Letters : Partisan View of School Fight

Regarding the attempt to reassign South Bay Union High School Supt. Hugh Cameron, I feel the beginning of the end came when Mr. Cameron sat by at the Jan. 19, 1984, school board meeting and allowed the board to extend his contract over the hue and cry of the many community members present at that meeting.

Why did that board feel they had to extend a contract that had more than two years left to run? The obvious answer to many was that the board did not believe the next board might be so inclined.

Trustee Armando Acosta’s presentation on Mr. Cameron was given with thought and caring. There are times in life when one must stand up and be counted and it was evident that Mr. Acosta felt this to be one of those times. I commend him for that.

For a fellow board member to even suggest that Mr. Acosta was grandstanding for the benefit of the press is ludicrous. My experience of Mr. Acosta is that he is a person of integrity, a sincere and dedicated board member who wishes to see our high school district move forward in unity.

BEVERLY J. ATALLAH

Manhattan Beach

LAX Helicopter Flights at Night

Last December the Department of Airports devised a multipoint list of regulations with which all helicopters wishing to use Los Angeles International Airport must comply. I would like to believe that this effort was due to the impact that we as residents and “Chopper Stoppers” volunteers brought about.

One rule says: No helicopter may fly between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., except emergency vehicles. According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s superintendent of the Los Angeles Flight Control Tower, we as residents should notify them when we hear a helicopter during the “banned” hours. They, in turn, will contact that particular helicopter operator and apprise him of the new rules.

I find two things wrong with this system. First, it’s not working. In the recent weeks, the helicopter situation has worsened, to the point of being unbearable.

Secondly, it’s suddenly dawned on me: Why should we even have to document the flight times, anyway, when the FAA knows exactly what’s flying during those hours? When we report night flights, all the tower does is check the audio tapes recorded during those times to determine who the operators are. So why can’t they catch every flight themselves between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., as they occur? I think the airport is making fools out of us. I do not think that the citizens of Westchester should be the ones assigned to enforce this rule.

As far as the “emergency” helicopter flights are concerned, I think the airport is deceiving the community here, also. One night I was told that there were four emergency flights: two organ donor flights from UCLA, one police emergency and one Coast Guard emergency. If there truly are so many emergencies, then maybe the airport needs to direct some efforts into putting some reasonable restrictions on emergencies too.

I am not cold or heartless, but certainly the health of thousands of residents who regularly get their sleep interrupted is important too.

LINDA SHAFRITZ

Los Angeles