Mailbag - May 25, 2000

A father grieving the death of another’s son ... “God giveth, and God

taketh away ...” How can I reconcile this simple yet, at times like this,

vitriolic phrase? It seems so unfair, the cruel and untimely death of

Andre Stewart. I know there is nothing more devastating for a parent,

friend or lover than to lose the precious life of a child, colleague or

life mate. I truly feel and want to express my deepest, most heartfelt

sympathy to Andre’s parents and family.

So many questions will be left unanswered as we reflect upon this

tragedy. All of the “what ifs” and “why did this have to happen”

questions will circulate in our minds as we struggle with his loss;

searching for some way to ease the pain. Having read the thoughts

expressed by several of his fellow students at Newport Harbor High School

published in the local papers, I can only begin to understand the impact

this fine young man had on them. He will be painfully missed in the

upcoming events.

The Newport community has had its share of tragic events over the

recent years. But, what are the messages we should find interwoven with

the sorrow we all share with Andre’s passing. What can we do to help

prevent this type of tragedy from recurring? What can be said to our

children to help them deal with their swirling emotions? Consider the

thoughtful reflection on the circumstances surrounding all of our lives

and share your sense of love and appreciation with those to whom you are

close. Stop the whirlwind of life for a moment; help our children place

this painful loss into proper perspective. Help them deal with the

adversity before them and let them grow strong in its wake; after all,

isn’t this the quintessential spirit that was embodied in Andre Stewart?

I will be at the memorial services, not only to show my respect to

Andre and his family but to search deep within my faith, into the depths

of my soul, to find the answers that “God giveth” me for these lingering

questions, which in turn will be shared with my family and friends before

“God taketh away.”

Thank you Andre ... you will be deeply missed.

BRYAN KERNS

Newport Beach

‘Smart’ parking meter not worth the hassle

I can’t believe the city is willing to be a “beta test site” for smart

meters at the pier area for 90 days (“A parking meter with a brain?” May

16). Has the failure rate of these devices which “reset automatically”

been thought out more to be a pain-in-the-butt than profit margin?

Now let’s see, when the visitor comes to the pier area on a summer

Sunday, in lieu of feeding a meter, they’ll just move the car in and out

of the stall, creating additional headaches to the already congested

parking lot traffic just to reset a meter. Yes, City Council member,

people do come to the beach and T-shirt shops only, just check out all

the igloos and rental equipment on the beach, it’s called a day at the

beach or a picnic.

Perhaps it’s time we direct them all to Peninsula Point and park for

free.

TOM SMITH

Balboa Peninsula

State parks protect resources, not raise revenues

The paper recently featured a proposal by the Alliance to Rescue

Crystal Cove which is presented as an alternative to an earlier plan

proposed by a private developer (“Crystal Cove critics have new

proposal,” May 13). The problem with the Alliance’s proposal is that it

accepts the philosophy espoused by the original proposal -- that the park

has to generate revenue.

The mission statement of the California State Parks and Recreation

Department discusses the protection of resources and the creation of

outdoor recreation opportunities. It does not mention generating revenue,

and this should not be a requirement of our state parks. A far better

alternative for Crystal Cove is to go back to the beginning -- the

existing General Plan -- and plan with the mission, not revenue, in mind.

This is the position of the Newport Beach chapter of the Surfrider

Foundation.

NANCY GARDNER

Secretary, The Surfrider Foundation