READERS RESPOND

AT ISSUE: Costa Mesa has $1.5 million extra to spend from last year.

Officials have also predicted a $1.6-million surplus for next year.

I have lived in this neighborhood for a long time, and in regards to what

the city should do with the $1.6 million budget surplus, I am in favor of

the streets repair (“Costa Mesa predicting $1.6-million budget surplus,”

Jan. 14). It is amazing to see Fairview Avenue. It is so messed up. I can

not believe the quality of work that has been put into this very

important road. I think some of this money should be used to improve the

road or maybe get some quality contractors who can do a better job

because it seems like every year this avenue has to be repaired for the

same kind of holes, and the same kind of poor structures that have been

put on it.

FERNANDO MELGAR

Costa Mesa

Let’s invest the city’s budget surplus money in a way that will benefit

everyone, the city, its residents, the area and our young people: Work

out a deal with the school district to buy the Balearic Park center. The

Balearic center should belong to the residents of Costa Mesa. Our taxes

to the schools helped pay for that land in the first place. And it is a

park and center that is greatly used.

ALICE DALE

Costa Mesa

I would like to know whether the city would build a retaining wall or a

sound wall around College Park from Merrimac to the fairgrounds and

Harbor Boulevard to Fairview Avenue. If you drive down Merrimac and if

you drive down Fairview, our area looks seedy. Without this wall a lot of

homes don’t have a block wall or any type of protection in the back, so

the that would be a great thing to do for the neighborhood, especially

here in College Park where numerous residents have been here for awhile.

Another thing, Princeton Street is all full of potholes. Resurface some

of these streets.

Another little thing that we can look into is to help the seniors with a

voucher to play golf. The fees keep rising and rising. All of the morning

golfers are senior citizens in their 70s and 80s and we are not going to

be here a long time. Give us a voucher where we can play five days a

week, because that is the exercise we get and we need help that way.

JOE SALAZAR

Costa Mesa

I am calling in regard to the question of what should be done with the

$1.6-million surplus for Costa Mesa. The entire amount should be given to

the Costa Mesa police so that they can get things they may have needed

but don’t have, because a good police agency is a strong sign of a city

that is functioning well.

JOHN MINER

Costa Mesa

I was reading about the $1.6-million budget surplus and one thing I would

like to see done is repave our streets -- Albatross, Flamingo and

Pelican. They all need it very badly. It looks like a dry river bed.

AUDRY GIDDENS

Costa Mesa

I am calling in response to the article of Costa Mesa predicting a

$1.6-million surplus. I recommend it be spent on creating a park here on

our street, in an empty lot on the corner of Maple Street and Victoria.

All of the neighbors got together two years ago and petitioned the City

Council to have that done. And the City Council said they would do it,

but of course, they didn’t say in what century. So we have waited two

years now and not a stone has been moved. And it is just an empty dirt

lot, so it is an eyesore the way it stands. But they had talked like they

could very well turn that into a tot-lot -- a small park that would do

wonders for the neighborhood children.

So here’s hoping they’ll remember that they promised to do that and use

some of this surplus toward that.

JANICE KRESSIN

Costa Mesa

I know $1.6 million isn’t enough to buy the Balearic School property from

the school district, but maybe it could be a down payment. That facility

with the soccer fields, new playground and building where many

city-sponsored classes are held, not to mention the preschool, would be

greatly missed if it were sold to a housing developer.

LEN and RITA BEKEMEYER

Costa Mesa

I would like to see some of the surplus go to buy the Balearic Community

Center from the Newport-Mesa School District. This is a beautiful piece

of open space that has been in operation for more than 20 years,

providing the residents of Costa Mesa a variety of recreation

opportunities.

Programs include instructional classes, a year-round preschool program,

facility rental, field allocations for many sports, especially soccer,

and a winter and spring school-age day camp. I understand that the center

is used by an average of 2,000 residents a month. It’s a wonderful

opportunity since it will soon be up for sale and the city now has a

surplus.

KAREN URSINI

Costa Mesa