Laguna group has no role in...

Laguna group has no role in latest El Morro plan

Last week, the El Morro trailer park floated a new scheme to allow

the trailers to stay in [El Morro Village] beyond the expiration of

their lease at the end of 2004.

In the packet sent to the press, the names of two nonprofit

organizations were listed as beneficiaries of supposedly excess

revenues: State Parks Foundation, a statewide organization that

supports state parks, and Laguna Greenbelt Inc.

The board of the Laguna Greenbelt Inc. wishes to reassure our

supporters and members that we want nothing to do with this proposal

other than to see it defeated.

Our name was recklessly linked to this proposal after I

specifically told their representative, almost a week beforehand,

that we wouldn’t accept their money and that there are no

circumstances under which we would support an extension of the

trailer park lease. To include us in the press packet was a political

dirty trick.

For 35 years, Laguna Greenbelt Inc. has earned its reputation for

commitment and integrity in service of our three goals: preservation

of open space, public access to open space and public education about

that open space. To suggest that we would be willing to compromise

the trust and good will of our supporters, and the Laguna Beach

community as a whole, reveals the stay-at-all-cost strategy

apparently adopted by a faction in the trailer park.

We are totally opposed to this proposal. We and State Parks

Foundation are part of a large statewide coalition of environmental,

parks and coastal support groups who actively support the California

State Parks Department plan to restore public access and coastal

habitat in El Moro Canyon starting Jan. 1, 2005.

Steve Lopez, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, put it

beautifully:

“The coastline is one of the few great public spaces we all share,

whether we live in Pacoima or Culver City. It’s our Central Park,

only better, more immense, more fragile. It’s yours, it’s mine, it is

Southern California, and the cost of preserving it is nothing

compared to the cost of compromising it.”

We hope this letter will start to repair the damage to our name

and clarify our position on this issue.

ELIZABETH M. BROWN

Laguna Beach

Though a little late, boat parade was great

I was taught it is never too late to say “thank you,” so I’d like

to thank the committee, the workers and, of course, the boat owners

for the glorious Christmas Boat Parade last year (2002). The time,

work and expense to participate is unreal -- and each vessel is so

different and just plain great.

A big thank from all our party guests, my husband and me.

We take advantage of your work and expense by being at our “view”

window each night. What a wonderful way to start the Christmas

holiday.

Our thanks to all.

DICK AND GERTIE MEEHAN

Newport Beach

Boardwalk plan would be a terrible waste of money

I just read that Newport Beach has authorized $400,000 for a study

of a boardwalk for the Back Bay and then they are going to spend

another $4 million of our money to build it. It must be wonderful to

spend other people’s money so foolhardily.

Why not let the do-gooders that want this boardwalk to start a

fund-raiser to pay for this unneeded project? Has anybody considered

what the maintenance costs would amount to annually? How many years

would it last before it needs replacement? What about liability

issues when people get hurt on the boardwalk? Will the boardwalk

provide an additional fuel source for the almost annual brush fires

in the Back Bay?

If there really is a problem with some plants getting trampled

and, according to a letter writer, birds getting scared out of their

wits, why not hire a ranger to sit on the top of the bluff and

educate the few who get off the trail? Post the legal trails, and

close the others, and cite those who don’t follow the rules.

I would be more than happy to patrol the area for a part of the

$400,000 that you are wasting.

BOB VAN SICKLE

Costa Mesa