Marines land successfully Imagine 1,200 Marine Corps...

Marines land successfully

Imagine 1,200 Marine Corps men and women dressed in their formal

dress blue uniforms attending a traditional Marine Corps event called

a “Dining In.” About 50 members of the community and I were on hand

April 22 to welcome the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines from Camp

Pendleton at a special reception and dinner in their honor.

The “Thundering Third,” as the 3/1 is commonly called, were

adopted by the Huntington Beach City Council by a resolution and

chose the city of Huntington Beach to host their annual festivities

at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Resort.

While the members of the Marine Corps traditionally celebrate the

birthday of the Marine Corps in November of each year, the Thundering

Third missed the festivities two years in a row while deployed in

Iraq. The Dining In event last Friday was a way in which the Marine

Corps and the community could come together.

By sponsoring the Thundering Third Marine battalion, the city of

Huntington Beach is providing a way for the community to support the

military and their families. I am proud to have played a part in

bringing the city and the Thundering Third together.

I salute the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines for their dedication in

setting the example for all United State citizens, their families,

and the community on what it truly means to be an American, and I

extend to them the highest commendations and deepest appreciation

from the 67th Assembly District.

TOM HARMAN

Huntington Beach

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Tom Harman is Huntington Beach’s assemblyman.

Enough progress

for now, already

I always enjoy reading the Independent. It makes my old blood move

about my body a lot faster than it should.

I read Bob Polkow’s thoughts on progress in our great city of

Huntington Beach (“Sounding Off,” April 21). I, along with many

others, think he’s all wet. Where does it say that we must continue

to pillage our great city by using the shield of the word progress.

Between the greedy developers and some misguided council people, we

are murdering what was once a quiet, laid-back community. If it’s

progress Polkow wants, he should move to Lancaster or Victorville.

They would appreciate his support.

Do we need more people and houses? Where are we to put them

without overcrowding and without straining our resources of water,

electricity and sewage and so on. I think we have tapped our

resources to about the limit without making the current Huntington

Beach residents suffer.

Let’s look at some of the “beautification projects” we have had to

endure. Who put those condos on our beach? Who allowed those greedy

developers to build three-story homes? Who is considering another

Home Depot in our city? Who is adding further development of Pacific

Coast Highway? Are we to not have any square footage where weeds and

grass grow that are not paying taxes?

I’ve also been a resident for more than 35 years and spent many of

my teenage years enjoying the blue waters of good old Huntington

Beach. Never did we have to close the beaches for too much pollution

or sewage problems. This was “the” place to be in the ‘50s, ‘60s and

‘70s.

Now the city wants more, more, more in the name of progress. I for

one would be willing to pay more taxes if the city will just forget

“progress” and fix up our schools and roads to name a few. So if

Polkow wants to develop more of our land, let him leave Huntington

Beach and go where he is appreciated. I sure don’t want to see him

run for City Council, if he has any thoughts in that direction.

MORIE HIVELY

Huntington Beach

An invite to walk

the wetlands

Over the years I have read the letters submitted by Bob Polkow

with dismay. In regards to his last tirade, “Environmentalists should

take a hike,” I wonder if he would join me. I find it so sad that he

cannot see and enjoy the beautiful things nature graces us with every

day at Bolsa Chica. So I invite him for a tour of the Bolsa Chica

Ecological Reserve where I will show him what tens of thousands of

people regard as beautiful and worth saving. Whether you choose to

open your mind to see it, is up to you. At the very least, know this:

acre per acre a wetland produces just about the same amount of oxygen

as a rain forest. Your mind may not appreciate Bolsa Chica -- but

your lungs do. Give me a call at 717-6304 and I would be happy to

walk the trail with you.

KIM KOLPIN

Co-founder,

The Bolsa Chica Stewards

Huntington Beach

Is cheaper water possible?

Water is the future, right? Absolutely. I certainly agree.

I’ve read a lot lately about the subject of desalination, the

process of converting ocean water to drinking water. We need more

water, and new creative ways to get it. Do I agree? Probably, well,

maybe. I’ll explain.

Orange County officials tell me daily we waste between 40 and 100

million gallons of water (a.k.a. urban runoff). Waste such as

over-irrigating our lawns, hosing down driveways and sidewalks,

washing cars and leaving the beach showers running. I’m not sure why

after showering, folks feel the need to water the boardwalk and sand!

So I have two questions: should we build a desalination plant to

give us an estimated 50 million gallons per day of water at a cost of

$250 million? Or should we simply use some common sense and a few

conservation measures to save 40 to 100 million gallons of water a

day, at a cost of free? Maybe we should all simply put down the hose

and pick up a broom. It’s not only a heck of a lot cheaper, but also

better for the environment.

One last thought, we could take a portion of this $250 million and

spend a little on another hot topic -- our schools.

John Kappeler

Huntington Beach