OB Rag

by Ernie McCray

Every time I’d look over
at my good brother, Jesus Nieto,
while a rapper
was doing his thing
to funk beats
or while other music played
or while the Kumeyaay elders prayed,
blessing this rather sublime day,
he’d be sitting back in his wheelchair
wearing that soft gentle smile of his
on his contented face

The Ocean Beach Town Council will hold the 25th annual Pier Pancake Breakfast on Ocean Beach Pier from 7:30 AM to noon on Saturday, September 16th.

This annual community tradition kicks off their big fundraising season for the Ocean Beach Food and Toy Drive which helps as many 100 local families and seniors in need during the upcoming holiday season.

By Phil Diehl/ San Diego U-T / Sept. 10, 2023

San Diego County’s beaches need costly, sustained replenishment efforts to remain the wide, sandy tourist attractions they have been for so long, a new regional study shows.

Shorelines in south Oceanside, south Carlsbad, Leucadia and Coronado are shrinking fast, according to the 2023 “State of the Coast” report released Thursday by the San Diego Association of Governments.

Here’s a short video by Charles Landon of “The Sage of the Street Lights on Abbott.”

Forum at Correia Planned for Monday, Sept. 11.

Last Thursday morning, Sept 7, a group of parents and students stood outside Correia Middle School on Valeta Street before the bell rang with some holding signs that read “See something, say something,” “Believe them,” and “Zero tolerance for guns at school.”

The small rally was organized by parents concerned about reports of a gun on campus being brandished plus allegations of sexual harassment by boys from over a dozen girl students. Also, part of parents’ grief was the milquetoast response by school officials that denigrated parents’ concerns and students’ claims.

Colleen O’Connor’s views are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of the OB Rag.

By Colleen O’Connor

Earthquakes happen.  Geological (Morocco), Economic (Crashes), Environmental (Cat 4 hurricanes), Medical (pandemics) and even political ones.

Each manifest fault lines that presage potential disaster and prompt the wise to prepare.

It is in that vein that “Neither Biden nor Trump” Part 1 was written.

The political fault lines in both leading candidates and their respective parties are well known.  The consequences of not preparing for an obvious political earthquake is imprudent at best.

Hence, the need to find an escape route and prepare ahead.  Just in case.  Surely, it merits a discussion.  Even if for beyond 2022.

By Geoff Page

The agenda item that generated the longest discussion at the Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting, Wednesday, September 6, illustrated that long-running concerns about wireless transmissions and health are still alive and kicking.

There was also an interesting update on San Diego Airport’s Terminal One construction progress. And, there was a discussion of by-laws changes that need to be made to have the OBPB “recognized” next year by the city as the planning group for OB.

DISH Wireless

DISH was seeking approval for a wireless project located in a parking lot of St. Peter’s by the sea Lutheran Church. The church sits on a large lot bounded by Point Loma Ave., Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Adair Street, and an alley on the east side. There is a parking lot across the alley next to the laundromat that belongs to the church.

The work involves placing two 30-foot-tall light standards with DISH equipment at the top in a “24 by 24” enclosure. The original design for a “48 x 48” enclosure was down-sized when the OBPB Project Review subcommittee criticized it by saying it looked like a refrigerator on a tall stick.

Here are the preliminary design concepts for the OB Pier unveiled at a workshop on Saturday.

We offer now only renderings and the brief descriptions of the different designs by the city, without comment.

Preliminary Design Concept #1 – The Squint Test

It seems we’ve been hearing for months now that San Diego will move on SeaWorld for not paying back rent and penalties of over $12 million it owes the city. And now we’re told that if SeaWorld missed its midnight deadline, the city will sue for breach of contract. Here’s the latest by U-T reporter Jennifer van Grove in Wednesday’s edition.

By Jennifer van Grove / SDU-T / Sept. 6, 2023

The city of San Diego will Thursday move forward with a breach-of-contract lawsuit against SeaWorld San Diego if the theme park fails to meet a midnight deadline to pay $12.2 million in outstanding rent and penalties, the city attorney’s office said Wednesday.

by Ernie McCray

We seem to be a country
that looks at its most pressing
social and political problems
with mystified eyes
and shoulder shrugs
that say
“Oh well.”
Like we dismiss
the nation’s propensity
for mass murders
that break hearts in two
with a prayer or two
and get right back
to whatever it is we do.