Sounding Off:

Imagine a world in which local government bodies were ruled under Mike Aguilar’s logic (“You made the choice, now live with it,” Oct. 8).

Negative impacts from airports, freeways, railway corridors, chemical plants and even violent gangs would rule and worsen, and the only way out would be to move to some isolated remote forest.

Aguilar states that he chose to live near John Wayne Airport and that it would be foolish to speak up when the noise and negative impacts worsen. The opposite is true. To not speak up is foolish.

Fortunately, this is not how the real world operates. As the population grows, so do the negative impacts associated with growth.

It is the duty of responsible citizens to speak up and to get involved to lessen negative impacts to better their community and to make a positive difference for future generations.

Look at the case of hydroelectric dams. The Columbia river has several, which power much of the northwest. Yet these beneficial dams were also destroying the salmon population. The negative impacts were studied and solutions were implemented so that both sides benefited.

Aguilar does not know the current facts associated with the JWA, nor does he know the historical facts of aviation in Orange County.

The fact is, the residential community of Santa Ana Heights was established in the 1920s, long before JWA existed.

The tract of homes I live in was built between 1962 and 1964.

The airport was used primarily for general aviation, and in 1967 it opened for commercial service.

The original NIMBY was none other than Newport Beach resident John Wayne himself who fought against the Eddie Martin airstrip being converted to accommodate commercial jets.

My community has lived with the airport and will continue to live with it. It is our desire to ensure that the airport remains a tolerable, responsible neighbor.

John Wayne and countless Newport Beach residents fought to protect their homes and communities from the negative impacts from commercial jets.

Because these activists spoke up and got involved we have a settlement agreement in effect today.

Imagine if the community had Aguilar’s attitude of “living with it” however the airport owner decided to dish it out.

There would be no cap and no curfew and many residents would be forced to move out of the communities that many, including myself, grew up in long before JWA became the looming threat it is today.

In comparison, it was Marine Corps Air Station El Toro that was built in a place and a time when Irvine and the surrounding environs was nothing but cattle grazing fields, orange groves, farming and open fields.

Even today, 50,000 contiguous acres of permanent open space exist to the north and southwest of the former MCAS El Toro base, despite the build up of residential communities that sprouted up knowing military jets were their neighbor.

Such a vast expanse of open space does not exist at JWA, but a vast expanse of homes and schools do. It is our responsibility to speak up and to be active in pursuing and implementing every viable option to safeguard and lessen the negative impacts to our communities to ensure that Newport Beach does not become the next Playa del Rey.

RUSS NIEWIAROWSKI lives in Newport Beach.