MAILBAG - April 13, 2007

MTV’s filming here should be stopped

Three years ago, when MTV released its first season of “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” we saw ample reason to revoke their film permit and tell them to leave our special community.

The rampant binge drinking, unabashed portrayal of teens as sexual eye candy and overtly superficial materialism of each episode were distinctly at odds with the longstanding values and ideals of our unique village.

The recent alleged beating, spitting on and racial slurring of two on-duty L.A. city workers by a drunken and underage MTV Laguna Beach cast member is far more than a reminder to us that this show is a negative force for our town. It is a clarion call to action.

Laguna Beach’s good name is now plastered across headlines around the world, from CNN all the way down to the smallest blog, and the immense damage it is doing to our city and to our reputation is disturbing and unacceptable.

It is sickening to see Laguna Beach prominently noted in forums and blogs as a supposed haven of arrogant wealth, racism and superficiality. Never have we ever been so egregiously misrepresented.

We have been known to those who visited or heard about us as an “arts village, “a hidden gem by the sea” or as an iconoclastic community that pursues values over profit, quality of life over the blind growth of our neighboring cities.

Never have we been known, as I saw in one post, as “a city of spoiled rich kids and ignorant, racist white people.”

The City Council has been deafening in its silence on this issue for more than three years. It is now more urgent than ever for them to take a stand and revoke the MTV film permit, as is permitted by municipal code that allows such revocation in the interest of the city’s well-being.

Laguna Beach’s good name is joined at the hip in hundreds of news headlines describing a vicious, racist attack perpetrated by someone characterized by MTV as a true representation of Laguna’s residents and character.

Only by aggressively and vocally denouncing MTV and this terrible act may Laguna and its City Council reinforce to the world the true nature of its long-cherished integrity.

The City Council must take a stand for what they already know in their hearts and from the innumerable voices of their constituency: We must revoke the film permits and kick MTV out for good!

DEREK OSTENSEN

Laguna Beach

Aliso project would enhance city

I have attended both the October 2005 and the April 2007 Aliso Creek Inn meetings hosted by The Athens Group and was impressed with the October presentation but thrilled with the current plan. Aliso Creek is going to be a beautiful, serene destination for Aliso Creek guests; a hiking paradise for Laguna Beach citizens; and a wonderful place for our golfers.

And, the $1.2 million per year for city coffers with $750,000 going to the schools is nothing to sneeze at.

Thank you to the Athens Group for paying attention to the Laguna Beach community.

MARTHA LYDICK

Laguna Beach

When Easter looks like Christmas

Some have bemoaned that commercialism has depreciated the sacredness of Christmas; they called it a “war on Christmas.” Lo and behold, this spring in local newspapers, no less than eight restaurants competed in offering Easter brunches.

It looks like there’s also a keen competition for worshipers too. Five ads by houses of worship, one in a somewhat extravagant full-page color ad, have run along with flyers and handbills posted and left around town.

All the while my mind’s ear kept hearing: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas?”

“It” being Easter. Has another war been declared?

NIKO THERIS

Laguna Beach

Aliso recycling could help fill water gap

Last week we saw lighted signs on the freeway which read “Orange County Water Emergency, Conserve Water.”

There was a rapidly diminishing water supply in Orange County as a result of a week long shutdown for upgrading at the Robert B. Diemer treatment plant in Yorba Linda.

This was a call to conserve water and residents were asked for example to turn off their sprinklers, however the Municipal Water District of Southern California indicated that on Wednesday of last week some parts of Orange County had a usage increase of 30%.

This is just a recent example of the overall public opinion of an unlimited supply of water to this desert that we live in.

Orange County uses about 455 million gallons of water per day on an average for this time of year. The Metropolitan Water District imports 43% of this from nothern California and the Colorado River. Only 5% is from recycled water.

Of this total, 66% goes to residential use and of this 58% is used for landscape.

The shutdown of the treatment plant is completed and the emergency has ended, however we find that during the emergency period there was little concern on the part of the public as usage increased.

The current drought condition should be an eye-opener to the need to be more cautious of the water supply that we have.

The L.A. Times on March 29 edition reported that the water content in the Sierra snow pack is at its lowest level in nearly two decades, leading to concern that California may not be able to fulfill its water obligation to cities and farms if dry conditions persist for anotheryear.

What can we do locally? In this dry weather condition, 1.5 to 6 million gallons of water flows down the Aliso Creek into the ocean daily.

It is time to think seriously about harvesting the Aliso Creek flow for further filtration and possible storage for any emergency such as fire, earthquake or other natural disaster.

TOM GIRVIN

Laguna Beach

Iraq war must continue to be fought

As a newcomer to Laguna Beach it has been hard to adjust to living in a small community with conservative values when most around you are passionately liberal. There are times when I’ve been hesitant to speak up on issues due to fear of attacks and criticisms from those who claim to be open minded.

The day the bombing began in Iraq I was enjoying dinner with some friends. The restaurant had a TV on showing a sporting event. I had to persuade the manager to turn the channel to Fox News. It took a bit of coercing before he agreed. I sat in silent disgust as I watched the destruction before my eyes. All others in our group were cheering as each bomb exploded.

Finally, I spoke up and declared my true feeling. Of course, I was shot down with a barrage of name calling; sissy, wimp, etc.

Today I am still disgusted by the war, and especially the way President Bush has handled things, but I have to agree with Dave Connell’s comments that now we are in the midst of it we must do all we can to win. The war has been a mess and a terrible mistake, but walking away in disgrace would devastate this country.

EILEEN GARCIA

Laguna Beach