MAILBAG:

The Costa Mesa City Council will decide in November whether or not a Costa Mesa tradition continues as it has for 60 years. If the council opts to put a skateboard park in Lions Park at the corner of Park Avenue and 18th Street, it will no doubt signal the end of the Lions Fish Fry and Carnival.

While Mayor Allan Mansoor feels a move to another venue would invigorate the event, I must totally disagree. After all, where does he get his experience and foresight? I know for a fact he has never planned, sweated over nor lost sleep over staging the annual fish fry. He has no basis for his opinion.

There are a number of reasons for moving the fish fry to Fairview Park (the site recommended by Mansoor, Councilwoman Wendy Leece and businessman Gary Monahan). There is no kitchen for preparation and storage of the fish and batter as well as clean up of utensils, etc. There is no large meeting room for conducting the baby and beauty contests.

There is no stage for having the various events, musical groups, contests, opportunity drawings, announcements, etc, etc. There is no tradition at Fairview.

The fish fry is just “one weekend,” as Mansoor supporter Judy Berry lamented, but what other community tradition is there in Costa Mesa?

What other event has raised more than $2 million to benefit local groups and charities?

Yeah, it may be only one weekend, but what an impact that one weekend has made in this community.

Why not put the skateboard park in Fairview Park? It would still be on the Westside, it is near transportation, the high school is right next door, there is a fire station in the event of an emergency, there is excess space in the park, especially in front of the model engineers. The city could have its cake and be able to eat it, too. We could have a much-needed venue for kids while continuing to add to the rich tradition of the fish fry.

Of course, the mayor seems to throw tradition to the wind.

I would offer the following suggestion. Instead of dismantling the fish fry, let’s extend it and make it larger. Over the Labor Day weekend I attended another traditional event in the county, the city of Orange Street Fair.

For three days, The Circle in Orange is blocked off for groups to sell food stuffs and other items. It is attended by folks looking for a great meal, to interact with their community, while allowing various groups to raise a ton of money for their programs. There is one catch: The groups are allowed to sell beer and wine, something the fish fry has never done. Boy, do the groups make a bunch of money off that.

I believe the fish fry can expand into an event like the street fair. We could close off a portion of Park Avenue and a portion of 18th Street. Groups would be invited in to sell their goods. They might even find that an event such as this could supplant or possibly replace having to sell fireworks! I know personally of youth groups in the city of Orange who raise their entire yearly budget by manning a booth at the Orange Street Fair.

Let’s see if Costa Mesa can continue and expand a 60-year tradition. I would challenge the City Council majority to prove me wrong by voting to continue this tradition. We need another skateboard park, without question. We also need the fish fry to continue.

MIKE SCHEAFER

Costa Mesa