MAILBAG - Nov. 27, 1999

Several long-term school board members, most recently Jim Ferryman, have

been quoted in the Pilot as not being “surprised” that extensive repairs

are needed in many schools, leading me to guess that these unsurprised

board members have known of the repair needs for a long time.

I’ve been waiting for weeks for the Pilot to ask one ofthese members why

they voted raises for Mac Bernd while completing the construction of a

spiffy new district administration building without seriously mentioning

until now that buildings housing students aren’t new and are seriously in

need of repair.

Hoping for too much, but it would be nice -- since the Pilot did go to

Texas to chronicle Mac’s familiar first-day-on-the-job ride in the

obligatory yellow school bus with the local press in tow -- to know Mac’s

thoughts (and the thoughts of those unsurprised board members) on why he

came to town, rode our yellow bus his first day on the job (oh, the

heart-touching pathos), took munificent “merit” raises while he and

several members of the board knew all along that the district’s schools

were falling down.

I of course do not believe that anyone at the Pilot knew our schools were

thrashed while a brand new district headquarters was built or I would

have read all about it. In fact, upon further reflection, I guess I don’t

believe the Pilot knew we had a new district headquarters or you would

have said what I did in the earlier paragraphs of this letter as soon as

you began your series of the past few weeks on the now-escalating cost to

repair our schools (“Community has an obligation to fix schools,” Nov.

18).

MARK DAVIDSON

Costa Mesa

It was encouraging to read about the possible beautification of Corona

del Mar’s business district (“A blooming proposal for Corona del Mar,”

Nov. 17). This part of our community has great potential but it needs a

lot of help. The fact that it is small and in such a great location are

reasons this should be attainable. I think the intersection concept

presented in the article could be very nice but honestly, I think there

are more noticeable and less costly improvements that ought to come

first.

So many of the buildings along East Coast Highway are aesthetically

challenged. Can the Chamber of Commerce put some pressure on owners to at

least do a paint job now and then? There are so many building facades

that literally could use one can of paint and an hour or two of labor and

have a fresh-looking building again. Some face lifts would be better but

it would be a start -- and very inexpensive. How about some guidelines on

signage (and building design)? Most of the signs are so bad. The old tin

can box signs ought to be on the list of “not allowed.”

What is the point in going to a lot of effort to make a beautiful entry

mat at one end of the business district if there isn’t much to offer the

eye once you enter?

We have always had the potential to have a beautiful business district

like State Street in Santa Barbara or even along Pacific Coast Highway in

Corona del Mar. There’s no better place for it to happen than Corona del

Mar. I hope the discussion continues, it’s a worthwhile investment.

BRIAN SANDBERG

Newport Beach

How did Wendy Leece get to be a school board member anyway? She is

obviously not interested in supporting all the district’s students due to

her ultraconservative mind-set (“District is open to gay support club for

students,” Nov. 20). By saying such a club would promote teen sex is a

pathetically far reach, probably to cover up her true feelings about

homosexuality. Leece says that sexual orientation, like religion, is a

private matter and should be kept out of our schools. Wasn’t Leece the

one who wanted to post the Ten Commandments in all the district

classrooms? It seems to me that Wendy Leece is contradicting herself. Did

she ever consider the fact that gay and lesbian teens probably need

support, above all else, in their high school years? Why keep the matter

in the home when no one else in the home could relate? Where else but in

schools can kids find support among others like themselves? The club

would most likely act as a vehicle for support and friendship to those

who are cast out of society by people like Leece rather than promoting

teen sex. Imagine if your son or daughter, Wendy Leece, was struggling

with homosexuality. Wouldn’t you want them to have a place to find

comfort and support, since you would obviously not offer any?

BRET TABOADA

Costa Mesa