OB Rag

Surfrider has launched a petition directed toward decision makers to keep public access  to San Onofre State Beach.

Here’s their statement on the Petition.

California’s State Parks’ lease allowing public access to San Onofre State Beach expires in August 2024. Without a lease renewal or extension, we could lose public access to this valuable stretch of coastline and world-renowned surf breaks indefinitely!

Make your voice heard by these key leaders and decision-makers:

This Saturday, May 18th, 2024 at Noon in Ocean Beach !!

Come join a growing number of your friends and neighbors, 45 folks last Saturday, our largest group yet, standing out on a busy corner in Ocean Beach, demanding a CEASEFIRE in Gaza, and demanding that the U.S. stop providing Israel with weapons that have already killed 32,000+ Gazans.

This weekly demonstration, organized by the San Diego Veterans For Peace and the progressive women’s group, Code Pink, will mark the sixteen consecutive Saturdays at the same location,

Hundreds of activist will march for animal rights from Pantoja Park in downtown San Diego starting this Saturday May 18th at 10 AM. The march will go to Little Italy and then end back at Pantoja Park. There will be large, colorful art depictions of animals along with a “Barbie” theme.

Come Inside for More Details

By Ruth Milka / Nation of Change /May 15, 2024

Amidst a backdrop of escalating environmental and political stakes, a recent report by The Washington Post unveiled a controversial offer by former President Donald Trump: the reversal of crucial climate regulations in return for a staggering $1 billion donation to his campaign from oil industry titans

It’s getting intense, this controversial confrontation between supporters of County Supervisor Nora Vargas and those who back Brigette Browning, the leader of the San Diego Labor Council. Even today’s U-T op-ed page was devoted to the controversy, with both sides sharing their view.

Now, we at the Rag and at the beach have our own problems with Brigette Browning — more on that at another time.

Part of the current flare-up is over the fact that Cindy Chavez has been passed over for the top job in the County, and the Labor Council supports her.

By Colleen O’Connor

More resistance to the Mayor’s mega plans for neighborhoods is afoot.  Not just North Park’s frustration over the high-rise, no parking, increased bicycle lanes and tone deaf  “push on” responses from the Council and Mayor, but repeats in Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Mission Hills, Clairemont, etc.

Always the rush. The closed session meetings, the insistence on a major development will “improve” the obvious problems.

The latest “solution” to homelessness is a proposed 1,000 bed facility on Kettner & Vine.  This in addition to the Tent City dwellings along near Balboa Park on Pershing Drive, the Barracks near the airport and now this.

Tuesday, May 14, the San Diego City Council approved the fire department lifeguard services division to buy upgraded surveillance technology to replace existing cameras around Mission Bay and the Ocean Beach Pier.

The fire department wants to upgrade its existing cameras for “situational awareness,” according to James Gartland, Chief of the Lifeguard Division for the City of San Diego. Gartland said the upgrades will help them better monitor the activity on the bay or when a boat is in trouble.

San Diego City Council on Tuesday approved the fire department’s lifeguard services division to continue the use of the Mission Bay and Ocean Beach

A very interesting article by Phillip Molner at the Union-Tribune yesterday described why so many people have stopped buying vacation rental homes in San Diego. (It’s only for subscribers, so there’s no link.)

Here’s Molner’s main points:

Overall, interest rates and home prices are so high in San Diego that even vacation rental buyers have fled.

Pizza Port Ocean Beach is celebrating its 14th anniversary this Saturday, May 18.

Their ad says it’s “an epic celebration of 14 delicious years,” and that “It’s not just an anniversary party—it’s a day to enjoy some of the brewery’s best flavors and fun activities!”

They’re transforming their parking lot into a beer garden,

By Rob Nikolewski / San Diego Union-Tribune / May 14, 2024

Power San Diego, the initiative that wants to oust San Diego Gas & Electric by creating a municipal electric utility within the city limits of San Diego, has fallen short of its goal of collecting 80,000 verified signatures to put the proposition on the ballot this fall.

But the group turned in about 31,000 signatures to the County Registrar of Voters on Tuesday, which it says would be enough to put the question before the San Diego City Council instead.