Fear of dogs unwarranted
Dear ER:
Dogs have a place in our parks. The fear-mongering that was displayed by the majority of the council at last week’s Redondo Beach Council meeting on whether or not to allow dogs in Czuleger Park was pure theatre. 99.9 percent of owners are responsible about picking up after their dogs, be it on their neighbors’ lawns, at the designated dog park or on the side of the street. Dogs don’t generally spread disease. Otherwise, Hermosa and Manhattan residents and especially little children, would be keeling over left and right of dog-borne viruses. Join your neighbors to the north and west in the 21st Century.
Scott Berrum
Hermosa Beach

Freeze bars, not police
Dear ER:
Hermosa’s council has essentially set in concrete a police and fire department hiring freeze further below already understaffed levels (“Lean budget costs police positions”, ER Feb. 25, 2010). Incredibly, council decisions continue to be akin to handling a firetrap by adding combustibles while reducing the means to control the eventual fire.
Hermosa councils have foolishly permitted liquor-dispensing expansion while knowing the city’s been over concentrated in liquor selling for years, and that this added liquor selling and its associated visitor intensification, increases the need for costly fire, paramedic and police resources at a rate faster than any additional one cent city share of sales tax on each reported dollar of liquor-related sales.
The myth of huge sales tax revenue from Hermosa bars has been perpetuated for years. According to the city’s finance director, total sales tax revenue from all the bars and restaurants citywide, dispensing full liquor, is less than $1,300 a day. Meanwhile, public safety costs in Hermosa Beach have reached $50,000 per day.
When it comes to freezing further the already understaffed Hermosa Police and Fire departments, while there’s no freeze or moratorium even contemplated as to the number of liquor outlets or gross amount of liquor-selling occupancy permitted in city, Hermosa councils are continuing an official policy bordering on insanity. The focus should more-intelligently be on freezing and then reducing the 10 years of liquor and visitor intensification.
Howard Longacre
Hermosa Beach

Artful photographer
Dear ER:
Mary Patt Dorr was a wonderful woman and leader in the South Bay photography scene and a mentor to some, such as myself (South Bay photographer passes away, ER Feb. 25, 2010). I pray for her family on this sad loss, and am blessed to have known her. Her life lives on with her wonderful photography work
Jeni Kluge
Via web site comment

Artful teacher
Dear ER:
Julia Tedesco taught me art when I was young and I worked for her last summer at her summer camp. It’s so sad to hear she passed away (“Local artist passes away,” ER March 4, 2010). I am 17 and want to pursue a career in art, all thanks to Julia. She was the reason I found art. I wish I had more time to thank her. She was the most amazing art teacher in the world; I will miss her so much, and I’m so sorry she had to leave. But her memory lives on everywhere.
Alex Oetzell
Via web site comment

Mike’s blue ribbon
Dear ER:
In a time when public schools and small businesses alike are suffering financially, the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation salutes Mike Lacey, owner of Hermosa’s own Comedy & Magic Club, for generously donating 240 tickets to the HBEF’s 2nd “Mom’s Night Out” fundraiser. The sold out event featured fantastic talent, great food and raised over $7,200 for Hermosa’s public schools. Thanks to Mike, Andrew and the rest of the Comedy & Magic staff for their support of our public schools. We couldn’t maintain our blue ribbon status without the support of local businesses like yours.
Diana Allen and Donna Cunningham
HBEF Event Co-Chairs
Hermosa Beach

Write local, shop local
Dear ER:
On behalf of the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, I would like to thank Easy Reader for its recent articles about The Bottle Inn and the Comedy & Magic Club, two of the oldest and finest businesses in the South Bay. The paper’s support of our business community has never been more important, with a downturned economy and the construction underway on Upper Pier Avenue. It is important for the public to “Shop and Dine Locally” during the street improvements, and every day of the year to keep sales tax revenues flowing into the city’s General Fund. Please support your local shops, restaurants, and service providers to ensure that their establishments continue to thrive now and in the future. Their future is yours, too!
Carla Merriman
Executive Director
HB Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau

Scenes move on
Dear ER:
They kicked out the Westside Burrito connection in Bremerton, WA, too (“Wild in the Streets, ER/Beach Feb. 11, 2010). The reason we had so many places to play music there was the town was a ghost town. The civic economy was completely destroyed with the arrival of the mall (another great Seattle export).
Music tends to be pretty viral, so don’t get in a huff when the town becomes yuppieville. The scene will move on and start eating fresh meat somewhere else just down the road where the rent is cheap and there are burritos by the plenty. It will ache and people will bitch but that makes the tunes better in the end anyway.
Ryan
Via website comment

Sand dune is special
Dear ER:
Sand Dune Park provides an exercise experience like no other. That is why it’s so popular. Anybody who has climbed to the top of the hill and felt the ocean breeze on her or her face knows what we’re talking about. There may be issues of over use. There are many ways to fix this rather than giving up before we even try.
One of the goals of any public park is to become inviting enough to attract the public to enjoy the facilities. Everybody can agree that Sand Dune Park has been a big success. How can we even contemplate rewarding a vibrant and successful park by shutting it down? The city council should change whatever needs to be changed to deal with the issues to keep this vital park open to all users.
Closing down the hill for exercise is not like closing a quarter mile dirt track that can be built anywhere. This place is one of a kind and should be treated accordingly.
Mickey Fine
Manhattan Beach

Comments:

comments so far. Comments posted to EasyReaderNews.com may be reprinted in the Easy Reader print edition, which is published each Thursday.