Letters to the Editor 3-21-24
Two-thirds, plus 1
Dear ER:
Our sincere thanks go out to the community of Manhattan Beach for the renewal of Measure MB, the parcel tax measure which supports our local schools. Last week, the result settled with just over the required two-thirds supermajority, with only a trickle of votes left to count.
The Yes on MB Committee is deeply grateful to all who supported this campaign, from the volunteers, to the school parents to our local leaders, to the broader community of Manhattan Beach. We achieved this vital consensus by coming together for the sake of our schools. No one part of the community could have achieved it without the help of the others. The close result means that every supportive action counts just as every vote is counted at the polls.
Our city’s voter turnout percentage was 50% as compared to the county at 29% and the state at 34%. Turnout was strong in every age group too. Notably, voters over 65 contributed 39% of the overall vote. The community spoke, it spoke at all levels, and it spoke in support of our schools. That makes me proud to live in Manhattan Beach.
As for what happens next, the MBUSD board must wait until the election is officially certified on March 29 before it can take any action to reverse layoffs made before the statutory deadline on March 15. In the meantime, we and the entire school community are eternally grateful to all who lent their names, voices, time, and resources to this cause.
Jen Dohner
Manhattan Beach
Pool of trouble
Dear ER:
The City of Manhattan Beach’s assault on Polliwog Park and its peaceful and tranquil character continues unabated. Now, instead of a second LA County Library, the City is exploring an Aquatics Center, including adding a second, large competition pool that is specifically designed for Olympic water polo competitions. Go USA water polo?
Yes, 30-meter pools are designed for international competitions. Worse yet, the design for this Aquatic Center includes stadium style seating with night lights. So much for the City’s commitment to protecting and preserving Polliwog Park and the quiet enjoyment for the adjacent neighborhoods.
An Aquatics Center with two pools including a large competition pool is completely out of character with Polliwog Park. If you research aquatic centers, you never build them directly adjacent to a residential neighborhood.
If the City is truly interested in building an Aquatics Center, then they should explore better suited locations, such as Marine Park, and partner with Beach Cities Health District’s AdventurePlex; Aviation Park and partner with the City of Redondo Beach; or, the City owned parking lot just west of the Bay Club’s Manhattan Beach Country Club. All three of these locations are practical alternatives, clearly more appropriate for an Aquatics Center with a competition pool.
If you want to renovate Begg Pool, build a new, 25-yard, short course, Begg Pool in the same footprint with 8 to 10 lanes. Let’s keep Begg Pool the same small town, neighborhood pool that we know and love.
Mark Burton
Manhattan Beach
Old wood
Dear ER:
What a complete and detailed account of one of Hermosa Beach’s iconic businesses (“Learned Lumber in Hermosa Beach: 100 years of gratitude,” ER March 7, 2024). The backstory is fascinating and the photos are a perfect addition to a story that deserves to be told.
Jim Curnutt
Morro Bay