MAILBAG - July 6, 2000

I was appalled to receive a police advisory from the Newport Beach

City Council headed “July 4th Holiday -- Planning a Party? Please

Reconsider!”

It reads in part: “If the Police Department responds to deal with

unlawful conduct at your residence, you may be arrested or cited. You

also may be billed for police services up to $1,000.”

The vast majority of Newport Beach residents are law-abiding and this

type of heavy-handed communication from the City Council is clearly not

appropriate. We live in a resort town, not a police state.

GRANVILLE KIRKUP

Newport Beach

People deserve to know college policies

The pay raise which was recently awarded to the chancellor of Coast

Community College District -- as well as the “controversy” raised --

(“Raises tainted by controversy,” June 27) brings to mind the effort made

over the years to generate one pay scale for use by all of California’s

107 community colleges and 72 community college districts.

The idea of one pay scale had been reviewed and tossed out, primarily

because it threatens the status quo. That decision supports the local

governing system, justifying not only the 107 community college chief

executive officers, but also the 72 district executives, which in turn

justify the 437 trustees who make up the rest of the governing body

outside Sacramento.

I commend the Daily Pilot for throwing some light on a most complex

and confusing educational system, where governance gets paid for what it

is difficult to determine. It is the colleges that do all the vital work

in meeting the needs of the students and even, on occasion, special needs

of the community the schools serve.

I hope Pilot representatives will attend board meetings or read the

minutes. The public deserves a periodic report on some of the policies

being set and recommendations made.

A good example of the consequence of an item that might have been

reported last February would be Orange Coast College Academic Senate’s

proposal to divest KOCE-TV, the public television station, or find a

partner to support its operation.

LEFTERIS LAVRAKAS

Costa Mesa

Just say no to 17th Street widening

Costa Mesa is pondering the thought of widening beloved 17th Street to

six lanes on East Side Costa Mesa. Why? To allow more traffic? Higher

speeds? To force property owners to bend to the taking of property under

eminent domain laws?

Here are a few good reasons why the Daily Pilot should step up and

sway the City Council or the electorate into just saying no. Where the

Pilot leads we all tend to follow. Past elections tend to support this

point.

Say no to the widening of 17th for these reasons:

1. The street has charm as it is.

2. Children still have a semisafe, large street to traverse from the

multitude of places, including schools, parks, churches and other

pockets, where kids roam. Widening 17th Street only creates a major

danger zone for thousands of kids that live on both sides of 17th Street

in East Side Costa Mesa, plus Newport Heights. And let’s not forget the

magnet of Blockbuster to rent their favorite movie or the kids riding

bikes and skateboards.

3. Is the widening of 17th a mere tactic to allow a greater cut

through to the proposed Dunes Resort? To Fashion Island? To Coast

Highway?

4. Is the widening of 17th tied to the infamous desire of some to have

a bridge to Huntington Beach on 19th Street. Take a quick right and then

boom down the bigger and wider 17th en route to good old Fashion Island

or the Dunes Resort?

5. Now that we have Staples, does that mean that Costa Mesa is

considering another new and bigger Harbor Boulevard-type commercial

center smack dab in a residential zone split by 17th and surrounded by

venues for kids?

6. Gee, what about all the businesses that will give up frontage to

this new 17th Street “freeway”? Will they be compensated? Will taxpayers’

money go to these businesses?

7. Coast Highway is Coast Highway. Superior Street is Superior Street.

19th Street is 19th Street. Now our city wants to make 17th a clone to

these monsters, with all the surrounding zones where kids play and

recreate?

8. Challenge your city leaders to provide the accident rates on 17th

Street versus Harbor Boulevard. I bet big bad Harbor wins 3- or 4-to-1.

I say spend your road money from the state or the feds elsewhere and

leave East Side Costa Mesa alone.

Put your money in the West Side. Put your money on West 19th Street.

Put your money toward beautifying Costa Mesa rather than destroying what

is left of a charming little community business district.

BRIAN K. THERIOT

Costa Mesa

Other center sites should be considered

Don Gregory’s commentary (“Proposed site for center is good one,” June

27) was most informative and instructive. He is obviously quite

passionate about having a performing arts and education center in Newport

Beach.

What puzzles me, however, is that the Orange County Performing Arts

Center is expanding. Meanwhile, renovation of the site on the Balboa

Peninsula will provide another venue, albeit much smaller, and there are

sites in contiguous areas of Irvine and Laguna Beach.

There are other proposals floating around, including keeping open

forever the acreage in that pristine location. As there is so little

“view, open space” left in Newport Beach, it behooves everyone to

patiently consider the total community’s opinions on this matter.

LAURA BEKEART DIETZ

Corona del Mar