|
Save Santa Monica Pier, 1972 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boomers Life Welcome to one of the most popular Baby Boomer sites on the web. Everyone born between 1946 and 1964 is a Boomer just like us. We still have an open future ahead of us, so choose to enjoy the good things in life! Welcome to our world. Our Music Our Interests Health and fitness innovations Baby Boom generation experiences Issues for work and retirement Number of Boomers in each U.S. state Surprising increase in Social Security claims Bodhi Tree Bookstore Closing is a Boomer Experience Do Boomers still care? Protests then and now Our People More
Eagles - Hotel California album
Share a smile with a friend. Tell them about this site or mention it on your blog. Links are good too--and we will post yours. A smile a day keeps the doctor away.
BoomersLife.org Contact Us You are welcome to comment on a posting or share some info on your own experiences (today or back in the day). Sanford Holst Editor © 2009-2024 Boomers Life |
photo credit: asymptotia.com Save Santa Monica Pier - 1972 Ever since we were young, we seem to have gone against the old sayings of our parents' generation, like "to get along, go along" and "you can't fight city hall." Sometimes the things we stood up for were grand and important, such as civil rights for all. Other times they were smaller issues, like the wanton destruction of a popular pier in Santa Monica, California. If it seemed wrong, we stood up in protest. Sometimes we even surprised ourselves and won.
The historic Santa Monica Pier celebrated its 100 year anniversary on September 9, 2009. Yet there would be nothing to celebrate if the popular pier had been torn down 37 years earlier, as ordered by the city council. In 1972 a somewhat insensitive city council voted to remove the pier and replace it with a concrete island and 29-story hotel. Local citizen activists were a bit upset, and formed Save Santa Monica Bay to oppose the tear-down of this widely used--and free--public gathering place. Our chairman, Pieter van den Steenhoven, asked me to serve as media spokesman for the duration. Santa Monica Pier - The Sting movie
Santa Monica Pier - The Sting movie At this same time, the Academy Award winning movie “The Sting” was being filmed at the Santa Monica Pier. Robert Redford and Paul Newman were treading the old boardwalk where so many of us had gone. They rode the horses on the carousel, where we had been on dates, then later brought our kids. Of course the director added 1930s scenery around the pier to make it look like what they wanted for the movie, but the Merry-Go-Round building and surrounding streets and walkways are clearly visible. What would have happened if the pier had been torn down during the filming? We will never know.
Santa Monica Merry-go-Round - The Sting movie Chuck Henry was a newsman at ABC-TV in those days (now he is news co-anchor on NBC) and helped by providing some great TV coverage of what we were doing. Cliff Tarpy, a reporter at the Santa Monica Evening Outlook, also provided good coverage. With that, and a great deal of public support, we were able to qualify a “save the pier” initiative for the Santa Monica city ballot. We turned in so many signatures that the city council knew the next step would involve tar, feathers and a quick ride out of town. So it reversed the decision to tear down the pier. The next city election resulted in the initiative being passed by the voters, and Pieter won election to the city council along with two other newcomers. We had carried the day with pennants flying. Today, the Santa Monica Pier is still there, it's still free, and it's still enjoyed by everyone from toddlers to centenarians. With any luck at all, it will continue be there for many years to come. -- Sanford Holst
|
|
Comments: I was a boy of 14 then. Living in the Purser Apts as it was called back then. Right on the boardwalk on the right side of the chess tables. What a great place to spend your youth. I'd love to find someone else who lived there at the time to trade stories with. -- Danny Y, Big Island Hawaii I was there in 1972, helping to save the pier. So glad we prevailed. These days I stroll the pier with my children. Thankfully, they can enjoy it just as I did all my life. -- Morgan P, Laguna Beach, CA __________________________________________________________ You can post a comment for this article, or for anything on our website. Just click here . |
|
|
__________________________________________________________ "Surfer Girl" by the Beach Boys Little surfer, little one, Made my heart come all undone. Do you love me, do you surfer girl? Surfer girl, my little surfer girl. I have watched you on the shore, Standing by the oceans roar. Do you love me, do you surfer girl? Surfer girl, surfer girl. We could ride the surf together, While our love would grow. In my woody I would take you everywhere I go, So I say from me to you: I will make your dreams come true. Do you love me, do you surfer girl?
Beach Boys - Surfer Girl album
|
|
|
Also available on Boomers Life: |
|
|
Our purpose is to help rebuild the Boomer community, and our justifiable pride in it, as well as to enjoy a better life for ourselves and those important to us. May all the best be yours. |
|
|
music, people and issues of interest to Boomers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photographs
and artwork are original on this site, or permission was obtained for
images clearly copyrighted. Other images such as record albums are
understood to be in the public domain for fair use. If for any reason an
image has been shown for which you are the photographer/artist and were
not consulted, please let us know so that proper permission can be
obtained or the image deleted. -