GAINS & LOSSES

GAINS

TENTS MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS

A group of neighbors at the Vendome condominium in Costa Mesa know the

importance of community. And once a year, they pull out their tents and

prove it. Their annual grill and camp out harks back to a time when

porches made good neighbors and people didn’t go about their lives from

garage to work. The smiles on the children’s faces showed the value of

getting to know the person next door. As Vito Vento said: “It’s kind of

brought us closer together as a community.”

AN ARTFUL IDEA

After some wrangling, it looks like the arts and education center

proposed near the Newport Beach Central Library is on track. Last week,

an ad-hoc committee agreed to fund the center privately and run the

center with the help of the city. That combination makes sense in Newport

Beach. And so does the construction of an arts center.

BERGESON ON EDUCATION

Despite some early opposition, Newport Beach’s Marian Bergeson was

approved overwhelmingly by the state Senate to remain on California’s

Board of Education. Bergeson, a longtime Republican leader on education,

has promised to work to improve standards and get parents more involved

in their children’s education. We hope she continues to be a strong voice

for our youth.

LOSSES

A PROBLEM THAT WON’T GO AWAY

A report last Thursday in the Daily Pilot helped put a face on a group of

people who some say often lack one: the homeless. Their plight is not an

easy one to ease, and, as the report showed, not every person wants help

or a change in lifestyle. But the tales they told show how often they are

ignored and cast aside. That part of their story is one that we should

all work on putting to an end.

NEVER AS SAFE AS WE WANT

News that there was an assault a week ago on the OCC campus is a

reminder, once again, that no place is ever really safe. Campus security

stepped up their patrols following the attack and placed fliers around

campus. Luckily, the assault was interrupted, and, thus far, no other

similar incidents have been reported.

A SHOCKING REMINDER

News that a Newport Beach woman had died from injuries suffered several

days earlier in an in-line skating accident put a shocking stamp on the

summer. In-line skating has become, like surfing and skateboarding before

it, connected with fun in the sun. Police said that Karen Udell was not

wearing any protective gear when she sped into the intersection of

Jamboree Road and Bayside Drive. Her death is a sad reminder of the

dangers of our summer activities.