Letters to the Editor 8-23-18
Counting the days
Dear ER:
The California Coastal Commission voted 8-2 to certify Measure C and uphold the citizens’ vote to save our waterfront. Congratulations to the residents of Redondo Beach!!! Thank you to every elected official and all the residents who took the time to show up, learn more, write letters and advocate for the will of the people.
These actions will not be lost or forgotten during election time. And to those elected officials who chose not show up, who stood on the sidelines watching, and then knowingly advocated against the majority of the residents—We are counting the days till you are up for re-election.
Till next time, see you on the waterfront!
Candace Allen Nafissi, MPA
Fiesta questions
Dear ER:
The Fiesta was not started by the Chamber. The Fiesta was not established to be the funding source for the Chamber. I read with bemusement that the Chamber says it has to commercialize the Fiesta to be sure it makes enough money for its budget. Historically (and the Chamber loves city history) the Fiesta was a celebration of the vibrant arts and crafts scene and it brought interesting works and insights to city residents. The Fiesta has lost its purpose.
In the ‘70s my partner Robert Rosenthal, a printmaker, created the Fiesta logo that was used for many years. He received no compensation. At that time applicants for the Fiesta were juried in order to be able to exhibit in the Fiesta. Commercial items were strictly excluded. Both “Rosey” and myself were on the jury as volunteers. Unfortunately the volunteers who put on the exhibition were not well organized. The Chamber said they were willing to run it. The Chamber was less interested in the quality of the arts and crafts than they were in making money. I continued to participate in the Manhattan Beach Old Hometown Faire but did not participate in the commercialized Hermosa show.
The Chamber is a very capable group. I am certain that if they deemed it a priority to only allow high quality arts and crafts into the Fiesta they could accomplish it. I have great faith in their abilities. Unfortunately they long ago decided that picking the low-hanging fruit was the way to go. My feeling is that they see nothing wrong with having vendors of commercial merchandise. I hate to see my city bested by the quality at the Manhattan Beach show.
The story in the ER (Aug. 9, 2018) stated “the Chamber…has cautioned that sweeping changes to the vendor mix at the Fiesta would threaten the organization’s primary source of revenue…” Then it threw in the scare that events like the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade would be imperiled. I think the Chamber is giving itself too little credit. The Chamber does a lot of wonderful things. I am certain that if it decided to put on an excellent quality show it would be very possible. Another, more art centric group, could be an alternative to the Chamber. The city has the power to pick an organization to award the Fiesta.
Gary Kazanjian
Hermosa Beach
Coastal question
Dear ER:
The California Coastal Commission met on Thursday, Aug. 9 to evaluate if Measure C complies with the California Coastal Act and if not, provide corrective measure(s) to achieve compliance. Many of the discussers at the Coastal Commission meeting did not specifically address issue(s) in which Measure C violated the Coastal Act, including Redondo Beach Councilwoman Laura Emdee.
Why did Emdee recommend that the Commission deny certification of Measure C without providing the conflicting section(s) of the Coastal Act? I would think that as a councilperson, one would provide the reason(s) for the recommendation; i.e., where Measure C conflicts with the Coastal Act. Did she read Measure C? Having said that, it is interesting that Coastal Commissioner Erik Howell (Easy Reader, Aug. 16, 2018) said, “I’ve read over Measure C over and over again, and I don’t see anything in it that conflicts with the Coastal Act.”
George Ikeda
Dog stink
Dear ER:
I’ve been a resident of the South Bay since 1967. I recently moved to Redondo Beach. I took a walk on the Esplanade one evening in July, just as the sun was setting. I was shocked and overwhelmed with the amount of urine that I saw and smelled on that warm humid evening.
I was walking, and noticing young children walking and jumping on and off the small wall that separates the sidewalk and the bluff, stained with urine. Their hands touching the walls, people sitting on the concrete benches having intimate and social conversation, while below them, urine infested bench legs. Parking meters and light poles, saturated in urine. It would be something that I would think you would see and smell in a homeless area, underpasses where homeless humans live and urinate as needed.
All this due to dogs. I saw dog owners with dogs weighing as much as young children urinating, oblivious to the health and concerns of others.
How is this possible, I thought to myself. Here we are, in an area with multimillion dollar homes directly across the street. A public owned sidewalk, frequented by humans watching the waves and sunsets, and no one dare say anything to these dog owners, probably with fear of being mocked for being a dog hater.
It seems to me that our beautiful Esplanade sidewalk has turned into a dog park! Dog urine can contain Listeria, which is harmful to humans.
Why doesn’t the City of Redondo Beach take care of this by having the sidewalk steam cleaned on a weekly basis? And dog owners, have your dog relieve himself on your property, or have dog owners pay a fee for being able to walk their dogs, monitored by a special tag, that would help pay for the weekly cleanup of their dogs’ urine and feces remains.
Rudy Rocco
Redondo Beach
No sale
Dear ER:
Why is the Redondo Beach City Council trying to sell a piece of public property that personally benefits one homeowner? It’s a bad idea that reeks of political cronyism.
The rationale for this sale is that conversion to a public garden would be too expensive for the lot located at S. Lucia and Torrance Boulevard. The hidden costs for a garden would be for connecting utilities, and ADA compliance. The question we need answered is why did this become an off-market private sale for a portion of a small lot, to the benefit of one homeowner?
Selling a piece of this property clearly diminishes the value of the remaining portion. The city should only sell the full lot on market to the highest bidder. That’s Real Estate 101.
Independent research shows the homeowner brags about being a close friend of District 5 Councilmember Laura Emdee. They also were big advocates of the failed CenterCal Harbor Mall which Laura Emdee championed despite her own district voting against it.
If the sale is completed the new owner will get the property at a discount and a permanent open lot next to their home. That’s total BS.
Redondo Beach City Council – Stop the public land giveaway now!
Wayne Craig
Redondo Beach