Thanks are due to a good Samaritan...

Thanks are due to

a good Samaritan

I want to express my gratitude to a city employee -- I hope he

reads this, because I lost his name -- who went beyond the call of

duty to help me in last week’s storm.

My car stalled, and he and another unnamed gentleman pushed my car

off Balboa Boulevard onto 15th Street. They stayed with me and were

finally able to jump-start my car. The city employee, with the yellow

lights going, then followed me home to make sure I could make it. I

cannot thank him enough and am only sorry that I cannot thank him by

name.

MARGARET COX

Balboa

Teachers’ advocate showed humanity

Linda Mook, who died Dec. 30, was one of a kind.

One can be sad for our loss but also grateful for her profound

contributions to the education community. I had the privilege of

knowing and working with Mook on many occasions. She demonstrated the

highest professional standards as a teacher representing the

interests of teachers and forging personal relationships with

community, board and administration.

In a position that can become adversarial, she won the respect of

all those that had the opportunity to work with her. Her primary

issue was always to make certain that the interests of children were

best served by those in the classroom.

She will be remembered for her effectiveness but most of all for

being a compassionate, caring human being.

MARIAN BERGESON

Newport Beach

Heights resident wants no part of Costa Mesa

I have been a homeowner in Santa Ana Heights for the last 25

years.

The recent article (“Council to build borders group,” Jan. 12)

about the annexation issue of Santa Ana Heights and the Local Agency

Formation Commission has prompted me to respond.

More than a year ago, after several public hearings on the issue,

LAFCO’s decision was that they agreed that the community of Santa Ana

Heights should remain one community. They said that if Newport Beach

would file an application to annex the rest of Santa Ana Heights, the

commission would approve such an application.

I was at the public meetings, where I and many of my neighbors in

Santa Ana Heights testified and voiced our desire to be annexed by

Newport Beach and not Costa Mesa. In fact, petitions and surveys are

proving that if put to a vote, the annexation of the Heights by Costa

Mesa would be overwhelmingly defeated. The majority of residents will

not support any effort by Costa Mesa to annex the Heights.

It sounds to me like another ploy on the part of Costa Mesa to try

and pull a fast one on the residents of Santa Ana Heights and use the

Daily Pilot to assist them.

Costa Mesa tried to undermine the sale of the Santa Ana Heights

Water Company to the Irvine Ranch Water District a few years ago, and

that didn’t work for the same reason that this latest plan by Costa

Mesa will not fly. We want to be one community, and we want to be

annexed by Newport Beach and not Costa Mesa.

CHET GROSKREUTZ

Santa Ana Heights