TERRANCE PHILLIPS -- The harbor column

It’s here: the year 2001. It doesn’t seem that long ago (the 1960s, I

think) when the movie “2001” hit the big screen.

I remember it beginning with a society of apes hitting each other with

skeletal bones and then a big, black, shiny monolith appears in the

middle of the desert. I can only assume the monolith represented the

future and the primates represented the past. Very deep, far too deep for

my limited gray matter.

In any event, from that scene the film progressed to a space station

with a computer gaining so much intellect it became smarter than the

astronauts.

It’s hard to believe that this scenario is almost becoming a reality

here in Newport Beach.

In some instances, our citizens have acted like the primates, hitting

each other with old bones while trying to reinforce their own, personal

argument.

The primates in the film were not united and had no sense of

community, which sounded all too familiar. It made me wonder where our

sense of community has gone.

The word “community” is defined as a unified body of individuals or

people with common interests living in a common area.

If we assume the meaning to be accurate, then one must also assume

Newport Beach is no community. We’ve been blessed with an incredible

gift: Newport Harbor.

A community would care and covet such an asset because it represents

our past, present and future. But our community stands divided about its

direction and future.

Do we look to our past and make every effort to remain there, or do we

look to our future and opt for change? The rhetorical question has no

correct answer.

There are those who think that new construction sites, such as at the

Balboa Bay Club and the possibility of Italian villa-style hotel spas

replacing landmarks, are symbolic of the monolith and a desire to develop

every possible square inch of land.

Others would like to see it stay the way it was when primates were

here. I can’t imagine that either perspective will work.

As more housing developments emerge and our local population doubles,

we are facing the reality that we will have twice the traffic, twice the

trash and twice the schools. But we can’t “twice” the harbor.

The size of the harbor is not increasing. But the need for more boat

slips, more water access and more water surface will increase.

The construction and proposed construction encompassing our harbor

reminds me of the days when castles were surrounded with water in order

to protect the castle. It now appears our harbor is becoming surrounded

by castles in order to protect the water. Quite a switch when you think

about it.

It wasn’t too long ago that you could drive around our harbor and

actually see it. Now, if you want to view the water you have to buy a

castle, sit at a waterfront window in a restaurant or join a private club

(and you thought Perrier and Evian were expensive).

Rest assured, Newport Harbor is the most expensive water in the world.

The cost: charm, character and community.

* TERRANCE PHILLIPS is the Daily Pilot’s boating writer. He may be

reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .f7