MAILBAG - Feb. 8, 2001

I want to air my gripe about the lack of response from Costa Mesa when

it comes to repairing potholes. I have contacted the Pothole Repair Line,

as listed in the phone book, and left more than one message with details

as to the exact location of the problem. The area I have reported is on

17th Street.

In reality, the majority of 17th Street between Newport Boulevard and

Irvine Avenue is in desperate need of repair. There are major cracks in

most of the lanes. After every rain, new chunks of pavement fall out.

Drivers swerve into adjacent lanes to avoid these sometimes large holes.

Not only is this a driving safety hazard, but hitting one of these holes

can cause major damage to a vehicle or a blowout.

The only way I have been able to get a response from the city is when

I contacted a person in the public service department who also drives

this road every day. This person knows exactly who to contact to expedite

the repairs. Thank you, and you know who you are.

I know that there is ongoing controversy as to what should be done

with 17th Street, but that is no excuse for not maintaining the roadway

in a drivable condition while the politics of redevelopment play on.

Please repair the street.

HARLAN LASSITER

Newport Beach

Newport Coast Elementary should open as planned

The Daily Pilot recently suggested that the children of the new

Newport Coast Elementary School remain in their temporary quarters at

Lincoln until next school year [“Let Newport Coast students finish out

the year at Lincoln,� Editorial, Jan. 11]. We think the Daily Pilot is

misguided.

School district officials have done their best to make a difficult

situation palatable. The construction delays at Newport Coast are old

news. We prefer to look into the future and the excitement of our

children moving into the first new school in the Newport-Mesa school

district in 25 years.

In late February, 300 children, faculty and staff will bring a

cheerful smile to their new campus. They shouldn’t have to wait until

next September, as the Daily Pilot suggests. We have imposed upon the

hospitality of our friends at Lincoln Elementary for too long.

CHRISTIN ELLIS and SHANA WOODYARD

Newport Coast

Article touched boxing memories

I loved the article [“A little something extra,� Feb. 3], and it

touched a little nostalgic memory. My now long-deceased father and I were

in the stunned audience that 1964 night at the Long Beach Auditorium,

which showed on screen live that memorable Liston-Clay fight. Well done.

BOB FRENCH

Newport Beach

A third solution is way to airport peace

The Daily Pilot asks: “What will it take to end the debate on an

airport at El Toro?� The answer is simple: A mutual understanding by both

Newport Beach and South County residents, business leadership and elected

officials that no expansion of John Wayne or construction of an El Toro

airport take place.

Workable alternatives do exist that would benefit more than just

Orange County. High-speed rail to Ontario Airport and/or March Air Base

certainly need to be explored further, but the plan many believe would

benefit the most people and cause the fewest problems would be to locate

a major regional airport at Camp Pendleton. Camp Pendleton could solve

the future air travel needs for both Orange and San Diego counties (which

is also concerned about growth in air travel), without damaging anyone’s

quality of life. The military could surely sacrifice a small slice of

Camp Pendleton for the taxpayers, who ultimately own it anyway.

El Toro has too much opposition, and even if the county succeeds in

building an airport there, what will be the cost and when will it get

done? Both financially and politically, the tolls are rising. At the rate

it’s moving, it could be decades before any planes land there. John Wayne

expansion doesn’t make sense, either.

Doesn’t it make sense to have a great park at El Toro and go a bit

farther to take a flight or pick up visitors, rather than live with

increased air pollution and jet noise? I also wouldn’t want to impose

those problems on neighboring communities.

The alternatives exist, so let’s drop the El Toro debacle and move

forward to a plan that everyone can support.

FRANK ALVAREZ

Newport Coast

Resident has no Aloha for airline

I read with interest your story about Aloha Airlines wishing to serve

Orange County from John Wayne Airport to Hawaii[“Carrier asks for routes

to Hawaii from JWA,� Jan. 13]. This might be the perfect way to kick off

flights at the proposed El Toro International Airport. Let Aloha say

aloha to El Toro. We already have too many airlines at John Wayne.

DONALD NYRE

Newport Beach