OB Rag

Every Saturday at 10:30 am. Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings July 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th. Keep up-to-date on climate issues and Climate Action events. To register email Jon Findley at  jon@climatemobsd.org.  More info: https://www.facebook.com/SDClimateMobilization/

Every Saturday 12 pm – 1 pm Ocean Beach Peace Vigil for Palestine: Advocate for Peace and Justice in Gaza and Everywhere Join CODEPINK SD, San Diego Veterans for Peace, and Palestine Pals every Saturday at 12:00 pm on the plaza corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and W. Point Loma Blvd., entry to Ocean Beach, San Diego. Wear pink and bring a peace-related poster if you have one! Contact: Nathanael · ob4peace@riseup.net  More info:  https://www.instagram.com/codepinksd/

By Lori Weisberg / The San Diego Union-Tribune / June 29, 2024

San Diego restaurateurs, who had been fretting for months about the prospect of having to stop tacking surcharges onto diners’ bills to help cover rising costs, have gotten an 11th-hour reprieve.

With just two days to go before a new law barring so-called junk fees was to go into effect, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday [June 29] signed emergency legislation that will free California restaurants

By Leo Collis / Yahoo News / Wed, June 26, 2024
The beaches of southern California are bucket list destinations for plenty of people. But those dreaming of the clear waters and golden sands might want to hasten their plans to make the trip.

What’s happening?

A study published in the Shore & Beach journal, summarized by Surfer, has mapped out the alarming future of California’s shoreline. The “Sea level rise impacts on coastal access” provides data about which areas will be affected by coastal water rises of

By David Corn/ Mother Jones / July 1, 2024

In response to the Supreme Court’s momentous decision ruling that presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for “official” acts, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson issued blistering dissents. They blasted the reasoning of the six conservative justices who essentially created a new power for presidents. Each contended this decision poses a fundamental threat to American democracy and the rule of law.

by Ernie McCray

Although I’m 86 years of age
I never
thought much about
what growing old
would actually be like,
that I would someday be in an
age group
that’s laughed at,
made fun of
in comedy routines|
and on late night TV shows
and on a sitcom or two.

2024 OBCF Candidate Statements

The Ocean Beach Community Foundation (OBCF) is electing up to nine new Directors to serve on the OBCF Board. Candidate forum took place at a community forum on Wednesday, June 26 at the Point Loma / Hervey Branch Library.

Community voting will be held June 26-July 4, with newly elected candidates starting their term on July 8, 2024.

Each voter can select 1 to 9 candidates to join the OBCF Board. The link with voting instructions follows these candidate statements:

Pandas have returned to the San Diego Zoo.

By Joni Halpern

It was almost as if he had been sleeping at some points during the debate.  Here he was, Barack Obama, one of the greatest public speakers among all presidential candidates in our history, with his head down, his lips tightly closed and skewed a touch to one side, his expression uncomfortable and disengaged.

Across from him was the affable, smiling challenger, Mitt Romney, who spoke in simple terms with very few filler-words, treating the debate as if he and Obama were old Senate buddies having a brandy while sitting across from each other in overstuffed chairs in front of a fire.

Obama supporters were deeply depressed by his performance in that first debate of 2012. 

By Trudy Grundland / San Diego Reader / June 27, 2024

The death of a neighbor ended an era on our peaceful street. For sale signs are not allowed in La Jolla, but news spread fast of the sale: $2,175,000 for the 3 bed, 2 bath California ranch-style stucco home, west of La Jolla Boulevard. It was re-painted white, and a realtor told that us a quiet, mature man would be our new neighbor. But no one moved in. Then the garage got converted into a “sleeps eight” dormitory bedroom outfitted with four queen beds. That raised eyebrows. Months passed. Finally, in May of 2021, on garbage pick-up day, I saw a young man on the property. He identified himself as a host. Host? Airbnb, he said. Gave me his cell number.

By JW August / June 27, 2024

At a recent San Diego Association of Governments meeting last month, board Vice Chairman Sean Elo-Rivera became angered over a number of public speakers questioning  information in a report exploring the removal of tolls on State Route 125.

The report — “Process for removing toll roads on State Route 125” — was prompted, in part, by recent revelations that drivers were incorrectly charged for using the 10-mile long toll road. It was authored by four SANDAG staff members who had evaluated several options for the future of San Diego’s only toll road.

Elo-Rivera halted the May 24 board meeting following questions by several speakers. 

By Judi Curry

We moved to San Diego in 1966 and rented the second floor of a duplex at 1474 Pescadero Drive (I think that was the address.)  Pescadero Drive is the alley-like street that parallels the ocean for a block or so — not Pescadero Avenue that travels east/west.  The owner of the duplex, Maria, lived on the bottom floor and had a patio and clothesline outside her living room.

The view was spectacular because there was nothing that blocked the view for 180 degrees.  We watched the seals forage for food; the fishermen standing on the rocks fighting the seals for the very same food.  We ran down the steps often to grab the boxes of butter and other things the Navy ships threw out before they returned to port.  We sometimes took our surf boards and went out to sea just footsteps from our home.  Our three daughters had a fantastic life living and learning about the ocean in the first person.