Letter to the Editor: Board Shouldn't Give Up on Stadium Lights

The 's rejection of a proposal just to do an environmental impact report on stadium lights at simply because the proposal was "divisive" may be the most cowardly decision of an elected body that I've seen in years.

All change is "divisive" in some respect, including, as Board Member Malcolm Sharp pointed out at the meeting, consolidating schools. If Sharp was willing to lead the district through that process, he should be willing to at least work to try to find a solution here.

As far as I can tell, the board hasn't done anything to get the parties together. Instead, Sharp and his cohorts seem to be hiding behind the word "divisive" as if that's a proper basis for inaction. The pro-lights group has proposed what sounds like a reasonable compromise: portable lights for a limited number of nights a year. That's the kind of solution that would respect one part of our community's desire to retain its traditional character as well as the other part of our community's desire to move forward.

Running away from issues because they are difficult is a failure of leadership. If the board can't handle lights at a football stadium, it's hard to imagine how they can take on the challenges of running an entire school district in this economy. Perhaps they should step aside and let a new era of leaders run the school board.

— Greg Teles, Palos Verdes resident