Spring Fling was delightful
The Bazzeni Wellness Center Spring Fling annual membership appreciation luncheon recently at St. Mary’s was fantastic. The huge room was elegantly decorated with colorful balloons and the round tables with beautiful bouquets.
Some gorgeous women donned lovely spring attire with matching hats while some men wore their best suits. The festive atmosphere was very enchanting. Music was provided by a guest opera singer and he entertained with lovely songs as well as his magic talents.
Audience participation was delightful. Nutritious and delicious meals were served by friendly caterers. The photographer was busy taking photos of the jolly members. Surprisingly, some won prizes. I doff my hat to dynamic and well organized staff members and volunteers who made this overwhelming Spring Fling full of excitement and success. I surely enjoyed the afternoon to the brim.
Lisa A. Dickson
Leisure World-Mutual 1
Stinky hot water
After a year of complaints I had to file a claim in Small Claims Court.
The judge was not in favor to make a judgment for a hot water heater circulation pump with a timer to have the hot water circulate through copper pipes from the kitchen to the bathroom to avoid “Rotten Foul Smelling” hot water. The judgment we agreed on was cleaning the hot water heater four times a year at the mutual expense.
This will not take care of the problem (rotten foul hot water smell due to 50 plus year old pipes). As stated by the mutual VP the replacement of the very old pipes is not scheduled for another four to five years due to lack of funds.
Peter Meuter
Mutual 9
Leisure World
Pier repair should be competitive
Is it really a surprise to anyone that the Seal Beach pier had a fire?
The city of Seal Beach abandoned the former Ruby’s diner and bait shop area and fenced the area off from the general public. A fenced-off area is quite an enticement for a homeless person to set-up camp. If city officials had negotiated a deal with many of the potential suitors for the choice restaurant site this would have never happened in the first place. The pier has been closed for almost three years and the city has recently announced that it needs three more years to negotiate a deal for a new tenant.
Why is it that Santa Monica has a park on its pier filled with restaurants (14), shops, aquarium and an amusement park with rides and Seal Beach cannot get one restaurant opened? The answer is that the city of Seal Beach is poorly managed from the top to the bottom. The city said it was suing Ruby’s diner for damages three years ago. What is the result of that effort besides higher legal fees for the tax payer? The Santa Monica pier has had 25 movies filmed there to generate revenue and a like number of television shows. The money that is generated certainly pays for maintenance of their pier.
Giving the city manager emergency powers to restore the pier is a major mistake. The only way to garner a decent price for the repairs is to get competitive bids. The city in the past has shown that it is not well versed in such transactions. The city of Newport Beach has partnered with the Bluewater restaurant group to develop a restaurant at the end of the Newport pier. This is the same group that the city of Seal Beach walked away from for no apparent reason. The Bluewater group has a cost sharing agreement with the city that should be a model for Seal Beach. The city of Newport has also worked a deal with the Ruby’s people to construct a replica lighthouse restaurant.
It certainly looks like the city will proceed ahead with little or no accountability. You should embark upon a project when all costs are estimated and are deemed fair and reasonable. You definitely should not spend as you go—as the city has intimated it will do.
Dennis J. Dill
Seal Beach
Fires and Gum Grove pondered
In the past edition of the Sun, 5-28-16, articles and stories discussed the fire at the end of the pier, the memorial for “John and Eddie” who died tragically in an arson fire and the Coastal Commission investigating the tree cutting in Gum Grove Park. Damaging fire would seem to link these stories.
When I first heard of the Gum Grove cutting down of 150 “100-year old trees,” I was appalled that this could happen in a neighborhood full of active, involved people. I have been to the Gum Grove numerous times during my 14 years in Seal Beach, and read the signs that give the hours the gate is opened and closed every day by city staff. There is no way you could carry on a logging operation and cut down 150 – 100 year old trees without the neighbors and city staff knowing it. From reading earlier editions of the “SUN” I did see a picture of what I thought was a small portion of the tree removal area. I have been to the sight twice since the picture appeared.
The picture in the Sun captures nearly all of the “150 trees.” The highly stressed small tree shown in the picture is typical of the trees cut in the Sun article. While I don’t condone a private party cutting or trimming trees in a public park I can understand why the owners of housing bordering Gum Grove Park would have fear of damage due to a fire in this unkempt, drought stressed, jungle of tinder dry bushes, weeds and trees.
With the fires we have experienced these past few weeks I would hope the city staff would work with the Fire Department to set up at least a firebreak between the houses and the combustible growth in the park. Fire hydrants in that neighborhood should be checked and best access to the Gum Grove should be determined and practiced.
Pat Kearns
Seal Beach
Army’s birthday coming up
“The Army Is Still Rolling Along …” Fourteen June is our Army’s 241st Birthday.
The U.S. Army was chartered and established on June 14th 1775 by the Continental Congress. This same date is also Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of our flag, which occurred on 14 June 1777.
These two great institutions are celebrated on the same day.
The U.S.Army has been on duty and protecting the United States before we had a flag … When you are saluting the red, white and blue you are also honoring our American Soldiers and the citizen-soldiers of the National Guard and Army Reserves.
Army Strong, thank a Soldier. Have an all Army Day. Hooah!
LTC Tom Lasser, USA, ret
Los Alamitos
Why dogs need leashes
What is being written could possibly be called an obituary for a cockapoo dog named Happy. Happy was about 9 years old and was adopted from an animal shelter by his owner about seven years ago. Happy was brought home to the SB 55+ Community.
Happy’s owner, Ed has lived in this Community for over 25 years.
Happy was named Happy because his tail was always wagging when he saw Ed and other friends. Happy had been through a lot with Ed since Ed fell and had to have a hip replacement. So at that time Ed bought a scooter so he could walk Happy three or four times daily. While they were walking, when someone saw Happy they would ask if they could pet Happy. Of course, and Happy would sit down and let any human pet him. To let you know this was a very kind and loving little dog.
Then on Saturday, May 28, 2016, Happy was being taken for a walk by a unit in the 55+ Community. Ed, the owner of Happy, stopped to talk to the man in front of this unit. Happy sat down on the sidewalk next to Ed’s scooter. All of a sudden someone opened up an 8-foot high gate and a small dog came running out and jumped on Happy biting Happy’s neck, leg and eye. This killer dog did not have a collar or leash on and had to be removed by two men and Ed’s cane.
Ed immediately took Happy, bleeding, to the Animal Hospital in Long Beach. There they took Happy to the operating room and repaired his body with stitches and inserting a catheter in Happy’s neck. What horrific pain and suffer for this kind loving dog.
There are no words to explain the suffering this poor loving, kind dog went through because this type of killer dog is allowed to live in the 55+ Community. Happy seemed to be doing OK on Sunday, May 29 with the medicine and walking in the house. But he was afraid to go outside, so Ed carried him and sat Happy on his lap on the patio. However, on Monday, May 30 Happy was gagging and had trouble breathing. But Ed picked Happy up and took him outside again in the fresh air. As the gagging continued Ed put Happy in his bed. HAPPY DIED ON MONDAY, MAY 30 AT 6:30 p.m. He is now resting in peace.
Carol Franz
Seal Beach
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