I was impressed with the article by Lucia Casalinuovo ("The removal of Oceano beach") in the Jan. 3 issue of New Times. I also want to say that there are other factors—wind, storms, and sea tides—that can also affect the sand levels, too. I believe our beaches have become smaller in that they are areas that can hold only so much humanity at one time.

On a good day during the summer season, from Shell Beach it's easy to see the long lines of white rectangular boxes sitting by the surf in Oceano. Trailers, some pulled by muscle trucks, bikes, and ATV rentals.

They eat in our restaurants, shop in our towns, drink in our bars, spend their money, all that for a few days in paradise. Then they leave. More come, and the process starts all over again. Again and again and again. We locals put up with it. After all, who would deny local businesses a good living? Not me.

But I have learned one disturbing fact. Through the wife of an acquaintance who used to work at the large gas station close to Fourth Street, she told me that a guy was checking out and talking with his friend saying he didn't want to mess with cleaning his sewage tank when he got home. So he decided to dump it in the sand. They thought it was real funny when they saw the expression on her face. Everyone's cramming for paradise on the coast. What are we cramming for?

Cheryl Bennet

Shell Beach