Letters to the Editor 6-8-23
Forever young
Dear ER:
What a fantastic tribute to a true South Bay icon whom we lost far too early, but who accomplished more than most if they live to be a 100. His legacy will live on in our community (“Just the man to see,” ER June 1, 2023).
Stein Lager
ERNews comment
Drum connection
Dear ER:
Kevin Sousa and I were friends on Facebook (“Just the man to see,” ER June 1, 2023). I am sure we connected over music and because my son is the drummer. The first time I saw Sousa play was at Saint Rocke. He was amazing and had an awesome presence. He was such a beautiful person inside and out.
Debbi Bernardi
ERNews comment
Playing real good, for free
Dear ER:
I awoke to this heartbreaking news the other day and I could not believe what I was reading (“Just the man to see,” ER June 1, 2023). I first saw Sousa perform on stage at one of our AA Conventions many years ago and have been following him and his band ever since. Heaven’s gonna rock.
Dennis Duke Noor
Manhattan Beach
allcove for all?
Dear ER:
Thanks to reporter Garth Meyer for his informative story on the Beach Cities Health District’s grant for allcove (“State grant to fund building of allcove,” ER June 1, 2023). I am puzzled, however, why BCHD thinks it’s appropriate to use District land, staff, and resources to develop an allcove South Bay center for the use of the 23-plus cities. When the District was formed, it was for the benefit of the “residents who reside” in the District. When you do that math, 91 percent of allcove clients will be non-residents, based on the allcove obligation to serve LA County SPA8 Planning Area, from Avalon to Wilmington. Is allcove a worthwhile program? We don’t know yet, but even if it is, BCHD is not the proper administrator.
At the most recent BCHD Board meeting, the District revealed that taxpayers are on the hook for a 10 percent copay on the latest $6 million grant. That is $600,000 for this out of District program. And BCHD revealed it can’t run allcove on the funding it has, and the Board allocated another $100,000-plus in taxpayer funding from the District for next year’s budget. That’s 120,000 residents of the District subsidizing an area of 1.4 million people. Last, BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly seemed to also inform the Board the the costs of allcove-supporting BCHD executives ($2.3M per year) and perhaps even BCHD staff weren’t being charged to allcove. Isn’t that the LA County Department of Public Health’s responsibility?
Mark Nelson
Redondo Beach
Skating is the issue
Dear ER:
Putting a skatepark on the Redondo Beach pier was a bad idea from the beginning (“No evidence of police misconduct at pier,” ER June 1, 2023). Now, the police have to deal with the repercussions of people abusing the rules and disturbing the peace of those who wish to enjoy the pier. And now there’s private security to monitor it? Who pays for that?
Cee-Cee Morgan Murphy
Redondo Beach
Skating the issue
Dear ER:
This could have happened, no matter where the skate park was built (“No evidence of police misconduct at pier,” ER June 1, 2023). This skate park was unanimously supported by the Harbor Commission. And there was no testimony that it was a bad location either at the Commission meetings or at the Council. The police department held skate contests in the exact location for several years before the permanent park was built. Redondo kids lobbied the Council for a park over a decade ago. The ones I’ve talked to love the new park. Pier goers gather to watch the skateboarders — they enjoy seeing skaters doing their moves on the different features. And overall the skateboarders have been very respectful of the public and one another.
Jim Light
Redondo Beach
All welcome sign
Dear ER:
This is important work, especially given the vocal, generally anonymous minority on a mission to make it difficult to embrace DEI (“Redondo PTA welcoming signs in 22 languages part of DEI Award,” ER June 1, 2023). A recent Los Angeles Times had a cover story on a fight in North Hollywood regarding Pride Day. Imagine being a student at a school where parents fight against acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. How would that make a student who is part of the community feel? Thanks to the Redondo Beach City Council members who voted to fly a rainbow flag in honor of the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month for the first time. This is amazing progress in making sure all feel welcome and accepted in Redondo Beach.
Marie Puterbaugh
Redondo Beach
Universal surfer
Dear ER:
I was honored to present Dale Velzy with a water colored, wood burning of a surfer on a balsa wood canvas (“World’s first surf shop,” ER June 1, 2023). I said something like, “I was going to present you with an honorable membership in our club, but in reality, you are a member of all the surf clubs in the world. Without Velzly’s innovations in surfboard design, modern surfing would not exist. It was an honor to meet him.
Art Simmons
Ventura Surf Club
Local surf knowledge
Dear ER:
It sounds like Gary McAulay doesn’t understand surfing or what constituted a “surf shop” during the Velzy era (“World’s first surf shop,” ER June 1, 2023). And it seems like Bing Copland and others have more first hand knowledge of the situation than McAulay. City records don’t always tell the full story. Yeah to Velzy and Manhattan Beach surf history! I can’t wait to see the Velzy plaque in its rightful place.
Cindy Whitehead
ERNews comment
Under the pier
Dear ER:
My dad Larry Felker shaped under the Manhattan Beach Pier with Dale when my dad was living in Torrance in 1949-50 (“World’s first surf shop,” ER June 1, 2023). The Manhattan Beach shop was selling boards at least as early as spring 1950, when my dad moved to an apartment on Oceanside Street in Manhattan Beach. Velzy helped my dad move in June of 1951, to be closer to the “shapers shack,” as they called it.
James Felker
ERNews comment
Bay beautifiers
Dear ER:
Thanks to Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand, Jim Light, and all the founders and leaders of Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy for their vision of a more healthy, beautiful South Bay. (“Weeding, planting the Redondo Beach bluffs,” ER June 1, 2023).
Barbara Epstein
Redondo Beach