Takeoff of tourist dollars needs El Toro...
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Takeoff of tourist dollars needs El Toro
The article, “Spending money to draw tourist dollars” on March 29
was right on. A tourist Mecca such as Orange County should be able to
easily woo visitors from other coastal areas. The large, tourist
hungry hotels in Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach are not cheap.
The $65 million being spent by Newport Beach Marriott and the $10
million for the renovation of the Hyatt Newporter are significant
expenditures in the name of tourism. However, one item, vital to
improving the local tourism business was omitted: How do you get the
tourist to the area in the first place? If some of the tourist
facility improvement money was spent to make it easy for tourists to
get here, it would more than pay for itself.
That expenditure would place a high priority on building an El
Toro airport. Most of the work has been done. The airport redesign
for the conversion of El Toro from a military facility to a
commercial entity had been completed. The results of this $50-million
design effort can be viewed at any Orange County library. Imagine the
competitive edge this air facility would give the Orange County
tourist over Los Angeles or San Diego because tourists would not have
to drive 50 miles on overloaded freeways to get here.
The effects of El Toro are minimal because no one is in the noise
zone, as compared to John Wayne, San Diego or LAX. I say it is time
for the business community in range County to use its influence to
overcome the unwarranted prejudice against El Toro. Not having El
Toro open is costing businesses and the traveling public enormously
and is a tragic waste of a fine $50-billion facility -- already paid
for by the taxpayers.
WILLIAM KEARNS
Costa Mesa
Feeding pigeons
a filthy habit
I’m in total support of Hunter Stroman, the manager of Marina
Watersports, who is concerned with the possible health effects of the
amount of pigeon droppings around the peninsula shops (“Feeding
Frenzy,” March 30).
I think this very nice 74-year-old man needs to go find something
else to do with himself besides create an absolute filthy habit of
leading these birds to make such a terrible mess in a public place,
where people take their children. I think its disgraceful and I would
like to see it cleaned up. So, I think Stroman is on the right track.
ANN DELANEY
Newport Beach
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