Support for Village plan is bad precedent...

Support for Village plan is bad precedent

Another full-page ad has shown up in the local papers from those

who live in the El Moro area of Crystal Cove State Park. This time

the ad attempts to reduce the importance of El Moro by stating that

it takes up less than 1% of the total park. Physically the El Moro

trailer park may take up a small portion of the park, but that

portion of the park will be a focal point for future visitors. There

will be four major attractions once the park is completed: the beach,

the open spaces, Crystal Cove Historic District and El Moro. By using

the phrase “less than 1%” the ad tries to downplay the importance of

this magnificent site.

The citizens of Laguna Beach are fortunate to have the city

represented on the Coastal Commission by Mayor Toni Iseman. This

commission has accepted the challenge to help assure public access to

all coastal regions in California. It is a strange position for the

mayor to be in when some people in our community are suggesting that

public state park land continue to be used for private use for the

next 30 years and that open space in a state park should be used to

develop permanent housing.

If Laguna Beach was allowed to take over state park property,

purchased with state bond funds, then what would prevent the

following: Newport Beach could take part of Crystal Cove, Irvine

might want part of the Laguna Greenbelt, Aliso Viejo might want to

build in Wood Canyon and future Laguna City Councils might opt to

build low-income housing in the James Dilly Preserve.

The idea of sacrificing park land to meet housing needs is a

threat to every park in the state. It would be ironic if Laguna Beach

residents, famous for its greenbelt and concern for open space, would

support the El Morro Village alternative plan.

DALE GHERE

MARILYN GHERE

Laguna Beach

When will Denny Freidenrich and the moochers of public land at El

Moro stop with their falsehoods and half-truths?

The reality is their private use of public land has finally come

to an end and they must move in order to allow the owners (i.e. the

taxpaying public citizens of California) to have unfettered access to

the entire State Park.

The truth is they cannot (and most likely would not if their past

history of breaking pledges hold true) build affordable housing of

any type in a State Park. There is also no need for private funding

of any type since California voters have fully funded all work

through a bond measure more than 20 years ago. It is time for the

privileged few to quit leeching off the taxpayer and stop with their

lies. Enough is enough. El Moro is a State Park that should be

enjoyed by everyone.

Lastly, their pathetic attempts at scare tactics regarding campers

is slanderous and an insult to all those who travel in recreational

vehicles’s or just like to camp out. Shame on you Freidenrich and all

of you at El Morro Village who refuse to face the fact that your time

and your last extension is up. Honor your word and move out as you

promised years ago.

SKIP HOUSTON

Laguna Beach

The real truth about El Morro

Betty Anderson has misstated the truth and misled the public by

saying “she and others would cherish their rightful access to the

beach.” What she fails to tell everyone is that the public has

greater access to the beach today than it will under the State Parks

Plan.

First of all the beach is public and can and is used by everyone

who wants to use it. Nine months out of the year public parking is

allowed on the beach side adjacent to the trailers. Public parking

was also offered on the inland side, but the State Parks Department

forced the El Morro residents to cease offering parking to the public

because it “was not permitted in the current lease” and the lease

would be “canceled” if their efforts continued. State Parks

Department was the one who removed the sign and stopped the

resident’s efforts to offer public parking.

Under the state’s plan -- there will be no (none, zip, zero)

parking on the beach side anytime during the year. Instead, they will

leave the current restrooms in place, put up a breakwater of sorts

and have no parking or road on the beach side. Ask Anderson how this

will improve the public access. If she wants to camp, have her go to

Huntington Beach, Bolsa Chica or San Onofre because 99% of the time

they are void of campers and have many vacancies. (Check the

records.) Why would a Laguna Beach resident want to camp in a

recreational vehicle park on the inland side of PCH? Seems a bit

silly since most of Laguna residents have homes on the inland side

anyway.

Your governor has put us into the worst deficit in the history of

the state or any other state for that matter and Anderson wants to

spend millions of dollars we don’t have and give up the income of

$1.2- to $1.3-million per year from the rental of the trailer spaces

that goes directly to the State Treasury. She wants a campground that

she will never use and lay-off much needed teachers instead. Where

have our priorities gone?

It can and will turn out to be a case of deception just like the

cottages of Crystal Cove. We were told by the state and others that

the cottages will be refurbished and made available to the public for

rent.

First of all, they threw out the residents more than two years ago

and nothing has been done as yet except allow Park Department

employees (six to eight) to live there free of charge. (Did Anderson

tell you this?) The state budget would not be as bleak as it is now

if the state had received income for all 46 units for the past

two-plus years.

Secondly, now they are telling us that about 50% (20) will be

turned over to state employees to live in. Were they upfront and

honest with us in the beginning by revealing this to the public? I’ll

bet Joan Irvine Smith was not aware of this when she signed on to the

deal. Of course not -- more half-truths and deceit.

The proposal being put forth now is to make housing available for

some of the more valuable assets of the city of Laguna Beach -- it’s

employees. The teachers, firemen, police and other city employees.

Why is it OK to open up Crystal Cove Park to sate employees and not

open up El Morro to our city employees?

DIANA SNIDER

Newport Coast

Even in paradise, safety is a concern

On June 16 someone tried to break into our home. They pulled out

screens trying to break into our windows. They were not able to get

in because all my windows were locked. I luckily have a large dog,

which deterred them from going in the backyard.

Our neighbors were not so lucky. They were broken into and

completely burglarized of their belongings. The connection to our

homes is we both had a garage sale on Saturday. It seems so

surprising that holding a harmless family garage sale could put you

in this position. I guess the thieves are scoping out garage sales

and casing your home. What a sad state of affairs.

So I urge all of my Laguna neighbors to be on the lookout. Be

extra cautious if you hold a garage sale. When leaving your home lock

your front doors, back doors and windows. Secure your home.

We forget that we live in paradise, but surrounding us are people

who will take advantage of that. I learned from the police that

burglaries are on the rise and they mainly enter through unlocked

doors and windows.

I thank goodness they were not able to enter our home and I also

thank my lucky stars my Belgian Malinois was probably a huge fear

factor for them. She definitely got a special dinner treat for her

protection.

Keep a look out neighbors! Let’s take care of our town together.

PEGGY WOLFF

Laguna Beach

Corporate yard is safest where it is

The corporate yard is the storage facility for all sorts of

volatile liquids and highly combustible compounds such as diesel

fuel, gasoline, turpentine, paints and paint thinners, grease and

often-flammable gasses including oxygen, nitrous oxide and Freon ...

and the list goes on.

Two thousand such chemicals come and go among the plethora of

corporate yard hazardous materials and wastes. They are not only fire

hazards but also known carcinogens. These areas are consistently

highly contaminated by these substances, which is why they require

all the additional permitting and why the city has averted the county

in listing the surrounding greenbelt areas as an environmentally

sensitive area.

Whereas the greenbelt is a “fire succession” area, meaning it

would burn under normal conditions about every seven years. Another

Laguna fire would enhance the surrounding greenery however, the

residents of the canyon and the city may not appreciate having to

rebuild again. Or the additional thousands, god forbid, if people are

trapped at the Pageant or Sawdust Festival.

With the underlying water table at an all-time low, all it would

take is a lighted cigarette flicked out someone’s car window as they

are waiting in traffic in the canyon.

The corporate yard belongs next to the central fire station where

it originally was and can be safely contained. Not in a location that

is potentially inaccessible and potentially risking the lives of

thousands.

Thank you for asking as this has been a concern of mine for some

time.

DEBBIE HERTZ

Laguna Beach

ACT V should be annexed first

Let’s have more common sense and fewer machinations! The City

Council should annex the ACT V lot before, not after, final actions

to move the city’s corporation yard there.

This would enable the citizens of Laguna Beach to be heard locally

rather than keeping it in the county sphere of influence and making

us all trek to Santa Ana to speak our piece to supervisors who are

more removed from our local concerns than the Laguna Beach council

members.

This important decision of moving the corporation yard has been

delayed so long already, doesn’t it make sense to take a little bit

longer to factor in the results of the $100,000 traffic and

circulation study that is underway?

BARB GALLAGHER

Laguna Beach

Friendship Shelter is worthy cause

All Lagunans should be proud that we have an organization like the

Friendship Shelter in our town.

Join me in supporting the Friendship Shelter. Following the

biblical admonition that to teach a person to fish is better than to

give them a fish, the Friendship Shelter has been instrumental in

turning lives around.

Those less fortunate and serious about making a change, can obtain

food, housing and most importantly support and guidance to make a

fresh start.

The Friendship Shelter staff and volunteers do the important and

difficult work. It’s not too much to ask others of us to help them

financially.

They would appreciate any donation however modest.

My wife Johanna and I are proud to be members of the Friendship

Shelter Renaissance Club who pledge to donate $1,000 per year for

five years. When Collin Henderson proudly announced the number of

couples that had done so, he was thankful and appreciative. I was

embarrassed. How can in our prosperous community so few make this

commitment? So I am writing this letter to bring this program to the

attention of your readers in the hope we can get more help for these

wonderful people.

Learn more about their important work by calling Janet Larkly at

494-6928.

GENE FELDER

Laguna Beach

Swarm of bees not just a coincidence

When a huge bee swarm clung to the avocado limb hanging over my

front gate my neighbor and I wondered about it. I decided just to

“let them be.”

They didn’t stay there long and next thing I heard they had moved

over to the eaves of a house under construction in what had been the

last eucalyptus grove in the neighborhood until a neighbor cut down

most of the trees to make room for several houses.

Well, his workers didn’t know what to do, so they let a fire think

that they would smoke them out, which didn’t work. Then they hosed

the swarm and got stung for their trouble. So he had an exterminator

kill them.

We haven’t had a bee problem before probably because they are used

to having the eucalyptus for their home where they also can obtain

honey from the flowering of the trees.

This is a sad story, but what most angered me about this man was

that he took out some precious Pride of Madera shrubs which thrive

here in the Canyon and flower with an ultramarine violet, and which

the bees also love and had been lovingly cared for by an adjoining

neighbor. That I won’t forgive him for!

ANDY WING

Laguna Beach

Art museum also boon to community

A recent letter to your publication praised the Festival of Arts

Youth Education courses. I, too, commend them, particularly on behalf

of my grandchildren who have attended many summer programs.

Also, a part of the rich heritage of arts in Laguna Beach is the

85-year-old Laguna Art Museum. Throughout the year, Laguna Art

Museum’s docents are available for public tours at 2 p.m. daily and

by reservation for groups, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Docents are present

during the First Thursday Art Walk when the museum is open and free

to the public from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Every First Thursday, at 6 p.m.,

there is an art activity for youngsters, conducted by Ann Hampton and

members of the National Charity League.

Students of all ages, from schools everywhere, come to the Laguna

Art Museum for docent-conducted tours. Exhibition-related art

activities are designed by docents and employed by them with visiting

youngsters. Owing to the generosity of the Laguna Beach Soroptimists,

the Docent Council provides bus money for Laguna Beach third- and

fourth-graders. LOCA artist September McGee has inspired

third-graders to create drawings en plein air since the inception of

the program for local schoolchildren. The annual Imagination

Celebration is held at the museum with funds from Soroptimists. At

this event, the docents and LOCA artists provide instructions for art

projects.

Teachers, parents, program chairpersons of adult organizations and

informal groups interested in a docent-led tour can make arrangements

by calling the museum or going to the museum any day at 2 p.m.

DEANA PINK

Laguna Beach

The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If your letter

does not appear, it may be because of space restrictions, and the

letter will likely appear next week. If you would like to submit a

letter, write to us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax us

at 494-8979; or send e-mail to [email protected]. Please

give your name and include your hometown and phone number, for

verification purposes only.