Mailbag - April 25, 2002

Fishing barge was a great playground

Thanks for you article (“Newport Beach’s own Point Conception,” April

15). It brought back old memories.

During the summers of 1940, ’41 and ‘42, my parents put up a tent at a

campground next to the American Legion Hall. Us kids had a great time

each summer and, during 1942, we even had more fun as we had this boat,

Mindanao, in front of the campground to play on. It did not take long to

sink into the sand as I can remember playing on the deck at high tide

with water up to our knees.

The campground is now a mobile home park. And, according to the

newspapers, it looks like it will be built out for commercial use. Time

does move on.

DENNIS CAMPBELL

Costa Mesa

Phone should provide simple cable solution

I have had correspondence with the Daily Pilot before on AT&T;

Broadband and appreciate your articles. I had to comment on the efforts

of AT&T; Broadband to communicate with customers via City Hall.

In their grandiose effort to take care of business, it appears that it

is for show and not customer satisfaction. I don’t believe customers

should have to go to City Hall to address simple issues that should be

handled over the phone.

It would seem more efficient and customer friendly to get more phone

lines and have those 15 anxious cable managers answer those phones in a

timely manner, solve the problem and dispatch a service truck as

necessary.

When I finally got through on the phone and needed a service tech,

they came out the next day and were very helpful. When I had finally

gotten through on the phone, the customer service representative was

helpful (although it took two months and eight contacts to get a simple

channel guide).

My point being, I believe the audacity to put customers on hold for

over an hour, month after month is their main problem. Don’t make us go

out after work and (probably wait in line) to address a problem that

should be taken care of by just answering their phones.

MELODY DAIGLE

Costa Mesa

Mormon steeple too large for Bonita Canyon

We are among the many concerned Newport Beach residents who are very

opposed to the proposed oversized Mormon steeple. This is not a church or

religious issue. It is a “124-foot lighted structure” issue.

While the existing Mormon Church is a beautiful and welcome part of

Bonita Canyon, a structure of the size proposed is totally out of place

within the surrounding neighborhood.

Codes have helped keep Newport Beach beautiful. Let’s enforce the laws

as they are for all churches and nonchurches alike. We would be equally

opposed if this were a proposed water tower or electrical antenna.

NANCY S. HOFFMAN and BEVERLEY K. HOFFMAN

Newport Beach