Quarterback Sackett
Dear ER:
Thank you so much for “Football levels playing field for RBPD cop, autistic man,” (ER Jan. 16, 2019) It was so heartening to read of Officer Evan Sackett recognizing he was dealing with an autistic man and was able to diffuse what could have become a heartbreaking incident. I’m so happy to learn that RBPD includes training on recognizing individuals with autism and are working to raise awareness in the community and among its officers. And a shout out to the Tennessee Titans. They almost made it to the Super Bowl.
Sherrie Brand
Manhattan Beach
Let the bands play on
Dear ER:
I don’t understand why people wouldn’t want teen bands to perform at the Manhattan Beach Concerts in the Park (“Teen bands fear ban from Concerts in the Park,” ER Jan. 16, 2019). I may be a little biased because my son is in one of the bands who performed there the past two summers. It was a great experience for them. Every person I talked to after they performed said they were fantastic and wanted to find out where else they would be performing.
Lisa Woomer
Manhattan Beach
Teen band plan
Dear ER
Why not start a teen band venue like the old Live Oak park Dances? That would give teens a place to go and bands a place to hone their chops (“Teen bands fear ban from Concerts in the Park,” ER Jan. 16, 2019).
Bill Beverly
Manhattan Beach
Burton’s burden
Dear ER:
I was a bit disheartened, but not surprised, to see Mark Burton proposing an increase to the Manhattan Beach sales tax rate (“On Manhattan Government, ER Jan. 16, 2020). Former Councilman Burton during his one term supported the hiring of a very expensive and unnecessary assistant city manager, giving that assistant city manager a seven figure home loan under market rate, and also hiring an expensive and totally unnecessary manager of economic vitality. it is not surprising that he now favors another tax increase (remember that just last year Manhattan Beach raised the Transient Occupancy Tax). Manhattan Beach is an affluent city, but that does not mean we do not want efficiency and responsibility in our local elected officials. Burton also talked about unfunded pension liability for the city’s CalPERS pension obligations. During his four years on Council he failed to address this problem adequately but now wants us to know it is a problem.
Bob Holmes
Councilman/Mayor 1980-1992
Holmes, Manhattan Beach
