Letter to the Editor: Resident Points Out Centennial 'Shell Game'

Editor's Note: A special [as in one not on the council's regular calendar] City Council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. tonight in council chambers at 1400 Highland Avenue. Mayor Nick Tell called for the meeting on behalf of the centennial committee to get council's input on future centennial events listed on the committee's calendar and to secure any necessary funding from city coffers.

• Previously:

Dear Editor:

Steven R. Covey, author of “7 Habits of Highly-Effective People,” recognized trustworthiness as the core value of principle-centered leaders requiring both character and competence. Manhattan Beach Centennial Co-Chairmen Mayor [Nick] Tell and Council member [Richard] Montgomery have displayed neither character nor competence in their failed attempt to gain approval of alcohol at a centennial beach event.

Specifically, they attempted to pressure other council members into establishing a precedent by avoiding consultation and delaying their proposal for 82 days after a needed permit was denied by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors due to our own long-standing prohibition of alcohol on our beach – consistent with the trend of prohibition at public events, including its sale at PAC-12 (e.g., USC, UCLA) football and NCAA basketball championship games.

Further, Tell and Montgomery played a political shell game as to the exact event attendees, activities and costs; employed irrelevant arguments to detract from the facts; made significant mistakes then shifted blame onto city staff; interjected unfeasible alternatives after their proposal was recognized as elitist; behaved uncivilly; created a witch-hunt against residents who raised credible concerns; and, attempted to negate the value of our laws which, like principles, are non-negotiable.

By making alcohol the focus, they missed an opportunity to center the event on the future of our youth, made even more critical by a finding that Beach Cities adolescents are using alcohol and drugs up to 2.5 times higher than the national average.

Courageously, incoming Mayor Wayne Powell, [incoming] Mayor Pro Tem David Lesser and council member Amy Howorth displayed principle-centered leadership in vetoing the proposal by recognizing the importance of our laws in guiding public policymaking; and, the importance of healing community wounds created by the proposal’s divisiveness. 

In so doing, they demonstrated commitment to expanding our enlightened public policies (e.g. environmental, healthy living and the education and physical well-being of our youth) that make Manhattan Beach an ideal community.  

Sincerely,

Edward C. Caprielian, Ph.D.                                                                 
Manhattan Beach resident