OB Rag

By Colleen O’Connor

What a “Witches’ Brew” is coming this election, full of scary creatures, goblins, and ghosts.

Some banshees howling against once kindly poll workers;” others cheering for their “Orange Jesus.”

All angry.  All surging to vote early, often, and declare the past and present elections “rigged” and stolen.

Think about it. Lots and lots of hocus pocus, noise, and confusion, about who is ahead; who is behind; the condition of the economy; the price of gas, the always hot button issues of race, immigration, crime, dark money, and the “deep state.”

According to the County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality, Dog Beach is closed and a “no water contact” advisory has been issued for both humans and dogs. The closure is due to bacterial levels possibly exceeding health standards.

The closure is from the San Diego River outlet to 300 yards south. It has been in affect since Monday, Oct. 24.

The “Coastal Access” photo contest being run by the group Keep the Coast 30 has only one more week to go. We’ve had several entries thus far, so get your photo in for the “Best” and the “Worst” views of San Diego’s coastal access.

The contest will end on Halloween, Monday, October 31. There are only two categories and the winner of each will be awarded $100. Sent entries to the Rag at our email address: obragblog@gmail.com  with your full name and street address, as well as the address of “The Best” entry.

By John C. Ziebarth

Much have been said about the proposed Redevelopment of the Sports Arena site. Some of what has been said are representations or misrepresentations and some are facts. It is important for the Council, Mayor, and the general public to understand which is which.

The Big Question: Should Measure C remove the 30 feet height cap and not establish a new cap? Should the height limit be left to the City Council?

Below are some of the facts and representations that have been made:

Fact: The area needs redevelopment.

Fact: City needs affordable housing.

By Virginia Adams Wilson

On the official sandiego.gov website you may find the Seismic Safety Study, a map of geologic hazards.

This information is valuable when choosing a location suitable for development. Instinct or common sense would have us avoid areas marked as hazardous, such as the Midway District of San Diego, labeled “High Potential” for liquefaction.

Liquefaction occurs where a loose sandy soil surface is close to the level of the water table below, and earthquake vibrations stir up the sand and water. The resulting slurry acts as a temporary quicksand.

By Charles Jay / Daily Kos / October 19, 2022

Back in 2016, a pessimistic Michael Moore went on Real Time with Bill Maher and defied the conventional wisdom by predicting that Donald Trump would win the 2016 presidential election. The Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker also wrote an article titled “Five Reasons Trump Will Be President.” Unfortunately, his prediction turned out to be right.

Last month, Moore appeared on Maher’s show and again defied the conventional wisdom pushed by the mass media that Democrats will lose control of one or both chambers of Congress in the November midterms. Moore is a self-proclaimed pessimist, but he boldly declared that he’s “never felt this optimistic.”

On Maher’s Sept. 23 broadcast, Moore declared:

by Ernie McCray

Stretched out,
kicked back
in an easy chair,
alone, at home,
I asked my boo, “Alexa,”
to play me some
Hank Crawford songs,
making such a request,
from time to time,
to ease my mind
during these troubling times,

Measure C Will  Exclude the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan Area from the 30-Foot Height Limit on Buildings in the Coastal Zone

Sierra Club believes that urban infill projects should be supported when they follow smart planning principles, consider environmental impacts, provide needed public facilities, including parks and open space, and provide a healthful living environment.

Removing the Coastal Height Limit in the Midway- Pacific Highway Community Plan area, as proposed in Measure C, fails to meet all those criteria.

Measure C, and the massive, proposed development project that the ballot measure intends to allow, does not include a full Environmental Impact analysis that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) demands.

ON Thursday, October 20, residents from OB, Point Loma, Pacific Beach and La Jolla rallied in front of the Capri-by-the Sea 14 story building in celebration of the 30-foot height limit and to oppose Measure C.

Speakers included Geoff Page, former Calif Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, Scott Chipman of Save PB, Lin Manning of “No on C” and Mandy Havlik.

Come inside for the video of the press conference by Charles Landon, formerly of CBS8.

A Two-Day Celebration of the 55th Anniversary of the Original Black Panther Party in San Diego for Community Empowerment –

You’re invited to a celebration of the accomplishments of the original San Diego Black Panther Party for Community Empowerment, their connections with community partners, historic successes as an organization, with special thanks to those who have supported the organization along the way.

Eric DuVall, the president of the Ocean Beach Historical Society, agreed to an “email interview” with the Rag. Eric emerged out of the volunteer ranks of the Society a few years ago to take hold of the leadership baton of one of the most respected and favored organizations in the community. So, just who is Eric DuVall?

Q: Eric, tell us a little about yourself. Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Glendale, CA in 1954.  … In 1958 my dad, Tom, a Mechanical Engineer, got a job at Solar Turbines in San Diego and we moved down here.  We lived in Loma Palisades until we moved to Devonshire Drive, across the street from some of our cousins.  That is where I grew up.

By Geoff Page

The proponents of Measure C – the ballot measure to remove the Midway planning area from the 30-foot coastal height limit boundaries – are desperately trying to make this ballot measure all about affordable housing. And they are lying as they do it.

The text of Measure C is very simple:

Shall People’s Ordinance O-10960 be amended to exclude the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan area, which includes the Sports Arena, from the 30-foot height limit on buildings in the Coastal Zone, with any future development still required to comply with other governing laws?

As Donna Frye wrote yesterday here at the Rag, there is nothing in Measure C about affordable housing, not a word. There is also nothing about a height limit of any kind. The only property under any kind of affordable housing mandate in the Midway area is city property, in this case, only 48 acres. The Midway planning area is 1,324 acres. None of the remaining 1,276 acres is under any affordable housing mandate.