Enough is still not enough in...

Enough is still not enough in Balboa Peninsula ficus fracas

In the Community Commentary of Oct. 18, Don Glasgow got half a

page to keep hyping the peninsula tree-cutting fiasco in spite of his

averring enough is enough (“Give new peninsula trees a chance”).

The article keeps digging at the wound by his statements trying to

justify the mayor and city administration’s thumbing their nose at

due process. He says we should have paid more attention to what city

leaders were doing all along and not just when they conclude an

action. That still doesn’t excuse the absolute sneak attack carried

out before hours, with such dispatch as to preclude the appeal

court’s stay of execution -- which occurred just prior to the last

tree being cut. The action must have been considered possibly wrong,

or else why couldn’t it have been put off a few hours.

His position further is that a small group of protesting peninsula

malcontents do not represent a majority. I live way over in the

Bluffs and believe, along with many of my friends and neighbors, that

a majority of Newporters continue to be outraged by the action.

However, one can’t do much after the fact except maybe register

protest against city incumbents in the coming elections.

Glasgow goes on with flowery praise for the Corona del Mar tree

removal and eventual replacement project. That may be well and good,

but I can’t recall any stringent protests and court action as

evidenced by the current visceral objections, nor am I aware of other

proposed options as were supposed to be considered here.

Furthermore, the situation was entirely different. The beautiful

arbor canopy along the historic landmark from the Pavilion to the

shoreline was a cultural heritage in which all of us took pride -- as

with the ferry, pier, beaches and all other attractions which make

Newport such a great place. The cool tunnel of lovely trees is now

gone -- along with the community pride we had in walking it and

showing it off to our out-of- town visitors.

The article closed by suggesting new community pride in future

trees and landscaping, but it will take a long time -- and will never

be the same. This issue is not “out of balance” as Glasgow indicated,

and it will not go away. It will be with us for a long time in

resentful memory.

KEN KVAMMEN

Newport Beach

Solutions are better than talk, talk, talk during elections

Ah ... Election Day. Politicians. Doublespeak. Greenlight. El

Toro. How about someone with solutions, and not just passing the buck

or blaming someone else for problems? How about a solution for our

pending air transportation capacity problems. How about balanced

growth and development in those areas (Newport Center, airport area,

Jamboree/Macarthur) designed for business with increased tax revenues

and more local jobs for those of us still needing to work. Let’s

better use traffic technology to keep congested streets like Jamboree

Road (really a boulevard) moving all day long. We need leaders with

solutions. No growth or no progress is not a solution. As for

Greenlight, all I see is red.

STEVE M. STEC

Newport Beach

Webb deserved better from Daily Pilot

It was with great shock that we read the attack on Don Webb in the

Sunday Daily Pilot (“Pilot picks for Newport races”). To infer that

he would be swayed by personal issues -- i.e., personnel -- shows

that you do not know, nor do you listen to Don. What he truly desires

to do is represent the residents as a majority. He sincerely believes

in doing what is best for the city as a whole. We think you owe him

an apology.

PAT AND JOYCE DUNIGAN

Newport Beach