Sounding Off:

We have subscribed to the Daily Pilot for almost 40 years, and I don’t recall ever having seen so many negative articles appearing on a daily basis. After weeks of a series of articles dredging up crimes, we have a front-page web comment Dec. 27 that trashed Jesus. The front-page web comment Dec. 29 unnecessarily trashed the Irvine Co. The Dec. 29 front page continued the “Story of the Yearâ€� series with a headline noting “Newport’s civic center costs questioned,â€� and a photo of two people who have opposed the project. The article was actually a well-written 2009 update of the status of the civic center (city hall) project.

The photo should have been of the Citizen’s Design Committee, composed of four local architects and a landscape architect, who have contributed immeasurable hours to improve the design of the project, and along with the City Council Building Committee have provided a real service to our community.

What also might have been mentioned is the architectural firm for the project has just received significant national recognition. Peter Bohlin, lead principal of the firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, has been selected by the American Institute of Architects to receive their prestigious Gold Medal Award for 2010, given annually to a world-class architect.

Yes, there are concerns about costs, but our City Council is wisely pursuing what will be an outstanding project, at a time when building costs are historically low. Hopefully, as we enter the new year, the Pilot will be able to spend more time researching and reporting on positive happenings, to the extent possible, and leave offensive web comments off the front page.

Newport Beach resident RON HENDRICKSON is an architect. He supported Measure B, the successful ballot measure that requires city hall to be built next to the Central Library.