Thursday, July 26, 2001 Park use   To the anonymous person who stated in the July 23 Speakout that people living outside the area of Scherer Park should not enjoy the use of the park and asked where I live: I live in Long Beach, and like everyone else who lives here, I pay taxes to help maintain all our city parks. Therefore, I feel justified in protesting when recreational space is taken for institutional or commercial uses. I also feel justified in asking that my city follow the law … in this case the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). With only 1.2 acres per 1,000 population in the Scherer Park area, it is no wonder that crime is a problem. (The National Park`s recommendation is 10 acres per 1,000 population.) Humans react similarly to rats in overcrowded conditions. No one has argued that there is not a need for a police presence in Scherer Park, but it must be a visible presence, not 200 police in a concrete fortress, surrounded by a 9 to 12 foot concrete wall. When I was fighting to save open space in El Dorado Park, which is near by home, I was called a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard); now you are intimating that I am a carpetbagger. I am proud to be an environmental activist and will continue to fight to preserve open space, wherever it may be. Ann Cantrell Long Beach