MAILBAG - Dec. 7, 1999
Have you ever toured one of the Newport Beach schools? Nice and pretty
much well-maintained.
I applaud the maintenance workers in the Costa Mesa area schools for
keeping our schools as clean as possible with the constant failure of
sewer lines and falling building debris. The reopened Eastbluff
Elementary boasts a new library complete with 30 computers and a theater.
While Costa Mesa High has a program for advanced technology, it cannot
run the computers without the risk of destroying them in the unequipped
rooms. Paularino and Wilson schools just lost their arts program (and
Sonora is on a waiting list for their art program) because of lack of
funding. Wilson Elementary is beyond repair and is recommended to be torn
down and rebuilt.
Meanwhile, in the past years during the recovery of the disgraceful
bankruptcy, Costa Mesa schools have been selling (and leasing) their
schools and district land to fill the Newport-Mesa general fund account.
What do we do about this? A suggestion of a bond to fix our schools has
been met with hostility from the Newport-area residents. Newport Beach is
claiming to be already overtaxed and many send their kids to private
schools, anyway. So Newport Beach residents are claiming to fight a bond
issue with everything they’ve got. Where does this leave our Costa Mesa
schools? Again, we are the “stepchild” of the Newport-Mesa Unified School
District and our Costa Mesa students and teachers will be the losers.
Maybe it is time for Costa Mesa to be a separate district to really help
our schools, teachers, and, especially, our children.
DENAMARIE ARELLANOS
Costa Mesa
Irvine Co. up to old tricks
The Irvine Co. is up to their old tricks again. The Newport Ridge North
development was started without adequate notice or hearings for the
residents of the Seawind community. One beautiful morning, an army of
earthmovers appeared on our beautiful hillside and started grading. We
received a letter from the Irvine Co. telling us that this grading and
blasting would go on six days a week from 7 a.m. until dusk.
The right thing for the Irvine Co. to do is to stand down the grading
until the project is properly reviewed and our neighborhood is given the
opportunity for questions and comments. If the grading is not stopped
soon, this beautiful hillside will be gone.
It could happen in your neighborhood next. What will you do?
DAVID CORNETT
Newport Beach
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