OB Rag

In an open letter to the Board of Directors of the OB Community Foundation, the group that rebranded the OB Town Council, long-time resident and former OBTC Treasurer, Keith Fink, criticizes the board and lays out some urgent recommendations “to gain the community’s faith.” Here is his letter:

To the Members of the Board of Directors of the OB Community Foundation (OBCF):

I and other OBceans are concerned and disappointed with some of the actions, and inactions, of the OB Community Foundation.

When the OBTC imploded, the community was stunned, angered, indignant. There was a cry for answers – most notably, accountability and transparency.

The former was partially fulfilled with the resignations of the Executive Board, though it appears that all board members who had held their seats for the previous year or more were asleep at the wheel and equally culpable.  The latter – transparency – never occurred.

One of the Rag’s most loyal readers, Chris Thomas, is a huge fan of bike lanes — and here is his photo montage of how life is brewing along 30th Street, claimed by some bike lane critics as a ‘ruined business area.’ So, Chris set out a couple weeks ago to prove those claims wrong.

(The bike lane critics are not opposed to bike lanes but how they’re installed in San Diego by the Gloria administration.)

Stone, Ballast Point, Green Flash & Modern Times All Lost Their Crowns

From SanDiegoVille / October 5, 2024

Once hailed as the craft beer capital of the world, San Diego’s brewing industry has seen its rise to global prominence and subsequent decline, marked by the challenges and downfalls of major players like Stone Brewing, Green Flash, Ballast Point, and Modern Times.

San Diego was once celebrated as the “Capital of Craft,” home to a burgeoning craft brewing scene that shaped the direction of American beer for decades. At its peak, the county boasted over 150 breweries, making it a mecca for hop heads and beer enthusiasts alike. However, as the industry matured, some of the city’s biggest names – Stone Brewing, Green Flash, Ballast Point, and Modern Times – struggled under the pressures of overexpansion, corporate acquisitions, and fierce competition. The stories of these craft beer titans, along with the role of early pioneers like Karl Strauss, reflect both the meteoric rise of San Diego’s beer scene and its subsequent decline.

The Rag has been buffeted recently by lots of requests or inquiries on whether we’re putting out some kind of election guide, and the answer is yes!

The 2024 Election Guide is coming soon —

By Lori Weisberg /The San Diego Union-Tribune / October 4, 2024

More than five years after announcing plans to transform the 44-acre Paradise Point Resort & Spa on Mission Bay into a Jimmy Buffett-inspired resort, the ownership is resurrecting its long-stalled renovation project but its ultimate fate rests in the hands of the California Coastal Commission.

While the hotel ownership says it remains committed to reimagining the 6-decade-old resort as a Margaritaville property, it says its first priority is to navigate the approval process with the state coastal agency before it can firmly commit to future branding plans.

By Dave Summers / 7SanDiego / October 4, 2024

The owners of a popular donut shop in Point Loma, Christy’s Donuts, are trying to put their lives back together after someone stole their life savings. It happened at their home just a few blocks from the shop at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2.

Burglary victim Chris Tou returned home to his house turned upside down. He was gone just an hour to help fix his brother-in-law’s flat tire. “As soon as I drive in to my entrance and to my house, that’s when they left,” Tou told NBC 7.

By Colleen O’Connor

“Beat the Clock” was a 1950-1960’s era television game show.

Contestants were required to perform tasks (called “challenges”) within a certain time limit which was counted down on a large 60-second clock. If they succeeded, they were said to have “beaten the clock”—otherwise, “the clock beat them.”

Prizes, cash winnings and audience participation came with bonus and “super bonus stunts.” The winnings could be as high as $1,000 dollars.

Lucky Loser, a new bestseller by Pulitzer Prize winner Susan Craig and Russ Buettner, chronicles Trump’s many financial failures, which with unbelievable luck, turned into successes.

An Op-Ed

by Charles Michaud

As the homelessness crisis intensifies in the United States, coastal cities bear the brunt, especially those offering services like methadone clinics, transitional housing, and detox facilities. Despite increased spending by state and local governments, both the number of unhoused people and overdose deaths continue to rise. Overdoses are now the leading cause of death for people aged 18-40 in the U.S., a fact that, as a young adult, I’ve observed anecdotally, but hearing it confirmed by the DEA is deeply distressing.

What I find even more difficult to comprehend is how, despite these rising statistics, funding for homeless services has skyrocketed without clear accountability. This raises concerns about how the money is allocated, whether there are metrics for success, and who profits. Since much of this funding comes from taxpayers, it’s alarming that city leaders continue to support organizations failing to deliver real solutions.

The Day of the Dog heads to Ocean Beach on Sunday, Oct. 13.

The largest festival for dogs in North America, The Day of the Dog, is taking over Voltaire Street between Cable and Bacon in Ocean Beach on Sunday, Oct. 13 from noon to 5 p.m.

This free, annual festival travels across North America celebrating all things canine with a day of unparalleled fun and entertainment for the whole family.

By Lisa Mortensen

This year, the San Diego Architectural Foundation awarded the Orchid Award for Private Architecture to The Sasan apartments in Mission Hills.  You know that pink eyesore that one can see from miles around?

One of the jurors’ states that the building stands out with its pink exterior as a presence ‘that is refreshing for San Diego’.  Another juror believes the building has ‘a good relationship with the city.’  That’s pretty obvious by the award.

However, should anyone ask those who live in the surrounding community about their reaction to this albatross, it is best known by us as ‘Evil Barbie’s Dream House’ or ‘Pepto Dismal’.  That pretty much sums up our interpretation of this ‘architectural abomination’.

On Saturday, October 5th at 2PM, a group of 15+ community organizations are coming together for a rally and march to commemorate one year since the genocide in Gaza began.  There have been verified deaths of more than 40,000 people in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military.

The rally will take place Saturday, October 5, 2:00 PM, at the County Administration Building, 1600 Pacific Highway.  Speakers will include international law expert Marjorie Cohn and popular Egyptian-American comedian and television host Bassem Yousef.

The Rag is just now receiving information about a crazy project being proposed for Pacific Beach. A “Pencil” tower is potentially coming to the beach community.

A developer is proposing a 23-story high rise at 970 Turquoise Street in PB. It is supposed to have 139 hotel rooms on 9 floors and 74 housing units on the other floors, including a whooping 10 units as affordable (5 very low income and 5 moderate income). It proposes 7 floors (2 below ground) of parking alone.

The City Development Services staff has apparently labeled the permit for the “pencil” skyscraper as “discretionary” which means because it meets certain criteria, it can bypass public scrutiny and just be built.

If built, Project “Vela” would be a little over 238 feet.