Letters appearing in the News Chieftain

Why spend $700K on Arbolitos?

The Poway city staff report for the Conditional Use Permit to allow lighting Arbolitos Park for nighttime sports activities has been issued. It is too late for me to urge that lights not be allowed at Arbolitos Park, but I would like to urge our City Council to consider a few items as they review the staff report.

More than one councilmember stated at the Sept. 7 council meeting that they were committed to an 8 p.m. curfew for lights at Arbolitos. Now is the time for them to remember those commitments and change the staff recommendation from a 9 p.m. curfew back to that 8 p.m. curfew.

PYSL only asked for a practice field. The staff report recommends game- level lighting for Arbolitos Park. Now is the time for the council to change to practice-level lighting, which the staff report says would have less impact on the neighbors. The physical installation for the lights should be practice-level only, not a dual level with a switch.

PYSL promised $350,000 toward lighting Arbolitos Park. The council should require PYSL to make good on that promise, rather than accept the staff recommendation to appropriate $700,000 for the city to fund the entire project. There are other parks in Poway where that money could be put to good use.

I encourage Powegians to attend the Oct. 19 council meeting and watch the actions of their councilmembers as they think about who to support in the upcoming election.
Tom Tucker
Poway



Stavros best choice for Poway Mayor

To those who think the recall shook our appointed mayor into being more forthright and ethical, you are wrong. In the last five months Don Higginson has dropped to an all-time low in his treatment and consideration of his constituents.

Higginson was the lesser of all evils when Cafagna anointed him. Many of Higginson’s current supporters were recall supporters. I find it disturbing that anyone who supported the recall can now look at Higginson and not understand that Betty Rexford did not act in a bubble, she had inside help.

The alternative is Nick Stavros. Nick is articulate in his understanding Poway political business in the past and why we desperately need change moving forward. Nick has repeatedly stepped up to be the voice of reason only to be dismissed with a bang of a contemptuous gavel. I was particularly impressed with his ideas for our redevelopment dollars and the conflict of interest between our city manager and City Council.

Is Higginson our best choice? No, Stavros is. South Poway may be the redheaded stepchild to north Poway. Until south Poway neighborhoods are improved, we will become the rotting fish that fouls the north’s air. South Poway issues will become north Poway issues — unmanageable traffic as commuters fight to get around the Poway Road gridlock, increased crime as mega-centers are built on land that was never intended for big-box development, and destruction of our last vestiges of open space. I believe Stavros is the new leadership for Poway.

Clariece Tally
Poway