Residents shouldn’t pay for hotel room to...

Residents shouldn’t pay for hotel room to use beach

Mike Whitehead’s Oct. 8 column, “Local boating industry

undervalued,” made some excellent points in regards to the direction

the Newport Beach City Council has gone with respect to projects

affecting Newport Harbor.

Whitehead’s comments were mostly directed at the boating needs,

both public and commercial. His point that the public-boating needs

could be better met if Marinapark had a public boat-launch facility

is correct. The nearest facility to launch boats on trailers is a

long way from the main channel, and this would certainly benefit

small-boat owners, especially for those with sailboats, which now

have a difficult time going under the Coast Highway Bridge after

launching at the Dunes’ facility.

However, the state granted to the city back in the 1920s the

tidelands and responsibility as trustees of the public beaches and

harbor for which a variety of beneficial uses that are clearly

outlined in many public agencies’ documents -- boating, swimming,

hand-powered crafts (kayaks, canoes, etc.), sportfishing and all the

things a nice day at the beach allows. The intent was never to

require citizens of this county to have to pay for a hotel room to

enjoy these benefits on a public beach.

I believe all Newport Beach residents should take time to consider

what we want to leave our children as far as this harbor is

concerned. Do we want it to retain some or a lot of what Newport

Harbor has always been, or do we want it to become another Marina del

Rey? The choice is ours this election. No on Measure L.

WES ARMAND

Newport Beach

City lacks vision but

not economic interests

Thanks to Mike Whitehead and his Harbor Column on Oct. 8 for

telling it like it is on the waterfront. Lack of vision for our city,

along with only thoughts of economic return, even in our parks, seem

to interest Mayor Tod Ridgeway.

JOHN HART

Newport Beach

Bishop should retain

what belongs to diocese

Regarding the Daily Pilot question of whether Orange County

Superior Court should dismiss the Los Angeles Episcopal Diocese

lawsuit against St. James Church? Absolutely not.

The St. James Church property belongs to the Diocese of Los

Angeles and has since St. James’ inception in the 1940s, I believe.

Some of these greedy, fall-away people were not even born then.

It is certainly legal for the bishop of the diocese to retain his

diocesan property. This whole thing is absolutely out of hand, and I

still think those who do not want to belong to the Diocese of Los

Angeles should, by all means, get on an airplane and go to whatever

that place is that they’ve pulled away to. Ridiculous.

PATRICIA LILLEGRAVEN

Balboa Island