Wednesday, Aug. 3, before I knew my letter was published on that day expressing outrage over what I heard when I chanced to catch a Channel 19 rebroadcast of the July meeting of the Coronado Tourism Improvement District commission (CTID), there was action. One of the CTID members questioned the credits of the Navy Seal Foundation (NSF) as actually being worthy of national exposure along with Rady Children’s Hospital as a charity connected to the upcoming Polo on the Beach event. This is to report I received the best possible response.
At 9 a.m., before my Eagle & Journal copy was on the front walk, Todd Little (Coronado Tours), CTID executive director, called me at home. He had seen my complaint. He had it covered! NSF was thoroughly researched. Admiral Bonelli, retired SEAL, board member of NSF, and Coronado’s Port Commissioner would make a personal presentation to the regular CTID meeting the next afternoon. Well, that should do it, and did!
Todd assured me he understood my dismay, and invited me also to talk to the commission. Nice, but no longer necessary, thank you very much.
Todd graciously agreed with some of my other concerns: traffic–he said the CTID paid $40,000 to sponsor the new valet parking system in the Bank of America garage. That they only promote convention type action during the “slow” winter months. Well, that is a start. Todd believes, as do I, that we must take care here not to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Over burden our bridge, streets, parking, and beaches for commercial reasons, and we will become another place to be avoided–uncomfortable for residents and visitors alike.