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Letters
Save the circus animals
Dear ER:
Having worked on a succesion of traditional circuses over a period of several
years. I was looking forward to Kari Leitz' review (E.R. July 27) of the Ringling
show in Long Beach. She writes well, at least superficially, but when criticism
arises about using animals, e.g. elephants, it becomes a political issue best
argued elsewhere. I have been closely associated with animals on several shows
and found very little if any cruelty by the trainers. As for the animal-free
and very delightful Cirque du Soleil, it's hardly a "Circus" without animals
and appropriate circus music. It would be a sad day when a small band of protesters
(shall we include PETA?) would be responsible for the demise of one of America's
greatest entertainments.
Dave Kennedy
Hermosa Beach
Mustang neigh
Dear ER:
I want to thank the organizers of Mira Costa High School 50th Anniversary All
Class Reunion. Chuck Currier and his committee did an outstanding job of bring
us together. Sorry Mr. Post if we were late for the photo. Even Mr. Fisher couldn't
get us to class on time. Thanks to the Lido for having the decades of the '60s
and to the Marriott for letting us join the '70s. Thank you Mira Costa for making
us what we are today.
Peter Tucker
Hermosa Beach
Grand vista
Dear E.R.
I would like to thank you for your magnificent attention to the Mustangs of
the world and your handling of the "La Vista Revisited' magazine (ER July 27,
2000). It should become an instant collectable treasure once people have a chance
to read the fun pieces in it and then share them with their friends.
Mira Costa alum who didn't get one or who want to experience the highlights of the day should get a video from the current MCHS student who filmed 10 hours of the festivities and is preparing a special two hour "editor's cut." Info on the video is available from Steve@coastvideo.com. Thanks for helping us have a great party.
Paul Ross
Class of 1969
Obvious irony
Dear ER:
Mr. Wachtfogel, expectedly, missed the point yet again (sigh, this is like teaching
a spider Esperanto). Ms. Fripp (ER Letters, July 20) was very obviously ironically
pointing to Wachtfogel's perpetually smarmy and rambling waffling on every issue
at hand (except where extreme conservatism is called for), underscoring his
inability to occupy any coherent position but...well, I don't think anyone can
quite discern where he stands, except in a fog.
To follow on Ms. Fripp's hilarious jape, is Wachtfogel confident he didn't have a son by the name of Steve Napolitano? Mr. Napolitano possesses the same logophobia...whoops, did I use a polysyllabic word? It means, Mr. W., "fear of words." Thank God someone speaks above a third-grade level. It would be, in view of the abhorrence for thesauruses in both, a community act of charity to subscribe both these throwbacks to a vocabulary improvement course. On the other hand, there would be a sudden spike in the local incident of brain hemorrhages. I expect the area hospitals to begin preparing for the event.
Glory Canalle|
Manhattan Beach
Gubser thanks
Dear ER:
I want to thank the Easy Reader for your thoughtful coverage of my husband's death and Memorial Service of June 25, 2000. Our family also extends our heartfelt appreciation to the L.A. County and Long Beach Lifeguards; to the many people who hosted and participated in the memorial; and to all of those who have contacted us to express their sympathy. It is gratifying to realize how well Ray's kind and gentle qualities were recognized by those with whom he came in contact. Donations in his name to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and to the Ray Gubser Memorial Scholarship Fund at Mira Costa High School have been truly appreciated. Ray loved teaching and coaching at Mira Costa.
Ann Gubser
Aptos
The devils he knows
Dear ER:
Given the choice Mr. Jackson gives us ("Shadow Government July 27, 2000), the
SOB's or the self-righteous and callow, I'll take the known devils.
Sam Foster
Hermosa Beach
Wuz up, Hermosa?
Dear ER,
I was astounded to read that Hermosa's mayor called the mayor of Redondo Beach
to request that Redondo end its fireworks display because of the mayhem that
occurred in Hermosa on July 4th. Mayor J.R. Reviczky and the rest of the Hermosa
Beach City Council need to accept responsibility for the monster that they have
created in downtown Hermosa. While Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach grow as
balanced communities, keeping commerce in check with the interests of residents,
Hermosa Beach has emerged as the party capital of Southern California. South
Bay families like mine are grateful to have cities like Redondo Beach and Manhattan
Beach to go to for dinner, for a safe walk downtown or for a fireworks display.
As for Hermosa Beach, it has become a perfect town for bachelor parties, fraternity road trips, or if you just feel like being part of a drunken mob on a Friday night. The residents of the city are forced to endure the hassle of drunken 20 year-olds every weekend. On holidays, Hermosa becomes an even greater nightmare for residents. Every other establishment near the Hermosa Pier is a bar and the mayor blames the City of Redondo Beach for the drunken horde. Meanwhile the police chief brags that "there was no one knifed on the Fourth of July."
I avoid my own town on July 4th because I have learned to expect it to be a drunken zoo. What I am still struggling to understand is the City Council's lack of accountability with what has happened to Hermosa Beach.
Mike Bell
Hermosa Beach
Party haven
Dear ER,
Hermosa has created a monster, most notable what occurred July 4. The City of
Hermosa Beach has engaged in an effort to encourage bars and other liquor-related
establishments to occupy commercial space at the renovated Pier Plaza. It has
also promoted widely publicized commercial events at the beach. As a consequence,
the city has become overrun with an unruly group of revelers who are allowed
to drink openly and wreak havoc with both persons and property in the area.
(Note the increase of theft and assault police reports.) This problem was compounded
over the July 4 weekend due to the growing notoriety of the city as a party
haven, including the promotion of the Iron Man Contest.
This town is no longer a pleasant residential community, but a magnet for a huge crowd of party animals. July 4 was most frightening -- not in the evening when Redondo's fireworks were scheduled -- but during the day when there was no police presence along The Strand or adjacent areas to provide any semblance of public service, control or protection.
The city currently employs only two fewer police officers than the maximum ever (i.e. 46). However, apparently, all on-duty officers were assigned to patrol the Pier area and the Iron Man contest. Only one patrol car was observed cruising The Strand during the entire afternoon and evening, and there was no regular foot or bicycle patrol present as there had been in past years.
Certainly the beach is for the enjoyment of the entire public. However, it was my observation that few of the July 4 crowds were taking advantage of the sand and surf or, for that matter, the Redondo fireworks display. It is these things, along with the small-town family environment, that have made living at the beach so desirable.
Eloise Butler
Hermosa Beach
Sleep on it
Dear ER:
I think it's despicable that a few Manhattan Beach firefighters are allowed
to dictate the number of personnel needed to serve our city. There is no reason
on earth for the MBFD to be so drastically understaffed. For a city that prides
itself on its public safety, I'd think proper staffing would be a priority ("Top
10 City Wage Earners, E.R. July 20, 2000).
Obviously we residents are paying top dollar for an inferior product. Do the words "work fatigue" mean anything to anyone? I thought 80-hour work weeks were discouraged in the public safety workplace. I guess not. Because a sainted few have found a lucrative way to supplement their already handsome incomes, we residents shouldn't have to do without refreshed and competent fire protection.
All the stall tactics involved won't make up for the fact that several more personnel are desperately needed in Manhattan Beach. I hope the city council demands it. Until then no one is truly safe. Understaffing isn't acceptable; minimum staffing is both shortsighted and dangerous.
Dawn Clifton
Manhattan Beach
Wholly holy holey
Dear ER:
It is interesting that the religious, not the atheists, have created a state/church
situation from what was an innocent ritual. It started with religious types
trying to dictate to the Redondo Beach city council, by way of councilman Bob
Pinzler, how the invocation at council meetings should be conducted. Then the
government business meeting became a theological debate. Now it has become a
subject for citywide argument.
So the innocent ritual has been turned into a state/church situation. This we cannot have. Therefore, the now-tainted invocation must be eliminated from the meeting. Ireland, Serbia, and the Mid-East are all examples of mixing politics and religion.
R.L. Nelson
Redondo Beach
Cost of caring
Dear ER:
I am incensed at the lack of compassion the City of Redondo Beach seems to have.
I am shocked at the fact that they consider the welfare of their pockets before
welfare of their constituents. I own The Village Cutters in Redondo Beach. One
year ago, I applied for a handicapped parking space at Catalina Avenue and Avenida
Del Norte in the Riviera Village. I also applied for a passenger loading zone
on the north side of Avenida Del Norte. Several of my disabled and elderly clients
signed a petition to go before the city. They were hopeful that their problem
would be addressed. I received a letter from the city in September 1999, stating
if there were no questions or comments by October 11, 1999, the request would
be processed. I called after that date and was told by the engineering department
that my request had been misplaced and they would get back to me. They got back
to me and said that it would be done. Great! I waited and thought they might
do it after Christmas. I was wrong. I called again. Then, I thought, maybe they
were waiting until the Redondo Beach Festival, but I was wrong again, so I called
again. I called several times after that, but I received no return calls. I
decided to go down to the city in person. This time I was told that my request
would now have to go before public works meeting in August because they did
not consider the lack of revenue to the city.
My clients are the city! The nearest handicapped spot is across the street at the pharmacy, which is always filled with people picking up prescriptions. I have several clients who cannot walk even that far without exhaustion. I also requested a passenger loading zone. This would help my disabled clients who don't drive. A loading zone would also help the frequent traffic jams caused by double parking.
This week I've noticed that a handicapped parking spot was put in behind my building. They did not have to take out a parking meter to do this, so the city does not loose money. Unfortunately, that is still too far for most disabled people with heart or breathing problems to walk, even with a cane or walker. Yes, disabled people are issued placards, but if there are no parking spaces available then it does them no good. All I am asking is that the City of Redondo Beach make life a little easier for those in need of a little more care.
Susan LaMotte
Redondo Beach
Circular drive
Dear ER:
It is Saturday morning and I would like to report how wonderful it is to live
on 8th St. in Hermosa Beach.
For those who have mini-cars that are parked in front of their garages, it will be a great day. For those who have a car an inch longer, your morning will be a bit different. The city's dedicated meter maid was hard at work this morning giving tickets to those on the city's so-called property line -- called sidewalks.
Plus, you will be happy to know not only does she give tickets, but she takes down posters of lost birds, cats and dogs. I consider myself lucky. I have posted a lost animal and my sign was seen before the attack by a city employee. My pet was returned within 24 hours.
My conclusion is simple. I feel the city welcomes growth so the parking ticket revenue will continue to grow so they can train city employee's to take down lost pet posters and ruin a resident's day.
Pat Preiss
Hermosa Beach
Teachers' bond
Dear ER:
Out of the total Manhattan Beach work force, school teachers deserve a raise
more than anybody else. After all, MB elementary and middle schools are among
the best in LA. My two grandsons attended Robinson Elementary, and I witnessed
daily creative and hard work of teachers in all grades, including Rose Aheens,
Kathy Greene, Jane La Pour, Cris McRae, Lori Stephani and Kathy Wagner. A family
of our friends is in the process of relocating to Manhattan from a nearby town,
paying an ultimate price for a house just so their son can legitimately continue
his education in a MBUSD school.
While inept and greedy Manhattan city and school district officials propose to fill up their pockets with enormous salaries, bonuses and low interest loans (at the expense of residents), the teachers are left behind. My family and I will vote for the proposed 10 + 10 percent salary increase and any other real type of recognition for our teachers. I am not convinced that the new school bond is necessary since a large portion of the last bond went not to school needs but to the pockets of lawyers and bureaucrats, who tremendously miscalculated the cost of the bond. But I would vote for a bond directed to increase salaries of our real heroes and role models - Manhattan Beach teachers.
Yury Gurvich
Manhattan Beach
And another thing
Dear ER:
On Sunday, July 30 my wife and I decided to go to downtown, Manhattan Beach
for lunch at about 2:30 p.m. You can imagine the traffic, but we found parking
within one block of our destination, Hennessy's. Going west on Manhattan Beach
Boulevard, we passed the valet parking stand in front of the old H20 Restaurant.
Nobody was there. They had blocked off four on street parking spaces for drop-off.
By the time we came back they had taken two more spaces for a total of six.
This was at about 4:30 p.m. Add to that the red painted driveway to the east
for a total of eight spaces. The driveway is the old entrance to Metlox. It
has not been used at least five years. Once again, no people or cars were waiting.
I know some people think that valet parking is the best thing to happen to us
since they added peanut butter inside chocolate. But what a waste of street
parking. Plus they have taken away all our hidden parking that long time residents
knew about, such as the parking structures behind H20, and on top of the old
American Savings.
Hennesy's was very enjoyable and the service great. I like the new outside patio dining. We should have more of this downtown. We walked out on the pier afterwards, for the first time in about four years. The view and the Roundhouse Aquarium were excellent. But south of the pier there were very few trashcans and loose trash was all over the beach. On the north side were numerous trashcans. They were full but little trash was strewn around. Why the disparty? The bathrooms on the end of the pier were locked at 4 p.m. with a sign stating "Do not bother the peple at either the aquarium or the snackbar, as they do not have keys." With this warning and the fact there were close to 500 people on the pier, why are the bathrooms opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 4 p.m.?
Also, whoever is in charge of keeping the pier clean is doing a great job. It looked great at about 4:15 PM. Thanks for letting me sound off.
Lou Bourgeous
Manhattan Beach
Letters from the mind
Dear ER:
Contrary to one of last week's letters, I always enjoy reading David Wachfogel's
observations. Any community would be lucky to have a resident philosopher. We
are fortunate to have Dave as ours. As for ambivalence, I would like to quote
another homey philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson: "A foolish consistency is the
hobgoblin of little minds.
Lynne Carscallen
Manhattan Beach
Party police
Dear ER:
South Bay beaches have historically been an attractive for 4th of July celebrants.
Plans to control the resulting crowds balanced with local property right have
traditionally been a top City Manager/Police Chief priority.
Hermosa Beach Police Chief Strauser was exact when he recently stated that early police deployment is the key to crowd control. Behavior is often based on expectation. To establish a visible presence any tactical police plan must include the early maximum deployment of all police personnel. The early call for outside police assistance is unnecessary and is not in the best interest of Hermosa residence. Perhaps a future tactical plan should include:
1. A public information segment designed to inform the public of local regulations governing the use of amplified sound.
2. The liability associated with criminal code violations.
The Hermosa Beach Police Department has ample experience in successfully controlling large holiday crowds. The Hermosa Beach Council and Hermosa Beach citizens must support these efforts to regulating their own public behavior.
Gary Brutsch
Hermosa Beach
Parker harried a lot
Dear ER:
Our Hermosa Beach City Hall and Library share a common, antiquated mid-1960's,
auto parking lot. It contains about 45 parking stalls plus two handicap spaces.
Our civic center parking lot has not kept up with today's parking needs generated by our community's energetic growth plus recreational uses, i.e. skate-park, theater and social needs. City Hall staff has expanded. Library patrons are numerous.
Why not add some 40 or more parking stalls opposite the civic center, along Valley Drive, and on the Greenbelt? The parking spaces would be limited to between the tall eucalyptus trees. The full width of the Greenbelt, just south of Pier Avenue, would be retained to preserve its park-like atmosphere, southward for several hundred feet. Only the non-functional present hedge and curbside grass area would be converted to badly needed parking.
Design-wise, the between the trees, opposite to City Hall proposed parking would be similar to the present parking along Valley Drive opposite Clark Stadium and its auditorium.
Believe it or not, in the early 1990s when the Clark Stadium parking area along Valley Drive was first proposed, controversy happened. The sky was falling! Today, the Clark parking area along Valley Drive is heavily used by all, including Friday's Farmers' Market.
John Hales
Hermosa Beach
Quick calculations
Dear E.R.
Some citizens have expressed scorn for the Manhattan Beach council and city
staff because they were $1 million (40 percent) over budget in developing the
Marine Ave. Park baseball and soccer field expansion.
I believe that this unfortunate oversight was a consequence of the need to act swiftly to insure a highly desirable result. Presented with an unforeseen opportunity and a very short window of time, council crafted a plan to acquire the land and build the fields. This was in the interest of all our citizens, and, especially our youth.
As a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission from 1989 to 1994 I can attest that no citizen ever came forward to demand an additional park anywhere in Manhattan Beach (much less at the Metlox site). However, many stepped up to express their concern regarding the shrinking availability of playing fields (two had to be sacrificed to build our new Middle School). Of course, our population of children has rapidly expanded.
My guess is that a vast majority of the Manhattan citizens who vote will enthusiastically support council in this matter. Personally, I am proud of our elected representatives.
John Gilmer
Manhattan Beach
Dear ER:
Ah yes, jingoistic Mr. Boyle and his precious Christianity. Let's review the
record, shall we? Its Bible was cobbled wholecloth from pagan sources, mostly
by persons unknown, as Biblical scholars will reluctantly agree. Its record
of carnage is unmatched in planetary history: its Crusades, Inquisitions, and
various what nots far outstrip the tolls of all were combined; as (Jewish) writer
Harlan Ellison showed, the Inquistion makes the Holocaust a drop in the bucket,
genocide-wise, and what sparked it was the traditional Christian fear and loathing
of Jews (in this case, Conversos). Its Catholic sect has a horrifying history
of pederasty and sodomy. Its evangelicals are carted off daily for the most
outlandish perversities. It has served as the right hand of oppressive government
since its formal incorporation into brutal Roman heterodaxy.
As a belief system, it is mythological. As a worship mode, it is insanely propitiative. As moral agency, it is reactionary and anachronistic. As a social docilization agency, it is reactionary and anachronistic. As a philosophy, it is egregiously fragmentary (look at its million splinter cults). As a social docilization agency, it is singularly deadly.
I forget anything? Oh yeah: America's founders found it highly abhorrent and made no secret of that, either in public or private writings, stating clearly they never intended us to be a christian country, being careful to keep church and state separate ("legal" Christians take note: where the exact phrase doesn't exist, it's provisions do, accomplishing separation unambiguously; it's called non-establishment).
Most perplexing of all, its messiah was a hippie whose life, acts, and teachings are completely, historically, ignored by his cultists. Where he was a revolutionary parish genius, they are sheep. Christianity is not a religion, it is a noxious disease. I thank the God I don't believe in that neither Redondo nor any beach cities "are" christian.
Manhattan Beach