This is in response to Tony Dodero’s...

This is in response to Tony Dodero’s column that ran Friday, “What

Happened to Costa Mesa?” I have to agree with Mark Miller entirely as

to the decline of our great town.

I am a 35-year resident of Costa Mesa, born and raised here. I

grew up on the Westside. I played Ponytail Softball for girls, I

played Harbor Area Baseball, went to the Boys and Girls Club, hung

out at Mesa Verde Center, saw movies at the Mesa Theater, etc. Rather

than what happened, I’d like to know what we can do to bring back

some of the old amenities that so many of us miss?

We are a beautiful city, but we lost a lot of our character and

charm in the process of improving. Rather than move the DMV to build

a youth center, why don’t we ask the Segerstrom family to donate

their vacant lot on the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Mesa Verde? It

would seem a small gesture from people so “youth oriented” enough to

give $2 million to our two high schools.

What are those high school kids doing after school?

What a perfect location for a “family fun center.” It is right

between the two high schools; it is on the major bus route and near

several major neighborhoods where families are growing.

The elders of our city need to remember that the kids of this town

will be the ones running it in 25 to 30 years. What are we offering

them now?

I challenge the Segerstroms: You have your performing arts; you

have your Ikea and Home Ranch; you have your mega mall. Please do

something really great with that corner for the youth and,

ultimately, the future of Costa Mesa.

MAUREEN MAZZARELLA

Costa Mesa

What Happened to Costa Mesa?

For the most part it’s gotten better.

Do we really want to go back to the days of wooden ships and iron

men? How many of us liked shopping at Fedco instead of Target and

Henry’s? Would you really rather shop at Marshall’s and Penny’s

instead of the Home Depot and Albertson’s?

There may be some who’d like to see the old market at the corner

of 19th Street and Harbor Boulevard as opposed to the Courtyards, but

I’m not one of them. Give me Mimi’s and Cold Stone any day.

If anyone wants to go back in time, tell them to shop at the Vista

Center on 19th Street and Placentia Avenue. It’s still about the same

as it was 30 years ago.

Part of the irony of this column is it takes place in a barber

shop that is reminiscent of Floyd’s Barbershop in Mayberry.

A few pages later in the same issue of the Pilot, the Best Bites

column features two old time Costa Mesa restaurants, the BC Broiler

and Super Pollo. (Although I have to admit while I love BC Broiler, I

preferred it when it was Pee Wee’s and served great hot dogs.) And

how about the Pilot itself? Talk about a throw back to the good old

days.

Some residents, and perhaps the editor, may have preferred the

bean fields to Performing Arts Center and South Coast Plaza but not

me. I love being able to drive five minutes to see a play. In fact

we’re going on Sunday to the matinee of “The Lion King.”

Now for those of you who think I’m a new guy, I’m not. I go back

almost as far as Mark Miller. I wasn’t born here but I was raised

here. I went to McNally school. (How many of you remember where that

was?) I also attended Wilson, and College Park elementary schools,

Maude B. Davis Jr. High School, Costa Mesa High School (proud class

of ‘66) and Orange Coast College. I married a Costa Mesa High class

of ’72 alum.

My kids attended Sonora, California, Costa Mesa High School and

OCC also. My Dad, Bill Dunn, was the city’s first planning director.

So I’ve got some history, too.

I remember Harbor Area Baseball, my coach was also Luke Davis. But

I coached for about 12-years in the Costa Mesa Little League and in

the American Youth Soccer Organization. In my opinion, kids now have

many more options than I did. I had Harbor Area Baseball -- that was

it.

My kids had gymnastics (city program), AYSO, city youth

basketball, Little League, and youth water polo. Many people now

complain they don’t have enough unscheduled time.

Has the city abandoned the youth? No. Look at the after school

programs offered at the schools. Was it that long ago the city bought

the Farm from the school district and turned it into a park? How

about the soccer and baseball improvements at Kaiser school.

Didn’t the paper just run an article about how there’s too much

activity there and that residents want the lights turned off?

The boys’ club in Lions Park was where I spent my Saturdays. But

as nice and smelly as the old gym was, I think, given the choice,

most kids would choose the new gym over the old one. The old pool

leaked water faster than they could fill it up. But the new pool

actually holds water, and the new community center and library all

provide the Westside with more and better services than what were

around when I was growing up.

It is true you used to be able to go to the boys’ club and work on

wood, etc. in the shop. But you can blame the loss of the shop on the

cost of insurance and a lack of interest.

Just like I didn’t play stick ball and mumbly-peg like my Dad, my

kids enjoy different activities than what I did growing up.

There seems to be a general feeling that things aren’t as good as

they used to be. But do we really all want to go back to Mayberry and

sit in Floyd’s Barbershop? Was it better then?

What’s really missing now, that we used to have in the past, is a

sense of community. It is not new business versus old business, or

large business versus small business.

Look around Costa Mesa and you’ll see hundreds of old time

businesses. Granted, Pink’s Drugs is now longer with us, but neither

is Pink. But I ate at the Bamboo Terrace a couple weeks back -- it’s

been there for years.

What about Nick’s Pizza, Winchell’s on 17th and Oh Those Donuts on

Newport (stopped there this morning), Taco Mesa, MarVac Electronics,

the legendary Goat Hill Tavern?

I’ll give you the Fish Fry. I agree that was a big loss and a pet

peeve of mine. I think losing the parade was the beginning of the

loss of our sense of community. Why’d it change? My Lion’s club

friends say the biggest reason was because the prescient city fathers

at the time wanted the Lions to pay for the additional police

overtime required over that weekend.

That and closing down a mile or so of Harbor Boulevard on Fish Fry

Saturday for the parade.

How short sighted was this?

Huntington Beach, on arguably the busiest day of the year for that

city, sponsors a 3-mile race and closes down Pacific Coast Highway

and Main Street for several hours on the Fourth of July. But Costa

Mesa can’t supply and pay for the police to re-route traffic down

Harbor Boulevard for a couple hours on the first weekend in June?

Come on.

You want to rebuild our sense of community? Give us back our

parade. So what happened to Costa Mesa? It has indeed changed but not

necessarily for the worse. I love it here and I’m glad the Miller

Family Barber Shop is still here and I’m glad we still have a small

town paper that focuses on the people and businesses that make Costa

Mesa so special.

MIKE DUNN

Costa Mesa

In response to Tony Dodero’s days-gone-by musings, I offer the

following: Youth sports are alive and well in Costa Mesa.

However, with Newport Beach’s control of the facilities through

their joint-powers agreement, the children of Costa Mesa are left

with only those areas that Newport Beach chooses not to use.

Every year we are told by our leaders that we need more locations

for sports; the true cause of this problem is never addressed. Wait

till you see what happens at the proposed “stadium.”

We also have a very active Boys & Girls Club, but due to its

location in a “gang controlled” area, many parents forbid their

children from attending. Don’t take my word for it: Stroll by the Rea

some dark night (ask your barber to join you); tell us what you see.

Remember, reality is 90% perception.

What has happened to Costa Mesa is no different than what has

happened to many a growing city that has flirted with blind political

correctness.

Sadly, Costa Mesa has been perceived (there’s that word again) as

gang friendly, and surrounding cities have taken advantage of that by

encouraging the gang element to “play outside,” meaning of course

Costa Mesa.

Again, don’t take my word for it. Read the police reports, many of

these violators aren’t from Costa Mesa. Our prior councils have

spoken loudly and often on the subject, referring to youths in gang

attire as fashionable. Give me a break!

In the honorable-mention category, our school district deserves

recognition. By placing at-risk children in one small area and

refusing to enforce their dress code, they flaunt their autonomy,

while our council is left to rearrange the deck chairs.

MICHAEL BERRY

Costa Mesa

I read with interest Tony Dodero’s column in the Daily Pilot,

“What happened to Costa Mesa?”

Although I agree with Dodero’s favorite barber, Mark Miller, in

many of his assessments, I’m afraid he may have left the impression

that the annual Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club Fish Fry is no

more.

Nothing, I’m pleased to report, could be further from the truth.

From it’s inception in 1947, the Fish Fry was held every year until

2000. The Lions Club was forced to relocate the event to OCC’s campus

due to construction at Lions Park. It was held there for two years,

but a lawsuit completely unrelated to the event unfortunately caused

the Fish Fry to go dark for two years.

The club proudly reestablished the Fish Fry in 2003 and it’s been

going and growing strong ever since.

This year’s event will be held June 4 and 5 at Lion’s Park, at

18th Street and Park Avenue.

The always popular Icelandic cod fish and chips will be served for

both lunch and dinner all weekend. Many community organizations will

also take part in the festivities. A full slate of entertainment,

including several excellent local blues, rock and folk bands, will be

performing.

The Miss Costa Mesa beauty contest will be held at 2:15 p.m. on

Saturday, and the ever popular baby contest is scheduled for 2 p.m.

on Sunday. A much-expanded carnival will be entertaining children of

all ages.

And, as always, 100% of the net proceeds from the event will be

donated to worthwhile local charities to help our kids and others in

need.

Miller’s right in that the parade is no longer held. But he will

be able to take his kids to the Fish Fry this June. We’ll be on the

lookout for Miller, his kids and the rest of Costa Mesa as this

signature community event unfolds once again.

CHUCK CASSITY

Costa Mesa