MAILBAG: A trolley ride through Laguna can’t be beat

Just read and enjoyed the column (“Trolley drivers are the heroes of summer,” Aug. 22). It is one of the best rides in California! You can see so much of Laguna without the worry of hitting the vehicle in front of you. You are up high, so the view is better. You can enjoy the wind in your hair on the open air trolleys. It’s just plain fun!

The summer before the Jolly Roger closed, I told my landlord, Richard Challis, that for his birthday I would take him to the Jolly Roger for fish and chips. We could ride the trolley there and back. It was a blast! He has been here since 1947, so he gave me the guided tour as to what was where back when. We will be taking another August trolley ride this month. It is becoming a summer ritual. Beats the heck out of Disneyland, for me.

M. “CHARLIE” FERRAZZI

Laguna Beach

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Village entrance park should be modest

Verna Rollinger is running for City Council in November. She is the former City Clerk who was reelected numerous times.

People in Laguna want a new village entrance park and garage, but as Verna has said, it should be a park and a more modest garage, not necessarily 600+ spaces. And it certainly doesn’t have to include city employee housing, city shops, commercial stores and, of all things, a bus station filling our so-called park with 97 OCTA buses on a normal weekday plus our local buses and summer trolleys.

We want a park and a parking structure, not a bus stop in a location that puts hundreds of seniors and hard-working employees two blocks farther out of town. ... It should be noted that removing the present bus station and replacing it with a parking lot would mean gas fumes from hundreds of cars seeking spaces and others cutting through to Broadway.

OCTA buses burn natural gas, which is much less toxic than car exhaust and their exhaust pipes are eight feet in the air. A few weeks before our last council election, our firefighters ran full-page color ads, as they have every right to do, endorsing Kelly Boyd. Most think these ads elected him. Let’s see, if the firemen decide to run these ads again, would they pick Cheryl Kinsman, Jane Egly or Verna Rollinger? Whoever you vote for, consider Verna first.

ROGER CARTER

Laguna Beach

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Rollinger’s record meets criteria

I agree with Al Baez’s letter to the editor (“Three council candidates a real choice,” Aug. 22) on criteria for choosing an outstanding City Council member. Of the three candidates, two are incumbents and can be judged on their records. Because Verna Rollinger has never been on the City Council, she doesn’t have a voting record but Baez’ criteria for who to vote for fits Verna.

Verna has a history of environmental action, serving on the board of directors of the Laguna Greenbelt.

Verna strongly supports Laguna Beach businesses, particularly our residential-serving businesses.

Verna has worked to preserve Laguna Beach’s special neighborhoods and limit mansionization.

Verna cares about our fire, police, teachers and city staff and has supported low-income housing to be built in Laguna Beach.

Verna has been active in looking for new ideas to reduce the impact of automobiles in town as well as parking in our neighborhoods.

Verna consistently has opposed the destruction of our neighborhoods by multi-use mega projects.

Verna would take very seriously all appointments to city boards and commissions.

Verna has no conflict of interest that would prevent her from voting on issues in the downtown area.

Of the incumbents, Jane Egly and Cheryl Kinsman, Kinsman falls short on all points, but please follow Al’s advice, “Do your homework and choose wisely.”

JOHANNA FELDER