Dog beach would be for everyone

I would love to have a dog beach in Oceanside. As a resident of the area, I hate that I have to drive all the way to Del Mar or Coronado to bring my dogs to the beach and then give the merchants of Del Mar, etc., my money afterwards. I run a couple of local meet-up groups for service dog owners, and, although we are allowed on any beach, I would prefer having a dog beach for everyone!

People who own dogs are as responsible as people who have children, and we do pick up after our dogs. … Please support the Friends of Oceanside Dog Beach, as we just want to put our time and money into making Oceanside a better place for all.

For those of you lucky enough to have children, there are some of us who can't, and our dogs are our lives. … I hope that those of you who have written in against dogs never have to rely on anyone or anything to help you, because when it comes down to it, one of those "poopers" would help you in a minute. Can you say the same for your friends or family?

Jennifer Blanchard

Vista

Water authority makes effort to save water

I appreciate Harry Clyde's desire to save water during our aqueduct shutdowns (Letters, Feb. 2). The Water Authority takes saving water into account when planning regular aqueduct inspections.

To minimize water losses from these shutdowns, the Water Authority coordinates maintenance, construction and inspection activities with our member retail water agencies and the Metropolitan Water District to reduce the number of shutdowns performed each year. To minimize the amount of water drained from a pipeline before each shutdown, we ask our member agencies to take as much water as possible out of the pipes before the shutdown begins.

Saving the remaining water, unfortunately, isn't practical. It could take up to 12,500 truck trips to remove and transport water from a shutdown. This would require pipelines to be out of service much longer for inspections, creating unacceptable service interruptions to local water agencies and their customers.

The Water Authority's mission is to provide the region with a safe, reliable water supply, and these inspections are vital for ensuring safe operations.

They allow us to find potential problems and repair our pipelines, avoiding uncontrolled breaks that would result in far greater water loss â€"â€" many hundreds of thousands of gallons â€"â€" and property damage.

Maureen Stapleton

general manager

San Diego County

Water Authority

The misery of others not amusing

The article by Zach Fox, "Deal of the Week," Feb. 1, is only adding to the frenzy of foreclosures, short sales and misery in North County. Do you think this is amusing?

People are losing their jobs and their homes because of the declining economy and also the predatory ARM loans that were available a few years ago. People are having hard times. This is not amusing. What about the family who had to sell the home at a loss?

So keep it up, fuel the fire, add to the misery and encourage the carpetbaggers who profit from the misfortune of others.

But beware, North County Times employees: At the rate newspapers are going bankrupt, cutting jobs and consolidating, you may be next. Will you find it amusing then?

Jeffrey Justice

Oceanside

Don't oppose oil drilling, nuclear power

Obstructionists, Obama administration, please quit opposing oil drilling and nuclear power! Why can drilling and fine beaches co-exist in Brazil, and France depend almost totally on nuclear power? Solar and wind power can provide only a small part of our energy needs, and subsidization is further increasing our already excessive taxes.

Get off this insistence on lower fuel emissions â€"â€" the public is not coughing and wheezing and wearing masks. Full speed ahead on oil and nuclear power so we can be energy-sufficient and allow cities such as Detroit and Cleveland to employ thousands in producing goods for the world. Let the person who labored 30 years get in his RV and enjoy the country with plenty of low-cost fuel and enjoy life, despite the dire predictions of the obstructionists.

Bob Sheard

Oceanside

Gitmo critic has facts scrambled

In response to Margaret Jo Purdy's letter of Feb. 3, in which she accuses the U.S.A. of "brutal treatment of human beings" being held at Guantanamo: While I can agree with her that they should be brought to trial â€"â€" military tribunal, not civilian â€"â€" her moral equivalency of comparing them with Jewish people imprisoned under Hitler is an insult to those innocent civilians who actually were tortured. It's a disgraceful statement without fact to back it up.

The Red Cross has an office on base. No reports of torture. Does she know something they don't? If so, let's hear it. The fact is, most prisoners in American prisons wish they had it so good. Finally, if she is so concerned about "the effect on our young people over there," I would suggest she read and listen to the firsthand accounts of our military personnel there rather than take them off a far-left Web site.

Look, there's always bad grapes in a bunch. To portray the few as the norm in order to advance their twisted theory that the U.S.A. is some nefarious country is something that the majority of us will gladly defend all day long!

Scott Meredith

Escondido

Build dog beach; the dog-friendly will come

As a resident of Oceanside since 2007, I'd like to express my interest in Oceanside having a dog beach. One of my two favorite things are spending time at the beach, and spending time with my dog. Why not use the huge beaches we have in Oceanside, perhaps near the harbor, and make it dog-friendly?

With all this "up and coming" vibe in Oceanside, I think we have neglected to update our attitude on dog beaches. Del Mar and Huntington, two upscale areas in southern California, each have wonderful dog beaches and dog-friendly people.

Let's build our dog beach and dog-friendly people will come!

Melia Alves

Oceanside

Why no report on the Rangel Rule?

I have been following news of Republican Congressman John Carter introducing the Rangel Rule to Congress on Jan. 28 and since then, there has been reporting from other larger papers.

I researched the North County Times and find there has not been any reporting or comment since Jan. 28 of this new subject to inform our San Diego North County subscribers. Most of them are unaware and have not heard anything on the San Diego news or San Diego papers.

A lot of residents in North County do not have access to computers. Will you be reporting on this subject?

Anna LaFon

Oceanside

Illinois politics influence the White House

It seems that President Obama has been around Illinois politics and politicians for so long that he ignores deficiencies in his new appointees.

He claims a selectee is so qualified no one else can do the job, so we should look the other way on that "mistake" of a failure to pay taxes, or on that "lobbyist" who is selected for a new government responsibility position.

President Obama has looked the other way on these questionable activities.

Three recent appointees failed to pay taxes. Treasury Secretary Geithner has been confirmed despite failure to pay four years of taxes, appointee Tom Daschle for secretary of Health and Human Services withdrew his nomination for failure to pay four years of taxes, and Nancy Killefer withdrew from the position of White House performance officer because of a tax lien placed on her home.

It would be refreshing if President Obama would overcome the bad influence from Illinois corrupt politicians.

America does need "change we can believe in" and a new, honest, effective stimulus package for just the American people, and not money for the politicians, lobbyists and insiders. One percent pork is over $8 billion.

President Obama, we need change, not politics.

Robert Longton

Ramona

Pharmacy is a hidden jewel in Oceanside

I have lived in Oceanside for 25 years and must have driven or walked by a plain little shop on the east side of Coast Highway numerous times. I knew it was a drugstore and always wondered how it stayed in business, considering all of the competition. Always curious, but never went in.

My daughter recently asked me to go with her to pick up a prescription and described the pharmacy to me. I said I'd go, wondering whether this was the same place I was thinking of. Sure enough, it was, so I finally had the opportunity to see for myself.

I was in for a pleasant surprise, as the people who worked there were all so friendly and the pharmacist took some time to chat with us. My daughter had recently transferred her prescriptions there because of the good old-fashioned service, as I saw for myself. The highlight for me was discovering a corner display of good-quality greeting cards for an unheard-of price! I truly believe that this little business is a real gem in Oceanside.

Candis Jiron

Oceanside

Thanks to all who helped with fund

On behalf of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts for Kids and the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund, the Low and Slow Running Club of Del Mar extends its sincere "thank you" to all of the numerous contributors/sponsors for helping to raise more than $16,000 through the 2008 Red Nose Run. Since 1992, the support of many individuals and businesses has enabled a small local running group to raise more than $125,000 in support of Fresh Start and the Injured Marines Fund.

While space allows us to list only the major contributors and sponsors, we say to all in these difficult economic times, "Well done, thank you and God bless!":

Bernotas Consulting, Bond Fletcher, California Community Bank, Childs Mascari Warner, Coseo Properties, CMR Risk Insurance, Del Mar Lifeguards, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Frogs Club One, IVID Communications, Jim Holcomb, John Coseo, Josepho Group, Kimball, Tirey and St. John, Madison Mollison LP, Miramar Signs, New Vectors Aviation Inc., Pedcor Homes, Poseidon Restaurant, Professional Maintenance Services, Rancho Santa Fe Country Club, Trilar Management Group, W. Kent Jessee & Associates, Washtek, Westmore Management, LLC, WLA Investment and V & P Scientific.

Al Bernotas

member, Low & Slow

Running Club of Del Mar

Feb. 5 was a banner day for Oceanside

I've lived in Oceanside for 24 years. Feb. 5 was a banner day! I read in the North County Times:

No. 1: Robertson's Cement Plant will not be going in on Oceanside Boulevard ("Plans for controversial concrete plant abandoned"). Yay! Save the creek and the street.

No. 2: The Oceanside City Council canceled the fireworks on the Fourth of July ("Fireworks won't pop this year"). Yay! Save money for fireworks and the tons of overtime salaries paid to police for monitoring the crowd.

No. 3: Oceanside City Manager Peter Weiss is suggesting that perhaps our Fourth of July parade might be moved to the Fourth of July. Now that makes real sense. Yay! Save more money and energy by having all event police, cleanup and volunteers work one day instead of two. The concern about the parade getting in the way of the traffic on the Fourth seems overblown.

And finally: My husband and I went to see the Lowbrow Art Show at the Oceanside Museum of Art â€"â€" it is a knock-out! Yay! Thanks to OMA's Skip Pahl and Michael Gross for bringing wit and contemporary culture to our burg!

Kris Nelson

Oceanside

Rebuttal to letter about new Vista City Hall

It is important that Ken Guerrero's letter of Feb. 2 be responded to in order to set the record straight.

First, the new City Hall is being funded by the increase in sales tax revenues as approved by Proposition L. These funds are also the basis for building two additional fire stations, youth recreational facilities in North Vista and some badly needed improvements to the Moonlight Amphitheatre. The city made it clear that this is where the funds would be used, and the residents voted their approval, based on those assurances. The contracts for the City Hall were signed and ground was broken well before the magnitude of the current economic crisis was realized.

These construction enterprises will keep a number of Vistans employed over the next two- to three-year period.

As to his disparaging remarks about the "Kremlin," the plans and the building designs have been made available to the general public through many open forums over the past two years for review and commentary.

Mayor Vance is known to me as a man of vision and impeccable integrity and deserves our applause for his caring attitude and determination for a better Vista.

Gene Ford

Vista

Feed a child because it's the right thing to do

Re: "No such thing as a free lunch" by Leah Gerten, Letters, Feb. 4: My grandfather was a farmer who prospered during the worst part of the Great Depression. He fed many transient people because they had no job, no money and, above all, nothing to eat. He always told me, "When you've fed a hungry man, you have spent your money well." I have carried this with me my entire life.

Any civilization is judged by the way it treats the most vulnerable citizens. This would include the elderly, the disabled and, of course, children.

To begrudge a child a free lunch at school is, at best, cruel and, at worst, just plain criminal. Many children have slipped into poverty, and it certainly is no fault of their own. They should not be made to feel like second-class citizens just because they are hungry! I firmly believe that the gratitude that a child learns is paid forward as they become adults.

So in the end, you ask, what kind of adult do I wish my children to grow up to be? My answer is this: I want them to grow up to be the type of person who will feed a hungry child because it is the right thing to do, period!

Amy Laskye-Caplas

Oceanside