Readers respond

The city should absolutely move forward with the sports complex

project. This project is an investment in the most important

“infrastructure” of the city -- the youth of Huntington Beach. It is

also a project that, once completed, can and will turn into a revenue

source for the city.

Some intangible income will be realized from the few tournaments, both

soccer and softball, that will bring people from all over Southern

California to spend their disposable income on food and hotels.That isn’t

possible with the existing facilities. Add revenue sources like roller

hockey and sponsorship, and this will be a win-win situation for the

city.

BRAD WAKEMAN

I would like to propose, in responding to your question, that

sometimes it might cost something to defend your freedom and your way of

life.

We have seen this lately in the war on terrorism. We can also see

providing an avenue to our youth, as another way to pave the way for a

safe and secure community.

We should go forward with the sports complex, bearing in mind our

fiscal responsibilities and that sometimes you just might have to pay for

opportunities and a better way of life.

CATHY BRADFORD

Huntington BeachThe city should not move forward with the sports

complex. Not when I read, as I did very recently, that there are

shortages for such important items as library books, police and fire

departments. Education and reading is more important for the future of

this country than sports and so is our safety.

BOBBIE MOOTCHNIK

Huntington Beach

The city should not go through with the sports complex. It’s not what

the people in the city voted for. In this time of financial needs, I

think they could better spend the money than on a sports complex that

would cost the city $800,000 a year to maintain.

ROBERT CONGER

Huntington Beach

I don’t think they should move ahead with the sports complex project.

I’ve been against it from the beginning. Our priorities are all wrong.

We’re driving around streets that are full of potholes. I weave back and

forth in my car in my neighborhood trying to avoid falling into these

potholes on major streets.

It’s frustrating for residents living here. You can tell when you’re

in a neighboring city because the roads smooth out. It’s silly that we

have bad roads and bad sewers, and we’re going to pour millions of

dollars into this. Now they’re talking about this project in Downtown to

close off the street, and they want to spend thousands on that too. Let’s

get back to basics and the things that are important.

JAN FERRY

Huntington Beach

I’m in favor of getting the Central Park sports complex built and

built now. Years from now we’ll look back and see this was a great deal

for the city and it will have become another fine example of civic

improvement that’s been incredibly beneficial for the citizens of

Huntington Beach.

It’s just like 25 years ago when Central Park took awhile to get built

but once it was built everyone determined it was something well worth it.

I’m in favor wholeheartedly of getting this thing going and getting it

done as quickly as possible.

MICHAEL GREEN

Huntington Beach

The children of our city deserve more than what Debbie Cook and Connie

Boardman want! They deserve a place to participate in activities that

promote a positive self-image, a spirit of cooperation and healthy

physical activity.

Do you want to attract families to our city? Then, we need to provide

more sports facilities. Please don’t tell me that our children are to be

overlooked, again. The new sports complex will allow the children to have

access to overcrowded existing facilities that are now dominated by adult

use.

Due to the events of Sept. 11, I can think of no better time than now

to make a commitment to the children of our community. What better way to

celebrate life than to invest in their future?

Our children are not concerned about the future of the wetlands. They

are concerned about the places that hold their interest like the various

sites where sports are played. We as citizens of Huntington Beach deserve

to have the best possible facilities available for our children.

Isn’t it time that the city become more family friendly? The new

sports complex will go a long way toward accomplishing that end. Thank

you to all who support the development of youth sports and who believe in

a bright future for our children.

RUDY SASS

President, Huntington Beach Girls Softball The city should not be

moving ahead with this sports complex project because they don’t have the

money. It’s a luxury the city can’t afford at this time, not when the

sewers are in such need of repair, and having to tax the taxpayers to do

it.

It should be put on hold until the city has extra money to spend on a

luxury. Children are playing soccer at the local schools now and making

good use of the fields. The new complex isn’t necessary.

SHARON SAKA

Huntington Beach

The sports complex is definitely something we do not need to do at

this time. There are too many other things in the city that need

attention like the infrastructure, and they’re always talking about there

not being enough money. I think the sports complex could be eliminated at

this time.

CAROL BARBEE

Huntington Beach

I think we should go ahead with the sports complex. I think whoever

used that land as a landfill should spend the money to clean it up for

that park. I don’t think we can ever do enough for our children,

especially when it comes to exercise.

DONNA SHAFFER

Huntington Beach

To go ahead and build the sports complex seems to me, to be the height

of financial folly. The city is virtually broke, they’re raising our

taxes once again, we’ve been assessed a fee for sewers, and they still

seem to think they can come up with $18 million to build a sports

complex.

JIM WARDLOW

Huntington Beach

The bottom line is the city needs this facility. The point was made in

the article about the opposition voiced by Cook and Boardman and “many

residents,” but not enough was said about the many more residents who do

support the project.

The statement made by Ralph Bauer about youth occupied by sports

activities is very true. The more kids who are involved the fewer

problems we’re likely to see from them. Additionally, they learn valuable

life skills such as teamwork, commitment and leadership. It’s also an

opportunity for families to be together and share activities that our

busy lives often don’t allow.

One of the major shortfalls in Huntington Beach is sufficient space

for organized youth sports. The original plan was for school sites to be

neighborhood convenient and usable by sports groups in addition to city

parks. What has evolved is the rezoning and selling off of school sites

as surplus, to fund school district short falls, all at a time when the

population of the city is growing. Along with the growth in population

has come more kids and a greater demand for space for youth sports.

Many existing city facilities are leased out to adult sports groups

who pay substantial fees for their use. Fees that also support the park

infrastructure. Some have argued that youth groups should have priority

on those facilities, but the reality is most youth sports groups can’t

afford the fees, and if subsidized by the city would only create another

expense for the city.

Regarding the cost of the facility, there is rarely a good time for a

city to spend money. If the project had been built when it was originally

proposed, it would have probably cost less. Postponing it now will not

make it cost less -- only canceling it will accomplish that and frankly

canceling is not anacceptable alternative. The cleanup of the site, as

noted in the article, is the bulk of the cost involved and will have to

be dealt with sooner or later. Dealing with it later will only cost more

than it is already projected to cost.

As for the question of self-funding, many activities in the city are

not self funded, nor do they even attempt to be so. The library system,

sewer repairs, fines and cleaning up Bolsa Chica are all projects

supported by the city and none, to my knowledge are self funded. With the

sports complex the city is at least trying to accomplish that goal.

I’ve been a resident of Huntington Beach for more than 10 years and

during that time I’ve seen most of the land south of Ellis Avenue turned

from open hills into housing, resulting in more kids, who still don’t

have adequate facilities on which to play. The site of the sports

facility is the last remaininglarge tract of land in the city that could

support such an activity. One of my concerns is that if we don’t build it

now, in two years, or three, or five, the land will be sold to some

developer who will build more houses resulting in more kids who still

won’t have a place for their organized sports activities.

I hope that the supporters of the complex will not remain silent and

will let the supporting council members know that their efforts are

appreciated. I further hope that the seemingly endless efforts to derail

this project will fail, as given the continued growth of the city, the

need for youth sports facilities will become more important not less.

BARRY WILLIAMS

President, Oceanview Little League

Huntington Beach