SPECIAL EDITION: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 | WWW.SDNEWS.COM

2018 SPECIAL OBMA 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

2 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

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STORY ON PAGE 11

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 3OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

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fromMost said it couldn’t be done. But Ocean Beach MainStreet Asso-

ciation proved them wrong, and ismarking its 40th anniversary this yearas a homegrown business improve-ment district.

“I remember approaching one retail-er asking them (high voice), ‘Would youjoin our organization, it’s only $25?,’”recalled longtimeOBMA executivedirector Denise[Denny] Knox, whowent door-to-doorinitially asking mer-chants for seedmoney — and sup-port. “He joined butsaid, ‘You’re going tofail. We tried to dothis before, It doesn’tever work. Nobodycan get along.’ ”

“We had no ideawhat to expect, none ofus did,” admitted Knoxof OBMA’s birth adding, “Some peo-ple were afraid we were going to changeOB. We just wanted to clean it up. Allwe wanted at first was for people tosweep in front of their storefronts andwash their windows.”

Through hard work, determinationand perseverance, Knox and a handfulof core volunteers gradually won OB

merchants over, persuading them toform a bid and pursue a new direction.

Originally formed in 1978 as theOcean Beach Merchant's Association,in June of 1998 OBMA received nation-al and state designation into the "MainStreet" program, changing its name inthe process. Ever since, OBMA, a

501(c)6 private nonprofit businessorganization with 14 elected boardmembers, has worked to promote andsupport local business and economicvitality in OB.

Other OBMA core members talkedabout the merchant group’s early days.

Longtime OB activist Mike Akeycited community pride as OBMA’sfoundation for success. 

“I’m a native Obecian and wanted togive back to my community, make sureit was going in the right direction, dowhat I could to make OB a little better,”said Akey, who started a chili cook-offin 1984 that evolved into the commu-nity’s summer street fair, which nowdraws about 70,000 visitors annually.

Mike James, one of five brotherswho started OB’s James Gang printers,pointed out that finding the right

events to promote and raisefunds for OBMA helped itsolidify its niche as thecommunity’s businessleader.

“We started gettingorganized and puttingsome public campaignstogether to increaseawareness about ourcommunity,” Jamessaid. “We decided tobring back the fireworksto the pier for theFourth of July, whichturned into the fire-

works festival.”Knox, whose family owned an OB

gallery and art supply store,  saidOBMA helped OB re-brand itself afterthe turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s left peoplewary of shopping in town.

“Those of us in business then foundthe community was dissolving aroundus,” Knox said adding patrons “fled andwent everywhere else because of fear of

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Main Street America Institute offers resources, technical services and educationalofferings to help communities effectively manage their commercial districts.

Main Street America Institute (MSAI), ofwhich Ocean Beach MainStreet Association(OBMA) is a member, offers a successful tem-plate guiding local business districts in findingtheir way.

For more than 35 years, Chicago-basedMSAI, a professional development trainingprogram, offers a comprehensive set ofresources, technical services and educationalofferings to help communities effectively man-age their downtown and commercial districts.

MSAI is part of a nationwide network ofmore than 1,600 neighborhoods and commu-nities, rural and urban, committed to buildingtheir communities while preserving their his-torical heritage.

Formed initially in the early ‘80s as a reac-tion to the abandonment of downtowns, MSAIfrom the start has developed methods andapproaches to help communities revitalizetheir downtowns and business districts.

“Main Street is designed to help communitiesidentify their vision for their downtowns orneighborhood commercial districts, then imple-ment that vision,” said Patrice Frey, presi-dent/CEO of National Main Street Center.

Main Street has developed a four-pointapproach to local business developmentemploying the following elements:

•  Economic Vitality,  focusing on eco-nomic and financial tools to assist new and

existing businesses while creating a supportiveenvironment for entrepreneurs and innova-tors that drive local economies. 

• Design, supporting a community’s trans-formation by enhancing the physical and visu-al assets that set the commercial district apart. 

•  Promotion,  positioning the down-town/commercial district as the community’scenter and hub of economic activity, creatinga positive image that showcases a community’sunique characteristics. 

•  Organization,  involving creating astrong foundation for a sustainable revitaliza-tion effort, including cultivating partnerships,community involvement, and resources fordowntown and commercial districts.

Noting that Main Street is asset-based andmarket-driven, Frey said the umbrella organi-zation is motivated by several core principles.

“We believe strongly that revitalization hap-pens when you have broad-based communitysupport and buy-in,” said Frey. “The mosteffective transformations happen when folksare really focusing on leveraging their assets.

The third piece is we really work with com-munities to help them make decisionsinformed by data, in addition to what they’relearning about their community’s vision.”

Frey pointed out it’s important for commu-nities seeking self-improvement to “focus ondesign, recognizing their look and feel areincredibly important. That’s everything fromfacade improvements, to street furniture, tocurb and sidewalk improvements.”

Added Frey, “Social media, a good web pres-ence and having different programs, festivalsand events that folks can come out to are allneeded to make the business district an attrac-tive draw.”

In achieving economic vitality, Frey said it’simportant to ensure “a healthy mix of busi-nesses.”

Denise [Denny] Knox, longtime director ofOcean Beach MainStreet Association, creditsMain Street America with being a catalyst forthe merchant group’s successful evolution dur-ing its 40-year history.

“It changed everything,” said Knox ofOBMA’s joining Main Street. “We had a mis-sion ideas we were working on, but no struc-ture. Main Street organically helped us changeour approach. They trained us, worked withus. Once we had the Main Street program,restructuring made sense to us, how to set upthe committees, how to zero in on everyonetrying to accomplish one thing. It’s really agreat way to run an organization.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 5OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

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WISHING OBMA THE BEST ON YOUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY!Art murals, beach-side beer garden,

live music and over 50 gallons ofchili…what’s not to love?

More than 70,000 visitors attend theOcean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off each year and, without fail, there isnever any chili left over. In fact, the chilibarely lasts into the afternoon.

“You have to get there early becausethe chili tends to run out pretty quick-ly,” said Ron Marcotte, long-time boardmember of OBMA. “People would askme, ‘Where’s the chili cook-off?’ andI’d say, ‘It’s come and gone.’”

The street fair and cook-off, foundedin 1984 by OBMA’s vice president MikeAkey, takes place at the end of Junefrom 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and proceedsfrom the fair go towards purchasingOcean Beach’s Fourth of July fireworks.Last year, they raised $26,000.

“The fireworks are tremendous,” saidDavid Martin, OBMA board memberand former chairman of the Street FairCommittee. “It’s some of the best I’veever seen. The street fair and chili cook-off go a long way to paying for thoseevery year.”

Akey, who also serves as the headjudge for the chili competition, cameup with the idea for the street fair cook-off with his dad. The two used to cookchili all over the United States and haveeven competed in the world cook-offtwice. Akey and his father decided that

the chili would not only help raisemoney for the celebratory fireworks,but would also, as food tends to do,bring people together.

“Everybody knows everyone at thisthing, one reason being that it’s beenaround for so long,” said Akey. “Butpeople come from out of town and stayfor a week just for this one day, so it’sfun to see people you might not haveseen much during the year and catchup with them.”

According to Akey, this is by farOBMA’s largest and most anticipatedevent of the year. Closing all of NewportAvenue for the event, nearly 300 ven-dors, including Rock & Roll San Diego,set up camp next to four music stageswhere bands play continuous rock,blues, alternative and Americana.There is also an Artist Alley, whereguests can peruse prints, sculptures,jewelry and apparel. The BeachsideBeer Garden is also a favorite for thoseage 21 and older to enjoy a cold beer orcocktail, especially after wolfing down asalty Hodad’s Burger during the annu-al eating competition.

“Events like these show our pride inthe community,” said Martin. “Thestreet fair always brought the commu-nity together. Everyone had interest inshowing off the town that they lived in.”

But Marcotte believes the restaurantand bar owners are just as enthused ascommunity members are about the

street fair, if not more so, especiallywent it comes to the chili cook-off. Withtwo divisions of competition—amateurand restaurant—everyone gets a chanceto show off their skills.

“I think they look forward to it themost because of how much business theyget,” said Marcotte. “It’s a chance forthem to be creative with their business.”

Marcotte recalls one year when arestaurant served up Shark Chili, whichcould have stood as the most creative,if it hadn’t been for one restaurantdeciding to serve up their chili in a toi-let bowl.

“It was a brand-new toilet, obvious-ly,” said Marcotte with a laugh. “But Iwas still hesitant to eat it.”

These unconventional stories are whatset the Street Fair apart, and why Akeyrefers to the event as a “home week.”

“It’s a family-friendly event and every-one looks forward to it,” said Akey. “Butit’s not just a day of vacation, it’s a big cel-ebration of who we are.”

STREET FAIR EXTRAVAGANZABY VICTORIA DAVIS

6 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

Getting personal with Denise (Denny) Knox… a glimpse of OBMA before and after

What was Ocean Beach like business

wise before OBMA came into being?

Denny: The ’70s were an odd time for smallbusinesses in OB. During the late-’60s throughthe mid-’70s the resistance to the Vietnam war,the influx of hippies, the anti-police/anti-estab-lishment mindset was all a deterrent to shop-ping in OB. Additionally, the regional shoppingcenters had lured all of our customers to whatpeople perceived as a safer place to shop. Rentswere relatively low in OB. OB was seen asblighted because of the lack of economic activ-ity along with an aging infrastructure in thecommercial areas. It seems unbelievable to methat a seaside community could fall off people’sradar so quickly. Actually it was a 10-year slide.

Why was the group formed, what was

the impetus for its coming together?

Denny: Many of us were youngentrepreneurs and we were really hoping tomake a life for ourselves in OB as small busi-ness owners. We started with a very smallgroup of merchants who just wanted every-one to clean up their storefronts, sweep, wash

the windows, empty the trash. We had dismalservices from the City. Trash pick-up seemedto always fall on a holiday. Many of our mer-chants emptied the public trash cans and justhauled the trash around the back of theirbuildings to the dumpsters.

What were you doing prior to your

involvement with OBMA?

Denny: I was a graphic artist and also workedwith my husband and his family at the familybusiness, Cabrillo Art Center – a gallery, frameshop and art supply store.

What compelled you to start the organi-

zation? Was there anything in particu-

lar, or just a preponderance of things?

Denny: I think we started to organize our-selves out of self-preservation. We knew ourbusinesses would fail if we couldn’t convince thefolks in 92107 to shop in OB.

I recall you’re saying people doubted

OBMA would work. Why were they

wrong? Was the chemistry right in the

community for everything to come

together just right to create an organi-

zation to grow and thrive?

Denny: The older merchants on the streetwere okay with us trying to organize ourselvesbut really doubted if anything would ever takehold. We were so naive and had no idea whatwe were doing. We had no grand plans. Wewere just trying to spruce up the commercialdistricts. Years ago some accused us of havingulterior motives for improving OB. If they lookback over 40 years, I think none of us had self-serving motives. We were trying our hardest tokeep up with the many changes that were com-ing our way while preserving our small towncharacter and friendliness.

What were/are the major challenges of

running the group, keeping it together

and on course?

Denny: Within a year or so we ended up with55 paid members. I believe they paid $25 peryear. We were able to put together a modestbusiness directory towards the end of 1979. Weprinted a few copies and members handedthem out to customers. Many of us foundfriendships with our fellow merchants and ser-vice providers. I think most of us felt a reward-ing sense of purpose in our involvement in

Ocean Beach. We banded together to find solu-tions to problems.

What would you say OBMA has done for

the beach community over the past 40

years of its existence.

Denny: We’ve put together a timeline of theorganization from its quite meager beginningsto today which visually illustrates the volun-teer work of so many in our community. I hopewhen people look over what OBMA has accom-plished since 1978, that they will agree thatOBMA has been a wonderful asset to OceanBeach and has worked to focus on the positivethings in life that come from working closelywith your neighbors to create the best possibleenvironment for a thriving community.

Tell us about the composition of the

group now, and in the beginning, and

how it’s changed/grown/developed

over the years.

Denny: In the mid-eighties we started work-ing on what we called the Revitalization Pro-gram. It was like going back to college andlearning about architecture, land planning, eco-nomic development and marketing/promotion.

BY DAVE SCHWAB

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 7OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

Looking ahead, what are the future chal-

lenges? Will the Internet ever “replace”

brick and mortar businesses?

Denny: The internet and specifically Ama-zon has already changed the entire landscape ofsmall town businesses and brick and mortarbusinesses. We keep learning every day whatthe future challenges will be. It changes so fastthat it makes your head spin.

What does brick and mortar need to do

to keep base with the Internet and the

information age?

Denny: That’s the big $20 million dollarquestion. Adversity can often spur a tremen-dous amount of creativity. I think small busi-nesses can learn how to react quickly and deci-sively when new business plans are needed.Even though people love to do so much on their

phones and laptops, they still need humaninteraction. Most people still want to get togeth-er. Having a sense of community will be whatbinds us together as it has in the past. You’reseeing a lot more interactive businesses, busi-nesses that have more visibility from the side-walk (sidewalk cafes, signs, etc).

Would you say OBMA is the community

speaking voice for the business commu-

nity? How so?

Denny: We have a little more than 525 mem-bers right now and that has been pretty consis-tent for a number of years. We aren’t a politicalaction group so I’m not sure we can claim tospeak for everyone. We just try to keep all theballs in the air from marketing and promotionto maintenance to public safety. We’ve taken ona lot more roles over the years as our member-ship grew. We help the business community byoffering services to help them from storefrontimprovements to applicable loan programs. Wetry to get businesses to brag about what they do.That’s one of the most difficult problems – toget small business owners to talk about theirbusinesses and tell us their stories.

Is the organization political? Does it sup-

port causes? If so, how? If not, why not?

Denny: Absolutely not. Politics is a different

animal – it divides people and pits peopleagainst each other. Right now it is all negativeand all consuming.  We’re more like a workhorse doing lots of different things. We try notto complain about the injustices of the worldand we try instead to find solutions to prob-lems that an individual can’t navigate on theirown. Hopefully we are more like counselorswho work with members to realize their fullpotential be it marketing, economic develop-ment, maintenance and so on.

Was the creation of the OB farmers mar-

ket the crowning achievement of the

organization’s 40-year history?

Denny: I would say based on the desires ofthe neighborhood at all of the workshops thatwere held in the 80s, that was one of the mostimportant things we could make happen anddid.

Has the farmers market been an incu-

bator for OB businesses? Have vendors

spun off into becoming brick-and-mor-

tar businesses in the community?

Denny: Yes, when you think that 80 percentof new businesses fail, it seems prudent to giveyour business a spin at something like a farm-ers market before you jump into the brick-and-mortar world of business.

Denny (left) with Lorie Zapf at the Farmer’s Mark 25th Anniversary PHOTO BY TROY OREM

8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

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OB Tile Project: Buying a Piece of History

Over 4,000 6-inch squareceramic tiles span three blocks ofOcean Beach’s Newport Avenue.Each tile, purchased and person-alized by OB residents or visitors,is dedicated to a special memoryor special someone.

The OB Tile Project began in the80s as a way to draw in moretourists. The committee is now oninstallment 30 and the tiles havebecome a staple in OB, functioningas a major town attraction and away to freeze in time the last 40years.

“We’ve had lots of families buymultiple tiles so they could put alltheir family members on it,” saidDenise (Denny) Knox, ExecutiveDirector of OBMA. “We’ve evenhad requests from couples to puttiles side by side to replicate whichside of the bed they sleep on.”

Most of the tiles are pretty stan-dard, “love you forever” dedica-tions, with hearts around the datescouples met, or tiles dedicated tofamily members that have passedaway. But others are a little lessconventional, like “Wendell—Ilove you like salt!” which is locatedin front of Ocean Beach’s U.S.Bank.

There are also tiles that are a lit-tle less easy to understand, but

humorous all the same, such as “Iknew Wen before he saw Space-man. -Jen” placed right aboveanother tile at the entrance of Cul-ture Brewing Co. reading, “I sawSpaceman before he was an alien.-Wen.”

Ron Marcotte, OBMA boardmember and part of the DesignCommittee, actually dedicated atile to his late dog, Tawny. The tilereads, “Tawny, the best dog in theworld,” with her birth and deathdates, plus two paw prints oneither side.

“It’s within feet of the sea walkbecause that’s where she alwaysused to sit,” said Marcotte. “Shecan always see the ocean from hertile.”

While creativity is welcome,obscenity is not. All the tiles haveto be family-friendly and each tilerequest goes through a screeningprocess.

“I remember one tile that hadfour or five capital letters and wecouldn’t figure out what it stoodfor,” said Knox. “Feeling like itcould be something obscene, wecalled the purchaser only to findout it was the abbreviation for oneof our local church groups. Thatwas pretty funny.”

Upkeep on the tiles is also a highpriority for OBMA. While each is“guaranteed” for the life of the

Ocean Beach Mainstreet Associa-tion. It’s hard to protect from out-side damages and, often, tiles haveto be replaced.

“Usually the tiles that get bro-ken are the ones in front of bars,”said Marcotte. “People come tounload kegs on the sidewalk cor-ners and they just drop them toohard on the tiles.”

Marcotte says that they’ve alsohad tiles “destroyed” by a baddivorce or break-up.

“We get requests now and againto remove tiles, especially fromcouples who are getting divorced,but we really don’t like to removethem unless both people agree,”said Marcotte. “That’s why one ofmy friends is just hoping hers getsbroken by a keg.”

But regardless of the wears andtears of life, the tile projectremains beloved by most residentsand is yet another feature that setsthe Ocean Beach communityapart.

“It’s a way for people to make aliteral mark in the city. It’s a tan-gible memory you can look backon and know it’ll be preserved.”

Each tile costs $150 and canbe purchased by down-load-ing the application fromoceanbeachsandiego .com

BY VICTORIA DAVIS

Roughly 1,400,000 people live inthe city of San Diego and its sur-rounding towns. Of that population,2,781 individuals work for the SanDiego Police Department, accordingto the city of San Diego policerecords. Of those, only 1,834 aresworn police officers.

“Honestly, the city is short-handedon police,” said Denny Knox, Execu-tive Director of OBMA. “We can com-plain all we want and demand fromthe city all we want, but the reality is,it’s not going to happen overnight.”

According to Knox, Ocean Beachhas been a hot-spot for crime sincethe rise in homeless populations. Notonly does OBMA’s Exec. work hardto keep her town a clean and thrivingcommunity, but also believes thatwhen someone takes a walk to thatnewly refurbished bar and grill, theyshould feel safe and secure.

“You can get people down here toshop and come to events, but theyhave to feel good when they’re here,”said Knox. “They need to knowthey’re going to be protected and thattheir family is going to be protected.”

But OBMA’s public safety commit-tee knew that the city was not goingto assign them more police offers

when there were really none to spare.So OBMA took matters into theirown hands in 2014, working withNational Public Safety operationsmanager, Peter Balestrieri, to con-tract more private patrols for theOcean Beach neighborhoods.

Julie Klein, local merchant andproperty owner, spearheaded estab-lishing the public safety committee 4years ago which led to hiring NPS.

“Three or four years ago, it wasquestionable if I could even take mykids down to Ocean Beach,” saidBalestrieri, who was born and raisedin the area. “But now it’s a pretty fluidsituation where if the San DiegoPolice Department is not there whena crime is happening, at least we’reable to be there and keep individualsout of harm’s way until the police getthere. It’s just good having more feeton the ground to keep the communi-ty safe.”

Before their contract with Nation-al Public Safety, the total crimecounts for Ocean Beach in 2013 was

nearly 400 cases, according to SDPDCrime Reports. But in 2014 the num-ber began to decrease from 330cases, to less than 200 cases this year,cutting OB’s neighborhood crime inhalf.

“Whether or not it’s safer is debat-able with several people, but I feelsafe going into the community know-ing that there’s people looking out foreach other and seeing the communi-ty come together to try and make it asafer community so everyone is ableto enjoy it, be it tourists or businessowners,” said Balestrieri. “They canall flourish in the community and Ibelieve it’s a great partnershipbetween us and OBMA. I mean, obvi-ously something’s working if theykeep renewing our contract.”

In addition to National PublicSafety contractors patrolling in OBfive to seven days a week, anotherpart of OBMA’s safety initiative is amonthly meeting for the OB Cleanand Safe Program. Open to membersof the association, the meetings areheld at 8:30 a.m. on the third Tues-day of every month. Here, local mer-chants (OBMA members), SDPD andNational Public Safety discuss crimereports in the community, safety con-cerns and how they can work to makethe neighborhoods safer. Even OB

lifeguards are expected in atten-dance.

“There will never be a cure-all tothe problems that they have downthere, with the homeless populationand all that,” said Balestrieri. “Buthopefully we can curve the violentcrime and have people feel safe to goout and grab a bite to eat. Havinggrown up in OB, my heart is defi-

nitely there and I think that, in thelast four years, there’s definitely beenan improvement.”

Knox adds, “If we can’t worktogether, it’s not like the city is goingto come in and say, ‘Here we’re goingto give you all this money to fix upyour community.’ It’s really up to us.”

Public Safety Committee: Stepping up where the city falls shortBY VICTORIA DAVIS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 9OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

Since 1927619-223-73811925 Bacon St.Ocean Beach

Providing Ocean Beach with Good Times,

Good Company & Great Drinks!

Cheers to 40 years!Congrats OB MainStreet Association!

Since the 1930’s619-223-0558

5034 Newport Ave.Ocean Beach

Since 1974619-222-0722

5028 Newport Ave.Ocean Beach

Early Years at the AZ

“It’s just good having more

feet on the ground to keep

the community safe.” To find out the next meeting location for the OB Clean and Safe Program,contact the OBMA office at info@oceanbeachsandiego.com or call 619-224-4906

CONGRATULATIONS OBMA on 40 Years!

STEVEN LOMBARDI ARCHITECTw w w . s t e v e n l o m b a r d i . c o m

Our location across the street from the beach has become a hotspot for the freshest cup of coffee and deliciousbreakfast and lunch for the last 25 years (1993-2018). Our latest addition is the ACAI bowl made with Guarana juicefrom Brazil. We have been recommended by Trip Advisor and have many awards for best café in Ocean Beach. The relaxed atmosphere and friendly service has earned us many five stars on Facebook. Thank you, Ocean Beach.

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CONGRATULATIONS OB MAINSTREET ASSOCIATION ON 40 EXCITING YEARS!

25 Year Anniversary 1993-2018

10 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

THANKSOBMAfor your support! Congrats!

4822 Newport Avenue (619) 222-0559

www.NewportAveOptometry.com

Dr. Eli Ben-Moshe & Associates

Dr. Mitchell (left) founder of Newport Ave. Optometry & Current Owner Dr. Eli Ben-Moshe since 1995.

Proud to be part of OBMAsince the beginning! Congratulations!

NEWPORT AVENUEOPTOMETRY

Providing Eyecare for the community in thesame location since November 1957

READERSCHOICEAWARDS

2 0 1 7R E TA I L / S E R V I C E S

The summer Street Fair andChili Cook-Off might be OBMA’spride and joy, but fall is definite-ly the non-profit’s most livelyseason. There’s Oktoberfest, withall-you-can-taste beer on the OBpier October 12 and 13, and theOB Restaurant Walk November13, which gives visitors uniqueaccess to 40 local restaurants andhelps support December’s Foodand Toy Drive. It’s a lot of fun,and a lot of footwork, and OBMAcertainly doesn’t do it alone.

OBMA has not only helpedbuild and grow the communityof Ocean Beach, but has also builttheir own pro-active web ofresources. Two of their mostprominent support systems arethe OB Town Council, and theOB Women’s Club. Both of thesepeople-fueled organizations notonly volunteer to supportOBMA’s events, but also hostsome neighborhood gatheringsof their own.

“OBMA has been an instru-mental part in the success of ourevents,” said Marcus Turner,Ocean Beach’s Town Councilpresident. “We all have the samegoal, making a better OceanBeach as it changes and grows

throughout the years.”Tuner has only been on the

council for a little under threeyears, but while he admits hisquick transition into the presi-dential chair was a little over-whelming and an adjustment,the support he received fromOBMA, especially from executivedirector Denny Knox, was a bighelp.

“I really get to see the innerworking of everything that goeson now,” said Turner. “It’s a teameffort, and that’s what I’ve beentrying really hard to really harpon, that we’re all in this together.It really has made me feel more apart of the community.”

The Town Council partnerswith OBMA on not only theRestaurant Walk, perhaps thebiggest fundraiser of the year, butwith the Chili Cook-Off as well. Inreturn, OBMA offers Turner theirsupport with the council’s Holi-day Parade and Christmas Tree

Planting in December. Turnersays that OBMA’s assistance withthe logistics of the Town Coun-cil’s events has also helped openthe door to new business part-nerships between them and thelocal merchants.

“We’re the community neigh-bors aspect and they are the busi-ness aspect. You need bothparts,” said Turner. “We share alot of the same volunteers sowhen it comes to all these differ-ent events we put on, it kind ofresults in this huge, awesomemelting pot of volunteers work-ing together on these differentevents.”

The OB Women’s Club hasbeen a key player in that meltingpot since 1924, setting theirsights on supporting women inthe Ocean Beach community.While six years ago the club expe-rienced a severe decline in mem-bers, leaving only five women tokeep the non-profit afloat, theirnumbers have grown to now 64members.

“It’s about bringing womentogether, not just in a philan-thropic way, but in a sisterhood,”said Alison Lyons, OB Women’sClub President. “We’re there tosupport each other. “I’ve met

women who are fun, intelligent,powerful leaders…it’s changedeverything for me actually. I’venever had such a full social cal-endar.”

While they host their ownbook clubs and social events, theWomen’s Club also volunteers atthe Food and Toy Drive, bakescupcakes for the Ocean BeachRecreation Center, provides out-reach at the Farmers Market andhelps with the Town Council’sPancake Breakfast.

“It’s amazing how many peo-ple were not aware that we exist-ed for so many years,” saidLyons, who is currently in plan-ning mode for OBWC’s sixthannual luau fundraiser Novem-ber 3. “But we’re becoming moreof a presence now, partneringwith OBMA. It’s really helped.It’s not just about keeping ourlights on anymore.”

Right now, the goal of both theTown Council and the Women’sClub is to get more young peopleinvolved and branch out furtherinto the community.

“The first step to gettinginvolved is really going to one ofthese events and just talking withthe volunteers,” said Turner. “It’snot scary and it’s not weird. To allthe new people, you have some-thing to contribute. And the bot-tom line is, we need you.”

OBMA’S LITTLE BIG HELPERS:OB Women’s Club and Town Council BY VICTORIA DAVIS

HISTORYCONTINUED FROM Page 3

drugs and dissent. We knew we had to do something to getpeople to come back and revitalize the community.”

“There was a lot of negativity about OB,” continuedKnox. “We set out to change that. We started out with a slo-gan, OB is OK, because we didn’t think we could sell OB isgreat.” 

OBMA really took off, noted Knox, when it successfullylobbied City Hall to get $100,000 in grant funding to do adesign study.

Said Knox, “We all wore dark suits, maybe 25 of us, andwe all stood up before the City Council and said, ‘We’re thepeople from OB. We’re the hippies.’ ”

The Council was won over.OBMA also held community pow-wow’s to help mer-

chants figure out how best to promote their business dis-trict. Such grand ideas as turning the pier parking lot intoa big stage and grassy area were proposed. But anothermore-doable suggestion, starting a community farmersmarket, ultimately carried the day.

“That we could deal with,” said Knox. “That got peopleexcited.”

Last year, OB Farmers Market celebrated its 25th anniver-sary as a major community draw and business incubator.

What else kick-started OBMA, energizing the bid to doeven more to burnish OB’s image?

“The MainStreet component really changed the dynam-ics of our group,” pointed out Mike James, one of the origi-nal OBMA “gang.” (See “MainStreet” story in this section.)

Barb Iacometti, President of OBMA, has served as headof the organization since 2011.

“I really get to see the

inner working of

everything that goes

on now”, said Turner.

Said Knox, “We all wore dark suits, maybe

25 of us, and we all stood up before the City

Council and said, ‘We’re the people from

OB. We’re the hippies.’ ”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 11OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary

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READERSCHOICEAWARDSBEST RESTAURANTS

Congratulations Ocean Beach

MainStreet Associationon 40 years!

&

Thank YouOcean Beach

We appreciate your support over the last

28 years!

LITTLECHEFCHINESE FOOD TO GO

A TOAST to OBMA on their 40th Anniversary!

With 120 vendors each year sellingeverything from fresh gourmet goods tohand-made jewelry, the Ocean BeachFarmers Market, open every Wednesday4-8 p.m., emanates with the eclectic, free-spirited spunk of the town’s residents.

“It’s the wild hippy town,” said Farm-ers Market manager David Klaman.“Ocean Beach is San Diego’s VeniceBeach. It’s where you find all the kooks,mostly in a good way.”

When Klaman first got involved withthe Farmers Market 20 years ago, he wasone of about 30 or 40 produce vendors.His wife was actually the market’s firstmanager.

“I’ve been doing the market for somany years that I’ve actually gotten towatch some of these guys’ kids grow up,”said Klaman of his long-time vendors.“I’m pretty close to everyone here, someI was even friends with before I took thejob. So, for me, it’s like getting togetherwith my family every week.”

Back in the 80s, early OBMA boardmembers would hold regular meetingsto brainstorm what events would helpimprove the town after the hectic anti-war rallies in the 70s, which had madethe area less-than-popular. One of thefirst ideas was to create a large open mar-ket, where both residents and visitorsfrom out of town could taste fresh pro-duce from local farmers.

“It’s been a cool incubator for peoplewho have a great product or a great ideaand want to see if it’ll fly,” said Klaman.“It’s a really good opportunity for peopleto reach out and get new customers.”

Over the last 26 years, the NewportAvenue market has expanded its reachto include not only food vendors butflorists, graphic designers, clothingdesigners and jewelry makers. This is alsothe place to get educated on some localand national bands like Shake DownString Band playing October 10, FrankieT and the Triple B (October 17) andColoso on tour from Vancouver, WA(October 24).

“You’ll get around a hundred peoplejust standing around the stage with theirtacos enjoying the music,” said Klaman.“It eventually gets to be more like a partyatmosphere.”

The people may be unusual, but thefood choices are just as unique. There’spizza slices bigger than a human head anda little thing called “Torpastas,” baguettesstuffed with pasta. Guests will also find aselection of authentic crepes, ceviche,tamales, and more. It’s a place to try newthings for those who love to be adventur-ous in both style and snacking. This is oneof the reason’s Klaman believes the mar-ket has continued to grow.

According to a survey done by OBMAlast year, the people who attend the farm-ers market are almost exactly 50 percentresidents and 50 percent out-of-town vis-itors.

OB Farmers Market:A family of ‘kooks’BY VICTORIA DAVIS

12 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 OB MainStreet Association 40th Anniversary