Coyote problem rears its head
I am a volunteer at Seal Beach Animal Care Center. I am a receptionist/help desk volunteer. The Shelter receives many calls every day. One particular call came in from a resident (called Joe) from Seal Beach. His neighbor’s dog was attacked and killed by a coyote.
Joe called SBACC and wanted to know what is going to be done about the coyote problem. So, as a result, I thought the Sun News could spread again about the coyote problem in the area. Possibly, the residents of Seal Beach could form a Coyote Coalition to find a humane way to find solutions to this issue. People working together on this problem could brainstorm to find a way to protect their animals.
This is a constant issue about coyotes and it has been going on for years. Frankly, the shelter and I have no solution to tell Joe.
Becky Morris
Help Desk Volunteer
Seal Beach Animal Care Center
Belmont Shore wake-up call
On Tuesday, July 24, the Long Beach City Council granted an entertainment license to Panama Joe’s, despite the recommendation by the Police Department to deny the permit. This denial recommendation was based on a high number of calls-for-service, incident reports, and arrests. Five BSRA Board members, including President Kurt Borsting, and other Shore residents spoke against the license. However, the Council voted unanimously in favor of Council Member DeLong’s motion to grant the license.
The previous week, on Thursday July 19, the Belmont Shore Parking Commission discussed creating “parklets” on Second Street, similar to those now in place on Fourth Street. These would be existing metered parking spaces set aside for use by restaurants for dining, instead of parking.
The discussion of parklets will continue at the Belmont Shore Business Association meeting next Tuesday July 31 at noon in the upstairs meeting room at Legends. If you wish to express your opinion of this plan to allow restaurants to replace metered parking spaces on Second Street with tables for dining, please attend the BSBA meeting and speak to this issue.
Please remember to come to the BSRA meeting Thursday, August 9, at 6 p.m. at the Bayshore Library. With the BSRA general election coming up at the Sept. 13 meeting, the August meeting will accept nominations and statements from the candidates. This is your chance to run for office and/or choose your Association officers for the next year.
We hope you continue to enjoy our wonderful summer in Belmont Shore.
Belmont Shore Residents Association
Long Beach
Stance against bullying
The Long Beach City Council approved our legislation to create the city’s first anti-bullying policy. Long Beach is the largest provider of youth services outside of the Long Beach Unified School District, and yet had no official policy on bullying.
The legislation, modeled on the recently adopted anti-bullying policies of LBUSD, will be implemented in our youth parks and recreation programs. The new policy will address best practices for employees, and set up a process to identify and support kids who are being bullied.
I want to thank my colleagues Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, Councilman James Johnson and Councilman Neal for cosponsoring this item.
Bullying is a major public health issue in our country, and associated with poor school performance, mental health issues, and even suicide for some children. On numerous occasions I have been contacted by students and parents on this issue.
Kids get bullied, and we need to ensured that we are protecting those children that need that extra support.
I’m proud that our city will be taking steps to combat this behavior and make sure our parks and youth programs remain a safe place for children and families. The policy is now being developed by staff, and will return to the City Council for final implementation.
Robert Garcia
Long Beach City Councilman
An engineer’s perspective
I don’t live in Rossmoor but I must comment on the letter explaining why residents are opposed to the 405 work. I am an engineer working for a firm that contract to a multitude of industries; one being various jobs for CalTrans and public works departments, doing studies for proposed routes as well as design them.
The residents are absolutely right to fear additional pollution from the expansion of the freeway. What we have seen in the past as studies of existing roadways (to set a background for any new project) is that emissions from travelling vehicles adds to community health degradation. For example; in the city of Long Beach, the area in and around the 710/405 interchange south to Anaheim street, we have found the highest cancer rates in the nation.
This is due to the idling in traffic as vehicles bottleneck to change direction of travel as well as the additional commerce traffic from the two ports. What you will see with the Rossmoor concerns is not just the flowing additional traffic, but the bottleneck at the interchange due to more vehicles using the 405 to get around.
Studies have shown that even though the intent is to free up traffic by adding additional capacity, commuters tend to reroute from other freeways to utilize the additional capacity of the revised roads. Once again creating stopped traffic; and that is where we see and increase in emissions that always impact the local communities and environment.
Phillip Fry
Seal Beach
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