OB Rag

by Alejandra Reyes-Velarde / Cal-Matters / March 27, 2026

Just south of downtown Los Angeles, the Exide battery recycling facility spent decades leaking lead and arsenic into the soil — sickening children, causing cancer, and creating a nearly billion-dollar liability for the state of California.

A flurry of last-minute reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act at the end of last year’s legislative session exempted a broad, poorly defined category of industrial facilities from environmental review – so broad that if Exide were proposed now, it might get a pass, critics say.

Now lawmakers are trying to figure out what they actually meant when they approved those exemptions.

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat who represents coastal San Diego and Orange counties, introduced a bill this week seeking to more narrowly define what kinds of facilities are exempt from environmental review and to add protections for communities near developments.

Evan Anderson, who was the driver that struck and killed Tracy Condon, a woman experiencing homelessness while she sat on a curb in Ocean Beach has pleaded guilty to hit and run and possession of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas.

Anderson on November 4, 2025, was doing some kind of parking maneuver around 5 pm with his Toyota Tundra pick-up on Santa Monica Avenue, when he hit Condon on the curb next to her wheel chair. Anderson fled, leaving his truck at the scene, but returned a few hours later and was arrested.

On Friday, March 27, the prosecutor said that Anderson will receive a sentence of two years’ probation, “with custody to be decided at sentencing.”

The maximum sentence is four years and six months in state prison, though San Diego Superior Court Judge Marian Gaston announced the defendant would likely receive probation. A year in jail is also possible. The Deputy District Attorney said he did not sign the plea agreement, which sometimes occurs if the prosecutor doesn’t agree with the terms.

Three OBceans were just elected in March to the OB Planning Board.

There were Tracy Dezenzo, Greg Diamond, and John Phillips. Here are their bios from the OB Planning Board website:

Tracy Dezenzo

Tracy Dezenzo has been an OB Planning Board Member since September 2018, has been a renter/resident in the OB “war zone” for over 25 years. She lives with her husband Bill, who volunteers as the OB Holiday Santa, and her aloof rescue pup Gia, who has zero impulse control but nevertheless is a good doggo.

She served as Commissioner on the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture from December 2019 to September 2024 and served on the Board of Directors of the Ocean Beach Town Council from September 2021-January 2024 as Chair of the Advocacy Committee for 2 1/2 years and Corresponding Secretary for 9 months.

Famous Bar Survived Prohibition, Developers — and Now This

By Jacob Smith / Hoodline / March 26, 2026

The Waterfront Bar & Grill has been pouring drinks in Little Italy since 1933 — the year Prohibition was repealed, the year it all became legal again, and the year San Diego’s oldest tavern planted its flag on Kettner Boulevard and never left. Developers eventually built condos around it rather than demolish it. Celebrities including Gene Wilder and Bill Murray came through. Regulars have been coming for decades.

One of them loved the place so much he asked to have his ashes placed on the north wall when he died, and they honored the request. So it takes more than a health inspection closure to rattle a place like this — but that’s exactly what happened on March 25, 2026, when San Diego County inspectors found a major vermin violation and ordered the doors shut.

What Inspectors Found
The routine inspection on March 25 flagged five violations, according to records on SD Food Info: a major vermin violation (the category that triggers automatic closure), a minor food contact surfaces finding, and three out-of-compliance findings covering toilet facilities, premises and vermin-proofing, and floors, walls, and ceilings.

OB Rag Staff Report

Our “Follow the Money” series on the biggest contributors in city elections continues with this review of the latest figures from Campaign Disclosure Reports (Series 400) of two District 6 City Council candidates, incumbent Kent Lee and challenger Mark Powell.

These reports fulfill the Rag’s promise to “scrutinize the candidates in the 2026 primary: who they are, what they’ve done, what they say, and most importantly, where their money comes from.”

District 6 includes Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Sorrento Valley, and University City.

Kent Lee

Lee is in first place in D6 fundraising totals with $60,633. That money includes the maximum $1,600 donation from 16 individuals, some of whom are listed below. According to the Voters’ Voice Initiatives, Lee has raised almost 9 times more money from outside D6 than from inside. His contributors include Rep. Scott Peters ($800), Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera ($320), and Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe ($100)

Lee’s $1,600 contributors include:

Recently, Voice of San Diego ran their “Politics Report” on the “the Midway Rising Bill” (behind a paywall) where they begin with this dire warning:

“…San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has entered the nothing-is-going-to-get-in-our-way phase of the plan to build a new arena and more than 4,000 new housing units on the city’s nearly 50 acres of land along Sports Arena Boulevard in Midway.”

The focus of the report was on how different politicians and parties reacted to State Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson’s brand new bill to exempt Midway Rising from the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.

The Voice noted, “The city is officially sponsoring the legislation …that would exempt the Midway Rising project from the sometimes onerous requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. Inadequately fulfilling the requirements of CEQA and getting sued has caused countless projects delay or failure.” (We take exception with this phrase, “the sometimes onerous requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA”.)

Because this project — the Midway Rising redevelopment of the Sports Arena area — has been so contentious and important to our readers, we here recount the responses to this bill by both politicians and wannabe pols — like those running for District 2.

Forum at Mission Valley Library Organized by San Diego Community Coalition – Also Hosted by Neighbors for a Better San Diego

From San Diego Today / March 29, 2026

San Diego community members are voicing concerns and calling for significant changes to the governance and funding of Balboa Park, following a public forum held at the Mission Valley Library on Saturday, March 28. Dozens attended the meeting, organized by the San Diego Community Coalition, to discuss the future of the iconic public space, with the central issue being the current city-controlled management system.

Why it matters
Balboa Park is a beloved and heavily utilized public space in San Diego, and the way it is governed and funded has major implications for its long-term health and vitality. The community’s push for change reflects a common challenge faced by urban parks and cultural institutions – balancing local control with the need for sustainable funding and regional benefit.

By David Garrick / San Diego U-T / March 27, 2026

Four leading candidates to represent areas including Clairemont and Point Loma on the San Diego City Council differ sharply in their experience, neighborhood involvement and how they would solve the city’s budget crisis.

Deputy City Attorney Nicole Crosby — who got key endorsements this week from the county Democratic Party and the city’s firefighters union — said she would bring strong institutional knowledge and deep community roots. Crosby, 46, has worked on housing issues for the city and has served on the Clairemont Town Council and as president of the parent-teacher association of Holmes Elementary, where her daughter goes to school.

Josh Coyne, who at the start of the year was leading in campaign fundraising, knows the district well as former policy director for termed-out incumbent Jennifer Campbell. Coyne, 46, now works for the Downtown San Diego Partnership merchants group. A Point Loma resident, Coyne says he would bring predictable leadership and reduce acrimony at City Hall.

Richard Bailey, a former two-term Republican mayor of Coronado who moved recently to Point Loma, says he would bring major change to City Hall, including with his plan to shrink and restructure city government. Bailey, 39, said he would provide the badly needed perspective of a small-business owner to the council, contending many of the city’s problems stem from having too many career politicians in charge.

Mandy Havlik, a Point Loma neighborhood leader, says she is the only candidate who has successfully fought City Hall and contends that she exemplifies what standing up for your neighborhood means. Havlik, 44, helped overturn a ballot measure that lifted the height limit in the Midway District around the sports arena. Since then, she’s broadened her focus to include infrastructure, environmental issues and e-bike safety.

City News Service – CBS8 / March 29, 2026

8 to 9 Million Turn Out Nation-Wide

A record 94,000 people participated in 21 separate “No Kings” protests in San Diego County on Saturday, organizers said Sunday.

The events were part of a nationwide day of demonstrations against the Trump administration that organizers were calling the largest single-day pro-democracy turnout on record.

The local crowds surpassed the more than 80,000 who mobilized countywide in October 2025. The figures came from an independent analysis by Take Action San Diego, the same organization that provided independent crowd counts for both previous No Kings events in San Diego, organizers said in a statement Sunday.

“What a day! San Diegans from every neighborhood, every background, and every generation came together around one simple truth: There are no kings in America,” said Wendy Gelernter, lead downtown organizer for Take Action San Diego.

By Gabriella Rubio

Picture this; it is a sunny, 75-degree, Sunday afternoon in Ocean Beach, San Diego, and ‘The Bubble’ is filled with energy, from beachy visitors to vibey nomads in colorful, flowy clothing. Whether you’re passing through or an Obcean through and through, the energy here is unmistakable. And if you’re fortunate enough to spend time in this place, you’ll be changed by the community and connections built on kind smiles, music, art, and care.

Now, meet two local goddesses, Kat Hall and Nicole Pino, whose hearts are full of love for their community and a desire to give back. They are collaborating with The Template, a local café on Niagara Avenue run by owners Marie and Shine.

Combining Kat and Nicole’s creative souls with Marie and Shine’s welcoming space, they are hosting their first Free Market, a donation-based, community-driven pop-up store. Locals can come together to bring gently used items such as clothing, books, décor, kitchenware, non-perishable foods, or even baked goods. Those who donate may, in turn, take what they need for free. They ask participants to give items they’d love to trade and to take only what they need. This event will be held at The Template on 5032 Niagara in Ocean Beach on Sunday, March 29th, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm.

5:40 pm PDT Hey everybody, we’re wrapping up our live blog, as we’ve been blogging since 8:15 this morning.

Chula Vista

5:29 pm PDT Byron Morton sent a batch of shots from Chula Vista. He reported, “There were about 250 people of all walks on the sidewalks bordering the intersection of H Street and Broadway. There were multilingual signs. Protesters blew whistles and cars honked constantly in passing.”

Downtown
4:26 pm PDT Even though the main march downtown San Diego has been over for hours, photos are still coming in to the Rag. Here’s a batch of the Waterfront march taken by OBcean Charles Landon:

“The Future of Balboa Park: A Community Conversation”

When: Saturday, March 28, 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Where: Mission Valley Library Community Room

“The Future of Balboa Park: A Community Conversation” will invite members of the San Diego public, who are the real stakeholders of the Park, to begin exploring new strategies for effective park stewardship and responsible park management.

The town hall, organized by the San Diego Community Coalition and Neighbors for a Better San Diego, will be facilitated by two foremost Balboa Park advocates, landscape architect/urban planner Vicki Estrada and former City Architect Michael Stepner.

With increased public interest in San Diego’s “Crown Jewel,” Estrada and Stepner will lead this public discussion of critical issues, including:

• How do we ensure that the park has the resources it needs to provide the services and benefits San Diegans deserve from this regional asset?
• How can we unify Park stakeholders to work together toward common goals?