Today’s newsletter is presented by Kaiser Permanente.
Hello, Point Loma and Ocean Beach!
Before I get into this week’s local happenings, it’s hard to ignore the tragic shooting that took place Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Five people — including two suspects — were left dead. Among the deceased was a security guard at the mosque identified as Amin Abdullah whose actions, according to police Chief Scott Wahl, were “heroic” and saved lives.
The other two victims — Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad — also acted heroically and were killed while trying to defend the mosque and the 140 school children inside.
Whenever a hate-fueled shooting happens in our country, it’s difficult to process and make sense of. Especially when it occurs just 15 minutes from where you live, those feelings are intensified. Nobody should have to practice their religion with the fear of being killed. It breaks the heart of every San Diegan to see our Islamic community targeted in such a way and every community, including OB, needs to support them.
One way to do that is to support the families of the victims — Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad — by donating what you can here. Another organization that you can donate to and participate in is the Council on American Islamic Relations in San Diego. CAIR is a nonprofit organization that enhances the understanding of Islam and protects civil liberties.
Now to our neighborhood:
Ocean Beach’s Community Planning Board is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Tuesday, May 26, over at Dirty Birds Ocean Beach. On May 4, 1976 thousands of OB residents voted to elect their neighbors on the first community planning board in San Diego. Now there are 42 planning boards across the city of San Diego.
Planning boards may seem trite upon a first examination but they actually can be very influential in local land-use decisions. Think of the planning board as your voice to the city. They are people living in our community going about everyday life that can voice the community’s concerns about a new housing development, for example.
According to OB Rag editor Frank Gormlie, the OB community planning board was revolutionary for its time as it was the first democratically elected community planning committee to be proposed in San Diego. It shaped the future development of Ocean Beach.
“It was a clear and historic victory for the community, a community that was constantly disparaged by the city,” Gormlie said in an email interview.
It’s a really great way to be involved in your community and help enact change in a positive way. So go out and celebrate with OB’s planning board this Tuesday at Dirty Birds. The event is being hosted by the OB Rag and The OB Historical Society.
Steve Anderson
Peninsula Beacon newsletter host
Peninsula Beacon story spotlight
‘I truly believe that’s what saved the 140 kids.’ SDPD details heroism of three mosque shooting victims.
By Brooke Binkowski • Times of San Diego
Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nader Awad were killed on Monday morning while protecting people inside the center from two gunmen.
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