OB Rag

by Ernie McCray

I called for a Lyft ride
for a trip to see a doctor
who had performed cataract surgery
on my eyes,
a bit shaky
because I was dealing with a degree
of brightness
unlike I had ever seen,
like I was staring at the sun.

And when my ride arrived
I got the feeling everything was going to be all right
because, as I fiddled around
with my aging hands
trying to strap myself in,
I found myself, simultaneously,
singing along
with the Spinners
on my driver’s radio,

By Kate Callen

In response to “Pure Water construction snafu that cost the city millions is creating a ‘pure nightmare’ on one major road” — SDUT on Dec. 23:

City Hall’s record of stunning ineptitude now includes the botched construction of the Pure Water system. San Diegans expect millions in cost overruns for municipal projects. But major road closures slated for a year that stretch into three years? A timeline that’s now “indefinite”? That’s a new low.

By Colleen O’Connor

It is not “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Another ill-advised MEGA-construction project is about to invade Point Loma.

In numerous columns in the Rag and elsewhere, the obvious has been stated. More neighborhoods under assault from venture capitalists and outside developers with but one architectural design—LEGOLAND-like high-rise boxes. Visit Park Boulevard. Mission Hills. Clairemont. Ocean Beach. Mission Valley. Downtown. La Jolla. Anywhere with space remaining in once desirable neighborhoods, there are now unimaginative high-rises and overstuffed “granny flats,” now dubbed ADUs.

In June of this year, I wrote:

“Point Loma is not just a tourist mecca, a powerful fishing industry, a substantial military presence, home to a national park dream, ship repair and maintenance facilities, but is also an invaluable contributor to San Diego’s economic health. Often unnoticed and until recently happily so.

By Miranda Ceja / Patch / Dec 24 — 26, 2024

Heads up, Golden State drivers: a handful of new laws come into effect starting Jan. 1, 2025 that will impact the way you drive your vehicle.

From insurance claims to car break-ins — to parking restrictions and license requirements, here’s the run-down on new driving laws impacting Californians for the New Year.

Locked Door Loophole Gets Squashed

This year, a loophole in California criminal code — which defined burglary to include “entering a vehicle when the doors are locked with the intent to commit grand or petit larceny or a felony.”

By Chris Lindahl / San Diego Patch / Dec.26, 2024

Here are over 17 new laws taking effect in 2025:

Property Crime and Retail Theft Package

A package of ten laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom amount to what the governor’s office called “the most significant legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history.”

The laws kicking in on Jan. 1 will create stricter penalties for retail and property theft, mandate sentencing enhancements for large-scale operations, make it easier for people to be charged with felonies if they stole items in multiple counties, and allow police officers to arrest someone for shoplifting with probable cause even if the officer did not witness the act themselves.

From Mexico News Daily / Dec. 24, 2024

After U.S. President-elect Donald Trump declared he would designate Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations on his first day in office, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters Mexico would never accept any interventionist actions.

“We will collaborate with and coordinate with the United States,” Sheinbaum said in response, “but we will never subordinate ourselves.”

During a Sunday speech to conservative supporters, Trump — who takes office on Jan. 20, 2025 — said he would address illegal drugs on his first day in office, according to the newspaper El País.

Early on the morning of Christmas Eve 2024 the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier suffered another piling lost. Close to a year ago the first piling was lost on December 29th 2023. This very short video by Charles Landon shows both losses.

On Friday, Dec. 20, the city of San Diego announced a partial closure along Sunset Cliffs Natural Park due to a damaged seawall. The closure is in place between Adair and Osprey streets, the city said.

The development team that was selected by the Navy to redevelop the 70.3-acre NAVWAR facility has released a preliminary project summary to the City and we can now have a glimpse of what they’re planning.

Recall that when the Navy first released its 2021 draft environmental impact statement, it caused quite a roar of pushback because it showed buildings as high as 350 feet. The pushback — the City and Navy called it “a panic” — was substantial enough for the federal agency to put the federal environmental work on hold.

U-T reporter Jennifer von Grove wrote:

Last month, the development team led by San Diego-based Manchester Financial Group and McLean, Virginia-based Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate submitted a preliminary project summary to the city of San Diego. The draft document is a precursor to starting California’s mandated environmental review process, which is expected to begin early next year. San Diego will be the lead agency for the state environmental work.

The document, obtained by the Union-Tribune, details that the mixed-use project calls for:

By Christine Haslet

Last Friday, December 20th, in  courtroom 63, in downtown San Diego, California ~ the long-awaited verdict was handed down by Judge Katherine Bacal.  I sat nearby,  as one of the plaintiffs,  82 year old Wendy Aragon from Pet Assistance Foundation wiped a tear from her eye.

The verdict is a culmination of years of work.  Local San Diego animal rights attorneys,  Parisa Ijad-Maghsoodi and Bryan Pease, founders of the small, but mighty law firm, PeaseLaw.org fought one of the world’s largest law firms, 800 strong, O’Melveny & Meyers on behalf of San Diego’s lost, friendly cats being dumped on the streets to die.

As we sat in the courtroom, it was odd, because after months of seeing groups of attorneys appearing on behalf of their defendants, San Diego Humane Society,  not one single attorney appeared in court for the ruling, but instead phoned it in. One single lonely employee sat by herself on the defendants side of the courtroom.