News versus Infomercial

Easy Reader, 8/18/22

https://easyreadernews.com/letters-to-the-editor-8-18-22/

Dear ER:

On EasyReaderNews.com, the Beach Cities Health District seems to publish articles at will (“Beach Cities Health District’s Campus Modernization Project Selects Partners,” ER Aug. 11, 2022). They present what appears to be a news account, with plenty of self-congratulatory quotes from their leadership. The articles always have the most positive spin possible. On closer inspection, the articles are written by Dan Smith, who happens to be BCHD’s Director of Communications. Of course, most of the public is unaware that the articles are written by BCHD’s own promotions team. There is a byline with the author’s name, but no mention that he works for the BCHD in that capacity. Why does it matter? The subject of the articles is a half-billion dollar proposal for their massive development project, self-dubbed the Healthy Living Campus. This controversial project, which will negatively impact the beach cities and surrounding areas. It would be far more appropriate to have full disclosure on these PR pieces. And far more legitimate, having objective reporting. You have a responsibility to represent to the public, both sides of the controversy.

Ann Wolfson

Torrance

{Editor’s response: During the pandemic Easy Reader invited Beach Cities Health District to contribute stories related to the pandemic. With the pandemic winding down, this arrangement is ending, and statements from the Beach Cities Health District will be edited by Easy Reader.}

Healthy Living Campus impacts

Daily Breeze, 8/11/22

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2022/08/11/letters-to-the-editor-week-of-august-11/

The [proposed] BCHD Healthy Living Campus is anything but healthy. It is an overdone, glass and concrete superstructure that looms high over any surrounding structures. It’s five-plus years of demolition, excavation, concrete grinding, hauling away of debris, and construction will add noise(beyond acceptable levels for a residential area), and traffic to an already busy vehicular travel area. Imagine an estimated 10,000 heavy truck trips along with worker’s vehicles. (And where will they park?)

Worse yet, the breezes we’ve come to enjoy become a 24/7 conduit for toxins and carcinogens (documented in BCHD’s own environmental impact report) to be inhaled by school children attending Beryl Heights Elementary, Towers Elementary and Redondo Union High School.

We urge the surrounding community to stand up to BCHD’s CEO and board of directors and oppose this assault to our health.

—Glen H. Yokoe, Torrance

Zoned out

Easy Reader - 8/4/22 https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/453d6bfc-f473-4314-be36-20a15335e6a7/activity/

Dear ER:

A letter writer on July 14 asserted that those opposing the BCHD Healthy Living Campus need to come to the table or step aside. I personally have and still do come to the table for very civilized conversations with BCHD reps. In the end, we don’t agree, and that’s okay. The writer suggests that the detractors’ opposition to this and other development projects means we can’t have nice things. “Nice things” is relative. I think it’d be nice to have something on that property for which it’s zoned. It’s zoned for public purposes or structures for the community, not private buildings. This project does not align with the land’s intent, therefore not questioning it and just “stepping aside” is not an option. Pointing out the zoning and the unusual private nature of this project is not spreading “uninformed beliefs.” It’s imploring residents to get familiar with both the land issue and potentially disastrous financial aspects of this project. It’s not being anti-development to ask people to look at what is right for the community, rather than what’s right for a would-be private developer capitalizing, or worse, going bankrupt, on our public zoned land.

Lara Duke

Redondo Beach