MAILBAG: Bicycle lanes won’t work in Laguna Beach

As an avid bicyclist for 45 years, I have never found it necessary to ride the streets of Laguna Beach.

I have lived here since 1972, and in the all the years I have been riding, I find no trouble finding convenient and safe bike trails throughout Orange County.

They include Aliso Creek Bike Trail, the Santa Ana River Bike Trail and many more.

Caltrans is not going to reconfigure Coast Highway nor will it do so on Broadway.

Irvine was built with bicycles in mind. Laguna Beach was not, and it cannot be done.

Silly idea.

DON LOWRY

Laguna Beach

Meter readers represent city

In response to your column on giving vehicle owners a “grace period” when parking in Laguna Beach (“Parking meter grace period mulled,” Coastline Pilot, April 3), I felt compelled to share a story. A few years back, on a beautiful sunny day, I went to have lunch at Hotel Laguna. I parked in a designated spot and put enough money to give me an hour, and at the same time I set my “stop-watch” before I walked the short distance to the hotel.

With time on the parking meter coming to an end, I took a break from my meal at Hotel Laguna and headed over to put more quarters in the meter. As I walked toward my vehicle, I noticed one of the parking enforcement officers standing behind my car, with her ticket machine in hand. By now we were down to only a few seconds left on the parking meter and I advised her it was my car, and that I intended to put more money in the meter.

With approximately 30 feet to go, the time on the meter expired ... it went “click”... and like a choreographed dance, the parking enforcement officer pressed the button on her ticket machine. Without any sense of empathy or consideration she handed me the ticket. I questioned her as to what her rationale was to “stalk” my vehicle, and even after learning I was the owner, approaching to put more money in the meter, why she would be so disrespectful and abusive?

Having worked in law enforcement myself, I can honestly say enforcement like this is outrageous and should not be tolerated. Enforcing municipal parking regulations should be similar to enforcing California Vehicle Codes, where an officer can balance the “Spirit of the Law” vs. “the Letter of the Law.” Think of the limit line at an intersection with a stop sign. Could an officer ticket a person for being an inch over the limit line, before coming to a stop? Yes, however why (if the driver came to a complete stop)! Just an example of how to balance the spirit of the law and the letter of the law.

Ironically, a few years later, my oldest son was hired by the city of Laguna to “enforce” parking laws during the summer season. My only advice to my son was based on my prior experience with parking enforcement in Laguna Beach. It is not a complicated job, but it is a job where the person enforcing the parking regulations truly represents the best of the city.

TROND FLAGSTAD

Aliso Viejo

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Toy guns can be a danger for children

The pellet gun episode in Laguna Beach involving a 10-year-old [“Pellet gunfire leads to alleged kidnapping,” Coastline Pilot, April 10] is a tragic scenario, and illustrates the need for greater parental involvement and oversight of children’s activities.

When a toy gun can be used to threaten or endanger the safety of people and other living things, either by intent or by accident, it ceases to be a toy. It becomes a weapon, and the serious legal consequences of its misuse raise accordingly.

The adult man whose wife was endangered may have overreacted, but who is to say how they would have acted in a similar situation?

DON KNAPP

Laguna Beach

‘Tea parties’ protest runaway spending

I was happy to see one of our freedoms, the right to assemble peacefully, played out in a big way last Wednesday with the Tea Party Protests. I read that hundreds of thousands of citizens across America gathered in towns and villages to demonstrate against taxes and the out-of-control spending of our governments in D.C. and Sacramento.

The billions we used to be worried about have now become trillions, under the explanation that all this is necessary to save our economy. The reasoning goes, “If we fix the business sector, a burgeoning economy will bring in ample funds to pay for all we are spending.”

I don’t believe radical government spending will fix the economy, and our leadership in Washington and Sacramento has not shown themselves to be very efficient of late.

I believe in the individual entrepreneurship of the American people and our free enterprise system to better solve our problems and we are seeing signs of this already. I believe that lowering spending would be a better alternative.

ED PETERSEN

Laguna Beach

Local Tea Party should be covered

My wife and I along with several hundred people, many from Laguna Beach, participated in the “Tea Party” at Main Beach on Tax Day, April 15.

Your most recent issue has a dateline of April 17-23 and so we’re surprised there was no coverage.

Your parent newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, thought the tea parties newsworthy enough to put a story on their front page on April 16.

Your lack of coverage is inconsistent with all the many other local events you choose to report on.

The experience of participating at the Tea Party was very insightful. In spite of how the general press attempted to paint the event nationally, it truly was nonpartisan.

Democrats and Republicans, we all need to be concerned about our federal and state governments overspending that will result in higher taxes for the current and future generations.

In the two hours we were on PCH, the overwhelming majority of drivers (including local residents) honked their horns in affirmation, with only a handful of thumbs-down or finger gestures.

We all can make our voices heard again on May 19 or by absentee ballot and vote “No” on Propositions 1A-1E in order to send a message to our state government to “balance California’s checkbook” and stop spending money we don’t have.

Curt Bartsch

Laguna Beach

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Concert showed Laguna’s spirit

Only in Laguna! What a joy to sit in a packed house Sunday afternoon for the delightful concert of the Laguna Community Concert Band.

From the beginning with the presentation of the colors and a performance of “The Star Spangled Banner,” which brought tears to my eyes, to the final vibrant presentation of “Stars and Stripes Forever” complete with piccolos, it was a great gift to all of us.

The three competent directors of the band were joined by a fourth “” our mayor, Kelly Boyd, and a fifth, “John Philip Sousa” in full dress.

“Sketches of Laguna” composed by James Christensen is to be cherished “” and was made more poignant by a photographic presentation by Scott Sporleder.

Fortunately, a DVD was made of the performance, and I am eagerly awaiting my copy.

Thank you to the band, the directors, solo vocalists and instrumentalist, the tireless supporters “” we are in your debt.

Your performance was a tribute to the spirit of our community, our Laguna.

JEAN RAUN

Laguna Beach