Mailbag - Dec. 14, 2000

It was very reassuring to watch the new women on the Huntington Beach

City Council, Debbie Cook and Connie Boardman, quickly assert themselves

during their first council meeting Dec. 4.

They are intelligent, knowledgeable and possess the leadership

qualities we need to alter the course the old council had been following.

We can trust that the important issues facing our city won’t be

ignored with these two watchdog representatives working on our behalf.

I am confident Cook and Boardman will shepherd Huntington Beach to be

a textbook example of a modern city in the 21st century.

NORM WESTWELL

Huntington Beach

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Norm Westwell was an unsuccessful candidate for the

Huntington Beach City Council in the Nov. 7 election.

Garofalo recall effort should be put to a vote

We taxpayers need to band together and recall Huntington Beach Mayor

Dave Garofalo. It should be very easy to garner the needed signatures of

registered voters.

Let’s hope the state Fair Political Practices Commission does a

thorough enough investigation to once and for all reveal the

conflict-of-interest allegations.

JAMES H. BRIDGES

Huntington Beach

History repeating itself for Crest View residents

Last week’s edition had three articles that identify what many from

the Crest View neighborhood have been saying and experiencing for years.

The citizens of Huntington Beach were duped, via Wal-Mart’s megabucks,

into defeating Measure I in March and are now facing the consequences.

The quote by Huntington Beach Community Services Commissioner Jay

Kreitz regarding the shortage of soccer fields for AYSO (“Compromise

sought in soccer dispute,” Dec. 7) says it all: “The bottom line is

there’s not enough open space.”

With regard to the editorial calling out for school district

unification (“Has the time come to unify districts?”), the people

fighting to save Crest View repeated this need countless times to deaf

ears at City Council and Ocean View School District board meetings.

Why tear down schools for the promise of big box lease income when

equal money can be saved from reductions in administration costs through

district unification?

Lastly, the residents who will be affected by the proposed school

gymnasiums think they are being excluded from the Ocean View Community

Advisory Committee (“Residents still not satisfied with committee

members”).

It won’t be the first time this has happened. History is being

repeated here, as Supt. James Tarwater also has promised “community

involvement” for Crest View.

These issues are nothing new in Huntington Beach; they have just

changed their location.

MARVIN JOSEPHSON

Huntington Beach