Farewell to Nancy Grgas: Leos Founder
Seal Beach Lion’s Club member Nancy Grgas-Jezak passed away Monday evening after a long battle with cancer.
She was comforted by her family as she ascended to heaven.
Lion Nancy Grgas was a 20-plus year Lion and is credited with starting our Leos Club.
She served as Leo advisor for 10 years and was a Melvin Jones Fellow.
She was an amazing community activist for her entire life in Seal Beach.
Nancy attended the International President’s Luncheon in December and was very happy to hear that the story of how our Leo club got started was told to the many dignitaries and Lions in the house.
In speaking about how the Leos got started, Nancy said: “Rather than telling kids what not to do, let’s give them some TO DO”—and the Seal Beach Leo Club was born.
Please keep Lion Vic, former Leos Jeff and Steven, and the rest of the Grgas family in your prayers.
Lion Scott Newton
Seal Beach
Praise for Spiratos
Congratulations to Kiva Spiratos on being selected as Principal of the Year for Los Alamitos Unified School District.
Along with her leadership as the Principal of Rossmoor Elementary School, she has always been a big supporter of the Seal Beach Veterans of Foreign War Post 4048 and the American Legion Post 857 and an advocate of the Flag Retirement Ceremonies we have held at her school in the past years.
Her commitment to teaching the children in her school the meaning of patriotism is very commendable and we thank her for her continued support.
Paul D. Pudenz
Adjutant
Sgt. Thomas R. MacPherson
American Legion Post 857
Seal Beach
Keeping the Run safe
On Saturday, April 5, the annual Run Seal Beach race event will once again be staged on the streets of Seal Beach.
For the safety of participants and spectators many of the streets in the Old Town area will be impacted and/or closed to car traffic from approximately 7 to 10 a.m.
The Hill intersections of Bolsa and Seal Beach Boulevard and Marlin and Seal Beach Boulevard will also be closed for a very short period.
Old Town residents that need to exit the area during this time period you should have your car parked in the area which is inland (east) of Electric to exit onto PCH prior to the early morning closures.
For more detailed information please go to www.RunSealBeach.com or call Run Seal Beach at (562) 493-1015.
Thank you for your understanding and helping make this event as successful and safe as possible.
Marc Loopesko, volunteer
Run Seal Beach
Seal Beach
The tram is a good idea
I like the idea of having a tram on the Seal Beach Pier to enhance a dining experience or just a beautiful night out.
Rather than bring back the chugging little tractor and creaky trailer, I suggest having a couple of college kids or local youth operate some pedi-cabs like the ones that are commonly seen in many touristy areas.
The city or the restaurant owners could be responsible for organizing and licensing a small number of cabs that could operate during the evenings, weekends, or whenever.
The restaurant could even make the ride complementary for its diners to help attract business, otherwise a nominal charge for fishermen and others would be appropriate.
Ed Tamas
Seal Beach
Bring back the tram
When I moved to Seal Beach in 1964, there was a tram.
It was helpful for fishermen to bring their sometimes heavy gear to the end of the pier.
The most important function of the tram was to bring handicapped people and families with babies or small children who would never be able to walk the pier, to the end of the pier.
There was a fishing store near the end of the pier and a senior lady named Effie would leave the store, put on her tap shoes every hour and dance in the little restaurant, while a senior known as “Ma” played the piano.
They were a great team. People were encouraged to sing.
The songbooks for visitors were supplied by a mortuary, Mattell’s. Now known as Luyben Family, Dilday-Mattell’s.
I took friends, family and company employees to the end of the pier on the tram.
It was joyful and did not interfere with walkers and those wishing to stroll the pier.
Everyone came back, once they visited.
It was a highlight of a trip to Seal Beach.
I do see some pros and cons in the paper. I think there are more pro’s.
What a lovely novelty it would be for those who never experienced the trip.
I think it was 25 cents.
Now it would have to cost more but would be more inclusive of the handicapped or babies and young children.
It would be helpful to any restaurant signing a lease at the end of the pier and bring more patrons.
Sometimes three generations went to the pier and while the children and parents could walk, the seniors could not so it was a fabulous family trip.
Please give it some thought.
Deborah Harding
Seal Beach
Exciting pier possibility
We and our friends are so excited about the possibility of the Fish Company opening a new restaurant on the Seal Beach Pier.
How did we get so lucky!
Fortunately. we know that the owners are successful local business women who really CARE about Seal Beach and have already created a wonderful dining experience in Los Alamitos.
We also support our local businesses by purchasing gift certificates as presents and donations.
In addition, the very popular Fish Company gift certificate program will now be available, and Seal Beach will receive the tax benefits.
Quality dining plus local owners=a win-win situation for our town.
Perry and Carla Watson
Residents of Seal Beach for 50 years
Beware of ‘corporatization’ in pier property
I am writing this letter to raise serious concerns about MDK, the group that has bid on the property at the end of the Seal Beach Pier.
It does not appear that they have ever actually run a restaurant before, but have rather been middlemen.
On its own website, MDK boasts that their developed properties can be “sold to new owners in as little as four (4) months.”
This means that if they are awarded the bid for this property, the possibilities are endless as to who could end up operating the restaurant in question.
This also might put into question their ability, or whoever’s ability, to fulfill their lease obligations, in which case the City of Seal Beach would end up in a potentially protracted legal battle.
I have grown up in Seal Beach. I am raising a child in Seal Beach. What makes this town great is that the city leaders have avoided the corporatization that has plagued other Southern California beach towns.
We dine and shop in places that are wholly unique to Seal Beach. These places bring in visitors from all over who know they cannot have the same experiences on Main Street that they can have in any strip mall in any suburb in any part of this country.
Our town deserves to know that whoever is awarded this bid will not then sell out to the highest bidder, which very well might be some nameless, tasteless corporate shill that repackages frozen entrees that can be reheated in kitchens across America as well as at the end of our iconic pier.
Seal Beach deserves a proven owner who has delivered quality goods and will keep Seal Beach from becoming yet another bland, corporate collection of pre-fab storefronts selling prepackaged TV dinners.
If MDK is awarded the Pier property, we have no idea who will eventually come to own and operate this prime location.
More importantly, if MDK is awarded the Pier property, we will sadly have to clear a picture of what Seal Beach might very well become, and what greatness in our town could very well be lost.
Justin Kanter
Seal Beach Resident
St. Catrick’s Day
On Saturday, March 15th, the Seal Beach Animal Care Center will be holding its third annual St. “Catrick’s” Day adoption event, and the adoption fee for cats over six months old will be slashed to 25 dollars! For $25, you will get a wonderful pet, already spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and current with vaccinations and flea control.
A $350 value, the shelter will also throw in a free initial vet visit! The Seal Beach Animal Care Center, located at 1700 Adolfo Lopez Drive in Seal Beach, will be open from 11 to 5 on Saturday, March 15th.
Dee Carey
Seal Beach
New pier proposal
The Seal Beach City Council is about to make an important decision about our pier.
It is with confidence that I write this letter in full support of the proposal of “Off the Hook” restaurant being built on the pier.
The proposed owners are long time residents of Seal Beach who care and give back to our community. They are experienced, accountable owners/operators of The Original Fish Company Los Alamitos Restaurant that has won numerous awards of excellence, with a proven tract-record that we can trust to bring a quality restaurant to Seal Beach.
“Off the Hook” would be a great asset to the City of Seal Beach/Pier as a fine establishment where I can enjoy great times and surroundings with my family. So, please join me in telling our city council members that “Off the Hook” should be built on our pier.
Randi Buell
Seal Beach
Miffed over ticket
Tonight driving home after a very long day, I was pulled over and given a ticket. A citation. A piece of paper that will cost me lots of money. I was not speeding. I did not run a stop sign. I was not on my cell phone. The reason for this ticket? I drove straight into Rossmoor -where I live- from the Ralphs shopping center on to St. Cloud. I had a solid green signal, which I assumed gave me the right to cross the intersection.
The Seal Beach officer who wrote me the ticket said that the police have been instructed to give citations for this horrible crime because the “People of Rossmoor” do not want the public coming in to their community.
I am a resident of Rossmoor.
I live on the side of Rossmoor where it makes much more sense to drive straight across from the Ralphs shopping center instead of turning right into traffic, then turning left into and driving through one of the over-crowded parking lots of the Shoppes at Rossmoor, thus wasting fuel, causing more pollution and being a possible traffic hazard by winding my way around behind Kohls to be able to drive down Copa de Oro to get to my home in Rossmoor.
I will now be taking my business to Vons in Los Alamitos down the street where I can make turns legally into the community of Rossmoor in which I live.
By the way, if the “People of Rossmoor” are trying to keep “the bad guys” out of Rossmoor by not letting people into our community via straight across signal access at Seal Beach Blvd. and St. Cloud Drive, it’s not working. Our home was burglarized and ransacked in October 2013 along with our next door neighbor and two other homes one block over – all in the same day.
Thanks to all of the “People of Rossmoor—whoever you are—for my ticket. And my husband thanks you for having leftovers instead of the delicious dinner I was coming home from Ralphs in Seal Beach to cook. I just wasn’t in to it by the time I came home with that yellow piece of paper.
Connie Giddens
Rossmoor
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