Wednesday, April 25, 2007

A "Point of View" Contribution

Here below is a point of view from Valerie Smith-Griffin.

"Back in the day", as a youth attending Dana Jr. High, I vividly recall the "wars" that routinely simmered between the "Slavs" and the "Croatians" and how one afternoon, while opening my Yellow Submarine lunchbox to Twinkies and Tab, fellow "scrubs" and I wondered if the Croatians REALLY bombed Slav Hall. A few years into the future, there was the mystery and ongoing debate of "urban myth or reality" of the downright eerie "Tin Can Man", who was allegedly a tormented teen that wore tin cans on his feet and roamed the fields of Friendship Park - and only the most foolish would venture into the park at night. Even more enlightening to me and entertaining as hell was the "Paul is Dead" fiasco, and not to be outdone, the Warren Commission Kennedy Assassination debates. In recent years, I have reached the conclusion that while the unsubstantiated "Pedro myths" and the news that universally panicked Beatles fans and roused politicos caused ample commotion, all are as significant as a tinker's dam compared to the topics that seem to be as controversial to San Pedro as the Iraq War is to the world, the Ponte Vista project, and it's second cousin, Eastview Little League.

Because the Ponte Vista project does not include housing for the homeless and poverty/low income (housing), I've decided it to be just another greedy vulture venture. I'm certain that if an 80-year old hotel were on the property, we'd see plans for conversion to $800,000 1-bedroom lofts. I'm uncertain as to where our homeless will go when Pacific Avenue becomes a swift-moving river but I'm certain it won't be Ponte Vista. Hey, maybe they can pitch tents across the street - at Green Hills.

And call me a demented Pedro whore but not all of us feel children should have a priority when it comes to open space. Our dogs? absolutely, but children? No. Not all of us living in San Pedro are parents or, if we are parents, our children have interests other than a mitt and a bat. The BOD ( Board of Directors) needs to stop whining like horny alley cats and find a location outside of Pedro. I don't know about the rest of you but to me, the price of gas ALONE, dictates the urgent need for a Target. I'm not sure where the rest of you buy your softer than a baby's rump toilet paper and ooh-la-la underwear, but I'm not willing to pay $4.00 per gallon en route to Torrance Target as I whiz by DiCarlo's ghostly fields. The delightful screams of children playing are not necessarily music to my ears, thank you. Given the choice, I'd much rather hear the sound of Satellite radio on aisle nine.

Valerie Smith-Griffin
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Well, this is certainly a different contribution than I have seen. I think Ms. Smith-Griffin can imagine how hard she may have punched into the bellies of the former players-now parents of Eastview Little League.

I for one, being a former player at Eastview, am not going to touch this argument with a ten-foot pole. I do find her opinion concerning Ponte Vista to be refreshing and different than many of the opinions I have heard before.

Valerie Smith-Griffin worked on the decade of the 1970's room at the San Pedro High School's Centennial Celebration. She created a panel that was very reflective of her senior class from the high school, and it was by far, the most artistic panel of the decade.

Valerie also took the best photograph of our beloved Cookie that has ever been taken and both Terri and I have that photo deep in our hearts. Cookie, of course, loved being petted by Valerie and everyone else during the construction of the panels in our back yard.

Thank you Valerie, for your contribution. I think it may spur even more debate.
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Editor's note: Ms. Smith-Griffin chose to include her point of view concerning Eastview Little League in a post that also included a point of view concerning Ponte Vista.

Normally this blog does not deal with the very heavy issues surrounding Eastview Little League, but the editor was a former player, has opinions about the issue, but considers this blog is better suited dealing with all things Ponte Vista. Unless and until Bob blinks and allows Eastview Little League land he originally offered to them, I feel Eastview Little League is better suited working with their own Web sites and blogs. For the record, I did sign the Save Eastview Little League petition.

This blog called for Bob to immediately open the gates to the area where the current baseball field now sits on the south side of Ponte Vista. I believe that Bob should step up to the plate and give the league the land as a demonstration that greed is not his only reasoning for keeping them off of that land. Eastview Little League would have ball fields ready for next season, Bob might look less hated in the community, and it would show some folks that MAYBE Bob does understand the words, "community benefit."

I have also called for off-leash dog parks at Ponte Vista.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Poor Valerie, so bitter and sad. It is great that she doesn't have children, wouldn't want to pass on her anger to offspring.

Anonymous said...

You only need to read one or two sentences to understand you are a bleeding heart. Sure no one likes to see or have people who are homeless and in need and we need to provide help but this is a good project that provides a safe haven for seniors who have worked hard and have a right to a secure environment without access to the homeless. Please grow up, and by the way how many homeless people live with you or in your neighborhood.

Henry

M Richards said...

Thank you Henry, for your comment.

It is certainly a wonderful thing to find someone reading an older post on this blog.

If you addressing your contempt at me, you may wish to start your own blog and offer your own opinions. It is free to create your blog and there is always room for more voices on issues that have the right to be expressed, whether we agree or not.

Apparently Henry, you have not read all that much on this blog because you might not know that I, the blogger have considered senior housing at Ponte Vista in a positive light and I have offered suggestions like having the housing on the southern side of the property so the shopping areas would be able to be accessed better by seniors.

I am an 'odd duck' with the low density crowd because I favor some senior units at Ponte Vista.

within one-quarter mile of the Ponte Vista site is a site owned by the Volunteers of America.

Their site is next to Rolling Hills Prep and contains a large number of dwelling units that may become homes for homeless folks.

I certainly don't object to that and I hope you don't either.

I'm sure you don't know my family or situations we have provided to a number of folks who needed support with housing.

I can attest that there have been a number of people my family knows that we have offered shelter to, for different periods of time.

If you wish to consider me a bleeding heart, so be it.

I'd rather be considered a bleeding heart along with my friend Valerie than a heartless neocon, any day.

Please don't call me a 'liberal' though, because these days, those Democrats seem to be too close to the center for my liking.

Being a bleeding heart is better than having no heart at all, I suggest.
MW