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Letters
Mr. Kim's Opus
Dear ER:
I read that after 27 years of business Mr. Tae Joon Kim has retired and closed
the Union 76 gas station at the corner of Pier and Pacific Coast Highway (ER
Sept. 7, 2000). This is sad news for Hermosa Beach. It strikes me as the end
of an era. Gone is the full-service station where we could always count on receiving
an immediate and neighborly response to all our automotive needs, no matter
the time of day or evening.
For all the other long-term customers of that station who feel as I do, let me say thank you from all of us. Mr. Kim is quoted in the story as saying, "I truly love Hermosa Beach." Well, you know what, Mr. Kim? We noticed that. And for your 27 years of wonderful service to the community, we love you too.
Barbara Ross
Hermosa Beach
Remember the battleship New Mexico
Dear ER:
The coming to Hermosa Beach of the USS Elliot brought memories to me of July
4, 1938. I was nine years old, living on Loma Drive, and my father took my brother
and me to the Hermosa pier where we boarded a Navy launch that took us out to
the battleship USS New Mexico. It was anchored off the pier at about the same
place as the USS Elliot.
Launches from the battleship brought people back and forth all day long to visit the ship. I was in awe of the huge, turreted guns and of the ship's contingent of Marines who put on a fancy drill for us Hermosans.
Not to be at odds with Mayor Reviczky, but there was another formal stop at Hermosa Beach since the USS Arizona in 1928. That is what I remember of July 4, 1938.
Emile Peres
Los Angeles
Friends near and far
Dear ER:
On the weekend of September 8-10 2000, the USS Elliot, a Spruance class destroyer,
made a port call at the City of Hermosa Beach. This was the first time a Navy
vessel made a port call here since the Arizona in 1928. This event was the brainchild
of Mayor JR Reviczky, who is a Navy veteran. Members of the public were able
to take a short ride out to the ship and enjoy a great tour. The town hosted
the sailors and put out the welcome mat.
The USS Elliot was named in honor of LCDR Arthur J. Elliot II. While in command of River Squadron 57 he was killed during an engagement with enemy forces in the Mekong Delta. Elliot is the first ship of the class to bear the name of a Vietnam war hero.
Please visit my photo album web site at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=520184&a=8668926. I am happy to share these photos with you and please pass this on to anyone you wish. This was truly a successful event for the Navy and the City of Hermosa Beach.
Steve Crecy
Hermosa Beach
Voter warning
Dear ER:
I just finished reading "Murderous Lies, " by John Jackson, about our military
aid to Columbia. It is just great. I made a copy and will send it to all my
e-mail friends. We need to open our eyes and realize what is going on in this
country. And we have to be very careful and make the right choice when we vote
in November. We cannot afford more corruption and abuse of power.
Lies Cote
Palos Verdes Estates.
East of Eden
Dear ER:
I heartily agree with Manhattan councilwoman Joyce Fahey's suggestion that the
southeast portion of Manhattan Beach needs a moniker (ER Sept. 7, 2000). As
a resident of the proposed "East Hills" section of Manhattan Beach I'd have
to say that not only does it sound like a good name, but it sure beats my current
method of describing where I live. When asked what part of Manhattan Beach I
live in, I can't respond with "Tree Section", "Sand Section", or "Hill Section".
Instead I launch into my drawn out description of.... South of Polliwog Park,
East of Sepulveda, near the high-school...
As far as letter writer Stevan Colin's tongue-in-cheek suggestion to call it "Mustang Ranch," I have to admit I laughed, but I think that would be a little inappropriate for a neighborhood filled with small children. I would bet most of the residents would love to have our neighborhood referred to as "East Hills". This begs the question then -- what do we have to do to make it happen?
Stefan Beeli
Manhattan Beach
Call it home
Dear ER:
"What part of town am I from?" Well, that used to be easy. From Sepulveda
to the west side of Meadows and from Marine south side to Manhattan Beach Boulevard
were the boundaries for the first track of houses built in Manhattan. It was
known as "Manhattan Village. I have the builder's papers to prove it. For many
years (50 plus) I have lived here on 18th Street where the houses once cost
$9850 for a three-bedroom. After several years, the people west of Sepulveda
started wearing sweat shirts, etc., with the slogan, "No life east of Sepulveda."
Did it make us angry? No. We were quite content and loved our section of town,
and didn't need anyone to tell us what a great group of people we were and are.
The main buyers were service men and families settling in veteran's homes to make a home. No more war.
Ellen Withers was secretary to the builder, and her husband Jerry Withers, a veteran, later became Chief of Police.
Anyhow to continue, our builder did not register the name. He never thought someone would steal it after so many, many years.
The new Manhattan Village was the Standard Oils tank farm. We still call it that. Storage tanks sunk low in the ground. If your pets wandered in there, they would be covered from the ground oil.
Well enough history. I don't know what our section of town is called. The city never informed us that the gated houses had taken our name. I guess they thought it had class. Of course we know the name itself did. We were never informed either as to what they call us now, so no use worrying about it. All of us who have lived here since the late forties know we live in the greatest little town around and don't need an adjective to explain our section of town. So much for names. We call it home!
Josephine Wisser
Manhattan Beach
Heights of Manhattan
Dear ER:
In last week's Letters to the Editor, Dan Ericson states that the area north
of Manhattan Beach Blvd. to Marine, and east of Sepulveda to Peck has been referred
to by Realtors as Manhattan Heights, while the area south of Manhattan Beach
Blvd. to Artesia is the "Mira Costa" area. Having lived on Sixth Street while
growing up, I know the elementary school which was between Herrin and Redondo
Avenue (south of Manhattan Beach Blvd.) was Manhattan Heights School. Also,
the now-closed library, and the adjacent park/playing field, again on the south
side of Manhattan Beach Blvd., were the Manhattan Heights Library and Heights
Park, respectively.
Joe Ferrell
Manhattan Beach
Multiple choice
Dear ER:
East Manhattan
Manhattan Beach East
MB East
MBEEOS - East of Sepulveda
Sepulveda Hills
East Hills
Manhattan Hills
Karyn Zoldan
by e-mail
Cliff Dweller
Dear ER:
I bought a house west of Sepulveda in Manhattan Beach in 1982 where, at that
time, life began. I divorced a few years later, and sold the house. But I rented
an apartment in Manhattan Beach because I've always loved it here.
Three years ago I met my new wife and moved to Redondo Beach where housing prices are a little more reasonable. Two months ago we stumbled upon a cute affordable piece of property in the "Manhattan Cliff Section" as I began to call it because the house borders on Redondo(we were on the cliff edge). We are now back in Manhattan Beach where, to us, life begins once more, only this time it's in the Manhattan Cliff section.
Sam St. Germain
Manhattan Beach
(The Cliff Section)
Neighborly neighborhood
Dear ER:
We live at 213 South Aviation Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. We think that "East
Hills" has a nice sound to it. We like our neighborhood and find that our neighbors
are helpful. They take our empty trash cans in from the street, watch our property
when we are out of town, knock on our door when they see that we forgot to turn
off our car lights... There are often car accidents on Aviation Boulevard. Neighbors
help victims by calling 911 and offering first aid, and comfort.
Charles and Joyce Golden
Manhattan Beach
Sand width
Dear ER:
So former Councilman Roger Creighton is ferociously opposing the city's attempts
to expand The Strand. He sites a 1907 deed that gave Hermosa ownership of its
beach. Let's not stop there. I say we reduce the width of the strand to half
of what it currently is, thereby expanding our beautiful beach by a few feet.
So what if no one can get from one end of Hermosa to the other. So what if it
produces an unimaginable impede to So. Cal's bike path -- it's all about the
sand, isn't it. Let's take "community" to the next level by requiring skateboarders,
razorscooters, bikers, rollerbladers, dog walkers, joggers, and pedestrians
to all share this same shrunken space. Hey, it was adequate in 1907. Who cares
about the accident potential? It's all about the sand - and that 1907 deed.
Fight on, Mr. Creighton.
Mark Harris
Hermosa Beach
Lingua Lobster
Dear ER:
"The lobster must of known..." ("On the Waterfront" ER September 7,
2000). Now really, I know it sounds like "must of" when someone is talking.
But someone on the staff of a newspaper should know that it's supposed to be
"must have". Let's be careful with our language. It gets bastardized enough
as it is without newspapers adding to it.
Chela Cowden
Redondo Beach
Tucker up
Dear ER:
I too enjoy Marc Tucker's right-on cartoons. After reading the "Easy Reader"
for 30 years, I think the only improvement needed would be to add another weekly
cartoon, drawn by the multi-talented Marc, of course. A bit of controversy is
just what the status quo loving South Bay needs and I'm sure he's just the artist
to supply it. Is that the chant of "Hire Marc, hire Marc, hire Marc" that I
hear in the background?
Dawn Clifton
Manhattan Beach
Warm heart for cold nose
Dear ER:
Recently I had to put my dog to sleep. She was 16 years old. This was one of
the hardest decisions I had to make. My dog "Poochie" was one of my best companions
and my family loved her very much. She was taken to Hermosa Animal Hospital.
The staff handled this delicate appointment with warm and caring feelings. A
week later, they sent me a sympathy card, signed by the entire staff. The staff
at Hermosa Animal Hospital is the greatest. I will remember their kindness for
a long, long time.
Sharon Wickwire
Redondo Beach
New gifts
Dear ER:
A note to those of you who are more than comfortable and give generously to
your charities of choice. May I suggest a different way of giving? There are
people around you who, given what you might consider chump change, could make
a significant lifestyle change. It could be the money for a car or enough for
a down payment on a house. It could be tuition so your housekeeper can get her
kid out of that awful neighborhood school, or clothing money so a shy 12-year-old
can show off some glad rags.
There are a thousand ways that a chunk of money at a given moment can change the history of a person or a family. Saying to someone that you have noticed his or her circumstance is a gift in itself. And then the unselfish gift becomes a gift to the other and ones self.
David Wachtfogel
Manhattan Beach
Liberty Heights
Dear ER:
In response to reporter John Tawa's story on naming East Manhattan (ER Sept.
7, 2000), it would seem to me that the solution is simple. Why not "Manhattan
Heights" (as used by the city to identify the community center across from Polliwog
Park)?
Just one additional thought. It would seem that this neighborhood should be something smaller than that which is between Marine and Artesia, and Sepulveda and Aviation because the area includes the already named "Liberty Village."
Gerry O'Connor
Manhattan Beach