OB Rag

By Kathy Blavatt

On a lovely Thursday evening on August 18, 2022, a group of locals came together for the Ocean Beach Historical Society picnic at Collier Park west, on Greene Street & Soto Street.

The picnickers were there to learn about and enjoy this unique parkland, which once included the former Door of Hope. Visionary D.C. Collier, known as the ‘Father of Ocean Beach,’ gifted us with this parkland and much more.

The group that met last week in search of options and alternatives to the OB Pier July 4 fireworks has posted a video and sign-up on Social OB.

Luminosity

What that event will look like will be up to you.

Come inside and take the survey

Measure “C” — which is on the November 2022 ballot for San Diego County — would eliminate the 30-foot height limit throughout the entire Midway District planning area, a total of 1,324 acres. If passed, the measure would not just apply to the Sports Arena area. There’s been some confusion about this (even here we admit).

The Midway area, officially called the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan Area, in its entirety will be immediately impacted if the measure is approved by city voters.

The approximate boundaries of the Community Plan area are Interstate 8 on the north, the San Diego International Airport on the south, Interstate 5 on the east, and Lytton Drive on the west. The Community Plan area includes the land surrounding Midway Drive and Sports Arena Boulevard, including the Pechanga Sports Arena.

Over this past weekend, enough donations came in to meet the OB Rag’s fundraising goal of $2,000. This is worth celebrating!

As of this writing, we’ve received $2,176 in donations and pledges.

Without advertising or a major benefactor, we need to rely on readers and supporters to get us through the year — and they — you — stepped up for our annual summer gig.

In today’s San Diego Union-Tribune, columnist Michael Smolens acknowledged the principled stand taken by the OB Rag on the issue of Trumpist Carl DeMaio aligning with those forces opposed to Measure C, the removal of the height limit in the Midway on November’s ballot.

In “DeMaio becomes wild card in fight to keep sports arena-area height limit,” Smolen discusses how “Opponents of lifting 30-foot restriction in Midway District see potential promise and peril in radio talk-show host’s involvement.”

Smolens wrote:

Carl DeMaio, the radio talk-show host and former San Diego City Council member, suddenly has become a leading opponent to Measure C. He has joined three community advocates in signing the ballot argument against lifting the 50-year-old height limit.

By Mat Wahlstrom

I had resisted looking into the particulars of the mayor’s pet project to redevelop the Sports Arena site, released with so much fanfare last Monday, as I had dreaded that it would be as fubar as every other city real estate deal he’s been involved. But once I dug in, it was even worse than I imagined.

Beyond all the patter and glitter, the devil is *always* in the details.

“Midway Rising” is the mayor’s pet proposal to “lease surplus property” to redevelop the 48.5 acres of this city-owned site for token newer housing and a generic saddle-shape replacement, with 250,000 sq ft of commercial space and a 200-key hotel.

By Colleen Shalby, Robert J. Lopez / Los Angeles Times / Aug. 25, 2022

A civil lawsuit filed Thursday in state court accuses three past and present San Diego State University football players — including a top punter now in the NFL — of gang raping a 17-year-old girl last year at an off-campus party.

Matt Araiza, 22, whose powerful and precision kicking in college earned him the moniker “Punt God,” was accused of having sex with the minor outside the home and then bringing her inside to a room where she was repeatedly raped.

As we wind down the week of our annual summer fundraiser, we can proudly say we’ve now reached three-quarters of our goal of $2,000 — $1480 to be exact.

And to add more reasons for our readers and supporters to donate to keep us goin’, it’s the people, the writers for the Rag. Nowhere else can you find their writings, reportings, observations, poetry and photography.

Geoff Page

Through his reports on the goings-on at the 3 local community planning boards, Geoff keeps the Peninsula informed. His excellent research into the state of the OB – San Diego Pier is unrivaled, and he was the first to determine the pier needed to be replaced.

Ed Decker

Ed has joined the Rag with a monthly “advice” column. You can’t read his superb wit anywhere else.

The Rag was contacted by former OBcean, Davis Hayden, who had been involved in OB back in the 1970s, and informed that a piece he had written about the history of the OB People’s Food Store (People’s old name) was on Wikipedia. Davis had been instrumental in helping to form the store. We checked it out and here you go, from Wikipedia:

The Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market is a food cooperative located at 4765 Voltaire street in the Ocean Beach community of San Diego, California.

It was previously called the Ocean Beach People’s Food Store. People’s started as a retail store at 4859 Voltaire Street, selling natural foods and household products.