Foley would make good council replacement I...

Foley would make good council replacement

I congratulate Costa Mesa Mayor Karen Robinson on her new

appointment. To fill her vacancy, I think it would be appropriate for

the City Council to appoint a replacement.

A suitable candidate, who lost the last election by a slender

margin, is Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley. Everyone knows why

she lost. The telephone campaign was acknowledged as a dirty trick

that worked. The content of the phone calls (“Did you know that

Katrina Foley is a Democrat?”) is the very reason that she should be

appointed.

This is a nonpartisan office, and the council should be balanced.

She is personally partisan, as are her colleagues, but publicly

nonpartisan. I think she would be a good choice.

ELEANOR KLEIN

Costa Mesa

Former commissioner right man for council job

My nominee for the City Council position being vacated by Mayor

Karen Robinson is former Planning Commissioner Walter Davenport.

Davenport is held in the highest regard by the City Council, the

city staff and the residents of this community. He would bring the

same unquestioned wisdom, dedication, maturity and leadership to the

council that he showed during his more than two decades of service on

the Planning Commission. If he chose to serve only the remainder of

Robinson’s unexpired term, he would still make an immediate, positive

impact at a time when we need the very characteristics he possesses.

Most other possible candidates seem to have a political ax to grind.

He is the voice of reason in an arena filled with political rhetoric.

The residents of this community could breathe much easier knowing

he is part of the decision-making process.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa

It’s easy to say ‘we

need’ Kona Lanes

I have read with amusement the arrogance of those debating whether

“we need” a department store or a bowling alley at the Kona Lanes

site. Earth to Costa Mesa -- it’s not your land. If the community

“needs” a bowling alley, then the community can buy Kona Lanes, but

the community does not have the right to tell a property owner with

proper zoning that he has to accept lower rent because some people

like to bowl.

We “need” affordable housing, so perhaps all homeowners could

accept lower selling prices to meet this need. We “need” more

services, so let’s have city workers, teachers, policemen, etc.,

accept lower wages. Perhaps Al’s Deli could sell pizza cheaper, since

we “need” more affordable food.

Finally, not everyone can afford a newspaper, so let’s have the

Daily Pilot distributed free. We “need” more parks, but when the

community was asked to pay to buy the Castaways site, it turned out

that we didn’t “need” park space as badly we needed a few extra

lattes.

This debate has almost made me miss the El Toro letters.

GEORGE TURK

Newport Beach

Grass would make Castaways Park greener

We have been residents of Newport Beach since 1964. We would

definitely like grass in Castaways Park. We walk the site everyday.

It is disgusting.

We are supposed to be able to see the beautiful scenery, but the

weeds are so tall we can’t even see the Back Bay. Let the “tree

huggers” have the outside perimeter of the park, and let us have some

grass where we can picnic, spend time with our families, fly kites

and just plain relax and enjoy the spectacular view (if we could see

it). It could be one of the most spectacular spots in Newport, but as

it is now, it cannot even be enjoyed.

DR. AND MRS. JAMES MCCUNNIFF

Newport Beach

Grass better for park

than native plants

I am normally an advocate of restoration of native plants.

However, in this case, I think that grass should be planted at

Castaways Park to provide an area where people could spread a blanket

to picnic or read, stand to fly kites, etc. The Upper Newport Bay is

now being restored to native plants, whereas Castaways is a very

small area that would serve the surrounding area well if it had an

open grassy area. I also agree with Allan Beek that the fence should

be removed along the bluff top for an unobstructed view.

I wish to remind the residents of Newport Beach that the Castaways

bluff top was being widely used as an “unofficial” park by R/C glider

fliers, kids on bicycles, people walking dogs, kite fliers and people

just out for a stroll long before the homes were built. I would like

to see the park dedicated to those very enjoyable uses as much as can

be in the much smaller area that is left to us.

FRANK COLVER

Newport Beach

Bell shows compassion

in his columns

Hardly a day passes without a vitriolic letter castigating Joseph

N. Bell appearing in the Forum section of the Daily Pilot. The most

recent of such letters was printed Thursday. The letter writers can’t

seem to comprehend what the word “compassion” means. It is a trait

inherent in Bell’s articles no matter what the subject matter.

Letters have attacked Bell’s claim that 90% of the world strongly

opposes the U.S. attacking Iraq, saying he is “playing loose with the

facts” and asking “where is your data? A couple of marchers shout and

scream in some distant land for an hour before retiring for a cup of

tea and a nap hardly constitutes 90%.”

What nonsense. As shown on TV, hundreds of thousands of people

from Europe, Asia, the U.S. and other parts of the world protested

going to war against Iraq. Such military action on our part is

senseless and without provocation. There will be untold killings,

both military and civilian, before it ends. This is what concerns

Bell, a truly compassionate man.

JAMES G. WHITAKER

Newport Beach