OB Rag

While San Diego City Councilmembers Lorie Zapf and Chris Ward were reaping props and applause in Ocean Beach and other coastal neighborhoods due to their efforts to regulate short term vacation rentals, the toast-of-the-town duo had moved on other planes and joined the conservative members among their colleagues to wreck havoc and short circuit another popular effort. The effort to reform how police officers have civilian oversight.

Ward – maybe hoping to become the darling of San Diego liberals – what with his proposed ban on styrofoam – crashed and burned that plan. On Monday, July 30, at a Council hearing he joined other councilmembers to thwart an effort to place a measure on the November ballot which would have substantially improved civilian oversight of the San Diego Police Department.

The OB Rag is declaring an Emergency at the Ocean Beach Planning Board. And this emergency has not been sanctioned by the Board itself – but is an independent determination by a seasoned observer – this reporter.

The Board, established in 1976, has 14 seats – two from each of the 7 planning districts of OB. Well, right now, six of those seats are vacate. Board chair Blake Herrschaft announced his resignation last Wednesday, Aug.1 and that he was departing for Tahoe immediately. Vice-chair Andrea Schlageter will step and be the interim chair.

Herrschaft’s absence makes this an unprecedented situation

On the back cover of Frank O’Hara’s classic City Lights Books collection, Lunch Poems, he defines his efforts succinctly:

Often this poet, strolling through the noisy splintered glare of a Manhattan noontide,

By Susan Grigsby / Daily Kos

At 17,566, there are more public libraries in the United States than there are Starbucks coffee shops. And just like at Starbucks, patrons have access to free wi-fi. But unlike Starbucks, public libraries will usually provide the free use of a computer as well as internet access.

Perhaps it is their very ubiquitousness that makes them such a tempting target for libertarians like the Koch brothers and right-wing economists like the one who recently suggested a takeover of libraries’ functions by Amazon.

Forbes quickly pulled the controversial op-ed

August Events at the Ocean Beach Green Center

Ocean Beach Green Center, 4843 B Voltaire Street, Ocean Beach 92107
oceanbeachgreencenter@gmail.com 619.225.1083

August 9th Thursday 7 p.m. Film night ” The Homeless Chorus Speaks”

This 2018 film is a compelling documentary that creatively depicts a critical and timely social issue: people living without support and shelter.

August 25th Saturday 1:00 p.m. Native Bee Presentation .

COME INSIDE FOR THE REST OF THE CALENDAR FOR AUGUST

The winning banner in the OB Rag – Resister Sisters contest was hung today. On 163 southbound in Balboa Park.

The winning banner, “Elect a Clown, Expect a Circus”, was proposed by one of our readers during our week-long contest. The winner was picked by the Sisters and hung up this morning, Friday, August 3.

By Daniel Bacher

SACRAMENTO – California Governor Jerry Brown yesterday condemned the Trump Administration’s proposal to weaken the nation’s clean vehicle emissions standard at the same time that California regulators have approved an expansion of offshore and onshore drilling in California.

“For Trump to now destroy a law first enacted at the request of Ronald Reagan five decades ago is a betrayal and an assault on the health of Americans everywhere,” said Brown in a statement.

Members of the board of the Ocean Beach Town Council are gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the organization.

The first Town Council began in 1968, and the current one is looking for old photos of OB from the Sixties, Seventies – even Eighties, and especially of Newport Avenue. Like the one above of Zekes Farmhouse, formerly at the corner of Newport and Bacon.

So, if you have something – please send

There’s more orchids and onions in Point Loma. That means there’s an additional Orchid nomination by the jurors in San Diego’s annual Orchids & Onions contest in Point Loma and an additional Onion.

This is all part of a a San Diego tradition that hearkens back to 1976 and is sponsored by the San Diego Architectural Foundation.

So, the Port Brewery Building on the bay was nominated for the Orchid (see below) and the Bella Mar condo complex was nominated for an Onion.

Scripps Pier recorded the highest ocean surface water temperature in its 102 history of taking measurements on Wednesday, August 1.

The water temperature was 78.6 degrees.

Usually the August average water surface temperature at the pier is 68 degrees, says the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.

By Mark Lane and Shane Parmely / San Diego Free Press

We went to the Tuesday, July 24, National City Council meeting to speak out against the police brutality that left Earl McNeil brain dead.

For almost six weeks, we’ve peacefully and loudly protested at the National City Council meetings. For six weeks, we’ve asked the National City Police Department (NCPD) to release the videotapes pertaining to the in-custody death of Earl McNeil. For six weeks, we’ve been ignored by the three men who control the National City Council and the NCPD. For six weeks, we’ve been treated to excessive force and violence by the NCPD.

At the Ocean Beach Planning Board August 1 meeting, the volunteer panel approved 2 granny flats, one single family unit, approved the proposed ban of styrofoam – and then, Chair Blake Herrschaft dropped a mini-bomb shell.

Granny Unit at 4629 Coronado Approved

The Board approved this companion unit / granny flat – the Vu residence -at 4629 Coronado Avenue by a vote of 5 to 0.

Vu applied for a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to build a 1200 square foot 2-story companion unit over a 330 square foot garage,