Sexist uniforms
Dear ER:
Your front page picture [“Age of Summer,” Sept. 6, 2018] of a scene from a movie, including Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguards in the cast, caught my eye. Is this an actual group of lifeguards, in their uniforms, or have they been dressed for the film?
Because the difference between the boy’s and girl’s uniforms is surprisingly sexist. The girls’ ‘costume’ are revealing of the body, with the attendant pesky problems of public hair, “imperfect” hip size (each girl believes her body to be imperfect). The boys are free of such concerns with their modest trunks.
If these outfits are their county uniforms, I will take my concerns to the county. If they are costumes for the movie, I suppose I should take my concerns to the parents of the girls who permit them to wear such outfits.
In their leisure time, a boy or girl can wear what they choose (parents involved?). Boys can wear Speedos, girls can wear skimpy bikinis, or a tank top and shorts. But as a uniform for an important character-building activity, the outfit must be carefully thought out. I hope, with the MeToo movement battling female harassment, this is not the choice imposed on these wonderful girls
Bob Pritzkat
Redondo Beach
Save the ‘green canopy’
Dear ER:
The decimation of the green canopy on Catalina Avenue is disheartening. Tree roots and branches require regular care which would prevent damaged sidewalks and plumbing. Removing old trees is inexcusable. The baby trees that are “replacing” them will take generations to mature.
What is the city council thinking?! (Our mayor was not in favor of this action.) We once touted Catalina and the Riviera Village for “tree-lined” shopping. No more.
Unfortunately, Catalina is just one of the assaults on our environment. Between massive home remodels and developers, trees don’t stand a chance. Weather is heating up, we need to keep our mature trees, not only for their beauty but for their health-giving properties: shade, oxygen, mood enhancement, etc.
If we continue to remove trees at this current pace, we will quickly become a desert at the beach. Please stop. We need to enhance and preserve our environment.
Denyce Giannioses
Redondo Beach
Elect Giancoli
Dear ER:
Beach Cities Health District has as its mission to enhance community health through partnerships, programs and services for people who live and work in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.
What you may not know is that this amazing organization has recently been recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General’s office for substantially reducing childhood obesity in the Redondo Beach public schools. Imagine, national recognition for a local organization. Residents have always known the many benefits of living here, now the rest of the country knows it as well.
On Nov. 6, we all have a chance to make this great organization even greater. We can vote to appoint Andrea N. Giancoli to the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board of Directors.
As a fellow Hermosa Beach Commissioner (Parks, Recreation and Community Resources), I have watched with admiration how she conducts her own Commission meetings: quickly, efficiently, yet always with civility and compassion. And who could be a better fit for BCHD Board? She has a graduate degree in Public Health, and is a registered dietitian. She also serves as a Hermosa Beach public works commissioner and is the former executive director of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition. Giancoli is a recognized nutrition expert, having appeared on many nationally-syndicated television and radio shows.
Please join in voting for Andrea N. Giancoli for the Beach Cities Health District Board of Directors on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Jani Lange
Commissioner, Parks, Recreation and Community Resources
Hermosa Beach
Branding Brand
Dear ER:
Just a thinking out loud about [Redondo Beach Mayor] Bill Brand and his apparent short term lack of vision and his “new friends” that could be influencing his bad decisions, (i.e. not compromising with Center Cal, vetoing a social host ordinance, encouraging Nils to allegedly trespass at an owners’ establishment who banned them, pandering to his base and not the collective people of our fine city, etc).
These “new friends” include real estate developers, construction companies, waste collection companies, lawyers and more lawyers, SCE lobbyists, and ambulance companies. They may not create new jobs or contributions for the South Bay, but probably have a significant interest to influence the mayor’s decision-making process.
The Redondo pier continues to crumble away, the pension costs continue to rise, and the Galleria resembles a ghost town barely generating revenue. So the next time you see Bill Brand in the office or surfing at the beach or at the airport, please ask him about this lack of short term vision for the future of the City of Redondo Beach, and his “new friends.”
John Barnett
Redondo Beach
Steward our land
Dear ER:
Redondo’s Strategic Plan meeting on Sept. 11 covered a lengthy agenda. One issue that stood out for me was the disposition of the Gold’s gym and adjacent parking structure site. What will happen to this prime piece of real estate? Will it be an old “business as usual” decision of the council and staff behind closed doors, to sell, without any input from the public? Mayor Brand’s suggestion that it be put to the public for discussion fell on deaf ears.
Remember Pete Seeger? “This land was made for you and me.” Possible ideas — build the parking structure for the harbor so views would not be blocked. House harbor and recreation dependent-rentals (bikes, scooters, etc.) on the street level. Build an event venue. Many possibilities exist for the city to increase revenue. Let’s not let it slip into the hands of developers to build something we don’t want at the harbor, while we stand by wringing our hands.
Linda Neal
Redondo Beach
Listeria Hysteria
Dear ER:
- There has been a good amount of information and misinformation bantered about over the past three to four weeks regarding dogs on the Esplanade – or any public place. There are two issues here. Cleanliness and fear-mongering.
First, yes, it’s never good to see the waste of a dog in a public location. By and large, dog owners are responsible people, with a bad apple or two. Fair enough. But when it comes to these normal bodily functions, dogs are no different than the large flock of parrots or that amazing murder of crows, or the vast squirrel, possum and skunk population. They have to go when they have to go. But, at least dogs have an owner nearby to pick up the waste.
Second, and unlike the wild animals mentioned, the vast majority of dogs in our community are vaccinated to avoid both contracting and the subsequent spread of disease. There are nearly 90 million dogs living in households across the US, and according to the CDC, there were 1,600 cases of Listeria, a food-borne illness, in the most recent year of data. So let’s say there were 90 cases of children contracting Listeria from dropping an ice cream cone on cookies and then making the unfortunate decision to eat it. That seems oddly fair. And let’s say nine of those happened here in Southern California, along our shoreline. That’s a one in 10 million chance that little Tammy would become ill. This does not happen in our community. Or anywhere. Your chance of getting hit by lightning? One in 960,000.
Nobody’s getting Listeria from rolling in dog poo. Rabies? Old Yeller’s dead. Does not occur here. See County of Los Angeles Public Health for details. Tuberculosis? Really? My calculator can’t calculate such small numbers.
Dog owners, pick up after your dogs. Fear-mongers, stay inside to avoid the lightning. Get some help. Kids, Don’t listen to misinformed fear-mongers.
Scott Berrum
Hermosa Beach
Imperative to prepare
Dear ER:
As a founding and current board director of our city’s Community Emergency Response Team (MB-CERT) program, I believe it’s imperative that everyone in our community receive training on disaster preparedness and survival for mass casualty incidents (e.g., earthquakes, tsunami, fires/explosions, terrorism), and first aid for home/auto accidents, heart attacks and strokes.
The MB-CERT course teaches emergency first aid, CPR, fire suppression, safe search and rescue, triage and disaster psychology. MB-CERT instructors are members of the Manhattan Beach Fire Department and MB-CERT Association.
MB-CERT graduates have applied their lifesaving skills as first responders for various emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes and automobile/home/work accidents. Indeed, the motto of the MB-CERT program is “Citizens Helping Neighbors, and Our City.”
The next course is Thursday and Friday (6-10 p.m.), and Saturday and Sunday (8-5 p.m.), Nov. 1 through Nov. 4. The course is free to residents (a $60 deposit is required, refunded upon course completion). All participants receive a backpack with emergency supplies, photo identification badge, manual and graduation certificate. To reserve a seat, or for more information, go to the MB-CERT website at: mbcerta.org or email info@mbcerta.org.
Wayne Powell
Manhattan Beach
