Children’s health clinic sweeps a round

I am in support of bringing the experts in children’s medical

services, the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, here to the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District to help our children in need (A

Closer Look, “Rea plan becomes center of debate,” July 29).

I am speaking for myself only, but in my work as a chairman of the

board of Save Our Youth, which serves an average of 100 Costa Mesa

teenagers at night, I see the need for medical services for our

children who often do not receive it. Many do not have medical

insurance, and others have parents that work late or far away or

can’t afford to take off work to take them to the clinic. What a

wonderful opportunity to have such a professional organization so

close to our children that need it the most. I don’t understand the

controversy when we have the opportunity to improve the quality of

life for our children.

CESAR CABBELLINI

Newport Beach

I feel that this is an important help for all the children. They

will not be turned away if they are not Latino. It is something that

will benefit all the children in Costa Mesa, and I personally cannot

see a downside for the cooperation between the school board and CHOC.

JOYCE BONURA

Costa Mesa

I am in favor of the CHOC clinic. I think we need all the medical

help we can get for the kids.

JOHN HENSLEY

Costa Mesa

I am strongly in favor of opening the CHOC clinic at the Rea

Elementary School. Many low-income children in our city desperately

need health care. With the CHOC clinic, we have the opportunity to

meet that need. None of the arguments raised by opponents of the

clinic defeats the simple logic of giving poor children access to

doctors. In America, we talk so much about valuing children, here’s

our chance to show we mean what we say. The school board needs to be

courageous and stick to its guns on this issue.

KATHY ESFAHANI

Costa Mesa

Good grief, what is Costa Mesa coming to when we so bitterly

oppose a clinic for children?

I’ve lived two blocks from Hamilton Street and Rea Elementary

School for 30 years, and my daughters attended the local community

schools, including Rea.

Providing health services can only be a benefit to our Westside

community and will keep kids healthy in an accessible, nonthreatening

location. Folks, these are children we’re talking about. Let’s

remember we have a responsibility to all children and the future.

It was ironic that Jim De Boom’s column on Saturday (Community &

Clubs, “Kiwanis International offers individuals objectives to steer

by”) was about Kiwanis objectives and it was placed opposite the page

of the four angry letters to the editor in the Daily Pilot. If we

tried to live by the Kiwanis’ objectives, and I’m not a Kiwanis

myself, I think we would all take a different look at subjects like

the CHOC clinic. I’d like to see the clinic go in, and I don’t think

it will have a negative impact at all on my Westside community.

MARY HORNBUCKLE

Costa Mesa