Shortcuts and Foodlines

March 24, 2003

Dear Editor,

I salute Frank's diligence in researching the problems associated with the proposed Lantana project ("WHAT I SAY: Less is Less," March 24, 2003). Still I have to wonder what afternoons he was standing around seeing little or no traffic at rush hour.

Living on Urban with my family, I am occasionally asked by my wife to run to the store (defined as Ralph's on Olympic and Barrington) for some necessary ingredient for that night's dinner. I can try east on Pico -- if I can manage a left-hand turn out of our neighborhood onto Pico.

Even so, it will take several changes of the lights before I come to Bundy and several more changes of the light at Pico and Bundy before I turn left on Bundy. It will also take several lights at Olympic before I can make the right onto Olympic and proceed to the store.

More often, I try the end run, exiting the neighborhood at Kansas, north on Stewart and right on Olympic. It eliminates a lot of left turns, but the traffic on Olympic is generally very heavy, at least until Bundy. The return trip up Stewart is too tough to consider, so I usually exit the market on Barrington and head south until I can turn right on Pico and head for home.

It's taken years of living in the neighborhood to learn the tricks and shortcuts. That Frank (who again I salute for at least taking the time to try) thinks he can take a 'snapshot' of our neighborhood and understand the 'video' that is our life is a bit of a stretch.

BTW, that dark, narrow thoroughly uninviting tunnel that connects the south side of our neighborhood with its northern neighbors is a stone's throw from my back door. At bit less graffiti and a whole lot less urine would make it more inviting to the children and families of our friends.

Stewart or Centennial also present a passage way to Pico from the north side (although I'd drive it rather than walking it). I've seen many who frequent the 99 Cent store trouping up and down Stewart from sun up to sun down.

Marc Sanschargrin
Santa Monica

March 24, 2003

Dear Editor,

What a sad state that the families of servicemen & women have to stand in line to get food to feed their children.

What shame. There is something that has to be done about this matter. Why don't you put this in the headlines of your paper.

Fed up with the whiners of Santa Monica whining about gas, parking, homeless & all the rest of the fat cat gang.

Regards,

R Martin.