FIDO howls about Fiesta Island plan
The city is currently working on plans to develop Fiesta Island. Two unrelated articles that have some relevance to this recently appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune. One (“Dogs make good workout buddies”) stated the results of a study showing the human health benefits of exercising with your dogs.
Owners who exercise with their dogs weigh about six pounds less on average than those that don’t. The second article by columnist Gerry Braun discussed how Mission Bay is slowly being filled in with silt, making it potentially dangerous, and that some areas are becoming impassable for larger boats. It would cost about $5 million annually to dredge the area to keep the channels open but the city has no money to do this.
However, the city is going to spend $150 million to $200 million to put in picnic tables, grass and parking lots on Fiesta Island (plus the millions of dollars a year to maintain it). In the process, the 97-acre fenced off-leash area that dog owners have been using to hike, run and bike with their dogs is going to be reduced to 71 acres. Additionally, the area will be cut up with a road and parking lots, making it no better than the small neighborhood parks which are too small to allow adequate space to exercise in. While the Fiesta Island Dog Owners (FIDO) have tried to convince the city that this one large contiguous area is irreplaceable to the people who exercise there, the city has turned a deaf ear. While the dog owners are the largest user group on the island, their input has been virtually ignored.
So, will we eventually have a bay that can only be used by paddleboats because the city has no money to maintain it? But, we are going to spend millions to eliminate the one area in the entire city where health-minded citizens can exercise with their dogs. It doesn’t make sense to me. If you agree, I suggest you contact FIDO through their Web site at www.fidosd.com.
Debra Madden, La Jolla

Donkeys support the seals
As the president of the Pacific Beach Democratic Club, our members are really concerned that our District 2 city councilman, honorable Kevin Faulconer, does not feel that the seals at Casa Beach, AKA the Children’s Pool, should be protected from direct contact with people year round.
These beautiful animals are mammals like ourselves and need a minimum of seven to ten hours to come in from the water and rest to re-oxygenate their blood.
Are we so miserly that we would deny them their right to a safe resting place when we have 73 miles of beaches for us to use? A marine sanctuary at Casa Beach would provide the seals a safe haven to rest and take care of their pups.
I urge Mr. Faulconer to act like a true environmentalist and protect the seals at Casa Beach from direct contact with people by declaring this beach a marine sanctuary. The Pacific Beach Democratic Club has voted to support the marine sanctuary proposal. At the very least Mr. Faulconer should support having a rope line up year-round which will also discourage harassment.
Maritza Gates, Pacific Beach Democratic Club