E-biking is not a crime
Dear ER:
Really (“Escalating e-biker confrontations trigger escalating e-bike restrictions,” ER May 16, 2024). License plates front and rear, registration and proof of insurance, impounding, big fines, e-bike monitoring cameras, a city official to report traffic violations to parents, banning e-bikes on portions of public roads because cops are unable to chase e-bikes because they are too evasive. Mayhem…
Imagine what our society will become if someone invents a toy out of a piece of wood with wheels underneath that kids use as a fun form of transportation. Mayhem!
Charles Bragg
Redondo Beach
Social change
Dear ER:
Thanks for reporting about e-bikes (“Escalating e-biker confrontations trigger escalating e-bike restrictions,” ER May 16, 2024). It seems to be an unfortunate, dangerous social shift in our community with origins that coincided with the pandemic. I’m a cyclist. I’ve been cut-off, placed into a game of road chicken and yelled at with expletives from groups of e-bike riders. Everyone, including our elected officials, public safety professionals, school administrators and especially parents of e-bike riders need to continue to work together with education and enforcement to strive to change this ugly social pattern.
Dennis McLean
ERNews comment
A healthy investment
Dear ER:
I strongly support the Beach Cities Health District bond. For less than $50/year for the majority of residents, BCHD touches so many by improving both physical and mental health, which not only benefits schools, but our fire and police.
BCHD worked tirelessly with Redondo to try to complete this project without issuing a bond. True to form, after years of effort, the City Council succeeded in killing the project by, in my opinion, unfairly targeting BCHD by limiting the square footage, which made the return on investment unattractive to investors.
“Beach town charm” is not free. The fact that our City Council cannot work with BCHD is proof, to me, that the Council majority is constitutionally incapable of working with anybody to get a meaningful project done. It is clear the Redondo Council expects residents to pay for needed projects going forward through bonds..
Residents have three choices: 1. Do nothing, accept current infrastructure for schools, fire, police, AES, our pier and Galleria, 2. Vote for leaders like those in Manhattan, Hermosa and El Segundo who coordinate, not litigate, with investors to take the financial burden off residents to generate revenue producing facilities, 3. Vote yes on bonds to pay for infrastructure improvements. The choice is entirely up Redondo residents
Marie Walsh Puterbaugh
Redondo Beach
School bond over its head
Dear ER:
If the polling supports a second Manhattan Beach school facilities bond, then the MBUSD school board will most likely vote to place that facilities bond on the ballot in November. This second school facilities bond will finish the job of updating and modernizing our MB schools. For that reason, I would of course support such a bond.
If this school facilities bond includes building a new Begg pool for our MBMS students and community, then I think the bond’s chances of passing significantly increase. If this school facilities bond includes building a regional Aquatics Center with a second large pool for water pool competitions with stadium style seating and night lights, then I think the bond’s chances of failing significantly increase.
Here’s why. Begg pool is nestled in the northwest corner of Polliwog Park. Begg pool is our quintessential small town community pool. For our residents who use public pools, it is the number one choice! However, it’s very old and desperately needs to be renovated with the same dimensions and depth. If renovating Begg pool is part of the bond, our community’s residents are more likely to vote to approve the bond.
In contrast, there isn’t room in Polliwog Park for two pools, especially a large regional, competition pool. It will ruin the neighborhood and Polliwog Park. If this Aquatics Center is part of the bond, then our community’s residents are likely to vote against the bond, much more likely.
Mark Burton
Manhattan Beach
Fractions of happiness
Dear ER:
The end of school is at hand and for the next few weeks the air will be filled with student recognition, honors, awards, and graduation ceremonies. In my 23 years at Mira Costa High School as a teacher, vice principal, and principal, I learned how very importantly, even if invisibly, everyone who works in a school can make a difference in the students’ lives.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge said that happiness is made up of minute fractions. So is the life of a school. If someone, anyone, at your youngster’s school made a special contribution to your child’s happiness or success this year in some particular way – large or small – those contributions should be recognized.
This is the time to express gratitude for anyone at your youngster’s school – teacher, counselor, coach, nurse, secretary, clerk, custodian, grounds crew member, cafeteria food service worker, assistant, or aide — who did an outstanding job or went out of his or her way to show a particular kindness or concern for your child, I want to strongly encourage you to drop a note to the principal and tell your child’s story.
Educational researchers have made clear the only way we truly have to reward school people is through recognition. The laws forbid financial bonuses. The curriculum is set by the state so we cannot grant them autonomy. But we can recognize their contributions to our young people — and we should do that, but we don’t do it as often as we should. The sad fact is many people are quicker to write or phone to express a complaint than they are to write or call with a heartfelt expression of gratitude. Let your principal know what a positive influence these people have been in your student’s life, or just say thank you for some one-time thoughtfulness. After all my time in education, I know of innumerable instances where staff members of all sorts showed true concern for and generosity toward students, and no one ever heard about it.
It only takes a minute to send an email or an actual letter.
Gary Hartzell
Manhattan Beach
