OB Rag

“On Saturday 6-29-24, for Black Music Month I attended this first ever event,” wrote a cultural reporter for the Rag, Byron Morton. “It was a celebration filled with music, creativity and heritage at the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District Music Festival.”

The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint reported:

From 11AM until 8PM on the last Saturday of this June, music lovers were able to listen to a melody of free music compliments of the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District and their variety of sponsors at MLK Park on Skyline Dr.

Two men were stabbed early Sunday morning, July 7, in an OB bar, and the attacker has been arrested by police.

All identities of victims and attacker have been withheld by police.

By John Yarkoni  / Exclusive to OB Rag

Some of you may have heard that name before, The Brown Berets. You might’ve heard about the 1970 Moratorium that happened up in LA, or the March Through Aztlán that happened the year after. Or maybe, you’ve heard stories of riots and cop killers.

If that’s your perspective, then you haven’t heard the whole story. The history of the Brown Berets, especially the often overlooked San Diego Berets, is less one of blood in the streets and more one of grassroots community organization.

Not everyone is happy with Point Loma Nazarene’s appointment of a new president.

Longtime provost and chief academic officer Kerry Fulcher was picked after a long and national search for a new leader for the conservative religious campus. Yet, the choice has sparked controversy due to Fulcher’s role in a controversial firing in 2023 of Mark Maddix, PLNU’s dean of theology, due to Maddix’s backing of a former teacher who supported LGBTQ+ people.

The Union-Tribune reported:

A coalition of LGBTQ+ alumni and donors condemned the selection, saying it would hinder the university’s already strained relations not just with some students and faculty but also with San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community …

The Callen Report

By Kate Callen

As part of its coverage of the presidential debate calamity, the New York Times ran a July 3 opinion piece with a headline that caught me up short: “The ‘Philly Girl’ Shielding Biden from the Bad News.”

The op-ed by columnist Michelle Cottle recalled how Jill Biden physically blocked a heckler from approaching her husband at a 2020 campaign event. She told reporters afterward, “I’m a good Philly girl.” “Philly tough,” Cottle wrote. “

On July 3, members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) voted to ratify a new three-year contract with Food 4 Less/Foods Co. The contract was reached after months of negotiations and active participation from thousands of Southern California grocery workers. The members are from Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442.

This contract will go into effect immediately for over 6,000 essential grocery workers in Food 4 Less/Foods Co. locations across Southern California.

On July 4th, 1776, we kicked the king out, and on July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court brought the king back. It took 248 years.

Because of the calamitous direction our country is headed, today, July 4th could be the last time we celebrate the nation’s founding. Seriously. This is not hyperbole.

Trump and the Supreme Court are burning the flag.

By Bruce Coons / SOHO Newsletter / July-August 2024

As San Diego grapples with actual housing affordability—not the luxury rental units being built today—we/SOHO cannot overstate the importance of adaptive reuse for historic buildings. While new construction is routinely being prioritized, we should consider the steep cost of demolishing existing structures and discarding affordable housing stock into landfills.

Quality construction and materials, authentic character, and meaningful history make old buildings prime candidates for adaptive reuse. There is a lucrative and growing market for these inspired living quarters, creative workspaces, and attractive retail and dining places, which people enthusiastically embrace.

From Mira Mesa Concerned Citizens

Big Wins at City Hall and the our advocacy efforts!

We got zoning clarification and assurances that discrepancies in the zoning of the Epicentre will be cleaned up and fixed. The zoning will be “Open Park Space,” relieving fears of encroachment by residential or commercial uses. This correction addresses several public records that showed the area zoned for commercial use.

by The Editorial Board / The Philadelphia Inquirer / June 29, 2024

President Joe Biden’s debate performance was a disaster. His disjointed responses and dazed look sparked calls for him to drop out of the presidential race.

But lost in the hand wringing was Donald Trump’s usual bombastic litany of lies, hyperbole, bigotry, ignorance, and fear mongering. His performance demonstrated once again that he is a danger to democracy and unfit for office.

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San Diego police broke up a “rave” Monday night, July 1, being held at Garbage Beach – a fragile ecosystem off Sunset Cliffs — and reported that this was the second such party that they’ve had to disperse in less than a week. The first one was on Sunday, June 23 at the same site.

The rave — which was held at midnight — was attended by dozens — if not hundreds — of partygoers, many of whom had to get to the beach site via the dangerous cliff trails.

Lt. Dan Meyer of the SDPD reported that 4 officers responded to the party shortly after midnight, according to  Fox5.

From Mira Mesa Concerned Citizens

A Call to Action! 
Please Attend the City Council Meeting TODAY
Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024 @2pm

City Administration Building
City Council Chambers- 12th Floor
202 C Street San Diego, CA 92101

Item S504: Forty-Five (45) Year Ground Lease between the City of San Diego and the County of San Diego for City Owned Property, Commonly Known as the Mira Mesa Epicentre for $1 dollar per month.