OB Rag

By Kathy Blavatt

The question on everyone’s mind is, “Did the Pickleweed commit murder?”

A gang of suspects covered in green waited until just the right moment to tumble the cliff on three innocent people below.

The January 2020 San Diego Reader cover read “Beach Erosion, Can it Be Stopped?” and laid out the case of possible perps that lead investigators to the culprit being Pickleweed!

Is Pickleweed getting a bum rap, or are they a dangerous plant? The court will soon decide.

Excerpt: January 13, 2020, San Diego Reader – “Will sand save San Diego North County’s bluffs?”: On August 2, 2019, a 30-foot-wide chunk of sandstone came loose at Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas, beneath a condo development. It fell onto three women, two of them locals, whose children and spouses sat nearby. The three women died. A lawsuit filed by the surviving families calls the poorly maintained bluff “an unnatural, unstable, and unsafe urbanized cliff.”

Editordude: Here is a nice, detached paean to Mike Hardin and Hodad’s of Ocean Beach in an entertainment online platform. Mike passed exactly 6 years ago. For links, please go to the original. )

One of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’ Most Popular Burger Joints Has an Incredibly Tragic Story

By Perry Carpenter / Showbiz CheatSheet / January 23, 2021

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives host Guy Fieri has visited Hodad’s in San Diego numerous times throughout the show’s history. The restaurant has also been part of other Food Network specials, and it’s become a destination for fans.

The Ocean Beach staple is a classic American diner with walls covered in classic license plates and a menu that features a famous assortment of burgers. But despite its massive popularity, the burger joint actually has an incredibly tragic story.

There’s been a spate of crimes and misdemeanors of late on the Peninsula – in Ocean Beach and the Midway District. Stabbings … thefts … Here’s a brief outline of the recent incidents.

Two Stabbed in OB Saturday Night

A 32-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man suffered non-life threatening stab wounds during a fight with two suspects in OB. The two suspects were arguing with the 25-year-old man a little after 11:20 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, in the 1900 block of Bacon Street, when he was stabbed by one of the suspects.

The 32-year-old woman suffered a stab wound while trying to break up the fight. Paramedics transported her to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police said, “The suspects got into a car and fled the scene. A short time later there was a male with a stab wound contacted by police at Logan Avenue and Beardsley Street. It was later determined this stabbing was related to the 1900 Bacon Street incident.” Paramedics transported the 25-year-old man in stable condition to an area hospital.

San Diego police urged anyone with any information regarding the stabbings to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Point Loma – OB Monthly

Police Dog Stabbed in Midway

All events are online and free unless stated otherwise.

Every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Climate Mobilization Coalition Zoom Meeting. February 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th.

February 21st Sunday 12 pm Close Guantanamo Now: A Call to Action Event

February 23 – City Council to review Jen Campbell’s “compromise” on short-term vacation rentals.

February 23rd. Tuesday 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm Jobs in a Green Economy Event by Climate Hub, Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Green New Deal Alliance and Hammond Solutions

February 23rd Tuesday 6:30 pm -7:30 pm Earth Justice

February 24th Wednesday 11 am LIVE with The League | POWER STRUGGLE Event by League of Women Voters of San Diego The franchise agreement with SDG&E is ending and San Diego must decide its energy future. Who should own and operate our municipal power? Join us for a riveting discussion of the different arguments for and against privatization of the city’s gas and electric utilities. More importantly, learn how the different outcomes could impact you and your family for years to come. We are pleased to host science, Environment and Energy Writer MacKenzie Elmer of the Voice of San Diego, Community Organizer and Activist Derek Casady and San Diego City Councilmember Chris Cate. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/915732552336873

February 25th Thursday 5 pm – 6:30 pm A Democracy for All of U.S. – Democracy in America’s Finest City hosted by Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies J

February 26th Friday1 pm – 2:30 pm All About Ebikes Event by San Diego Bike Coalition What are electric bicycles? How do the rules of the road apply to ebikers? Why are these things so popular all the sudden? More info: https://sdbikecoalition.org/event/all-about-ebikes/

And Much More …

The OB Planning Board continues its monthly meetings via Cisco WebEx this Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 6 pm.

There’s a number of issues and projects on the agenda, but because most are under the controversial “consent agenda” (4 of 6) there’s only 2 so-called “action items”. Items on the consent agenda do not need to be discussed or detailed and there’s usually just a vote by the full Board. Any board member or member of the audience, however, in this process can request to have any consent item “pulled” from the consent agenda and placed on the “regular” agenda.

So, for example, there’s a project at 5064 Lotus Street – but because it’s on the consent agenda, there are no details to the project on the agenda; usually there is some description of the project. Okay, the subcommittee, the Project Review Committee, voted 8 to 0 to recommend approval to the full Board. But the full Board at least needs to bring it up for some level of discussion.

In addition, there’s at least one issue deserving of discussion embedded in the consent agenda, called “Froude St. Traffic Calming.”

The effort to recall Councilwoman Jen Campbell is becoming official this week. The Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition is being published and Campbell will likely be served over the next few days. Once these procedural elements have been accomplished, the recall effort can begin to officially collect signatures.

The Petition outlines a host of reasons for the recall effort (see below) and ends with, “Councilmember Campbell has betrayed the voters and is unfit for office. Having no other recourse, we the residents of District 2, together with concerned residents throughout the city, have come together to take this action.”

Five fairly prominent and active residents of District 2 have stepped up during this crucial moment and have signed their names to the Petition. They represent every neighborhood of District 2 and include:

1. Kevin Hastings – Vice Chair, Ocean Beach Planning Board
2. Cathie (Jolley) Umemoto – presently a director on the PB Town Council Board of Directors. Cathie is two-time past President of PBTC and 2019-2020 Honorary Mayor of PB.
3. Mandy Havlik – Board Member & Secretary, Peninsula Community Planning Board
4. Erin Cullen – Board Member, Clairemont Community Planning Group
5. Gary Wonacott – Past President, Mission Beach Town Council

Here is the Notice statement:

The 2021 Ocean Beach Town Council Board of Directors election is here and members have begun voting. Voting began on Thursday and runs to Friday, February 5.

OBTC Directors are elected voices in communicating the views and needs of the community to the appropriate agencies, and are at the forefront of community discussions. When needed, Directors take appropriate action on community issues and are leaders in promoting the general betterment of Ocean Beach.

This year, there’s an unprecedented amount of interest – and there are 18 candidates for the 8 seats up for election on the 15 seat Board of Directors. OBTC members elect Board Directors for two-year terms. Half of the Board stands for election every year. This year, 8 seats are up for election.

Eligible candidates for the OBTC Board of Directors must be over (18) years of age, have Bronze Level OBTC Membership, and either live, work, own property, or operate a business in Ocean Beach (92107). Voting for this election will take place from Thursday, January 28th to Friday, February 5th, 2021 .

Candidate Statements

Nuclear Shutdown News January 2021

Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear industry in the US and beyond, and highlights the efforts of those working to create a nuclear free world.

By Michael Steinberg

Court rejects legal challenge to stop work at San Onofre.

On January 14 Law 360 reported, “9th Circuit Court Denies Advocate’s Nuclear Decommissioning Challenge.” The case concerns San Diego based Public Advocate’s petition asserting that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission “abdicated its safety responsibilities” overseeing the decommissioning of the San Onofre nuclear plant in Orange county, Southern California, which shut down in 2012.

By Paul Krueger / Times of San Diego / January 28, 2021

Count me among that small but dedicated group of San Diegans who embrace bicycling for its health and environmental benefits.

When I worked downtown, I often commuted 14 miles roundtrip from my Talmadge home. Now retired, I bike to doctor’s appointments in La Mesa and Mission Valley, and stores in North Park and Hillcrest.

It’s a rewarding challenge to climb those hills, and fun to see city life up close. But it’s also a bit demoralizing.

That’s because I have so little company on my two-wheeled travels around our county.

San Diego has spent millions of dollars for dedicated bike lanes, but from where I sit, the “if you build them, they will come” strategy has been an abject failure.

At least, according to the public news record, there were no deaths at Sunset Cliffs during 2020. There were 5 incidents where people were injured, however.

This is definitely good news from a year filled with bad news. Perhaps because of COVID, less people ventured into dangerous areas on or around the beautiful but treacherous cliffs. Which is unlikely, given all the reports and complaints about how people have jammed Sunset Cliffs these last months of the pandemic.

However, the rate of deaths and serious injuries at the cliffs for the year tracks with the average, according to the survey the OB Rag has conducted for years. Data collected for the study goes back to 2005. The OB Rag has found there’s been an average of 5 deaths or serious injuries every year.

In comparison with 2019, for instance, there were 2 tragic deaths, and only one seriously injured person at or below Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach and Point Loma. (See this study the OB Rag )

Here is an up-to-date chart and more details:

By Colleen O’Connor

What keeps America together? See for yourself.

“Look at the people that are on the ground. That’s who represents America,” says Admiral William McRaven; the man who oversaw the Bin Laden raid.

Look at the great story of the Oregon health workers who got stuck in a snowstorm on their way back from a COVID-19 vaccination event and went car to car injecting stranded drivers before several of the doses expired.

That “impromptu vaccine clinic” is a prime example of who represents America. Those are the angels among us. As I discovered myself.

Starting from the beginning.