OB Rag

On Friday, November 26, a body of a male was found floating in waters off Sunset Cliffs.

The fully-clothed male was discovered by a fisherman looking for lobster around 6:30 p.m. off Ladera Street and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. The body was found about 200 feet offshore. As of now, the man is unidentified and his age is unknown.

By Geoff Page

The regular monthly meeting of the Peninsula Community Planning Board, November 18, was all about changes the PCPB is recommending for the streets many people use daily. But, the only people who seem to be paying attention were from the cycling community.

There was also a letter of support for the palms on upper Newport and some projects were reviewed, two of which were more Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

Froude Street from Voltaire Street to Newport Avenue

The PCPB is still very much concerned that there is not a single stop sign from Voltaire to Newport and they are determined to right this incredible wrong.

By Kathy Blavatt,

Photos by Kathy & Cartoons by Ray Blavatt

As we join our loved ones, we can feel thankful this Thanksgiving 2021!

As crazy as the world has gotten, we still have our beaches and our wonderful community fighting for trees. The closest we came this year to fires were the blazing sunsets.

I am thankful to those that try to change the world for the better. There are innovators with new farm methods that can bring positive environmental changes. These solutions make so much sense.

Restaurant Review

La Doña
1852 Bacon
Ocean Beach, CA 92107
619-269-6144

By Judi Curry

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Ocean Beach was Nati’s. I think that when they closed down almost the entire town was unhappy and many experiences there just became old memories. I was happy to see that another Mexican restaurant – La Doña – was going in to the same place, and hoped that new memories would be established there.

The other day was the day that four older ladies decided it was a perfect time to visit the new restaurant. Although it has been open for some time, we thought it was important to give it a chance to establish its own persona.

Originally published Nov. 23, 2011.

By Patty Jones

I want to share a family secret with you – one long held in the Jones family holiday tradition – on the accepted method of “flipping the bird” at Thanksgiving.

Many years ago my mother stumbled through her early morning Thanksgiving ritual of prepping a huge turkey for the afternoon feast. Before her first cup of coffee she dropped the bird in the roasting pan and shoved it into the oven. A couple of hours later she opened the oven door and she realized she had put it in the pan upside (or breast-side) down.

Joe LaCava, the councilmember for District 1, says he has a bunch of reforms for community planning groups that will bring them in line with the city charter while making them more independent.

In a recent article at the La Jolla Light by Ashley Mackin-Solomon, LaCava spoke about his reforms.

by Ernie McCray

Oh, I love
what the county
of San Diego
did on
a beautiful Southern California
day,
matching such beauty
by tending to the needs of children
who live south
of the border
down Mexico way,
providing them
with their first shot
of a vaccine

By Colleen O’Connor

Expecting family and friends to arrive this week in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday?

A sure way to guarantee they enjoy their stay, besides the beach, the bay, the dinners, and the weather, is a hidden gem in Balboa Park: The Japanese Friendship Garden.

The garden is tucked away in Balboa Park, under lush vegetation, with meandering paths across bridges, alongside waterfalls that spill into fabulous Koi ponds. This park also hosts art exhibitions, Bonsai pavilions and currently, a textile exhibit of fine fabrics, as well as magnificent matrimonial Kimonos.

By Diane Bell / San Diego Union-Tribune / Nov. 20, 2021

An Ocean Beach landmark has closed forever.

Willie’s Shoe Shine, a tiny shed in the parking lot of Mallory’s furniture store on Newport Avenue, has shut its single door.

“Shoeshine” Willie Washington officially has retired. For as many as five decades the retired Marine, now in his mid-80s, has either worked in Ocean Beach in a shoe repair store or run his own drive-by/walk-by business out of a parking lot shed.

He grew into a legend and an icon and even has been referred to as the unofficial mayor of O.B. Willie, as everyone calls him, always has a smile and a kind word and seems to know everyone, their children and their kids’ children. “He’s been a mainstay on Newport for decades,” recalls Frank Gormlie, publisher of the “OB Rag,”

By Geoff Page

What has been dubbed the Ocean Beach Pier Working Group had its “Fall Virtual Meeting,” on Wednesday November 17.

The meeting was moderated by Campbell’s representative for the Ocean Beach area, Teddy Martinez. So, this is being run by the District 2 Council office, in case that wasn’t clear enough. Considering the results of this meeting, District 2 should get all the credit.

This was a Zoom meeting for a core group of meeting participants and other interested parties but was deliberately not made open to the public. At one time, there were 27 attendees. Some of the core group come from local organizations such as Andrea Schlageter, chair of the OB Planning Board and Denny Knox from the OB Mainstreet Association.

Great design isn’t done quickly or cheaply

By Roger Showley / November 18, 2021

Regarding the U-T article about the Ocean Beach Library expansion moves ahead; some want more input” (Nov. 14):

I grew up with the Ocean Beach Library as my branch. To a child it was a place of wonder and inspiration. I find the proposed addition to be a thoughtless, design-challenged and placeless project.

The staff believe an in-house plan will save time and $400,000 in outside architectural fees. But judging by recent city projects, like the Balboa Park West Mesa restrooms, expedited design results in Onions not Orchids.