MAILBAG:Ficker plan violates General Plan

The Ficker initiative (“City Hall needs a more centralized location,” July 6) demonstrates that even Ficker’s supporters don’t understand his proposal.

He begins by praising the General Plan as being “absolutely transparent and successful in every way.” Apparently he has not read the General Plan, because Policy R1.9 directs “the Development of Newport Center Park as a Passive Park.” Policy NR17.2 requires the city to “consider public sites designated for open space to other uses only when the conversion will meet a significant need, and there are no alternative sites that could feasibly meet that need.”

The Ficker plan is in direct and specific violation of the General Plan.

Mr. Lusk suggests the council has not considered the Ficker plan, but in fact it has been the topic of extensive study sessions, multiple public hearings and is currently being evaluated by city consultants. He suggests that the city has already decided the matter while a study of the OCTA location, only one block from the Ficker site, is still being analyzed. The OCTA site provides both a central city hall and a real park.

Perhaps most shocking is Mr. Lusk’s assertion that 52% of the city is already open space. To reach this calculation, Mr. Lusk counts the ocean, three miles off shore, which makes up half of the city “area.” When only land area is considered, open space is 2%.

He said the land is “owned by the city so it is available at no cost.” The same General Plan he endorses requires in Policy R2.2 that park land taken for other purposes must be replaced. His suggestion to put a park on the existing city hall site would deny the taxpayers the $15 million to $25 million this old site would realize if sold for redevelopment.

So much for no cost.

His letter is clear about one thing: There is no park in the city hall in the park initiative.

DEBBIE STEVENS

Money allocated to park makes no sense

The letter from Martin Brower (“If you don’t landscape, they won’t come,” June 30) expresses my concerns regarding the lack of usability of Back Bay View Park at Pacific Coast Highway and Jamboree (native planting dead most of the year).

I live very close by and am unable to use this park because of the steep access from Back Bay Drive. Now, what is very disconcerting to me as a taxpayer is the City Council’s action at their last meeting where they approved adding $300,000 to the city budget for remedial work in this park. We should be informed on how the $300,000 will be spent.

How much better it would be to use this amount of money to benefit the residents of Newport Beach in other ways? With hundreds of thousands of dollars already spent, this park is truly living up to the slogan, “Parks are Priceless.”

MARY BARRETT BLAKE

Jewelry store robbery has a familiar ring

I relived a frustrating experience when I read that Charles Barr Jewelers was robbed again.

Several years ago, I left several rings with Barr for cleaning. Several days later I received a call from them that they had been robbed and my rings were also stolen.

You know those few words that are written on the white envelope when you leave your jewelry for repair? Be very careful. When all that remains from a robbery are white envelopes with a couple words, it now became my responsibility to prove what I owned and value.

All the rings were gifts from a past relationship, and he was no longer living. How do I prove value?

JO CAROL HUNTER

A word of caution to retirees on benefits

A friendly warning to retirees: Before going into teaching as a second career, become aware of what you may lose in your Social Security benefits.

Upon retirement in 1988, with a pension from the State Teachers’ Retirement System, I learned that I was subject to Social Security financial penalties: the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

To date, my Social Security monthly check is $109 for my 40 quarters and nothing as a widow. I taught 32 years, earned 40 quarters for Social Security and had been married 49-plus years.

Hopefully, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2007, which includes S 206 and HR 82, repeals these penalties faced by California’s future, current and retired teachers.

LEONA P. WENRICK

Fireworks debris will harm the ecology

I live on the Eastside of Costa Mesa, off Santa Isabel. Here is what I heard and saw, which was much the same as every Fourth of July: fireworks going off nearby starting the day they went on sale; very loud devices exploding — probably in felony category; devices flying high enough to be seen over the roofs of two-story buildings; devices being set off after 10 p.m.

On Wednesday night, I was out in Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve to watch surrounding professional shows. Saw quite a bit rising above trees from areas unlikely to be approved for professional shows. In fact, with the many parcels of Newport Beach and unincorporated territory around here, some appeared to be coming from areas not within Costa Mesa city limits and thus were not legal even if they were “safe and sane.”

I saw one group set off nonflying devices on a trail way too close to the dry brush.

I saw residue and some debris on streets and driveways. Anything not cleaned up in this area will eventually end up in storm drains and flow into the Ecological Preserve.

Thankfully, I did not hear any fire trucks from my location.

JIM CARR

Newspaper ad had words to live by

In the Los Angeles Times (July 4, 2002) was a full-page advertisement titled “In God We Trust,” sponsored by www.hobbylobby.com/ ministryprojects .

I read it and nearly wept. If only every American could read this ad! The ad featured quotes from our founding forefathers and great institutions, all of which understood that true freedom, justice and independence is complete dependence on God through Jesus Christ.

How sad that our society and government leaders of today fail to live by and know the history of our forefathers and the foundation in which this country was built upon.

Benjamin Franklin wrote: “I’ve lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: That God governs the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We’ve been assured in the sacred writings that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”

Where is God today in our country and in our society? God has been cast out of our classrooms, courtrooms and many so-called churches, and rather than turn to God, his name is merely uttered in vain or in curses. Rather than blindly follow the sheep to slaughter in the global unification of the great modern Babel, the American citizens should fall to their knees and turn to God.

RUSS NIEWIAROWSKI

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