I’ll take the new lagoon any day
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
From oily lagoons to lagoon-style pools -- I’ve taken some
interesting tours in this city with reporter Paul Clinton.
When Clinton, who also works for our sister paper in Newport Beach
and Costa Mesa, was here covering Surf City about a year ago, he dug
into the Ascon toxic dump story.
The story drew him in like the quagmire it is.
During his investigation, he got us a peak behind the looming
fence that surrounds the wasteland. It was fascinating ... and a sad,
disgusting mess. That such a blatant hazard can exist shows how much
public thinking has changed over the years.
For just last week, as Clinton reports, an agreement was finally
signed by some of the major offenders to clean up the toxic lagoons.
Only one contributor, Exxon Mobil, refused to sign and pitch-in for
the cleanup.
I don’t know the company’s reasoning, but I can’t help hoping they
get tripped up in their own goo. The time has come to take
responsibility for years of negligence.
Last week, Clinton and I visited another type of lagoon
altogether.
We took a tour of the newly-built Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Resort and Spa, which opens for business on Sunday. Another momentous
occasion for Surf City.
Although it has had its opposition, it is here and it has its
perks.
For one, those Newport neighbors are going to be green with envy
and lose plenty of business and tax dollars to it.
As it began to rise out of the dirt it looked big. But then it
stopped growing in height.
Then it just looked like a long cream-colored facade. But as the
finishing touches are made it is really quite stunning -- a sight to
behold.
And for those like me whose only regret is that I’ll never be able
to afford to stay or play there, it seems there will be a “Surf
City-style” bar in there for us.
So as the new year gets underway and life returns to business as
usual after the holidays, it seems Surf City is headed in the right
direction.
Trust me -- I’ve seen both lagoons and the new one is far better
than the old.
* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. Reach her at (714) 965-7170
or danette.goulet@latimes.com.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.