OB Rag

By Bob Edwards

“The Legend and Lore of the OB James Gang” was presented at the Ocean Beach Historical Society’s November meeting, Thursday, November 21st, all at Water’s Edge Faith Community on Sunset Cliffs Blvd. The program covered the business and personal histories of the James family whose printing business – The James Gang – and community involvement has had major effects on the Ocean Beach community since the late 70s and early 80s.

It was one of the most humorous and touching presentations yet provided by the OBHS

Thursday morning, November 21, a 75-year-old man had been reported missing by his wife. She had told police that her husband had left their home around 5:40 a.m. and had not returned by 8:30 a.m.

Tragically, his body was found floating in the water at Sunset Cliffs near the foot of Hill Street. Police called lifeguards at about 12:30 p.m. to report a person in the water off the 1000 block of Sunset Cliffs, and Lifeguards brought his body ashore using a crane. The couple live a few blocks from where the body was found.

As the House committee holding impeachment hearings wrapped up probably their last witness testimony this afternoon, several truths have emerged.

Trump’s Republican allies on the Intelligence Committee have repeatedly pushed the infuriating false narrative that Ukraine was responsible for interfering in the US Presidential 2016 election, and in the process tried to discredit and malign witnesses like Lt Col Vindland and David Holmes – a narrative that helps Putin. But then they ran into Dr. Fiona Hill. Hill, the National Security Council Russia expert, laid into them.

By Ernie McCray

I look at a picture of little boy me and it seems as though I’m about to gently rise and drift in the air.

And that’s how my life has seemed, like I’ve drifted in the air, on the winds of love, because I have truly been loved in my life.

Love is the first thing I ever felt – without knowing, of course, as a baby, that it was love I was feeling.

But I sure felt it, from my mother’s milk, from the soothing way she sang rock-a-by-baby” to put me to sleep.

From the feel of my “pinky” toe being wiggled and the bottom of my feet tickled while she sang about some little piggy crying “wee wee wee” all the way home to greet me when I awakened from my sleep.

The San Diego City Parks Department has just announced it will install a pilot project of three organic parks, one of which will be established at the Liberty Station NTC Park at 2455 Cushing Road. The organic parks will be run under an organic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy.

This move – finally – by the City and its Park Department is in direct response to a campaign by the San Diego Non Toxic Neighborhoods organization. The group was begun by Anne Jackson Hefti who started a petition addressed to Mayor Faucloner pleading for the city to get rid of toxic poisons, like RoundUp, at its parks, beaches and recreation areas, and to instill IPMs.

The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Wednesday that legalizes marijuana on the federal level, removing it from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, according to CNBC today.

The legislation, which passed 24 to 10, has a high chance of approval in the full House where Democrats control the chamber with 234 seats. It’s likely to face a tougher battle in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opposes marijuana legalization. The legislation allows states to

The Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO), San Diego’s premier historical preservation group, has added the La Playa Piers along the Point Loma Bayfront to their 2019 list of endangered historic resources. Here is what SOHO says generally about their yearly list:

SOHO releases a list of endangered sites throughout San Diego County each year to raise public awareness about the valuable historic and cultural resources that are currently threatened with demolition or irreparable alteration by development, deterioration, or neglect.

SOHO has a 50-year track record of saving important historic buildings, sites, and landscapes

Minutes ago, the San Diego City Council voted unanimously to reject the appeal by the Ocean Beach Planning Board to block the City’s plans to spend $1.1 million in building a Dog Beach ADA ramp. The project will now move forward despite this opposition by the community.

Councilwoman Jen Campbell of District 2 – OB’s district – after about a minute’s worth of discussion – made the motion to deny the appeal.

This has been a contentious issue between OB and the city;

As Ocean Beach celebrates the 40th Annual Ocean Beach Christmas Tree and Holiday Parade, here is your opportunity to meet the family that not only started this holiday event but were instrumental in other cherished O.B. traditions as well – the OB James Brothers & Family, referred lovingly as “the OB James Gang”.

Join brothers Ron, Greg, Mike, Pat, and sister-in-law Susan as they reminisce about the trials and tribulations of working together in a family business while also trying to make a positive impact on the community.

For over four decades, the James family has been an integral part of the Ocean Beach community. They were instrumental in the founding of the Ocean Beach Merchants Association (now the O.B. Mainstreet Association) and the Ocean Beach Historical Society.

From November 2019 Newsletter – Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market

[Editordude’s note: the following appeal is directed at People’s members.]

People’s Co-op’s Board of Directors (the board) is made up of member-owners like you. There are four open seats to be filled in the upcoming election, which will conclude at People’s Annual Meeting in April, 2020.

Qualifications include an interest in the continued success of People’s Co-op, experience working cooperatively in a group, and the willingness and ability to make a regular time commitments. Each director contributes approximately five to ten hours per month for up to a three year term. Most meetings are held on Monday evenings after 5 p.m. A few times a year, directors are required to attend weekend events such as People’s Annual Meeting and People’s Birthday Party.

By Geoff Page

In October of last year, I did some checking on why the Sunset Cliffs Park project was not yet finished. I contacted the city and the emails that follow tell the story. I’m not using the person’s name because there is no reason to cause him any difficulty as some of his responses might. This is a really sorry tale.

Oct. 16, 2018 – the response I got to my initial inquiry:

The contractor has been waiting for some materials that required a long lead time to obtain. These materials are scheduled to be delivered on site next week. The contractor intends to resume working full time on site starting this Friday or at the latest on Monday October 22nd.

Planting will begin the first week in November and will be done in two phases. Planting will likely continue through January, weather permitting.