MAILBAG:

First of all, I love dogs and have had many throughout my lifetime.

However, they do have their place, and it’s not shopping in Macy’s (especially huge poodles the size of a small horse). I thought it was just a personal thing, but last night in Macy’s I overheard a woman asking for the manager to complain about a dog.

A number of people that overheard her agreed. Last Sunday in Fashion Island I experienced the same thing. Dogs were everywhere — and many people do not clean up after them. In addition, there are people allergic. There is such a thing as being considerate, and people should not presume that everyone loves your dog. They do have their place, and it’s at home — not the mall. Can’t imagine that your dog loves to shop. OK, got it off my chest for what it’s worth!

LINDA REED

Newport Beach

Hear, hear! Buy the back nine acreage

Tom Anderson’s idea to have Newport Beach purchase the back nine acreage leased by the Newport Beach Golf Club is a brilliant one (“Annex back nine and keep your word,” Dec. 15).

In fact, it is so obvious I do not know why our city leaders did not think of it? Just think of the possibilities!

The County of Orange needs money. The city of Newport Beach wants to have a modicum of control over any additional growth of John Wayne Airport. The airport is undergoing expansion that will satisfy the pro-growth airport constituency for at least a decade. Both the city and the county require time to solve the long-term airport requirements of the county.

Bingo, the city buys the land, continues the lease with the golf club, the county takes in some money, and the city has another missile in its arsenal to prevent an extended runway and perhaps other means of controlling John Wayne Airport expansion.

I concede that questions have been raised about the source of money to buy it. That is no problem. All the city has to do is describe an area of benefit if the property is purchased to control airport growth. That area of benefit is a swath of land from the airport to the sea that is easily defined.

That defined area becomes an assessment district wherein the property owners agree to be assessed an annual fee sufficient to buy the land with an offset derived from the golf club rent. The assessment goes away when the bonds are paid off.

My ire gets up when I see possibilities passed by to address this issue. It goes down after I take a walk and hit a few golf balls; but if I were on the council, I would be all over this. Thanks, Mr. Anderson, for shaking the tree.

CLARENCE J. TURNER

Newport Beach