MAILBAG - Oct. 19, 2006

Peninsula’s Taffy Lady will be missed

My name is Allie Ursini, and I’m 10 years old and attend Our Lady Queen of Angels School.

Last summer I was in Junior Lifeguards and I stopped by the taffy store every day on my way to the ferry. The Taffy Lady (“Sweetly, goodbye,” Oct. 12) became a friend of mine. She was always nice to me and my friends. I helped her with her first cellphone by putting a picture on the wallpaper of her phone. I wanted her family to know that I wish she was still alive too. I wanted her family to know how special she was to everybody. I will miss her.

Thank you for the nice article on her.

ALLIE URSINI

Newport Beach

New park site not best for fields

I write in response to an article in last Friday’s Daily Pilot, “City buys park for $5 million.”

The good news: The city proposes to build a new park at Superior Avenue and West coast Highway. The bad news: The city plans to put soccer fields and baseball fields on the ocean view property.

I have nothing against sports fields in public parks. Quite the contrary, in fact, I think they are a crucial part of any city’s park space. The problem, however, is that almost all of Newport Beach’s parks are devoted to sports fields. Sports fields have their uses but sit empty a vast majority of the time. For the people in this city who do not play soccer or baseball (a vast majority of city residents, I presume) an empty sports field is basically an unaesthetic and boring stretch of grass.

It would be nice if the city would model a park after the city parks in Europe or New York’s Central Park: a park that is pleasing to look at, adds character to the neighborhood and provides a nice place to walk around, rest, read or spend a lazy afternoon. This type of park use would seem an especially good fit on the Superior and West Coast Highway site, with its ocean view.

GABE BOWNE

Newport Beach

Pilot should keep church, state separate

Although I respect the individual opinions of the panel in the newspaper’s Saturday religion feature In Theory, I find it irresponsible to ask them to comment on any political issue, such as a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Constitutional law protects the separation of church and state. For the Daily Pilot to even pose this question in a religious forum shows a blatant disregard for this law and promotes the alliance of the two.

If individuals feel the need to know where their religious leaders stand on such issues, it is their right to independently seek that knowledge.

But for the Daily Pilot to brazenly advertise the union of religion and politics is irresponsible.

Why not use this educated panel to comment on spirituality instead of divisive political issues?

PAMELA LAWRENCE

Corona del Mar