Mailbag: Living one’s best life as an older person

I got a kick out of Lori Basheda’s article, “Not a bit lonely: She’s a century old and living on her own,” (TimesOC, Dec. 6) relating to 100-year-old Jo Hamann from Yorba Linda. I’m a bit shy of 79, but feel like a toddler compared to Jo.

We have some things in common, such as a typical breakfast consisting of cold cereal with a banana and apparently a love for dark chocolate, which I crave and eat a bit too much at times. I usually have either one cup of coffee in the morning or none at all compared to Jo’s four to six cups each morning. She looks to be way more of a reader than I am by virtue of her word puzzles and reading fiction. “Jeopardy!” is one of her favorite TV programs, but I wonder if she will continue with that once they find someone to replace the late Alex Trebek.

Jo lives alone at her senior citizen mobile home park while I occupy a small condo alone not far from the beach. She says she enjoys living alone doing what she wants anytime she wants and is not lonely thereby espousing senior independent living. As far as similar meds, we both take blood pressure medications, but I reign in that department with a plethora of other pills with my name on them.

One of the items that Jo says is responsible for her longevity is her attitude of getting along and accepting what life brings sans expecting more thereby excluding any disappointments that may arise with false hopes. She says one must learn to adjust to life. And it appears that she doesn’t live in the future but just enjoys living which is not unlike the adage of, “live for now.”

At age 100, I guess all we have is only now so I say to you, “Jo, go for it for as long as you can.”

Bill Spitalnick
Newport Beach

Downsides to Poseidon project

While I admire Gov. Gavin Newsom, I am not always in lockstep agreement with his policies and actions. He is, after all, a politician with many special interest considerations that conflict with those who support him.

A perfect example is the proposed Poseidon desalination plant project, which has aroused the anger and opposition of environmentalists, coastal residents and good government advocates in my hometown and the other communities affected by this project.

There are many downsides to this boondoggle project which should give the governor pause in considering its approval. It is not needed as we have a multitude of better and more cost-effective options. It is environmentally destructive and ruinously expensive. It is simply a bad deal.

However, the primary point of opposition for me is that I believe Poseidon cannot be trusted. It is the main reason that Newsom should just say no.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach

Questioning Dixon’s vote for Muldoon

I’ve long suspected that Diane Dixon’s “Women in Newport Networking” initiative was simply a marketing thing. Her vote Tuesday night to pass over Joy Brenner and install Kevin Muldoon as mayor pro tem of Newport Beach proved it to me once and for all.

There wasn’t a single good reason for Dixon to vote for Muldoon. He already had his turn serving as mayor and mayor pro tem right after he was elected to the City Council and just a few years after moving to Newport.

Joy Brenner has been serving the city in various capacities for decades. Since being elected to the council, she’s never even been allowed to chair a major committee, much less serve as mayor pro tem.

Muldoon has a young family, a full-time job and will be campaigning seven days a week for a seat on the board of supervisors. If he wins the special election in March, his departure from the council will cause further disruption in what will already be a challenging year for the city. If he loses, he’ll spend the rest of the year campaigning for 2022.

Brenner is retired and made clear Tuesday that she would work full time for Newport Beach as mayor pro tem. Her colleagues, including Dixon, agreed that she would do an excellent job. Then they all fell in line behind Muldoon.

Cities around us are making history. In Irvine, Farrah Khan was elected mayor and the council unanimously selected a new colleague, Tammy Kim, as mayor pro tem. Tustin, Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa have women mayors. Garden Grove, Aliso Viejo, Buena Park and Laguna Beach all have a woman as mayor pro tem.

Meanwhile, we’re stuck with the same politicians forming the same self-serving alliances to further their careers. No wonder so few people run for council in Newport Beach. They know that if they’re not part of the insider network, they won’t have a voice and they don’t stand a chance of moving up.

Jennifer McDonald
Newport Beach

Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz’s can honor his pledge to “make Huntington Beach safer” by ditching his bulletproof vest and instead wearing a protective face mask.

His misguided “plandemic” theories and bare face not only endanger his fellow council members but his whole Huntington beach community. He says, “I didn’t realize what I was getting into” when he decided to run for City Council, so now’s the time for him to step up and acknowledge Huntington Beach and Orange County’s COVID stats: Orange County ICU capacity is at 9% (as reported Dec. 9). Please Tito, safety and leadership first, celebrity second.

Lorraine Crawford
Huntington Beach

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