Letters to the Editor: May 14, 2015

Responding to complaints about trashcans being left out for prolonged periods along Nautilus Street, La Jolla Light contacted the City of San Diego for the rules and regulations.

District 1 City Council representative Jennifer Kearns said residents are asked to remove their trashcans by 6 p.m. on the evening of collection and not place trashcans on the street before 6 p.m. the evening before collection.

City public information officer Jose Ysea added that failure to adhere to the Municipal Code that addresses trashcan removal (No. 66.0105) may result in administrative fees and/or fines. Should trashcans be reported as left out past the deadline, they might be “tagged,” so the residents are notified of the rules. Continued violation may result in a re-inspection fee of $88 for each subsequent violation.

“The city’s main objective is to educate, not fine, residents,” Ysea said, noting that over the last year, the city has tagged more than 1,000 containers, but less than a dozen residents have been fined. “We have 16 code enforcement officers covering the entire city from San Pasqual to San Ysidro with a laundry list of responsibilities, so when it comes to enforcing bins left outside, those cases are usually generated by residents’ complaints,” he said. —Ashley Mackin

*To reach city environmental services, call (619) 533-4555 or visit sandiego.gov/environmental-services/collection/index.shtml

La Jolla Light sold to Tribune Publishing Company

By now, everyone in San Diego must know that Tribune Publishing Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times has agreed to acquire The San Diego Union-Tribune. You might not be aware though, that the La Jolla Light is owned by the U-T and thus will become part of the Tribune Co.’s portfolio of newspapers next month when the deal is expected to close.

We don’t anticipate any changes to your La Jolla Light. Since the LA Times has been at the forefront in the evolution of digital publishing, we do expect that our local websites and mobile editions will benefit from their expertise. The new relationship will also assist local businesses, as more sophisticated digital tools will become available in our market.

While local weekly newspapers have not faced the same challenges of our daily counterparts, being owned by an innovative, financially sound newspaper company can only spell good things for the Light and the La Jolla community as well. u

Phyllis Pfeiffer

President, U-T Community Press

Helicopter noise jarring

With the obvious exceptions of either a flight-for-life or a law enforcement emergency, I fail to understand why helicopter flights over La Jolla Village aren’t subject to the same 2,000-foot height restrictions that govern other aircraft.

In addition, it is not at all clear why, with the same emergency exceptions in mind, the regulations don’t require that these flights be a minimum of one-mile off shore. The all-day, all-night noise is a nuisance and a huge detraction to the area. Is there something that can be done besides running to find a telephoto lens camera and capture tail numbers?

Paul Mirabella

Torrey Pines Road foliage served a safety purpose

One should not, absolutely not, be driving along Torrey Pines Road and taking in scenic views. There is more than enough distracted driving as it is! I’m sure the City of San Diego has many more necessary projects on which to spend its money than removing fences and hedges so some residents can see the ocean.

Ina Brown

Sea lions thumb their flippers at shared use

Editor’s Note: In our effort to provide a platform for the ideas of every voice in the community, the Light is printing this letter sent from a “sea lion,” who alleges an address at the Cove, which we cannot discount.

Dear People of La Jolla,

A young lady from The Bishop’s School left her iPad at the beach Tuesday, so I will type this in a hurry, before she comes back to look for it. My name is Clive, I am a seal lion, and I live in the ocean and on the beaches and rocks near the La Jolla Cove and The Children’s Pool. As I was perusing the young lady’s iPad, I noticed an article about the “stench” we seal lions are somehow causing. Before I get to that, a few observations …

Thanks so much for building the stairs at the Cove. I have always wondered what the rest of the world looked like. I have been venturing out at night from the Cove to see what you La Jollans do when you aren’t coming into our world and swimming with us. Recently, I made it as far as Prospect Street, quite impressive. I saw a huge number of buildings to protect you humans from the cold of the night and from the heat of the day.

But I digress … let me tell you the things I’ve learned from my ancestors. My grandfather’s name is also Clive, his father was Clive, as well. My grandfather told me stories about his family and what this world looked like before the humans arrived. He talked of a time before the humans polluted our oceans and well before they overfished the seas.

He also talked of a time he remembers when his world was turned upside down when a wealthy woman installed a wall right over the area his family used for resting.

He talked of a time before plastics messed up the oceans, before oil and other pollutants made our homes and hunting grounds close to becoming useless to us. Oh no! I see the young lady coming back to look for her iPad … before I slide back into the water, let me leave you with these thoughts …

Before the next one of you humans complains about this “stench” and the idea of “shared” beaches, I implore you to clean up the “stench” you all have created in our world. Clean up the plastics, the oil spills, the chemicals you dump on my dining table on a daily basis. When that is done, then we will stop pooping on your precious stairs and decks.

When you talk of shared use of beaches, we say great! Bravo! If you really want it, then we want shared use of your parks, your homes, your hotels, your cafés. My mother said it’s rumored some of you humans actually put our not-so-distant cousins (little furry dogs) into purse-like things and carry these animals into restaurants. What? There may be hope after all, for we sea lions are just sea dogs anyway.

In closing, stop destroying our environment and we will stop destroying yours.

Clive, the sea lion

Light’s online commentary should be direct on website

You require readers of La Jolla Light to have access to a social media site, Facebook, in order to provide commentary to the stories you publish online. I do not belong to this site nor do I wish to belong to it or any such site. I do wish to participate in community matters and leave comments and discuss your paper’s articles online. As a resident of La Jolla and a recipient of this paper, I hope you will change this policy.

Peter Johnson

Editor’s Note: Sorry, Peter, although you have a solid point, this is our posting policy at this time. With our recent acquisition by the Tribune Co., it may change in the future.

Tapenade will be missed while it moves operations

As longtime aficionados of Tapenade Restaurant, like many in La Jolla we anticipate the opening of Chef Jean Michele Diot’s new Bistro Marché, scheduled to open later this year on Girard Avenue. After 17 years on Fay Avenue, Chef Diot was forced to relocate for the development of La Jolla Music Society’s “The Conrad,” scheduled to break ground (according to its website) in the first half of 2016. That is why on May 9, 2015 while my husband and I dined for at least the 999th time in 17 years, we were dumbfounded, taken aback, disillusioned and truly distressed to learn the doors will be closing in a mere seven days.

Change is inevitable and admittedly we don’t know all the details, nor need to. What we do know is that Chef Diot and his fine staff has warmly regarded connections to us, and many in the community, and they are being pushed out long before LJMS breaks ground and before the lease expires.

Tapenade has a vested interest in staying put. The owners had to locate a new space and complete the build-out and would have preferred to welcome guests from one door to another. This inconveniences the customers who regularly take evening meals there, as if at a friend’s home. What about the more than 25 employees who will be out of a job (some with 15 years of service) between the closing of Tapenade and opening of Bistro Marché?

Where was the community feedback promoted in the FAQs of the website purporting to ensure a successful project for everyone with this untimely and unnecessary bitter deed?

Elizabeth Rice Maget