At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the subject of reckless skateboarders was once again brought up during public communication. Later on, Council sought ways to beautify and improve Main Beach. Central to the discussion was whether to keep the grass or not, which consumes 2 million gallons of water annually. Two million gallons of potable water! The consensus was to keep it, because well, “it’s nice.” It’s this kind of backward thinking that keeps Laguna mired in the reckless and irresponsible fairy tale that we have endless resources. This, despite the fact that we import 100 percent of our water, and until recently were in a five-year drought.
This was the perfect opportunity to solve two issues at once: remove some of the grass and the fake cobblestones and once and for all create a skate park. Put fake grass everywhere else—just as we encourage residents to do. This is our recreation center, with basketball and volleyball courts. Councilmen Dicterow and Whalen headed a committee a few years back to find a location for a skateboard park. But they gave up, and instead the focus on this “beautification” effort was benches, light poles and trash cans. Thrilling. Like the Village Entrance, aesthetic projects seem to be all we are capable of. No one has the capacity to think big and make bold steps to provide a safe, wonderful, central location for skaters to ply their wonderful talents, in full view and awe of the public. Until then, they will continue to fly down our neighborhood streets, endangering themselves and motorists. If you were that talented, wouldn’t you? Come on Council, do better.
Billy Fried, Laguna Beach
