Sound: Experiments in Sound
Trowbridge and Maass
A major era has come to an end. First, the passing of my activist friend, Ian Trowbridge ["News," Feb. 13], whom I believe I first started working with to change San Diego to an even finer city back in the 1990s with our sunlighting of the Southeastern Economic Development Corp. abuses, and our regular fight at City Hall to end misappropriation of taxpayer funds. Ian Trowbridge, Pat Flannery, Jarvis Ross, Mel Shapiro and quite a few others regularly headed to City Council chambers and other public venues to share how our fair city needed more green space and less corporate giveaways at the cost of city dollars and ever-shrinking open space.
Ian was always quick to come up with speaking points and new ideas and point out the fact that we could do much better—in fact, that the citizens not only wanted better, but deserved better. I remember signing my name to his petition to the California Coastal Commission to get a park at Lane Field. Once again, we needed more green/open space rather than just an ever-increasing claustrophobic development of huge corporate towers.
I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when the governor axed redevelopment. No longer did we have to spend countless hours researching the district board members, the projects being planned, who was gaining power in the mix, who was profiting at citizens' expense and what would be the next 30/40/50-year bond we would be obligated to repay. Ian was always around—smiling after a meeting, even if it had been a difficult challenge, thankful for our interest and support. He will be missed and is deserving of some type of lasting recognition.
Second, I can't believe the (Dave) Maass hysteria has come to an end ["Editorial," Feb. 13]! Dave was such a insightful writer about San Diego happenings. His political insights were very enlightening. I'm not sure if it was his idea, but covering lesser-known candidates—the true wooden-crate-and-walk-the-street-candidates—is one thing that has set CityBeat apart from the other print media in San Diego. I do wish he would have been around when Steve McWilliams and I ran for the District 3 City Council seat.
Us out-of-the-box candidates were just run over by the media babies and union shoe-ins for political office. We wanted a better San Diego for our communities and not just steps on a ladder to higher office or high-paying corporate jobs. Oh well, I feel the pendulum swinging again, and I do see the people's day is about to come. Once again, thanks to real leaders, those who speak against the tide, like Ian Trowbridge and Dave Maass.
Daniel Beeman, Clairemont Mesa
The real big-eyes guy
After reading your Feb. 20 profile of artist Kelly Vivanco, I was saddened and surprised that the real kudos wasn't given to the guru of big eyes—Walter Keane. Met him in San Francisco during the beatnik era when I was 12. He was a kind man painting on the streets, just getting to be known.
Heather Millard, University Heights
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