Our Readers Write: Cove vendors, La Jolla Boulevard speed and paving

Letters to the editor:

Parks are for people, not products

I was not born and raised in La Jolla like my late husband, Bill Wilhelm, rest his soul. I’ve only lived here 42 years. I moved here from Hawaii with my job, and every day I ran from Windansea to the La Jolla Cove park and back.

Every day back then, as today, one could not help but marvel that this is one of the prettiest parks on Earth and how lucky we are for La Jolla philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps to be so kind as to donate this land to be a park for all people to enjoy.

La Jollans have taken care for decades to maintain and preserve the park. Thoughtfully, the turnabout was created for the elderly to be dropped off and go to the Bridge Club, which is another story all its own. It is also a way for diving classes at The Cove to unload, a way for tourists who cannot find parking as well as Sunday drivers to cruise down, turn about and enjoy the beauty of the park and the view.

Not now! It is littered with vendors. Sadly, there are so many vendors that some crowd in on top of the plants to set up. The grass is rapidly turning to dirt along where vendors are set up all day blocking any view to be seen as they take over the forefront. The path that used to be a pleasant walk plenty wide enough to enjoy the amazing scenery and different views from either direction is now crunched in and jammed because of vendors.

Vendors that compete with our farmers market and the money that benefits the school. Vendors that compete with our Village merchants. These merchants don’t own that land. They pay thousands and thousands of dollars every month for overhead, looking forward to the summer season to break even and/or profit to retain their passion that they share and sell in La Jolla.

If this continues, this beautiful park will be ruined. It breaks my heart. La Jolla welcomes everyone to enjoy the beauty of one of nature’s most amazing parks.

Please help us preserve our beautiful park. Vendors, please do business where your presence doesn’t damage the grounds, somewhere you are welcome. Profit and prosper elsewhere and come back here to picnic. Enjoy and be kind.

Judy Wilhelm

— — —

La Jolla Boulevard needs speed bumps

Regarding the article about speeding on La Jolla Boulevard (“Bird Rock resident launches petition to lower speed limit on La Jolla Boulevard,” Sept. 8, La Jolla Light):

Speeding is an issue, but too many “entitled” people do not know or refuse to follow roundabout procedures. In addition to lower speed limits, which these same people don’t follow anyway, speed bumps should be laid on the boulevard before entering the circles, both northbound and southbound.

Jerry Beebe

— — —

La Jolla Boulevard needs new paving

As an avid bicyclist, I like to ride from Pacific Beach to La Jolla. La Jolla Boulevard is the worst, bumpiest street in San Diego — full of potholes, major cracks, etc.

La Jolla is a major tourist destination. Is this how the city of San Diego likes to show off its beauty to the world?

Josef Rennleitner

— — —

What’s on YOUR mind?

Letters published in the La Jolla Light express views from readers about community matters. Submissions of related photos also are welcome. Letters reflect the writers’ opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or publisher. Letters are subject to editing. To share your thoughts in this public forum, email them with your first and last names and city or neighborhood of residence to robert.vardon@lajollalight.com. You also can submit a letter online at lajollalight.com/submit-a-letter-to-the-editor. The deadline is 10 a.m. Monday for publication in that week’s paper. Letters without the writer’s name cannot be published. Letters from the same person are limited to one in a 30-day period. ◆