MAILBAG - April 5, 2007

Playhouse can do better with finances

Having volunteered for the Huntington Beach Playhouse and also having volunteered and worked for the Huntington Beach Public Library, I feel compelled to present an alternative viewpoint to the popularly expressed one in the Feb. 28 Mailbag (“Playhouse deserves city’s support”).

I will not comment on the quality of the artistic service the playhouse contributes to the community, as I believe that is in the eye of the beholder.

What I will say is:

The library runs very efficiently with its limited resources and charges a reasonable rate to all room renters.

If there were an equally suitable facility at an even more reasonable price, the Playhouse would have moved there already.

2) The Playhouse could run a more efficient operation given its “financial squeeze.” I’ve put together and distributed programs, ushered people to their seats, and participated in cleanup efforts. Naturally, at the end of any show, many programs are left on the floor. Since I was aware of the financial situation, I saved all the clean leftover programs I could find to be reused for the later showing. To my dismay, the person I handed them over to dropped them in the trash. Paper is not a big-item expense, but if you’re expecting a series of sold-out shows, you can still save a few hundred dollars by reusing programs and asking patrons to return them. The programs, more often than not, end up in the trash anyway.

The Playhouse may deserve a break, but it should clean up its act at home first. It’s always easier to point fingers at someone else than to look objectively at yourself and try to change what is already in your control.

JENGYEE LIANG

Huntington Beach

We should think of safety first

My grandson lives with us here in Huntington Beach. He and his neighborhood friends play on part of the Railroad Right-of-Way that abuts our property. I’m concerned that by replacing the grass with rails, we’ll attract even more attention and curiosity to what would become a very dangerous area. I like the idea of more rail and less cars, but it needs to be safe and not running through the middle of highly populated neighborhoods.

Just think of the number of street crossings in this light rail line would have to make and how many opportunities there would be to outrun the train. Imagine a train vs. auto accident in a highly populated neighborhood. A very extensive infrastructure would have to be put in place to provide some level of safety for our community. The safety plan would be put to challenge in litigation after an accident.

A monorail system could eliminate some of these concerns, but still represents a dangerous electrical environment through the middle of high-density neighborhoods. A monorail system would be better implemented down the center line of Beach Boulevard where there are more businesses and fewer issues.

DON McLAREN

Huntington Beach

Let’s kick the meat habit already

The past three months have brought us a stream of bad news about rising rates of obesity, cancer, and global warming — all linked conclusively to the production and consumption of meat and other animal products.

But there was good news with the advent of spring — sunshine, flowers and the “Great American Meatout.” (www.meatout.org).

Fashioned after “The Great American Smokeout,” Meatout provides a superb excuse to turn over a new leaf, kick the meat habit, and get a fresh start with a healthful, nonviolent diet of vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes.

It’s a diet touted by all major health advocacy organizations and leading health authorities.

It’s a diet that means never having to say “I’m sorry” to our family’s health record, our planet, or the animals suffering in factory farms and slaughterhouses.

The diet was reportedly practiced in the Garden of Eden. The diet issupported by free information from www.meatout.org or 800-MEATOUT.

HENRY REDFIELD

Huntington Beach