TO: Mr. David Whiting,
The Local Editor/Commentary,
Orange County Register
cc/ "Letters to the Editor"

FROM: N.C. and Mary. L.,
"Friends of the Parasol" Committee


Dear Mr. Whiting,

It is both ironic and timely that your newspaper featured a glowing resturant
review of the Parsol in Seal Beach, in your Friday 23 April 2004 edition, as
the Parasol is now under threat of demolition by the owners of Rossmoor
Center. Being members of the recently-organized "Friends of the Parasol" we thought
you should be informed of local "grass-roots" efforts to stave off the
impending sad loss to the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor-Seal Beach community of the Parasol
Restaurant at 12241 Seal Beach Blvd. in Seal Beach.

It is an architecturally
unique restaurant which will soon disappear (along with other local businesses
such as Davio's, Yucatan Grill and Blue Mountain Bagel in the portion of the
Rossmoor Center, Seal Beach between the Parasol and the Union 76 Station)
unless citizens, the media and local leaders quickly act to combat this
destruction. The exact extent of the proposed demolition became public last week in the
"Negative Environmental Impact Report", which shows the removal of the
singular and historic Parasol and its replacement with a comparable-sized restaurant
(why?), and the building of a bank between the restaurant site and the street.

The Parasol is not only an integral part of our local social and business
community, but is a treasured landmark of this neighborhood and the favorite
meeting and eating place of so many in Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and Rossmoor, as
well as in the surrounding areas and even farther afield. As it states in the
enclosed petition, "the demolition of the much-beloved Parasol Restaurant
would represent a great cultural, historic and aesthetic loss to our community.
Also, proposed development of the shopping center adjacent to the Parasol, the
last of its chain (of 10), poses a serious threat to this whimsical and
historic structure.

The Parasol is a vivid, vital and unique example of the
remarkable "Googie" style of architectural, as well as a vibrant and treasured
gathering place for residents, architectural students and tourists alike. Its value
to the surrounding communities is immeasurable and should be preserved for
current and future generations to enjoy." The Parasol's owner, Roy Hall wishes
to restore the Parasol to its previous glory, but can not precede unless the
proposed demolition is stopped. We urge you to act, both as private citizens
and as an influential news organization to protect and preserve this
irreplaceable gem of character and value to our area. Once gone, it will be gone forever.

As Southern Californians, in the words of Bruce Y. " we've all seen such
wonderful pieces of local history as the Ships Restaurants, Van de Camps, Tiny
Naylor's, Bob's Big Boys, Raffles and Twin Wheels disappear, one by one,
increasingly impoverishing our communities and the qualities of our lives with their
loss and replacement by "cookie cutter", characterless buildings. Restaurants
such as the Parasol are valuable illustrations of particular visions of our
culture and past. By destroying them, we are destroying the cultural heritage
of our local communiies, as well as that of Southern California. With such acts
of short-sightedness, we are depriving future generations of the chance to
know and enjoy this important segment of our communal past."

I enclose a flyer detailing some of the efforts being made locally (all by
concerned citizens who have no financial nor familial connection with the
Parasol or its owner) to try to stem the tide of this demolition.

Time is of the
essence, as the period for public comment is only through 10 May 2004, to the
City of Seal Beach and its various committees and commissions. We encourage you
to contact in writing the owners of the Rossmoor Center, the Seal Beach City
Council, the Environmental Quality Control Board, and the Seal Beach Planning
Commission to express your concern over the proposed demolition of the
historic Parasol Restaurant in Rossmoor Center, and to attend the Environmental
Quality Control Board meeting on the Wednesday the 28th of April at 6:30 PM and the
Seal Beach Planning Commission meeting on May 19th at 7 PM, both in the Seal
Beach City Hall, to protest this plan.

A good turn-out is vital to sway the
impact. Additionally, on Friday the 23rd of April 2004, from 1 to 3 PM "The
Friends of the Parasol Restaurant" held a drop-in information session in the
downstairs room of Redeemer Lutheran Church, 13564 St. Andrews Drive, Leisure
World. Petitions and letter-writing information for the "Save the Parasol"
campaign were available there and a presentation was given by a member of the LA
Conservancy.

Foremost of all, please urge your readers to visit the Parasol itself to sign
the petition, and sample its excellent food and charming atmosphere. The
"Friends of the Parasol" will continue to gather signatures and collect the filled
petition sheets depending on the results of the Environmental Quality Control
Board, and the Seal Beach Planning Commission meetings, as well as the
actions of the Seal Beach City Council and the Rossmoor Center owners.

In the works are also efforts to have the Parasol placed on the State
Historic Registry. Naturally, that is a very long-term and complicated process, and
can not yet save the Parasol from destruction. That task is up to us all, as
concerned, heritage-minded and responsible members of the Southern California
community. Please help us "Save the Parasol". Thank you, The Friends of
the Parasol





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