Mailbag - Jan. 17, 2002

Livengood’s our man

Of the many candidates being considered for appointment to

theHuntington Beach City Council, one stands out as a natural choice: Tom

Livengood.

Livengood has served the citizens of our city in dozens of key roles

for over three decades. His involvement in the business community

(Chamber of Commerce), environmental groups (Amigos de Bolsa Chica, Bolsa

Chica Foundation), homeowners groups (Home Council) and city committees

and commissions (charter revision, budget and general plan committees and

Planning Commission) as well as a management background have given him

the broad understanding that few if any of the other candidates have.

Livengood would apply his experience and knowledge from day one and

continue to be an active and valuable member of the city council for the

term of his appointment.

DAVID and MARGARET CARLBERG

Huntington Beach

I became a Huntington Beach resident in 1970 and immediately became

active in the Jaycees and their main yearly event, the July 4th Parade,

chaired by Tom Livengood. This was a major undertaking by a volunteer

group. Livengood proved to have the leadership skills and dedication to

make this a truly outstanding event. During this time we also became very

good friends.

Livengood has served with distinction on the Huntington Beach Planning

Commission for 14 years. Tom actually visits sights that are to be voted

on to gain a firsthand analysis of the issues. This is truly hands on

service. He makes decisions based on merit, not political pressure.

Livengood is a Past President and has served on the Board of Directors

of the Amigos de Bolsa Chica for the past 10 years. I have had the

privilege and pleasure of serving with him for the past year.

Livengood has submitted his name for the vacant Huntington Beach City

Council seat. He is fully qualified for this position. He brings proven

leadership, intelligence, dedication and unquestioned integrity.

He has my complete support.

ROBERT W HARRISON

Huntington Beach

No need for Wal-Mart

In addition to all the previous negative letters you printed about the

new Wal-Mart in Huntington Beach, I would also like to add that we have

already have an existing Wal-Mart only about three miles north of the

planned one.

BOBBE MOOTCHNIK

Huntington Beach

Cartoon, editorial -- Cheap shot, guys.

Your editorial(“Harbour restriction necessary, welcome”, Jan. 10) and

your Steve Bolton cartoon demonstrate that you have little or no

understanding of what the situation was.

The recreational boaters, property owners and business people were

very vocal in urging the Navy to do what is necessary to have the

security it needs and keep the harbor open for normal use. Apparently

they have done this. No one ever suggested that security be relaxed, just

that the Navy recognize that Huntington Harbour is one of Southern

California’s busy recreational harbors with 24-hour traffic.

Boaters returning from Mexico and other ports were not allowed to

simply return to their own homes, but were turned away for the night.

Disabled boats seeking shelter were turned away. Mechanics out testing

boats after working on them were turned away and not allowed to return to

their slips until the next day because they arrived at the harbor

entrance a few minutes late. Home escrows were being canceled because

buyers did not want to buy homes with docks if they could not use their

boats in a normal manner. Businesses depending on boating encountered

financial difficulties, All of this was a lot more than a “bit of

inconvenience.”

Private boaters endorse the need for security and will go along with

what ever is necessary, registration, transponders, random searches,

escorts, inspections etc.

To label them as selfish, and to ridicule the club that many of them

belong to is, at best, a very cheap shot.

BILL WOODARD

Huntington Beach

What a tasteless cartoon.

Huntington Harbour Yacht Club’s SELfish.

HHYC is a real yacht club. The tasteless cartoon is nothing short of

slander, and based on the likelihood that some people will not join such

a club, because of the cartoon’s message, it just may be libelous, too.

A note of interest: This “SELfish” yacht club teaches kids to sail,

offers scholarships, is a meeting place for the Coast Guard Auxiliary to

teach boating safety and courtesy, provides no-charge Holiday cruises

(harbour lights) for disadvantaged youth (and a party afterward),

participates in nearly every opportunity to help clean up the harbor and

the coastline, works for and with the Special Olympics, contributes

resources (time, money, facilities) to countless charities and emphasizes

sailing and cruising . . . not fishing.

The Huntington Rod and Reel Club emphasizes fishing and is a boating

club in Huntington Harbour. Plus there are at least two other

yachting/fishing clubs in the harbor. Why did you single out the

Huntington Harbor Yacht Club?

HHYC is one club that helped inform boaters as to the federal

regulations, related to the closure and to the subsequent restrictive

hours. I know of not one of our 300 members who “complained,”

particularly in light of Sept. 11.

I do know that nearly every local business that relies on

boating-related business was hurt, deeply. It is my understanding that

one or more did or will close their doors (go out of business), due to

the lack of business from a once-active-boating-community, to a

locked-tight harbor. And, the cartoon is a slap in their faces. For what,

requesting an alternative plan?

Bolton’s cartoon is rude, certainly crude, and most certainly boorish.

He definitely owes an apology to HHYC. He definitely has no clue about

the difference between the discomfort that comes from ignorant cruelty

and a lame attempt at becoming a political (albeit local politics)

humorist. And you obviously could care less about the financial

well-being of your own community.

Jim Budd

Huntington Beach

District Attorney was right on

The district attorney is correct not to bring criminal charges

regarding the Huntington Beach police officer involved shooting. I

support Officer Wersching’s decision and genuinely regret the loss to the

Saldivar family. A uniformed police officer, in responding to a dangerous

situation, confronts an armed 18-year-old male and orders the suspect to

drop the gun. Later on it is determined that the gun was a toy. What was

the officer supposed to do in such a life-threatening situation? It is

not reasonable for anyone to expect a police officer to wait for the

weapon to fire and then hope that he will live through it.

JOHN F. HILL

Huntington Beach

The district attorney’s office should not attempt to prosecute the

Huntington Beach Police officer for shooting a man who pointed a gun at

him.

The fact that it was a toy is irrelevant. On a dark street in the

middle of the night it’s ludicrous to think the officer should not assume

it is a real gun particularly after, according to the officer and

witnesses in the neighborhood, Saldivar was told to come out with his

hands up. The real issue is: the police officer was doing his job, what

was Saldivar doing?

TRICIA RILEY

Ladera Ranch

Garofalo needn’t have resigned

No, I don’t think the councilman needed to resign, tough as his

critics may be. You just gotta plug away and he certainly had critics but

he also had supporters. I don’t think he had to step down and good

fortunes to him on whatever he chooses to do.

BILL ORTON

Seal Beach

School bond needs to pass

I have been a resident of Huntington Beach for 23 years. I have seen

my stepchildren graduate from Talbert and Huntington Beach High School. I

now have three children of my own in elementary school. I have watched as

our schools deteriorate. They have been maintained on an as-needed basis,

but our schools as a whole are in great need of renovation.

If our schools are up to date, people would want their children to go

there, which in the long run would increase out property values. Because

of this we would be a highly sought after community. That is why we need

the bond measure to pass.

ROBIN HUMPHRIES

Huntington Beach