365 excuses
Dear ER:
Thanks Morgan Sliff (“The Endless Session:365 days of surf stoke,” ER July 21, 2016). When my wife claims I surf too much, I have someone I can claim surfs more days than I do. Well done.
Joel Saltzman
Hermosa Beach
Courting controversy
Dear ER:
Why is Hermosa Beach spending time trying to fix something that is not broken (“Courting controversy on the beach,” ER July 21, 2016)? Beach volleyball has been and will continue to be a big part of Hermosa. The way the courts in town get taken care of with the many tournaments and special events on our precious sand works just fine. A great study was just this weekend with an AAU event north of the pier and on the south side you had Smackfest, both in town to make money. To stage their events both these tournaments erected temporary courts and put up their own nets to maximize profit and accommodate the number of people who signed up. This is good business for all involved. But should our city be taking advice from out of towners who just use our beach for profit? Or should we continue with a sponsor who has been a great partner for over 20 years? Would it help to have a couple more courts in the commercial zone south of the pier? Yes, it might help to add a few courts but just because there’s open sand doesn’t mean we need to cover it. Keep Hermosa, Hermosa.
Scott Frantz
Hermosa Beach
Miki-leaks
Dear ER:
Here we go again. Caught on a live-stream recording discussing opposition to their unpopular plan to rotate school principals, the Manhattan Beach School Board demonstrated its petty and unprofessional collective inner persona. The “mean girl” comment reveals the cliquish nature of this supposedly objective governing body to whom Manhattan Beach residents have entrusted the education for our children.
Those who demean others and lack the judgment to distinguish between a private klatch and public forum are not suited to hold a position of such profound authority. This rare, candid insight provides evidence of a pattern of behavior that warrants further scrutiny. Superintendent Mike Matthews’ arm waving attempt to stop the discussion from being recorded makes me wonder what else they are hiding. If they can’t be trusted [here] how can we trust them when they make the upcoming bond request?
Laura Santos
Manhattan Beach
Pier scare tactic
Dear ER:
The shopworn canard that the Redondo pier is “scary” has been not-so-casually tossed around as a fictional talking point for at least as long as Waterfront developer CenterCal first dreamed of cramming their ridiculous mall into our harbor. These pitiful stabs at conjuring a faux dystopia have often featured divisive, exclusionary language and, in some cases, overtly racial overtones. CenterCal CEO Fred Bruning was even quoted as fretting about the “bad people there” when selling the city on this bad idea. Check your crime statistics, folks. You can find them on the city’s website. But don’t expect those of us who actually pay attention to fall for a false narratives.
JC Koijin
Facebook comment
Row over ROW
Dear ER:
I hear a disturbing narrative from Redondo Beach Waterfront opposition group, ROW (Rescue our Waterfront). It is their attempt to discount public testimony that is contrary to their opinion.
A ROW supporter told the Harbor Commission at its recent meeting, “I hope you do listen to a lot of the input here.” But the speaker went on to say that only ROW testimony, which quotes their own research, should be listened to. She went on to say that a public comment stating, “I like the Waterfront project” is not legitimate because of its simplicity. This is outrageously hypocritical coming from an organization that screams about the public voice being heard. ROW’s “research” is based on their own interpretations of the Waterfront Draft Environmental Impact Report. Furthermore, now that ROW’s opinions are in the minority they have attempted to delegitimize the entire public discourse as, “a dumb way to conduct a meeting” and accuse those with differing opinions as frauds.
Paul Moses
Redondo Beach
Two dimensional 3D
Dear ER:
On days when I run north from South Redondo I head along the beach. I reach the pier, run in front of the covered parking lot along the water’s edge, turn right and run above The International Boardwalk. I continue along Harbor Drive with the parking lot on my left looking out over the harbor with its boats, birds and sea lions. I continue on past the Cheesecake Factory and hit the new construction of The Shade Hotel. I can’t decide if it looks more like a penitentiary, classrooms on an aerospace campus. If the design of the Shade Hotel is what our city mayor, city council, planning commission, and harbor commission thinks looks good we are in trouble regarding the CenterCal project.
CenterCal recently unveiled the 3D model of its project. I am sickened by what I saw. If this is approved every bit of what I described will change. When I get on my bike, go for a run or walk I will be looking west at a row of gigantic four story buildings from the time I leave the beach in Redondo until I reach the Hermosa Strand. This monstrosity will block my beloved view. I will be looking at chain stores that can be found in most cities across the country. Is that really what we want? A wall of buildings that only hints at an ocean and harbor beyond? Might I recommend that all elected officials be required to go down there just once before they approve this mess?
Gale Steubs Hazeltine
Redondo Beach
Speed alley
Dear ER:
As a resident of 11th Court in Hermosa Beach, I’m writing to express my displeasure with the lack of traffic enforcement here in our little alley. I’ve made a couple attempts to alert our police department about the summer traffic issues on 11th Court, but to no avail. This is not a local issue. This is an issue with the summer tourists who invade our paradise without regard for traffic laws. Folks are increasingly zipping down the one-way street at breakneck speeds, in the wrong direction. This past Sunday I counted at least 25 cars that turned right on 11th Court and proceeded to drive the wrong way — in a four-hour span. It came to a boiling point when I was backing out of my driveway and nearly got nailed by some yahoo speeding towards the Sea Sprite at 25+ miles per hour.
With the beach movie/concert series approaching, I can only hope the HBPD will do a better job at curtailing this. There is already a big Wrong Way sign and large arrows painted on the road, indicating that it is a one-way street. I’m not sure what the solution is, but at least putting a “No Right Turn” sign on the corner of Hermosa Ave would be a help. It’s only a matter of time before someone does get T-boned. We already have to deal with loud revelers and urinators at all hours, let’s put some money in the ol’ HBPD coffers and stop the reckless driving of the out-of-towners.
Doc Freeze
Hermosa Beach
Share the beach
Dear ER:
Hermosa Beach’s new short term vacation rental ordinance is a fine example of “localism” (“Hermosa Beach facing lawsuit over short-term rental law, “ ER July 7, 2016). A family of six, renting a vacation rental, can enjoy an affordable vacation. Under Hermosa’s new law, the family will be forced to rent two to three expensive hotel rooms, Because city council members and their friends are Hermosa residents, they will always write ordinances that keep what they view as “riff raff” out of the city and off its beautiful beaches, which everyone should be allowed to enjoy. Hermosa Beach has stated they had a ban on vacation rentals already in place. The way they define this is by plucking convenient definitions and lack of inclusion of vacation rentals and stringing these things together as some sort of magical expression of law.
People think those running vacation rentals are getting filthy rich off of them. That is not the case. Most vacation rental operators (I’m one of them) are middle-class people who work hard to run a successful vacation rental. The sharing economy helps maintain a middle class.
Lauren Amarante ·
Facebook comment
Sinking the lagoon
Dear ER:
Paving over Seaside Lagoon, forcing toddlers to swim in the untreated harbor waters with the sea lion barge upwind, between two walls of breakwater boulders and making families park in a packed parking garage with valet parking will kill the most used park in Redondo Beach. Saying more people will use it because it is open year round it a joke. The current lagoon is not open year round because attendance plummets once school starts and the weather and water turn cool.
Waterfront developer CenterCal is pushing Seaside Lagoon into the harbor because CenterCal needed a road to access their parking garage from the back. The development is so over-bloated it is forcing recreational uses out either by eliminating parking or making it too difficult and unappealing to participate.
Jim Light
Facebook comment
Redondo wayside
Dear ER:
The Redondo Beach District 1 Council Seat vacancy brought forth more than 16 talented professionals who took the time and effort to fill out their applications, meet with council members and attend the four hour Tuesday council meeting, only to be left with shock and disillusionment over how the selection process was performed.
After a single nomination and a voice vote, the council seat was filled. None of the remaining 15 candidates were given the chance to be given a yea or nay. What occurred was unprofessional, shameful, and disrespectful to every single one of us who submitted our names for consideration. Shouldn’t the council have explored a fair and balanced approach to appointing this important position, especially during a time that will require their utmost attention with all the major developments going on?
The person selected for the seat is not the problem. There was a simple process that could have easily been implemented. I would have created a ballot system where the mayor and each council member would select their top three choices in secret. The city clerk would then tally each of the votes; provide a weighted scale based on first, second, and third placement and hand over the results to the city attorney, who would validate them. Once confirmed, he would give it to the mayor who would have announced the single winner. Then, all of the ballots would be destroyed.
But no, we were never given the chance to win or lose. It was a hurried vote. It was a total slap in our face. It was appalling… an insult. Did I want to win? Yes. So did every single one of those incredible candidates that I had the privilege of sitting next to. No one comes here to lose, but we’re smart enough to know there is that chance.
I believe the whole council should provide a written apology to each and every one of us who came forth, who was willing to sacrifice our time to keep Redondo Beach the greatest place to live. But most likely, that will never happen. It’s just the… ‘Redondo Way’.
Thomas M. Conroy
Retired Major, USAF
District 1
Redondo Beach
