OB Rag

By Kristen Gwynnn / Alternet

Unroll the tapestries, twist up a joint and crank up the Bob Marley jams! The stoners have token — excuse me, spoken — and dope is now legal in two states.

That’s the kind of ridiculous banter pundits have employed to discuss a historic moment in US democracy: the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado. Put aside the stoner spectacle-making, and we can begin to make sense not only of voters’ decision in WA and CO, but also why other states …

For three days a week, volunteers will staff a brand new ‘help-center’ for American veterans that just opened at the Point Loma branch public library. Now opened just a week, the Veterans Resource Center will connect vets with services and benefits – and just plain, old-fashioned information passed on by a one-on-one basis.

These are services and benefits already earned by the veterans. The Center will be staffed by volunteers on Mondays, Tuesday and Fridays – these are volunteers trained by the California Department of Veterans Affairs. It’s all part of a one-year pilot program that has also opened similar centers this month in Bakersfield and Redding, California.

Ever since the local Point Loma branch of the VFW was forced to close down its chapter clubhouse,

UPDATE FROM WED: The U-T had this story in today’s edition:

A 53-year-old motorcyclist was left wedged in the back window of a car Tuesday after a crash in Loma Portal. The accident at Rosecrans and Lytton streets was reported at 6:44 a.m., San Diego police said.

The motorcyclist was heading south on Rosecrans in heavy traffic when he ran into the back of a 2001 Saturn sedan, police said. The man suffered a broken hip and broken ribs, police said.

Officers were conducting traffic control in the area and had the southbound lanes of Rosecrans between North Evergreen Street and Lytton shut down during the investigation.

I’m still riding high as a result of the elections. It was so great seeing so many propositions that I like pass, so satisfying having the president remain where he is, so refreshing having a mayor who is a friend. I mean, hey, I’ve been voting since 1959 and this has been a real new experience for people of my voting kind.

I’m just basking in these wins because there have been propositions voted on in the Golden State in the past that have affected me personally. Like 187. When that became law I went from a school principal to “la migra,” which just wasn’t a fit for me – …

There’s a blogger at San Diego Free Press, John Patrick Anderson, who’s made it a habit to find and write about places to go to for free in beautiful but expensive San Diego. In fact, his column over at our sister site is called “San Diego for Free”, and he’s written about our local museums, parks, biking paths and architecture of interest.

John leads off every column with this:

A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free! We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.

Also at the front-end of each column is the day or time the place is open for free to the public, their website and physical address.

By OB Joe

Hey kids – here’s a bunch of news stuff you might have missed cuz you were so busy stuffin yourselves.

The OB Chronicle hits the waves

Yessir, ol’ Trevor Watson is up to his old tricks, again, and the OBcean has published another version of his occasional “newspaper” for OB – the Ocean Beach Chronicle – dah tah!. It’s so colorful and fancy, and as a celebration of the year 1967, the 32 page spread found on storefront counters and …
The Portugalia building is sold

On the market for a while, the building that had the Portugalia restaurant upstairs, finally sold. Located at 4839 Newport Ave., it sold for $1,192,500 cash.

Editor: This is the third in a series of business reviews by the Widder Curry of car washes in the Ocean Beach and Point Loma areas. Here are reviews No. 1 and No. 2.

Genie Car Wash
3949 West Point Loma Blvd.
San Diego, 92110
619-223-6830

I have had a distaste for the Genie Car Wash ever since the attendant tried to convince me that my head lights on my 1996 Sable Wagon were so cloudy that I was just asking for a ticket from one of San Diego’s “Finest”. This was in 2011. But I was told that for a mere $25 the car wash could fix those cloudy filters and it would be as good as new. I declined.

When I pulled into the car wash this morning, driving a 2012 Toyota Camry, I wondered what they would try to sell me this time, and “sell” me they did.

It’s been chilly at Dog Beach lately, but the pups don’t seem to mind. Located at the end of Voltaire Street in Ocean Beach, Dog Beach offers a place for the pooches to unwind, socialize and get their feet wet all at the same time.

Here we go again: the day after Black Friday was filled with the now all-too-familiar news of shopping mayhem.

There was the man who threatened to stab his fellow shoppers for pushing his kids outside a Sacramento K-mart, the melee of frenzied Georgia shoppers mauling each other to get at a stack of cell phones in a Walmart, the trampling that followed after a man brandished a gun in a line outside a Sears in Texas, the gang fight in a Michigan mall, arrests of hysterical consumers in Florida, the vicious brawling over lingerie, etc. etc.

By Sub-Committee

The beach is my church.

Standing barefoot and humble in the sand, looking out past the crashing breakers to the big blue beyond, my mind and heart vibrating with the sound of eternity in the song of the ocean, I am filled with peace and gratitude (and respect) for the strength and the forever-ness of the great ocean, our birth waters.

The Holiday Schedule for Ocean Beach

Christmas Tree Arrival – Tuesday, Nov. 27

On the morning of November 27th, come on down to the end of Newport Avenue (at Abbott) to watch the delivery and placement of the massive Christmas Tree.

Christmas Tree Decoration – with Santa, Wed, Nov. 28

Santa will be in OB the morning of November 28, 2012 to help local OB kids decorate the Christmas Tree at the foot of Newport Avenue (at Abbott).

2012 Auction to Benefit Annual Food and Toy Drive – Thursday night, Nov. 29 at the Sunshine Co.

The annual auction to benefit the OB Town Council Holiday Food and Toy drive will be taking place on November 29, 2012 at 6:00 pm at Sunshine Company – 5028 Newport Avenue – San Diego, CA – 92107. Don’t miss your chance to bid on and win awesome prizes from local businesses and sports teams!

Santa visits OB Every Saturday in December

The wireless antennaes on the Masonic Temple are up for renewal. The permit for their renewal will be discussed at the next meeting of the Project Review Committee of the OB Planning Board. This will be Wednesday night – November 21- at the regularly scheduled gathering of the sub-committee of the full board.