EDITORIAL:Beach tables don’t stand out

Is Dog Beach going, as they say, to the dogs?

Columnist Chris Epting’s column in the Independent (“Howling puts Dog Beach in jeopardy,” June 28) has sparked emotions on both sides of the issue.

Some, citing the tables and T-shirt racks set up at three points along the bluff each weekend, say Dog Beach is an eyesore.

Responding to the criticisms, the city sent a letter to Martin Senat, who runs the organization that maintains Dog Beach, asking that the stations be cleaned up.

A second letter was sent to Senat two weeks later, demanding that the stations be moved off the bluffs and onto the beach, where they would be, effectively, invisible to passing traffic.

Senat was stunned. Funding for Dog Beach comes in large part from these weekend setups, he says. They allow Senat to pay 14 employees, buy dog bags, cleaners, dispensers, signage, brochures and a dog trainer who helps out on the beach.

Move the signs and you cut off Dog Beach’s primary fundraising mechanism, Senat says.

That, in turn, would make Dog Beach a mess.

City officials say they don’t want to close Dog Beach. They just want the tables and T-shirt racks moved.

We believe the tables and racks are a side issue. Huntington Beach is not, and has never pretended to be, Carmel. It advertises itself — on Main Street, along PCH, on the beach.

It’s brash, not shy, and it’s a destination point known for its good surf, its plentiful shops, its lively night life and much more, including Dog Beach.

We also believe that if Dog Beach is unclean, efforts should be made to clean it up.

If off-leash dogs are threatening joggers, or others, that problem should be addressed.

And if the city has information indicating that these are issues, it should let the public know.

But leave the tables and T-shirt racks. In a city busy with signage of every variety, they don’t stand out, and they are perfectly in line with the personality of this town.

More importantly, they help fund a small part of the beach that has become a renowned place of pride for Huntington Beach.