Letters to the Editor: 2-18-2021

Aloha Hermosa

Dear ER:

Next will be an ABC store on every corner, just like Oahu (“A la carte: Deck to be replaced,” ER Feb. 11, 2021).

Danny Black

ERNews comment

 

Just stop it

Dear ER:

A traffic circle? Really (“Many a close call on Prospect,” ER Feb. 1, 2021)? As if gridlock isn’t enough of a problem on Prospect Avenue, south of Aviation Boulevard, where the street is only one lane in each direction. Now our out-of-touch city council wants to put a traffic circle in at 10th Street. Speeding traffic is not the problem. It’s not possible to speed down Prospect with all of the stop signs along the way. The problem is stopping at the stop signs. Trying to slow down traffic that is already slow will do nothing but cause a line of cars to back up onto Aviation. The solution is to enforce drivers to stop at the stop signs.The time, money and effort involved in the useless studies, construction and implementation of these so called “traffic calming” measures would be better spent in enforcement of our traffic laws that are already in place via stop signs.

Lorie Armendariz

Hermosa Beach

 

Vaccine incentives

Dear ER:

What is the city’s plan to provide meaningful support to the low paid essential workers who have no safety net and do all our dirty work and physically demanding jobs in our city (“Hermosa offers $10,000 business grants,” ERNews)? How about using the oft talked about Hermosa Beach rainy day fund to bring testing to job sites. I’ve sent hundreds of pictures of construction jobsites where workers were not wearing masks, but the city has refused to step up enforcement. Anthony Higgins

Hermosa Beach

 

Built it for Bruce

Dear ER:

What do you see when you drive along Highland at 27th Street in Manhattan Beach and look West, where Bruce’s Beach is?  Do you see a lot of people enjoying a beautiful park? No, you don’t. Because it isn’t a beautiful park. It’s the worst use of land in the city, and perhaps the worst use of oceanfront land in California. You can’t play sports on it – it slopes. The basketball courts are a joke.  And no one really picnics there.  It’s directly adjacent to the most wonderful park there is – the beach. When your friends visit and ask, “Why is there a big empty lot in front of the beach when everything from the South End to El Porto is stacked with homes?” you have to answer, “Well, see, back in the 1920s some white supremacists wanted to drive out a black family…”.  Now the City Task Force will recommend, and the City Council will decide. But Ray Charles could see where they are headed – a reworded plaque. It’s not enough. We need to have an open, thorough debate on the value of this “park.”  The citizens should decide between a reworded plaque or meaningful proposals, such as mine, to build a hotel and reconciliation center, or new homes that fund justice for the victims.  

Christopher O’Brien

Manhattan Beach

 

Dean of the candidates

Dear ER:

Hermosa Beach will hold a special election to fill the vacated seat of former Councilmember Hany Fangary on May 11. In filling this seat, we can start the process of putting the recent controversy behind us, and give our city full representation to help our residents and businesses during these challenging times. I offer myself as a candidate who has years of experience working on issues in Hermosa Beach. I’ve led many efforts to protect our local beach environment. My service on government commissions and other non-governmental organizations (like the Red Cross) has prepared me to deal with a wide range of issues on day-one. What we need now is experienced leadership. I’m an independent voice, free of the political division in our city, and I am committed to maintaining our city services and public safety, addressing homeless issues, repairing our streets and sewer lines and helping our local businesses recover and thrive. During this campaign, I look forward to talking with all of you.

Dean Francois

Hermosa Beach

 

Advocate for Isaacs

Dear ER:

Kimberlee Isaacs is running for a position on the Redondo Beach Unified School Board and has my support. Having worked with her on advocacy issues in our community, I’ve seen firsthand her commitment to student success and feel she would make an excellent addition to the board. As an African American woman, she would also bring much-needed diversity and a different perspective to the issues at hand. But, more importantly, I feel she would work hand-in-hand with the rest of the board to focus on important issues, such as safely returning our students to in-person learning, as well as strive to achieve overall excellence in the education of all students here in Redondo Beach. 

Patti Harris DiLeva

Redondo Beach

 

Retired and ready

Dear ER,

I am supporting Rolf Curtis Strutzenberg for Redondo School Board. He is a retired aerospace engineer with experience in management and accounting, and a member of the Redondo Beach Planning Commission. His wife is a teacher, and they have two school age children. He is working to get teachers vaccinated so schools can fully reopen safely. During the recent school board debate he was the one candidate who talked about preparing our kids for a future in a rapidly changing world. He is level headed, and I believe he would be an excellent school board member. 

Carol Perry

Redondo Beach

 

A working mayor

Dear ER:

Bill Brand has been a tireless fighter for Redondo Beach going back over a decade and is running to fight for four more years as mayor. While he’s known by some to be a no-growth candidate, he is not. I opposed a particular development a few years ago and frankly was surprised to learn he was in favor of it. He explained his reasons why. He works for the entire populace of Redondo and recognizes that a healthy city needs development done smartly, but also we need to be protected against ludicrous development proposals that will plainly be bad for the city. He has succeeded on both counts. As for character, he is a thorough researcher, methodical, with an engineer’s mind for analysis, and is also a caring person who appreciates the arts. In one council meeting a few years ago a resident got up to express himself in song during public comment. The crowd, the Council and City Staff were entertained, and Mayor Brand smiled, thoroughly enjoying it, and enthused afterwards, “That was great! Music is always appreciated.” It endorsed an acceptance of all types of community input that could be felt in the room that night. I’m gladly voting again for Bill Brand for mayor and hope you will too.

Lara Duke

Redondo Beach

 

Elder’s the man

Dear ER:

As a 28 year teacher recently retired from Redondo Union, I endorse Dan Elder for Redondo Beach Unified School District Board of Directors. His impressive volunteering in RBUSD on the Bond Oversight Committee (no easy task), as well as the City’s Planning Commission, demonstrates his commitment to the community. He’s a loving family man, totally brilliant and his heart is in the right place for the students, parents and teachers in Redondo Beach. 

Shaun Lloyd

Redondo Beach

 

Two up

Dear ER:

Rolf Curtis Strutzenberg and Margo Trone for Redondo Beach Unified School Board. They rank far above the other candidates and will work towards empowering teachers, and providing them with all the tools and support they need to be successful in their mission.

Wayne Craig

Redondo Beach

 

Sooper do

Dear ER:

Redondo Beach City Attorney candidate Harden Sooper promises transparency, a full review of department activities, and even a pay cut. All things current city attorney Mike Webb has refused to consider.  is paid nearly $470,000 dollars a year. That’s more than double what the governor of California is paid. Harden Sooper will put an end to what’s been happening at the City Attorney’s office for way too long – unchecked cronyism, outrageous salaries, perks, and lawsuits that the city shouldn’t even be involved in – just wasting taxpayers money. All at a time when our firefighters and police are being asked to take make do with less. The stagnation in the harbor for the past four years also rests on Webb’s shoulders. If he had only advised the City Council to wait five weeks until after the 2017 election to approve the CenterCal Harbor Mall, we could have avoided one of several $15 million lawsuits and an estimated $2 million in legal defense costs. When asked by then Council Member Bill Brand before that vote what would happen should issues come up later Webb merely said “That can be worked out in the courts”. We, the voters are Mike Webb’s boss and it’s time we took charge and replaced him. We need Harden Sooper who will end the days of making important decisions without citizen input.

Lezlie Campeggi

Redondo Beach

 

Fresh struts

Dear ER:

The Redondo Beach Unified School District administration, teachers and parents have done a great job dealing with school closures and the reopening process (“Redondo Beach School Board candidates look past the pandemic, ER Feb. 11, 2021). I can’t help feeling like we really need a fresh perspective at the board level to drive our great school district forward from here. That’s why I support Rolf Curtis Strutzenburg for the board, as someone who will get us back on track.

Jim Sparks

Redondo Beach

 

Waller’s call

Dear ER:

As an outgoing member of the Redondo Beach School Board, I heartily endorse Karen Ford Cull, Dan Elder, and Rachel Silverman Nemeth as the best choices to serve on the board. They have all been involved with schools, and each brings a variety of skills that will be valuable assets to the district as it moves on from this pandemic and adjusts to possible new normals of education in the post pandemic world.

Brad Waller

Redondo Beach

 

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