Mailbag - July 20, 2000

I am so tired of reading in the Daily Pilot about Dennis Rodman’s

latest goings-on. As a lifelong former resident of Newport Beach (as a

matter of fact I was raised very close to where he lives), I have seen a

large share of celebrities through the years: Lucille Ball and Desi

Arnaz, June Allyson and Dick Powell, Rock Hudson, Clair Trevor and John

Wayne--just to name a few.

Each and all were lovely neighbors and friends to those who lived in

the area. And no one bothered them that I know of.

My point being: Please give the coverage of Rodman a rest. Then I

think all the hoopla will cease. All Rodman wants is exactly what he’s

getting: stories by the press.

JANIE SHORT

Palm Desert

School construction moving at snail’s pace

For many months, the residents of Newport Coast have watched the

construction of Newport Coast Elementary School limp along at a snail’s

pace--months behind schedule because someone forgot to order windows.

By contrast, just a few blocks away, is the Sage Hill School, which

will be completed on time and certainly on budget.

Would someone at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District please call

the construction company building Sage Hill and solicit their advice?

DAVID L. ELLIS

Newport Coast

Community activist wants to improve entire city

I’d like to correct a couple of misperceptions that the article (“New

West Side citizens group forms,” July 7) may have left in readers’ minds.

I left the Westside Improvement Assn. because I felt the group was in

good hands and would be able to continue with the minor things that it

wanted to accomplish on the West Side, while I wanted to concentrate on

larger issues for the West Side and the city as a whole.

Where the association has decided to concentrate on things such as

code enforcement and various cosmetic issues on the West Side

exclusively, I agree with many citizens who believe that the West Side

needs not just a minor revitalization but a partial redevelopment, and

that problems in other parts of the city also need citizen activism.

As far as “five people” showing up at the first Citizens for the

Improvement of Costa Mesa meeting, that’s the number that was invited.

This wasn’t a mass meeting, but an organizational meeting.

The 200-plus people who showed up at the Westside Improvement Assn.’s

mass meeting did so because it was, as just mentioned, a mass meeting.

Most association meetings are also attended by five or less people, who

are part of the steering committee.

Citizens for the Improvement of Costa Mesa will continue working with

citizens from all parts of Costa Mesa, including those on the West Side

and will continue to work with the Westside Improvement Assn. Citizens

for Improvement’s goal for the West Side is to make it as nice as

adjacent Newport Beach and to attract a major supermarket/drug store

shopping center to the area, in addition to ridding the area of the

teeming slums.

JANICE DAVIDSON

Costa Mesa

Good luck living with even more resorts

I have to laugh at the lines being drawn by concerned Newport

residents about the Dunes project and all the Redlight/Greenlight ruckus.

Yes, we are feeling the economic growth that this city wants? Gridlock

is good? For who? You want to see a big resort in your backyard? It’s

called the Marriott Resort in Newport Coast--more than twice the size of

the Dunes project.

And when it’s all said and done, Newport Coast is to have two more

resorts and an estimated 10,000 residents when complete. So if the Dunes

is such a hot item, why is nothing being said about this giant project?

Because it’s not officially annexed? Or is it a conflict of interest of

entitlements?

Open your eyes, it’s almost finished and so is the quality of our

little beach city. If the Dunes resort can operate a “world class” resort

under the 14 hours of jet noise, less than “world class” water quality,

urban runoff and complaining neighbors and unsightly bluff “McMansions,”

then good luck to them!

RANDY SETON

Balboa Island