Story on Save Our Youth is...

Story on Save Our Youth is a story of success

The shredding of Oscar Santoyo’s head of hair has become an annual

ritual at Costa Mesa’s Save Our Youth Center (SOY), signifying that

great things are still happening there (“A small price to pay,”

Saturday). While this event may in itself represent a newsworthy item

of human interest, the real story behind Santoyo’s willingness to

undergo a tonsorial drubbing is the story of the center, SOY, itself.

Save Our Youth center is a crowning achievement of both its

director, Oscar Santoyo, and the city of Costa Mesa. I know of no

comparable center serving needy young people as SOY does in any other

city of Orange County, along with the educational benefits, which

were covered in the Pilot article. SOY has conducted a host of

after-school activities that have met a variety of recreational and

training services.

SOY has prospered primarily because of its leadership. It also has

been supported over the years by the local school district, a local

community college and a number of individuals, prominent among whom

were the late Roy Alvarado and a former City Councilman Joe Erickson.

Both of these gentlemen had the vision to see the need for this most

important center and its value to the residents of its neighborhoods.

LEFTERIS LAVRAKAS

Costa Mesa

The Port Theater issue is one of use, public input

Thanks for your editorial on the theaters. It attempts to clarify

what was a confusing question the Pilot asked its readers recently.

The question at hand really isn’t whether any of these theaters, in

particular the Port, is to remain or be demolished.

The real issue on the table is a proposed zone code amendment to

be considered by the City Council tonight for these three theater

properties. The owners of these properties did not initiate the

process, which was started on Nov 7 by the Planning Commission. The

property owners were noticed for the Dec. 5 Planning Commission

meeting, and only a representative from the Lido Theater responded.

The issue is should the nonconforming structures and use code be

short-circuited by this proposed amendment, which would give these

three theaters special status by bestowing the name of “landmark” on

these buildings. The most troubling part of this amendment is the

elimination of the use permit process, which allows for public

hearings.

The issue the City Council will be acting upon is: Should the

owners of these three theaters be able to use a portion of the

theater building for uses such as a cabaret, cyber cafe, nightclub,

arcade, restaurant/bar or other similar uses that could present

noise, parking and police problems without having to obtain a use

permit?

If the City Council approves this proposed amendment, it would

mean that any of these uses could be put in place in any of these

three properties without input from neighbors or other city

residents. There would no longer be a review by an elective body, and

the city planning department would make all the decisions. The

important safeguard for the public, the use permit, which allows

public input, would have been eliminated by this zone change

amendment for these three properties only.

The visioning process relating to the general plan amendment,

which allows for major public involvement, appears to be very

important to the City Council, as stated at the recent City Council

study session. However, this proposed amendment flies in the face of

such rhetoric and disenfranchises the public, who may be impacted by

changes in character to their village or neighborhood.

NOVELL HENDRICKSON

Newport Beach

Trinity should move out of the neighborhood

Luckily, I do not live close to the Trinity Broadcasting Network

on Bear Street. However, I do feel bad for those neighbors who do and

who are complaining about the noise emitted from Trinity’s

temple-like structure.

It seems to me that this is the appropriate time to speak out

about Trinity and what it has contributed to this community. Besides

the noise complaint, there was the incident about Trinity’s overuse

of electricity during our electricity crisis. After state warnings

about electricity use, Trinity was not cooperative in reducing their

massive lighting.

To date, I really have not seen anything positive that Trinity has

done to help our city. Our state and local community does not even

profit from the millions of dollars Trinity brings in; the money is

tax-exempt because Trinity is supposedly a “charitable organization”

-- although “Dateline” on NBC has already argued convincingly

otherwise.

I call upon city residents now to speak out about this menace to

our neighborhood. With such a wonderful community as ours, it is a

shame that some people may come to associate Costa Mesa with Trinity

Broadcast. I hope we may be successful in pressuring Trinity to move

its offices so that we may have the privilege of enjoying the

benefits of a legitimate business next to Metro Point.

CATHY LARSON

Costa Mesa