OB Rag

Over the weekend, unions representing grocery workers announced that their memberships had voted to authorize their Locals to strike against major grocery employers.

Members and their leadership of United Food and Commercial Workers are fed up with the tactics employed by Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions during the current contract bargaining process and are ready to strike against them if agreements are not made. The major employers’ tactics became so onerous that the seven union locals filed unfair labor practice complaints

Editordude: Judi and her friend Steve stopped by Wendy’s on Midway Drive on their way to a Gulls’ game the other night. They wish they hadn’t. Judi submitted this as a “restaurant review,” but it’s hardly that – Judi only ordered a Vanilla Frosty (which they didn’t have) but Steve got his order. Here, then, are Judi’s thoughts:

By Judi Curry

I have only reviewed a fast food restaurant once in my career of being a food critic. That was because of exceptional service at the Jack in the Box on Voltaire and I felt they needed to be recognized. The other night, on the way to the Gulls Hockey game, Steve and I decided to stop off at Wendy’s

In what was called “a quick roundup!”, the Ocean Beach Town Council leadership sent out a report on its late March public meeting. We repost it here with a few comments.

First up, the meeting heard stump speeches from the various candidates running to unseat Jen Campbell in District 2. Joel Day, Lori Saldana, and Mandy Havlik were there, as was Bev McCalla – but McCalla didn’t make the filing deadline, so it’s unclear what she had to say. The primary is in June.

In other news:

San Diego labor is divided over which proposed redevelopment for the Sports Arena – Midway area is best. Five developer teams have stepped forward and as we enter the elimination phase, endorsements from groups like unions and labor councils are extremely important.

Yet, only two teams have received laudatory praises from San Diego labor.

It’s all official now. We’re reached the filing deadline for San Diego City Council races and we now know who is running for District 2.

In what the San Diego Union-Tribune is calling “a major showdown in District 2”, former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña “is mounting a late Democrat-versus-Democrat challenge to incumbent Councilmember Jennifer Campbell ….” Saldana is joined in the Democrat field trying to unseat Campbell by Joel Day, Mandy Havlik. Linda Lukacs is the sole Republican .

A new development is being proposed for 1615 Ocean Front Street in south Ocean Beach. It would include the demolition of the existing house and the construction of a large, 2-story house with a basement and underground parking.

The current house literally sits on the edge of Sunset Cliffs, between Del Mar Avenue and Ocean Front Street – that alley-like official “street.” The drop-off to the rocks and surf below is precipitous and the views stunning. No wonder the owner wants to have a lap pool on his 870 square foot roof porch.

by Ernie McCray

I see
two
displaced groups of refugees
seeking asylum in
the Land of the Free.

One group hails from Ukraine.
The other from Haiti.
The Ukrainians are
running frantically
from the ravages of war,
bombings and such,
into our country’s open arms,

Remake of Death on the Nile on March 29 with Kenneth Branagh

By Colleen O’Connor

Want to beat the heat, avoid the crowds at the Zoo and beaches, and skip the all special effects blockbusters and Covid-affected Oscars this Sunday, here are two suggestions.

Just out at Liberty Station’s The Lot is a good old fashioned forties style movie: The Outfit.

A real surprise treat. It begins slowly, like watching snow melt on a mountain, then comes the avalanche. No spoiler alerts here. Just a strong suggestion that if you appreciate good acting, a fine plot,

The premature death of anyone is a tragedy and certainly it is of one within our Peninsula community – and we hereby take note. And we also take note of the location of yet another death of a pedestrian.

Late Sunday night, March 20, a 61-year-old woman was killed after being struck by a car in the 3800 block of Rosecrans Street in the Midway District. About 10:10 pm. She was hit by a 53-year-old male driver in an unspecified vehicle who was traveling southbound on Rosecrans. He stopped after the crash and cooperated with investigators.

Once again a life from our community is taken from that concrete and asphalt jungle known as the Rosecrans. How many have there been in recent years?

By Terrie Best, San Diego Chapter Americans for Safe Access

In this era of social justice most non-profits who advocate for marginalized people began to look for the most vulnerable within the marginalized people they serve.

Illness societies would find their most in need are likely BIPOC and those living in poverty. All nonprofits should try to reach those people within who are less able to gather resources as successfully as others due to barriers of race, language or economics.

Over a decade ago, when the medical cannabis patient advocacy group I volunteer for, San Diego Americans for Safe Access, was pleading for access to medical cannabis and San Diego City and County were struggling to regulate medical cannabis retail outlets, SDASA should have looked at BIPOC and marginalized neighborhoods with much more care.

by Ernie McCray

Vladimir Putin
pursues his lifelong dream
of reigning over all
the land
and air
and sea
in his proximity,
singling out Ukrainians to take the brunt of his
inhuman atrocities:
bombing and storming them,
looting their wealth and shooting them,
rolling his tanks down their avenues and streets…

Public Service Announcement:

After weeks of decline, experts who track coronavirus levels in San Diego’s wastewater at the Point Loma plant say they are starting to see a slight uptick in viral load, which could be an indication that the new wave of the pandemic that has hit foreign countries has now reached Southern California. The last data analyzed from Point Loma on March 13 and March 14 show an uptick.

“This slight uptick is not something to be alarmed about, but something we’re watching with caution,” Dr. Christopher Longhurt, Chief Medical Officer at UC San Diego Health,