Letters to the Editor 9-18-25

Half-assed half-staff

Dear ER:

Charlie Kirk was a young man destined for greatness, some would say a “calling.” History has yet to define Charlie. We do know that he was taken from this world at 31, far too young. To honor him our President designated our Flags, on all public buildings and grounds be lowered to half-staff. 

That brings me to the reason for this letter. I received a call stating that our Hermosa post office chose to ignore lowering the flag to half-staff because someone complained to an employee. Saturday, I drove by and noticed it was closed, as normal. Looking across the street toward the fire department, I was surprised to see they had the flag at full staff. I walked over and found three firefighters. I asked why their flag was not at half-staff?

They said they were not allowed to lower it. I reminded them that I defended them during the COVID-19 lockdowns. At this point one of them went to the office to make a phone call. The flag was  subsequently lowered to half-staff.

My next stop was to the Redondo Main post office. They did not lower their flag either. I waited patiently, after asking to speak to the manager. I got the feeling they wanted me to go away. They knew the reason for my visit. I asked if I could call the manager. They said it wasn’t allowed. I questioned why they didn’t lower the flag. I got excuses. I gave them my card and left. This is called Defiance. I’m still awaiting that phone call. On my way home, I noticed the  Manhattan Fire Department had its flag at half-staff. I stopped in to say thank you? 

Kudos to the Hermosa Beach Police Department and City Hall as well as Hermosa interim City manager, Steve Napolitano and the Los Angeles County Lifeguards for a job well done. Shame on our Post Office and a C-minus for the leader of the LA County fire department 

Gary Brown

Hermosa 

Half-staff for schools

Dear ER

Keep the flag at half-staff until we go one month without a school shooting.

Paul Silva

Hermosa Beach

The back story

Dear ER: 

My grandfather bought 1812 The Strand in Manhattan Beach 1927 for about $30,000 (“Side-by-side Manhattan Beach Strand homes sell for record $25.7 million,” ER August 12, 2025). We sold it in 1999 for $2 million. Within days we were offered $200,000 more because the neighbor (the house to the north) wanted a place he could put his artwork in. So the gray cement building was built. So the story goes…

Amy Aguilera

ER Facebook comment

Side out

Dear ER:

Now that the Hermosa Volleyball Open has thankfully returned to its roots, sans commercialization, there is no need to conform to a television-friendly format (“Brazilians are fan favorites in Hermosa open victory,” ER September 18, 2025). I suggest bringing back side out scoring next year.

Tom Utsch

Hermosa

Shot down

Dear ER:

Earlier this year, the Redondo Beach City Council spent $200,000 simply to apply for a $19 million Federal grant to build a new police gun range. When the grant was denied last month, the silence from City Hall was deafening. This idea was fiscally irresponsible from the outset, and had little chance of success, yet the council earmarked $1.3 million in taxpayer funds for it “just in case.” Even if the grant had been approved, Redondo Beach residents could still have been forced to cover millions more in matching funds and additional construction costs. That’s not prudent financial stewardship—it is reckless gambling with public money.

This effort appears to be less about sound policy and more about securing political endorsements from the powerful police union. If that is the case, it raises serious questions about whether taxpayer dollars are being used to serve residents—or political ambitions.

The city currently faces a $3.5 million budget deficit. Rather than wasting scarce resources on speculative projects, the remaining $1.1 million should be redirected toward urgent community needs, such as infrastructure repairs like repaving Grant Avenue or deficit reduction. 

No one disputes the need for a modern training facility. But the logical solution is to incorporate it into the new police station approved by last year’s bond measure. That would be financially responsible and in line with what other agencies have done successfully. 

Redondo Beach taxpayers deserve accountability—not expensive political theater.  

Wayne Craig

Redondo Beach

Tall tale

Dear ER:

The Sept. 11 article in the Easy Reader, reported that the controversial Builder’s Remedy project on Palm Drive had been “reduced” from 50 feet to 35 feet. (ER September 11, 2025, 50-foot tall “Builder’s Remedy” plan goes to Hermosa Beach Planning Commission, along with ‘unofficial’ 35-food tall design.)  The headline read: “Builder’s Remedy project redesign sets new heights.”

At first glance, the article’s headline might reassure residents who have been fighting against an oversized project. But it is a deeply misleading claim — one that risks lulling the public into believing the battle has been won, when in fact nothing has changed.
Here is the reality:

The official application remains for a 50.5-foot, five-unit apartment building. The Sept. 16 Planning Commission hearing was scheduled to review the 50-foot proposal.

The floated “35-foot redesign” exists only as an alternative concept. It is not the plan on file, it is not the subject of the Commission’s formal review, and it has not been adopted by staff or the developer as the official design.

Even 35 feet exceeds Hermosa’s 30-foot height limit. The project would still be out of scale for the neighborhood and set a damaging precedent for future development.

The article inadvertently gives cover to a developer strategy that benefits from public confusion: submit a 50-foot plan, float a “compromise,” and hope the community backs down.

The Easy Reader article is completely one-sided; they didn’t even reach out to the highly visible grassroots group, Save Hermosa, to understand the widespread opposition to this project.
Residents should not be misled. The only plan formally before the city is the original five-story project. Until that changes, talk of a “35-foot redesign” is smoke and mirrors.

This moment is too important to be obscured by one-sided reporting.

There is a lot at stake here: the preservation of our small town character and respect for residents’ voices in shaping the future of Hermosa.

Josh Kras

Website Comment

Journalist concern

Dear ER:

As a journalist, I have some real concerns with the print version of this article which was mailed to homes throughout the city. (ER September 11, 2025, 50-foot tall “Builder’s Remedy” plan goes to Hermosa Beach Planning Commission, along with ‘unofficial’ 35-food tall design). The headline, photos and parts of the story imply that the applicant has reduced the height of the proposed project from 50 to 34 feet.

That is not the case. It is also disappointing that the Easy Reader has yet to contact SAVE HERMOSA, a grassroots coalition leading the opposition to this project. We have organized town halls, launched a website, designed and delivered lawn signs, gathered hundreds of signatures for a petition and partnered with Our Neighborhood Voices. A KTLA reporter found us. As the hometown paper, you might want to include the voices of residents who are fighting for the city’s future.

Elka Worner
Founder
SAVE HERMOSA

Website Comment

Fan fare

Dear ER:

Every week I make an effort to pick up Easy Reader. The quality always makes for some interesting reading. I love the cartoons. Many are cut out and put in my journals. Although we’ve transitioned to digital for many things I still like to stay connected to things that have served me so well for 55 years. Keep up the good work.

Kevin Post

Manhattan Beach