Correspondence

INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WELCOMES PUBLIC COMMENTS

James Bridges’ letter regarding the Citizen Infrastructure Advisory

Committee (“Taxpayer pays no matter what the term,” Aug. 19) responded to an earlier article that appears to have caused some confusion. I would

like to offer the following information for Bridges and others who may

have the same perception:

1) The Citizen Infrastructure Advisory Group has NOT made any decision

regarding infrastructure financing recommendations. The earlier news

article to which Bridges appears to be responding, excerpted committee

discussion regarding how different types of financing mechanisms work,

legal constraints, current state legislation and the issue of equity for

residents. There are multiple financing options of varying complexity. It

is important for all of us on the committee to understand how these

financing tools are implemented and what the ramifications are to all

residents of Huntington Beach. There are volumes of information to cover

and committee members are encouraged to ask questions and pose different

financing scenarios. While it is understandable that Bridges got this

impression from the news article, he would have had a different

perspective if he had attended the meeting and observed the entire

discussion.

2) Meetings of the infrastructure committee are open to the public.

The meetings are held at 7 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month at City

Hall. The committee has spent about a year and a half studying the city’s

infrastructure and operations. We have set some priority projects as a

result. We are now deep into discussions regarding the various methods of

financing improvements and replacements. If this is of concern to you,

please attend the meetings. There is an opportunity for public comment at

every meeting.

While we all appreciate Bridges’ referring to the committee members as

“geniuses,” we would remind you that the committee represents a large

cross section of the community and is comprised of those who are

concerned enough to devote their personal time to this issue. The plain

truth is we have a real need to address the state of infrastructure in

the city and we all know there is no free lunch. How will we, as a

community, finance the required infrastructure improvements and

replacements? If you are concerned and want to provide input, please join

us at committee meetings.

DICK HARLOW

Citizen Infrastructure Advisory Committee chairman

DARE DOESN’T MAKE THE GRADE

A recent study by the University of Kentucky raises serious questions

about the effectiveness of the DARE Program. It should be noted that

there are many other studies and experts who would support these facts.

Further, the California Board of Education does not endorse DARE.

It would seem appropriate at this time to follow the lead of other

school districts and consider teaching basics rather than such touchy,

feely subjects as the unsuccessful DARE Program.

JOHN BOAG

Huntington Beach

BONING UP ON THE BOLSA CHICA ISSUE

I think the community should have the facts on the Sandover project.

This project is ON the Bolsa Chica mesa, not “near the Bolsa Chica mesa”

as the Independent printed on Aug. 19 (“Developer waits for court ruling

on bones”).

Also, the article states ‘a Native American’s cheekbone fragment, a

tooth, a cog stone and a grinding stone were discovered’ when the Koll

Co. was grading the property on Aug. 4.

At the hearing on Aug. 11, the Koll lawyer said a broken cog stone and

a bone fragment were not unique and that was all that was found.

For the record, Judy Suchey, a forensic anthropologist and consultant

to the medical examiner and coroner for the counties of Los Angeles,

Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino was called on Aug. 5. Her report

says the prehistoric human remains are extremely fragmentary, consisting

of only one tooth and multiple small fragments of the cranium and that

the remains are consistent with being from one individual.

The puzzling thing to me in this report was that apparently the

coroner’s office wasn’t even shown the cog stone that the Koll lawyer

tried to denigrate as not being unique.

At the hearing, Suchey was there to testify and Koll objected to any

testimony at that hearing.

Hopefully, the judge will listen at the Sept. 8 hearing. The artifacts

were mishandled by the Native Americans who were hired by the developer’s

archeologist, Nancy DeSautel.

There should have been an environmental impact report on this project

and we would have been saved this travesty.

EILEEN MURPHY

Bolsa Chica Land Trust member

ART CENTER SUPPORTERS TURN EFFORTS TO SANTA ANA

This week a bright light went out in Huntington Beach. The Huntington

Beach Art Center board, which brought a much-needed dose of creative

innovation, adventure and progressive energy to our city in the course of

a one-hour meeting, morphed itself into the Grand Central Arts Forum.

Having been invited to bring its talented support efforts to an exciting

new arts center in Santa Ana, whose backers -- the city of Santa Ana and

Cal State Fullerton -- have made a commitment to development and exposure

of the arts, the Art Center board willingly switched its affiliation to

the Grand Central Arts Center.

We can expect big things from Grand Central, where resident artists

will not only brighten Santa Ana with art but provide a healing presence

to the previously decaying inner city. The newly affiliated Grand Central

Arts Forum will help them achieve that goal. It is unfortunate that the

residents and officials of the city of Huntington Beach failed to see the

potential and value in the Art Center program that for four years brought

national acclaim to this sleepy beach town. The talented backers of that

program will now help bring the arts spotlight to another community. It

is our loss.

LINDA SAPIRO MOON

Huntington Beach