Inspiring hipsters everywhere

Touched

I was in a hurry and wasn’t going to pick up the last Reader at my local Circle K. As I started to pull away, I changed my mind. For some reason, I (out of character) went home and immediately read the moving essay “Death of a Landlord” by Ian Anderson. It touched me in a way I’m still trying to figure out. I’ve had this immense need to write and say thank you to Mr. Anderson for sharing this tribute to his friend, Rod.

• Dawn Gutierrez
• Mira Mesa

"You can’t put a [bronze] BAND-AID on a [bronze] broken bone.” Despite the exterior support provided by a ribbon of flexible metal, the Walton statue’s left ankle couldn't withstand the pressure placed upon it, and may have to be recast.

Broken-Down Walton

I’m calling to comment about the statue of Bill Walton that broke down. I think it’s ironic; it’s just like his career breaking down with his knees, and most Easy County or San Diego athletes — and being one myself, here in East County, ex-Highlander, Helix High School, just like Bill Walton and Reggie Bush.

Just thought it was funny: Broken-down Walton!

• Shawn
• Santee

Stalled Since 1975

I’m calling about “Old Ponto Neighborhood Soon to Die?” I’ve been working on monitoring that project and it is nowhere near even being on the plate for being developed. It actually has been stalled since 1975. At this point, nothing has been planned for that area to be redeveloped whatsoever.

We found two endangered species. I work for the Audubon Society in the North County chapter, and those endangered species cannot be disturbed. There has been no master plan done by the planning division, and there’s been no authorization for any development or construction of any kind. It could take many, many months, and we hope that there will be no construction done on the property, and that one side of the property will be a permanent, natural open space, and that the other side of the property will be made into a natural park.

I hope you can print another article. It’s a beautiful garden. We have a variety of bird species out there that are on the endangered species list.

The Carlsbad Planning Department has stated that there’s nothing that’s going to be done on this property. It has to go through mediation. I’ve already talked to the Coastal Commission, and they are not legally able to do anything on the property. They tried to put some construction signs out there this week and they were removed immediately. Carlsbad was going to be fined if they made any attempt.

I’ve talked to the developer and, basically, there is no authorization for any development to be done on that property. We’re hoping to purchase the property and do wonderful things with it to keep it permanently protected forever. It’s the last area of Carlsbad near Ponto that has not been developed.

• Denise Arasin
• via voicemail

Not Going to Be Peaceful

In your event listings, under Special Events, you have a listing for “Stop Trump," which you describe as “peaceful.” Well, we know it’s not going to be peaceful, because a lot of people are protesting right now over immigration — and I appreciate that.

But you didn’t do it for Ted Cruz or Bernie Sanders, only Trump.

• Rosa Wbarra
• via voicemail

A Horrible Death

This is a comment on the cover of May 19 with the man catching the shark. Why is this man smiling? I wonder if Mr. Pike would be smiling if someone put a sharp hook through his mouth, dragged him out of his house, and left him to die, choking and gasping for air — a horrible death. And what if a bystander said, “Well I would have saved him, but by the time I got there he was unresponsive.”

Mr. Pike had just murdered a beautiful creature from the deep, and has a fatuous smirk on his face as if to say, Look at me, aren’t I a big brave man? It’s so uncomprehending that he considered this a worthy accomplishment.

Bad karma, man. I hope an elephant flies up your nose.

• Rico G.
• via voicemail

An Exercise in Scatology

Mr. Di Piero’s critique (“Bawdy Shots”) is useful, but it is one-sided, as if Mapplethorpe is really an artist. American art and literature, since 1940, are an exercise in scatology. This was planned out by Adorno, Marcuse, Horkheimer, and the degenerate leftist Frankfurt School, which fled the Nazis and brought their garbage brains to America to plague us.

A number of these pukes landed in UCSD to the open arms of Dummkopf, Roger Revelle, and the rest of the pseudo-intellectuals of La Jolla. Mapplethorpe is only one of the monsters who included the Finnish cartoonist Tom of Finland, the physique idolator Bob Meizer, the painter David Hockney, and other failed cultists, including the Weider Brothers, discoverers of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

We need to remember that pornography and homosexual degeneracy were political tools used by Nazis and communists to castrate the countries they conquered. We also must remember that Lenin’s plan for conquering the United States, involves rotting the United States from the inside until, like a piece of rotting fruit on a tree, it falls into the hands of its new communist masters.

• Name withheld
• via voicemail

At the Expense of Residents

Thank you for your article, “Francis Parker vs. Neighbors...Again” (City Lights, May 19). I am a North Rim resident and I strongly oppose Francis Parker’s master-plan encroachments upon our community.

Francis Parker’s desire to add a driveway and signal onto our only-access road would increase usage, on average, according to their figures, of 850 cars a day. I ask the Francis Parker administrators, parents, and the public at large: Would you like an extra 850 cars a day on your residential street and far more on an event day?

Francis Parker has admitted that their master plan can move forward without a driveway and signal on Northrim Court. Yet, in spite of strong local opposition, the school persists in its request to the City of San Diego.

Francis Parker School has four driveways on Linda Vista Road, including one signal, for its 800 students. The University of San Diego’s main campus on Linda Vista Road has only two vehicle entryways for approximately 7000 students.

The 296 North Rim condominiums have only one entrance/exit. In an emergency, our only access road could be blocked by emergency vehicles and/or Francis Parker cars using the proposed driveway.

North Rim residents do not need a signal at Northrim Court, nor will drivers on Linda Vista Road appreciate one more light to wait at.

The proposed signal would impose 24/7 wait times upon residents, and up to 18 months of construction traffic would lengthen our daily commutes.

Traffic hazards on Northrim Court would abound if the driveway and signal are added due to limited visibility at the driveway, two incoming lanes from Linda Vista Road, North Rim complex traffic, a store driveway and residence alleyways.

Francis Parker has repeatedly assured local residents that the driveway would take away “only six” parking spots on Northrim Court. School representatives failed to mention that 18 spaces total could be sacrificed for the signal and driveway. Please note that while their master plan would add 283 parking spaces for the school’s own benefit, it would remove much-needed residential parking.

Francis Parker has also asked to increase events, and plans to rent out their facility. Added usage of their grounds would escalate traffic, noise, and light pollution for the local neighborhood. Francis

Parker’s increased events and rental gain would come at the expense of those who live nearby.

I conclude that the driveway, signal, and added events of the Francis Parker master plan would certainly not benefit, but would come at great cost to the surrounding residents.

I thank the Reader for providing an opportunity to be heard regarding this proposed injustice to our community.

• Patricia Whitelaw
• North Rim resident

Shades of Grey

I’m calling about the very light print throughout your magazine. My eyesight is not as good as it used to be, and neither is your print! It’s very grey. I need a magnifying glass very powerful lighting.

So, would you please just use more ink? Especially for the crossword puzzle, which is my passion. I’m an avid reader of the Reader.

• Maximiliana Davidson
• via voicemail

The Hipster Movement Ain’t New

After reading the Ask a Hipster column in the latest issue, I have come to believe that hip, if it can be generalized, means to reject the mainstream.

Today, perhaps, it also means to embrace those things that used to be mainstream, thus helping to preserve parts of our culture. For this, I thank the movement, which by the way ain’t new.

The only thing I ask of the current batch of kids calling themselves hip is that they lose those doofus Marine haircuts and the Smith Brothers Cough Drop beards, carefully place those phones where the sun don’t shine, chuck the skinny jeans and discover bell bottoms. Yeah, that’s hip!

• Mike Myers
• Vista