Takeoff of tourist dollars needs El Toro...

Takeoff of tourist dollars needs El Toro

The article, “Spending money to draw tourist dollars” on March 29

was right on. A tourist Mecca such as Orange County should be able to

easily woo visitors from other coastal areas. The large, tourist

hungry hotels in Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach are not cheap.

The $65 million being spent by Newport Beach Marriott and the $10

million for the renovation of the Hyatt Newporter are significant

expenditures in the name of tourism. However, one item, vital to

improving the local tourism business was omitted: How do you get the

tourist to the area in the first place? If some of the tourist

facility improvement money was spent to make it easy for tourists to

get here, it would more than pay for itself.

That expenditure would place a high priority on building an El

Toro airport. Most of the work has been done. The airport redesign

for the conversion of El Toro from a military facility to a

commercial entity had been completed. The results of this $50-million

design effort can be viewed at any Orange County library. Imagine the

competitive edge this air facility would give the Orange County

tourist over Los Angeles or San Diego because tourists would not have

to drive 50 miles on overloaded freeways to get here.

The effects of El Toro are minimal because no one is in the noise

zone, as compared to John Wayne, San Diego or LAX. I say it is time

for the business community in range County to use its influence to

overcome the unwarranted prejudice against El Toro. Not having El

Toro open is costing businesses and the traveling public enormously

and is a tragic waste of a fine $50-billion facility -- already paid

for by the taxpayers.

WILLIAM KEARNS

Costa Mesa

Feeding pigeons

a filthy habit

I’m in total support of Hunter Stroman, the manager of Marina

Watersports, who is concerned with the possible health effects of the

amount of pigeon droppings around the peninsula shops (“Feeding

Frenzy,” March 30).

I think this very nice 74-year-old man needs to go find something

else to do with himself besides create an absolute filthy habit of

leading these birds to make such a terrible mess in a public place,

where people take their children. I think its disgraceful and I would

like to see it cleaned up. So, I think Stroman is on the right track.

ANN DELANEY

Newport Beach