To all whiners: Just don’t do it...

To all whiners:

Just don’t do it

I wish folks would quit whining about Niketown leaving Triangle

Square.

They didn’t have any merchandise to amount to a hill of beans to

start with, and what they had was drastically overpriced. It would be

really nice to get a good retailer in that location instead of them.

JOYCE WOOD

Costa Mesa

Freeway plan is worse than it sounds

Thanks for your article on the idea of building a soaring elevated

highway over our only major flood control channel (“City gives

freeway plan the red light,” Tuesday).

Engineers have long questioned the wisdom of attempting a project

like this so close to the epicenter of the Long Beach earthquake, on

the type of sedimentary soil that amplifies earthquake waves.

A major seismic event could result in leveraged disasters, where a

fallen freeway could reduce the river’s ability to handle flood

waters and take away a major part of our transportation system.

Your article implies support by the Costa Mesa City Council as

long as the collapsible freeway ends at the San Diego Freeway.

Residents of Mesa Verde should take a close look at the impacts that

might result in their neighborhood. Not only will the new freeway

require a massive new set of on-and-off and connector ramps, but the

increased traffic on the 405 cannot be handled without either

widening the 405 or double-decking it through northern Costa Mesa.

The impact on local arterials has also been projected and shows

major disruptions to traffic on east-west streets like Adams and

Hamilton. Maybe Costa Mesa can bring more shoppers to Ikea and South

Coast Plaza, but it will be at the expense of the people who live in

the neighborhoods.

GUS AYER

Fountain Valley

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Ayer is a Fountain Valley City Councilman.

Don’t leave humane society alone yet

I have been quoted numerous times in articles in various

newspapers regarding the Orange County Humane Society. I have spoken

at city council meetings in both Westminster and Costa Mesa, both of

which contract with the shelter for animal control services.

Westminster seems to lack any semblance of concern over the

situation but Costa Mesa has taken a somewhat more proactive

approach. Will it be enough? That remains to be seen.

A major concern of mine that I brought to the attention of the

city of Costa Mesa in letters and at a council meeting was the

apparent lack of any accountability for the spay/neuter fees

collected by the humane society for Costa Mesa strays.

By law, these funds can only be used for specific purposes and

belong to the city, not to society. In trying to find answers to my

questions through the City Attorney’s office, I found very little

assistance and much resistance.

The report into the investigation of the humane society is now

complete and available for public viewing.

I am pleased to find that one of the recommendations in the report

is for the city to audit the spay/neuter fees that the society

collects to ensure proper allocation of them.

It also recommends future periodic audits and suggests that it

would be prudent for the city to collect these funds instead of the

society.

Obviously, the investigators also feel there is reason to be

concerned about these fees. I hope residents of Costa Mesa will keep

pressure on their City Council to follow through with the

recommendations outlined in the report.

SHELLY HUNTER

Huntington Beach