The YWCA, the city and the Family Justice Center
Regarding “Gwinn seeks Family Justice Center move | He enlists Sanders' aid, to ire of mayor's critics” (Our Region, June 22):
I am pleased that you are covering the story about the YWCA proposal to manage the Family Justice Center. I am deeply sorry that the focus of the story is on Donna Frye, Mike Aguirre and Casey Gwinn.
The reality is that the board of the YWCA has played an important role in the domestic violence community for longer than Aguirre, who seems to have become aware of us only in the last few months, and longer than Gwinn, who traces his involvement back to meetings at the YWCA.
One of the reasons the YWCA hired Gwinn as CEO is that his prominence in the field of domestic violence and his relationship with Family Justice Centers worldwide will bring new ideas to the YWCA on how to better serve our clients. After a series of collaborative meetings with other domestic violence organizations, we, as a board, made the proposal to the mayor.
Because the Family Justice Center is currently a city department, there will be public hearings on this proposal, and there will be opportunity for the City Council to debate its merits. At that time, hopefully you will cover the legitimate story and not the one full of political intrigue.
LYNNE HEIDEL
Member, YWCA Board
San Diego
The Board of Directors and staff of the YWCA have conducted a nine-month planning process that resulted in a proposal to the city of San Diego to furnish a permanent home to the Family Justice Center. The proposal will save the city approximately $380,000 for the first two years and $700,000 for the 10 following years.
This is not a plan about Casey Gwinn, Mike Aguirre, Donna Frye and Jerry Sanders. This is a plan that will improve the lives of thousands of victims of family violence each and every year. Given the major financial problems of the city, why wouldn't the City Council support such a great offer?
In addition, the center will have a permanent home at the renovated YWCA building, and victims and their children will enjoy beautiful new recreation facilities (a gym, a pool) and services from over 20 colocated social-service and law-enforcement agencies.
The YWCA runs the nationally recognized Becky's House housing programs. With the merger of the YWCA and the Family Justice Center, San Diego will create a national model for meeting the needs of women, men and children. Let's not make this about Casey Gwinn, Mike Aguirre, Jerry Sanders or Donna Frye. It is time to support the city in the next steps and make this exciting opportunity a reality.
ROBERTA SPOON
President
YWCA Board of Directors
San Diego
I voted for Mayor Jerry Sanders and already I'm regretting it. I didn't vote for the strong mayor proposition because I thought it wouldn't work for this city. I was right.
Casey Gwinn built a Family Justice Center that is internationally recognized, nationally emulated, and it was all paid for by city taxes – yours and mine.
The mayor now wants the center we paid for to be given to the YWCA. It will receive credit for something we the taxpayers paid for. Heads up to the mayor: It belongs to us, the citizens of San Diego, not the YWCA.
As to Casey Gwinn, you can't give away something that doesn't belong to you.
FRAN PERRY
Point Loma
The mayor runs the San Diego Family Justice Center, the mayor has decided to save the city money by moving to a regional approach that includes having the YWCA run the center, the former city attorney is willing to help make this all happen based on his national expertise in creating and leading the Family Justice Center movement.
The YWCA will raise $13 million to renovate its historic building to permanently house the center.
Did I miss something? Why can't we all just help make this happen sooner rather than later? Why the drama from Mike Aguirre? Why the hundreds of hours of legal work in the City Attorney's Office attempting to stop such a great plan? Did I miss something?
DONNA J. MILLS
San Diego
Yes, no to project at Hazard Center
Regarding “Hazard Center proposal met with criticism” (Our San Diego, June 21):
I find it ironic that one source of protest of the Hazard Center development are residents of the Union Square condominiums, considering that they are a source of crowding and traffic in the area as well.
I grew up here, moved away in 1989, and only recently returned to the area. On my visits here, I was always alarmed at the rapid development of the San Diego area, and Mission Valley in particular. Now that the paving and construction of the area are nearly complete, I say build on. Increase density in the area and perhaps, coupled with rising fuel costs, people will discover alternate methods of navigating the area – the trolley, buses, cycling, walking, etc. The “we were here first” attitude of project protesters is pathetic.
JAMES HARRELL III
San Diego
I don't think I've ever seen a businessman lose a spring in his step when a high-density project is proposed in his business district, especially since he usually lives elsewhere. Michelle Honig and Jennifer White adequately express the horrific problems that will play out should this development proceed as currently planned.
I would only add the following to Gao's fine article. If the extension of Hazard Center Drive over Highway 163 were completed today, it would not alleviate the traffic problems as they currently exist. This overpass/underpass would only provide access to Fashion Valley Mall or the transit terminal. Guess where all the traffic will be going.
Honig is quite correct when she discusses the direction of the trolley ridership. Most riders are coming to Hazard Center via the trolley rather than going downtown. The glut of condos on the market in the downtown area must be sold before we should anticipate an increase in trolley ridership from Mission Valley to downtown work locations.
Also, about that 10 percent of residential units to be set aside as affordable housing: Just look at what happened to the affordable housing that was supposed to be built when the downtown ballpark was approved.
Finally, I will be interested in seeing the results of an engineering and traffic survey as well as the environmental impact statement. Should these surveys be conducted by a truly impartial outside firm, without business and builder influence, I believe the two projects in question will be significantly reduced in scope.
ED GRIER
San Diego
Beaches without booze remain an attraction
Regarding: “Alcohol beach ban punishes businesses” by Eric Christiansen (Community Essay, Dialog, June 8):
Are we to believe that because we no longer have alcohol on beaches people stop going to the beach? That means San Diego beach-goers are different from beach-goers at other Southern California beaches and beyond. Those beaches have been without alcohol for years (in some cases, decades). They get as crowded as ever and their businesses thrive.
Should we believe that people who like to drink and barbecue at the beach (and don't go to the beach because they can't drink) are the ones who supported businesses at the beach? By the way, at least one restaurant in the beach community reported record sales this past Memorial Day.
The crowds at the beach over the Memorial Day weekend were lower than the past few years. So were the temperatures! The preceding week was unseasonably cold and it rained, with more in the weekend forecast. People usually don't go to the beach for holidays when the weather looks undesirable. Holiday plans made in advance are not likely to be changed even if the weather improves. Are drinkers the only ones who plan to go to the beach when the weather is not nice?
Additionally, the price of gas and the state of the economy in general surely have an impact on many of those who would pack the car and head to the beach.
As much as I empathize with business owners showing lower profits right now, I'm not buying the direct connection that getting alcohol off the beach is the cause. That theory defies logic and is an insult to the ability to think reasonably and rationally.
ALAN MURRAY
San Diego
“The swarms of students that normally come out to spend all of their money ... went elsewhere,” Christiansen writes.
His comment is countered by by the next day's front-page article “SD no stranger to big-time events” in which Julie Meier Wright, president of San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., reminds people that Gateway founder Ted Waitt visited San Diego as a tourist before buying a home here and moving his company from South Dakota. Our visitors are potential new residents and business innovators, and hopefully San Diego will make a good first impression on those visitors.
The San Diego tourist industry does not want to attract a lot of students who will come to the beach just so they can get drunk, damage property and amass DUIs. This is what happened in the past. Instead, America's Finest City should aspire to attract a lot more people and companies like Gateway. More companies and higher-salaried employees are what this city needs to help our economy.
As more of these visitors to our beaches have enjoyable experiences without the negative distractions of the alcohol element, the word will out that the beach area is a safe and pleasurable event for all citizens, and that message will benefit all of us, including businesses.
GERALD DEMAREE
San Diego
Two students essential to reviving Point Loma band
In “Band program thrives” (Our San Diego, June 12), you got it exactly right: The Point Loma High School band almost disappeared. Only the fortuitous convergence and the diligence of many individuals kept it from being canceled as a class.
Every person cited made essential contributions to the program, but two individuals were not mentioned. Ferril Gardner and Michael Kelly were two of only three seniors in the band and shared duties as drum major. Without their actions the band would not have survived.
They were the glue that kept the band members motivated. They maintained the daily procedures and practice while waiting for an adult instructor to be selected. They demonstrated the finest leadership and problem-solving in an unprecedented and stressful situation, and Alan Bersin, then superintendent of San Diego Unified, recognized it in letters of commendation.
We can't overestimate the importance of this leadership to the junior members of the band, especially the crop of new freshmen.
So, is music important? You bet it is. It's every bit as important as any school sports program in combining the values of individual excellence and responsibility with those of teamwork and cooperation. Music goes further in its development of a lifelong source of enjoyment, and we're learning more about its beneficial effects on other kinds of learning in general.
Play on.
W. V. KELLY
San Diego
