Welcome to the Ocean Beach Bulletin’s new website. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re really excited to be here. Ocean Beach and the San Francisco neighborhoods nearby make up a special part of a special city, and we think the people who live, work and play here deserve a great news source all their own.

The Bulletin’s publisher and editor-in-chief is Tom Prete, a journalist with a background in community newspapers including the San Francisco Independent and the San Francisco Examiner.

Mark Lukach is the Bulletin’s associate editor and a familiar face to surfers in the lineup at Ocean Beach. A former teacher, Mark has a knack for finding the stories that make this neighborhood a great place to live.

In addition to stories about the people, places and news in the Ocean Beach area, we’re pleased to be able to bring you contributions from people such as Woody LaBounty of the Western Neighborhoods Project. This week, Woody recounts the Ocean Beach creations of a famous sand sculptor of the early 20th century – maybe providing some inspiration in time for the annual sand-castle contest coming up on Ocean Beach on Oct. 2.

And follow in Allison Baltzersen’s footsteps as she walks through the heart of the Outer Sunset, pausing to admire the quirks of the neighborhood – and Java Beach’s chai lattes – along the way.

The Bulletin isn’t just about what we write, though. We know a lot of people love the Ocean Beach area in many different ways, whether they’re lifelong residents or one-time visitors, and we want to know your stories about the neighborhood. Do you remember spending the day at Playland? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen washed on the beach? When did you first start thinking of this place as home? We’d love to hear your stories from the neighborhood at Ocean Beach Recollections.

Don’t forget to check out our Twitter account (A big hello to everyone who;s been following us on Twitter the past few months!), plus you can now find us on Facebook, and we’ll be exploring other ways of delivering the best news and information from the Ocean Beach area.

That brings up an important point. The Ocean Beach Bulletin is, and always will be, a work in progress. We won’t change our focus on life on San Francisco’s far-western edge, but expect us to try new things and refine the way we work – regularly.

Best,

Tom Prete