Letters to the Editor 7-5-18

July Fourth dud

Dear ER:

I am utterly disappointed that the Redondo Beach fireworks show was moved to July 1. I have lived in Redondo for more than 20 years. It is our tradition to have a barbecue and walk to the pier to watch the fireworks. Why did they decided to change it this year. Everybody from the mayor, to the council members who had the audacity to change the tradition of our community should be all fired. They had no respect nor consideration for the community, and therefore they don’t deserve to represent us. This year I flew in my son with his three children from Virginia, and my daughter‘s family with two kids from San francisco to come here to celebrate the 4th of July with a barbecue and fireworks. I told them we won’t have to drive anywhere. We’ll we just walk across to the pier for the fireworks. My family’s reunion was totally ruined by this stupid decision. Thanks for letting me air my feeling!

Thanh Pho

Redondo Beach

Storm Redondo

Dear ER

In my opinion there is no safe space anywhere in Hermosa Beach for this huge storm water infiltration project (“Added scrutiny for Hermosa Beach stormwater project,” ER June 21. 2018).

Hermosa Beach accounts for about 10 percent of the local stormwater runoff. The majority of runoff originates in Redondo Beach and Torrance. Yet Hermosa Beach is expected to shoulder the burden of a storage and infiltration underground facility the size of two football fields, injecting up to 2.6 million gallons of wastewater into the city green belt. I cannot understand how the Hermosa Beach City Council negotiated with Redondo Beach to take on this project when our community contributes so little to the runoff flowing into the Herondo Street drain. There is $3 million in grant money sitting there and the city wants to move forward with building something to avoid huge fines. We are told the only solution is to put an infiltration structure on the Hermosa Green Belt. It will pollute the soil and risk damaging surrounding buildings by liquefaction. Santa Monica utilized a “recycling, cleaning” method instead, which is safer but more costly. The Hermosa Beach City Council needs to sit down with Redondo Beach City Council and find a lot on Redondo’s side of Herondo Street, where there are huge spaces with no residents nearby.

Marion Pearl

Hermosa Beach

Political logic

Dear ER:

I watched the Manhattan Beach City Council meeting last week when one councilman, very late in the evening, tried to extend the terms of current council members “(Manhattan Beach Council considers change in election, extension of terms”). He tried to justify it by citing Senate Bill 415, which requires local elections be held during primary or general elections to improve voter turnout. Extending council terms is unnecessary. Even more disturbing was the insulting and disingenuous political excuse that extending the terms to the primary election, rather than having it during the November general elections would ensure that voters are informed. Manhattan Beach voters are not unintelligent. Moreover, primary elections, as they now propose, have far more state office candidates (longer ballots) and partisan races than November general elections. Numerous other cities have their city council elections during the November general elections and are not changing election dates to extend their terms. Neighboring Hermosa Beach changed their elections to November.

Suzanne Michel

Manhattan Beach

Hermosa stirrings

Dear ER:

There is a recall in the wind in Hermosa Beach. The tax and spend council needs to answer questions about the infiltration project and other supposed environmental issues. They have meaningless consultation at public forums, without listening. They vote themselves longer terms and raises, but neglect the problems brought forward by property owners. I predict an easy recall of two councilmen.

Mary O’Brien

Hermosa Beach

Campaign launch

Dear ER:  

I’m glad to see Maggie Bove-Lamonica is running again for school board in Hermosa. She is an efficient and thoughtful candidate, and she has done a great job on the board during her first term. I have known her since I taught her in high school, and I found her impressive even then. The following years have only solidified her high level of promise and achievement.

Jim Parkman

Hermosa Beach

Domino’s delivers

Dear ER:

We need some investigative reporting. On what streets do each of the Hermosa Beach City Council Members live? Specifically, who lives on or near 8th Street where we are spending so much money on the streets and sidewalks? Meanwhile, the rest of us wait year after year to have pot holes filled and the alley resurfaced. The HB Council just voted themselves a $300/month raise, which means they each get nearly $1,000 per month, plus benefits. This is more than what I live on from Social Security. That money could have been used to resurface the alleys. What happened to the altruistic professionals who wanted to simply serve the community. Guess we’ll have to apply to the Domino’s Pizza pavement project to get the job done.

Hal Monroe

Hermosa Beach

Nordeck the Protector

Dear ER:

I was sorry to read of former Manhattan Beach councilman Steve Nordeck’s passing (Former Manhattan Beach Councilman, San Juan Capistrano Swallows Inn owner mourned,” ER June 26, 2018). I sat through many Manhattan Beach council meetings in the 1970s as an Easy Reader reporter. It was a time when the council was struggling to preserve the city’s small town feel in the face of rising property values and increasing development. In fact, the council even rejected a conditional use permit for a McDonald’s franchise in the downtown area in an attempt to preserve the area’s “village atmosphere.”  By the way, at the time of the photo accompanying the story, I believe Bill Switzer was still on the planning commission. He joined the council in 1978. The person sitting to his left, somewhat hidden behind Jack Cashin, is probably councilman Mike Sweeney. All were thoughtful, dedicated people who spent an enormous amount of time and energy to serve on council.

Dave Hunt

North Carolina

Joan’s salon

Dear ER:

It’s so hard to look at that picture of my mom, former Manhattan Beach councilwoman Joan Dontanville, surrounded by all the people she loved, knowing they are all gone now  (Former Manhattan Beach Councilman, San Juan Capistrano Swallows Inn owner mourned,” ER June 26, 2018). Manhattan was privileged to have such a wonderful group of people serving as her stewards. I hope they are all sitting at that table again in heaven right now having a laugh and reminiscing about the good old days. Rest in peace Steve Nordeck. You will be missed.

Stacey Dontanville Arai

Facebook comment

Metro switcheroo

Dear ER:

After 20 years, Metro still has not figured out how to operate a switch (“Metro plan could add delays for the South Bay light-rail riders,” ER June 26, 2018). The Blue/Expo switch is a disaster. It delayed the opening of the Expo Line for a half year, and it still doesn’t operate right. It needs to be rebuilt again, and Expo and Blue trains are going to have to stop short of downtown for a half year to fix it. Unbelievable. Train lines around the world function across switches

Hans Laetz

Facebook comment.

Animal angel

Dear ER:

Three of my dear, departed cats were clients of Samantha Khury’s many years ago. All the experiences were different, but all extraordinary (“Animal communicator Samantha Khury,” ER June 26, 2018). There was no way Samantha could have known the things she did about my cats unless they communicated them to her. Samantha is a joy and a treasure. Actually, I think she’s an angel.

Diane Dobish

Facebook comment

 

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