OB Rag

Finally, we’ll get to see what the future public restrooms at the foot of Brighton Avenue will look like. There will be a public presentation of the new designs and plans of what the City calls the Brighton Avenue “Comfort Station” at Wednesday night’s OB Planning Board meeting.

The Planning Board will be determining approval or denial of the project’s conceptual design during the July 7th meeting at the OB Recreation Center, located at the corner of Santa Monica Ave and Ebers Street. The meeting begins at 6:00 pm.

by Peter Callstrom / Regional Task Force on Homeless / Special to the OB Rag

Kudos to Ocean Beach! This progressive community held a forum last night to proactively address homelessness in their community. A diverse and overflow crowd gathered to constructively dialogue, listen, and find common ground. A number of persons who are homeless were in attendance and actively participated in the discussion. There are no easy answers, but dialogue is so critical: to build understanding, empathy, and ideas. Wisely, more forums are planned.

Editor: Our blogger OBCindi attended last night’s community meeting on Homelessness in Ocean Beach at the Sacred Heart Church on Sunset Cliffs. She volunteered to be a scribe for one of the “peace circles” so was deeply involved in enunciating the results of her circle’s ideas and thoughts. Here’s her report:

As I walked to the meeting, I was met by a neighbor who wanted to hear the issues on homelessness in OB, but was specifically interested in aggressive panhandling. My neighbor shared with me his concern with the growing threats of violence, a need for clean streets, more police, and decreasing theft/break ins.

The church-sponsored community forum last night (Tuesday July 6) drew as many as 250 residents, merchants, homeless, and property owners to a discussion on OB homelessness.

Volunteers signed people in as they lined up entering the lengthy hall, some homeless guys played music on the front lawn. Reporters mingled with attendees on the sidewalk. Many of OB’s active residents and business-owners were there – this was the place to be in OB on July 6th. Town Council members, the community relations police officer, the woman who feeds homeless people every Monday, OB Rag bloggers, seniors, middle-aged property owners, church volunteers. Christine Shames, a homeless advocate, brought a half-dozen young people who were homeless to the forum.

OPEN COMMUNITY FORUM:
To Discuss the issues surrounding
HOMELESSNESS IN OCEAN BEACH

When: Tuesday, July 6, 2010, 8:00 p.m.

Where: The Parish Hall, Sacred Heart of Ocean Beach

4776 Saratoga Avenue

We received a troubling message from Dusty Rhodes Dog Park Friends late last week who wanted us to broadcast a reminder to all participants at that dog park to be especially cautious with any of their small dogs.

Apparently, earlier last week – the week of June 28 – July 2, a very small dog who had been brought regularly to the dog park by her owners for the last few months was attacked and killed by a large aggressive Husky.

Here are some views on celebrating the Fourth of July.
* Put Away the Flags – Remembering Howard Zinn on the 4th
* America Is a Work In Progress – Fourth of July 1776, 1964, 2010
* Happy 4th ! Patriotic Food for Thought From San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice

San Diego Police have announced to the media that they will monitor the annual OB marshmallow fight, held right after the fireworks. Police told channel 10News that they will be out in force to ensure the gooey event doesn’t get out of hand. They will be stepping up their patrols leading up to the July 4th celebratory day and night extravaganza held on the sand.

A new sticker that we can relate to.

Tell us what you think about the new sticker put together by the folks at the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, who will be present at the community forum on Tuesday night.

(MORE DETAILS AND ALL LINKS INSIDE)

By George J. Janczyn / Groksurf / July 1, 2010

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders just yesterday announced a new recycled water hookup with Canyonside Park for landscaping irrigation (see video of announcement).

In his speech, Mayor Sanders proclaimed:

“Finding more uses for recycled water is an important way to maximize resources.”

Councilmember Sherri Lightner also spoke, saying:

“I have always and will continue to support the expansion of recycled water in San Diego as a smart reuse of water and as a water conservation measure.”

Was this really a sign of wholehearted support for water reuse, or was it just lip service?

[ALL DETAILS AND LINKS INSIDE]

* Will the City Ban Floatopias?

* Petition puzzle: Pulling back the curtain on Carl DeMaio’s costly signature-gathering campaign

* San Diego City Council Gives Go-ahead to Central Library Construction

* Mayor Sanders Now Wants Half Cent Raise In Sales Tax

* Mayor sued to enforce rope barrier for seals in La Jolla

(Originally posted on July 16, 2009.)

by Frank Gormlie

For 26 years now, OBceans have been lobbing marshmallows at each other once the fireworks die down on July 4ths.

Since it began in 1985 with warring parties of neighbors at the beach all the way to this year, hundreds if not thousands of participants have joined the virtual free-for-all around the bonfires.

But now calls to end this particular brand of totally-local OB shenanigan have surfaced …