Mailbag - Aug. 1, 2000

Regarding the noise problem on Ocean Front in Newport Beach: Asking

nicely hasn’t worked, complaining vociferously hasn’t worked and 100

visits by police officers haven’t worked.

I don’t live in the city, but sometimes it takes an outsider’s view to

see the solution. It’s been right under your noses all along.

Instead of treating the Dennis Rodman residence like any other home,

treat it like you’ve treated the airport. Simply place time constraints,

capacity limits and noise restrictions on it.

A hotline could be set up so that neighbors could simply call in and

press 1 for excessive noise, 2 for partying later than is authorized,

etc.

Then if all else fails, try to move him to South County.

BRAD McCOWN

Mission Viejo

No vote of confidence for the candidates

The slate of new candidates for the Newport Beach City Council is so

boring that it makes you want to scream. When asked a simple question

regarding an important new city policy -- Greenlight or Traffic Phasing

Ordinance -- their reply: “I dunno.”

Come on, people. Do we have to spell it out for them?

Should the people decide the fate of proposed 10-story buildings or

other developments that will change the character of Newport Beach? Or

should some hired bureaucrats make the decision, pressured by developers?

The City Council elected in this voting cycle will decide the fate of

the quality of our water -- both drinking and swimming -- traffic effects

on our quality of life and whether we are finally going to raise our

expectations as an emerging regional player in California politics.

We better choose wisely this time, as we prepare ourselves for coming

events -- both good and bad. Being forthcoming is a requirement.

The usual suspects have been rounded up, and the old Ronald Reagan

quote keeps coming back to mind: “There you go again!”

Let’s get all the ducks out on the table this time -- without all the

typical obfuscation, misrepresentations and boring stealthy agendas.

RON AND ANNA WINSHIP

Newport Beach

City government needs to keep operating

I was disappointed to read that Councilman Tod Ridgeway is not

prepared to weigh in on our significant projects until the

Greenlight/Traffic Phasing initiatives debate is resolved in the Nov. 7

election.

Should city government stop when someone decides to gather petitions

for an initiative -- particularly when it appears that no one (including

the Greenlight proponents) can figure out what Greenlight means and which

projects will be subject to the vote of the electorate?

Greenlight is already an ill-advised, unjustified attack on the

representative form of government. It would be a tragedy if this

abysmally drafted measure stopped normal city processes.

I respectfully request that Ridgeway reconsider his position.

PAUL K. WATKINS

Newport Beach

Reader glad that holiday is over

I live on Seashore Drive in Newport Beach, and my family has lived

here since the 1950s. I want to report from the side of the residents and

people who are raising children and have families here. It was a

deplorable, awful experience on the Fourth of July.

There was incredible partying -- people urinating on our homes and

throwing firecrackers at people. It was dangerous; it was a place that I

wasn’t comfortable being in.

All the neighbors on Seashore Drive are trying to build a nice

community in this area, and it was a very scary experience. We had to

call police all day long to protect our homes. We don’t want people to

think that this type of partying and illicit behavior is appropriate for

any community.

MARGIE DORNEY

Newport Beach