If you are lucky enough to have a home by the beach, you are lucky enough to hear the ocean in the morning, watch the sun set at night and sometimes … you may have to clean the sand out of your toes. This is just a byproduct of living by the beach.??It has been my recent experience that some neighbors of Point Loma High School (PLHS) are taking issue with the noise and traffic that are results of the PLHS stadium facility when it is being used as it was intended. This includes, but is not limited to, drop-off and pick-up of players and fans, the public address system and cheers of the enthusiastic spectators who are showing support for the kids and families in our community. A few weekends ago, our flag football team of 5- to 7-year-olds were told not to cheer loud. We were not allowed to use the public stadium entrance on the bleacher side of the field or use the public parking on Voltaire Street and adjacent streets. For many alumni, this is the only entrance we are familiar with in association to sporting events in our stadium. Several parents and visitors missed part of the game trying to figure out how to get into the stadium. To some up my issues, I’m going to quote a dear friend of mine, Jim Chavarria. He is a parent, concerned citizen and former PLHS student. “When I attended PLHS (1990-93) the surrounding neighbors had similar issues. They complained that kids left trash in their yards and smoked on their properties during our open-campus lunch period. They complained of the gangs, graffiti and fights that spilled over into their yards. Police began clearing the bad apples out of the area and peace was restored for the neighbors. The neighbors ended up winning that battle and the open-campus lunches ended (understandably so). “The issue today is completely different and completely WRONG! I believe that our message to the neighbors of PLHS should be that these are POSITIVE events taking place and the by-product is that the homeowners have a quality school in their neighborhood that INCREASES their home values.” Now, having attended PLHS (1986-90) myself, I have to wonder if these are the same neighbors who are complaining about a totally different topic 20 years later. I certainly recognized some of the neighbors from 20 years ago, and it frustrates me that our PLHS administrators and concerned parents have to spend their most precious resource —TIME — to accommodate these complaints, when there are far more important scholastic issues to address. Let’s give the voice to the families that want to preserve the rites of passage for our young athletes who train diligently. They shed blood, sweat and tears to play the games and they deserve a public address system, stadium lights (which the neighbors have fought hard not to allow), as well as parking and access on Voltaire Street. Our children deserve the full stadium experience that inspires positive things. Please remember, if you’re lucky enough to own a home by Point Loma High School, you are lucky enough to hear the excitement of crowds cheer as children’s dreams come true. The price for this experience is minor and temporary; loud cheering, and traffic from the night before when a community came together to witness great moments of their relative, friend, teammate or fellow student. It’s just a byproduct owning a home nestled to our beloved Point Loma High School. Help be part of the solution, not the problem.