Try asking why we live in Surf...
Try asking why we live in Surf City
How about asking readers “Why did you choose to live in Huntington
Beach?”
For us, we chose it because it’s not Irvine or Newport, and it’s
not L.A. People in Huntington Beach seem more relaxed, carefree and
less pretentious. The sterile, super-planned community just didn’t
have any appeal to us ... and you can’t beat the beach (though there
is something to be said about doing some planning, which is something
to discuss another time).
I also love that we have dog beach, dog park and a doggie
restaurant. The wetlands is a great escape as are Central Park and
the library. With the arrival of our little boy last year, the new
sports complex works in very well, as we hope to spend many weekends
there with soccer, baseball and any other sport he hopes to try. And,
since my husband has a horrid commute, it’s wonderful that we have
bike lanes (though they could be wider) so we can actually go many
weekends without even getting into a car.
Yes, I agree, there are some things about Huntington Beach that
are annoying, and there’s always room for improvement, but maybe if
we figured out what brought people to Huntington Beach, the City
Council, city planners, or whoever the powers may be, might have a
better idea of where their focus should be.
ISABELLA FORD
Huntington Beach
Downtown caters only to vendors
I am saddened by the recent lack of commitment by our city to
undertake and develop a plan of assessment for closing Main Street to
motor traffic. On our city Web page it states:
“The crown jewel of the recreational system is its nearly nine
miles of spacious, sandy beaches. Huntington Beach has one of the
largest pleasure piers in the world, and is the longest concrete pier
in the state. The city’s park system includes 58 public parks (with a
dog park), riding stables and the largest city-owned and operated
regional park in Orange County -- Huntington Central Park. Also
within the city’s boundaries are three miles of equestrian trails,
two golf courses, 72 tennis courts, a marina and a protected wildlife
preserve. And, running parallel to Pacific Coast Highway and just
steps from the ocean, is an eight-mile strand perfect for biking,
inline skating, jogging, or a leisurely stroll.”
Nothing is said of our Downtown shopping district. Why? Because it
is there for serving the vendors’ interests only. With a community of
200,000 people, it is a loss for our community to have Downtown only
catering to the interests of a few.
WOLFGANG MEYERS
Huntington Beach
But I have a solution to the problem
I have a great solution to the cigarette butt dilemma. I can
remember as a child, there used to be hundreds of soda cans lining
the streets. Once a law was passed and a recycling program was
mandated, the area was soon cleaned up. To this day, I see people
going around picking up cans all over.
So, to solve the problem, add a 5-cent deposit to each butt. I bet
we’d see a lot of people cleaning up after themselves. If there are
24 cigarettes in a pack, that’s $1.20. So, if you smoke and you don’t
save your butts, you’ll pay an extra $1.20 per pack. I’ll guarantee
that many people would go out and pick up those butts to get that
money. If you thought a full trash bag of soda cans was worth some
cash, just imagine a trash bag full of cigarette butts.
The plan only penalizes those who ultimately buy (and throw out on
streets, beaches, etc.) their cigarette butts. While cigarette makers
would certainly vehemently protest, in the end they would pass on the
charges to their customers. They would be held responsible for
figuring out a way of either recycling or environmentally managing
their own trash.
It’s also much nicer than my original plan, which entailed keeping
garbage bags full of cigarette butts in the trunk of my car,
following the littering culprits to their homes and then dumping
whole bags upon their lawns, flower gardens, front porches, etc.
RUSSELL SNIDER
Huntington Beach
Smoking should be banned on beaches
Yes, I think that Surf City should ban smoking on the city beaches
and at the pier. Obvious reasons are health.
JERRY ARRIOLA
Huntington Beach
I agree with ban of smoking on beaches, and I’m a smoker. As much
as I’ll hate not being able to smoke on the beach, it’s real trashy
and they should start issuing litterbug tickets, too.
DEBBIE ESKEW
Huntington Beach
I think Surf City should ban smoking on city beaches. I live near
the harbor, and there are butts floating around that I pick out of
the water, and when I walk along the beaches, I am always picking up
butts. So, I think it’s a great idea. Thank you.
HONEY HOLLAND
Huntington Beach
Smoking at beaches least of our problems
I’m kind of amazed at the outcry against cigarette smoking on the
beach. Are cigarettes such an intense problem that we need to get the
police involved? Not really. I don’t like looking at fat people
wearing thongs on the beach, but that’s not a police issue either.
The two big arguments I’m hearing are concerns about cigarette
butt pollution and second-hand smoke. Isn’t pollution from junk food
wrappers and beverage containers a bigger issue that cigarette butts?
Should we outlaw food and beverages at the beach as well? There’s an
obvious hypocrisy to bourgeois yuppies complaining about cigarette
smoke while driving to the beach in gas-guzzling SUVs that produce
more toxic emissions than cartons and cartons of cigarettes. Banning
SUVs from parking at the beach would do a lot more to protect the
environment and make parking a lot easier too. I’m more offended by
people driving Hummers than I am by cigarettes.
I’m a lifelong nonsmoker, and I have asthma. I don’t permit
smoking in my home or my car. When I go back East to visit family and
friends, I dread going into smoke-filled taverns and restaurants. I
don’t care if someone wants to light up on the beach.
The law says they can legally destroy their body, and the beach is
a wide-open space where their smoke easily dissipates. I agree that
tossing cigarette butts into the sand is rude, but it’s not a police
issue. The Huntington Beach Police have better things to do than
chase after cigarette smokers. Education and peer pressure are far
more effective ways of changing behavior than simply passing laws
that will be enforced selectively at best. Let’s forget this proposed
law and have the City Council focus on real issues.
JIM ERWIN
Huntington Beach
We don’t need or want Pacific City
I own a home in Huntington Beach, and I absolutely do not want to
see Pacific City built here. The city is getting congested, and the
traffic is increasing, and the last thing we need is an eight-story
hotel and 500 condos. I am sickened by the building that continues on
Pacific Coast Highway and elsewhere in our city. When is this going
to stop? Revenue is the only thing that the City Council thinks
about, and when they get it, they use it for sports complexes that we
don’t need rather than fixing the things that need to be repaired
here. This has been continually repeated in this city. The quality of
life in Huntington Beach continues to suffer because of these
ridiculous decisions.
I moved to Huntington Beach years ago because of its quiet
atmosphere and simplicity. The City Council’s decisions continue to
destroy this simplicity year by year. We don’t need any more tall
buildings here. This isn’t New York City, it’s Huntington Beach.
VICKI KUNKEL
Huntington Beach
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