Letters to the Editor 6-29-23
Velzy the man, the legend Dear ER: With questions raised about the historical accuracy of a proposed Dale Velzy plaque, the Manhattan Beach City Council delayed approval, pending research and historical review. Following a month of staff work and volunteer research, and endless discussion, when compromise/consensus language was finally reached for approval, the Manhattan Beach City Council took five minutes of chitchat to rewrite the plaque language themselves and approve it, in favor of popular vocal sentiment for the unproven Velzy tale. What supposedly made Velzy’s shop different from the shops of other board shapers? Velzy knew the difference, and claimed he got a business license, plus “the first state retail number for making surfboards.” Thus was born, allegedly, “California’s first officially recognized surfboard maker” and the claim of “world’s first surfboard shop,” or the first commercial surfboard shop, or the first retail shop, as variously and repeatedly reported. In addition to being unable to prove when this happened (and with evidence disproving some stories), Velzy’s city license and the seller’s permit have not been produced. Velzy is absent from city records…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com