OB Rag

Some of us who were involved in the unsuccessful effort to save the Torrey Pine at 4652 Saratoga Avenue, thought it necessary to develop a written account of the saga of the Torrey called “Esperanza” – or “Hope”.

A chronicle was needed telling the story of how it came to be that the city and its contractor cut down the 90-year old, 80-foot tall on Monday, August 22nd.

The following, then, is a chronology of the Torrey Pine and its removal. (Much is taken from an anonymous “Critique of Saratoga Torrey Pine Chronology”, some is from a “Fact Sheet” from the city’s Transportation & Storm Water division, the remainder from this reporter’s notes and memories.)

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Unusually strong storms, beginning in the winter of 2015/2016, brought down a number of widely-reported trees and large limbs around the city, and as a result, there was a city-wide heightened awareness of large trees and their vulnerability.

Late January – early Feb – Strong winds brought down a large pine tree on Talbot Street in Point Loma – that caused some damage – and reportedly a 100-year old Torrey pine tree in the courtyard at OB Elementary School fell with no damage or injuries.

From National Women’s History Project

At the behest of Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY), in 1971 the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.”

The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York.

The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality. Workplaces, libraries, organizations, and public facilities now participate with Women’s Equality Day programs, displays, video showings, or other activities.

From expressions of anger about the recent Torrey Pine removal, to impassioned statements by Board candidates, to studied brows deep in thought on how to improve Newport Avenue, the Ocean Beach Town Council meeting last night, Wednesday, Aug. 24th, exhibited a gamut of emotions and “passions”.

Anger of Residents on How City Handled Torrey Pine

Anger at how the City handled the Torrey Pine on Saratoga came out among residents during the non-agenda public comment period at the opening of the meeting. The Masonic Center community room filled up with sixty people, at least one news camera and reporter, as acting chair Gio Ignolia attempted to guide the at times contentious forum.

It’s the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, today, Thursday, August 25th.

And the Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma is free today, Thursday through this Sunday, August 28th.

The Monument has a full schedule of events Thursday to celebrate this great anniversary of the National Parks.

On this day in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the National Park Service, which to this day, serves as caretaker for more than 400 sites.

Local events are scheduled to begin at the monument at 9:30 a.m.

By John Lawrence

Americans are using drugs of various kinds at an increasing rate. Of course drugs have been around for a long time, since the beginning of time in fact.

In 5000 BC the Sumerians used opium.

The earliest record of alcohol production was in Egypt in 3500 BC. Tea in China was used in 3000 BC.

Humans have used various substances to manipulate and alter their mood levels for millennia.

In the category of drugs I include any mood altering substance such caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, prescription drugs such as opiods and other pain killers, amphetamines etc.

* Fund Raiser for the Green Store – Wed., Aug. 24 at Raglan
* OB Sailor Family Helps Flood Victims in Louisiana
* OB Psych-Pop Band – Verigolds – on Most Bright Stage Lights
* Pt Loma Nazarene Grad Remembered
* Ocean Beach gets $3 million in grants to rebuild aging sewers…?
* Hearing Postponed for Pharmacist Charged with Murder of OB Roommate’s Boyfriend
* 4 Crawl Out From Flipped Car in Point Loma
* Analysis Shows Water Science Education Efforts Increased Awareness of Water Issues by 56 Percent –
* Police Search for Suspect in Assault on Homeless Man in the Mid-Way
* Drivers! Watch Out for Navy’s Pipeline Repair Projects Throughout Point Loma

* About the Repair and Relocation of the Miramar Fuel Pipeline

* Neighbors against PLHS lights, school district agree to mediation
* San Diego Refugee Project Got Its Start in Ocean Beach
* Turning Wabaska into a safe route to school Voltaire Bridge to receive improvements
* New league and challenges for Pointers football
* Is Spundoze’s “Point Loma Deep” Named After San Diego?

COME INSIDE FOR STORIES

By Micaela Porte

From a true event at the Pacific Beach Library
June 27, 2015, Saturday, 11 am
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The drunken man, his home under the acacia tree on the library plaza,
Last night, laid himself down to die after a few bottles.

Next morning around 11,
Al, the guard, noticed him,
And called Christina the Librarian,
Who called 911 and more,
Ran to get the defibrillator.

The Man was on his side, all grey
His clothes were grey,
His face was grey,
Sirens filled the air on their urgent way.

The brave Librarian, cell phone to ear, for CPR,
Pulled at the dead man’s shirt with thumb and finger,
His inanimate body to roll over.
His chest was grey, strangely inflated, but with no movement.

All photos by Brittany Bailey

Here’s nearly a dozen and half of photographer Brittany Bailey’s photos of OB’s murals. She took these photos a number of years ago and so, not all of them are still up.

Click on the image for a larger version.

By Bill Adams / UrbDeZine

“Why does Chris Cate want the Chargers to leave San Diego? Please call and ask him.”

That was the headline in an ad Dean Spanos, the Chargers owner, ran this past week targeting 2nd year City Council member Chris Cate, who is on the leadership committee of the No Downtown Stadium – Jobs and Streets First! coalition.

Nearly all of the City Council members have voiced opposition to Spanos’s audacious public money grab to fund a downtown stadium for his pro-football team (Ballot Measure C. – disingenuously entitled “Citizens Initiative” – full text).

But Cate has taken the extra step of being a leader on the coalition.

The upcoming August 24th OB Town Council meeting could be very exciting and entertaining – and very invigorating – as the Town Council – in conjunction with the OB Planning Board – are both hosting what’s being billed as a a Visioning Workshop on Newport Avenue.

There will also be a forum to hear from the candidates running for election to the OB Town Council Board of Directors. (It’s now too late to submit letters to be a candidate for the Board. Click here and here for more details on OBTC elections.)

Newport Avenue – the street itself – is getting a make-over by the city. So, at the Visioning Workshop for Newport Avenue, community leaders will facilitate a 30-40 minute workshop focused on examining the challenges and opportunities for OB’s principle commercial avenue.

RE: Short Term Vacation Rentals

Dear Mayor Faulconer and City Councilmembers:

The object of the Ocean Beach Town Council (OBTC) is to express the will and represent the welfare of the OB community. The OBTC has hosted and held public meetings over the past year to gather community input as it relates to vacation rentals.

On February 9th 2016, the OBTC sent a letter to Councilmember Lori Zapf to formally respond to her short-term vacation rental (STVR) memorandum and to provide feedback from Ocean Beach on what a new STVR ordinance should encompass to protect our quality of life and community.

For years the residents of the Point Loma and Ocean Beach areas have been complaining of the noise and air pollution spewed forth nightly by SeaWorld. Some people that own dogs have complained that the dogs are scared nightly by the horrendous percussion sounds while trying to hide from the shaking windows and doors. Some people that have children and babies complain that it wakes them up, usually crying, and has affected their everyday life.

Sunday night, August 15th, was one of the worst incidents of noise that I have heard in a long time. The noise reverberated for over two minutes; and as soon as one could relax another wave hit. And it wasn’t just here on the Point. Looking over the comments made on Facebook, Laura stated that she heard it in La Mesa. She said it wasn’t real loud; more like thunder but it was from Sea World.