DISQUS

Actually, I agree. I mean, you can take on the snarky what-are-you-anti-American-Dreamers-trying-to-say reaction to this story, or you can read it and ask yourself what it means to you. That's all I'm saying. And I'd be interested in hearing that.

Hi again, LBresident. I don't know what to tell you. Reading is a participatory act and at some point each of us have to process what we've read and take responsiblity for how we feel. It's the American Way. Good luck with that.

Good morning! If you can't figure out the "point" of the story, maybe you just did. When I read it, the story illustrated to me that there are no guarantees in life. I thought the crux of the story was where Jennifer wrote "Derrick grew up a fairly typical kid, got a job in the local grocery store and was told what every kid is told: You can be anything you want to be.But then something misfired—the American Dream failed him. Or did he fail the American Dream?" I think her portrait of this young man, full of ambition but lacking in initiative, gives us something to ponder---not just about his particular case, but perhaps times in our own lives when we had to shake loose of illusions, accept reality and get down to the not-so-glamourous task of survival. But that's just me.

Hello Fisch...If you write to me at dave@thedistrictweekly.com and we can talk about your sources for this explanation, I'd love to feature it. Thanks so much for your information.

Steve Propes has a pretty good Sky Saxon post-mortem over on LBPost.com

Howard, you are good!

Actually, Bobby True 1, I forgot to mention that I did Google Alamitos Bay State Park---which at the time was the only reference I had; it's what the place was called in the 1959 story--and it came up on a Google map with an arrow. But couldnt find any more about it, so called Parks and Rec (and Marine!). Thanks for your help---and your smartassery! Both much appreciated.

Well, basically, it's the dark parts. It's along the inside of Alamitos Bay from 55th place to the tip, then back halfway on the ocean side. It's across the channel to a little bit of Seal Beach. And it's about three miles out into the ocean. Does that help at all?

What is the OCC?

Good one!

Although they dressed similarly.

Well, DWR, I held a seance and it turns out the spirit of the piece was BOTH tongue-in-cheek and sincere. We were sitting at our Friday meeting and of course the talk was of Michael Jackson, and at some point just about everybody told how they learned he had died. So I collected the little stories and put them on line, thinking maybe others might want to tell their little tales---or make fun of us for telling ours. Done and done!

Aw, Sammy.

Poor, anonymous, Disco Bill, lost in the era of coke spoons and chest hair.

Hello LBRESIDENT. I'm sincerely curious what you think is so National Enquirer-esque about the story. When Theo let me read the story, I thought it provided a very accurate street-level account---from a reporter who is a life-long resident of this town---of how merchants in Belmont Shore are feeling about this report of a rape...as well as how trying it can be for a newspaper reporter to collect those feelings. I was surprised to read how reluctant people in that part of town are to talk about the cops. I mean, you hear about it all the time in other parts of town. This, too, is news...I think. The story does not strike me as sensationalistic at all. I'd like to hear your take on it.

You're right, Party Factory, it IS strange. We used to be so mellow.

Hello Jen. Thanks for the clarification.

Hit a nerve, did we? And yet, no matter how passionate your response, still not enough courage or integrity or pride in your opinion---or even support for the DLBA---to sign your name. On the other hand, the reason I even took a look at the composition of the DLBA's executive committee is because of the just submitted petitions asking for a change in the presidency of the DLBA---petitions filled with more than 100 downtown businesses and residents who DO have the courage, integrity, pride and support for the DLBA to sign their names. As for controversy? This story is only controversial if you don't want anybody to talk about who is on the executive committee, what they do for a living and how their positions might cross pollinate. None of this information is necessarily bad or good. None of it is too difficult to find. Nobody is hiding it. But I think it might shed some light on the nature of the committee and maybe on the positions it takes. Information is freedom, my anonymous friend. Don't be afraid.

Oh, I guess Wrongbeachjohn just said that.

The huge and barely regulated banking system isn't run by unions, and all those daring and imaginative entrepreneurs didn't seem to do so well. I think you could reasonably say they drove things "in the crapper," too.

Denny, could you write me at dave@thedistrictweekly.com?

Thank you!

Hello Mr. Goodhue... Seems to me that there are also "warrens" which "breed problems" over on the east side of town, too. Isn't that what all the controvery about drunken perversion and violence on Second Street is all about? Ready to have your warren burned down, too? I got a match to lend you.

Hello Allen Miya. Gotta correct you--the original article was not full of misinformation. First, the DLBA budget that I viewed did not include a breakdown of salaries and administrative costs but instead lumped them together. After I reported that lump sum, I was contacted by DLBA executive committee chairman Jim Anderson who instructed DLBA president Kraig Kojian to contact me with the separated numbers. I printed them here. Second, if you found the first article inflammatory, it was only because you were inflamed by a report of the facts---which were that petitions were being circulated and signed by downtown businesses calling for Kojian to be fired. The story only reported the existence of the petitions, not that they had been presented to the DLBA--in fact, the story quoted Mr. Hamilton saying he had contacted the executive committee to let them know of the existence of the petitions. And I have followed up and found out that this did, indeed, happen. A close reading of the story will confirm these facts and, if you learn from this situation, may perhaps prevent you from embarrassing yourself again in the future.

Hello SunshineLB! This is Dave Wielenga. Could you please e-mail me at dave@thedistrictweekly.com, please?