Letters to the Editor: Oct. 2, 2008

Editor’s note: Letters regarding the Nov. 4 election must be received by Oct. 10 for publication on Oct. 16.

Don’t put Chabad at intersection

Please let us place the Chabad, which is (planned at) on Hidden Valley Road /La Jolla Parkway, in another location. We just got that intersection up and working and don’t need to screw it up again.

This is a single-family home neighborhood. Period.

Wendy Segall

La Jolla

Test the traffic theories

I have been reading the articles about the small spit of land at the corner of La Jolla Village Drive and Torrey Pines. We have lived in La Jolla 40 years, nowhere near the controversial development. Anyone who has an opinion has been heard by now, yet no agreement. I am neither pro nor con, but believe there’s a resolution to what appears an impasse.

To hasten the decision process, why not conduct a very practical experiment? Park the peak number of cars expected during various times of day, count the cars and number of people coming and going to that parcel, chalk off the size of the building and dimensions of the underground parking space. Simple arithmetic should provide a reasonable answer whether the proposed parking will be adequate, whether ingress and egress is sufficient, and whether abnormal traffic patterns would occur. This experiment would be organized and conducted by an unbiased group.

That is my suggestion.

Clementine M. Savidge

La Jolla

Residents stand on Chabad ‘curious’

We have been urged by Friends of Hidden Valley to express our opinion on the proposed Chabad construction. As residents of a street off Via Capri just above Hidden Valley Road, we find it more than curious that those residents would be so concerned about a small religious facility of this type when we have vastly larger religious facilities and schools in much more busy traffic areas on La Jolla Scenic South just south of our neighborhood.

Straining at gnats and swallowing camels?

Joe & Shirley Goddard

La Jolla

Let’s cut costs on lifeguard station

While the issues such as the proliferation of news racks cluttering our sidewalks, the increase in the homeless population, and the quality of our streets and lighting greatly concerns me, it occurs to me we could solve a lot of our problems if we would cut the rampant spending.

The first place I would suggest is the proposed La Jolla Shores Lifeguard station. While we definitely need new stations, it seems way overpriced to pay $1.5 MILLION dollars to keep constructing simple cinderblock structures on land already owned by the city, and with existing utilities. If we are forced to spend that much, we should have a beautiful structure - not a box. The same thing has happened in Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. While I am not a contractor, I will bet all of the builders here would gladly take these contracts. It seems someone is getting rich at our expense.

Chris Cott

Windansea

Stay true to Windansea history

I find it necessary in the name of history to correct the comment of Richard Kenvin, whom I consider a friend, that “Butch Van Arsdalen sat on the metal guard rail” at the Windandea lot. It is not true.

Butch, a dear friend, moved to Hawaii before those rails were put in, but Butch did spend a lot of time in the shack, which will be there forever, thanks to Hans Newman and myself doing the work to get it designated as historic. Thanks to Friends of Windansea it was up before the city knew what happened and now must remain forever.

We at Friends took our role it the fixing the erosion very seriously, Preservation was our key word. History should be accurate, and you can still say this is where “those guys” hung out.

You didn’t just drive up surf and leave. We sometimes spent all day at the beach. And the break didn’t change. All is good in the neighborhood.

Melinda Merryweather

La Jolla

Emotions ran strong in ‘70s, too

Your article about the emotions stirred at Windansea parking lot reminds me when, in the 1970s, the city parks department was bowing to the health authorities and planning a public restroom there. I was a member of the city’s coastal area parks citizens’ advisory committee, and we heard protests from the Windansea locals (Ban the Can was their group name).

What I remember was a suggestion by one proponent of the restroom that objections might be fewer if the city’s architect could make the facility look like a beat-up VW bus, with window curtains and peace symbol stickers, like ones you would see parked there most of the time.

I recall that the matter was settled when it was pointed out that a beachgoer needing to go could walk up to one of a half dozen gas stations on La Jolla Boulevard and use the facilities. That was then.

Dan Allen

La Jolla

What’s wrong with this picture?

Judge Yuri Hofman, with a sense of great urgency, orders Children’s Pool dredged “immediately,” forever banishing our delightful seals and their offspring, while Judge John Einhorn ordered three young male “Bird Rock Bandits” sentenced from 90 to 210 days behind bars for recent beating death of a La Jolla surfer.

What does it say about the justice system?

Tanja Winter

La Jolla