OB Rag

The North Chapel in Liberty Station has been under a siege of sorts, as McMillin companies have been trying to turn the historic sanctuary into a modern restaurant. A campaign ensured to protect and preserve it.

The OB Rag called it, “the last battle of San Diego’s old Naval Training Center.” We reported then:

In a nutshell, Corky McMillin Company wants to turn the historic NTC North Chapel – built in 1942 – into a “restaurant space” .

In a preview of the annual Orchids & Onions architectural contest for San Diego’s best and worst in recent urban design, Roger Showley, architecture critic for the San Diego Union-Tribune let it be known two local structures have been nominated for onions.

The newly-opened Point Loma Fire Station 22 on Catalina Boulevard was nominated for an Onion; jurors ridiculed the architecture and the bright red garage doors. “It’s a Target” one juror for the contest commented in a recent tour of Orchid nominated projects.

Residents of Ocean Beach and other coastal neighborhoods in San Diego are urged to attend the so-called “second reading” of the new ordinance limiting short term vacation rentals at the City Council on Wednesday, August 1, and bear witness to the event, which begins at 1pm.

Having a second reading of an ordinance newly voted upon and approved is standard operating procedure for the council, which meets in Council Chambers, 12th floor of City Hall, 101 C Street in downtown San Diego. So, in essence, it’s a formality but a requirement. The Bry Proposal on vacation rentals was passed by a vote of 6 to 3

By Peter Zschiesche

We have heard the argument against the “Fight for 15” campaign, which tells us fast food jobs require no skill and no expertise and, therefore, are not worthy of making $15 per hour.

That argument is rubbish, something fast food chain employers know all too well — and the primary reason behind their ‘no poaching’ policies. These policies allows food chains to block workers from changing branches in search of better pay or promotions, all while the company pays the lowest wage they can.

At Wednesday’s upcoming Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting, the volunteer community panel looks to have their hands full – what with 3 projects before them to review, plus other issues such as a styrofoam ban and the airport development plan.

The OB Planners meet at the OB Rec Center, 4726 Santa Monica Avenue at 6pm, Wed., August 1.

First up on the review agenda is a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to build a nearly 1200 square foot 2-story companion unit over a 330 square foot garage at 4629 Coronado Avenue. There’s an existing 1,244 square foot dwelling unit on the property. (Granny flats are also called “companion unit” or “accessory unit”.)

It’s that time of year for the OB Rag Summer Fundraising Campaign. We hold 2 such campaigns for support – one in the winter and one in the heat of the year – like now.

We need to raise $2,000 to cover our expenses through the November election and into the New Year of 2019 and through next Spring.

Help us with a donation so we can continue as the online newspaper for Ocean Beach and Point Loma. You can make a donation either via our PayPal button at the top of the page or by mailing it to us at our post office box (OB Rag, PO Box 7012, Ocean Beach, CA 92167).

Here’s Ten Reasons to Support the OB Rag:

1. Short Term Vacation Rentals:
   

The “OB Shelf” inside the Ocean Beach branch library is up and running.

The collaborative effort by the Library and the OB Rag has finally materialized – it’s a shelf in the library that holds works on or about Ocean Beach, or books by local authors; plus it holds historic OB planning documents that go back to the early 1970s.

The construction company that contracted with the City of San Diego to fix the Ladera Street stairs at Sunset Cliffs has been given a waiver for the summer moratorium on all public construction projects.

The company, Orion Construction Corporation, was sent a letter on July 23 from the deputy director of the Public Works Department informing them they have a waiver from the normal moratorium “due to the emergency nature” of the project. Orion was granted a “Construction Beach Moratorium Waiver” until August 31, 2018.

The waiver lasts from July 23 to August 31.

Guy Ernest McCray, my oldest son,
has passed away
and needless to say
that saddens me in
the deepest way.

Yet, at the same time,
knowing the grind
he had in life,
I find myself whispering to the wind
that he is now:
“Free at Last! Free at Last!”

It’s the dog days of summer but it’s Spring Training all year round in San Diego as the Padres sort through their stock of minor leaguers to see who might still be around in a few years when they hope to be competitive.

That means losing a lot. Watching a good amount of losing baseball requires a different lens and an appreciation for the small things inside and outside the game.

Slightly Stoopid Hits the Road

Slightly Stoopid, has hit the road with its, “School’s Out for Summer” tour, in support of the band’s ninth studio album, Everyday Life, Everyday People.

Hit and Run Driver in OB Incident Sentenced to Year in Custody

An unlicensed and uninsured motorist, who fled the scene after hitting a good Samaritan helping two people stranded in a broken-down car in Ocean Beach, was sentenced today to a year in local custody.

COME INSIDE FOR THESE NEWS STORIES AND MUCH MORE

Councilman Chris Ward appeared before the Ocean Beach Town Council last Wednesday night and urged OBceans to support his efforts to ban styrofoam.

He explained his proposal passed the Council’s Rules Committee unanimously on July 11 and is heading to the full Council sometime this fall.

And if San Diego does pass it, the city will become the 4th city in San Diego County to ban food and beverage containers made of styrofoam – also called polystyrene; others include Solana Beach, Encinitas and Imperial Beach.

Our city would become the largest city in California to enact the ban, joining a list of 116 other cities across the state, which include San Jose, San Francisco and Long Beach (while Los Angeles is discussing it).

So, just what is Councilman Ward’s proposal?