It really is time to give public...

It really is time to give public its land

I am concerned that a member of our City Council would be taken in

by the public relations campaign mounted by the trailer park

residents of El Morro Village.

The affordable/workforce housing proposal is just another selfish

attempt by a few people to retain private rights over public land.

While affordable housing is a challenge for our city, El Moro is

state park property, and it is high time that the entire public has

access to it!

Please check out the Web site created by Laguna Greenbelt:

www.yourbeach.org to learn about the facts, fiction and support for

the state park plan.

JUDY COLE

Laguna Beach

Arts for the kids will make big difference

I wanted to take a moment and thank the Festival of the Arts

Committee for sponsoring the Youth Education Courses through the

Junior Art Council.

This is the second year my children have participated in the

program. I have watched my children return from every class with

enthusiasm and excitement, describing for me in detail the project

they had completed for the day. This type of program instills, above

all else, creativity and expression. This type of experience is no

longer available through our school system. We are all so fortunate

to have the Festival Committee to so graciously continue their

support of this program.

As adults we are all educators. I strongly recommend that we all

follow the responsibility that we all have and support this program

as the artists of tomorrow are developing before our very eyes,

today.

Thank you again to the Festival Committee, and to all those that

support all of the Committee’s activities.

PAUL M. MEESE

Mission Viejo

Art education as enriching for adults

Recently there was a letter from a parent in our community

praising the Festival of Arts education programs in which her

children take part.

It was beautifully written and expressed my feelings exactly,

although from a personal point of view. I am a member of the Festival

of Arts and a few years ago I discovered the class in Raku pottery

for adults taught by Monica Dunham. The inspiration and exciting new

techniques that she offers us are invaluable to someone who loves to

work with clay. I look forward each week to the day that I know I can

spend with like-minded individuals learning and expressing our

creative selves.

There are so many wonderful reasons for living in Laguna Beach,

but one of the most special is our appreciation of the Arts. I want

to publicly thank the Festival of Arts for their generous support of

Art Education. As the previous writer said so well, there is much

more to Arts Education than the beauty it creates. The enrichment it

adds to all of our lives is immeasurable.

Thank you again, Festival of Arts for providing that for our

community.

JAN FIRESTONE

Laguna Beach

Thank goodness we all worked so hard to keep our Festival of the

Arts in our community.

As a 32-year resident, every time I enter the Festival grounds on

Saturday mornings to take my Raku class (a unique ceramic medium) I

say to myself “thank you FOA for being here and giving us these

wonderful art classes.”

So when you come to the Festival this summer, make sure you visit

the ceramic booth and introduce yourself to Monica Dunham and Scott

Young. Then visit the print making shop and say hi to Mada. We have a

rich heritage in the arts here in Laguna and it looks like it will go

on for a long time!

SUE WHITE

Laguna Beach

Suggestions for a better Laguna

I would like to plant more eucalyptus trees in the Downtown area.

They just have to be replaced every few years or just let them keep

falling on cars. That’s excitement and wasted money claims and

replacement.

Turn Forest Avenue into a park? Never!! It would attract too many

tourists. The heck with the locals who might enjoy it.

The fountain at the Fire Department ... I was hoping we could move

it to Bob Gentry’s front yard since he liked it so much.

Oh, I almost forgot, I want street sweeping twice a week in North

Laguna only. We people really keep our streets dirty! More tickets --

more revenue for the city. Yay!!

We need a city volunteer patrol to stop people from washing their

cars in the street or their driveway. Job description: Saturday and

Sunday only. No pay but job satisfaction is a plus.

And I think we should add a SMELL patrol to the city’s many

misguided boards like Design Review. They would check (smell -- maybe

drive by is OK) all the garbage cans around town and remind all those

who smell too much to get clean.

But wait! We can’t wash them out in the street -- there’s a new

ordinance, No. 2511 -- and we can’t wash them out in our yard -- it’s

unsanitary and smelly. But wait! That means the city has to take them

out of town to clean them. But wait! That costs too much money unless

the city can ticket those that are really smelly, which is everybody!

That’s it! But wait!!

Folks, let’s hear your dos for Laguna.

JIM LASHLEY

Laguna Beach

Suggestions for a safe fire season and no mudslides

With fire season officially opening, I got to thinking about

Laguna’s devastating one. While I disagree with our fire department

and my neighbor’s insurance co. saying that cutting down eucalyptus

trees is a preventive measure, I certainly feel everyone should

comply with the Orange County Fire Authority Spokesman who emphasized

the necessity for clearing brush and grasses etc.

However, bare hillsides become potential mudslides. One here on

Victory Walk destroyed another neighbor’s home and buried one of the

occupants that other horrendous year.

I believe that hillsides should be terraced if possible to capture

runoff, and they should have plants that retain water, are not

annuals and require little or no care. Jade trees, ice and poker

plants are useful ground covers and can be grown from cuttings

easily. In my opinion, succulents are the best plants to have between

structures and potential fire areas such as the ones on our

hillsides.

Lawns, wherever they’re planted are a liability in drought

stricken California. The great quantities of water which they consume

should be going to the threatened agricultural industry.

ANDY WING

Laguna Beach

The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If your letter

does not appear, it may be because of space restrictions, and the

letter will likely appear next week. If you would like to submit a

letter, write to us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax us

at 494-8979; or send e-mail to coastlinepilot@latimes.com. Please

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