Leave the Back Bay the way...
Leave the Back Bay the way nature intended it
I vote no on putting a boardwalk in the Back Bay. It already
supports a bike path, a concrete parking lot and other man-made
effects. Use the money to upgrade and protect what is there.
Let us preserve the natural beauty and our quality of life. There
is no substitute for Mother Nature.
KINGSLEY CROUL
Corona del Mar
Costa Mesa should use what it can to make Westside better
In response to your question in Tuesday’s paper, “Should Costa
Mesa leaders add to the Westside redevelopment area?”
For years, I have been “preaching” to the City Council, our
residents and anyone else interested in seeing the Westside improved
that the only way the removal of the blight will occur is through
redevelopment and the use of eminent domain. Usually, those that
don’t understand how it works are the ones who are most opposed to
it.
California redevelopment laws will protect the property owner when
their property is taken. They will be properly reimbursed and
relocated. Attorneys, appraisers and relocation experts are hired
just for that purpose.
Property owners can fight for more benefits if they don’t feel
they are being treated fairly, but very rarely will you beat the
redevelopment agency on the right to take your property.
Why should our city’s Westside continue to be known for
substandard slum apartments, dirty industrial businesses and poorly
zoned neighborhoods? I’m hoping that this City Council will finally
do what should have been done years ago.
TIM CROMWELL
Costa Mesa
* EDITOR’S NOTE: Tim Cromwell has been involved in redeveloping
properties, including using eminent domain, for the past 20 years.
Not from California does not mean not welcome
Regarding the interview with Jack Keating on Sunday (“Q & A,”
Forum).
If pampas grass is not native to California because it originated
in Argentina, then should we eradicate the eucalyptus trees? They are
native to Australia and serve no purpose other than shade on a summer
day.
Jack Keating is wrong. I have lived in a home overlooking the Back
Bay for 17 years. Each October, I would marvel at the tiny finch-like
birds that would flock into a pampas bloom and cause it to bend
almost to the ground, then suddenly leave and fly into another clump
to feed on the seeds in another bloom. It was a sight I always
enjoyed watching. Perhaps those dead clumps that are such a fire
hazard have not been cleared out and replaced because nothing will
grow there after the soil has been poisoned.
I am also disturbed by the poison traps that are set along the
path to “control the squirrel population.” We don’t have the rabbits,
turkey vultures and other animal life that used to be here.
Let’s continue to keep our Back Bay clean, but not build or impose
on it further.
EVELYN MOODEY
Newport Beach
OCC trustees need to make tough budget decisions
Although Orange Coast College is blessed in having a solid
community college professional like Gene Farrell at the helm, the
final decisions to economize on a district scale resides with the
local governing board.
The board may choose to take a number of actions. They can give up
being paid for their meetings and postpone any further travels. They
can reduce sizably the funds paid for joining a multitude of
organizations that have nothing to do with student learning.
In addition, the boards may elect to establish a policy of
approving travel only by district and college administrative
personnel where student learning and well-being directly stand to
benefit. A previous policy of the board’s -- rubber-stamping all
travel requests -- produced a variety of unnecessary expenditures
that run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
And I’m sure that, if the elected trustees are sincere about the
trust given them by the voters, there are other belt-tightening
measure to be found.
LEFTERIS LAVRAKAS
Costa Mesa
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