Mailbag: Original Village Entrance plan deserves another look

Bonnie Hano’s letter in the May 10 Coastline Pilot, “City needs a more modest plan,” is right on target, especially when combined with two news stories in the same issue — one concerning residents’ uproar about tree removal downtown and the other concerning undergrounding of utility lines.

In the tree removal story, City Manager John Pietig gives as a reason for cutting down the trees the expense of repairing sidewalks. In the undergrounding utility lines story, Councilman Robert Whalen suggests increasing the contribution homeowners make for undergrounding in their area.

With regard to the latter, undergrounding should be less expensive, not more. Its main purpose is safety, and that benefits all residents, not just the ones in the proposed district. The City Council should look at the prospect of the whole city being undergrounded, finding grants and other ways of funding rather than doing it piecemeal by area and at the expense of residents.

Both these stories cite concern over scarcity of funds for infrastructure needs. If money really is short, why is $35 million to $55 million being proposed to create a huge parking structure that will leave even less money for needed improvements?

I agree with Bonnie that the original Village Entrance plan put forth by Studio One Eleven deserves a second and serious look.

Anne Frank

Laguna Beach

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Support of pantry greatly appreciated

2013 has been an exciting year for the Laguna Food Pantry, and the month of May has produced much of that excitement.

On May 10 at its Taste of Charity gala, the Laguna Board of Realtors (LBR) honored our organization as one of this year’s recipients. Our board and volunteers are so grateful to LBR and its organizers, as well as the local businesses and residents who gave so generously to make the evening wildly successful.

Then this past Friday and Saturday, Evonne Kane and her remarkable team of volunteers produced the biggest and best Boutique Benefit in its seven-year history. We feel deeply fortunate to have been one of the nonprofits Evonne has chosen to support over the years. So many low-income people in our community have benefited from her kindness and dedication.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon, the United Methodist Church hosted the most beautiful concert on our behalf, featuring Sodalis, the church’s own piano quartet, as well as other talented young and young-at-heart members of the congregation. The overflow audience enjoyed passionate, humorous, spirited and spiritual performances. To Doug and Cindy Williams, John Feeney, the incredible artists and the entire congregation, our heartfelt thanks.

All of us at the Laguna Food Pantry feel so fortunate to be members of a community with such open hearts.

Andy Siegenfeld

Laguna Beach

Editor’s note: Siegenfeld is chairman of the Laguna Resource Center.

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The 2-mile Laguna boardwalk

Imagine the boardwalk on Main Beach stretching all the way to Anita Street.

All the hotels would have a romantic, safe and quiet pedestrian friendly connection to the main part of town. Laguna would have one more attraction, an amazing promenade for pedestrians, rollerbladers, cyclists and joggers.

My wife, my kids and I love Laguna Beach and we think that many nice hotels, cafes and shops along the south part of Laguna shouldn’t be connected to the main village only via a noisy and dangerous road (which should probably have a 25-MPH speed limit).

Having lived 30 years in Europe, where every road has two bike paths and two sidewalks and where you don’t have to push a button before getting permission to cross a street, we feel that Laguna is on the right path to becoming safer and friendlier for pedestrians but that the boardwalk extension would be an undeniable attraction to connect the beautiful south part of the town.

Toby and Li Fan Gad

Laguna Beach

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Dogs should be allowed on buses

How I wish that dogs were permitted on buses. Surely the Blue Bus would get more customers if dogs were allowed.

I like to walk my dog to town, but coming home is a tiring uphill trek. If I could take a bus, I would do it more often.

Margot Rosenberg

Laguna Beach

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Right should do some self-reflecting

Regarding the letter in the May 3 edition of the Coastline Pilot, the writer referred to Dana Rohrabacher as a “real patriot.”

I get a bit tired of those right wingers who think that they are the only patriots. Rep. Rohrabacher has at times referred to himself as a freedom fighter. My question to him would be, if you are a “freedom fighter” where were you during Vietnam?

George Bush, Dick Cheney, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and, yes, Congressman Rohrabacher and a host of others from the hard right all elected to sit out this opportunity to actually fight for freedom. They all had their convenient excuses.

Perhaps it is time for those on the right to take a hard look at themselves and maybe even admit that they are not the only patriots.

Kevin Walsh

Laguna Beach