Farrakhan Degrades Legitimate Issues

It is sad that minister and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, fresh from a career of exploiting Jewish stereotypes in the name of God, would turn now to insulting and homophobic remarks aimed at gay women of color (Nov. 5).

It is sadder that a group of students on a major campus, desperate for a spokesperson for their concerns, would choose such a person to pay to hear.

Mr. Farrakhan’s bigotry only serves to degrade their very legitimate issues.

DAVID ROCKLIN, West Hollywood

Reseeding Plan Is Poorly Conceived

I watched in horror and awe as house after house went up in flames in the recent Calabasas/Malibu fire. Hiking trails were obliterated, precious natural resources on state and private land were consumed, and not just humans lost their homes but fauna and flora alike.

And the destruction will continue if the information I have received is true, that the California Department of Forestry is planning to seed the burned wild land areas in the Santa Monica Mountains with ryegrass or a mixture of grasses and shrubs not native to those mountains.

There is much scientific evidence that seeding provides no additional short-term erosion protection relative to natural regeneration. A popular although erroneous belief is that grass seeding quickly produces foliage to protect the soil from raindrop impact and to provide plant roots to bind soil in place. According to many studies, this is actually a total waste of taxpayer money. It doesn’t work!

Much research has been done in this area, and detailed information is available from the Forest Service fire laboratory in Riverside. Aerial seeding with ryegrass does little to prevent erosion and does much harm to the permanent native vegetation that provides the best long-term cover.

Chaparral regenerates vigorously after fire, seeded species compete with native species, and areas seeded with ryegrass will provide the fuel for next year’s fire.

Most sedimentation occurs during or shortly after the fire by the process of “dry ravel.” This material lands in the water courses (“channel loading”) where the first rains carry it downstream. No seeding program can counteract channel loading. Most of the remaining sedimentation comes directly off the slopes in the first significant rains. The seeds have not yet germinated and cannot counteract this source of erosion.

There are other ways of dealing with erosion problems after a fire than seeding. I hope that the decision-makers will learn from past experiences, i.e. failure, and work with consultants, researchers and organizations who can provide invaluable information and input.

HALLI MASON, Tarzana

Brick Paving Needed for a Better Image

I read your story “Bricks Pave Way for New Downtown Redevelopment” (Oct. 14) with great interest and would like you to consider another position.

We have spent the last 10 years trying to get the department of recreation and parks to upgrade our community by paving the Venice Boardwalk with brick. We have hoped to match the original 1920 historic Abbot Kinney Venice walk paving (like the existing 18th Avenue between Pacific and Ocean Front Walk). You cannot realize the damage you have done to our realizing our dream for Los Angeles. We have every nitwit on the Westside quoting your article as gospel against brick paving.

Your article--which said that brick paving should be accompanied by programs to attract and keep new business--was true for communities that are trying to attract those new businesses and pedestrian traffic.

We in Venice have exactly the opposite situation. We have more tourists than Disneyland, and the most expensive retail lease rates in Southern California. We have all the community elements in place and have an exciting boardwalk. We simply need to have the city provide us the face lift so all the international tourists have a better image of Los Angeles.

We are not installing bricks instead of addressing social issues to turn our community around. We are around! We want brick paving to serve our millions of tourists and leave them with a positive image of Los Angeles!

MICHAEL KING, Venice