OB Rag

Being Frank

Editor: The following account referencing “Lois Lane” from Superman comics is not to be confused with the Lois Lane who writes regularly for the OB Rag.

By Terry Ratner

Lois Lane, the talented young journalist, sits in the office of Perry White, a crusty, straight talking, demanding and passionate editor of the Daily Planet. She regales him with her optimism and fresh ideas for stories dedicated to the people of Metropolis. Ever the curmudgeon, Perry questions the minute details of her pitch, leaving her tongue tied and frustrated, but still tirelessly pushing her novel approach to journalism. He dares her to prove her worthiness, hoping she’s up for the challenge.

This is how I felt when I met Frank Gormlie, editor of the OB Rag.

As a wannabe OBcean and Rag writer, I emailed Frank my proposal before suggesting we meet. After several rounds, he relented.

By Lois Lane

Recycling plastic bags should not be this hard.

If you get a grocery bag, it is likely to have printed on it “Please return to a participating store for recycling.”

This may not mean the store where you got it. Not governed by local regulations, recycling locations are left to individual businesses. Plastic bags are designed to be confusing.

As a reminder, you can recycle plastic bags:

• CVS in Ocean Beach on Cable Street. This is a CVS program, utilizing the G2 (Go Green) process. These are gathered in bale-sized boxes and sent to the Go Green recycler via UPS. The customer recycling bin is just inside the front door.
• Stumps, on Voltaire Street and close to Ocean Beach. Their plastic bags are recycled via the wholesale vendor. When the truck drops off the house brand, they pick up the bag of recycled bags, and return it to the warehouse, where they are baled and sent to a recycler. After that, you have a choice of …
  

By Jim Miller

President Obama made big news last week when he unveiled his plan to significantly reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants as part of his strategy to address the climate crisis. His speech was urgent, moving in fact, and showed that, at least rhetorically, he is committed to making this part of his legacy:

[W]e’re the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it. And that’s why I committed the United States to leading the world on this challenge, because I believe there is such a thing as being too late.

“People don’t want to watch abused animals being forced to perform pointless circus tricks,” says animal rights group

By Nadia Prupis /Common Dreams

Since the 2013 release of Blackfish, a bombshell documentary exposing animal cruelty at SeaWorld, the aquatic theme park has lost increasing levels of both profits and visitors, reporting an 84 percent plunge in net income in just three months.

SeaWorld announced its quarterly earnings on Thursday, acknowledging the steep drop in profits as a result of “brand challenges.”

Editor: The following report by News8 is being reposted in its entirety to insure no one thinks the OB Rag is making this stuff up.

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – There has been no arrests, but witnesses to an alleged sexual assault in Ocean Beach in broad daylight said the actions of one of the officers responding to the call were disturbing.

The alleged sexual assault happened Thursday in broad daylight, but no charges have been filed, and San Diego Police has said they take all potential sexual assault cases seriously.

According to the police, no arrest has been made because the alleged victim refused to press charges.

Ocean Beach resident Cornelius Harris witnessed a man sexually assaulting an unclothed and unconscious woman in broad daylight right in front of his beachside home.

“I know a lot of crazy stuff goes on down here, but this was nuts. This is a sidewalk. ” he said.

The so-called “Ocean Beach Plaza” was approved by the OB Planning Board last Wednesday night, by a vote of 8 to 1. Once approved and given the go-ahead by the City, the project will be constructed at the southeast corner of the intersection of Cable Street and Santa Monica.

Lee Hope, the architect for the project, made the presentation on behalf of the owner, John Small, who was in attendance at the meeting on August 5th along with a couple dozen others in the audience – including a newsman and cameraman from Channel 8 (on hand for the OB Plaza issue).

Small owns – besides this near-half acre of prime OB property, a couple of bars – Sunshine Company and Tony’s, plus other buildings on Newport Avenue.

The much-anticipated project had several surprises.

Editor: Please welcome photographer and writer Terry Ratner to the OB Rag, as today’s collection of photos of OBceans begins her possible weekly column entitled, “OBserved”.

By Terry Ratner / Special to the OB Rag

I’m an OBserver, a voyeur, a paparazzi of everyday people.

When the opportunity strikes, I have to be quick to click in order to capture the moment. OB serves as my canvas, my street theater, my Haight Ashbury on the beach with its rich texture of OBceans—locals, transients, and tourists who made the wrong turn on their way to Mission Beach and then decided to stay.

I’ll do anything for a good photo.

I’ve climbed bar tables on balconies overlooking Newport Avenue zooming in on unsuspecting subjects.

By Robert Reich / Blog

“He can’t possibly win the nomination,” is the phrase heard most often when Washington insiders mention either Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders.

Yet as enthusiasm for the bombastic billionaire and the socialist senior continues to build within each party, the political establishment is mystified.

Political insiders don’t see that the biggest political phenomenon in America today is a revolt against the “ruling class” of insiders that have dominated Washington for more than three decades.

In two very different ways, Trump and Sanders are agents of this revolt. I’ll explain the two ways in a moment.

Bus Being Rented to Take OBceans to Monthly Commission Hearing – On their Agenda: the OB Community Plan Update – Finally!

In one week, the California Coastal Commission will sit down and hold a hearing on the Ocean Beach Community Plan Update. That will be Thursday, August 13th and the hearing will be held at the Chula Vista City Council chambers (276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910).

OBceans are being urged to attend the Commission hearing and show up in troves, wearing blue shirts. And at least one bus is being rented to transport OBceans to Chula Vista.

The starter gun will go off at 6pm, today, Thursday, August 6th – right on the beach at Ocean Beach. It’s all because OB is the site of the annual memorial San Diego Lifeguard Relay – named after Ronald B. Trenton, a former lifeguard, lost in a plane crash at sea.

The competition relay event will be open to the public and will be held smack in the middle of the beach, just north of the OB Pier.

The rescue skills of the city-wide lifeguards will be on display as they will be competing against each other and organized in the 4 different districts. The lifeguard districts are divided up geographically: OB is in the Southern District; Mission and Pacific Beaches are in the Central District; La Jolla beaches make up the Northern District; and the fourth district is the Boating Safety Unit, including Mission Bay.

By John P. Anderson

San Diego County has a large beer industry, there are currently more than 110 active breweries.

Along with high numbers, San Diego has earned a reputation as a leader in the craft beer industry.

Many would rank it as the top craft beer city/region in the United States – whether it is the top dog or in the top five isn’t especially important. It’s a leader however you measure – top ranked beers, top ranked breweries, number of breweries, or gallons produced annually.

By Jeeni Criscenzo/ San Diego Free Press

Ever since I read the book Noah’s Garden by Sara Stein, I’ve taken a more laissez-faire attitude toward gardening. While I haven’t let my garden return back to its pre-human-intervention state, I’ve stopped being so controlling about what gets to grow where.

One of the best features of the home we rent is the big flat, unshaded yard overlooking the Tecolote Canyon. While the soil needed a lot of amending, it’s otherwise a perfect place for a vegetable garden. The 5-foot cinder block wall isn’t pretty, but it’s kept the coyotes out (so far)–the other critters – not so much.