Blue Water has done nothing underhanded While...

Blue Water has done nothing underhanded

While we were disappointed that the Blue Water Music Festival did

not generate a profit and therefore did not make any money for

Surfrider or any other environmental group, this was not entirely

unexpected, given the lack of experience of the concert organizers,

the fact that they only started planning about 60 days before the

event, and the fact that it was a first-time event. We feel that in

all other aspects the event was a success, and that it did allow

Surfrider a chance to spread our environmental message.

The subsequent concerts that Blue Water has put on at Club M and

the Woman’s Club were not advertised as fundraisers but simply as

musical and “environmental awareness” events where we set up tables.

The concert at Moss Point on September 11 was advertised as a

fundraiser, and we did receive money from that event.

This isn’t a case of anything underhanded going on. The Blue Water

folks have put in countless unpaid hours trying to make these events

work. They had no prior experience at doing this and no business

plan, but their hearts are definitely in the right place, and we

applaud them for their efforts.

RICK WILSON

Laguna Beach

[Note: Wilson is chairman of the Laguna Beach chapter of the

Surfrider Foundation]

Blue Water promotes a good cause

The Blue Water Music Festival was a great community event. It was

well-attended, numerous other nonprofit organizations with similar

objectives were brought together, and the good message of a cleaner

marine environment was broadcast in a positive, constructive,

feel-good venue. Laguna has a couple of well-known local bands. It’s

important that these musical artists were paid out of revenues

collected by the event. Hey, they might come back and do it again

next year. The music and the festival atmosphere is the draw to

promote the message of local marine environmentalism. How many small

concerts put on for a good cause regularly make money?

I know Rick Conkey very well and trusted him for years as my

daughter’s excellent tennis coach. He is an important part of

Laguna’s community character. I personally support Rick’s creative

musical approach to marine environmentalism and wish him all success.

The most recent event last week at Moss Point was another success,

and I invite everyone in town who likes good rock ‘n’ roll to turn

out for the next Blue Water concert. In the meantime, please support

the ever-growing list of groups who are working to improve the

near-shore marine environment and enhance the quality of life in

Laguna.

Hey, Rick, thanks for the small donation to the Ocean Laguna

Foundation generated by last week’s concert.

WALKER REED

Laguna Beach

[Note: Reed is vice chairman of Ocean Laguna Foundation]

Recyclables getting thrown in trash

This morning, six in our neighborhood set out trash and recycling

bins. I watched our trash truck pick up three of the recycling bins,

including ours, while leaving three others.

There was no reason why half of the recycling bins in the

neighborhood were dumped with the trash.

This is the second time I have witnessed our recycling bin being

picked up with the trash.

We are very careful about separating our recycling materials. I

have no idea why ours should be dumped in with the trash.

Calls to Waste Management have been unproductive.

They don’t even acknowledge it as a problem. They dubiously claim

that sometimes recycled materials can be hand-separated out of the

trash later. But why do this for only half the neighborhood? It makes

no sense.

MICHAEL SARRIS

Laguna Beach

New tax would be a burden

Every time there is a problem, it seems that the only solution

that anyone can think of is to raise taxes.

I am 71 years old, retired, disabled and live on a fixed pension.

The company I used to work for is about to declare bankruptcy, and I

shall lose half of my income. Now you want to raise my taxes again?

No new taxes.

PHILLIP B. LAYMAN

Laguna Beach

City manager has failed to manage

Fires , floods, slides?

Ken Frank wisely said at Friday’s special Council meeting,

“They’ll come again.”

But just as unwisely, he showed his stupidity in not preparing our

city for a disaster after all these years in office.

Why not?

When someone in the audience said “another disaster could send

this city into bankruptcy,” it got my attention.

All the deferments and borrowing from Peter to pay Paul may or may

not get us through this one.

Council’s vote to let the voters decide whether or not to tax

themselves is the right thing to do.

It may just about get us out of this mess we’re in.

If we’re very lucky.

And if the voters vote yes.

The council should have been voting for new leadership.

Frank is failing miserably in his job of running our city.

RIK LAWRENCE

Laguna Beach

Opposes anti-illegal immigrant campaign

I currently live in Riverside, so I am not in the voting district

for the current elections, but I would like to say that I’m totally

opposed to the Minutemen and do not support the actions against the

immigrants and people of Laguna Beach.

I believe in respect for others and feel that all people need to

be able to make a living and support their families.

I truly believe that if U.S. companies can cross the border into

Mexico for lower wages and no unions, then workers from Mexico should

be able to cross the border for better wages and a better life.

What makes corporations crossing the border right and workers

crossing the border wrong?

PAUL ODEKIRK

Moreno Valley

Brewer’s airport stance was a mistake

While Laguna Beach and South Orange County were fighting the

proposed El Toro airport, Marilyn Brewer was standing

shoulder-to-shoulder with her Newport Beach constituents trying to

cram an international airport down our throats.

Now she wants our vote to represent us in the U.S. Congress. I

don’t think so.

TODD THORNTON

Laguna Beach

[Note: Mr. Thornton is an airline pilot.]