Bike path redo
Dear ER:
After observing The Strand in Hermosa Beach on especially busy days, I wonder what the City Council of the early 1970s would think. What with e-bikes, scooters, roller skaters, joggers and pedestrians, would they wish that they hadn’t rejected LA County’s bike path? Even though e-bikes under power on The Strand are illegal, there are many younger e-bike riders venturing on The Strand, and dangerously so. We will never know what the City Council members of the early 1970s would think, but I am sure if the current members could go back in time they would certainly have voted for the bike path.
Tom Hendrix
Redondo Beach
Undue influence
Dear ER:
A March Redondo Beach campaign mailer was funded by an Orange County real estate developer (Mamo Company, President Matt Chou) for a PAC called “blah blah blah supporting Paige Kaluderovic blah blah blah.” The developer paid $1079.02 for council candidate Kaluderovic’s campaign. The mailer was called the rank-and-file police and firefighters “special interests” and closed by endorsing Paige for District 3. Three retired chiefs were featured on the mailer, both from the RBFD and RBPD. If folks are going to call for recusals from voting on the Fire Department issue, then Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic needs to be at the front of the line to stand down first.
Mark Nelson
Redondo Beach
Cause and defect
Dear ER:
Hermosa Beach City Councilman’ Francois asked our City Manager for data on how closing outdoor dining decks at 12 a.m. would result in less crime than if the decks closed at 2 a.m. “Pathway cleared for permanent Hermosa Beach dining decks, bike lanes,” ER April 27, 2023). Police Chief Paul LeBaron jumped in with an impressive litany of alcohol fueled crimes that peaked between midnight and 4 a.m. How is it that a burger and margarita consumed at 1:30 a.m. indoors is less likely to contribute to an alcohol fueled crime than one consumed on an outdoor patio?
Anthony Higgins
Hermosa Beach
Redondo music center
Dear ER:
Kudos to the promoters and investors (“Setting the table: BeachLife’s Surf Club aspires to create a ‘sense of place’ in King Harbor, centered around food and music,’ ER April 20, 2023). This project will be awesome, and I’m looking forward to it. Suggestions: have a speakeasy there, along with an open mike night.
Dennis Duke Noor
Manhattan Beach
Checked out
Dear ER:
Our elected Redondo Beach City Attorney is the only check on power that residents have on our rogue City Council (Redondo council weighs elected city attorney vs. appointed,” ER April 20, 2023). It is imperative Redondo keeps its elected City Attorney, and stops wasting taxpayer money, and city staff time pursuing an idea that has no support from the community.
Paul Moses
Redondo Beach
Developer by any other name
Dear ER:
“Until the inaugural BeachLife Festival in May 2019, rarely did people congregate in the harbor.” (“BeachLife Surf Club aspires to create a ‘sense of space.’” ER April 20 2023). Wrong. People congregated a lot there, for decades, at the Red Onion, Beachbum Bert’s, Blue Moon Saloon, Moose McGillicuddy’s, and Chillers. Quote: “The concept is hard to describe because really nothing remotely like it exists.” That raises a red flag for me. There’s no track record of anything even remotely similar being successful. I had my reservations when the City committed to the BeachLife music festival using harbor property for 10 years, thus preventing any real development from happening during that time. Now the festival is twice a year, and is taking over two restaurants on prime ocean front property for their “lifestyle” experience? It’s the old “if you give an inch, I’ll take a mile” philosophy. I think the City has been hoodwinked and needs to pay better attention to the powers that be before we lose our entire waterfront and harbor area to special interests.
Cee-Cee Morgan Murphy
Redondo Beach
Follow the money
Dear ER:
Has anyone asked the Beach Cities Health District to fund Redondo’s needed mental health clinician (“Redondo to hire mental health clinician,” ER April 27, 2023) ? It’s a good use of the $4 million BCHD collects annually, from the three beach cities
Krista Allen
ERNews comment
Trouble brewing
Dear ER:
Just wait till they open the new skateboard park on the Redondo Pier. People are using it now and it’s not even open (“ Marauding e-bikers in black balaclavas start fight on Hermosa Beach Strand,” ER April 27, 2024). The City will need to install 12 foot fencing to regulate visitors. Wait for the lawsuit’s, thank goodness the city is a deep pocket owner.
Craig Barnes
Redondo Beach
Oh father
Dear ER:
There is an art show currently on display in Signal Hill at Greenly Art Space. It runs through May 12, and features the work of late Abstract Expressionist artist Alfred Skondovitch. He was my dad and he passed away in 2011. Some pieces showing are from his Holocaust series, influenced by the experience he had as a young man witnessing the Bergen Belsen concentration camp at liberation with a British youth group. These paintings are a powerful reminder and close-up depiction of what can happen when intolerance and hate are left unchecked. They are a hard subject, but also should be seen. It’s timely given it’s Holocaust Remembrance month. It’s also unfortunately timely given the recent rise in hate crimes against Jewish, Asian, Black, LGBTQ+ and other communities, some still fighting for their freedom and their very right to exist. These paintings, conceived by a horrific moment in time almost 80 years ago and seared in a young artist’s mind, are relevant today. The show also features other Skondovitch subjects, including figures, large canvases from New York done in the 1950s, and landscapes, capturing the artist’s work spanning five decades. The show was expertly curated by David and Kimberly Hocking of Greenly Art Space. A closing event will take place Friday May 12, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.mm. For more information visit greenlyartspace.org.
Lara Duke
Redondo Beach
