Short, to the point: Leave Back Bay as is

Anywhere on the Back Bay, including the new park at Jamboree and East Coast Highway, is no place for a new Newport Beach city hall. I hope that any suggestion such as this is not taken seriously by our City Council, because it is a park and we need to have that open space.

BARBARA WALLACE

Newport Beach

‘Village’ visionaries support son on tour of duty in Iraq

They say it takes a village to raise a child -- that same village has taught our son about unconditional love.

Our son, Cole, is in Iraq as a 1st Cavalry Scout. He first voiced his desire to be a soldier as a 2-year-old!

When a rocket with a 50-meter kill radius went off only 25 meters away and broke the arm of his prescription eyeglasses, he felt extremely fortunate. He called home for a replacement pair to be sent.

In response to this request, Anna at Sue Optical in Costa Mesa generously gave him “20% off for helping our country, and we will pray for him every day until we see him home!”

This was followed by Patty Hansen, of Chicken Soup for the Soul, who offered Cole a pair of shatterproof sports goggles to see his way out of future harrowing situations.

When Viet Van Dang, Cole’s ophthalmologist, heard, he ordered a pair of sturdy, scratch-resistant glasses that are tinted yellow for improved vision, alongside a large supply of eye drops to relieve irritation from sand or strain.

David and Whende Crowell of Crowell Electric sent magazines and goodies for the brief moments of relaxation. The staff at the Dr. BMW-Lexus Volvo Independent Service has been more than generous in helping Cole sell his Toyota truck on consignment and, alongside Trader Joe’s goodies to boost the troops’ morale, the staff at Trader Joe’s Crystal Cove always asks: “How soon ‘til we see Cole?”

Philip Cutler, an electronics instructor at Orange Coast College, sent Cole a calculator and lessons to aide his understanding of trajectories. Grannis Chiropractic came through with generous care packages.

The love and support these people and others have sent through e-mails, jokes, letters, pictures and gifts continue to be a blessing to Cole and those in his troop with whom he shares his treasures.

As parents we are grateful for the support Cole has received. He said: “I didn’t know so many people cared this much.” Our son has learned much through the generous, unsolicited messages of love and gifts he has received from “our village.” We told him if there is anyone there without such a loving village thinking about them, he would have enough extra love to share. Having lost some members of his troop, he realizes the frailty of life and the precious gift of love -- love he has seen through his new glasses.

Thank you for supporting our troops. Each one is someone’s child -- and a part of our village.

JERRY and BLYTHE FAIR

Corona del Mar

Algebra is valuable, if you think about it

Steve Smith is totally off base in his suggestion that high-school algebra become an elective (“On the Town,” Feb. 1).

Algebra teaches the ability to think logically and powers most day-to-day math thought processes, and is used by way more than the 37 people Smith could think about.

The problem is not with algebra, but with the methodology and/or textbooks employed by school districts. Just because a subject requires thinking doesn’t mean our educators should shy away from it. Remember the movie, “Stand and Deliver”?

We need less dumbing down in our schools, not more of it.

PETER J. OETH

Corona del MarKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Leave the Back Bay alone, reader Barbara Wallace says.20060214hrtdwfkfNo Caption