Return of Tide Line is welcomed
I wanted to tell you how wonderful it was to see Judith Garfield’s Tide Lines column return to the La Jolla Village News in the Dec. 6 issue (p. B·1).
Congratulations to Judith on getting her graduate degree, and I look forward to reading many more of her wonderful articles about our lovely La Jolla waters.
J. Scott Strayer, La Jolla

Parking plan upsetting
After reading the Proposed Parking Program, I felt I must write to you and ask that you not support this proposal.
I have been a San Diego resident for 20 years, and have raised three children here. My mother also resides in San Diego.
After reviewing the areas involved and considering those that would be affected, I am upset.
Due to the proposed parking-time limits, I would no longer be able to swim at the Cove as I regularly do now. To find parking, walk to the beach, change clothes, swim, change clothing again, and leave ” all within two hours ” is not practical, for many reasons.
First I would like to remind everyone that our collective lifestyle in San Diego is one of involvement with, and enjoyment of, the ocean.
The wonderful weather we have allows us to swim, stroll, and sit outside almost any day of the year.
For our visitors, this is a treat. For those of us who live here, it is a way of life.
Many of us watch the tide calendar and know the seasonal changes as reflected by the ocean’s behavior. We’ve taken our kids grunion hunting, kayak fishing, and surfing. In the winter, during our rains, we know where we can usually see rainbows ” and it’s not far from the beach.
I grew up in Los Angeles, and during the ’50s and ’60s the nearest beaches we favored were Santa Monica, Huntington and Laguna Beach. As you well know, parking at these venues has become stringently monitored (and high-priced); resident parking is regulated, and finding parking there nowadays is so difficult that it acts as a deterrent to almost everyone.
On the one hand, you could argue that public parking is a problem for residents who live near the beach ” they and their guests must be creative to find space during holidays and summer weekends. I grant you, this is true.
I certainly notice this in Del Mar, where some residents rope off parking in front of their homes during special holidays.
On the other hand, it could also be argued that access to beaches is an issue that we must work with. Is trash an issue? Perhaps more frequent rounds by our Sanitation Department are in order. Are there too few bathrooms? I know for sure the Cove facilities are in terrible shape ” can we solve this problem?
If the beachfront residents have complaints, is there another alternative that could solve these problems? Are these issues all related to lack of parking?
As a San Diego resident who has enjoyed the beaches on many occasions, it might not be possible for parents to celebrate their children’s summer birthdays with beach parties, or a family reunion and barbeque because of the unreasonable time limits that make a trip to the beach hardly worth the time.
As a rough water swimmer, it is wonderful to get to the Cove, get in a swim, and relax afterward at one of the many nice coffee shops or restaurants afterwards. I have brought family here, met friends here, and spent many days just relaxing without the usual weekday worry of “what time is it?”
A day’s worth of activity is not possible in four hours, and sometimes not in six either.
Please, don’t turn our beaches and meeting places into a circus of “fast-paced leisure.”
I have been proud to call San Diego my home; please don’t make me apologize to my visiting friends who must be rushed through a “relaxing day at the beach.”
I think the impact on restaurants and La Jolla businesses will be negative. Shoppers certainly enjoy the ability to stroll down Girard or Prospect and take time to window-shop and then enjoy a nice lunch or early dinner nearby.
Thank you for considering my thoughts.

Cynthia O’Keeffe, RN, San Diego