Mailbag - April 18, 2002

Residents don’t want a park in their neighborhood

Let’s set the record straight. Only a handful of residents in the city

of Huntington Beach are attempting to invoke Measure C regarding a future

park site at Quarterhorse and Saddleback lanes in the Ellis Avenue

Goldenwest Street quarter-section, and some of them are not residents of

the immediate area.

The pursuit of a park at this site is an unattainable goal that will

continue to tie up this property in litigation at the expense of the

taxpayers. Measure C was not intended to protect land that is not now a

park, has never been a park and will never be a park. The true intent of

these few people is to prevent the rightful development of this property

by the landowner. Hopefully, the City Council will use common sense and

approve the settlement as directed by the court. The vast majority of

homeowners in this quarter-section do not want the park at this location.

The City Council should take heed of their wishes.

MARTHA MORROW

Huntington Beach

Sanitation district needs to go to full secondary

treatmentThe Orange County Sanitation District needs to do the right

thing and get rid of the waiver.

The newest study released shows how the plume formed by the discharge

of 243-million gallons a day of sewage which, is not cleaned to the

specifications called for by the Clean Water Act could have come back to

shore in 1999.

The Clean Water Act calls for full secondary treatment of the sewage.

The waiver, which the Orange County Sanitation District has had since

1985, allows it to do partial treatment of the sewage before mixing it

and dumping it into the ocean 4 1/2 miles out at 200 feet depth.

Feb. 11 of 2002 the plume was discovered a half mile off Newport Beach

and 40 feet depth. Also, it was found at the surface farther out in the

ocean.

The sanitation district is trying to ask for a renewal of the waiver

in June of this year. The Orange County Sanitation District admits that

“it will take five to seven years to get full secondary implemented.”

EILEEN MURPHY

Huntington Beach

About the “Back to the beach” story. I think they should stop that

waiver. It’s ridiculous to pour that stuff in the water. Four miles out

it’s definitely getting here sooner or later.

BRUCE WAREH

Huntington Beach

One solution to two city issues

Seems as though Huntington Beach is maturing, judging by two very

urban issues covered in the April 4 issue of the Independent -- one on

low-income housing and the other on paying prevailing wages to

contractors.

Wouldn’t it be great to parse out some land in the redeveloped

Huntington Center for some affordable and low-income housing units?

The location is good for employment, school and transportation. This

wouldn’t solve the entire problem by far, but it would be a start. We

need some creativity and generosity, i.e. community spirit to solve this

very serious issue. Will our city slogan be a play on an old bumper

sticker: Welcome to Huntington Beach (to work) Now Go Home (somewhere

else to live) or will it be something more positive: Huntington Beach --

a Great Place to Live and Work. It’s up to us.

PAT GOODMAN

Huntington Beach

Let’s go on River Park and college bond

I’m rather late on this opinion, but I am definitely for Huntington

Beach joining the link to create the Orange Coast River Park.

And for this week’s question, I am also in favor of the $344-million

bond for our college improvements.

DIANE STELLEY

Huntington Beach

Cartoon missed the mark by a mile

The cartoon (Community Forum, April 4) showing three birds reading an

eviction notice on the Bolsa Chica mesa was the antithesis of what a

political cartoon should be.

In other words, it was neither funny nor timely.

Perhaps your cartoonist should at least read the paper he works for

and attempt to keep abreast of current events.

Random potshots at individuals like Lucy Dunn, while a staple of the

Independent’s editorial policy, serve no purpose other than to corrupt

when the information, no matter how “satirical,” has no basis in truth.

DOUGLAS PRINSARA

Huntington Beach

Editor’s note: The cartoon was in response to a news item in the March

28 edition regarding the lawsuit Hearthside Homes is pursuing against the

Coastal Commission.

No way should the sanitation district waiver be renewed

There absolutely should not be an extension of the waiver. I don’t

live in Huntington Beach, I live in Sunset Beach, but my children and

grandchildren surf and there is absolutely no reason to be putting sewage

into the water.

PHYLLIS MAYWHORT

Sunset Beach