Letters to the Editor
Airing of grievances (and a couple of likes) for the holidays
If developers are trying to make a case for not needing a ballot initiative to keep projects from becoming unreasonable, the Longi apartment building in the Canyon and the Polestar brightly lit showroom by the art museum won’t help. Let’s hope the Rivian remodel is more subdued.
I enjoy the convenience of the free neighborhood shuttle, and I really hope they’ll expand it to Sunday service as well. Especially during Festival season. Especially since the city won’t honor resident parking permits at the festival lots. Reward us for the inconvenience.
I’m like all the rest of you and dislike that confusing blinking red light in the Canyon, but when you lament your lost time, think about Nina Fitzpatrick who had all her time abruptly taken from her.
And on that note, it wouldn’t hurt anyone to slow down and let people turn in and out of the Canyon from the side streets and businesses. If you don’t, Cal Trans will eventually put in another signal. Or at least don’t honk at me when I slow down to wave someone in.
I can’t imagine how anybody at the Water District would think that the hulking, boxy protective structures recently installed on the Top of the World water tank were OK. I’m glad they’re gone, pending proper permitting, but we’ll have to be on alert when they apply to reinstall them.
What is it about San Juan Capistrano that makes it such a haven for phone spammers? Did somebody buy a block of their phone numbers to spoof? When I see a number from that area, I never answer anymore.
If the city has a budget shortfall this year, all it has to do is put a motorcycle officer next to the four-way stop sign by the TOW fire station and watch 90% of the cars roll right through.
I love the downtown Promenade, and it’s a highlight of our village. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when they implement the planned design improvements.
Lastly, it’s a shame that what was otherwise a very successful hospitality night was ruined for a few residents by a selfish, duplicitous vendor hawking vulgar political memorabilia. I’m glad the majority of residents were outraged, and it surely won’t happen again.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Tim Templeton
Laguna Beach
Need more balance moving forward
Very sad how journalism doesn’t even talk to the person at the booth. Instead, it highlights it was a political issue that was against Biden. Your article should’ve been fairer and more balanced on both sides of the issue. Very sad to see an article like this.
I’m a Laguna Beach business owner and I’m all about free speech. The people I saw there were respectful to one another and the others were seeing their snide remarks and snarky remarks which were offensive to the people buying their products. No one should be intimidated in what to buy or not buy.
Your article needs to address the root cause of bad behavior on people’s part, not showing respect for others. In the future when you post articles, please try to be fairer and balanced and not biased.
Robert Kime
Laguna Beach
It’s the time of the year where we, at the VFW, need your help
Yes, it’s that time of the year when we express our hopes for peace on Earth and goodwill to all. And yes, it would be great if we could maintain that goodwill for the whole year, but we have failed at that and will do so again. It is a time, however brief, when most people of all faiths, and those without, practice a positive feeling of goodwill towards others, Scrooges exempted.
And yes, it is a time when non-profit organizations, like ours, request donations so that we can continue our good work for local veterans in need.
We do not have an income resource such as a rentable structure or a bar – no, legends notwithstanding, we do not sit around a bar telling war stories.
We are veterans, who served overseas in a hostile area, now focused and dedicated to assisting veterans and their families in need, and again, in our local community.
We are dependent on donations from people like you to sustain the many support programs we manage.
These include our assistance in finding housing and furnishings for homeless veterans; scholarship programs to LBHS and Camp Pendleton Marine family students; sponsoring our Laguna Beach VFW Little League baseball team; visiting and presenting gifts to veterans at Long Beach Veterans Hospital; mentoring veterans who enter the Orange County Veterans Court Rehabilitation program; participating in patriotic events, such as Memorial Day, Patriots Day and Veterans Day; contributing to the national VFW children’s home; assisting young service families at Camp Pendleton with baby items, furniture and food; and so many other support programs.
Even with the pandemic we have had significant success working with veterans in need during the past two years. And, we plan on doing even better in the coming year.
But we need your help. If you can please send a donation to: LB VFW, Post 5868, PO Box 629, Laguna Beach, CA 92652.
We, and all veterans, thank you!
Arnie Silverman
VFW Post 5868