Our Readers Write: Homelessness, ocean views, foxes, La Casa de los Amigos

Letters to the editor:

Residents of neighborhoods have rights, too

Great job on your series on the homeless challenge and the loss of The Village.

I have been reading your series from Oklahoma City, where we live. My family has a closeness with La Jolla, having visited it many times over the years and always staying near The Cove. Also for having lived in California many years ago.

Losing The Village in La Jolla would be a major concern to our desire to continue visiting.

A homeless person sits among his belongings outside the La Jolla Recreation Center.

(Elisabeth Frausto)

I have watched firsthand how the homeless situation has rapidly deteriorated here in Oklahoma City. I live within one block of one of the most challenging areas. It has affected our neighborhood, safety and concern for our property. What started out as a kinder, gentler approach has only increased the problem.

The homeless operate on a different set of laws. They are a smart group and are getting better organized and more aggressive because they know the law is on their side. Yes, they get moved around but come right back to wherever they want.

The amount of biohazard material (e.g., human feces, needles, an enormous amount of trash) and crime are a safety concern. If it is this bad now, what happens in the future?

Unfortunately, people that don’t see this firsthand are very sympathetic to the homeless. It makes it difficult on the rest of us to raise an objection to what is happening in our neighborhoods. I can only imagine how the residents of Muirlands [in La Jolla] would feel with tents in their neighborhood.

The common misconception is that they all want to leave the encampments and return to society. Oklahoma City and La Jolla are finding out that is not necessarily true. As you know, there have been many failed attempts in cities to try to get this right.

As taxpayers, we have the right to live in a safe, clean, environment void of trash blowing through our neighborhoods and needles in the streets. We have our rights. We also have the voting power.

Steve Barrymore

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Is The Village already lost?

“Lose our Village” is right on the nose (“Homelessness and crime: Will La Jolla ‘lose our Village’?” Dec. 8, La Jolla Light). Not only lose, but have already lost it.

Homeless does not mean a bad thing, but having a mess, junk, etc., is.

Josef Rennleitner

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A dim view of prioritizing views

“La Jolla’s ocean views aren’t being adequately protected, local committee says,” Dec. 9 online, page A1 of this edition of the La Jolla Light).

This is the most California thing I have read in a long time. California COVID, flu and other lung disease patients are filling the hospitals and hallways. Thousands are being laid off, homeless shelters are full and tent cities are getting bigger, and women who leave their abusive partners are homeless because other domestic-violence shelters will not take them in because they’re already in a shelter.

But oh my God, the views aren’t being adequately protected! Those poor, unfortunate souls.

Kim Silva

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Don’t blame the foxes

The gray foxes of La Jolla are not a threat — it’s coyotes (“Owners of small pets, beware of predators,” Our Readers Write, Dec. 8, La Jolla Light).

Protect our fox population. See the Humane Society’s website for detailed information on foxes in urban settings: humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-foxes.

Julie Andrews

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Historical Society has no control of La Casa de los Amigos

La Casa de los Amigos (center), built in 1924, is said to have failing footings and foundation and could be demolished.

(File)

While the La Jolla Historical Society and our Landmark Group have a great interest in the protection of historic properties in town, we have no control over the future of La Casa de los Amigos (“Property rights should be respected,” Our Readers Write, Nov. 24, La Jolla Light).

Though demolition will be a loss for the neighborhood, future decisions regarding the property are in the hands of the city of San Diego and its Historical Resources Board.

Seonaid McArthur

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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. ◆