Affordable Shopping, Condo Conversions, Speed Bumps and Music Cuts

February 20, 2000

Dear Editor,

With interest I always read what Mr. Zane writes; he is an honorable man
and a good man. He cares only for "the little" people and has a great dislike, or better, hate for the landlords of Santa Monica. In his last letter to the Editor he writes: "...people have always been willing to THROW others on the street to make a buck," and these people are the landlords of course.

I like to know how many "people" are housed in Mr. Zane's apartments? I
believe none; consequently, the people he so cares about would not need
to be thrown out because they would have been without an apartment to
begin with, so till Mr. Zane can offer an apartment to "the people" he
should mind his words.

Maria Sirotti
Santa Monica

Dear Editor,

Hello, I'm a John Adams Middle School student. Ms.Woo told me about item 51(the one to take away middle school music aides), please don't cut it. I'm new to the symphonic band, on my first day the aides helped me get used to the band.

They showed how to do the rythm sheets and everything else. A lot of kids rely on the aides because we can't be with Ms.Woo only. All of my friends in the band believe the same. So, please do what the students,parents,and teachers want, don't cut item 51!

-Alex Talan, 6th grade
Santa Monica

Dear Editor,

I just wanted to say that cutting the music programs at our SMMUSD
schools is a bad idea. I'm a fourth grader at John Muir Elementary School and I WILL be writing more letters.

Why can't you cut the the physical education teachers, because a classroom teacher can just go outside and make her kids run laps, or, you could cut the librarians and have the teachers make their kids read. But Please don't cut the music program because I have been playing the violin for exactly 4 years and music is VERY important to me.

MY VOICE NEEDS TO BE HEARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ben Bartelt
Santa Monica

Dear Editor,

Hi betty...just discovered your column. Read it with interest as I too am
aspiring to shred as a mid-life ambition. (Why should the 14 year olds
have all the fun ?) What's new since August ?

I had a lot of fun all fall in my wetsuit and boogie board; a highlight was swimming with a pod 20 dolphins right down here at Tower 26. Now I am counting the days until the run-off stops flowing and the water warms up. I plan to take a surf class through UCLA. Looking forward to your next adventure. From a Mom- on- board,

Mary Michel
Santa Monica

Dear Editor,

Bringing Back Affordable Shopping to Santa Monica

I recently attended a couple of neighborhood meetings on the newly proposed project for a downtown Target Retail Store. I¹m glad I attended these meetings because I got to get a real feel for how the community is reacting to this idea. Of course, there are always two sides, but, the community is overwhelmingly supportive of the plan to bring back some affordable shopping to Santa Monica.

I think it¹s pretty ironic, that in a town where we put such an emphasis on ³affordable housing², we have lost all of our ³affordable shopping². Where are our low-income, fixed-income, senior citizens, families with children, people using public transportation, and the rest of Santa Monica suppose to go for ³affordable shopping², locally?

In case you haven¹t noticed, it was pointed out at a meeting, that ³affordable shopping² in Santa Monica, has disappeared. Two Newberrys, Woolworth, JCPennys, Europa, and the proposed-site benefactor, Henchey¹s. Someone at the meeting protested that the project was too large and should be downsized by 30%. However, another resident noted that the new Target pales in comparison to the actual square footage of affordable shopping retail space that we have lost in SM.

It was also pointed out that none of those stores had any parking. Target, on the other hand, has plans for 532 parking spaces and is negotiating for an employee parking outside of the downtown area, that will shuttle employees back and forth. This would help mitigate traffic, parking and pollution. An alternative use for the property would be a mixed-use, retail/residential project. A project that like that could be built three times larger and higher, and what benefit would the community actually get from it but more people in an already dense area. Can't one of those traffic nightmares be for our benefit for a change.

Traffic was the biggest concern from both sides, it usually is. However, the truth is, something big is going into that space, IT'S A BIG SPACE. Something way bigger than Target will go there if they don't. You can't tell me that it will have less of an impact on traffic either, especially during peak hours. At least Target traffic will be stagnated, we already have a traffic nightmare downtown, during peak hours. Let's not pretend that Target will make the downtown area unbearable, it already is, at least Target will benefit the community with affordable shopping and do more to mitigate traffic and parking than any other project that could end up there.

Be sure to attend one of these neighborhood meetings, they are very interesting with facilitators that are courteous and well informed. You'll also get a chance to meet some of your neighbors and get a feel for what is going on in your community. I did.

Mid-City Neighbors is planing a community meeting on the proposed Target project. Residents in that area will be notified by mail of the date. Please come and let us know if you want a Target in the downtown area.

Donna Block
Santa Monica

Dear Editor,

Or lack of speed kills.
As resident I don't deny the need to calm traffic on residential streets.
I live on 23rd Street and people roar down from Wilshire to Santa Monica Blvd. I would love cars to slow down. I would love the police to ticket tons of people. I would love if this was a one-way street.

Somehow I don't think my street would ever be approved for speedbumps.
To near the hospital, it's a feeder street and you wouldn't like the noise I
can hear being told by city officials. But, one thing for sure is the bumps do slow down fire trucks. Having seen the two videos the department has been showing around town surely demonstrates this.

While many may argue that it only adds a minute or two to travel time for
emergency vehicles let me tell you a little story. Several weeks ago I was on the second floor of our condo. In fact, I was in a spare bedroom ironing my pants. I heard what I thought was the neighbor teenage girl coming home and giggling outside her door.

This went on for a minute or two. Without paying to much attention I noticed her tone change to one of excitement. I thought I heard breaking glass and that caused me to look out my second floor window. Directly across from our window was the living room window (second floor unit) of our neighbor.

The window is about 5 by 6 feet. She was not outside her door. Pouring out of this window was fire. Fire reaching up and out of my sight. Ten feet or more. The entire window was filled with roaring flame. It suddenly stuck me that what talking I was hearing was the teenager, no doubt home alone, inside the unit in a panic. With only one door out, on the ground floor, and blocked by the raging fire I knew she was trapped and would soon be severely injured or die. I wanted to run to her door and get her out but I knew I needed to call 911 first.

The one minute I was talking to dispatch was hell. They were helpful and swift but so to was the fire. The fire grew to now flicking against my window some eight feet away. I could more clearly her screaming and crying in panic.

I hung-up the phone and raced down my stairs intent on getting my hose, busting down her door and getting her out. What I didn't know was she had escaped before her path was blocked and I found her out of emotional control on the sidewalk with her cordless phone in hand talking to no one as the recieving end had already melted.

The fire department got there in 3 minutes. While I clutched her as she sobbed the fire trucks arrived from all directions. The hook and ladder truck extended its' ladder to her second floor balcony to rescue her (both they and I thought she was inside) within seconds of arriving.

Had she or anyone been inside lives lost would have measured in seconds not minutes. I can't properly express my respect for our city fire department. Words fail me.

So when our fire Chief speaks about the need to respond without any delay I know first hand he means it. It means saving lives pure and simple. This young life was not the only one at risk.

Downstairs from her unit is a resident who provides childcare to several kids everyday. Had the fire department been there in 5 minutes god know what would have happened.

As it was the unit that caught fire was gutted. Had the teenager been in the unit one or two minutes would have cost her her life. So consider carefully the use of speedbumps. The life you save by not having them could be your own.

Dear Editor,

Item #51 should not be cut. At times we need our aids to fix broken
strings and collapsed bridges. I understand that you have to cut some things
but please don't make our music aids one of them.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Slawter
Santa Monica