MAILBAG - Jan. 6, 2000

CONCERNED ABOUT TREATMENT OF BRIDGETTE BALLAS

I was dismayed when I read about the woman who was found lying

unconscious on a Huntington Beach street and who subsequently died from a

skull fracture (“Slain woman lived a ‘quality’ life, friend says,” Dec.

9).

What upset me was that the paramedics immediately took her to the Western

Medical Center in Santa Ana. What is wrong with the local Huntington

Beach Hospital or even Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach? Both of these

facilities are definitely closer than driving all the way to Santa Ana,

especially when the victim was in critical condition. Both of these

hospitals have emergency rooms, where I believe she should have been

taken.

I hope there was a good reason for this, since I would hate to have

myself or any of my family or friends treated this way.

I urge someone in the Huntington Beach city government to investigate

this matter.

CALL TO ACTION

Democracy demands participation -- thank you, Don McGee, for this astute

observation (Mailbag, “Eminent domain should be a lesson,” Dec. 23).

What Huntington Beach was, is and will be is held in the hands of our

council members and business power mongers only if we sit back and watch

it happen.

Our council members aren’t pleasing us with their decisions. How did Lake

and Gothard [streets] get rerouted for houses, and why is Goldenwest

[Street] turning into Beach Boulevard right before my very eyes?

Why is there a rusty chain-link fence separating me and the beautiful

ocean on the bluffs? Why are we still pleading with our council to save

the mesa, an integral part of the last wetlands in Southern California?

And how come a future park must be named after a politician who had

nothing to do with that area’s past or present needs?

Where did the quaint Christmas lantern street decorations go -- replaced

by $500 “contribution” snowflakes?

We must gather petitions as with the Wal-Mart and eminent domain issues

to express what we want and don’t want. We the people of Huntington Beach

need to get our pens ready, gather our thoughts and like-minded citizens.

Attend our council meetings and make Huntington Beach waves this new

year.

Happy 2000 to every altruistic citizen investing his or her heart, time

and efforts in helping this city unfold as the people desire.