Mailbag: Be aware of danger of shallow-water dives

Thirty-eight years ago, with support from Hoag Hospital, I started Project Wipeout, a program alerting beachgoers of the dangers of running into the water and doing a shallow-surface dive.

Swimmers have been paralyzed after striking their heads against an unexpected underwater sandbar.

Thirty-eight years ago, half the patients in the intensive care unit at Hoag were serious neck-injury cases, resulting from this type of activity.

Recently, I have learned from Hoag emergency room nurses that in just the last few weeks at least three serious neck injuries have been seen in the hospital’s emergency room because of sandbars that have recently developed in shallow waters off of some Orange County beaches.

It is important to remember that beachgoers should test the depth of the water with their feet and not their heads, thereby preventing more neck injuries that can result in a lifetime confinement to a wheelchair.

Dr. Jack Skinner

Newport Beach

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Keep local races nonpartisan

Re. reporter Jill Cowan’s Political Landscape (July 8), specifically the recent endorsement of Linda Dixon for Newport Beach City Council by the Lincoln Club:

I am less inclined to vote for Dixon because of the association. While I have nothing against the Lincoln Club, I resent its intrusion into local political contests that are supposed to be nonpartisan.

What concerns me about the candidates are their views on traffic, density, the Banning Ranch development and whether the city will continue to outsource various public services. When a candidate seeks an endorsement from some group and is labeled a conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat, this tells me they are less interested in local affairs than they are in perhaps using the position as a launching pad for state or national office.

The founding members of this fair city provided us with a tradition of nonpartisanship in our local politics. Voters should support candidates who endeavor to continue this tradition and soundly reject those who do not.

Lenard Davis

Newport Beach

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Ruling undermines electoral process

Citizens United is a horrible attack on democracy. In essence, the Supreme Court ruling means that corporations will be able to buy elections, and the “one man, one vote” principal is gone forever.

If a corporation cannot go to jail, a corporation is not a person. Ludicrous.

Kathleen Hallal

Irvine