Letters to the Editor 9-28-17

To the victor

Dear ER:

(Soon to be former) Redondo Beach Planning Commissioner David Goodman has Redondo’s new mayor’s reasoning all wrong (“New Brand of thought,” ER Letters September 21, 2017). Mayor Bill Brand’s not looking for sycophants who share his views. He’s merely fulfilling a campaign promise to restore a proper balance between commercial/development interests and quality of life. Fortunately, our new mayor is aware of which side of the scale Goodman lands on.

Brian Hittelman

Redondo Beach

 

Elephant traffic

Dear ER:

I am surprised that the articles on Vista Del Mar traffic don’t mention the elephant in the room (“Traffic Jam: Circle of Frustration,” ER September 14, 2017.) Isn’t it pretty obvious that no matter what is done, we will continue to have horrible traffic, which will just get worse and worse in the future? You can add or subtract all the bike lanes, signals, pedestrian overpasses, buses and ride sharings that you want. But the bottom line is our self-serving, greedy, local governments have sold our soul by densifying the South Bay to the point of critical mass without any thought toward widening streets, or other traffic flow improvement. How many condos have been built in the last 30 years? Increase the density and get more tax money so you don’t have to manage the money you already have — that’s the local governments credo. Got a traffic problem? Just kick the can down the road like we have been doing with North Korea for the last what 30 years? Maybe, just maybe the root cause is so many people make their living where more people equals more money. We are bordered on one side by the beautiful ocean, so unless you work in the aerospace industry you have got to commute. My solution? If the Redondo Beach power plant finally goes (I just hope when it does, we still have the power to charge all those electric cars), instead of turning the power line right of way into another 200 condos, make it a highway to get people in and out of this massive bedroom community. I feel better now. Time to go for a nice bike ride. I just hope I don’t get hit by some frantic driver late for an appointment on the other side of L.A. County.

Redondo Ron

 

Campus open house

Dear ER:

We appreciate readers’ comments about the Beach Cities Health District Healthy Living Campus (“BCHD design-build bill awaits Gov. Brown’s signature”). The building shown in the article is a parking structure with the Center for Health & Fitness in the lower level. Though this is just a concept at this point and subject to change, adding parking at this location would allow us to remove the majority of surface parking on the campus and replace it with green space/open space for the community. At the suggestion of our community working group, we are also exploring the possibility of building this proposed parking structure to be “convertible,” meaning it could be used for alternative purposes (like medical offices) in the future if our dependency on cars decreases.

We encourage everyone to learn more about the Healthy Living Campus at our first community open house on Oct. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The event will include a formal presentation at 8 p.m., as well as information stations on various aspects of the project, including building visualizations, the environmental impact report, green space/open space and the need for senior living. This is a great chance to share your feedback with our project team and leadership. We assure you that the Center for Health & Fitness will not become a “Spectrum-type” fitness facility. We are fully committed to maintaining our same welcoming, low-cost and community-focused culture. Similarly, our focus on older adult fitness programming will also continue. The increased size of the proposed facility will allow us to enhance our current programming with a warm water exercise pool potentially, which our membership has been requesting for years. Please feel free to provide input directly to our board of directors and leadership team by filling out our online comment card at bchd.org/healthylivingcampus. All comments will be included in our monthly board report and posted publicly on the website. More info can be found at bchd.org/healthylivingcampus.

Beach Cities Health District

Facebook comment

 

Downtown siren

Dear ER:

To all you people crying about the Mermaid restaurant closing, when was the last time you went there and spent $20. Residents are to blame. They do not patronize the businesses down at the pier. Every business needs residents to go there and spend money to stay open. Hermosa Beach has changed a lot of the blame lies with the residents. They are happy to sell their parent’s house for a ton of money. Then when some guy puts up a giant condo they cry about it. Residents have to preserve their city. Nobody else is going do it for them.

Surfer Joe

Hermosa Beach

 

Say it is so, Joe

Dear ER:

It’s time the Mira Costa Alumni Association takes a long, hard look at 1960 graduate and former professional baseball pitcher Joe Moeller (“Six new alumni inducted to Mira Costa Hall of Fame,” ER september 21, 2017). The Dodgers drafted him in 1960. Moeller has spent over 40 years in Major League Baseball as a player, scout and ambassador. He is currently involved in the training and placement of service dogs for Veterans and civilians, alike. To ignore Joe Moeller would be a great disservice to Mira Costa’s legacy.

C Matthew Turner

Facebook comment

 

Character test

Dear ER:

John Chiang lives the American dream (“The quiet candidate,” ER September 21, 2017). That dream has been peppered with hardship and tragedies most of us never had to experience, yet he fights on. No matter what side you’re on, I find the only trait I look for nowadays in a politician is real character. I believe he has it.

Stewart Fournier

Manhattan Beach

Hermosa roots

Dear ER:

Sure, turn your eyes from all the alcohol abuse going on in downtown Hermosa (“Council bans recreational marijuana businesses,” ER Sept. 14, 2017). At least pot has medicinal uses, unlike a beer floated in a huge margarita? Hermosa has always been a pot friendly town. Why pretend otherwise? Why not make the tax money off? Hermosa has no problem taking money from all the alcohol abuse going on.

Eduardo Garci-Rojas

Facebook comment

 

                                                      Sister Cities, standing together
Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey and Professor Arely Arce Peralta, mayor of Loreto, Mexico, each hold plaques presented by the other at a stage erected on Pier Plaza on Sunday With them are state Senator Ben Allen, Aret Frost, office assistant to Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, and the members of the Loreto City Council. The group had gathered on Pier Plaza to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of sister city relations between Hermosa and Loreto. The event featured mariachi music, folklorico dancing, and the unveiling of a new statue honoring Loreto Plaza on the north side of the Pier Plaza. Photo

 

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