MAILBAG - Oct. 18, 2006

Celebration fun with reasonably priced grubCompliments to the organizers of the Newport Beach centennial celebration. It was a pleasant surprise to see reasonable food prices (in Newport Beach?) instead of $3.50 ears of corn on a stick.

Dick Dale still rocks!

JIM VANDENBOS

Costa Mesa

At Triangle Square, it’s the parking, stupidThanks for the update on Triangle Square. The Pilot’s article failed to cite the one thing that needs attention most at the center: the parking. The garage there is poorly planned, unpleasant and unsafe to drive or walk in, and it is a big reason to avoid the center altogether.

The rather dull strip center across Harbor Boulevard thrives year after year, and why?

The parking makes sense and does not feel dangerous or intimidating. Alternatively, the long, open, well-painted, lighted and accessorized garage at South Coast Plaza’s Crystal Court is fine.

Costa Mesans will not gladly use the kind of tight, convoluted garage Triangle Square offers, and spending additional marketing dollars will not change that.

JIM O’KEEFE

Costa Mesa

Amid so many ouches, words to heedI would think that our current school board candidates would stand to benefit by reading and taking to heart some of the findings of the Pilot’s editor (Politics Aside, “The tough work of choosing sides,” Thursday). Certainly, those board members seeking reelection should be able to respond to the Feb. 12 editorial S.J. Cahn quoted, which said that “school performances on state testing — the current gold standard by which districts and schools are judged — is hit-and-miss, with most of the misses coming in Costa Mesa, especially on the Westside.” The editorial continued, “The school district is not a dramatically better place than when the board members were first elected. Judging by test scores, many of the district’s worst schools are even worse.” An “ouch” follows, along with a question: “how do we not endorse a whole new slate of candidates?”

Perhaps we should follow the plans of the local professional baseball teams and actually go on a hunt for new talent by farming out the old, Judy Franco included.

LEFTERIS LAVRAKAS

Costa Mesa

During classes, schools must be off limitsI had been thinking that someone needed to state the obvious with regard to using the Corona del Mar High School track, when a Community Commentary (“Daigle acted wisely,” Oct. 5) likened questioning a school security guard to saving the world from Nazi Germany. I understand the concept of everything has to start somewhere, but there must be bigger issues of free speech for editorials.

As a parent of students at Corona del Mar High, I’d like to commend the security guard for doing his job and standing up to someone who may have a bit of an over-inflated sense of her own celebrity and influence. The horrible occurrence at the Amish school house is just another in a long line of school tragedies that first came to the public’s attention with Columbine. The parents of Corona del Mar High students fully support the school administration’s efforts to strictly enforce rules about visitors to campus.

Other than the joint-use agreement for Corona del Mar High School’s aquatic center, the school is not supported by the city of Newport Beach. It is a public school, and a permit from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District is required to use any part of the school for private use. No one is going to bother individuals using the track outside of school hours and when not being used for school sports, but please do not come on campus during school hours without first signing in and getting a visitor badge in the office.

I would hope our elected officials would act in a respectful and thoughtful manner and focus on issues that affect our community. Using position and power to obtain special treatment is just plain unacceptable.

I would also hope our elected officials would have the ability to rationally attempt to determine how to change what they believe to be an unreasonable restraint on their rights and not stoop to berating an employee trying to do his job.

There is a time and a place for everything, and this was not the time nor the place to try to save the world (which is a very generous interpretation of any version of the events that may have occurred).

CINDY DILLION

Corona del Mar

Whose interests does Newport council serve?The Daily Pilot has seen the light on the reasons many residents are revolting against unfair campaigning and nonrepresentative government in Newport Beach (Fair Game, “Newport can stop the dirty politics,” Oct. 6).

Regarding nonrepresentative government, Newport Beach has four of seven council members appointed by their predecessor council members. For years residents have lobbied against this manipulation of “representative” government by the council, yet since 2000 a block of council members has continued to self-perpetuate themselves via the appointment process. Its time to amend the city charter to require special elections for all mid-term council vacancies.

In terms of unfair campaigning, Dave Ellis has an extensive record of providing misleading, secret and negative campaign practices for his clients in each of the past two elections, 2000 and 2004, and here we see it again in ’06. Over the years, residents groups such as Greenlight, Newporters for Responsible Government, Protect Our Parks, Airport Working Group and Stop Polluting Our Newport have emerged in response to this lack of representation and unethical behavior. As they say in life, things do come full circle eventually. Perhaps that time has now come in the political culture of Newport Beach.

Voters, aren’t we beginning to see that the council’s repeated admonition to “trust your elected (appointed) officials” may be in their best interests, but not in ours? Kudos to Tom Johnson and the Pilot for giving this issue the attention it has long deserved.

JOHN BUTTOLPH

Newport Beach

John Buttolph was the head of Newporters for Responsible Government.