Mailbag: Helium-filled balloons are littering environment

We need to do something about these helium-filled balloons. I find them littering the beaches and back-country wherever I go. They are a menace to wildlife. Marine life and birds can ingest the balloons and become entangled and strangled by the strings, which are not biodegradable.

Mayor Jane Egly has placed this on the City Council’s agenda for April. I hope there will be considerable support for a ban on the sale and use of helium-filled balloons in Laguna. If people wish to have balloons, they can be filled with air. This way they will not fly away and pollute the environment.

I found a Valentine’s Day balloon on the beach at San Onofre, along with many others, a purple one in the surf at Thalia Street, pink ones in the cactus on the roadside in Silverado Canyon, and more pink ones at the Patriots Day Parade.

I spoke with the manager at Casey’s asking her to tell the decision-maker not to hand out these balloons in the future.

Charles Alban

Laguna Beach

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Every beach town should be a bike town

I’m excited about the idea of Laguna Beach becoming a bike-friendly town, “Map highlights safe bike routes,” Feb. 17.

I’d like to see a system in place here similar to what we have in my hometown in Europe (another ridiculously picturesque beachside tourist town, very similar to Laguna).

There, they have set up several bike kiosks at opposite ends of the town where both locals and visitors can rent a bicycle for an all-day or half-day ride, and then return the bike to any of the kiosks at the other end of town. It could be a great feature that draws visitors to still spend time and money in town, but it won’t exacerbate automobile congestion and pollution.

Until then, we’re always welcome to use our own wheels to do errands while getting some exercise. It’s now been made that much easier by the recent installation of “sharrows,” those bicycle icons sprayed on the streets demarcating lanes for safe biking throughout downtown Laguna.

This coming Sunday, I might just hop on my own bike and leisurely follow the route through town depicted on the new Laguna Beach Bike Tour map. One sees so much more of our lovely Laguna from the vantage point of two wheels rather than four.

T. B. Aguiar

Laguna Beach

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Thanks for the fruit, veggie donations

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that our Laguna Food Pantry would be the perfect place to bring your extra fruits and vegetables. Today, I’m writing to say thanks to the many of you who dropped off bags of oranges, lemons, grapefruits and avocados. We can hardly wait for your next harvest!

I know that clearing your property can be a time-consuming and not terribly pleasant process, so please know our gratitude is sincere. And, of course, our clients feel the same way. Best of all, we’re glad to be getting to know you and glad you’re getting to know us.

Andy Siegenfeld

Laguna Beach

The writer is the chairman of the Laguna Relief & Resource Center.

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FBI should find another spot for training

Re “Greenbelt president warns of FBI wildlife corridor takeover,” via coastlinepilot.com March 9:

I had to read your entire article today to confirm that Irvine actually wanted to preserve some raw land instead of handing it over to another developer to build houses. (There must be more to this story than meets the eye, but for now I’ll accept that it could be true.)

Given the facts as presented, the FBI should be encouraged to find another location for their training camp, perhaps Camp Pendleton. Or maybe somewhere along the border between California and Mexico! Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Linda Daniels

Newport Beach

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Keep dining reviews more local

The Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau lists more than 40 restaurants in Laguna Beach, yet very few have been reviewed by the Coastline Pilot.

One of Laguna’s most popular sushi bars is 242 Cafe Fusion, which hosts nightly wait lines for quality specialties at affordable prices.

Maro’s Wood Grill, from Argentina, is celebrated for its Michelin-regarded menu — well-prepared and served with concern and consideration.

Rather than the Coastline Pilot hyping out-of-town dining, it is urged to recognize and commend local restaurants that deserve focus, and imprint the historic acclaim that this city is internationally known for its arts, including cuisine.

Bruce Hopping

Laguna Beach

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Water polo team thanks Pavilions, Vons

The Laguna Beach High School girls’ water polo team wants to thank Pavilions and Vons for the continued support of our team and the community through the ongoing eScrip program.

A special thanks to Charles Gnesda, manager of our local Pavilions in north Laguna, for his support of our team through the eScrip program.

The funds earned through the program and the eScrip 10% Back to School program are a large portion of our fundraising efforts.

Thank you very much for supporting our team. We greatly appreciate the funds donated by Pavilions and Vons, and we hope to continue our partnership in the future.

Brian Knott

Laguna Beach