Letters to the Editor: City of Newport Beach must defend its coastal treasures

We urge the city of Newport Beach to take responsibility and assume a leadership role for protecting our coastal environment and designating appropriate beach areas for humans and dogs to enjoy.

By enforcing common-sense regulations, the city can ensure future generations can enjoy the beauty of our coastline, with native California animals and plants thriving in their natural habitat. With leadership from the city, we can achieve a balance of shared uses.

Newport Beach must protect our shared natural resources by:

• Openly engaging with the public to educate the community of the importance of preserving the Snowy Plover habitat — including beaches and sand dunes;
• Recognizing the dunes and beaches as an integral part of the Newport Beach ecosystem and afford protections to preserve the scenic and visual qualities of our local coastal areas;
• Collaborating with the Coastal Commission and other interested parties to create a comprehensive plan to protect native California plant species and endangered Snowy Plover bird species, so future generations can enjoy our beautiful coast;
• Restoring degraded habitat areas and updating beach grooming practices;
• Updating and training city maintenance staff;
• Increasing enforcement of existing dog-leash laws;
• Installing informational signage;
• And actively ensuring that our beaches, waterways, dunes and coast are healthy and safe environments for everyone.

We call on Newport Beach residents to write, call and post on social media to ask our city officials to fulfill their commitment to the community. If the city of Newport Beach fulfills its promise as a leader on this issue, we can preserve our open spaces for everyone (and every dog) to enjoy.

Garry Brown

Costa Mesa

The writer is founder and president of Orange County Coastkeeper.

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Quality of life declines in H.B.

Re. “H.B. city attorney seeks 3 new employees to help target illegal businesses” (Oct. 31): Hasn’t City Attorney Michael Gates noticed Huntington Beach’s quality of life has been ruined for years? Out-of-control traffic. Air pollution from off-shore. Oil rigs. Noise pollution. Ignoring our homeless. Ugly high-rise apartments. Too many events. Increased accidents. Traffic. Sirens. I and people I know leave town for days around July Fourth’s “war zone.” Huntington can be called “Siren City.”

Lynn Copeland

Huntington Beach

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Spyglass Hill picnic unified the community

Spyglass Hill in Corona del Mar has an annual picnic gathering in Spyglass Hill Park that has brought residents, friends and family members together every year since 2012. These events routinely feature at least three generations: Grandparents, parents and children

This is a well-organized event, planned months in advance, and is done by the people for the people. This year, the sixth annual community picnic gathering drew close to 300 residents, as well as elected and appointed officials.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa), state Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa), Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield and Mayor Pro Tem Will O’Neill — a big supporter in the last several years — attended. Council members Jeff Herdman, Kevin Muldoon and Diane Dixon also showed support alongside our new city manager, Grace Leung, and Keith Krallman, the Area 4 commander from the Newport Beach Police Department.

What Spyglass Hill has done is bring back the spirit of closeness and friendship among community members, as well as between them and our city, state and federal officials. This initiative has created a sense of belonging, leading to better participation and more involvement by the Spyglass Hill community members in their own affairs, and in helping our elected officials better represent and help them. Just like the good old days; this is what I call a big family.

Special thanks go to Therese Loutherback, who has directed this annual event from the beginning, and to every single member of the Spyglass Hill Picnic Committee. Also deserving credit are community members who attend and support the picnic and the many vendors who have contributed to its success. Special thanks is also extended to our elected officials mentioned above for their attendance, talking and listening to the people, leading to the betterment of life in Newport Beach.

K. E. Mehrfar

Newport Beach

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