Chancellor’s House to be preserved
Regarding your March 20, page 7, “Reprieve from the Wrecking Ball” with photo of the UC San Diego Chancellor’s House, we applaud the action of UC San Diego officials in dropping their plans to demolish this historic house, home to past UCSD chancellors, designed in 1952 by noted architect William Lumpkins for the William Black family. Future chancellors, students, faculty and guests of the university will be fortunate to know a graceful residence that links future with past through the route of renovation and preservation.
The La Jolla Historical Society is pleased to have filed the application with the State Historic Preservation Office that led to the unanimous decision to advance this remarkable property to Washington, D.C., for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
We worked with the Kumeyaay Cultural Repatriation Committee and Save Our Heritage Organisation in the effort to preserve this building and its site, and we look forward to working with the University as it plans for the renovation and preservation of the property.

Roger Craig, President of the Board, La Jolla Historical Society

Let’s address parking issue in constructive way
I was disappointed not to receive a call from your reporter prior to the publication of the March 20 story on the La Jolla Parking Community District Advisory Board (“City attorney to investigate La Jolla parking board,” page 1). In that article, several allegations are made about me, allegations to which I was not offered a chance to respond.
I continue to be open to any strategy that will adequately address the historic parking shortage in La Jolla. I have stated in the past that I would never support the implementation of paid on-street parking in La Jolla unless the revenue was returned to the neighborhood to beautify our streets and create additional parking. I’ve also stated many times that I remain equally open to the possibility of a plan that specifically excludes paid on-street parking. It is my desire to have the community work out this issue on the local level so that all points of view can be taken into account, but the inability of the parking board to meet and accept public comment has frustrated that process.
I have met with, and will continue to welcome communication with, all “sides” of this issue. In addition to my conversations with paid parking proponents, I recently met with Karl Zobell, Keith Kelman and Orrin Gabsch, three of the most outspoken opponents of paid parking, among others. Not to mention the hundreds of conversations I have had with community members at the grocery store, while getting coffee and at speaking engagements with groups such as the Rotary Club. While I do not want to interfere with the community discussion, I see regular communication as part of my job.
I support the disclosure by parking board members of any financial interests that would be affected by amendments to parking regulations, appreciating that we intentionally tried to find business owners to be on the board. I am pleased that, at my request, the City Attorney has begun working with the boards and the community to draft a more reasonable version of the disclosure requirements and I look forward to addressing the disclosure issues at Council in April so we can adopt a code that promotes transparency and respects privacy, and which will allow the community to get back to work.
I hope the community joins me in addressing this issue in a constructive way, leaving false accusations and other nasty tactics at the door. I look forward to helping the community devise a parking management plan that works for residents and visitors alike and that enhances the character of our community.

Scott Peters, City Council President

Steps to end the rancor
The Aug. 12, 1999 La Jolla “Parking Advisory Committee” report (see 1 adjacent) states in its first paragraph: “The issue of whether or not there is a parking problem within the Village has been a hot topic of debate for several years” and people agree that increased popularity of the Village has an impact on parking, but there remains “disagreement as to whether the impact is positive or negative, and to what extent a parking problem really exists in the Village.” In November of 2002, Councilmember Scott Peters wrote a letter (see 2 adjacent) saying, “In La Jolla, nothing is unanimous, but almost everyone agrees that we have a parking problem “¦ I am particularly interested in the effects (positive and negative) that pay and display would have on the village’s experience … I am not committed to any particular strategy, but I want to bring this long journey to an end.”
I believe that three flaws in Mr. Peters’ strategy for La Jolla have fabricated an organizational structure that was doomed to create the rancor that exists today. The flaws are (A) failing to recognize how many people do not agree that La Jolla has a parking problem, (B) failing to define and obtain consensus about the putative problem before committing to fix it, and (C) failing to recognize the historical and continuous opposition to defiling La Jolla’s character with any kind of parking meter.
To end the rancor, I hope that paid street parking would be removed from discussion and that consensus would be built by addressing only one parking opportunity at a time. The first opportunity might be the finding in a recent study of Del Mar (see 3 below) that worse than an actual parking problem “the perception of a parking problem is, in and of itself, an even more significant problem” (see 3 below). If so, La Jolla could immediately begin helping itself by helping visitors to more easily find existing garages, valets, and street parking with user friendly street signs, paper maps and Web site.

(1)http://www.lajollabythesea.
com/docs/parking/parking-advisory-committee-report.html

(2)http://www.sandiego.gov/
citycouncil/cd1/neighborhoods/lajolla/ljlight/parking.shtml

(3) Pages 47-48 at: http://www.delmarmainstreet.com/downloads/Del%20Mar%20-%20Revitalization%20plan.pdf
John Berol, La Jolla

Lost pet posters
While I was happy to hear the Patton family found their family cat (“The caring side of La Jolla,” Letter to the Editor, Feb. 28, page 8), they did not mention that they took down all the posters they put up. I would like to ask anyone putting up a poster to come back and take them down. Even better ” dedicate a section of your paper to “Lost Pets” and eliminate the posters altogether!
Chris Cott, Windansea

The Easter miracle
We want to thank the people that helped our dog out on Easter morning on Fay Avenue. Our little Yorkie was hit by a car, which we learned then sped off. Stopping to help out were two very kind women, but by the looks of it, our 7 pound Nala the Bear was dead. Actually, we were quite sure Nala did not survive by the way she looked laying in the street. It was awful. We also want to acknowledge the little miracle that followed and thank God for answering our prayers.
Not knowing what else to do, in our panic of finding Nala, we rushed into the car and drove to the animal ER. Nala was not breathing, so we made attempts at CPR but her jaw was locked and clenched shut; we had to at least try through her nose. After several intense minutes of crying and trying to get some sign from her, her body still looked lifeless, but her little tongue emerged to try and lick. We prayed the whole way there that she would survive.
Upon arrival at the Kearney Mesa ER, we handed her over to the doctors, who were able to stabilize her condition. Then after an hour of waiting for her tests and diagnostics to be run, the doctor was able to tell us how she was doing. Expecting the worst, we were already in tears and praying every last second until he walked in our visiting room. What he told us we could not believe. Nala had emerged without any broken bones and no real signs of injury. She only had red blood vessels in her eyes, which might have been from impact close to her head. Other than that, our little girl was apparently fine!
The doctor said he could not explain how a tiny dog could survive a hit from a car and had witnessed other seemingly devastating accidents where some pets were able to escape without injury. Twenty-four hours later, Nala is walking with a slight limp and is in her spirits of licking and pigging out again. We love her very much, and thank everyone who was able to help us through the intensity of thinking we lost our little girl. Thank you to Jesus for answering our prayers. This truly was our Easter miracle.
The Behl family, La Jolla

A walk in their shoes
Response to the article written by reporter Alyssa Ramos concerning the homeless in La Jolla and Esther Viti’s solution to rid our fair city of its unfortunate people (Village News, March 13, page 3).
I was saddened by the rather callous and insensitive remarks stated by Esther Viti in the recent article re: “Villages homeless population makes headlines.” If Ms. Viti would spend one or two days on the streets and change places with a homeless woman, walk in her shoes, wear her clothes, eat her food, sleep where she finds a place, and have people cross the street to avoid passing her, Ms. Viti just might think of these things as she returns to her warm, comfortable home and perhaps sheltered life.
I am grateful to God that I am not homeless nor friendless. He provides for my needs and will provide for the needs of others through those who are willing to share their time, their money and their prayers.
Only one man, Chris, was cited in the article. Only one out of hundreds in the San Diego area.
The so-called “bums,” the “sick,” and the “undesirables,” the very persons with who Jesus walked and befriended. I cannot believe Ms. Viti would advocate “hiring” people to sit on our benches, which were erected for all regardless of wealth or poverty, so that others could not use them. What kind of a person would accept the job of “telling others to move on”? Of whose real inconvenience is it if a homeless person stands on our exclusive streets or sits on our exclusive benches? He or she does not block foot traffic or harass anyone. The homeless I have met and talked to and know by name are simply down on their luck, not dangerous, nor are they bothersome. They are only grateful that someone would care.
Perhaps, Ms. Viti, the “beautification” funds might be better spent, not on negative and hurtful actions, but on projects the city needs to address.
I wish to thank San Diego Police Captain Shelly Zimmerman for reminding all of us that, indeed, it is not against the law to be homeless.
So, instead of “taking back our benches,” La Jollans, let’s “give away our hearts” and practice the golden rule.
Cindy Peterson, La Jolla resident since 1961