Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Marshmallow skirmishes, but no war in O.B.

Post-Fourth of July tradition drastically curtailed

To avoid the possibility of being pelted with marshmallows this year, two friends and I watched the Ocean Beach fireworks from my rooftop apartment. We were curious to see if the O.B. Town Council’s “Mallow Out" media campaign would have the desired effect.

When I drove into O.B. at around 5 p.m. on July 4, it seemed like any other day, no more crowded than usual. I wondered if the campaign had resulted in a lot less people coming to town. After exiting the 8 freeway, I noticed a couple of handmade wooden signs posted: "Littering is illegal" and "No Marshmallows."

In the aftermath of the marshmallow wars last year, over 2000 pounds of trash was reportedly picked up from the streets and sands of O.B. At the Veterans’ Memorial on the corner of Newport Avenue and Abbott Street, the gooey mess was stuck onto names of people honored on the plaza.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Last year, a YouTube video showed customers across the street at the Ocean Beach Hotel involved in throwing marshmallows back and forth with people on the street. This year, we heard the owners told their guests they would not tolerate their involvement and would impose fines and ban them for life if they were caught.

From our vantage point on the rooftop, we could see the infamous corner, but we didn't see any marshmallows being thrown. The action — described by police in a 10News report as reduced by 90 percent from last year — seemed to be limited to the beach, for the most part. We had to go down and take a closer look. What we found was not many marshmallows covering up the veterans’ names. A couple of OB Town Council members (Gretchen Kinney Newsom and Jenn Avoledo) were picking up marshmallows off the plaza.

"All we have picked up so far doesn't even fill half our bags,” said Kinney Newsom.

A guy was carrying a big “Thank You” sign; another guy had a big push-broom and was sweeping up the plaza.

There was also a large police presence, as promised: on bikes and in vehicles all over, lights flashing.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Undocumented workers break for Trump in 2024

Illegals Vote for Felon
Next Article

Trophy truck crushes four at Baja 1000

"Two other racers on quads died too,"

To avoid the possibility of being pelted with marshmallows this year, two friends and I watched the Ocean Beach fireworks from my rooftop apartment. We were curious to see if the O.B. Town Council’s “Mallow Out" media campaign would have the desired effect.

When I drove into O.B. at around 5 p.m. on July 4, it seemed like any other day, no more crowded than usual. I wondered if the campaign had resulted in a lot less people coming to town. After exiting the 8 freeway, I noticed a couple of handmade wooden signs posted: "Littering is illegal" and "No Marshmallows."

In the aftermath of the marshmallow wars last year, over 2000 pounds of trash was reportedly picked up from the streets and sands of O.B. At the Veterans’ Memorial on the corner of Newport Avenue and Abbott Street, the gooey mess was stuck onto names of people honored on the plaza.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Last year, a YouTube video showed customers across the street at the Ocean Beach Hotel involved in throwing marshmallows back and forth with people on the street. This year, we heard the owners told their guests they would not tolerate their involvement and would impose fines and ban them for life if they were caught.

From our vantage point on the rooftop, we could see the infamous corner, but we didn't see any marshmallows being thrown. The action — described by police in a 10News report as reduced by 90 percent from last year — seemed to be limited to the beach, for the most part. We had to go down and take a closer look. What we found was not many marshmallows covering up the veterans’ names. A couple of OB Town Council members (Gretchen Kinney Newsom and Jenn Avoledo) were picking up marshmallows off the plaza.

"All we have picked up so far doesn't even fill half our bags,” said Kinney Newsom.

A guy was carrying a big “Thank You” sign; another guy had a big push-broom and was sweeping up the plaza.

There was also a large police presence, as promised: on bikes and in vehicles all over, lights flashing.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Raging Cider & Mead celebrates nine years

Company wants to bring America back to its apple-tree roots
Next Article

Second largest yellowfin tuna caught by rod and reel

Excel does it again
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader