OB Rag

During Wednesday’s Ocean Beach Town Council’s monthly meeting – Feb. 22nd -, the Council cast a spotlight on and honored some of the unsung heroes of OB’s graffiti and trash wars.

Representatives of two groups – OB Clean Streets Initiative and the OB Graffiti Task Force – were on hand to give updates and overviews of their efforts to clean up the village.

Greg Crowley of OB’s CSI told the gathered audience of some 70 people that his group’s motto is “Not talking spotless, just a little bit cleaner,” and how the group has organized 5 clean-ups in OB over the last year. They and the volunteers they organized collected over 600 pounds of trash – with the main items picked up being cigarette butts. One of the differences between CSI and other clean-up efforts, Greg said, was that his group goes into the alleys and away from the beaches to find their trash.

By Not Amused in OB

Are “smart” led street lights coming to Ocean Beach to surveil you and write you a parking ticket? I heard Newport Avenue is slated to get new led lights.

The evening news on Channel 10 covered this, and it appears that our mayor, Kevin Faulconer , just rolled out on Wednesday a program of installing new street lights in San Diego and Ocean Beach. The mayor announced he’s expanding this program of putting in “smart sensors” which will be able to “gather and disseminate data on things like traffic, parking availability, public safety and air quality.”

And Kevin said that his city has partnered with a company from back east called Current which will install 3200 of these “Smartlight Sensors”, powered by GE.

By Shanty Asher / SanDiego350.org

I am a proud Pacific Islander. Over the years, I have witnessed and stood alongside many of my fellow islanders and leaders, combating climate change and its impacts on the islands. Though the percentage of people in the U.S. who believe that climate change is real and human-caused is rising, it still only amounts to around half. I have no doubt that if Americans had seen what we have seen, had lived what we have lived through, I believe that percentage would be higher. Much higher.

Today, I will share that story with you through an islander’s lens and maybe, just maybe, my story will paint a different picture of climate change, one that you may not have heard before, one that you can relate to because it is not a scientific prediction, but based on actual events.

My 10 Core Social, Political Beliefs

By Anne Haule / Musings of a Boomer Feminist

The election of Trump has caused me to focus on my core beliefs and work toward advancing them. I recommend this exercise for everyone. It is a useful way to clarify where you stand and to focus your energies.

So, in no particular order and subject to further additions, here they are.

Reproductive Rights and the Right to Die

Nothing could be more fundamental than the notion that the government has no place making healthcare decisions for individuals.

By Michael Moore

First, let’s acknowledge what we all know to be true: Trump is in deep, deep trouble—in the pocket of Russians, surrounded by alt-right idiots, alone in his bathrobe in a mostly empty White House—and caught inside a disgusting “shit-sandwich,” so said his supporter who turned down the NSA job.

Only one month into his so-called presidency—and yet there is good news, as this is what the American landscape looks like:

• Tens of thousands of citizens across the country have stormed congressional district offices and town hall meetings to express their rage at the Trump agenda (a dejected Republican congressman, after a three-hour verbal assault from his angry constituents, said on TV last night, “Let’s face it—they [the Obamacare supporters] have won”).

All three of the planning boards that make up the Point Loma planning areas have their annual elections coming up in March.

The Ocean Beach Planning Board holds its election on Wednesday, March 15th, the Peninsula Community Planners hold theirs on March 16th, and the election for the Midway – Pacific Hwy Planning Group will also take place March 15th.

Here are details for the various planning committee elections:

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilwoman Lori Zapf were in Ocean Beach last week promoting the two new electric vehicle charging stations installed in the Life Guard parking lot. Both politicos feel that with the City’s surge in offering stations to the public – now up to 68 – shows that San Diego is becoming a municipal leader in dealing with climate change.

“Move over Portland, San Diego is growing greener and we’re growing smarter,” Zapf said, as it has been reported than there are currently an estimated 13,000 electric vehicles on the road in San Diego.

Amanda Cruz Visiting From Arizona Vanished Over the Weekend

A young woman visiting San Diego for the first time from Arizona has reportedly gone missing – and her car with her purse and backpack were found near Sunset Cliffs on Monaco Street.

30-year-old Amanda “Mandy” Cruse vanished over the weekend. At her hotel in Point Loma, there is surveillance footage showing her leaving about 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Her family presumes she left early to photograph the sunrise – as her high-quality digital camera was missing. This was the last time she was seen and no one has heard from her since.

Mandy is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 115 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. When she left the hotel, she was wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, and black and white Converse shoes.

2016 Breaks 2015’s Record Which Broke 2014’s Record

By John Lawrence

For the third year in a row planet Earth has set records for hottest year on the planet. It is the first time in the modern era of global warming data that temperatures have blown past the previous record three years in a row.

Meanwhile, President Trump took down the White House climate change website. He has called global warming a hoax and a Chinese plot, and staffed his administration with global warming deniers.

The heat extremes were especially noticeable in the Arctic region where temperatures are running 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Sea ice is melting at a rapid pace and coastal communities are dealing with rapid beach erosion. Polar bears are losing their habitat and starving.

The good folks who are organizing the “OB March 4 Impeachment” have issued a Mission Statement (the OB Rag is co-sponsoring the event) on the facebook page – and as of this posting, nearly 400 people pledged their participation, with another near 2,000 interested.

Here is the statement:

Mission Statement:

Welcome to the resistance!

The March 4 Impeachment is just one of thousands of events to promote the efforts to resist the Trump agenda. We resist his misogynistic, xenophobic, and climate denial policies to name a few.

Why Impeach?

by Julia Shotwell /The Point – lomabeat.com

Since Trump’s inauguration, America has witnessed both feminist pro-women marches in the streets and pro-immigration protests at airports. The result is that these demonstrations have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Not everyone likes the idea of people walking around with signs and shouting into the void.

After I walked through Downtown San Diego for the Women’s March, I experienced the people I am closest to telling me that my marching was stupid and my signs were silly.

Restaurant Review

“Noodles & Company”
3650 Rosecrans
San Diego, CA 92110
619-223-3200
Noodles.com

On this day, after a busy whirlwind trip to purchase items that I needed for my trip to Fargo this week, Hitomi and I found ourselves to be quite hungry. I hadn’t been to “Noodles and Company” for quite some time and since we were in the Midway district decided to give the restaurant a try.

It was relatively late for lunch – 2:00pm – and a few of the tables outside had patrons eating, but only one table was occupied inside. (While we were there I noticed a steady stream of take-out orders, and two Uber drivers picking up deliveries.)