Our Readers Write : Geothermal Heating Not a First for Hotel

Terence M. Green’s report (“Tapping an Immortal Source of Energy,” Feb. 10) indicated the proposed Ramada Hotel in San Bernardino will be the nation’s first to be heated entirely by geothermal energy. It won’t really be because there were a number of inns so heated in the United States, although most faded away for technical and economic reasons.

Even today, the ballroom area of the Hot Springs Resort at Hot Springs, Va., is partially heated--and cooled--with warm geothermal water. The campus of the Oregon Institute of Technology at Klamath Falls had several dormitories all heated at terrific savings by geothermal heat.

Elsewhere in the world, without straining my memory very much, I recall the large hotel at Rotorua, New Zealand, that is both heated and cooled by geothermal energy at enormously low cost. And one cannot overlook the hotels at Reykjavik, Iceland, that have been so heated for many years--including outdoor year-around swimming pools!

When one writes about such energy sources, we should not be unaware that there were geothermally heated homes in Los Angeles around the turn of the century, and until recently one of the hot wells would flow on demand.

And should we forget, the entire southwestern part of Los Angeles County is an enormous producer of geothermal hot water as a byproduct of the petroleum industry--probably enough to provide comfortable heating for 100,000 homes if it were not needed by the oil industry to keep the oil strata at a nice, productive temperature. In a way, it could be more useful than the whole Imperial Valley!

EDWARD F. WEHLAGE

Whittier

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed Terence M. Green’s thoughtful piece (Tapping an Immortal Source of Energy, Feb.10).

I don’t know if anyone in the industry has ever told you how much his efforts have helped promote the alternate energy field; in case they haven’t, I’d like you to know that he has helped tremendously and I believe that’s true because he doesn’t just write about it, he believes in it too.

HOWARD KRAYE,

Chairman,

Governor’s Solar Council;

Chairman,

State Fund for Energy,

Valencia

Kaplan Commended

Again, today in the Los Angeles Times I was gratified and well-informed by reading Sam Hall Kaplan’s column in the Real Estate section.

As a veteran New Yorker and reader of its papers, even today as a six-year resident of Los Angeles, I had missed this kind of information. I am sure that I number in the thousands.

Thank you for initiating this kind of service and supporting Mr. Kaplan with this kind of effort. I realize that I continue to repeat this message in letters to you, but I want to emphasize how very important this kind of information is for the architecture/design, business and real estate communities, as well as general interest readers. Mr. Kaplan is to be commended for his efforts--as are you.

JUDI SKALSKY

Skalsky & Bates

Los Angeles

Thanks for Sam Kaplan’s most interesting comments on urban planning in the L.A. Times. His comments are thought-provoking and worth considering.

Perhaps you can help on a problem in finding a building number from a car, whether it is a business, restaurant or even an office building, or a house.

The worst problem is on Santa Monica Blvd., Wilshire, Melrose or Olympic Blvd.

Looking for numbers slows traffic and causes accidents. There probably is a city ordinance on building numbers, but many are invisible, or non-existent. It’s OK for a pedestrian, but provoking for a driver.

Thanks for listening.

SAMUEL J. SHAFFER

Los Angeles

Bed & Breakfast

It was with great interest that I read the article by Ruth Ryon in the March 3 “Hot Property” column regarding proposed use of historic properties in Redlands as Bed & Breakfast Inns.

One does not have to go all the way to Redlands to observe this unique usage for spectacular older homes. Three years ago we decided that a Bed & Breakfast Inn was a great way to preserve and utilize a large, older home. We started Salisbury House, Los Angeles city’s first B & B Inn. It is a beautiful, restored, turn of the century home located in the old historic West Adams area. Since then two more historic homes have been converted to this usage, one on Alvarado Terrace and one in the Angelino Heights-Carroll Ave. area.

I thought L.A. readers might be interested to know what is occurring right here at home.

Thank you.

KATHLEEN SALISBURY

Innkeeper & owner

Los Angeles

Letters to “Our Readers Write” must include the writer’s name, address and daytime telephone number and should be sent to the Real Estate Editor, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.