P-T LOFTS DEVELOPER ISN’T WORTH 98 CENTS
I really appreciate Mr. Mohammadi’s efforts to help upgrade our neighborhood [Theo Douglas’ “Now! Change for Your 98 Cents Store,” Oct. 8]. I only wish the developer of the old Press-Telegram building had a similar attitude and more concern for our neighborhood. In spite of numerous community pleadings, calls, e-mails, etc., the vacant property still is not being properly secured or maintained. It is constantly being vandalized, and it’s covered on all four sides with extensive graffiti. This is really bringing down the neighborhood, and is detrimental to residents and other businesses. I should think the developer would want to keep the property looking reasonably good and attractive to other investors in the building, as well as for other potential businesses that could sprout up in nearby vacant properties on Pine Avenue. This condition is also thumbing its nose at the other historic elements of the overall Press-Telegram project at Seventh and Pine. Who would want to invest in or think of coming to such a blighted-looking area? An upgraded 98 Cent store a block away won’t compensate for this travesty.
DON DARNAUER
Via thedistrictweekly.com

WHAT DOES DIANA WANT?
My children attend Los Cerritos Elementary, and for the past couple years, I’ve been watching Diana Bosetti and her little band of malcontents turn our school into the Hatfields and McCoys [Dave Wielenga’s “No Cinnamon Roll Left Behind," Oct. 1]. It seems like whenever Bosetti gets her feelings hurt, she ends up in the paper. The image of our school taking opportunities away from “poor children” is a gross misrepresentation. This depiction is an insult to the entire dedicated staff who looks after EVERY child, every day. That said, maybe Bosetti is right. And then it’s good for us to get cash during these tough economic times. But I firmly believe if she were on the principal’s side and the school’s side, and was truly doing this just for the children, it could have been handled differently. Did she get a hearing because of the articles in the paper and her fanning the flames of divisiveness at school? Was she able to follow up with the State Board of Education because of unsolicited e-mails to parents and shamelessly bagging on [Principal Lauren] Price? No, she got hearings because she filed a complaint. Which she has every right to do, but she did it by slinging mud and throwing punches. We’ll never know how much we could have accomplished by simply trying harder to understand that we all have the same goal. Or maybe we don’t? What is the real motivation for this crusade? Watching from the front row, I don’t think her aim is true.
ANONYMISS
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My husband served on the site council at our school, and he said all they did was rubber stamp the principal’s requests. Kudos to Ms. Bosetti for actually doing the job the way it should be done. We should all follow her example and get more involved.
LB CITY GIRL
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It would be ludicrous to believe Los Cerritos Elementary is the only school in the Long Beach Unified School District that has misappropriated Title I and other categorical funds. The way the hammer came down on Diana Bosetti by high-level district administrators, you know the district wanted to put an end to this before anyone looked into other school budgets. Either it can get in front of the misappropriations and honestly deal with them, or I’m sure many school sites will find themselves with their own Diana Bosetti.
LBUSD EMPLOYEE
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