Trains for planes: a fair swap for...

Trains for planes: a fair swap for Orange County

In his April 1 “Bell Curve” column, “On the fate of El Toro, J.

Edgar Hoover and the Pinks,” Joseph Bell raises -- once again -- the

near-dead issue of an El Toro airport, and dwells on “how do we

reverse the El Toro decision,” instead of on “where do we go from

here?”

And I suspect that, because Bell’s address is Santa Ana Heights,

his primary concern is personal, and not community-based.

John Wayne Airport serves about 8 million annual passengers today,

and is designed to handle 14 million annual passengers with daytime

operations (and as many as 18- to 20-million annual passengers with

nighttime operations.)

Orange County capacity is not the problem; minimizing demand

growth is the real problem. Instead of arguing to no end over El

Toro, community interests region-wide are better served by developing

a solution that will reduce, and even reverse growth in demand for

more flights.

An alternative fast and quiet train system within the region, and

to nearby regional centers such as the Bay Area, San Diego, Las Vegas

and Phoenix would do four things:

First, it would shift up to a third of all current and future

passengers from airplanes to fast trains. Secondly, a train system

would reduce flights at LAX, John Wayne, Ontario, and all other

regional airports by up to a third. A train would, thirdly, eliminate

the need for ever more runways, terminals, gates, baggage handling,

and parking facilities. And finally, it would improve safety in our

already-crowded regional skies -- and there would be absolutely no

need to build more runways in Orange County or elsewhere within the

region.

MICHAEL SMITH

Mission Viejo

Pigeon-feeding should create a peninsular flap

Regarding the much-appreciated article “Feeding Frenzy,” March 30:

The self-labeled “Pigeon Master,” Martin Zofchak, should lead his

messy and unhealthy flock back to his own backyard.

For years, the people who actually live and work near the Fun Zone

have objected to the filth and bother of these obnoxious birds --

trained to feel that every morsel of anyone’s food belongs to them.

The health objection is obvious to anyone older than “the age of

reason” who is not yet sadly influenced by dementia. Health issues

notwithstanding, surely the personal and business considerations of

Hunter Stroman and other residents have preference over Zofchak and

his childlike tourists -- who collectively probably spend no more

money in the Fun Zone than the pigeons.

Other progressive cities, such as San Francisco with its Union

Square pigeon problem, have effectively rid themselves of this

nuisance. Time is long overdue for Newport Beach to follow their

example. Hang in there, Mr. Stroman; yours is a worthy cause that

indeed the City Council should address.

GENE BEAVIN

Newport Beach

Story wonderful, name would have been, too

I’m calling about students from Andersen Elementary celebrating

Cesar Chavez Day by working at a farm in Irvine (“Pulling up

lessons,” Thursday). They pulled up broccoli and other things to

benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.

I think this is a wonderful program and I loved the story. I just

noticed that the name of the farm in Irvine was not published. If

that farm is contributing at least 1,000 pounds of broccoli and

onions and strawberries etc. for the Second Harvest Food Bank, then I

think that the name of the farm should also be published. There are

those of us who would want to support a businessman who provided

that.

DIANE BAKER

Corona del Mar