OB Rag

For the last two mornings, city crews have been out in the Point Loma neighborhood attempting to remove Palm Trees that have been determined to “obstruct” aircraft flight paths and airspace.

No permits have been made, no traffic or parking control signs have been put up, no planning boards or neighborhoods informed. All in the name of “emergency” and public safety.

Rag writer Geoff Page reported on what has been going on:

There’s currently a debate going on in the “pages” of the La Jolla Light over whether “progress” has been made regarding commercial jet noise, particularly over Point Loma and OB.

Anthony Stiegler, the co-founder and secretary of Quiet Skies La Jolla, wrote a piece on September 7 about the progress that has been made with the noise from aircraft.

Stiegler reported on the progress his group has made with the FAA and the County Airport Authority:

by Bart Ziegler, PhD / Voice of OC / Oct. 20, 2021

On the topic of environmental disasters, could you imagine trying to deal with contamination from a far deadlier kind of waste that you can’t see or smell and that remains toxic for hundreds of thousands of years?

As details of the Orange County oil spill continue to unfold, globs of tar are washing onto San Onofre State Beach beneath the shadow of a shuttered nuclear power plant where Southern California Edison is storing 3.6 million pounds of radioactive waste 100 feet from the ocean.

Reporting on the oil spill has us drawing comparisons and thinking about the state of nuclear waste safety.

Take corrosion, for instance.

City Forester: “We don’t care what you think.”

By Geoff Page

The City of San Diego is moving forward aggressively to cut down iconic and historic, tall palm trees on Newport Avenue, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara.

They are lying to the public saying it is because of a safety issue.

These are healthy trees — there is no safety issue whatsoever. But, when talking to the city’s forester, Brian Widener, it soon becomes clear that he is one of those people who believe if you repeat a lie over and over, people will eventually believe it is true. No matter how many times he says it is a safety issue, it is still not true.

The city is not only using public safety as an excuse, they are bypassing all the normal procedures for removing city trees by designating these as emergency removals. There is no emergency, the city just does not want to take the time to explain to the public why removals are necessary.

By Colleen O’Connor

Has the news begun to depress you? As in leaving you numb or emotionally defeated?

As in non-stop warnings of the COVID-19 pandemic morphing and being “always with us?”

Or the nightmarish headlines about ransomware attacks, daily mass shootings, supply chain shortages, or the overwhelming evidence of catastrophic climate change. All amid political amateur hour in our nation’s capitol?

If so, there is a remedy. Especially in San Diego. Simple. Step outside.

Residents of Point Loma are being urged to immediately contact the city and airport because city crews are out and about currently (noon Tuesday) and are attempting to remove some of the trees on their “obstruction” list. Property owners at 4404 Newport “chased” one crew off after it had “topped off” one Palm Tree on their list.

Once a Palm Tree is “topped off” it will never come back.

Residents need to contact the city and airport and get them to halt this practice, immediately.

The airport has informed residents of Point Loma that an independent contractor hired by the city would remove the mainly Palm Trees it identified as “obstructions”. Yet, it is a city crew out today attempting to circumvent proper and legal procedures for removing trees.

A reader sent in the following list of trees and addresses the airport will have removed or trimmed. The list includes other than Palm Trees, such as several Eucalyptus trees on Alcott Street and trees on the other side of the airport. There are 12 trees from Point Loma on the list:

TREE; PALM
City of SD ROW; 4386 Newport Ave.
City will remove, Airport will inform resident

The San Diego Airport has responded to Point Loma residents’ inquiries about the nature and purpose of its program to unilaterally remove tall trees that it claims “obstruct” airspace and aircraft paths. Ralph Redman, manager of planning and environmental affairs, sent out a letter, map and descriptions of the locations of the trees – mainly Palm Trees – which are posted below.

“The purpose of removing the identified trees,” Redman stated, “is to ensure the safety of community and flying public as planes approach San Diego International Airport (SAN).” He goes on:

By Eric DuVall / Pt. Loma-OB Monthly / Oct. 18, 2021

Welcome to Collier’s Shack, friends and neighbors! Our guests are always encouraged to relax, put their feet up, recharge their batteries and enjoy our fresh air, balmy breezes and unparalleled views from our promontory high above the crashing surf of the mighty Pacific.

Doesn’t that sound great? It is certainly intended to. Come on, take a stroll in the garden or along the cliffs. Hop in the pool if you have a mind to. Our hospitality here is second to none, and the food isn’t bad either.

You’ve never heard of Collier’s Shack? That’s not surprising, as the shack has been gone from Ocean Beach for nearly 50 years.

The Widow Laments Unhealthy Habit by Ball Players

By Judi Curry

I am a native Californian. More specifically, I am a native “Angelean” – born and raised in Los Angeles. As long as I can remember – granted, that is a long, long time ago – I have always been a Los Angeles Dodger fan. I remember in 1957, when the then “Brooklyn Dodgers” were allowed to move to Los Angeles, and the New York Giants were allowed to move to San Francisco how excited I was about the move.

As a native, I always went to the Los Angeles Rams football games; the Los Angeles Lakers basketball games. Even though I was living in San Diego when the Rams moved to St. Louis, I always rooted for them – unless they were playing the San Diego Chargers. But this is not about the feeling of traitor-ship I felt when both football teams moved out of my city – and yes, I know the Rams are back – but….