Marinapark project looks like a winning idea...

Marinapark project looks

like a winning idea

I agree with Stephen Sutherland’s commentary that the facts

regarding Marinapark are largely unknown (“Marinapark facts are

largely unknown,” Wednesday).

I took the initiative recently to meet with Sutherland to learn

more about his project. I found it to be a first-class, well-planned

project. How can anyone suggest this would not be an upgrade to the

existing trailer park? And do we really need another public park that

will attract mostly out-of-town visitors? It seems to me we already

have miles of open beaches in this area that area serve this purpose.

Small boutique hotels can be found in many other resort cities, and I

expect this will be a huge financial success for the resort operator

and the city.

I appreciate our city officials’ looking for ways to improve our

neighborhoods and create revenue for the city. I agree with

Sutherland’s offer to let the voters decide the fate of his project.

That way, the majority of Newport Beach’s residents, not a small

vocal minority, will decide its fate.

JIM LANDIS

Newport Heights

In picking commissioners, nothing pro about that pro side

Regarding Costa Mesa commissioners being appointed directly by

City Council members (“Pro and Con: Should Costa Mesa commissioners

be appointed directly by City Council members?”). To the pro side,

Martin Millard, I say, “Balderdash.” To the con side, I say “Amen.”

LANCE THOMPSON-HAILSTONE

Costa Mesa

Genis makes smart points on new appointment method

Regarding former Mayor Sandra Genis’ letter on Sunday (“Council

should work for residents”). It is an excellent letter, which I fully

endorse.

The present council members should follow her suggestions, which

are indeed traditional.

ROBERT WILSON

Former mayor

Costa Mesa

Debts should go down before buildings come down

I would say $41 million in interest for the Costa Mesa

Redevelopment Agency is disconcerting and I think that those debts

need to be dealt with before someone else’s property is condemned. I

think some of the redevelopment projects have been less than

successful, considering the vacancy rate at Triangle Square. I think

this is a major concern for the public, so [the redevelopment agency

should] step back and watch before they act.

SHARON BOUDREAU

Costa Mesa

City government must be for the people

I don’t often agree with Sandy Genis; however, her thoughts were

well taken on the subject of direct council appointments and the

current City Council.

Government on all levels should be made up of groups of people

working together to arrive at what is best for their community,

whether on the local, regional, state or federal level. They should

work together as a team, a team that has room for individuals with

opposing views.

When John F. Kennedy filled a building full of people and

scientists committed to putting a man on the moon, there was one

office assigned to a man who said it could not be done. Kennedy

realized this man’s comments were critical to the overall success of

the process.

A government full of “yes” men or women is no government at all.

It is instead a group of like-minded, myopic people agreeing with

each other, with no room for dissent or different vision. The end

result will be a very narrow tunnel to nowhere. And that is exactly

the type of progress our current council is experiencing. If this

council can’t even agree to agree on who should be appointed to the

Planning Commission, well, all I can say is, Costa Mesa is in for

plenty of hot air and little, if any, progress.

MIKE DUNN

Costa Mesa

A modest proposal to eliminate crime in Costa Mesa

The answer to eliminating crime in Costa Mesa is in the reports.

All six reports in the police department list men as the perpetrator.

Now, if we just get the men out of Costa Mesa, we will have no crime.

Simple solution.

LYNN MERLES

Costa Mesa

El Toro airport debate becoming a running gag

I hope Donald Nyre keeps his letters rolling. They are

entertaining and quite comical.

According to him, virtually every problem facing Orange County,

the United States, probably even global warming, could be solved if

El Toro were to be converted to an airport.

In Wednesday’s Mailbag, Nyre complains that federal funds to clean

up Newport Harbor’s pollution is nothing compared to what opening El

Toro as an airport would do. Of course, the county plan had called

for John Wayne Airport to remain open.

Hopefully, Nyre has a long and healthy life, but I can already

guess his epitaph: “I would still be alive if they had only turned on

the lights and started flying out of El Toro.”

FRANK ALVAREZ

Monarch Beach