OB Rag

By Lois Lane

A first time visitor to Ocean Beach is not likely to notice the small pathway zig-zagging towards Robb Field on the corner of Sunset Cliffs and West Pt. Loma Blvd. This particular Gateway is visually dominated by the gas station, particularly at night.

What exactly is this Entry/Gateway? What did we get for $1,830,660.

Not everything is known, but here are some facts. The most current project is city of San Diego North Ocean Beach Gateway Phase II (S1204). This is what it is: …

Fundraiser Set Up for Kell Winn Injured in Crash

Ocean Beach is mourning the loss of one of its young sons, Kyle Witkowski, who died in the crash of his car off Sunset Cliffs during the early hours of Saturday, January 3rd. Kyle, who was 28, never made it out of his car when his Tahoe crashed through the guardrail, fence and dropped to the rocky shore below.

A memorial has been set up around a public bench at the fateful intersection, Bacon and Coronado in OB – right on the cliffs. Heartfelt notes, many flowers and candles drape the site. Bouquets of flowers adorn the nearby chainlink fence. The ocean below continues without hesitation at the loss of human life on its doorstep.

OB Time – a sad time

There’s some very sad circles of families and friends in and around OB and Point Loma these days. I was going to write about something else, but am troubled by the loss of life.

The lives of three local men have been claimed by various causes recently. But the tragedies show us that speeding down a street in a car and careening off the cliffs will kill; they show us that ocean pollution off the cliffs – whether from the storms or locally-sourced – will kill; and again, we’re shown that meth will kill.

Billboard Linked to OB Lawyer an Eyesore in East County

We all think we know what graffiti is when we see it, especially spray-painted tagging team symbols.

But aren’t there other types of graffiti?

How about the marking of public space by a group or company that mars that public space for a profit? That marking and marring of public space can be done by a commercial sign or billboard.

By Ernie McCray
When I reflect on the last piece I wrote, “A Holiday Season with Tamales and Smiles,” I realize that pretty much all of 2014 was a year of smiles for me.

The year got off to a running start, moving like water rushing from a stream to a river to the ocean. Time truly does move fast…

Family wise, there was much to smile about as all my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, on the whole, appeared to be moving along in life rather nicely. My granddaughter, Kinya, whom I rarely see, and her children, visited in the summer from Memphis, Tennessee, and being around them made smiles come easily. Lyric, my youngest grandson, turned one, and I can’t be around him for a second before he elicits a smile from me…

By Jim Bliesner / San Diego Free Press

Civic San Diego (Civic SD) has recently been holding community dialogue sessions facilitated by Cheryl Phelps and its new Director Reese Jarrett, both veterans of community and economic development in San Diego.

The first session was inclusive and allowed input. The second event featured a panel of downtown experts with limited community engagement. The third will happen at the City Heights library (3795 Fairmount Ave) on January 8 at 5:30PM.

According to the announcement “On January 8, 2015, Civic San Diego will hold a third convening regarding its new initiative to create a broad-based collaborative network of stakeholders to inform the development of our Community Benefits goals. …

New Year’s Clean-Up for Change to Focus on Preventing Litter Reaching the Ocean

There is a concerted effort this weekend to do a New Year’s clean-up of the Ocean Beach community, Saturday, January 10th. And the focus this time – is not on the beach – but in the areas of OB where the litter leads to the ocean.

The OB Cleaner Streets Initiative (CSI-OB) is teaming up with CleanUps for Change Saturday in Ocean Beach for a community litter cleanup. They will focus on the streets, alleys, and sidewalks that lead to the ocean in addition to cleaning litter from our parks and beaches.

Volunteers are asked to meet at Pizza Port OB (1956 Bacon St., OB, SD, 92107) from 9am until Noon. They will be asked to focus on a specific segment of Ocean Beach.

The Ocean Beach Planning Board holds their monthly meeting this Wednesday, January 7th. Their meeting starts sharply at 6pm in the Meeting Room of the OB Recreation Center, located at 4726 Santa Monica Avenue.

After the usual reports and the Board’s approval of their materials for their upcoming election in early March, there is one action item regarding a development at 4950 and 4956 Saratoga Avenue. Here is what we stated last month as the project wound its way to the Project Review Committee in December.

The project up for consideration this week is an application for a Coastal Development Permit at 4950 and 4956 Saratoga Avenue. The application is to demolish 2 existing residences and build 4 dwelling units – on a 2 lot plot of 0.16 acres.

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Paddle Out Jan. 17 to Honor Long-Time Local

By Editor / Scuttlebutt Sailing News / January 5, 2015
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Barry Ault, aged 71 years, passed away peacefully on Christmas morning after a very short but devastating illness. His wife of 47 years, Sally and daughter Jessica were at his side.

Barry was born at the Naval Air Station hospital in Norman, Oklahoma to Bruce and Lillian Ault.

Barry grew up in Los Angeles and Arcadia where he graduated from Arcadia High School and Pasadena City College. He then moved to San Diego to attend San Diego State where he earned his Bachelors degree in Physics. While at SDSU, he met Sally Benton. …

Local Kyle Witkowski Doesn’t Survive Crash

The big news coming off the weekend in OB is the fatal car crash off Sunset Cliffs during the early hours of Saturday, January 3rd. The male driver was killed and the female passenger seriously injured when a Chevy Tahoe missed the turn at the end of Bacon Street and flew off the cliffs, going through the guard-rail and fence and landing upside down on the rocks below. The driver has now been identified as Kyle Witkowski – who was well known and loved by many in OB.

Here is an on-the scene account by someone who lives near the accident site, Dave Rice at SD Reader:

A vehicle sped off a cliff in southern Ocean Beach early Saturday morning, January 3, resulting in the death of the vehicle’s male driver and a female passenger being airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.

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Local Surfer Barry Ault Dies from Staph After Recent Rainfall – 2 Others Fall Ill

By Ken Lewis / KelpFire

Unfortunately this holiday was interrupted with the tragic news of the passing of one of San Diego’s finest surfers, Barry Ault.

Barry succumbed to a highly aggressive form of staph just days after he fell ill on Dec.23rd after surfing southern Sunset Cliffs.

Details are still sketchy as this story has been under-reported by the mainstream surf media.

While it is widely known to most surfers, some still do not heed the 72 hour rule of staying out of the ocean after heavy rains. …

The San Diego REP begins 2015 with Herbert Siguenza’s tribute to Abbie Hoffman

By Alejandra Enciso Guzmán / San Diego Free Press

Abbie Hoffman was an American political activist who also founded the Youth International Party (Yippies) in 1968 and was known for his successful media events. The Yippies were likely to use ‘guerrilla’ theater or public pranks to bring attention to their causes.

Hoffman’s legacy lives on at the San Diego Repertory Theatre when it stages the world premiere of “Steal Heaven.” The production, which opens on January 10 is by Herbert Siguenza who also acts and co-directs along with Todd Salovey.

“Abbie Hoffman was a political figure of the sixties. Some people called him ‘crazy’ or ‘ultra-radical’ but the things he was saying back then have all come true,” the formerly San Diego based Siguenza stated during a phone interview with San Diego Free Press.