generosity by one family in support of the Ocean Branch Library, particularly since the branch has just fought a successful, if temporary, battle to keep its doors open, does need to be recognized by the broader community.

This morning, the San Diego Union-Tribune ran a brief story of the death of an Ocean Beach musician and school teacher, Don Truesdail, who was killed by a truck on Interstate 5, the morning of Tuesday, January 13th. Unfortunately, the paper reported that Truesdail, 34, had jumped in front of a truck, with the implication that he had committed suicide.

The only word that Truesdail had committed suicide was this:

“Investigators said witnesses called 911 after seeing a man on the freeway shoulder jump in front of a truck. The driver, who pulled over after the accident, was not injured.”

Ever since the story appeared on the U-T’s online version, comments have poured in from Don’s friends and family, outraged at the suggestion that he had killed himself.

Activist San Diego’s 2009 People’s Ball A Gala Event to Celebrate The End of an Error! Democracy under construction! Inaugurate…

Peace Rock was such an inspiring place for most everyone who saw it and it was a sad day when we realized it was gone. We here at the OB Rag want to thank the Peace Rockers for their tireless efforts in bringing the Peace Sign back to Ocean Beach and offer up big cudos to Doc, the Manager of the OB International Hostel, and the owner, John, who both supported the latest project here in OB. … There are others to thank but we may never know their names.

The Peace Sign has returned to Ocean Beach. Back on Memorial Day weekend, 2006, a small group of long-time locals – calling themselves “Peace Rockers” – installed a stunning stained-glass Peace Sign atop the magnificent rock off the shores of Sunset Cliffs. No political statement was ever intended by the design. Rather, the Peace Rockers hoped the Sign would inspire a continual contemplation on tolerance, on harmony, and on the desire of all people for an end to violence. Regrettably, the sign was removed by persons unknown in the middle of the night in about January of 2008, and was never returned. We have it on good authority the Peace Rockers have returned to Ocean Beach. In fact we have proof!

OB Rag blog T-shirts have arrived. Get them while they’re hot. Sizes are medium, large, and X-large, and for a $20 donation with $2 handling, we’ll mail them to you.

It has already rained half an inch at the coast Monday. There are predictions of from 1 to 3 inches of rain at the coast over the next few days. So what does that mean for us in San Diego? Not much for most of us, living here as we do in paradise. No one has prepared us for what to do. But that is going to change.
It’s about to rain buckets, so, I say, get out the buckets, the barrels, get out anything you can to capture rain water in. Why?
Remember, we still live in a desert.

Regarding the new building concept just approved by the Ocean Beach Planning Board, Sunset Plaza, proposed by World Oil… what can we do now? The next step following review of the Ocean Beach Community Planning Board is review and decision by City Planning Department Staff. Then, if applicable, appeal review and decision by the City Planning Commission.

Frank and I with my camera at the ready strolled down to Newport last evening to catch a glimpse of the OB Holiday parade and rub elbows with some of our neighbors. We took in the lights and sounds at the intersection with Sunset Cliffs. Meanwhile our good friend and photographer, Jeff Stone, had his camera at the other end of Newport, down near the end of the parade. This year’s Parade Theme: Peace.

World Oil is coming back to Ocean Beach with a proposal for their property at the corner of Sunset Clliffs Blvd and Voltaire Street. Three times in the past, the corporation has approached the community and city planners with a proposal for a gas station at that very visible corner.

San Diego neighborhoods closest to the shore that are most affected by a beach booze ban soundly rejected Proposition D, despite arguments from supporters that a permanent prohibition was needed to make beaches safer. The restrictions, which also apply to the city’s waterfront parks, trailed in virtually every precinct in Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach, the epicenter of the debate, The San Diego Union-Tribune found in an analysis of the Nov. 4 election results.

Ocean Beach business – Falling Sky Pottery – commits to donate 5% of sales to the Ocean Beach library, from December 7th to December 21st.