MAILBAG - March 23, 2007

Parking spots ‘stolen’ by employees

Many thanks to Tom Girvin for his recent letters to the newspapers. He expresses the concerns and frustrations of all of the residents living near the Old Pottery Place who have been adversely affected by the onslaught of parked cars in our neighborhood since the day the renovated center opened.

The opening of El Ranchito, which replaced Woody’s, also seems to have suddenly added to the parking problem. Employees of both establishments daily pull up in front of our homes and hurry off to work their eight-hour shift.

In Morris Skenderian’s recent letter [“New ‘Place’ enhances neighborhood,” Coastline Pilot, March 9], I gleaned that he felt that all of us hardworking, taxpaying citizens in the neighborhood surrounding the Old Pottery Place should simply be grateful for the beauty and design choice of the center and disregard the fact that we are daily being robbed of what should be the simple right to park in front of our own homes.

Mr. Skenderian is correct in that the new center is a very attractive addition to our city. I know of no one who takes issue with that. But if we were misled about the available parking being on a “first come, first serve” basis, and if employees are being instructed or encouraged to park offsite in front of residents’ homes, then the joy that we might have gotten from Laguna’s newest shopping center is seriously diminished.

I have loved Laguna Beach and lived here for 26 years, but the trend of the City Council and planning commission to disregard the needs of local residents in favor of promoting more development and tourism is a sad thing indeed.

NOELLE VON BARGEN

Laguna Beach

Wildlife important part of Great Park

Lagunans worked very hard to stop the airport at El Toro and to create the Orange County Great Park. Now, and during the operation of the Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro animals have been able to move across the base, traveling from the mountains to the sea from the Cleveland National Forest to the Crystal Cove State Park.

A significant element in the support from Laguna Beach to stop the airport and create the Great Park was an effective wildlife corridor. To be effective, the Orange County Great Park Corp. board members need to include the funding for the park’s wildlife corridor in Phase One.

Your readers should express their views, which can be e-mailed by filling out the form at //ocgp.org/contacts/default.asp or write to Larry Agran, chair, and board members of Orange County Great Park Corp., P.O. Box 19575, Irvine, CA 92623-9575.

The wildlife corridor is a part of the critical infrastructure of the Orange County Great Park.

Unlike most amenities in the park, the wildlife corridor is absolutely unique and ecologically important as a singular pathway to connect the mountains to the ocean for threatened wildlife.

And unlike many of the other components of the , the wildlife corridor can’t be located elsewhere or be built by any other entity.

The Board of the Great Park knows it’s important. The following is from their Benchmark Report: “A three mile-long Wildlife Corridor along the eastern border of the Great Park will provide a comfortable space for wildlife to migrate throughout the park. This corridor provides a crucial ‘missing link’ between the Cleveland National Forest to the north and Crystal Cove State Park to the south. It will play an important role in preserving a healthy ecosystem throughout Orange County.”

Your readers can support the Environmental Coalition for the Orange County Great Park and Great Park Communities. Click on “coalition” at www.fhbp.org or contact President Stephanie Pacheco at stephaniepa@socal.rr.com.

GENE FELDER

Laguna Beach

Homeless issue has no easy answers

This is in response to a letter to the editor in the March 9 issue, “Feeding needy may not be helping them.”

Your “let’s give a hand up, instead of a hand out” concept is just that — a concept. Perhaps this concept should start at home.

How many times have you taken time to have a conversation with one of these implied “not-so-needy needy, with their iPods and modern bicycles”? Perhaps asked them how they became homeless and what it might take to get them out?

The truly sad part about your observation, opinion and suggestion is that it is shared by so many uninformed. As for the “local church people” aiding and abetting liquor consumption by feeding the needy, allowing them to use their money for alcohol, I ask you, what money might that be?

As for the “hand up instead of a hand out” by providing the needy with free food, what better way to bring together all those you wish to help than food, a concept that has worked all over the world.

Our wonderful church-going volunteers provide food, encouragement, clothes, toiletries, the ability to make a phone call for help, an ear to listen, a ride to somewhere they may need to get to such as: for medical assistance; acquiring proper identification needed to comply with the Federal W9 requirements; job interviews and so much more.

The question of “where do they come from” can be answered simply. One young man who is a “needy” individual was born at South Coast Medical in 1964 and went through the Laguna Beach school system. Yes, he is a local.

My question is, who will train these needy people? How will the trainers be paid? What facility is to be used to train them? And last but not least, what will they be trained to do?

When they are trained, where do they brush their teeth, bathe for work, get clothing to work in, and where will they live? It is a little tough to hang your clean work shirt up in a bush.

Your “hand up” concept is a very naïve approach to a very complex issue. My concept is “put up or shut up.”

PEGI LOPEZ

Laguna Beach