Valuable lessons learned through classroom art Regarding...

Valuable lessons learned through classroom art

Regarding the story, “Life, Degas style,” on Tuesday: Bravo to

Poli Rizco, of the Art Masters program, and the Andersen Elementary

School Parent Teacher Assn.

Edgar Degas was an excellent choice for presentation. He not only

was an exceptional artist, his choices of subjects shed light on

another important art form -- dance.

Art in all its forms is alive and well in Newport Beach and Orange

County. By starting early in the elementary schools, as this program

does, young people get a foundation on which to build a lifelong

appreciation of the arts.

Another way to build that foundation is for families to enjoy the

many offerings of art and performance opportunities in Newport Beach

and throughout the southland. Watch for an upcoming guide to the arts

in Newport Beach.

DENNIS BAKER

Corona del Mar

* DENNIS BAKER is a Newport Beach Arts Commissioner

Great measures were taken to create a good project

We just wanted to write to let you know how pleased the parents,

supporters and participants in the various aquatics programs that use

the Newport Harbor High School pool are with the efforts of the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District personnel and the school board.

Their combined efforts to repair and reconstruct the pool and the

attendant facilities at Newport Harbor High School has been an

example of an efficient, well-run project. Over a period of several

years, the pool has been cited for a number of health code

violations, and recent improvements now provide a safe and healthy

environment for all those involved.

School board member Dana Black, Measure A project manager Tom

Holtom, District Superintendent Robert Barbot, Newport Harbor

Principal Michael Vossen and the district staff worked very closely

with a combined group of aquatics boosters to coordinate the

reconstruction effort.

On behalf of all those who will benefit from the refurbished

aquatics facility, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks for Barbot,

Holtom, District Asst. Superintendent Paul Reed, Administrative

Director of Facilities Tim Marsh, Vossen and the rest of the district

staff. Good job.

MARY PAT ROBINSON

ROBERT WEINER

DAVID BALL

* MARY PAT ROBINSON is the president of the Newport Aquatics

Boosters, ROBERT WEINER is the president of Newport Harbor Water

Sports, Inc. and DAVID BALL is the president of Arnel Construction

Co., which is a contractor for Measure A improvements.

Sweeping up the mess that the horses make

The solution to the Back Bay horse poo-poo problem is quite

simple. Let the horse people band together and pay to have a mini

street sweeper clear the paths once a day. That should do it.

ROBERT WOLFF

Newport Beach

El Toro airport proponent boosts adversary’s argument

Shirley Conger’s rebuttal to William Detoy’s letter titled, “Fight

for El Toro is a fight for county’s best interests,” underscores

exactly the point that Detoy was trying to make.

Conger states that a commercial airport operating at El Toro “is

needed for the continuing prosperity of Orange County.” The question

still remains: What are the hard economic benefits of an airport at

El Toro?

It’s wonderful to say an airport would create “100,000” jobs, or

there will be a “substantial loss of income” and other pie-in-the-sky

generalizations but, to this day, no one has a produced a factual

economic study or a cost-benefit analysis of the plan.

Even the county’s woeful “Just the Facts” campaign was unable to

provide specifics. Any prudent business executive would demand such

an in-depth plan before committing any money and resources to a

project as contentious as the El Toro airport plan.

Conger also goes on to admit that even well-conducted studies “are

based on assumptions” and “these assumptions can vary.” One of the

biggest reasons the El Toro airport plan failed is because it could

never be demonstrated as economically viable. Conger, as a member of

the Airport Working Group, should certainly be aware of this.

MICHAEL CHIEFFO

Irvine

Public deserves to learn the details of the Scheer case

Should the city still try to settle the case with former Costa

Mesa City Atty. Jerry Scheer out of court? No. The case with Scheer

should go to court. Let the jury decide.

The public needs to know what city government is all about. The

citizens of Costa Mesa need to find the truth. Out-of-court

settlements represent insider politics. The previous $750,000

settlement -- basically give-away funds -- is a lot of money. That is

almost five years of employment for any new city attorney.

In my opinion, the city should outsource all the legal services to

be serviced by the county of Orange. The legal department for the

county has considerable experience and resources. Such arrangement

can generate considerable savings for the city.

AL MORELLI

Costa Mesa