Louie William’s “Hidden Garden” is the topic of the April 17th Meeting at 7 p.m. at PL Methodist Church, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd in OB.
Encinitas has “Quails Garden” and Ocean Beach has the “Hidden Garden.” Louie, a San Diego native, has created this wonderful fairytale garden at his 1930’s homes on Niagara.
He has graciously allowed the public to tour these special yards.
Louie, now retired, has an interesting background that includes being a Marine. But his former professions of being an antique dealer and working at a nursery have inspired the beautiful displays in his garden.
Louie has some clever ways of creating dry creek-beds that look like they have water in them and are perfect for our drought climate.

Feb. 21st. the OBHS Meeting featured presenter Charles Roberts who lectured on green strategies for historic home renovation and the challenges of remodeling and/or adding to a historic structure.
Charles Roberts is a local architect who focuses on sustainable architecture and efficient space planning. He was recently featured on the KPBS radio show “These Days” on green design and was interviewed for an article in the online newspaper “Voice of San Diego”. Charles was also a former chair of the Ocean Beach Planning Board. He remodeled his historically designated home on Sunset Cliffs Blvd and Long Branch St. in accordance with the Mills Act provisions and incorporates many green design elements. He and his wife also renovated another historically designated craftsman home in Ocean Beach, restoring the exterior to its original design and modernizing the interior spaces and amenities of the home with sensitivity to the period architecture.
Roberts background includes: a Bachelors of Architecture ’88 from UC Berkeley, a Masters of Architecture, Masters Community and Regional Planning ’99, University of Oregon
Roberts is featured in the historically related publications: “Observations in Micronesia an architectural review” at: and “Kapingamarangi Canoe Building Project“

1/20/008, OB lost its favorite Candy Man. On Jan. 22, a farewell and remembrance full of photos and colorful stories of Bufford was given at Newbreak Coffee (beach shop) on Abbott St. in O.B.
The Newbreak location is that of former “Buffords Candy Store” from over 25 years ago. We will always remember celebrating Bufford’s birthday at the OB Exposed in 2007. His clowning around, “Buffordisms”, colorful outfits and handfuls of candy will always bring back a memorable smile to generations of Obecians.

Jan. 17th Meeting was by Carol Bowers: Three Beams of Light
THE OTHER LIGHTHOUSE ON POINT LOMA
Everyone is familiar with our famous Point Loma lighthouse, but few are aware that there was another light-house on the inside harbor of San Diego Bay. There was quite a bit of excitement–whales occasionally washed ashore, the fish life was boundless, and they once found an injured seal who became the family pet.
Carol Bowers was working as an assistant editor at Copley Books when Norma Engel showed up at the La Jolla office. She wanted her to publish a book about the Ballast Point Lighthouse, where her father had been a keeper for decades.
Carol had not published a book by herself, but Norma’s resolve wore her down. Before long, Carol was a full-blown editor and went on to publish around 100 titles.
Ballast Point was one of the earliest lighthouses to be removed in the 1970s–it was replaced by a degauzing station.

Summer of 2007, Ocean Beach lost two of its very inspirational women who were an important part of OB’s history. Sister Susan Campbell and Louise Thistle-Dicken who were both well-known instructors and friendly faces we would see walking in OB.

Both women were active in the community, and active walkers, who frequently visited with friends in our local coffee houses.
Sister Susan would often be seen with Connie, her sister, also a “Sister” strolling our streets or on their way to morning coffee.
Louise Thistle-Dicken, in her bright red outfits, would sometimes be seen acting out her book’s drama characters, as she walked through OB or Point Loma, to her destination… usually a coffee house where she would work on her books. Many in our community will remember how these two women touched so many lives.

LOUISE FRANCES THISTLE-DICKEN
Sept. 26, 1941-Aug. 12, 2007
Louise Frances Thistle-Dicken, 65, of San Diego died Aug. 12. She was born in Lynn, Mass., and was a drama and literature teacher at the Midway Adult Center.
Survivors include her husband, Charles Dicken; and brother, Lewis Thistle of

Sister Susan Campbell; classroom instructor, counselor to college women
By David E. Graham, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER, Aug.5, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/obituaries/20070805-9999-lz1j05sister.html
As a young nun in 1953, Sister Susan Campbell helped shape the tone of classroom instruction and of personal counseling for students of the new San Diego College for Women, the future University of San Diego.
She also taught women who were training to become nuns at a center in El Cajon in the 1960s, and she was a founding member of the Spiritual Ministry Center in Ocean Beach, which still operates.
Sister Campbell, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart congregation of nuns, died July 24 of natural causes at Our Lady of Fatima Villa in Saratoga in the Bay Area. She was 89.
She taught English literature, and the students “knew she cared about them as persons,” recalled Sister Sally Furay, who taught with her and later became USD’s provost and vice president.
Sister Campbell lived in the student residence hall where she was available for conversation and counseling, and to make certain women were in the rooms by curfew.
“That’s a 24/7 kind of thing,” Furay said.
She had been a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart for 63 years.
She and two other Sacred Heart nuns opened the Spiritual Ministry Center in Ocean Beach in 1984. Men and women from throughout the world visit there for special prayer services or programs, for spiritual counseling sessions or for retreats that could last several days.
Sister Eileen Bearss, who worked at the center from 1987 to 2000, said Sister Campbell was perceptive in understanding people’s problems and insightful in determining a next spiritual or counseling step. Sister Campbell worked there until 1997.
A native of Valentine, Neb., she graduated from Duchesne College in Omaha in 1938 and entered the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1944 in Albany, N.Y., where she professed her first vows in 1947, becoming a nun. She professed final vows in Rome in 1953, becoming a nun for life.
For a few years before entering, she taught at Valentine High School and worked for the president of the Chicago school board.
Her early years in the Society of the Sacred Heart were spent teaching in schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco.
She began doctoral work at Stanford University in 1950 and completed her degree in 1953. Her dissertation dealt with the poetry of Thomas Merton, a monk in Kentucky who was a spiritual writer of the time.
Sister Campbell was on the faculty of San Diego College for Women as a teacher of English literature and drama from 1953 to 1959.
Her interest in literature inspired the students there to explore writing further, said Virginia Rodee, a nun, who was a student of Sister Campbell’s and now is assistant vice president for mission at USD.
“She was very, very thorough and loved literature herself and communicated that love,” Rodee said.
The school opened in 1952, and when Sister Campbell arrived in 1953 she took Furay’s job while Furay went to Stanford to complete her own doctorate.
In 1959, Sister Campbell became the founding director of the novitiate, or training program for women becoming nuns, in El Cajon. She served as mistress of novices, leading the nuns in training, until 1968, when she was named superior of the order’s convent in Seattle. The El Cajon program ended in 1969.
San Diego College for Women and its affiliate men’s school, San Diego University, merged in 1972 to become USD.
From 1972 to 1976, Sister Campbell was head of Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco.
In 1977, she was named to begin a novitiate in Manila for training Filipina women. She was director until 1979, when she returned to San Francisco to do recruitment.
Sister Campbell retired to Oakwood Convent of the Sacred Heart in Atherton in 2001 and moved to Our Lady of Fatima Villa in April 2007.
She is survived by her sister, Constance, also a nun of the Sacred Heart; two brothers, Robert W. Campbell of Calgary, Canada, and Richard L. Campbell of Denver; and two half-sisters, Sharon Melchior and Anne Marshall of Omaha

Appearing in the Dec. 3, 2007 issue of Neil Morgan’s award winning online magazine. “Voice of San Diego,” was one of Ocean Beach’s beloved characters Loch David Crane.
Also, the same day he was interviewed, he was in the Ocean Beach Holiday Parade on his Star Trek Trike. We congratulate Crane for his OB celebrity statues and being a part of the individuals that make up OB’s very unique persona.
Excerpt from “Voice of San Diego,”: Tricks and Trikes: Questions for Loch David Crane
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 | Loch David Crane is waiting for me outside an Ocean Beach coffee shop. His pearly hair flows into his unkempt whiskers. His ride, a three-wheeled homage to the starship Enterprise, rests feet away from his table. Crane’s adorned in a leather jacket littered with patches honoring the various subcultures he’s immersed in — Star Trek, magic and trikes.
Even for a magician, he’s gaudy. Missing him is a difficult feat, and our fellow patrons at the Honey Bear Cottage are failing miserably. One woman comes up to tell him she’s seen his patented Star Trike in a documentary on Star Trek nerds. An elderly gentleman comments on his bright orange suspenders. Various passersby honk at him from their whizzing cars.
Full Article

The OB Jr. Girl Scouts described OB is the “coolest place”, so you don’t ever want to miss our “awesome“ parade
The theme of the parade for 2007 was the 120 yr. Anniversary Celebration of OB, so Ocean Beach Historical Society was being featured.
We were on a SD Trolley Streetcar with the band “Jalopy”, and Noah Taftoila the fellow who did the “Wonderland Documentaries” & his dad former member of the band “Rosie and the Originals” that sang “Angel Baby”. We also had a bunch OB board members, Susan and Pat James (President of the Board and owner of James Gang) and John Noble of Coastal Sage and two of his girls (one is the namesake of Princess Nelliebell). With that crowd it made for a fun and memorable evening.

The OB MainStreet Association, the OB Community Foundation and the OB Historical Society are working together on the upcoming OB Historic Plaque Project. We are looking for photos that are really clear with good contrast to use on the plaques. We could use photos of the Library, OB Elementary School, Newport Hotel (now OB Hostel), Strand Theater (now Wings), Pier,Silver Spray and the Bank of Italy (now Starbucks). If you have any great photos, please let us know at obbid@nethere.com or call Denny Knox at OBMA 224-4906. We would love to hear from you.

Last spring, Ocean Beach Historical Society member Stephanie Greenwald and OB Elementary Speech Therapist/Girl Scout Leader Linda Jaros teamed up to educate local Girl Scout troop #3208 about Ocean Beach. Twelve fourth grade girls at OB Elementary met every other week and learned about the history of OB from the beginning of our community up to the present time from former local students such as Carol Bowers, Ned Titlow, Jane Meiners and Kathy Blavatt.
The girls learned about preserving “old” pictures, listened to former students tell about what life was like at school and what the “kids” back then did for fun, went on a “historic walk” down Newport Ave and discussed important buildings and whether or not they should be preserved or “modernized”. The girls also learned about the history of some of our well-known traditions in OB such as the OB Christmas parade, the OB Christmas tree and our fireworks display on the fourth of July.
The girls earned the “Local Lore” badge and learned important information about the community in which we live. Every town has a story and people and events that helped make it what it is today. Troop #3208 enjoyed their time studying OB and will enjoy telling about their experiences at the November 15th OBHS Meeting.

OBHS Oct. 18, 2007 meeting with presenter DeDi Ridenour, who spoke about the history of Sunset Cliffs, was an overwhelming success as the large audience flowed into the courtyard.
Many of the old-timers in the audience participated in their memories of the cliffs as they were growing up.
George Cunningham made money as a kid giving tours of “Pirates Cave”.
DeDi told a funny story about the “Navy Outhouse” located just north of the Spanish Mansion on the Cliffs that she grew up in.
Thanks to Dedi and all those that donated pictures from their private collections to make this a very memorable meeting.