Sean Fenton showed maturity beyond his...

Sean Fenton showed maturity beyond his years

My family and I were saddened to learn of the tragic death of Sean

Fenton. He was a truly warm and kind young man with a great love of

football.

I have been president of Newport-Mesa Jr. All-American Football

for the past five years. During that time, the Fentons’ younger son,

Avery, played in our program until he went on to high school after

the end of the 2001 season. It was through this connection that I got

to meet Sean.

At the time, he was playing in high school, but helped coach the

younger players on his brother’s team in his spare time. Even when he

was at Yale, he would help coach in Jr. All-American before the start

of the college season.

Watching him coach sixth- and seventh-grade players, it struck me

that he showed maturity beyond his years. He really connected with

the kids, who thought it was so cool to have a coach who was a

college football player. He skillfully blended patience with an

intense competitive spirit in teaching the younger players the

fundamentals of the game. In doing so, he taught all of us how

wonderful it is to have a role model who, through hard work and

dedication, became a standout as a scholar-athlete, earning admission

to Yale University.

This young man will be greatly missed by all of the families in

Jr. All-American Football whose lives he touched. We offer our

deepest sympathy to Bob, Janice and Avery during this difficult time.

JIM MCGEE

Newport Coast

Bell’s column paints a sad picture of America

Joe Bell’s columns on Thursday (“30 years later, wondering about

Jane Roe’s alter ego”) painted a poignant picture of the woman whose

story, 30 years ago, led to the legalization of abortions in the U.S.

Her sad life, however, only further affirms the cold, objective truth

that abortion neither solves problems nor emancipates women. This

“choice” that so many celebrate as the kingpin of American liberties

is a shameful burden which is shouldered by modern women. Jane Roe’s

self-professed life pattern of deception, failure and confusion is

not untypical of women who know in their hearts that abortion is

wrong, but, nevertheless, buy into the cultural myth that it is not

only their “right” but also their “duty.”

Why, on this 30th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, do journalists and

people like Joe Bell continually refer to the Supreme Court decision

as “a national icon,” rejoicing in abortion as though this right,

like other landmark liberties in American history, has further

elevated the dignity of mankind? What could be further from the

truth?

After reading Jane Roe’s story, I can’t help but wonder how

different she might feel about herself today had she brought that

baby to full term over 30 years ago, how becoming a “mother” just

might have been the “gift” she deserved, the turning point in her

search for identity and purpose in life. God only knows.

I am sorry, Jane Roe, for what America did to you.

PEGGY NORMANDIN

Costa Mesa

Boardwalk should have been put in place years ago

I have to say to the question Is the boardwalk along the Back Bay

necessary? Absolutely. It is a shame when people don’t know where to

walk or choose not to walk in the right places. If we have a

boardwalk, it is a classy addition to a unique thing we have here in

the Newport Beach area, so I agree that we should have it, should

have had it years ago.

CARLA LINDSTROM

Newport Beach

A bumbling way to run a City Council meeting

The Daily Pilot did a terrific job of capturing the chaos at last

Tuesday evening’s Costa Mesa City Council meeting in The Political

Landscape (Thursday). Following Mayor Karen Robinson’s departure for

a conference in Washington, D.C., Vice Mayor Chris Steel, apparently

fighting a cold, took control of the proceedings. Actually, that is

much too generous a term, because he was far from in control.

After a disappointed Robinson departed, unable to convince her

colleagues on the dais to defer consideration of Steven Dewan’s

request for an addition to his home on Broadway until her return,

Steel attempted to conduct the public hearing and council debate of

the issue.

What a disaster. Not only did he forget to provide Dewan an

opportunity to present his side before the council -- he had closed

the public comment portion of the hearing and had to be reminded by

former Mayor Gary Monahan that Dewan was waiting to speak -- but he

also allowed resident Lance Jencks, for whom Steel had brought the

appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision to the council, a second

opportunity to plead his case. This is certainly a deviation from

accepted procedure and not fair to other speakers who followed the

rules.

Fortunately for Dewan, the combination of his clear, although

delayed, presentation of his case and the overwhelming support of his

neighbors convinced the council to uphold the Planning Commission’s

decision and approve his request to expand his home.

Of greater concern to all Costa Mesa residents should be the

performance of our vice mayor. With apologies to sportscaster Keith

Jackson, Steel’s stumblin’, mumblin’, fumblin’ attempt at conducting

the city’s business was pathetic, shameful and reminiscent of Mr.

Toad’s Wild Ride. “Control” was never part of the equation. How is it

possible that after spending 26 months on the dais as a council

member, one could have so little grasp of the proper procedures and

decorum expected of a leader?

Not only did Steel show up ill, but ill prepared, as well. He

clearly had not done his homework on most issues discussed Tuesday.

We, of course, can blame it on the affects of his cold -- perhaps he

took too much medication. For whatever the reason, he was in over his

head and not up to the demands expected of the mayor of our city.

So, a big tongue-in-cheek thank you to the self-proclaimed

“improvers” of this city who massaged the election process and

saddled us with Chris Steel two years ago. As the clock ticks on his

tenure as vice mayor, we can only hope that his colleagues on the

dais exercise the good judgment for which they were elected and not

make the mistake of elevating him to mayor later this year. We also

hope that Robinson remains healthy and stays in town for the next 10

months.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa