Forget Albertsons, rejoice in Loan Ranger departure
I must admit, I have been greatly inconvenienced by the departure of our wonderful Albertsons store. I too have cried myself to sleep many nights based on my failure to purchase Albertsons stock prior to the Krogman buyout. But that is neither here nor there.
For just a moment, I would like to direct the focus of the community’s attention to another recent, but far more exciting and significant local departure – The Loan Ranger!
Indeed, the horrible pawn shop on Newport Avenue, that for years loyally exchanged “buy money” for the fruits of our back yards, has finally been ousted. I am afraid that I will not shed a tear as this cancer to the community has retreated down its unsavory hole.
Simply put, pawn shops and paycheck cashing/advance shops truly represent the absolute dredges of society as they prey on those whose luck has simply bottomed-out. It is glorious that they have moved on! So to the operators of the Slovenly Ranger please hear these words, “Good riddance to you. If karma does exist, I hope it finds you soon for all of the sorrow that you have sewn!”
Todd Strong, Point Loma

NTC referrals were inaccurate
There are some glaring omissions in Pauline O’Malley’s (“Leave Lindbergh Alone,” June 1, 2006) claim that the Naval Training Center should have been used as a site for a second runway at Lindbergh Field, rather than be redeveloped into Liberty Station.
First, the city, community and Navy spent more than five years and hundreds of public meetings to determine the reuse plan for NTC. To say that “somebody wasn’t using their head” would be to condemn the thousands of people who participated in that process. Was Ms. O’Malley part of that process? Did she suggest a runway at the time?
Next, the Navy gave the land at NTC to the city under an Economic Development Conveyance, which carried with it very specific criteria for its reuse. The reuse plan, per the EDC, must return dollars and jobs to the community that left with the 25,000 sailors living and working here. A runway through the middle of Point Loma would do the exact opposite. And imagine the congestion through Point Loma with an expanded Lindbergh Field.
In addition to $125 million in infrastructure work in and around the project, including city approved road improvements, there are now 349 families living at Liberty Station.
There are an additional 500 military families living on adjacent former NTC land. Hundreds of children go to school here. Dozens of companies with hundreds of employees are doing business here.
Soon there will be a marketplace, a refurbished golf course, a 46-acre regional park and an arts and culture center that will be home to dozens of non-profit groups.
We think the people involved in the reuse planning for NTC did a superb job and we are proud to implement their vision.

Greg Block, Community Relations Manager, The Corky McMillin Companies

Lindbergh should stay
With reference to the location of the airport, I thoroughly agree with the letter signed Pauline O’Malley.
It should stay where it is. The city has wasted hundreds of thousand of dollars trying to find a place to relocate. They seem to have settled on Miramar, which is not approved by the federal government.
Lindbergh Field is ideally located for passengers, business, hotels and transportation. The local residents have lived with and accepted the noise factor, so why not leave it where it is and spend the money on needed improvements such as sewers, streets, etc.
Ada May Powers, Point Loma

City must improve construction projects
This past weekend I drove down Santa Monica Avenue to the beach at the main lifeguard tower and as I made the turn at Abbott Street I was astonished to see a new concrete apron in the street with wide, deep gaps on each side with no protection whatsoever for the public.
The gaps were not only wide and deep, but the apron itself was at a lower elevation than the existing asphalt. This was an absolutely inexcusable safety hazard to the public and if anyone had injured themselves on a bicycle or a motorcycle, they would have had an easy lawsuit against the city.
On Sunday, I took pictures of this condition that also occurred at Saratoga and Abbott. Then, I drove the length of the street and was equally amazed to see five blocks of Abbott closed off during the entire weekend and the repair work looked like the street had been hit by a bombing raid.
I e-mailed the pictures to the city Monday morning and demanded that the proper protection measures be taken. I received a response from city Inspector Jose Navarro. He admitted this was a serious error and told me that the inspector for the project was instructed to remedy the problem immediately. When I checked Monday evening, the protection measures were taken.
Several years ago a city project went down Newport Avenue and the condition of the street was terrible. I took 48 photographs and delivered them to the city who had the contractor out the next day fixing every location.
My point in writing this letter is to tell everyone that these conditions do not have to be tolerated and they represent real liabilities to every taxpayer in the city, not to mention very real threats of injury to people we care about.
The only reason these conditions persist is because the city isn’t hearing enough complaints. The city relaxes all of its safety and construction standards on its own capital improvement projects and we all suffer.
Has anyone noticed the 6″ wide cuts through many of the concrete aprons in OB patched with asphalt? These were made to accommodate water “high lines,” temporary surface water lines put in by city crews for water main replacement projects.
These lines lay in the gutters but have to be buried in street crossings, thus the little 6″ wide trenches. These cuts and the asphalt repairs would never be tolerated by any contractor doing any work other than a city project. The code requires replacement of full concrete panels. Patching concrete with asphalt is never acceptable.
In other places, the city placed concrete in aprons and around water valves, but instead of using 3000psi concrete with proper-sized rock, they used an inferior mixture with pea gravel and all of these patches are deteriorating.
Don’t let the city get away with this treatment of those of us who live in the community and pay the taxes they are jeopardizing and wasting. Call. Call often. They have to respond.

Geoff Page, Ocean Beach

SeaWorld should convert to pressurized air canons
We are writing this letter because we are not happy having SeaWorld as our neighbor. The noise generated from the fireworks, especially during the summer months, is very disruptive to our lives.
A recent letter to the editor ("SeaWorld should work to be a good neighbor," Peninsula Beacon, May 11) by Karl A. Korhun addressed the SeaWorld fireworks noise issue and the fact that there are other means by which to explode them and thereby making the area quieter for its surrounding neighbors.
From 1965 to 1988 we owned a house at the corner of Diamond and Dawes streets in Pacific Beach on the other end of St. Brigid’s Catholic Church. Sometime prior to 1988, a few neighbors complained about the beautiful church bells we so enjoyed on Sunday mornings, and they were quieted.
Since 1988, we have lived in Loma Portal, and ever since then, we have been annoyed by the dreadful explosions generated by the SeaWorld fireworks. In the summer months, when the fireworks are frequent and people typically keep their windows open for air ventilation, the noise is especially irritating.
We are the owners of two beautiful greyhounds. They are quiet, obedient and a pleasure to have around, except when the fireworks go off. They become nervous and afraid, anxious and apprehensive. In short, they are terrified of loud noises. In order to keep them calm, we have to close all windows and doors, no matter how hot it is in the house. Some people, as well as small children we know in this area, have early bedtimes because of work or school schedules, and I’m am sure they find the explosions disruptive as well.
The noise generated by SeaWorld’s fireworks is by far not as pleasant as the church bells in Pacific Beach, yet no one seems to have enough clout to quiet them. We hereby ask that SeaWorld consider converting to pressurized air to launch the fireworks in an effort to be a better neighbor.

Annelie Brinkman & Carlos Gutierrez, Loma Portal