Parks And Beaches

State lawmakers adopted one of the nation's most far-reaching regulations of tobacco use Monday, approving a bill to outlaw smoking at 278 state parks and beaches. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not said publicly whether he will sign the measure, which would allow a fine of up to $100 for smoking at a state beach or in a designated section of a state park. Smoking would still be allowed in many parking lots and campgrounds. The state has previously banned smoking within 25 feet of a playground or sandbox area and in public buildings.

With due respect to Jethro Tull, very few child molesters spend their time sitting on park benches eyeing little girls with bad intent. You're more likely to find them at your church, or in your house, than at a public playground. But that's not stopping Orange County politicians, especially Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas, from pandering to voters' worst instincts by pursuing a pointless crusade to bar those convicted of sex crimes from parks. After the county Board of Supervisors approved a Rackauckas-backed ordinance last month forbidding sex offenders from entering dozens of county parks and beaches, the district attorney followed up by sending letters to city leaders throughout Orange County urging them to do the same, since the county measure doesn't apply to city parks.

State parks officials and nonprofit organizations scrambled Wednesday to find funding and possibly new corporate sponsors to keep as many as 100 parks and beaches open after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed an additional $6.2 million out of the state parks system. Budget cuts also suspended a land conservation program that has been hailed as a key to preventing sprawl and easing economic pressure on farmers and ranchers.

When the weather turns warm, ditch the gym and take the workout outside. Parks, beaches, hiking trails and even urban landscapes offer great opportunities to tax the cardiovascular system and strengthen muscles. Here are some tips for making the most out of training outdoors: At the beach: Use the sand. Wet or dry, it adds resistance when you're running, walking or otherwise exercising, making the cardiovascular system work harder. And of course, you could always go for a swim.

The proposal to transfer parks and beaches into a public works projects department is a shrewd and indispensable one ("Parks Reorganization Opposed," Sept. 25). By producing a more small and frugal government, the financial benefit will increase the overall Orange County quality of life. There will be more money left for higher-priority community services. If great care is taken, the county's environment will not deteriorate. Volunteer work and donations will help to maintain the quality of our parks and beaches.

Regarding your article on the 346-page book available with the $75-per-year California State Parks Annual Pass ("News, Tips & Bargains," May 24): While you did say this pass gets you into "lots of state parks," it would behoove you to tell readers that it is no good in any state park or beach within Los Angeles County. We learned this the hard way in 1997 when we purchased the pass. All state parks and beaches in Los Angeles County are run by the county, which refuses to honor this pass.

Thank you for your evocative editorial ("A Park in the Balance," Jan. 25) saluting the federal-state partnership in the Santa Monica Mountains. We are very proud of the role we played in transferring Circle X Ranch and Campground to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area. In the last few years over 65,000 acres have been acquired in public trust in the scenic Santa Monica Mountains. In addition, the conservancy has fostered volunteerism in the Santa Monica Mountains.

A Southland campaign to have soul pioneer James Brown released from prison will seek 250,000 signatures to present to South Carolina Gov. Carroll A. Campbell Jr., in whose state Brown is serving a six-year sentence for assault and failing to stop for police. The Coalition to Free James Brown, which is circulating petitions at shopping centers, parks and beaches, is "just a group of concerned citizens," says co-founder Byron Williams. "I'm a Vietnam veteran and I remember when James Brown came to put on shows for the troops, and I heard about the things he did to stop rioting in the U.S. during that time . . . so I felt it was worthy to aid this man as best we could.

I applaud the City Council's decision to ban alcohol at the parks and beaches. Although one of the things I very much enjoy is sitting on the beach with a beer watching the sun go down. I am willing to give it up to keep the few people who can't seem to control themselves in line. It's too bad that a few people like this have to spoil it for the rest of us citizens who have self control and respect for our fellow citizens. As we get more and more people here in San Diego we will continue to see fewer and fewer freedoms.

A political dirty trick is being foisted on the people of Huntington Beach. The trick: Paid telephone solicitors are identifying themselves as calling for Save Our Parks and urging support for Measure D and the developer candidates. The truth: Save Our Parks is the group that founded Measure C, the Citizens' Charter Amendment. Measure C gives the citizens a direct vote before the pro-developer City Council majority can lease away our beachfront for 35-foot-high restaurants and Central Park for hotels, large restaurants, amusement parks, etc. The public has the right to participate in decisions regarding major commercialization of their parks and beaches.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday vetoed a measure that would have banned smoking at state parks and beaches, calling it "an improper intrusion of government into people's lives." Schwarzenegger, whose cigar habit led him to build a smoking tent at the state Capitol, said in his veto message that the proposed regulation, which would have been the most far-reaching tobacco legislation in the nation, went too far. Such rules should be left up to cities, counties and local park officials, the governor said.

State parks officials and nonprofit organizations scrambled Wednesday to find funding and possibly new corporate sponsors to keep as many as 100 parks and beaches open after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed an additional $6.2 million out of the state parks system. Budget cuts also suspended a land conservation program that has been hailed as a key to preventing sprawl and easing economic pressure on farmers and ranchers.

Liana Johnsson doesn't mean to cause trouble. But she's not exactly the kind to tolerate injustice. So the veteran Ventura County public defender fights hard for her indigent clients, railing against a system that jails the homeless for being drunk in public or for snatching shopping carts to haul around their belongings. She is known for efforts to help addicts find their way into treatment programs and straighten out their lives.

Regarding your article on the 346-page book available with the $75-per-year California State Parks Annual Pass ("News, Tips & Bargains," May 24): While you did say this pass gets you into "lots of state parks," it would behoove you to tell readers that it is no good in any state park or beach within Los Angeles County. We learned this the hard way in 1997 when we purchased the pass. All state parks and beaches in Los Angeles County are run by the county, which refuses to honor this pass.

Lucy the butterscotch Labrador emerged from the surf and then promptly took a tumble in the dry sand, squirming on her back as she chomped on a tattered tennis ball. Lucy's owner, Susan Carter, shook her head at the sand-matted creature and predicted she'd have to hit both the dog wash and the car wash before heading home from the dog beach--a stretch of Huntington City Beach where leashed dogs are welcome to frolic.

The proposal to transfer parks and beaches into a public works projects department is a shrewd and indispensable one ("Parks Reorganization Opposed," Sept. 25). By producing a more small and frugal government, the financial benefit will increase the overall Orange County quality of life. There will be more money left for higher-priority community services. If great care is taken, the county's environment will not deteriorate. Volunteer work and donations will help to maintain the quality of our parks and beaches.

When the weather turns warm, ditch the gym and take the workout outside. Parks, beaches, hiking trails and even urban landscapes offer great opportunities to tax the cardiovascular system and strengthen muscles. Here are some tips for making the most out of training outdoors: At the beach: Use the sand. Wet or dry, it adds resistance when you're running, walking or otherwise exercising, making the cardiovascular system work harder. And of course, you could always go for a swim.

On a handful of beach parking lots in Orange County, windsurfing and skateboarding meet. The incongruous blend of the two sports creates a puzzling sight for drivers cruising along Pacific Coast Highway as windsurfing sails glide above the asphalt on breezy afternoons. Skate-sailing has been practiced informally for years.