OB Rag

The Black — OB”s legendary headshop — is back.

Apparently, the shop’s longtime owner, Kurt Dornbusch, has partnered with a group of unidentified new owners, who wish to keep the place going. Just weeks ago, Dornbusch announced he was retiring after 57 years and was closing the store. Yet, things changed.

As SanDiegoVille reported:

Both Dornbusch and the incoming ownership group have confirmed that new buyers have secured the naming rights to The Black and are currently finalizing a lease agreement to continue operating the store at its longtime home on Newport Avenue.

Community Planning Group Elections This Week

San Diego’s Community Planning Groups (CPGs) hold annual elections every March.

Here are dates, times, and locations for in-person voting at some of this week’s elections. Be sure to bring your driver’s license or another form of ID showing your home address.

Monday, March 9

Southeastern San Diego will hold its election starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center, 641 South Boundary Street

Tuesday, March 10

Eastern Area will hold its election starting at 6:00 p.m. at Teen Challenge, 5450 Lea St.

University will hold its election from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 9880 Campus Point Drive on the third-floor patio of Alexandria’s GradLabs building.

Kensington-Talmadge is offering four in-person voting opportunities before its meeting on Monday, March 16:

Tessa Balc at the Times of San Diego dropped a stunning article on Sunday the 8th of March, by declaring there soon could be a Walmart at the former RiteAid property in Ocean Beach.

The new owner of the property is seriously considering putting in a Walmart Depot — but it wouldn’t be a “walk-in” store to buy anything but a location for delivery drivers to pick up wares and products to distribute nearby.

An application to install one was submitted to the City of San Diego recently and, as Balc reported:

“describes Walmart Depots as non-branded facilities, stocked with high-demand delivery items. Based on the description, it would not be open to the public, instead serving only authorized delivery “drivers/shoppers.” [Rag emphasis.]

Let’s back-up by returning to Balc’s article.

She reports that Murfey Construction Company is a developer who bought the RiteAid property in January, whom she also describes as “a well-known developer in the beach neighborhoods ….” (See below.) Balc in addition stated the company “is also considering a housing development.”

Balc also maintains the City staff is on board with this idea, having already reviewed the idea and reported back to Murfey that it did not run afoul of any development restrictions.

By Rene Kaprielian / Op-Ed SD Union-Tribune / March 6, 2026 

Once again, the city of San Diego faces financial upheaval as it attempts to backfill a huge budget deficit caused by historically poor management and misguided priorities.

Our mayor and City Council remain focused on two predictable but ultimately futile strategies: raising fees and taxes and/or cutting services, including hours at libraries and park and recreation centers.

Regrettably, our elected representatives rarely question the financial giveaways to large entities and industries that contribute to the imbalance.  Whether it’s long-term franchise agreements with SDG&E or bad real estate deals, these commitments translate to higher rates and taxes for residents and less money for needed existing infrastructure improvements.

San Diego State University is a major recipient of this misplaced generosity. The city has given SDSU carte blanche in its expansion in the College Area and is silent on the lack of progress in developing the former Qualcomm Stadium site. As a state university, SDSU is not required to adhere to local land use laws on land it owns. When the city deeds land to SDSU it can no longer collect property tax, development impact fees, or control the size and scope of the project, while saddling taxpayers with substantial infrastructure costs. These subsidies include fire protection and major improvements to intersections and streets.

Assemblymember Ward Introduces Legislation to Protect Mission Bay Park and an Update on City Leases for Dana Landing and Sportsmen’s Seafood

By Donna Frye

It’s a nice change to write about something that is good, respects the public’s concerns, and protects and preserves dedicated public parkland. It’s not a usual occurrence which makes it all the more welcome.

The good news is that Assemblymember Chris Ward introduced legislation (AB 2525) on February 20, 2026 to exempt all of Mission Bay Park from the State Surplus Land Act.

Even though it has to go through various legislative committees and the governor needs to sign it to become law, I am optimistic that Mission Bay Park will be protected and preserved as the voters intended it to be. It will also eliminate any conflicts between the San Diego City Charter and the Surplus Land Act.

For those who may not be aware of why this is such good news, here is some background about how we got here.

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members and the general public informed about important Council and Planning Commission hearings and other city public meetings.

Wednesday, March 11: Audit Committee, 9:00 a.m.

Agenda:

Item 2: 2026 High Risk Re-Review: Performance Audit of The Fire-Rescue Department’s Emergency Medical Response Process

Why it matters: The auditor’s report flagged several problems, chiefly “slow turnout times across all stations … crews do not leave the station to respond to an incident for about 4 minutes and 20 seconds after a medical call is received, on average.” Auditors recommend that the department “track all phases of the emergency dispatch process and evaluate and standardize dispatch times to achieve accountability.”

Wednesday, March 11: Public Safety Committee, 2:00 p.m.

Agenda: 

Item 5: Electronic Bicycle Safety Regulations Pursuant to AB 2234

Why it matters: In response to an increase in head trauma and orthopedic injuries related to e-bike use, “many involving children and teenagers,” this ordinance would seek to prevent accidents by “establishing a minimum operating age for younger riders, reinforcing helmet requirements, and clarifying passenger limitations.”

By JW August / Exclusive to the OB Rag

The Trump administration has rolled out a plan to begin further cuts in the federal workforce, a move that some sources say has a hidden agenda  — to remove employees who are seen as not loyal to the president.  We are told by a long time source that U.S.Veterans who voted Democratic or Independent will be on an administrative hit list as the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) just released “reductions in force ” (RIF) is rolled out.  (The source will be identified as ‘S’ or he/she through this story.)

The RIF is “the first major overhaul of the federal employee performance management system in decades,” according to government news platform, Government Executive.com. This follows the early 2025 effort by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to make massive cuts to the federal workforce. Chaos and confusion were byproducts of that effort.  Its value is still a matter of debate.  The American Federation of Government Employees said this current RIF is part of the Trump effort to “dismantle ,the non-partisan civil service.”

The OPM believes they can reshuffle the deck, do whatever is needed to cut the workforce.  They say, “The applicable statute (5 U.S.C. 3502) directs OPM to prescribe regulations ‘for the release of competing employees in a reduction in force’ that give ‘due effect’ to four factors: tenure of employment; military preference, length of service; and efficiency or performance ratings.”

Yesterday, March 5th, the U.S. House voted narrowly to defeat a resolution to halt the war against Iran and force President Donald Trump to go to Congress for authorization.

A very small bloc of Democrats — including Juan Vargas of Chula Vista — joined almost all the Republicans to give support for the war.

The vote was 219-212 to block consideration of a bipartisan resolution that would end offensive military operations in Iran that had not been approved by Congress.

Falling almost entirely along party lines, four Democrats crossed party lines to oppose the resolution, while two Republicans broke from their party to support it, citing concerns of executive overreach and disregard for the legislative branch.

The other Democrats besides Vargas to break with their party included Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, and Greg Landsman of Ohio.

From OBCF

Submit your Candidate Statement Today! Voting begins on Thursday, April 9th.

Dear OB Community,

The Ocean Beach Community Foundation is opening nominations for our 2026 Board of Directors election. We have 5+ open seats, and we want to fill them with people who genuinely love this town and want to help keep it running.

Here’s what that actually means:

When the OB Town Council dissolved, OBCF stepped up to carry on its traditions — including events that have been part of this community for over 40 years. The Holiday Parade, the Pancake Breakfast, the Restaurant Walk, the Food & Toy Drive, the Santa Experience at Veteran’s Plaza, the Holiday Auction — these don’t happen without a small group of volunteers who show up and do the work. That’s us. And we need more of us.

By Michael Stepner and Mary Lydon / Op-Ed San Diego U-T / February 27, 2026 

Every city has its own DNA. San Diego’s foundational DNA includes the establishment in the early 1920s of what is now Naval Base San Diego and Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. Additional foundational DNA includes the founding of the University of California San Diego, with roots back to 1912, and 1,400 acres that was set aside for a public park in 1868.

Now, San Diego has the largest military concentration in the world, UC San Diego is one of the top public universities in the country, and Balboa Park is our region’s center for art and culture. Over the years, the foundational DNA has spawned a thriving high-tech and biotech business sector, an integrated binational economic and cultural dynamic with Tijuana, and a top-ranking tourism sector. These are not small-minded accomplishments.

In a recent San Diego Union-Tribune Econometer article, 12 economists and executives were asked: “Do San Diego County planners have too much of a ‘small town’ mindset?” While the question targeted the planners in the county as a culprit, that is not the case. Plans and visions for our cities are a product of the community — from the community planning groups and politicians to the business and university leaders. As several members of the Econometer panel noted, the professional planners create plans to carry out the visions of the community.

Ken Abbott, 61, started his cross-country trip from Ocean Beach Wednesday ten years after receiving a heart transplant.

By Shannon Handy / CBS8 / March 4, 2026  

A man who received a heart transplant a decade ago is embarking on a 3,000-mile bicycle journey from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida, to raise awareness about the critical need for organ donors.
Ken Abbott, 61, started his cross-country trip from Ocean Beach on Wednesday after recovering from a life-threatening cardiac condition that nearly killed him in 2016. The journey commemorates ten years since his transplant and aims to educate people about the importance of organ donation and transplantation.

Abbott was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition years before his heart began to fail. In 2016, he walked into Mount Sinai’s emergency room, where doctors gave him only a 5% chance of survival.