MAILBAG - Nov. 16, 1999

Perhaps the next time we have an outbreak of head lice at one of

our elementary schools we should just advise all parents to remove their

children from the school and close it down (“Second thoughts,” Sept. 27)

This would be consistent with Tony Dodero’s opinion of what to do if a

few students reportedly suffer from an eating disorder -- to quote

Dodero, “One parent was paying attention (to an article on teenage eating

disorders in the Aug. 28 Daily Pilot) ... she took her children out of

Corona del Mar High School.”

It would appear that Dodero concludes that this will solve the parent’s

concern over eating disorders. Have you studied the disease? Do you know

the relationship of cause and effect? You don’t get it at school and it’s

not contagious. Taking a child out of a school will not preclude her from

contracting an eating disorder -- eating disorders are complex

sociological, psychological and medical issues. Family discord has long

been considered an important risk factor. Highly trained counselors,

psychologists ad psychiatrists typically treat eating disorders. Perhaps

Parent X would be better off examining her relationship with her

children.

Dodero notices the absence of a public display of concern by school and

district officials. He never thought to talk to someone at Corona del Mar

High School to find out why we do not discuss this issue publicly or why

we do not reveal the number of students we are helping with their

personal and/or emotional problems. The Rights of Privacy Act and the

Education Code of the state of California prohibit school personnel from

discussing confidential matters with the press or public.

Is the school district concerned with the health and welfare of our

children? Of course we are. Schools do more for families and children

than any other institutions in our society. We care about our students

and their welfare, but we cannot violate the confidentiality of our

students. The answer lies in educating our society about the causes of

this disease, not in removing students from their schools in the hope

that they won’t be tainted by exposure to societal problems. Schools do

not create society’s ills, they combat them.

It takes a whole village to raise a child -- it also takes a whole

society to create the pressures which lead to emotional diseases. On

second thought, maybe you need to conduct some research before you write.

DR. DONALD K. MARTIN Principal, Corona del Mar High School

El Toro matters when election rolls around

Anyone who is not strongly in favor of turning El Toro into a commercial

airport is someone who I would do everything I can to take off of the

council or make sure they are not reelected (“Residents fume over lack of

action,” Nov. 4). Anyone in favor of having El Toro converted and

therefore prevent the expansion of John Wayne Airport will be someone for

whom I will do everything I can, including contributing money and time,

to get them elected. I think it is rather appalling that the council

members of Costa Mesa have let the West Side of Costa Mesa deteriorate

because of absentee landlords and nonenforcement of housing laws. Now we

have the threat of an expanded Orange County airport totally destroying

the East Side of Costa Mesa, which is where many of the people from the

West Side have migrated. It will be shocking then that both sides of the

city, for different reasons, will have their lifestyles completely

destroyed. You can revitalize the West Side by tearing down all of the

structures and stores and so on, but the airport, once the expansion

starts, there is no way to revitalize the area because of the noise and

pollution. The number of flights will totally ruin the environment and

everyone’s living conditions in the area.

ROBERT ZIMMER

Orange County