Big shoes to fill on Tuesday’s front...

Big shoes to fill on Tuesday’s front page

I will miss Justice Robert Gardner’s columns. When he was on the

Court of Appeals, I always scanned the advance sheets for a “Gardner

Opinion.� He has a great gift of conveying large thoughts in small

words -- a quality not usually associated with the legal profession.

His situational and character reminiscences were the highlight of

the Pilot. You will be hard put to find a successor.

RICHARD W. MILLAR, JR.

Newport Beach

Looking for best-of reprints of ‘The Verdict’

I, too, was very sorry to see the end of Judge Robert Gardner’s

weekly column in the Daily Pilot on Tuesday. Even before I read of

some other readers’ comments, I thought it would be a great idea to

have reruns of the Judge’s columns every Tuesday, just as the

“Peanuts� cartoon runs daily in the comics section.

I have always enjoyed “The Verdict� and looked forward to the

column every week. I feel that people who have missed them would find

them delightful and informative, and others like me would like to

read them again. I hope you will find it possible to make these

columns available again.

ELEANORE TRIGHER

Costa Mesa

Tuesdays won’t be the same in the Daily Pilot

I was born at Hoag Hospital in 1955, which makes me a native of

Newport Beach. I never miss the stories and legends that Judge Robert

Gardner has written for all of us on Tuesdays. They bring such joy

and laughter to so many, and I just wanted to thank him for all the

crazy and zany escapades of his life here that he has shared with us.

He will truly be missed, and I also agree there should be a book

published for all to enjoy the favorite stories.

Thanks again, Judge.

PAMELA MILLER LUBY

Corona del Mar

An airport is the key to the county’s economic future

If Orange County fails to develop an international airport at El

Toro, Orange County will not become an important financial, economic

and high-tech center creating jobs, investments and new taxes. In

short, O.C. will be an economic loser, whose chance for leadership in

the state will have been squandered for dubious short-term political

gain.

ED HEPNER

Corona del Mar

Wondering why the council is changing procedure

Regarding the Pilot story, “One isn’t enough to merit reviews,�

Wednesday, why did the Newport Beach City Council all of sudden

decide to change what has been in place for 50 years regarding a

council members’ right to request an appeal of a Planning Commission

decision?

The answer is simple: more power and control to run the city the

way they (not the residents) want it. We’ve all seen this before in

Newport’s city government: changing the rules as they go to their

advantage. It smacks at fair representation and the democratic

process.

TOM BILLINGS

Newport Beach

Not keen on new council vote standard

Regarding the Pilot story, “One isn’t enough to merit reviews,�

Wednesday, I don’t agree with making a simple majority the Newport

Beach City Council’s vote threshold to review lower-body decisions.

LARRY CARR

Newport Beach