Mailbag: ‘Nuisance’ issue should be a private matter

I am writing to express my disappointment in the Coastline Pilot article regarding nuisance charges against Linda Morgenlander (“‘Nuisance’ charges filed against city panelist,” Aug. 14).

I found the article completely inappropriate and slanderous of a citizen that has given so freely to make this a better community for everyone. As a practicing architect, former member of the Design Review Board and current member of the Heritage Committee, Morgenlander has given selflessly to the city. The nature of the complaint and consequences thereof are a private matter and do not affect her ability to serve the city.

The decision to print this story and its placement on the front page was completely inappropriate. I wish to express my support for Morgenlander and her right to privacy in this matter.

MICHAEL D. WILKES

Laguna Beach

Editor’s note: Michael D. Wilkes is an alternate member of the Laguna Beach Design Review Board.]

Let students vote on school mascot

At the June 23 Laguna Beach School Board meeting, the Kalos Kagathos Foundation petition, secured by Laguna Beach High School student Quinn Harmon for his community service mission, was presented to the board, listing more than 200 student signatures requesting board consideration to restore the high school logo Artists, the historic legacy of the high school.

The board urged the foundation to present the petitions to the school principal, Don Austin, enclosing the June 24 foundation letter asking Austin to assure all students engaged in this democratic process in civic affairs and proposing the principal’s scheduling, during the 2009 September student registration, a student assembly and ballot considering restoration of the logo, the Artists.

Twenty-five hundred years ago Athenians were confirmed to be the world leaders in working democracy. They mandated a people’s city-state assembly of the citizens whose decisions were enforced with prior debate to consider all aspects, then had an all-citizen ballot to assure each measure to be recognized and approved.

Let this Kalos Kagathos petition, student assembly and ballot be a working confirmation of the fifth century Athenian doctrine, of the United States Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

BRUCE HOPPING

Laguna Beach

Marine Reserve will restore fisheries

I would like to comment on the need for a Marine Reserve that includes all of Laguna Beach including south Laguna.

I believe that I speak with some knowledge of fishing. I come from a family and have many friends that are commercial fishermen in the state of Washington and Alaska.

I, and my wife and two sons, routinely fish the ocean waters of Alaska, Mexico, Central America, Florida and the Caribbean. In addition, we have fished the waters from Laguna to San Clemente for the past 30 years, 10 of which we had our own 26-foot fishing boat moored in Dana Point. I feel that we have knowledge of both commercial and sport ocean fishing.

We have witnessed the ocean sport fishing in our area become a small fraction of what is it has been in the past. This fishery has declined to the point where I would say that there are almost no fish left in our local ocean.

Let me give you a few examples: In the past it was common to see 30 to 50 private small boats on a weekend fishing the area between Dana Point and San Clemente.

It was also common to see clusters of charter boats fishing over a single large school of fish with many sport fishermen grouped around them.

It was common for charter boat customers to come in from half day boats with gunny sacks filled with fish, as private boaters we also had wonderful fishing and one day we caught a marlin one mile off Dana Point.

Our local waters were teeming with pelagic and bottom fish. I often saw large schools of feeding fish and diving birds as I drove Coast Highway daily to my job at UCI.

Today, seldom do you see even one small private sport fishing boat and few charter boats fishing our ocean. In fact, we sold our boat several years ago because of the collapse of the fish populations.

We do, however, occasionally go out on half-day boats from Dana Point. I am sorry to say that often there is not one legal fish caught by any angler on the boat. So we still go out now and then but mostly for the fun of being out on the ocean and not with the idea that we will actually catch some legal fish. Many in the sport fishing community share our experience and conclusions about the problems in our local oceans.

Because of the disastrous state of our local ocean our family supports the creation of the Marine Reserve including all of Laguna and South Laguna to help restore the fish populations in our local waters.

It does not make sense to protect main Laguna waters and not South Laguna. Without protection, the few fish remaining in the South Laguna waters will be completely depleted because what people still fish will be concentrated into this small area.

We feel it makes much more sense to protect the whole coast of Laguna and allow this whole area to recover and serve as a nursery and source of fish to help restore the other depleted areas. Laguna coastal waters represent a good nursery for restoration of kelp and fish populations.

G. MORRIE GRANGER

Laguna Beach