Angel’s Gate High School Support Cometh
Thank you so very much for your editorial re the proposed Angel’s Gate High School. My daughter graduated from San Pedro High School in 2003, when overcrowding was bad enough that even her AP Classes had 40 students per class. It has apparently only gotten worse since then. As neighbors of the proposed Angel’s Gate High School, of course we are concerned about the potential negative impacts on traffic and crime. However, the reaction of many of our neighbors seems extreme, this is a school, not a prison. The School District not only owns the land, they currently operate a school on the site. It appears to be the best deal that San Pedro can get in a badly needed new facility. With your sensible conditions, we will continue to support Angels Gate High School.
Sincerely,

Allene “Scotty” Butler
San Pedro

Not so Right RE: Wright vs. Right
I read Paul Rosenburg's piece on pastor vs. pastor and kept on waiting for him to mention how many years Senator McCain sat in the pews at  Hagee's church, then I reached the last period of the last sentence  and realized "Oh, he doesn't care that he is so obviously biased that he might as well just come right out and say," "I love B. Hussein  
Obama and I don't care that I appear biased". I mean Obama's 20 years stay in Rev. Wright's church leads one to just three conclusions 1) He  absorbed and now shares Wright's teachings 2) He stayed in Wright's  church for political reasons and doesn't share his views at all 3) He was clueless as to what was going on right in front of him for 20  
years and will bring that skill to the White House, you take your pick Paul, mister (wonder who he is voting for) senior editor!

Kent Geib
San Pedro

 The Port's Old MacDonald

Old MacDonald Had a Port, E-I-E-I-R
Old MacDonald had a port, E-I-E-I-R
And on his port he had a cruise ship, E-I-E-I-R
With a big berth here and a big berth there
Here a berth, there a berth
Everywhere a berth-berth
Old MacDonald had a port, E-I-E-I-R

Old MacDonald had a port, E-I-E-I-R
And on his port he put a road, E-I-E-I-R
With cars parked here and cars parked there
Everywhere a car parked
With a big berth here and a big berth there
Everywhere a big berth
Old MacDonald had a port, E-I-E-I-R

Old MacDonald had a port, E-I-E-I-R
And by his port there was a town, E-I-E-I-R.
With a naysayer here and a naysayer there
Here a nay, there a nay
Everywhere a naysayer
Old MacDonald had a port, E-I-E-I no
The town folk took it away.

Tom Politeo
San Pedro, Calif.

Honor the Mariners, Too
Last night I watched the National Day Memorial Concert on KCET, honoring those men and women who lost their lives during all the wars America has been involved in. It was a very beautiful tribute, that left me crying. Every branch of the service was honored, but not the American Merchant Mariners. What a hurtful shame. When will America stop the hurt and suffering, the physical, mental shame and anguish imposed on the merchant mariners, when they have fought in ever war America has been in, and delivered the guns, ammo, bombs, ammunition, gasoline, oil, equipment, etc.
They had no military escorts or armed guards, they were the “greyhounds of the seas,” traveling all along. It may be too late for me and others, but this has to be corrected. The bodies of all the mariners who lay at the bottom of the seas cry out for recognition so their souls will at least be freed and last but not least let our history books tell the truth for the generations to follow. Thank you and God Bless.

John Royal
San Pedro, Calif.

A Kind Word
Congratulations for receiving the Peacemaker of the Year Award from the San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice. Although I was unable to attend the event as I was out of town, I definitely wanted to thank you for your commitment to making San Pedro and our country a better and richer place.

Random Lengths News is an important source of news for the Harbor community. The investigative reports you have brought to light have not only educated the community, they have shown that we can and should demand change to improve our neighborhood and nation.

I look forward to reading future issues of your paper, which has truly become an icon to the Harbor community.

Janice Hahn
Councilwoman, 15th District

Tonia Uranga on Port Pollution
While the spirit of cooperation at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles is much needed to clean the air we breathe, there remains challenges that the two ports can’t seem to reconcile that will hamper this renewed collaboration.  For example, as the Port of Long Beach and others debate the use of clean diesel technology, it is important to note that the magnitude of the port air pollution problem requires the cleanest available technology for ships, trucks, and rail.  Some would like us to believe that so-called “clean-diesels” are the only solution and are as clean as trucks powered by LNG, a liquefied form of the same natural gas that was use in our homes.  

That is not altogether true; natural gas is an inherently cleaner fuel. A truck powered by natural gas today compared to a diesel truck with the most advanced emission controls is six times cleaner in emissions of nitrogen oxides – an ingredient in the particulate pollution that is responsible for premature deaths not only locally to the communities surrounding the ports, but to all residents of Southern California.  Most significantly, diesel particulate matter is a known carcinogen.

Given concerns with higher diesel fuel prices and global warming, greater use of alternative fuels such as liquefied or compressed natural gas will help reduce dependency on foreign oil and reduce air pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions.  This why the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Lung Association and other leading environmental advocates promoted the use of LNG trucks in the Port’s Clean Air Action Plan.  For these reasons the Ports did the right thing by providing incentives to begin the transitioning of our port’s ships, trucks and locomotives away from dirty diesel to cleaner fuels and cleaner engine technologies.

I agree that we need to begin the process of cleaning the air we breathe now.  We cannot wait for the 2010 emission standards to take effect to see cleaner diesel engines, when natural gas trucks can achieve those emission reductions now.  We also cannot afford to rely on voluntary promises made by the shipping industry to switch to cleaner fuels.  AQMD agrees that a nationwide ship regulation would create uniformity among all ports in the nation.  That’s why Sen. Barbara Boxer, at AQMD’s request, has authored S. 1499, a measure that would compel the federal government to sharply reduce the sulfur content of ship fuel nationwide and clean up ship engines.

However, we can’t wait for the federal government to act. The health of millions of Southlanders hangs in the balance.  The port itself should proceed with local requirements that would compel shippers to burn cleaner fuel.

The increased use of natural gas, the successful passage of the Marine Vessel Emission Reduction Act, and the implementation of the Port of LA employer concession model at the Port of Long Beach will go a long way in providing the surrounding neighborhoods with dramatically cleaner air.  

We owe at least this much to our children, the elderly and those who already have heart or lung diseases, because they are especially sensitive to the harmful effects of our port’s pollution.

Sincerely,
Tonia Reyes Uranga
Tonia Reyes Uranga is the District 7 Councilwoman for the City of Long Beach and a Governing Board Member of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

A Tribute to Hillinger
I read in your paper about Chuck Hillinger passing away. I have fond memories of “Chuck” and the times he spent with the fishermen, talking and enjoying the stories, butmost of all the “good fellowship” he brought to the gathering. He will be missed.
John Royal
San Pedro, Calif.

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