thumbs_up RACHEL POWERS’ “ALL AROUND THE TOP O’ THE TOWN ON A FAREWELL TOUR WITH VAL LERCH,” JULY 21

Rachel, What a beautiful story. You did NLB justice. Thank you. / VAL

Enjoyed every paragraph of this story. / SILVIA BONILLA

Val was always a likeable guy. Overboard sometimes, but he has a good heart. No racism in Val. Black racism and racism in general Long Beach has always been a problem in Long Beach. I wonder about this “celebration of diversity” as the bullets fly and the attacks are treated differently depending on race. Val also was involved in some really bad council votes. Wishing the best for Val, but better for his replacement. / PAUL

It’s called politics, Lerch—if the voters don’t like your “stances,” you’re out. Whining about the unions just makes you seem like a crybaby. The 9th district voters got rid of you, not the unions. / HOWARD X.

 Hi Rachel: I don’t know which I liked better … this article or the perspective in your comment. Thank you for both. / HEATHER ALTMAN

 A lot of people live in North Long Beach because it is a nice little community with a lot of really nice, down-to-earth people. It has some great homes—thousands of little Spanish-style homes (Belmont Shore north) that could use a few more of us to care for. Many of us have fairly good discretionary income. We have to shop elsewhere, though, but we go on vacations and cruises, we buy new cars, we send our children to good colleges. Many of us are professionals, including those who work at universities, colleges, schools, the Port, the City of Long Beach and other surrounding cities, the state, hospitals, doctors offices and many entrepreneurs, utilities, and other employers throughout the region. Yes, the demographics have changed over time, but this will happen throughout Long Beach, Southern California and the nation, eventually. It is what you make it. Val is staying here. I know lots of us that have committed to staying and working to improve the area. Val is not Jerry Schultz, who basically trashed the area and people he represented after he left office and moved to the east side to be with more folks like himself. / LAURIE

 KRISTIN CHALMERS’ “‘THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST:’ SWEET, SWEDE NOTHINGS,” JULY 18

Add to that the hunt for and arrest of murderers of same anti-fascist magazine editor and you’ll have enough material for 10 books. Jag gillar lutfisk! / ERIC BRADLEY

GREGGORY MOORE’S “LB SHAKESPEARE CONJUGATES THE LOCKSTEP IN ‘USALLICA,’” JULY 24

I don’t like absurdist-theatre, it is too much like real life. / JOE MACK

 LOUISE CUNNINGHAM’S “F-BOMBS: SUCH A KINDLY WAY TO SAY THE ONCE-VERY-WORST CURSE,” JULY 19

Lovin’ your essays, Louise, keep ‘em comin’. My all-time-fave cuss-mask I heard for the “S”-bomb was by a secretary who just committed a typing error back in the Age of White-Out: “Oh Sugarplums!” You really had to be there. / DWR