Mailbag: Block already approved for senior center

Dave Sullivan’s letter “Candidates not being totally honest on senior center” (Mailbag, Oct. 14) is full of misinformation. One example: “The city cannot afford to buy land for a senior center. If the city does not use a mere five voter-approved acres (a barren excavation site) out of the 356-acre Central Park, there will be no new senior center.”

Wrong. The city already owns a whole city block already approved as a senior center at 17th Street and Orange Avenue. It could have leased one of the unused schools like Kettler for five years and moved the activities of the present senior center to the school site with doable modifications. If the present senior center were demolished and a new senior center were to be built on the site, Huntington Beach could have a beautiful new senior center on property the city already owns and that is zoned for a senior center.

The present senior center would be ample size for a beautiful senior center. It doesn’t need to be a community center like the one that was barely approved in the park.

That’s just one fact that easily is proven to be wrong.

Eileen Murphy

Huntington Beach

Landfill’s loss is shelter’s gain

When we lost our 17-year-old puppy recently, we donated her leftover food and supplies to the Orange County Humane Society in Huntington Beach. We also got quite an education from the many volunteers there regarding the sheer variety of material donations they receive, need and utilize (some you might not expect). A few examples:

1. “Shredding machines.” Hugely appreciated by shelters. Also by the all the kittens, rabbits, puppies and birds there. They make a cold, hard cage warmer and more comfortable until they’re adopted.

2. Old clothing. And please understand, I’m not at all referring to clothing that is still wearable and able to be donated to facilities providing for people in need. Rather, old threadbare socks, tee-shirts that have more holes than material, even underwear that men wear until it’s not much more than a pile of lint (the stage they refer to as “just broken in”). These are cleaned and used as either bedding or tied into knots for play toys.

3. Old rags, blankets, pillows, throw-rugs, etc. Even carpet samples (most of them fit perfectly into the animals’ cages).

4. Unopened pet food and pet toys.

5. And, of course, old newspapers, paper bags and cardboard boxes. (Again, most of these fit beautifully into the animals’ cages).

The list goes on and on, and they can use it all. Just call and ask. You’ll be amazed at the list. So before any of the above items go directly to a landfill, please consider bringing them to a local animal shelter. You’ll receive thanks you can’t imagine, and believe me, you’ll appreciate your home and bed even more that night.

Carol Hettmansberger

Huntington Beach