Readers Respond -- Some should be added to DP 103 list

I would like to nominate Charlotte Alexander, affectionately known as

“Charlie” for your list of 103 most influential. Charlie has given her

time and effort for the past five years in guiding the Manuscripts Book

Club at the Newport Beach Public Library.

This book club, open to all, meets on the second Wednesday of the

month and is sponsored by the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation.

Charlie is involved in selecting books to be read, brings authors to

speak at the library and chairs the book discussion group.

Also please consider two gentlemen: Larry Spitz, president of the

Newport Beach Public Library Foundation and library trustee Walt Howald,

each of whom have brought a spirit of good will and teamwork to both the

foundation and the library.

Our family was happy to see our husband/dad, Robert O. Dillman, the

medical director at Hoag Cancer Center, remain on the list; it has

provided much merriment to note that last year he was ranked 40th and was

beaten out this year by a piece of sculpture. We plan on taking a bottle

of champagne to the Noguchi Gardens and toasting the upstart.

JACQUELYN BEAUREGARD DILLMAN

Newport Beach

EDITOR’S NOTE: JACQUELYN BEAUREGARD DILLMAN is the co-chair of the

Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series for the Newport Beach Public Library

Foundation.

I would like to bring Newport Beach (Westcliff) resident Poita Cernius

to your attention. A former attorney and a mother of four school-age

children, she spends hours on the phone and in person helping parents of

children with autism or brain tumors.

Her expertise has brought invaluable medical help, personal support

and assistance to countless families with affected children. This year,

she helped bring a world-renowned physician to Newport Beach, opening her

home during his visit to raise nearly $25,000 for medical treatment for

local autistic children. She and her husband Bill, also an attorney,

cooked, cleaned and helped underwrite the event, which they plan to do

every year.

She opens her kitchen to teach parents how to cook special foods for

their autistic children, is never too busy to tell anyone about the

latest medical treatments for their children and manages to remain fun,

caring and devoted to her very accomplished kids. She insists her

children perform volunteer work, is highly influential in the autism

community and helps others in their fund-raising endeavors.

Poita would never think of herself as a role model, but she is one for

possibly hundreds of families. She helps people in the most vital way at

the hardest time in their lives. She is an unsung hero of our community.

CHRISTINA ADAMS

Dover Shores

Just a note to suggest strong consideration of Dr. Stephanie N.

McClellan for your list. McClellan is the senior partner in a large

OB/GYN practice at Hoag Hospital. She is past chair of the OB/GYN

Department and is currently consulting with Hoag in the development of

the Women’s Center. A phone call to one or all of your “Pavilion

Pioneers” would answer all of your questions about the importance of her

role in providing vision for the Women’s Center.

She also was one of six 2001 award winners for the Orange County

Business Journal’s “Women of the Year.”

On the personal side, she is a great wife of 24 years and mother of

three sons.

BOB MCCLELLAN

Corona del Mar

I travel frequently and when I register my address as Newport Beach, I

am often asked if I know Dennis Rodman. Thanks to your thorough coverage

of his civic activities and your recent listing of him as No. 11 out of

103 top community figures, I believe his status as the key personality

and most visible image of our city is complete.

The Daily Pilot’s justification for its prurient interest and high

ranking of Rodman was that he successfully turned “an ailing Josh Slocums

into a hip night spot.” More precisely, however, he turned a second-rate

restaurant into a second-rate bar. By listing Rodman as the Daily Pilot

No. 11 ,you didn’t just insult numbers 12 through 103, you insulted the

entire community.

DICK TAYLOR

West Newport Beach

I believe you left off the name of Hank Lloyd of the Costa Mesa Tennis

Center. His credentials for the most influential in the area are

impeccable.

Please include his name for next year if not this year.

ROBERT KAY

Newport Beach

I do not understand how the Daily Pilot keeps giving media attention

to Dennis Rodman, especially making him No. 11 out of 103 most

influential. He’s influential, but it’s not a good influence. I’m tired

of reading about him. I think that maybe your journalism is all

tongue-in-check, and maybe we’re supposed to take it that way. I don’t

appreciate it.

BARBARA THOMPSON

Balboa