MAILBAG - Dec. 14, 1999

I was pleased to read “Crime takes a plunge in Costa Mesa” Nov. 23. This

came a week after my class of 36 local residents had just completed Costa

Mesa Police Department’s Community Policing “Advanced” Citizens Academy

for the last 11 weeks.

Our course was a follow-up to the “Community Policing Citizens Academy”

offered to all citizens or employees of Costa Mesa -- a course that is

well-worth taking for anyone who wishes to improve their relationship

with the neighborhood and community they live and/or work in.

The first course takes you through all the phases of the Costa Mesa

Police Department. Every night you will learn something new, including

SWAT, K-9, DUI, gang and narcotics enforcement, major crimes, traffic and

criminal laws, fire, helicopter and patrol operations, weapons training

and firearms safety class, neighborhood watch and a ride along.

And the second course is a continuation course involving the Community

Emergency Response Team training program. Instructor Teri Durnall wants

to train as many as she can to be prepared for a disaster, if it should

ever happen here.

During that time we interacted between the Costa Mesa Fire and Police

Departments, learning six hours of CPR and 18 hours of the response team

duties, which included disaster preparedness, fire suppression, medical

operations, light search and rescue, psychology and team organization --

along with a simulation.

We also took another ride-along and our final night was a high-profile

case (Denise Huber) showing how all the different departments interact to

solve a case.

With headlines in our local paper of “Crime takes a plunge in Costa

Mesa,” it is obvious that a course like the Community Policing Citizens

Academy has got to help the community. I hope if you like living in Costa

Mesa and wish to improve the community and neighborhood that you will

take the time and advantage of these classes.

You can call Westside Substation at (714) 327-7450 and ask for Fred

Gaeckler.

ERIN TRIPP

Costa Mesa

Job well done for Joe Bell

Joe Bell, thank you for your excellent column (“A Generation of Past

Found Unity in Time of Despair,” Dec. 9.)

Congratulations and a sincere “well done” for your perspective,

understanding and a real-life story of one of “The greatest generation.”

You summed up deftly and succulently a nicely balanced and accurate

picture of the motivations, attitudes and, yes, the never-in-doubt

patriotism, of all of the citizens that I was aware of 58 years ago on

Dec. 7 as a boy of nine. The hardy determination, good-naturedness,

courage, hardships and sacrifices of your compatriots, both in the

military and on the home front, of that specific generation will always

be a source of awe and example and pride for me.

GENE BEAVIN

Costa Mesa

Flier flew in face of accuracy

I received a brochure “Flying in the Face of Safety” questioning the

safety of El Toro airport. Obviously, it was designed and distributed by

South County activists to kill the proposed airport. What was

particularly offensive to me was that they had the audacity to try to put

Newport Beach in a bad light with a quote insinuating people will die at

El Toro because our citizens don’t want flights over them. That is just

outrageous. I’ve taken the “D” ride out of John Wayne enough to know El

Toro could not be any more of a risk to fly out of than our little

airport with its dangerously small runway. In fact, I am certain the

majority of pilots would prefer El Toro to John Wayne for reasons of

safety.

C. FLYNT

Newport Beach

Woman with many cats deserves break

This is in response to the articles in The Daily Pilot dated Nov. 19 and

20, respectively (“Gearing up for a cat fight” and “For pet owners, magic

number is four”). To charge Pat Hotz with a misdemeanor crime for taking

good care of animals is ludicrous. Pat Hotz loves animals -- period. She

has more love in her heart for animals than some people have for their

own children. Anyone who knows Pat, and there are many of us, knows that

she would never let an animal starve and go without shelter. As I

understand it, the cats are in the house, not outside and not bothering

anyone. True, she has way too many, but rather than let the cats starve

to death or get run over by a vehicle she puts herself on the line with

the authorities just to give them a normal life. There are people who own

one or two animals and wouldn’t take the time to show them warmth and

love that they deserve, and sometimes even abuse them, and here is a

woman who takes better care of these animals than most people and she is

going to be punished for it.

Hopefully, this will end in Pat’s favor and someone in the courts will

realize this woman is not just some crazy cat lady, but someone who

really cares about these animals. Her care of them proves that.

FLO WELTER

Costa Mesa