Make your voice heard on O’Neill Building name

Sept. 18, the Sentinel published a Guest Commentary from two Santa Cruz Port Commission members, Dennis Smith and Darren Gertler, titled “Don’t erase O’Neill’s legacy at the Harbor.”

The article says it all. There are no documented notes on the Santa Cruz Harbor website from the Aug. 28 Port Commission meeting agenda that supports or clarifies the reasoning behind the name change from the O’Neill Building to Santa Cruz Waterfront Building.

While I’m not a surfer, I appreciate all that the O’Neill family has done for Santa Cruz, the surfing industry and ocean conservation under the O’Neill Sea Odyssey program.

On July 9, 2017, around 2,500 surfers paddled out at Pleasure Point to pay tribute to Jack O’Neill after his death. Let’s not let his legacy be erased by an unsupported name change to the building he built and then donated to the Harbor.

Contact the Port District at: scpd@santacruzharbor.com or attend the next Port Commission meeting Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m. at 365 A. Lake Avenue, Santa Cruz. You can also attend remotely at SantaCruzHarbor.org.

— Jackie and Peter Whiting, Aptos

Alarmed over changing name of O’Neill Building

I read with alarm the Guest Commentary in the Sentinel regarding the name change of the historic O’Neill Building.

This name change makes absolutely no sense. It’s not like O’Neill moved in and rented the building. Not only did Jack and company build the building, he then paid for half of the remodeling costs then donated the building to the Port District in 2004.

The O’Neills have employed thousands of people over the past 60-odd years, and the O’Neill brand has contributed untold millions of dollars in sales tax and revenue to the city and county of Santa Cruz.

Why not honor the worldwide recognized O’Neill name and what their family has brought to Santa Cruz with a historic naming of a building rather than the generic meaningless name the commissioners came up with?

Additionally, the O’Neill Sea Odyssey has contributed to over 100,000 young school-age kids’ education from all over the state.

The big question is why would three commissioners want to change this without public comment or any additional discussion? What’s the big secret?

— Bill Farrington, Santa Cruz

Hard to believe port commissioners’ vote

It was hard for me to believe the Santa Cruz Port Commission voted 3-2 to give the O’Neill Buidling, at the harbor, a new name. This is an insult to Jack O’Neill, Harry Hinds and to our community.

I have had a boat in the harbor for 30 years. As I go out the harbor, I always point out to my guests the legacy the O’Neill boat that has taken over 100,000 school kids out to sea and other marine activities that have occurred. It is hard to believe three commissioners have pushed this process without public input and voted for erasing legacy that belongs to all of us.

— Alfred Carlson, Capitola

Making banana slug the state slug a waste of time

As John Laird and Gail Pellerin teamed up together to name the banana slug as the official state slug of the state of California, there is still no accounting of the homeless monies spent in this state, totaling $24 billion but they are concerned with a shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusk. Neither share the priorities of the taxpayer but continue to concentrate on agenda items that mean nothing.

California had a nearly $100 billion surplus as recently as 2022. At present we have a $68 billion budget deficit identified for 2024-25, and the state faces annual operating deficits of around $30 billion a year.

California policy makers are responsible for this. At the present time Laird sits on the following committees: Chair, Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 (Education); Vice Chair, Joint Legislative Audit Committee; Member, Appropriations Committee; Member, Budget and Fiscal Review Committee; Member, Joint Legislative Committee on Budget.

This week he shared with the Aptos Chamber it was the fault of the ultra wealthy for COVID late tax filings. C’mon John, we’re not banana slugs.

— Arnold L. Versaw Jr., Aptos