Celebrate the Fourth in Newport Beach, go...

Celebrate the Fourth in Newport Beach, go to jail

In response to Lolita Harper’s Monday column suggesting an

alternative to the City of Newport’s apparent War on Fourth of July

partying, I rejoice (“Take their money before driving them away”).

She wrote exactly what I have been thinking for the 6 1/2years I have

been living on the Newport Peninsula. Why do the city leaders think

that the best way to manage the large Fourth of July gatherings in

West Newport is to simply throw police at the problem? Why not take

advantage of the situation and close some or all of the parking lot

by Newport Pier, give one-day patio licenses to all the bars and

restaurants and even have a stage on the beach by the pier? That way,

you can shift some or most of the crowd into an area that is not only

easier to control, but has what the West Newport “War Zone” area

doesn’t: sales-tax revenue outlets. We could call it “Newport Days.”

Maybe we can even get our Newport Beach Police Department brethren to

take off their sunglasses and smile once in a while.

But I know better. My experience is that the powers that be have

not the creativity, open mindedness or will to make lemonade out of

lemons. Instead, they will try to cut down the lemon tree (just like

some other trees around here.)

The City Council and its hired guns are going to let our visitors

know that we are as friendly as sandpaper to a sunburn. We will not

tolerate drinking on a closed street, squirt guns, loud music,

loitering or, heaven forbid, boisterous laughter. (It’s in the city

code, really.)

And so the stage is set for the Battle of Newport. I think I’ll

make up some T-shirts: “Welcome to Newport. Go Directly to Jail!”

KEITH F. EBERL

Newport Beach

Costa Mesa is no fun for the young anymore

Haven’t the Segerstroms had enough? First, South Coast Plaza. Now,

the mortar at Ikea isn’t even dry, and they’re talking Kohl?

Is Costa Mesa no fun? Ha! Cracks me up! Sure, Mesa-land is oodles

of fun ... for the “Geritol generation.” We have one of the finest

shopping malls in the U.S. We have the Performing Arts Center. We

have the South Coast Repertory (the new look, by the way, is boring).

We’re getting an even sexier theater-concert hall soon. We have

Broadway, opera, symphonies, theater. Those are fun.

But, do we have rock concerts anymore? No. Do we have Cirque du

Soleil anymore? No. Seniors saw to that. Now, Segerstrom wants to

shove another store down our throats. Ugh, gag me with a spoon.

What with the state budget crunch, our schools are implementing

major cuts. As a teacher, I dread the prospect of a bare-bones sports

program. Major loss. Some districts are contemplating cutting the

extra-curricular programs completely. Yikes.

How about building a sports or recreational facility instead of

Kohl? A refurbished bowling alley, an Olympic-sized, indoor swimming

complex, a gym, an ice-skating or roller-skating arena, a gymnastics

center, a pool hall?

Please, give our kids more than just another store.

FLO MARTIN

Costa Mesa

Kona Lanes provided good, affordable fun

When we lived in Walnut Creek, we saw professional bowling

broadcast on TV at Kona Lanes. When we came down here to buy a house,

we were very surprised to see Kona Lanes as we drove down Harbor

Boulevard. My husband, my son and I were bowlers at Kona Lanes for

many, many years. We saw it go from a class A-1 bowling alley to what

it is now, but a lot of that is because of the economy.

Kona Lanes used to be a great bowling alley. Bowling sort of

became very expensive, with prize money and the cost of bowling. I

would hate very much to see Kona Lanes abolished.

As we bowled at Kona Lanes, we always heard that the Segerstroms

wanted that area to be a recreational area for the residents of Costa

Mesa, so I hope that the City Council will see to it to not abolish

Kona Lanes and the Ice Chalet.

I wish that the Segerstroms would do something for the people who

cannot afford all of this glamour stuff that they build and all

because it is out of the reach of most people’s pocket book in Costa

Mesa. The recreational center was a good family place to go and enjoy

and be together.

NADINE ANDREEN

Costa Mesa

Tough to make a decision at 3 a.m., even for City Council

I don’t know that anyone is really capable of making reasonable

decisions at 2 and 3 in the morning, and it was even mentioned that

there were credibility problems with the environmental analysis [for

the Kohl’s project], but the Costa Mesa City Council went ahead and

approved it anyway.

And there are some misconceptions. There will be 1,800 more trips per day with Kohl than if the theater and the Ice Chalet were

reoccupied and, along with the bowling alley, all operating at full

capacity. So, putting Kohl in there would generate 1,800 more car

trips per day. It seems to me we have a bad situation with the

traffic, which is getting worse. Why we are deliberately building

more traffic onto our local intersections is a question.

Also, there is not a park that is being proposed along the Mesa

Verde side. It is a landscape buffer, a greenbelt, that’s all it is.

It is not a park -- that is a misconception.

CINDY BRENNEMAN

Mesa Verde