|
|
|
|
|
|
News Proposal to relocate Mt. Soledad cross to La Jolla Children's Pool gains momentum By Leopard J. Ferry June 5, 2006 San Diego--If a new proposal from the mayor’s office is approved by city council, the Mt. Soledad cross, subject of a seventeen-year legal battle revolving around the cross’ location on city-owned land atop Mt. Soledad, will soon have a new home less than two miles away. The proposal, co-authored by a veterans group called “Vets for JC,” calls for the cross to be disassembled by city employees within the next 60 days and transported on a fleet of city-leased flatbed trailers to a new home at the center of the popular Children’s Pool in La Jolla.
The cross, which will be renamed the Children’s Pool War Memorial, will sit atop a 12 ton concrete base buried in the sand at the center of the crescent shaped cove, with the surrounding half acre of beach slated to be used primarily as a recreational area for families with small children. “The children’s pool is a wonderful place for kids to take a swim while getting a chance to reflect on the sacrifices their grandfathers and great-grandfathers made in armed conflict around the world,” said Randall Hutchings, Associate Director of Vets for JC. “We veterans are proud of our service to our country, and we want to display that pride to younger generations.” The proposal adds that youngsters will have the opportunity to “wade unfettered in calm waters and observe passing marine life, such as dolphins, sea lions, and harbor seals.” Not all veterans, however, endorse the plan. Reginald “Bukk” Helton, 92, and a veteran of D-Day, expressed dismay at the proposed location. “That cross is going down there over my dead goddamn body,” said Helton, looking down at the Children’s Pool from his home on the western slope of Mt. Soledad. “You see those seals down there? Look at those sons-a-bitches! Lying around doing nothing. “Sometimes I see them fornicating down there on the beach—fornicating! Goddamn deadbeats. You know, the last time I was at the beach—a little place called ‘Omaha,’ ever heard of it?—I had eighty-eight millimeter rounds the size of 'D' batteries whizzing past my head.” “If we did on the beach what they’re doing now,” Helton added, “Fritz would have pushed us right back into the ocean and we’d all be goose-stepping around La Jolla.” Mayor Sanders pointed out that even popular decisions have their detractors. “You’re always going to have to separate random noise from the sample group,” Sanders said in reference to Helton, with whom the mayor’s staff is well acquainted. “Mr. Helton’s called our office several times in the last few days. Frankly, I think he’s overreacting. The truth is, we wanted to get it right, and we did.” At least two city council members think that Sanders’ proposal makes perfect sense. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it,” said councilwoman Donna Frye, who opposed Sanders in last November’s mayoral election. “But that’s why he's got the corner office. My hat’s off to him.” “It’s an auspicious move,” stated councilman Ben Hueso, “and further proof that the city is pulling itself out of the mire it was in.” While the proposal appears likely to pass city council, one hurdle remains. City Attorney Michael Aguirre has asserted that relocating the cross to the children’s pool may violate an arcane city statute (City Code 4.23.vi) that says “Concrete may not be conjoined with sand beneath a depth of twelve feet.” The mayor’s plan presently calls for the monument to sit atop an eleven-foot base. Aguirre has threatened to sue the Vets for JC, Sanders, Sanders’ wife Rana, and the lifeguards who presently work at the Children’s Pool. He was unavailable for comment for this article. The city, which was ordered by a federal judge to remove the cross from Mount Soledad by August 3, considered several locations before settling on the Children’s Pool. Other candidates included Miramar Air Station, Qualcomm Stadium, and the home of former U.S. Representative and war hero Randall “Duke” Cunningham. The Children’s Pool War Memorial, the proposal added, will be featured in city media, such as the city web site, chamber of commerce videos, and print advertising campaigns. -------------------- Leopard J. Ferry is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Vyuz. Suggested Vyuz reading... San Diego outsources entire City Council to India | By Leopard J. Ferry What it's like to be straight in Hillcrest | By Leopard J. Ferry San Diego Mayor talks corruption and the Strong Mayor form of government | By Larry Knowles Steve York, UCSD pornographer, chooses law over porn | By Larry Knowles The bare facts about Brazilian waxing | By Romina Cleary A look inside Imperial Beach border patrol | By Larry Knowles |
|
