MAILBAG - April 20, 2006

Article highlights teens doing right by others in community

I really enjoyed reading the April 10 article “Student initiates autism awareness campaign.”

I applaud the efforts that Ariana Cernius and the Ambassadors Club are doing at Newport Harbor High School, and it is refreshing to see young people make an effort to raise the awareness about autism. There are many challenges and hurdles that autistic children will encounter in their lives, and it breaks my heart when I see how other youth who do not understand autism and other developmental disabilities sometime judge too quickly. As much as we protect our children and try to educate as many people as we can, I’m glad to see teens like Ariana and Connor Gerson in the community increasing knowledge to others and doing something that they feel is important.

OSCAR SANTOYO

Santa Ana

Canyon Park residents want Costa Mesa utility lines underground

The residents of the Canyon Park and West Bluff area of homes were likely not polled on the issue of putting Costa Mesa utility lines underground. The power lines are intrusive enough that we cannot keep healthy, mature trees on the power-line side of the street, so all residents must succumb to trimmings, which make very odd looking trees, some of which have died due to excessive trimming. In addition, the lines spit and crackle loudly in fog and high humidity. There are likely also some health hazards as well.

Please do count many of us in the West Side Canyon Park and West Bluffs area as yes votes in the survey. We would love to see these power lines go underground.

LISE SLACK

Costa Mesa

Burying utility lines, immigration plan are on the wrong tack

We vote a resounding no on the underground utilities proposal. As residents of Costa Mesa for 40 years we know that there are many more important uses for the money that this ridiculous proposal would use. We are also against the anti-immigration stance that the mayor and the City Council has proposed. It’s is sad that our great little city is being led down the wrong path.

JEWEL, MARY and ELLEN MCQUAID

Costa Mesa

A park is fine, but we don’t need a window to the bay

I’d like to see the tennis courts, Girl Scout house and the surrounding landscape left as is at Marinapark. Saving the city this expense and the existing landscape should pay for the park in other areas. Anyone who’s used the tennis courts has enjoyed the high brushes in front of the court to hide their game. Face it, tennis courts are a perfect fit for the park, and there are four courts already. As a resident on the peninsula who drives up and down Balboa Boulevard, I can’t see the need for a window to the bay, as this would attract looky-loo drivers and create a very dangerous condition during peak times. Who wants to be behind that guy? Scrap the trailers. I’m all for a grass field with “S-curve” sidewalks and a few barbecue holders and picnic benches typical of the grass area at the Balboa Pier. Throw a restroom building in and you got Ridgeway Park. If you want a boat launch ramp like down at Peninsula Point, find a friend down there, hand launching only at this park, or maybe the city will look into the launch ramp.

TOM SMITH

Balboa Peninsula

Council is short-sighted about what the Marinapark site needs

After seeing the straw vote from the Newport Beach City Council on the future of Marinapark, it’s become apparent that the council members who side with yacht owners and the privileged few suffer from myopia. For those who need a refresher on its term it is: “A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness. Also called short sight.”

The distant object that’s blurred here is the residents of Newport Beach. The 60 or so privileged few who will benefit from the greatest gift the city could provide ? luxury marina and slips ? will be in a most favored constituent class versus the rest of us who want a park that is truly a park with unobstructed views of Newport Harbor. Why do we have to suffer the consequences for a few when the majority of us who pay the bills around here are not given any consideration by certain members of the City Council.

Marinapark needs to be just that ? a park, not a large boat marina with limited access for the rest of us. We have a one-time opportunity to make the best use of public land for the greatest good of the residents of this city. And let’s not become short sighted for the benefit of a few boat owners.

PHIL DRACHMAN

Newport Beach

Another park won’t solve peninsula’s problems

It’s ridiculous to suggest that building a marina at Marinapark would encourage “low budget tourism” to the town (Mailbag, April 13). Yacht owners are generally not “low budget,” and the marina could be used equally by residents. Newport Beach is remiss in having very little walkable bay front (mostly a small area of Lido village), so a marina with bay-front pedestrian access would be a great addition to the area. Let’s have more bay-front cafes too!

Newport Beach is a resort town, and local businesses need tourists to come here. Why complain about “low budget tourism” when a luxury hotel at the same location was rejected? To build another park is not the answer to the peninsula’s problems.

GRANVILLE KIRKUP

Balboa Peninsula

dpt.20-mailbag-autism-BPhotoInfoS81Q4GT120060420ixfhs2ncJAMIE FLANAGAN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Newport Harbor High School freshman Ariana Cernius and senior Connor Gerson model the bracelets they will be selling on campus to raise awareness about autism.