No Candidate Letters
Through the Nov. 8 election, the Sun will not publish Letters to the Editor about Seal Beach City Council or Los Alamitos Unified School District candidates. Letters about candidates, that otherwise comply with our letters policy, will appear online at SunNews.org.
Letters and the council election
I am concerned about the Sun’s policy to not accept any letters from the public regarding the upcoming local elections. On the contrary, I think it is the responsibility of the local newspaper to provide an outlet for discourse regarding the candidates. Look at any other newspaper from the Grunion Gazette to the Los Angeles Times and you will find a robust letters section on all issues and individual candidates.
At best, your newspaper would vett the candidates and their statements and provide the public with unbiased facts.
That would be followed by letters from the public either supporting or refuting that information. Absent any clear slander or threats, that is the role of the free press in an open democracy. If your resources are limited and you can not do the investigative groundwork, then the public’s letters take on an even greater role. Otherwise, all we have to go on are self-flattering candidate statements.
I encourage the editors and publishers to reconsider this policy and provide the citizens of Seal Beach with a forum for discussion.
Editor’s note: The Sun will print letters dealing with election issues, as long as candidates are not named.
Cathy Goldberg
Seal Beach
Big development plans across our border
Thursday evening, I attended the Long Beach Planning Commission meeting.
One of the discussion items was the proposed development of the area roughly bounded by Veterans Stadium, Colorado Street back to Bellflower Boulevard, Bellflower Boulevard to Seventh Street and right on Seventh Street and back to Pacific Coast Highway. This takes in the power plant area, Island Village, Pumpkin patch, Seaport Marina hotel, Marine Stadium and Marketplace areas (the area is much easier to comprehend by visiting the Long Beach Area Specific Plan document (www.lbds.info/seadip_update/) and selecting “view area map.”
OK, now that this is perfectly clear, so what?
The scope of the project is to provide for a net increase of 5,439 residential units, not including a further 550 hotel rooms in structures ranging from four to seven stories.
Retail stores will also be included. My (and others) concerns voiced at the meeting is that there is NO widening or additional roadway/transportation changes provided in this plan.
The access roads to this coastal area are quite limited, as we all know. It seems that the preferred approach is to build it and the rest will work its way out (I think that there maybe a Caltrans issue?)
There is a future planning meeting scheduled for Nov. 3. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust was represented and I’m sure that their website, LCWT.org, and of course, local papers, will continue to be a source for further concerns, meetings, etc.
Ken Kropf
Seal Beach
Thanks! From the Shakespeare producer
May I just express in words of thanks my deepest appreciation to the hundreds of aficionados of Shakespeare who attended the Aug. 7 performance of “Othello.”
Notwithstanding the bitter cold evening in Eisenhower Park, the performance of this powerfully dramatic enactment of “Othello” was a testament to the professionalism and superb acting talents of the “Shakespeare by the Sea” players.
Bringing this annual live performing Shakespeare production to our Seal Beach community has proven to be a tour de force for the Seal Beach Community Performing Arts Association; however, the overwhelming response from the community has made every hour of organizational effort and every dollar spent an endeavor of cultural merit.
Fortunately, not only was the evening performance well received, but also weeks before, underwriting sponsors from the community made the performance possible, donating in excess of $10,000, to cover expenses and leave us with a small reserve for next year.
I am pleased to pay tribute to them with thanks and appreciation for their generosity: Sun Newspapers; Baytown Realty; Dunlap Property Group; Lions Club of Seal Beach; Harvey Girls Gallery; Run Seal Beach; Seal Beach Chamber; Southland Credit Union; Joie De Vivre; Dekra-Lite; Fresh Cut Creative; Craton-Switzer-Tokar; Main & PCH, LLC; Seal Beach Women’s Club; SKS Insurance; Sterling Tax Solutions; elison.rd (sic); Encore Awards; Oaxaca, DDS & Ong, DDS; State Farm; Re/Max College Park Realty; Duncan Creative; SoCal Acupuncture; All Coastal Real Estate; Automotive Excellence; Coldstone Creamery; Dave’s Subs; Glory Days Seaside Grill; McKenna’s Tea Cottage; Zounds, Bea Kuebler; Marcella McSorley; Chief Joe Stilinovich and Ellery Deaton.
Thanks, again, to them and the community of Seal Beach for helping us fulfill our mission: “Enriching Lives, Enriching our Community through the Performing Arts.”
Esther Kenyon
Founder/SBCPAA
Los Al Superintendent offers welcome
Welcome to a new school year and another exciting time in Los Alamitos Unified!
We appreciate the hard work and dedication of teachers, support staff, LAEF, families, community members, PTA, and school and District support groups who join us in Igniting Unlimited Possibilities in Academics, Athletics, Activities, and the Arts!
We also appreciate the visionary leadership of the Board of Education, Karen Russell, Meg Cutuli, Dave Boyer, Dr. Jeff Barke, and Diana Hill, who continue to be extraordinary partners and leaders in our commitment to provide the very best education possible to all of our students.
Staff members have been busy getting schools ready for students. Teachers participated in hundreds of hours of professional development. We are finishing site improvements, and hundreds of technology devices have been deployed to our school sites. We are thrilled that our students will benefit from excellent teachers, new technology, and upgraded facilities.
Weaver students returned to school on Aug. 3, and all other students return to school on Wednesday, Aug. 31.
All offices will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 30 until 10 a.m. so that all staff can attend a “Welcome Back Staff Meeting.”
We encourage all parents, when possible and age appropriate, to send their students to school walking or on a bicycle.
If walking and biking are not possible, please take advantage of our extremely safe school bus program. For all parents who drive their students to school, please be mindful of speed limits and other safety measures so that our communities can continue to be safe for our students and neighbors.
It’s a pleasure to come to work each day and be joined by a fabulous team of dedicated people who are passionate about educating students and committed to supporting and serving all students and families. It’s the people, all of you, that make Los Alamitos Unified a great place to live, work, and go to school. I am honored to be part of the Los Alamitos Unified team.
Here’s to a spectacular 2016-17 school year!
Sherry Kropp, Ed.D.,
Superintendent
Los Al Unified School District
Treat homeless with kindness and food
I witnessed an act of kindness today. I was a bit surprised at first, not sure if and what was about to take place.
I was out for my morning walk, and usually beyond the daily “Hi” or “ Good Morning” to people I pass, or the casual conversation with a dog parent there isn’t much difference from day to day. This morning was different. I saw her. She didn’t see me. In fact she was very intent on arranging things in her suitcase not looking around. She had a blanket spread out on the sand, a couple of items on it. She also had a suitcase and a duffle bag. She looked tired. She was alone.
I am not sure how long she had been there but I know she wasn’t there the day before. I walked by. Trying to gain as much information with a quick glance so it didn’t look like I had been staring. I don’t know if she was homeless but if I had to guess I would say she was.
As I walked by I noticed a man a couple of feet in front of me coming out of his apartment carrying a pizza box.
It seemed kinda strange because it was 7:30 a.m. I continued to walk smiling as I passed him. I looked back and saw him walk up to the lady on the beach and offer it to her. I had to smile. What was different? Every week I see in the police blotter people calling the police about homeless people sleeping or even sitting on the beach. What made him want to help this lady? He could have just as easily called the police and they would have made her pack up and leave. Have her get on her way. Where would she go?
No one wants homeless people in their backyard. The mainstream thinking is “It’s someone else’s problem,” right? Well I just want to say thank you to this man who did this simple act of kindness where he could have just as easily made her bad situation worse.
Maybe we should use this as a lesson. We never know what tomorrow holds. You or I could become homeless.
We should try to be more thoughtful, caring towards others. Seal Beach is known for its hometown feel. Maybe we should have fewer phone calls to the police about homeless people and a simple act of kindness instead.
Elizabeth Kahala
Seal Beach
