Letters to the Editor
Editor:
The GRF’s response to the perceived safety threats (Feb. 23) is to install a new, nearly half-million-dollar gate access system with an additional $19,000-plus per year operating cost, but LW Security Director Victor Rocha says that most criminal activity within LW is due to residents and their guests with visitor passes. So, how is the new gate access system going to solve these perceived security issues when the very people said to be mostly responsible for them will still have unfettered access to LW? But wait, the installation of 10 vehicle license plate readers to track our every coming and going will help to reduce this criminality and shore up security. Huh?
The articles state that the new security emphasis was made after months of evaluation by GRF staff and the Security Bus and Traffic Committee, but I don’t see residents mentioned. We will certainly see our monthly carrying charges go up. And what about the vehicle license plate readers tracking lawabiding residents’ every move, and many questions remain, like will more be installed around LW, how long will security retain this information, under what circumstances will this information be shared with other groups or agencies?
I think about what Security Director Rocha said, “I invite anyone to find a residential area with 10,000 people that has a lower crime rate than Leisure World.” Is the security issue more apparent than real? Good, fact-based information seems to be lacking here. Donald Hodel Mutual 6 Editor’s Note: This letter is referring to different stories, one on security issues in general and the other on gate access. Generally speaking, Leisure World has one of the lowest crime rates in the region. Also, most incidents reported in the community are attributed to residents and their guests and visitors. These incidents, which are of a fairly minor nature, include verbal disputes, traffic infractions, petty theft, etc. One of the benefits of the new gate access system is that it will help Security track who is in the community and prevent unauthorized people from access. While very few major crimes are committed in LW, most of those are perpetrated by outsiders. The new gate access system was the subject of months of public meetings open to all residents. Editor: When I saw the Chick-fil-A coupon in a recent LW Weekly, I thought, “Buy one meal and one free. I’ll sure have to thank the store manager when I redeem this.” Never having been to a Chick-fil-A, little did I know this coupon meant a $12.90 savings (for the grilled chicken meal selected), yes, a very impressive coupon. On Feb. 22, LWer Charalee Becker and I redeemed my coupon at the Chick-fil-A in Seal Beach. When I tasted the grilled chicken sandwich and those unique cross-cut French fries, I found the food was tasty and the drink was a good size. Yes, the entire meal was also impressive.
I asked to see the store manager to thank him, and he let me know that the two owners happened to be in the store. They were having a birthday party for their 4-year-old daughter. So Charalee and I also got to thank them for this marvelous $12.90 coupon. This whole “redeeming-my-coupon” experience left six people smiling ear-to-ear, me and Charalee, and store managers Matthew Yokoyama and Viola Sarkis and store owners Scott and Megan Carrs.
This Chick-fil-A is located in Seal Beach at 12101 Seal Beach Blvd so any Leisure World resident who is 60 or older is eligible to use the city’s free transportation to get to this Chick-fil-A through the Dial-ARide taxi service ( see page 2 for more information).
Store manager Matthew Yokoyama told me that over 1,000 of these coupons had already been redeemed.
Debbi Fudge Mutual 1 Editor:
I want to acknowledge the cold weather heroes in Leisure World. Let’s give a special salute to the Security guards who stand outside braving this season’s cold temperatures and the fierce wind chill to keep us safe.
Let’s not forget the maintenance staff and the landscapers who also brave the cold to provide a pleasant environment.
Thank you to the unsung heroes.
Joseph Soter Mutual 1 Editor:
It’s snowing. The children, the puppies and the people, all return to their happy and innocent childhood memories in the village where Christmas bells are ringing. It’s a miracle made by the sky, earth and water. The whole world is covered in white—the asphalt roads, schools, churches and even tanks are all peaceful.
Amidst the blue sky and white snow mountains, people flirt with gravity on the hills where the diamond powder shines. These are the skiers. The exhilaration of being a living creature in the universe is gratified by the sensation of one’s own body weight while skiing down. My ego no longer exists.
Expensive? Usually, ski lift tickets range from $100 -$260, but it’s free for those 70 and older at the Mountain High and Big Bear Snow Valley ski resorts.
For everyone else, for about $1,000, you can get an Ikon Season Pass, which provides access to almost every ski area in the country for one year.
Cold? This is California, where you can often see skiers in bikinis.
Pain in your knee, back or shoulder? No worries. Nowadays, skiing equipment is so well-made that just standing still can make the skis turn. So long as you know how to drive, you can enjoy it. However, like driving, if you don’t know your own abilities and don’t consider others, there is always the risk of an accident.
It’s time to return to the innocent happiness of childhood. Skiing is my song, my dance, my meditation and my free spirit— the best blessing there is.
Man Chul Cho Mutual 4 Editor:
Most cars using St. Andrews Drive between Golden Rain Road and the St. Andrews gate significantly exceed the LW speed limit of 25 mph. The carport I park in requires that we blindly back out of our spaces directly into oncoming traffic on St. Andrews.
Also, persons crossing the street anywhere along St. Andrews Drive are at a high risk of getting injured or killed by speeding vehicles, especially delivery trucks.
For the past two years, I’ve been told that GRF will be taking care of these ongoing hazards, yet nothing has been done. The most recent example, speed cushions have been promised. Even crosswalks would be a big improvement.
I am a concerned resident who doesn’t want any of our neighbors ending up in the hospital or morgue due to GRF inaction. Mike Stabile Mutual 1 Editor’s Note: All GRF roads comply with the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which sets the standard for traffic signs, road surface markings and traffic signals in the state. The GRF has gone above and beyond those standards by installing traffic safety devices—blinking stop signs, high visibility speed signs, pedestrian flags— at high-traffic intersections. Speed cushions are back ordered for installation on St. Andrews Drive, as well as Del Monte Drive, El Dorado Drive, Golden Rain Road and Thunderbird Drive. The speed limit throughout LW is 25 mph. The LW Weekly routinely prints driver and pedestrian safety stories but until drivers themselves slow down, come to full stops and otherwise follow rules of the road, risk is elevated. Editor: About three weeks ago, our friend Elva passed and will be sorely missed. You see, Elva had an interesting life, starting with life on a farm. She was a Rosie the Riveter, sold the Yellow Pages telephone book in California, and worked as a real estate investor and author.
Elva was a Democrat; I am a Republican, and we were best of friends.
One day, we discussed politics and realized that we actually agreed on some things and would never agree on others.
So, we seldom discussed politics, probably a good idea.
Elva had a great sense of humor. She would come to our house for dinner and read a story she had written to our guests.
Later, she completed the book she had written that included a multitude of stories about her life on the farm and more.
We prayed for her as she fought off cancer, and the cancer disappeared. We never stopped praying for Elva and expect she is walking side by side with Jesus Christ into eternity.
See you soon Elva. We all loved her and will never forget her.
David and Laurie Harlow Mutual 15 Editor:
Marilyn Allred’s name heads the list of players in the Pinochle roster.
She has been an inspiring player since I first met her many years ago.
When I was voted in as president several years ago, she was our treasurer and carefully filled that position.
She helped us spend our money carefully, donating some at Christmas to the GAF (our official charity organization for Leisure World), and we remembered the housekeepering staff in Clubhouse 1 at the Christmas holiday.
When we decided on using some of the money to provide a monthly lunch for the club, Marilyn led the show with one of her beautiful salads and often a casserole or delicious stew.
Since we had had fewer lunches because of the COVID shutdown, she collected the thoughts of all the officers and gave every person on the roster a surprise Trader Joe’s gift card for Christmas this last year.
New people coming in often met Marilyn first, and she helped arrange for one of us to become teachers for our favorite game.
She was a special friend to me, and I know many, many others felt the same way.
When she didn’t show up to play several Mondays ago, we all knew something was wrong, Marilyn would never not show up. She would never not call, that was not Marilyn’s way.
We called Security and requested a house call.
They and called us back and told us her neighbors stated she had been taken away by paramedics in the early morning hours. We all were concerned.
We were told later, by her daughter, that her condition was serious, and the doctors were doing tests.
Finally we heard the information that she had “left” us; she had died.
She will be missed by everyone in the pinochle club.
We will miss her talents in money management, her great cooking skills and her “caring attitude.”
Marjorie Dodero Mutual 9
