Mailbag: Time for Dwyer ‘exhibit’ to close

Congratulations on securing the Christo Solar Panel Exhibit at Dwyer Middle School (“Setting up solar panels,” Feb. 17). It is truly a striking work of environmental art. The monstrous exhibit makes us stop and realize how the beauty of historical buildings and open spaces that have been enjoyed by generations can be destroyed by the whims of a few elected officials. What a great learning experience for our kids. Of course, like all Christo works, the exhibit is temporary. We got the message. When is it coming down?

John Fick

Huntington Beach

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Thank you for your well-written article regarding the proposed leasing of the Kettler Elementary School site (“No bids come in for site,” Feb. 17). The comments of neighbors Robert Granger and Nancy Wyckoff were especially helpful in explaining the situation.

I am also a neighbor of Kettler, one who has held property adjacent to the site since before the building was constructed. For the first time that I can recall, the school board notified the neighborhood that it would be addressing the Kettler lease proposal at its upcoming meeting. Usually, decisions have been made with no notification to the neighbors at all. Keeping the community informed as well as asking for its help and input are definitely steps in the right direction toward an answer that should be beneficial to all.

For years, we have had questions about what to do when groups of unsupervised children climb on the school roof or throw rocks at the building. We’ve called out to them ourselves; at the suggestion of a school repair crew, we’ve also called the police and the school board office. The police wanted more information than someone who could only hear the disturbance could give, because a fence obstructed our view, and the school board office isn’t very helpful at night or on weekends.

The Kettler property is in the center of a well-kept neighborhood. It needs to be cared for and used in a way that will be satisfactory to the entire community.

Jean Wheeler

Huntington Beach

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Dog owner doing her part

I loved Chris Epting’s column on keeping dogs on a leash in HB (“Keep your dogs safe — on a leash,” In the Pipeline, Feb. 24). I agree with him 100% and am so sorry to hear about the rudeness he encountered. We just adopted our first dog last month and have tried to be good citizens by cleaning up after our corgi and keeping her on a leash. I took her to the Strand for the first time yesterday, and all was well on that visit.

Jean Rowley

Huntington Beach

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After near miss, a plea to drivers

I am writing this letter to ask Huntington Beach residents to be better drivers and better people.

Recently, I dropped my teenage son’s friend off on Sher Lane next to the stop sign, where pedestrians are supposed to cross. We waited in the car to watch him cross the street to go home. There were no cars close by, so he began to cross.

As he approached the middle of the street, a woman in a large SUV rolled up to the stop sign. She was two feet past the stop sign when her car slowed. My son’s friend hesitated; then, thinking, as we all did, that she would complete her stop, he proceeded. To our horror, the woman hit the gas and lurched forward as he was in front of her. She would have struck him had he not been just far enough in front of her, and had he not been so quick to leap to safety.

The woman finally saw him as he flew past her windshield and immediately honked angrily at him and yelled something, adding insult to the near injury.

As for me, thinking that if I dropped the boy off at the proper place, by a stop sign, waited till no cars were around and watched to see him cross the street to get home, he would be safe — that was dumb.

As for the woman, not stopping at a stop sign and not looking carefully at night — that was bad driving.

Honking and cursing at a young man who did nothing wrong — unforgivable. This woman obviously had children. I have no reason that such a person will realize the error of her actions. I can only ask others: Please, everyone, remember that the person sharing the road with you is someone’s son, brother or family member. They could just as well be yours.

Please drive safely and courteously.

Robyn Boydston

Huntington Beach