Mailbag: Cafe loss a blow

Regarding your editorial “Make beach cafè work” (April 30):

As a homeowner in South Laguna, I was so looking forward to the opening of the Sand Café at Aliso Beach for a morning cappuccino or early luncheon.

Now we are being denied this by a couple of outspoken local activists lobbying the California Coastal Commission.

I’d like to get into a room with these individuals and rearrange their thinking.

What could be better than having a café on the beach where you can have a bite to eat while watching the pounding surf?

BENJAMIN JENSEN

Laguna Beach

Sally’s Fund to continue Susi Q service for seniors

Sally’s Fund’s three-month trial of free transportation for seniors to the Susi Q Senior Center is up, and we have decided to continue to carry this service out. We are pleased to see how much the seniors enjoy the classes and activities offered there and are happy to be a part of it.

We get to hear the appreciation of people who enjoy bingo, current events, ballroom dancing, exercise classes and more. We hear about how they won bingo, then they show us the prize. We hear about current events and how the majority are right on top of the news, and for those that are not quite there, support and encouragement are given. We receive thanks from those who go to exercise class and have no other way to get there. We hear about the socialization that is a great part of it, especially when they stay and enjoy the lunch for only a few dollars.

We would hope that all seniors who have even a little desire to get out and enjoy these activities would call us. We know how hard it is to start new things but let us help you try. We will welcome you on our van and immediately give you a comfortable feeling of being a part of the classes and activities at the Susi Q.

If you need transportation to medical appointments, and grocery and errand needs, call (949) 499-4100. For free transportation to classes and lunch at the Susi Q, call (949) 715-1866.

SALLY RAPUANO

Laguna Beach

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sally Rapuano is the executive director of Sally’s Fund.

Complete Streets answers promenade issue

According to the archives at the Coastline Pilot, the first articles on pedestrian traffic and promenades appear as far back as August 2002. Laguna residents have been contributing ideas and articles on the promenade topic for a long time.

I suggest we resist the temptation to oversimplify this topic because all cities are unique and require unique solutions for implementing promenades. Closing a downtown street for a day to invite a Bier Fest “happening” will most certainly give different results in Laguna Beach as it will in Budapest and Santa Monica. Promenades in all world-class cities are common, but that is the extent of their similarity. Their differences lie in the design and implementation of the promenade for the surrounding infrastructure and usage.

Our City Council recognizes the complexity of downtown issues and has appointed a task force to research, survey and make recommendations for the implementation of infrastructure such as pedestrian walkways and bikeways, a component of complete streets. The Complete Streets Task Force has been meeting since September to make those recommendations. Complete Streets takes a holistic view of the mobility issue in Laguna but the downtown Promenade may resolve itself as a natural result of the complete streets effort.

LES MIKLOSY

Laguna Beach

Lots of good things happening

I know I often kvetch about the ever-tightening noose on our personal freedoms. However, this week I am compelled to celebrate many of the great things about our town. Much was written last week about the Kelp Fest and Nancy Caruso’s amazing effort to replenish our kelp beds.

In my 10 years of kayaking here, I have never seen such a gorgeous bloom of kelp as we have now. We are showing all of our paddling guests this amazing underwater rain forest, and explaining how 4,000 students and 450 volunteer divers have been front and center in this reforestation effort. And that we may soon see abalone again.

Saturday was the Laguna Beach Community Alliance’s Info Expo, where representatives of our numerous community groups and nonprofits gathered next to the Farmer’s Market for an informal “coffee-klatch.”

It was inspiring to see so many people donate their time to causes they are passionate about, from Marine Mammal Rescue to Hortense Miller gardens, the Woman’s Club, community clinics, shelters, film societies and so much more. And May 14 and 15 is Transition Laguna’s Great Unleashing, an expo on community action and sustainable living at the Sawdust Festival.

This is one of the most amazing groups I’ve ever been a part of. Their mission is to wean us off of oil dependency, and educate us on sustainable living “” including sub groups on food, water, energy and mobility. The Food Group has received a lot of coverage lately, and the accolades are well deserved. This group is helping entire neighborhoods plant edible gardens, without asking anything in return. This “gift economy” has an unexpected bonus “” it fosters community, new friends and an enhanced appreciation of nature’s bounty.

Perhaps soon we will see community gardens sprout all over town, and a local produce collective at the farmer’s market (with proceeds going to local charities?).

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some of our restaurants began featuring a local produce menu? Not only would it be tastier, it would be far healthier, too.

BILLY FRIED

Laguna Beach

Government must hold costs down

I am sure that all Laguna Beach homeowners have received the notice from the city that they propose to increase the cost of waste collection. They invite property owners to protest. I am protesting it because it is just another of the hundreds of cost increases for almost everything including government taxes and fees that are being laid on us despite these harsh economic times. Though this particular increase it is not huge, I am protesting it by sending the following letter to the city clerk:

This letter is to protest the proposed increases for waste collection services; and in fact it is to protest any increases in city-supplied services whether directly supplied by city employees or city contractors. Though current Waste Management services have been very good, this service still needs to be bid out to insure competitive rates are being charged.

Further, in these hard economic times where many people are unemployed or under-employed, and the cost of everything is going up, it is beholden on all governments (federal, state, county and city) to refrain from increasing fees and taxes on the citizens. I suspect that most of the unending increases in the cost of government are directly related to yearly increases in wages and benefits. Government employees are already compensated at wages exceeding those employed in private industries. In addition, the perks and benefits received by government employees far exceed those available to persons in private industries.

It is suggested that all wage increases, perk increases and cost of living benefits for government employees, and for government contracted services be deferred until economic times are returned to normal; and further, be deferred until government wages and benefits are stabilized at amounts compatible with private industry. It unreasonable to keep increasing the cost of government while hard-pressed tax payers are struggling to meet so many other increased costs.

DAVE CONNELL

Laguna Beach

Enemies list speaks volumes

The citizens of Arizona have lit a flame of opposition with their law against illegal immigrants. Besides the predictable cabal of lefty college professors and Hollywood celebrities, here is a partial list of Arizonans’ enemies:

?the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times

?Cardinal Roger Mahoney

?the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson

?Vice President Joe Biden

?Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

?Sens. Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein and Charles Schumer

?Desmond Tutu

?The mayors of San Francisco and Los Angeles

?La Raza

?American Civil Liberties Union

?NPR

?MSNBC

?Janet Napolitano

?Time magazine

?The United Nations

?President Obama

?The government of Mexico

?All those prepared-placard carrying protesters in L.A. on May Day.

The list speaks volumes. Huzzahs for the good people of Arizona! You have the right enemies!

MATT SMITH

Laguna Beach