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| Open Line Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, February 12, 2002 10:00 PM PST "I wanted to make a comment about Jet Skis within the marine sanctuary. I was out at the beach this weekend on a beautiful sunny day and two jet skiers were riding their Jet Skis through the surf zone right through groups of birds and scattering the birds and disturbing the very calm waters. There were at least a dozen surfers out and I think it was very unsafe. I support the banning of Jet Skis within the surf area and the National Marine Sanctuary. I can appreciate the need for emergency search and rescue operations and, perhaps, even allowing some surfing out at Mavericks. But, for the safety of people using the water recreationally in the surf zone, I think it's very unsafe." "Kudos to George Cattermole for saying what needed to be said and to the Review for having the courage to print it." "Today is Feb. 4. At about 9:30 a.m. I was walking with my dog near Johnson House. Previous to that I had seen paw prints that I thought were from a mountain lion. Today, I saw a mountain lion about 150 yards south of Johnson House. This is just a heads-up to the general public that when walking in that area you should use caution. I've also seen the paw prints in the last couple of weeks near the fire station, perhaps a 100 feet from the fire station. Remember that if a mountain lion confronts you, you should stand still and wave your hands above your head ... Do not run!" "I want to express my gratitude to George Cattermole for his very intelligent suggestions as to how our country might realistically defend itself against terrorism and for your courage in printing his comments. The column was a welcome change from the usual stream of pseudo-patriotic propaganda put forth in the mainstream media. As Mr. Cattermole pointed out our worst enemies are ignorance, arrogance and indifference. As a nation we are frequently guilty of all three. No sane person can deny that the terrible events of Sept. 11 were despicable, but there are many of us who nonetheless deplore President Bush's blustery rhetoric and manic determination to strike out mindlessly against the evildoers he imagines all around us. Thoughtful Americans understand our responsibility to confront the hypocrisy in many of our government's own policies, both at home and abroad, and to commit ourselves fully to the democratic principles upon which our country was founded if we are to succeed in protecting ourselves from continuing terrorist threats both foreign and domestic. Whether we fear physical attacks from crashing planes, planted bombs, poisoned mail, air and water, or simply hope to avert further Enron-type assaults on our financial well-being, we must first redirect our government to act across the board in ways that reflect honesty, reason, careness and compassion. If we want to defuse our enemies and gain security, we must earn respect as a great and strong nation through fairness rather than through force. We must ourselves first demonstrate respect for all humanity as well as for our planet and the life it supports. If we are to achieve lasting security, we must learn humility and practice justice for all." "Many thanks to the Review for doing a follow-up story on the deceased gentleman recently found in the portable bathroom at the beach end of Santa Rosa Avenue. We folks in Miramar were a little concerned and also somewhat curious as to how that came about." "I absolutely applaud and support Cora Williams and her Coastside breast-feeding support business. However, I think folks need to know that there are at least two representatives of the all-volunteer organization Nursing Mothers Counsel here on the coast, as well as one other professional lactation consultant. The Coastside Mother's Club newsletter, which should be available at the Chamber of Commerce, lists all of these other resources." "My name is Marty. I live in El Granada. I've lived here for roughly 12 years. I am the person who made the Save The Strip sign. I believe that saving the Burnham strip is a very important issue. That is one of the reasons I made the sign. The sign was put on Harbor District property and they took it down in one day. So, it ended up in a spot where it could be seen very easily by people, especially people that live in El Granada, so, they could be reminded that there is a very important piece of property that is threatened with development. We're not trying to obstruct anybody's views. We're not trying to make bad views. I'm sorry if I offended anybody with this sign. I think that if there was development on that property it would be far more offensive than what you see driving up or down Highway 1 when you see that sign." |