The LookOut Letters to the Editor
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Police no Answer, Skating and Smoking and more on Calling a Spade a Spade

June 21, 2002

Dear Editor,

In his June 20 letter ("Policing Pico") Joe Weichman wrote, "Deploying police officers to the Pico Neighborhood and keeping them there indefinitely would stop the gun violence."

Why not build a fence around the Pico neighborhood and frisk all the folks that enter & leave?

The solution to violence is not the police... they are the last step when all other ways have failed. If the people in their own neighborhood cannot teach and instill values and behaviors in their children, the police will never be of any use except to arrest someone...which is the last step not the first in dealing with violence.

All the laws in the world will not change a person, only inner values that cannot be changed will guide behavior.

I support the police but do not find them to be the solution to the Pico problem with gun violence, and guns are not the problem either.

Len LaBounty
Santa Monica


June 24, 2002

Dear Editor,

Where are they going to put a skate park at Memorial Park? ("No Shredding by the Sea," June 24) Currently there are softall fields, baseball fields, a playground, a community annex and a gymnasium. The only undeveloped section of the park is a small section the lies between the 14th street parking lot and the western softball fields.

Currently occupying that space are a number of pine trees and picnic benches. Remove those trees and we have a virtually treeless park. Also, with no residences nearby (that's a selling point!), the potential users will need to either drive or skateboard across a number of busy intersections.

Why not consider Clover Park or Douglas Park? Or is this another case of trying to shove something undesirable onto the Pico Neighborhood, again.

Mark Burnett


Dear Editor,

June 24, 2002

Dear Editor,

I'm thoroughly disgusted with Santa Monica's Parks and Recreation Commission. At their recent meeting, they recommend banning smoking in all public parks ("Santa Monica Moves to Ban Smoking in Parks," June 21), then they approve a location for a skatepark that most of them don't like.

While they are so concerned about the public's health in regard to smoking, they ignore the consequence of our city's many drunks and transients who urinate and defecate in the parks on a daily basis. While that "health hazard" is ignored, we ban smoking -- but not completely. The Parks and Recs chair suggested that Palisades Park not be included because tourists who come into town on buses might need a cigarette after a long ride. What sense does that make?

What really upsets me is their recommending to city council to approve a location for a new $560,000 skate park in Memorial Park.

Skateboarding originated in Santa Monica's Ocean Park area -- sometimes referred to as "Dogtown" in the late 1960's/early 1970's. Skateboarders used Ocean Park streets, beach parking lots near Pacific Ocean Park and Cactus Park for their sport.

The City staff report warns that the beach would be a "bad location" for a skatepark because the City of Santa Barbara took ten years to get Coastal Commission approval for their beachfront skatepark. The truth is that the city council in Santa Barbara debated the skatepark for eight years before approving it and sending it to the Coastal Commission for their OK. When Santa Monica wanted a transit mall, it received Coastal Commission approval within a year and a half. So, comments about a beach skatepark taking too long to be approved is typical city bull.

The thought that a second $560,000 skatepark would be built at a later time on the beach is like waiting for the city to fix up another beachfront recreational facility: 415 PCH. Not in my lifetime.

Most of the commissioners agreed that Memorial Park was not the best location for a skatepark but felt that it could be completed at 14th and Olympic quicker than on the beach. But what is the rush all of a sudden? One of skateboarding's founders, Tony Alva, advised the commissioners, "Don't rush it. Do it right."

One commissioner suggested taking a few months and polling skateboarders and others as to what they wanted, but another commissioner cut off debate by suggesting that it was not necessary to wait or find the best location. This was a good idea that was ignored.

The Parks and Recreation Commission needs to stop showing its ignorance and do its job. Supervising public health is not their job. Finding the best place for a skatepark is, and it should be at Cactus Park.

Chuck Allord
Santa Monica


June 20, 2002

Dear Editor,

In his anti-Semitic conspiracy theory tirade ("Call a Spade a Spade," June 18), Mr. Bolte points out, "You don't have to be an Einstein to put two and two together."

That's a blessing in his case; for if he were an Einstein, that would make him---GASP!--a Jew!

D.K. Stanton


June 24, 2002

Dear Editor,

Michael Cohen's comments and allegations of anti-semitism and racist diatribes aimed at William Bolte for his letter "Calling a Spade a Spade" is a typical response, ad hominem, that in no way refutes the facts contained in Mr. Bolte's letter.

Perhaps Mr. Cohen could enlighten us all as to what the facts really are, should he take the time to investigate the matter. But, of course, should Mr. Cohen do this, then, he would be in
agreement with Mr. Bolte. Them's the facts!

Richard O'Keefe
Santa Monica

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