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EDITORIAL

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In the days following the horrific Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade

Center and the Pentagon, the U.S. Navy wisely and understandably

restricted access to Huntington Harbour in order to protect the Naval

Weapons Station in Seal Beach.

For a week, the Anaheim Bay corridor was closed and when it reopened,

passage was allowed only for four hours per day. Given the uncertainty,

the bit of inconvenience for those sailing into and out of the harbor was

well worth the extra protection and security.

Finally, after the first of the year, the Navy lifted those

restrictions, reopening the harbor 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, by then

businesses in the harbor -- restaurants, shops, fishing boats -- had

suffered the effects of the closings and faltered like many in other

sectors of our economy did. In these difficult times, our sympathies and

understanding go out to those business people whose livelihood was hit,

and we urge readers to take a trip -- by boat or car -- down to

Huntington Harbour for dinner or maybe a little shopping.

Our sympathies sour, however, for the pleasure boaters who complained

about the restricted hours. The simple, very sad fact is that we are a

nation at war with an enemy that attacked us on our soil.

Given that, we all have sacrifices to make, some big -- those made by

the soldiers who are fighting on foreign soil -- and some small -- not

being able to take a pleasure cruise at all hours of the day, for

instance.

Those who live, work or play near the Naval station should be

relieved, not upset, that safety measures were put into place. And even

more pleased that they turned out to be, as best we know, unnecessary.

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