MAILBAG - Dec. 10, 2006

Keep opinions out of the Pilot’s Sports coverage

What is the role of the sports page in a local newspaper? To report scores and the results of athletic events? To publicize and highlight the accomplishments of local amateur athletes? To make moral judgments resulting from a limited knowledge of the facts and to editorialize in the guise of factual reporting?

Apparently, the Daily Pilot aspires to be more like the National Enquirer rather than a local newspaper. This is exemplified in the recent article featuring prep tennis player Cierra Gaytan-Leach. I got the distinct impression that because Rick Leach chose to not dignify the theme of the article with his comments and declined an interview, that the writer took personal offense and chose to twist the facts to fit his personal fictional vision of the truth.

Assuming that the piece is 100% accurate, complete and unbiased, the information contained therein has no place in the sports page of the local paper. Regardless of Cierra’s personal situation, opinion not substantiated with facts should remain private and not be fodder for a local sports page.

Cierra is a fine tennis player with a great future, and she is an outstanding human being. A basic rule of journalism is that editorial comments must be labeled as opinion, and not buried in a story to pass as facts. I was wondering why she is home schooled. If you are going to get personal, why draw the line with Cierra’s relationship with her father, let’s find out why she chooses home schooling. On second thought, I don’t really need to know. That is just too personal for me.

PHIL HAMILTON

Newport Beach

Young and old should be welcome at OCC

Whatever one feels about Orange Coast College and the Pledge of Allegiance, it is good to know that thought and opinion are alive, well and active in our community.

In following the story, I was very bothered by a comment thrown out among comments, and now I too have to speak up. The quote was from Christine Zoldos, who resigned as vice president of the student government: “Granted, it has become OK for older students to continue expanding their horizons, but at what cost to those for whom this school is really here?”

Excuse me!

I believe the campus is a community college not a youth college. The age of the student has absolutely nothing to do with his or her intent, passion or need for being there. I could even give reasons why the older student might be a more stable, earnest and dedicated student than many kids just out of high school.

The older students are looking to their future, just as the young student is, and often they have more responsibility at that point in their lives and may be sacrificing more for that education.

I say this to the older student: You have every right to be at OCC, to be actively involved however you choose. Young and old alike can vote, petition and support whomever they want, for what’s fair is fair. We are a lucky community to have such a great school that not only helps the young step into adulthood but also allows anyone to change his or her life’s path, to learn in order to better support a family, and yes, also for anyone to expand his or her horizons — young or old.

MELODY DAIGLE

Costa Mesa

Advice for Costa Mesa mayor: Keep it up

What advice would I give Mayor Allan Mansoor for steering Costa Mesa in his second term as mayor?

I would say this: Go for it and don’t change a thing! You won by a large majority, which simply proves that more people are for you than against you. It has been proven that despite the outside forces that attempted to demean your well-directed intentions, you prevailed! Hooray!

LOUISA T. ARNOLD

Costa Mesa