Bowling for answers on the fate of Kona Lanes

This is in response to the Kona Lanes article (“Planners give Kona

Lanes hope,” Saturday).

I feel that Kona Lanes should be kept in our city. We need Kona

Lanes for numerous reasons.

It could use a face lift, but it is one of the only recreation

facilities left that provides a physical activity for all ages. There

has been a resurgence of bowling as a popular pastime for families

and individuals. The nearest bowling allies to our area are Fountain

Valley and Santa Ana. Our city should reap the benefits from this

activity.

A frivolous reason would be that it is a landmark and a reminder

of the “good old days.” We are lacking in that area. People who have

lived here for a long time remember Van’s Bowling Alley, the Harbor

Roller Rink, the Mesa Theater, Pinks Drug Store and more that I have

not mentioned. Someone from my family has lived in Costa Mesa

continuously since 1918 and there are very few true landmarks. We

don’t seem to value our past. We do have the historical society, but

that is even in a comparatively new building and what remains are

just pictures. We have managed to keep the Methodist church on 19th

street, but sometimes that is in doubt.

We have an overabundance of department and discount stores.

One of these days I expect someone to suggest we change our name

to “Segerstromville.” My grandmother would laugh at that. She used to

invite a new, struggling, farm family to dinner when she lived here

and their name was Segerstrom.

The families near the center that have supported the department

store have not considered the amount of traffic that will be

generated on Mesa Verde Drive. With traffic as congested as it is on

Harbor Boulevard and on Adams Avenue, people will find that entering

and exiting using Mesa Verde Drive to be much more expedient. That

cannot help but to have a very large impact on the houses and

apartments located there.

On another subject: It’s too bad that the Paul Mitchell School

didn’t locate in either the old empty theater or the ice rink

building. The parking would have been more than sufficient and the

rest of us would not be inconvenienced by the congestion the students

cause on the streets where they now park, walk and just “hang out.”

D. JOANNE COOPER

Costa Mesa

I think it is absolutely ridiculous that we add a huge shopping

place there. We need the recreation. Segerstrom has billions of

dollars, he does not need one more penny of revenue. If he doesn’t

care to have that shopping center, why doesn’t he just sell it? And

we can have something useable for the public.

We do not need another huge shopping facility.

SUSAN SHAW

Costa Mesa

I feel that Kona Lanes bowling alley should be upgraded like

Fountain Valley Bowl and Irvine Bowl so that local residents have a

new and modern bowling alley facility to go to for recreation.

We do not need Kohl’s department store or any department store

like it sitting on that lot. It is inappropriate for a department

store to be in a residential lot such as that.

JANICE WEBB

Costa Mesa

I think it would really be nice, an improvement for the

neighborhood and nice to have something for the neighbors and

surrounding area to go to, if Kona Lanes were to be fixed up a little

bit. It looks like a ramshackle place but if it was spiffed up, it

might be much more appealing to have people go there.

Also, it would be nice to have the movie come back and be kept

nice and clean and run some first run movies there. There are also a

lot of other nice entertainment, family-oriented things that would do

well there, I feel.

I know it may not pay as much as a big department store, but it

would make the people who live here a lot happier.

DOROTHY BELLER

Costa Mesa

Give the owner a lease that would be consistent with his

investment.

J.D. STEELE

Costa Mesa

Please save the Kona Lanes. It is the only safe place I feel my

kids are safe.

It is a great family gathering place.

DANIEL ATKINS

Costa Mesa

My message to the Costa Mesa Planning Commission is this. This new

store is a terrible idea. Costa Mesa has plenty of stores. It needs

good recreational facilities as Kona Lanes, especially a place with

so much tradition and good memories as Kona Lanes has.

I vehemently express the opinion that the new store is a bad idea.

Kona Lanes should stay.

PAUL PEARSON

Costa Mesa

What do our Planning Commission and City Council have against live

entertainment? For those of us who live northwest of 17th street,

Kona Lanes is the last venue, conveniently located, still in Costa

Mesa, where regular folk can go for unrehearsed frivolity.

For a city looking for an identity, in my opinion, we’ve kind of

gotten away from our roots. It wasn’t that long ago when Pacific

Amphitheater was in operation that this town buzzed when a show came

to perform. To a lesser extent, if you haven’t been to Kona Lanes on

a weekend night, you wouldn’t know the place is alive with people and

a variety of entertainment.

Somewhat of a paradox is the Segerstroms’ plan for this property.

They are committed to making the Orange County Performing Arts Center

all one of the best in the land, and that’s a good thing, but it’s

not for everyone. On the flip-side, they want to turn Kona Lanes into

another department store. Is that what we want or need?

The Mesa Verde Center has such potential. Why not add a couple of

good neighborhood restaurants and pubs and allow them to accentuate

the center by promoting live entertainment. Maybe something with an

Irish flavor or like the quite popular Bilbo Baggins’ that used to be

in the center. Unlike Triangle Square, which is a pain to get in and

out of, Mesa Verde Center is accessible from three sides of its block

and can pull from at least three thriving communities: Mesa Verde,

Mesa del Mar and College Park.

We have plenty of places to shop right here in Costa Mesa. We

don’t have enough places where common folk and eat, drink and be

merry.

FLIP DARNELL

Costa Mesa