Cambrian letters to the editor, Nov. 2, 2017

HART shelter needs volunteers

HART recently had the privilege of hosting the monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, and it appears a good time was had by all. However, a number of guests commented that they were unaware there was an animal shelter in town. On the other hand, I was unaware there was a square foot in town we had not posted one of our fliers.

So, if I may, we are the Homeless Animal Rescue Team — we have been in Cambria since 1983. We focus on cats but assist with any animal in need. We are no-kill — since 2015, we have rescued about 450 cats and placed 425 cats into vetted homes. We attend the feral cat colonies. We have cats of all ages and demeanors, and cats with special needs. Please, you are invited to visit us at 2638 Main St., next to the Creekside Inn. Meet the kittens, meet the cats, meet the staff. We are open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Oh yeah, we need volunteers, if you are interested.

Trees, wreaths told to help education

The Cambria Education Foundation will hold its second annual holiday tree and wreath fundraiser.

We are preselling beautiful, fresh cut Christmas trees and handmade wreaths, swags and garland that come directly from a farm in Oregon. The trees are so fresh that sometimes they are delivered with snow still on the branches!

They are nursery-quality, premium trees, hand-selected, cut, loaded and delivered within a few days and not sitting in storage for weeks before purchase. If you plan to purchase a tree this year, please consider a tree from the Cambria Education Foundation. Not only will you receive an awesome tree for your family to gather this Christmas, you are supporting our schools.

Do you already have an artificial tree, cannot pick up the tree or you live out of the area? No worries, you can help support us and a military family! The Trees for Troops program gives a donated tree to a military family, and we keep a portion for our fundraising efforts, it is a win-win for everyone.

For order forms, visit the Cambria Chamber of Commerce, Santa Lucia Middle School or call Suzanne Kennedy at 805-909-0917. You can also visit cambriaeducation foundation.org for more information or to purchase online. Orders must be received by Nov. 13, and trees will be available for pick-up or delivery in Cambria on Dec. 2.

Congratulations to Coast Union coach

Congratulations to Coast Union volleyball coach Pam Kenyon for winning another league title.

Viewpoint on wait list disputed

In response to the Marilyn Kirkey Viewpoint article in the Oct. 19 issue of the Cambrian: Ms. Kirkey is entitled to her own opinions, but not her own facts, so I have to challenge a couple of her statements:

“One-third of the (CCSD wait list) lots are owned by current residents.”

▪ 100 of the lots are owned by people with Cambria mailing addresses. That’s about 15 percent.

▪ This has no relevance to the debate. Property rights, and reasonable expectation of service by a public utility, do not change according to your address.

“There are more than 660 lots on the CCSD water meter wait list, to which I am told we have no legal obligation …”

▪  Who told you this? What law are you citing?

▪  Do you really believe that several successive regimes of CCSD leadership would have made expanding water supply to serve the wait list a top priority if they didn’t understand that they have a legal obligation to do so?

There is a popular argument that CCSD directors are trying to “produce more water for growth” because they have some hidden interest in the properties on the wait list. Or maybe that wait list owners are paying them off. This argument persists, and many want to believe it, even though nobody has ever produced any actual evidence. Cambrians should consider the possibility that the real reason for directors’ actions is that they are convinced that that have the legal obligation to do so. Also, consider this: Do you believe that your neighbor knows more about CCSD’s legal obligations than CCSD’s own legal counsel? Do you think that CCSD’s legal counsel is incompetent?

Both perspectives from Marilyn Kirkey and Mark Kramer have merit. I do hope the town can reach a compromise.

No population explosion

There’s no question more population affects quality of life, and it’s interesting that there’s evidence it costs local governments more than they get back in revenues.

I’m frankly surprised that there are any communities that outright ban new construction, but Kirkey provides some examples. I suspect there are some exceptions to a ban, such as our own requirements about moving a water meter from a tear down, or (possibly) allowing a few new homes when water is “guaranteed.” (If it ever is).

Cambria will never become overpopulated for several reasons: There’s no port, no major employers (except Hearst Castle), inadequate infrastructure and no institution of higher education. Plus we have growth boundaries.

My position on the Sustainable Water Facility is this: The CCSD two years ago publicly said Cambria was close to running out of water. Had we run out, property values would have been negatively affected for years to come due to mandatory disclosures. The plant was and is expensive, but we don’t want to make the mistake Santa Barbara did in dismantling much of it and selling the parts to Saudi Arabia when the drought was supposed “over.”

Cambria is a sane, serene and safe (except for fire) community to live in, and we are all lucky to be able call the town home. The bigger cities are scary indeed, and I lived in three of them: Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Pettiness has no place here

I was not able to attend the last CCSD meeting, but I talked to former Director Greg Sanders after the meeting. I was unhappy about the result of the library deal falling apart. I found out there was a way to do it, but the board president changed her mind when it came time to talk about it. Too bad. I thought getting a commercial building at half-price that could have been modified and paid off in a few years was a good idea. Great location with lots of same-level parking at the Vets Hall building and room for ADA parking in front.

That was not my biggest disappointment. I was offended when I found out that Director Harry Farmer refused to sign a certificate of appreciation for Greg Sanders. I could write a great deal about all the good Sanders did in our community, but most of you know that already.

I am glad that Supervisor Bruce Gibson also came and gave Sanders a certificate. I was also offended by Board President Amanda Rice refusing to present the certificate and relegating that task to General Manager Jerry Gruber. This kind of pettiness has no place in our community. I hope the voters will remember the actions of these two when they come up for election again.

This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 9:26 AM with the headline "Cambrian letters to the editor, Nov. 2, 2017."