OB Rag

An E. coli outbreak has been linked to organic walnuts sold at stores in San Diego County.

Gibson Farms, a company based in Hollister, California, voluntarily recalled its Organic Light Halves and Pieces shelled walnuts after discovering the nuts could be contaminated with an E. coli strain that “causes a diarrhea illness often with bloody stools.” So far, 12 people have been sickened and seven have been hospitalized,

By Richard T. Carlson/ Times of San Diego / April 30, 2024

Has San Diego County already built enough new housing to accommodate all the currently projected population growth through the year 2050?

This is a stunning question to ask given the frenzied rhetoric about needing to build large numbers of new units of every type, everywhere to deal with what is widely perceived as a massive housing shortage by politicians, housing advocacy groups, and the public.

But the answer, surprisingly, is “yes.”

Students at UC San Diego have settled into their encampment of support for Palestinians in the Middle East, near the Geisel Library. And due to the protest, UC San Diego officials announced the cancellation of the annual Sun God Festival that was scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 4.

The UCSDivest Coalition is demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Among the group’s other demands is a call for the university to divest from all of its Israeli financial interests.

Meanwhile, Jewish Faculty and Students at UCSD just released a statement of solidarity with the campus protest.

The eighth San Diego location of chicken tender restaurant chain Raising Cane’s is heading to San Diego’s Midway District.

A San Diego branch of Raising Canes’s is currently in the planning stages for the property on the corner of Camino Del Rio and Hancock Street where a Jack In The Box and Denny’s previously sat in the Midway District/Sports Arena area of San Diego’s Point Loma. Like other locations, the incoming restaurant will offer a concise menu centered around fresh-never-frozen, hand-dipped chicken fingers that are breaded and fried to order and available in combo platters and on sandwiches.

Every Saturday at 10:30 am. Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings May 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th.  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 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 · nathandw@riseup.net

May 1st to May 31st Bike Month 2024! Events by San Diego County Bike Coalition Bike Month is our favorite time of the year!  For list of events and more info:  https://sdbikecoalition.org/event/bike-month-2024/

Editordude: This is an excellent summary of the very current trends in California and San Diego housing and a must-read.

By Michael Smolens / Columnist – San Diego Union-Tribune / May 3, 2024

In recent years, the Legislature has passed several laws to increase housing density across the state. But a ruling by a Los Angeles County judge and pushback from the California Coastal Commission may slow that momentum.

Both developments highlight perhaps the most disputed notion in the politics of housing — that producing more market-rate housing will lower sale prices and rents.

From CBS8/ April 29, 2024

A Point Loma landmark is now rubble. Seashells torn down from the front yard of a place locals called the “shell house”.

Manny Neves has lived behind the unique house with all the shells in the front yard off Rosecrans for years. He’s Portuguese like the fisherman who lived in the home and built a seashell garden, of sorts.

1300 Arrests and Calls for National Guard to Deal with Palestinian Protests Echo May 1970 Rebellion and Kent State Murders

Whether I submit to it or not, because I’ve just finished writing a book about the height of the anti-Vietnam war movement over 50 years ago, I am now an expert on the era that brought us the Kent State massacre and the first national student strike of May of 1970.

The reports of up to 1300 arrests nation-wide of pro-Palestinian protesters, up to 2 dozen college campuses undergoing protests, numerous building take-overs and encampments, clashes between police and students, threats to bring in the National Guard and now claims of “outside agitators” — all echo what happened during the high-water mark of the decade long movement against the US wars in Southeast Asia.

By Liam Dillon / LA Times – Yahoo News / Mon, April 29, 2024

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled that a landmark law ending single-family-home-only zoning in California is unconstitutional, a decision that could lead to the law being invalidated in the state’s largest cities.

Judge Curtis Kin determined that Senate Bill 9 does not provide housing restricted for low-income residents and therefore cannot override state constitutional protections afforded to local zoning practices.

COST TO BUILD??? COST TO MAINTAIN??? WTF???

By Geoff Page

For anyone who may not be aware, the City is conducting a fourth survey of opinions about a new OB pier. This survey followed the last public workshop the city held on Saturday, April 6 at Liberty Station.

So, imagine going to a car dealer who brings you out three cars to look at: a VW Bug, a Ford RAV, and a full sized, four-door, black BMW sedan, with no pricing on them, and being asked, which one you “preferred.” The BMW would be the winner for sure.

Then, the dealer shows you a list of fancy options and asks which ones you ‘prefer” and you go for heated seats of fine leather and other unnecessary niceties, with no pricing.

by Amber Coakley / April 27, 2024

There’s some bizarre sea creatures washing ashore along the Southern California coastline. They can be described as jellyfish-like blobs that are shaped like oval discs. Known as Velella velellas, this marine species lives on the surface of the open ocean.

With other names like sea raft, purple sail, little sail and by-the-wind sailor, this sea creature has a “sail” rising vertically from the center of its bodies. Jessica Rodriguez, the education and communications manager at a popular whale watching tour agency in Newport Beach, California, said velella velellas are not always around.

By Greg Moran /inewsource / April 24, 2024

San Diego Port District commissioners dug in harder against a bill pending in the state Legislature that would require ethics and governance changes to the agency, saying they would support it so long as large sections were cut and several amendments included.

At a special meeting Monday afternoon the commissioners voted 6-1 to oppose AB 2783, a bill from San Diego Assemblymember David Alvarez, unless changes covering funding, ethics reform and governance of the board were adopted.