Community Letters

RE: A life of boats, travel; former Log owner Lou
Gerlinger’s work and life remembered

“Woke today with Lou on my mind and, as has been my
annual habit for many years, decided to check up on him,
only to come across this sad news from last year. I was the
editor of The Log Newspapers in the late ’90s (hi Carol!) I
was promoted from San Diego Bureau Chief and had never
been an editor before. I was in over my head but Lou, then
our editorial consultant, helped me more than anyone can ever
know. He was invaluable to me.

After leaving The Log, I continued as a writer and editor,and his gruff advice continues to serve me even now. Outside the office, I spent lots of time with him and Rosemarie, and we shared many interests, including a love of dogs. When I was a student at PLNU, years before I had even heard of The Log, I frequently saw this old codger in a cowboy hat, exercising his dog (Sammy?) on
the lower sports field, which I later learned was a short walk
from his home on Sunset Cliffs. We greeted each other a few times, but I never imagined we would someday know each other well or that he would be such a mentor to me. He had already lived an amazing life by the time we met, and I loved to hear his stories. Like the one where he was in a market with Lise when a guy started trying to rob the store. He told Lise to go outside and get in the car and, once she was safely out of the store, Lou pulled his gun and shot the would-be robber, who was not seriously injured, and even asked Lou why he had to shoot him. As The Log’s editor, I came to understand better than many how deeply
respected and widely known he was in the boating community.
Condolences to Rosemarie and the Gerlingers. Fair winds and
following seas, my friend.”

— Robb Marshall, on Aug. 13, 2021.

RE: Dana Point Boaters March for the Harbor (AUG. 6 – AUG. 20)

“The prequalified biding process was a scam that left all others out of the process! Return the money and send them home with one percent interest. Now the trust fund baby Uberoff is complaining about electric use, this proves no do-diligence was done or planning. It’s now appearing that our elected officials and others in the community divided this public-owned harbor up like a well-cooked chicken for huge profits, one can only hope it fails like the parking gates from years ago. I waited 18 years
for my slip, now I’m told I’ll be moved and my rent doubled
because pimp daddy says I’m in his spot. Can we say state
capitalism CCP? Now I’m told I can’t charter or rent my boat
to offset this crazy unjustified rent increase and has indeed
resulted in fascist results and the extinction of free markets in
our taxpayer community harbor. The coastal commission should
be ashamed for buying into this theft in what kind of crazy
world does increasing the cost increase access?”
— George Gregory, on Aug. 23,
2021