Letters to the editor: Oct. 1 issue
Kaaboo a huge success, so stop complaining
As a resident of Del Mar for the past 42 years, I know there’s a group of about 50 so- called Del Mar residents who love to bitch. (The number is actually much smaller, because probably half don’t actually live in the city of Del Mar) It’s no surprise they’re complaining about Kaaboo, since it was something new that brought strangers with lots of money to spend to Del Mar.
Hate to disappoint the complainers, but certainly they must have better things to do. I was very fortunate to attend Kaaboo and found it exceeded all my expectations. Everything was first class. The music was fantastic, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Sorry, complainers, but Kaaboo was a home run and certain to be an annual event. I saw very little, if any, negative impact on Del Mar.
Here’s the scorecard:
Complainers: 43
KAABOO guests: 30,000 a day.
Complainers, find something else to bitch about. There’s always traffic, roundabout plans or leaf blowers.
Stu Schreiber,
Del Mar
Kaaboo’s noise levels totally unacceptable
“Noise from Kaaboo heard 7 miles away!”
When I saw the Letter to the Editor (Sept. 24), “Noise from Kaaboo heard 2 miles away,” I had to laugh for two reasons. First, I live 7 miles away, yes, 7 miles away from the Del Mar fairgrounds, up in Torrey Hills, and I could hear the noise loud and clear Friday night (Sept. 18) and again on Sunday while surfing in north Encinitas.
For Councilman Don Mosier to claim, “There’s unusual sound transmission patterns, that’s something we can’t control,” is ridiculous. You can control it — you don’t allow Kaaboo to ever return!
I’ve lived here 17 years and I have never heard noise, ever, from the fairgrounds. Kaaboo was extremely loud, and the noise was totally unacceptable.
Secondly, I had to laugh because I must be getting “old.” Over 20 years ago, I used to enjoy these same bands in college, and stood close to the stage back then. I’m a parent now, and value my peace and sanity, and I don’t appreciate my windows rattling 7 miles away from an event that should never have been approved.
Carl Mapes,
Send Kaaboo complaints to Sacramento, city of SD
The Fairgrounds property is state-owned and -controlled. This means, of course, the city of Del Mar has no input into events staged there.
Thus, the Del Mar City Council only learned about Kaaboo after the Fair Board had solidified its plans and started selling tickets. Then all it could do was attempt to respond to any projected local problems, and hope the small percentage of on-site sales taxes it receives will cover the costs of extra manpower and cleanup, among other things.
Those of us who live in the city aren’t thrilled by this situation, but there it is. Our small voice is basically ignored.
Since complaining to the Ag District has proven futile, I suggest unhappy area residents should directly address Sacramento, or perhaps try to get the city of San Diego involved. It is home to a goodly share of Ag. District property, and surely has a bigger voice than Del Mar! Did you know next year’s Kaaboo(m?) has already been scheduled?
Barbara Stegman,
Del Mar
Kaaboo a huge success, so stop complaining
As a resident of Del Mar for the past 42 years, I know there’s a group of about 50 so- called Del Mar residents who love to bitch. (The number is actually much smaller, because probably half don’t actually live in the city of Del Mar) It’s no surprise they’re complaining about Kaaboo, since it was something new that brought strangers with lots of money to spend to Del Mar.
Hate to disappoint the complainers, but certainly they must have better things to do. I was very fortunate to attend Kaaboo and found it exceeded all my expectations. Everything was first class. The music was fantastic, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Sorry, complainers, but Kaaboo was a home run and certain to be an annual event. I saw very little, if any, negative impact on Del Mar.
Here’s the scorecard:
Complainers: 43
KAABOO guests: 30,000 a day.
Complainers, find something else to bitch about. There’s always traffic, roundabout plans or leaf blowers.
Stu Schreiber,
Del Mar
Kaaboo? That was more like KaaBOOM
Noise? What noise? You ain’t heard nothin’ yet.
How about enough “noise” to drive you insane? That’s what I heard before the “performance.”
I heard them practicing in someone’s garage before the Kaa and the Boo were ready to inflict it on the public. That was one block down the hill from my home.
Return engagement? Have mercy.
Edith Parti,
Del Mar
Go to Kaaboo, and let the music soothe you
I went to Kaaboo. Fabulous. Well organized. Brought thousands together in a celebration of diverse, inventive song.
So when someone kvetches about music disturbing their quiet — indeed, a Carmel Valley someone whose very stuccoed presence bulldozed a coastal valley once possessed by the precious silence of nature and nature alone! — Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” comes to mind:
“The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.”
So next year when Kaaboo comes to town, flee the dulling roar of your gridlocked freeway 56, escape the darkened affections of your bituminous cul-de-sac, and go to the show! You’ll be surprised at how music soothes the sleepless suburban soul.
Mark Johnson
Del Mar Terrace
Pot shop coming to your neighborhood
Despite the best efforts of members of the Torrey Pines Community Planning Board, both the San Diego City Council and Development Services (DSD) have approved a Medical Marijuana Dispensary (MMD) for Sorrento Valley. The MMD will be located in a commercial office building on Roselle Street, south of the railroad crossing.
Based upon land use restriction, 1,000 feet from schools and parks, three other pot shops could be located on Roselle or Sorrento Valley Blvd. The City Planning Commission has established a safety criteria for these MMDs, which include two armed guards, metal detectors, bullet-proofing both interior walls and adjacent tenant walls, and a vault/safe room to hide in.
Since all transactions are cash and their product is a federally banned narcotic, these MMDs are a prime target for robbery by force. Rob a bank and the FBI gets involved. Rob a pot shop is only a local matter.
The Planning Commission has approved several MMDs, the first one in Otay Mesa shopping mall. The pot shop gets 15 carloads of “clients” per hour, 14 hours per day, seven days a week. Observation of the Otay Mesa shop indicates most clients are young males.
Please remember that the state law for medical marijuana was for use by “seriously ill people.” The MMDs do not have to disclose where the marijuana came from or how concentrated the active ingredient may be. MMDs can sell cookies/brownies and marijuana- laced products. There will be one final appeal before the San Diego Planning Commission at a future date.
Do you really want a pot shop that is within easy driving distance from our high schools? Really seriously ill folks have more than 200 delivery services that provide pot by just picking up the phone. MMDs are a big business, and the city wants its fees.
Contact Council President Sherri Lightner (sherrilightner@sandiego.gov) and tell her “no pot shops in Sorrento Valley.”
Dennis Ridz, member of the Project Review Committee for Torrey Pines Community Planning Board