Letters to the Editor: Dec. 15, 2011

Call to action in Rossmoor

Rossmoor homeowners, we need to take action. There is potential affect on Rossmoor property values, traffic and quality of life.

Are you aware of the following? There are six entries to The Shops of Rossmoor from St. Cloud/Montecito. The only double turn lane from Seal Beach Boulevard to the Shops is at St. Cloud from Seal Beach Boulevard.

 There are major new stores going into the Shops center: Toys R Us, Babies R Us (where the old Albertson’s was located—a 47,000-square-foot building), Rite Aid with drive thru that empties onto St. Cloud and In & Out Burger, two new tenants at the Stats location (one may be Staples).

 There are 1.5 acres dedicated to low income housing for the city of Seal Beach in the Shops Center.  The 37 units were necessary to provide Seal Beach the necessary housing required by the state. It should be noted that Seal Beach has not upgraded their required low income housing since 1990. They had 17 options/locations to put this housing: Why in our backyard?

There has not been a traffic study of the area since 2003.

There has never been a traffic study done on St. Cloud.

Ned Brines

Rossmoor

Shop local

Thank you, Nat Ferguson, for the “shop local” mantra. There were sensible, useful ideas for a new “Seal Beach Christmas tradition.” Good suggestions for gifts that support local businesses such as hair salons, barber shops, car detailing, local cleaning ladies for mom, restaurants etc. Because of your article I will be supporting local merchants this holiday and in the future.  Keep America’s money here in this country, this city, this town. Good job.

Elle Brannigan,

Seal Beach Leisure World

Qualified landscapers hired

We are so grateful that the truth regarding ALM has finally come out. At the Thursday, Dec. 8 Golden Rain Foundation meeting in Club House 4, documentation of double billing that has been on going for quite a long time was read, and close ties with former Leisure World General Manager Bill Narang were uncovered.

We are grateful for our new landscaper Gabe, who has a degree in horticulture, served two tours of duty in Viet Nam, owns his company with his father, and will be working with Kevin Hutchins (who received his degree from Ruckers University with a 4.0 GPA and took care of Arnold Palmers golf course.) Both men have special qualifications with golf courses and gave exceedingly impressive talks at the GRF meeting. I wish you all could have been there.

All but three Golden Rain Foundation Board members voted to hire this company. Only three (Walton, Reimers, and Pipenberg) stated they wanted ALM “because they were cheaper.” It was pointed out to them that the double billing made ALMs bid irrelevant, but they didn’t change their vote. I think two board members were absent.

It’s very exciting to know that we will now have a company that has proper equipment and professionally trained assistants and not workmen picked up at Home Depot. They appear to have high integrity and a passion for their work. I wish to thank the Foundation board for its excellent choice, for its honesty, integrity, and fiduciary duty to the Leisure World shareholders in this particular matter.

Congratulations and Happy Holidays,

Shalla Callahan

Seal Beach Leisure World