Capital flights could be lift for all...

Capital flights could be lift for all of Orange County

A brief story in the Daily Pilot March 10 (“Congressmen back

nonstop flights to D.C.”) described the coordinated effort among Rep.

Chris Cox, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and the entire Orange County

congressional delegation requesting Transportation Secretary Norman

Mineta and the Department of Transportation to approve a request from

Aloha Airlines to add direct flights between Washington D.C. and the

John Wayne Airport.

Such a flight arrangement would certainly improve the efficiency

in conducting official governmental business between Orange County

and the national governmental offices. While it might appear that our

representatives are just being self-serving in improving that

cross-country connection, it should be remembered that that route is

an important business and tourist corridor, which needs to be

nurtured for the financial and cultural health of Orange County.

As the article pointed out, Orange County is the second-largest

county in the state and the fifth in the country. With a population

of more than 3.5 million and the level of business per capita wealth

here, Orange County is generating potential business and tourist

flyers, especially in South County.

The Washington contingent is seeking relief from the

transcontinental flying inconvenience, which is a reasonable

complaint. As the flying population increases, JWA will not be able

to accommodate the increased demand. Trying to handle additional

passengers, not able to fly from JWA, may well produce similar

inconveniences for those additional passengers requiring long

distance ground transportation.

I hope this new found spirit of cooperation will enable a

resolution of the problems involved with reopening El Toro, so that

travel will be convenient for new air passengers in Orange County.

WILLIAM KEARNS

Costa Mesa

School’s expansion would create neighborhood gridlock

A recent issue of the Daily Pilot featured a letter to the editor

about expansion of Our Lady Queen of Angels School and Church in

Newport Beach. (“Condo owners say churches disrupt neighborhood,”

March 10.)

This neighborhood is already oversaturated with traffic on Mar

Vista Drive, Domingo Way and Amigos Way (where we live) and Eastbluff

Drive from the schools, churches and residential density. Students of

Our Lady Queen of Angels School are dropped off and picked up,

resulting in hundreds of individual daily trips into the

neighborhood.

Expansion of the school would make a bad situation even worse for

this densely populated little area.

There are 225 families on Amigos Way alone.

Corona del Mar High School is our neighbor too, with a student

population of 2,160. Staffers and students drive cars in and out of

our neighborhood daily, adding to the congestion.

Since the city cut off through traffic on Bison Avenue from

Jamboree Road to Eastbluff Drive, traffic to and from the schools and

churches must funnel through the intersection of Jamboree Road and

Eastbluff Drive, which is Ford Road on the east side of Jamboree

Road.

If the city permits expansion of Our Lady Queen of Angels in this

location, we will have a traffic congestion problem impossible to

live with -- threatening the safety and well-being of our

neighborhood.

PATRICIA KRONE

Newport Beach

Proceeds of station’s sale should used in the classroom

It is shocking to read that the Coast Community College District

wishes to sell its TV station “to use the money to fund education.”

What a surprise. We taxpayers have assumed all along that the

District’s primary responsibility was to provide students with a

college education. Does this mean that for decades the district has

been spending over three million dollars a year to subsidize a

television station at the expense of student and faculty needs?

Why has there not been some expression of concern from students

and faculty when academic standards are being jeopardized, classes

cut, class sizes maximized, tuition increased, and teachers’

contracts and benefits weakened?

KENNETH CARTER

Laguna Beach

Arts program spiked for political reasons

In regard to the rejection of the $300,000 plan for an arts and

music program, as voted on by the Costa Mesa City Council in regard

to the Theater Arts District: What is more important -- landscaping

improvements or our children?

The City Council told us loud and clear when they decided to

reject an awesome proposal set forth by Planning Commissioner Katrina

Foley. The plan offered schools $300,000 toward an arts and music

program.

It would be so nice to see a council that cares enough and is

willing to put some money into a positive learning program, which

offers creative alternatives to the growing pressures of drugs and

violence that our youth deal with on a daily basis.

Councilman Allan Mansoor asks what will we do when funds run out?

Hello?

Have more faith in your community and take a chance. Get out there

and find more funding, I know Foley would. She has proven herself

very competent and maybe that is the problem. It seems as though

there might be an alternative reason for the decision of the council.

Could they not want Foley to have such a successful program in

which she might get a lot of positive public support?

I would like the council members who opposed to this plan to come

up with some better excuses than the ones they have given -- or not

given.

JESI PEARCE

Costa Mesa