MAILBAG - Aug. 14, 1999

DON STRAUSS, JEAN WATT WERE COUNCIL FAVORITES

This is about the council members and who the best ones are (The Verdict,

“Another magnificent seven for Newport Beach,” Aug. 3).

Without a doubt, the two best council members over my almost four decades

in Newport Beach were Don Strauss and Gene Watt. They fought with dignity

and intelligence against the tide of overdevelopment that we have seen

roll over this community. They just love Newport Beach as their home and

it showed.

MARGIT MOTTA

Newport Beach

CANNERY RESTAURANT SHOULD BE HISTORICAL SITE

I was reading the Pilot and saw the article regarding Costa Mesa creating

a list of historical sites (“City to create history listing,” Aug. 10).

Does Newport Beach have the same? I would think the Cannery would be

considered a historical site. I heard the new owners of the Cannery were

wanting to tear it down and build single family residences around the

Rhine Channel. Perhaps we could save the Cannery. Maybe it also could be

worthy of federal, state and local recognition.

Look at Cannery Row in Monterey -- preserved and converted into various

shops, bringing revenue to the city. Why not do the same here in Newport?

If there is no Cannery, is the area still to be called Cannery

Village?NEETA QUINN

Newport Beach

CONFUSED BY SCHLESSINGER’S BEACH ACCESS BEEF

I was just calling to comment on Laura Schlessinger (“Shop owner

considers suing radio host,” July 29). I just turned 22 and I’m thinking,

how come I can’t go to a surf shop and buy a skateboarding magazine but I

can go to a pornographic shop and buy pictures of her nude? I don’t

understand, is there some kind of correlation going here? Is she trying

to gain back somebody’s respect? Because the first time I saw her on the

Internet naked, believe me, I lost all respect.

TOM ADAMS

Newport Beach

BELL’S ‘GRAY’ PERSPECTIVE WAS REFRESHING

I’m commenting on Joseph Bell’s article in the Thursday, Aug. 5 issue,

“Time to take a gray look at a black and white world.”

It’s refreshing to see a moderate, reasonable perspective to balance out

the big money propaganda of the religious and Republican Reich. Every

time I read about religion, it seems more like a paid advertisement than

honest reporting. They say they take God’s money to help God’s poor and

needy, but the reality is they’re taking money from God’s poor and

ignorant and giving it to the Republicans who are God’s rich and greedy.

So I’m just wondering if anybody out there has the guts to write about

this.

RAULY CARALTO

Newport Beach