Mailbag - March 7, 2002

Ducks come along with seaside living

One of my favorite activities is taking my 3-year-old niece to Balboa

Island and searching for ducks so we can feed them bread. It would break

my heart, hers and surely that of a great many other local toddlers if

there were no ducks to feed. Feeding the ducks is one of my favorite

memories of growing up here, and I am sure it will be one of hers. Please

leave the ducks alone. They were here first.

News flash: Marine animals come with living by the sea -- why would

one choose to live on the water’s edge if they want a duck-free

environment? If you want to control Mother Nature, move to a biosphere.

HILLARY NIBLO

Costa Mesa

Pilot could have done better without this Look

Icey Berglind seems a rather charming young lady with no doubt many

commendable qualities (The Look -- “Gifts to make the heart race,” Feb.

8).

She shouldn’t, however, be lolling about provocatively in her

underwear on the pages of our hometown newspaper. Let Icey audition for a

Victoria’s Secret catalog. Keep the Pilot a bulwark of journalistic

excellence.

JIM CARNETT

Costa Mesa

Column rings both true and touching

I loved Steve Smith’s column (Family Time -- “Even horrible things

happen for a reason,” Jan. 12). It was so touching that I shared it with

all of my family members, and my son and granddaughter, who is 3.

My daughter-in-law and son almost had tears in their eyes. It was such

a beautiful, beautiful thing of how to appreciate what we have and the

things that can happen -- there is a reason for it. We must all

understand that. I just want you to know you expressed it so well in

words that I’m sharing it with everyone.

GINGER MCDEVITT

Newport Beach

Crystal Cove can return to natural

Crystal Cove is one of the last pristine beach scapes of highly

populated Southern California. I often walk or jog or bring visitors from

out of state to show off with pride what diversity one can enjoy in

Southern California.

The only problem is the dump site also known as the “historic

cottages.” I would laugh if the situation were not so pathetic.

Most of us are familiar with the stage play, “The Emperor’s New

Clothes.” Just as in this play here, not enough people are willing to

speak out and really call the decaying settlement at Crystal Cove what it

really is, an eyesore that contaminates the soil and an untouched beauty

of this beach.

A quick burn-down on a rainy day, followed by skip loaders and

haul-away trucks would put an end to this ongoing boondoggle within two

weeks. This beach could be back to its natural beauty after the first

spring bloom.

WILLIAM H. ANHOOD

Newport Beach

El Morro and Crystal Cove are of the same pod

Regarding Assemblyman John Campbell’s proposal to use the rents from

El Morro to pay for the refurbishing of Crystal Cove (“Campbell

introduces bill to raise funds for cottages,” Feb. 21): I don’t

understand why he’s even going down this road.

El Morro is a public beach supposedly, but in actuality, it is not.

There’s no parking close to it. There’s a guard gate. There are signs

telling the public that there’s no admittance. This has been going on

since 1979, when the state bought it. Crystal Cove residents were removed

to make access to the public.

Why El Morro should be treated any differently is way beyond me. The

rents paid at El Morro are about half of what the residents at Crystal

Cove were paying. Yet, Campbell would not listen to representatives from

Crystal Cove suggesting that they be allowed to stay and that the rents

accumulate toward the refurbishment.

He wouldn’t even talk to representatives from the cove. He couldn’t

take the time to see any of us -- and I am a former resident.

El Morro is no different from Crystal Cove. The public deserves to use

one of the most beautiful, pristine, charming coves on the coast. You

can’t get in there now. You can, but it’s certainly not inviting to the

general public. I think that there is absolutely no argument not to make

it available to the public. It is extremely easy to move those trailers

out and do whatever the state has planned for it.

Crystal Cove is sitting there. Park personnel is occupying a couple of

the houses right at this moment, and that sure as heck doesn’t let the

public in. Make it public land for everybody.

JIM THOBE

Newport Beach