Letters to the Editor

Editor:

I was intrigued by Nick Masssetti’s column on Seal Beach water rates (Feb. 18). Last year I designed and proposed removing the crab-grass-infested turf in front of my unit and 14 of my neighbors’. I began to think about and research what it would take to remove the turf and establish a drought tolerant garden (we are calling it a park.) This area is approximately 3,500 square feet, measuring 186 feet long and 18-and-a-halffeet wide. It will feature a path suitable for walkers and electric wheelchairs, berms, sand, gravel and rocks for landscape texture, California-native flowering plants, succulents and cacti, and possibly a dry creek bed, which will help with drainage. It has been approved by our board of directors.

Through my research, I found that, once established, this area will have a mean water saving of around 83,640 gallons per year and water cost savings of 70 to 80 percent.

To top it off, I am currently in the process of applying for a turf removal rebate from the Orange County Water District that could bring as much as $7,000 back into our Mutual’s coffers.

The luxury of lush, green, cooling grass will never go away, but here is an alternative that is visually appealing and holds a practical purpose.

Chris Abel Mutual 2 Editor:

I would like the GRF to consider opening the gym to all of us who have received both COVID- 19 vaccine shots. We would, of course, require social distancing, masks and proof of having received both vaccine shots.

The GRF has spent hundreds of thousands of our money to renovate the gym, and it is just sitting there empty. It has been over a year, and so many of us need this form of exercise. Gerri Wright Mutual 11 Editor’s note: For more information on the Fitness Center, see the amenities update on page 2.

Editor:

Recently my friend took me to her Mini Farm garden, where her lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes were growing in healthy abundance. Also, her flowering plants were in bloom, beautifying the area.

Her hard work watering, cultivating and clearing the weeds blessed her with a good harvest. I surely enjoyed her delicious and juicy tomato salad.

When I was a director, some shareholders in my wheel were interested in gardening. They asked me how to get a plot. I advised them to apply. There’s a long waiting list, but it’s worth waiting for, I told them.

Gardening is one of the best hobbies to help people cope, both mentally and physically, with the coronavirus pandemic.

Lisa Dickson Mutual 1