Mailbag - July 8, 2001

Yacht infringing on other residents’ rights

Owen Minney is missing the point. In his commentary on June 28 (“If

Cook wants to block views, that’s his right,”) Minney suggests that

Lodwrick Cook has the right to block his own view in front of his own

house. Minney seems to think that Cook’s actions don’t affect anyone else

but Cook.

However, in front of Cook’s two homes is a public boardwalk and a

public beach. He does not have the right to take away the public’s use of

the beach and access to the harbor from the beach. His boat is sitting on

water that is public property. It is not sitting on his private property.

In addition, I have a personal problem with his boat being parked in

front of his house even though it is now perpendicular to the bay front.

His boat is now sitting about two to three feet away from my boat that is

on the shore mooring for which I have had a permit for almost 20 years.

If I move the mooring closer to the beach, it would have to be

extremely close to the sea wall in order to have clearance from his boat.

That would make the mooring useless much of the time due to the tides. It

would also make my boat more vulnerable to vandalism. If I move the

mooring sideways, my boat will be in danger of hitting the boat on the

mooring next to it. What if I want to put a catamaran on the mooring --

which I may legally do as long as it is no longer than 18 feet?

My point is that Minney is so concerned about Cook’s rights that he

hasn’t thought about other people’s rights that have been infringed upon

by Cook’s actions.

SHELLY TAYLOR

Balboa Island

Beek wasn’t alone in drafting initiative

In a recent article, the Pilot called Allan Beek the “author of the

Greenlight Initiative.” While Beek was a principal contributor, it was

actually a group of Greenlight steering committee members who authored

the initiative to create its final version.

The drafting committee’s efforts may be likened to the writing of the

Constitution. James Madison helped drive it, but it was the delegates

from the states who actually authored it and produced this complete and

lasting document. In addition to Beek, the members of the initiative

drafting committee were Jean Watt, Phil Arst, Evelyn Hart, Tom Hyans,

Claudia Owen and Bob Caustin.

While Beek and the Greenlight attorney did the initial draft, the

committee made wholesale revisions. As committee members were from

different parts of the city, they were able to craft an initiative that

would serve all. All deserve the title of “author” also.

PAUL RENE GERST

Newport Beach

19th Street extension not going anywhere

In the year 1975, I resided in a condo in Newport Terrace on 19th

Street based solely upon the intentions of the city to extend 19th to

Beach Boulevard with easy access to Huntington Beach. I have since moved

away from there as nothing seemed to be happening. Funny, isn’t it?

Today, there is still talk, yet nothing is happening. Oh well, Rome

may not have been built in a day, but they were a lot closer than we are

on this seemingly endless “project.” Does anyone care at this point? I

mean, after all, 26 years later and the echo resounds.

SALLY BROWN

Costa Mesa

Cox at least does something for Newport Beach

Rep. Christopher Cox, the interloper from Newport Beach, has secured

$600,000 in federal funding for the dredging of Upper Newport Bay. Kudos

to him. I thank him for throwing us this small bone to the people who

elected him in his Republican quest to start a war with China and build

his political career.

What I would like to know is when he is really, as the U.S.

Representative from Newport Beach, going to represent Newport Beach in a

meaningful way.

And his surfer associate, Dana Rohrabacher, also deserves kudos for

this bone. Don’t we all want Orange County to be a great place to live,

with our elected officials leading the way? I only hope so.

PAUL JAMES BALDWIN

Newport Beach