Mailbag: Young helicopter pilot is flying high

Re. “A different kind of driver’s test,” (Aug. 8): Don’t you just love it when a young person not only finds something he or she is passionate about but is also pursuing something that could benefit others?

It looks as though 16-year-old Dominic Puntoriero of San Juan Capistrano is headed down that road, or I should say up that road, since his passion is flying helicopters. After accumulating many hours of training and making a solo flight apparently before he got his license to drive a car, he seems to be on his way to doing what he loves.

I’m reminded of another person who also loved to fly and started at a young age: Neil Armstrong. So it appears that Dominic is in good company.

I wish him luck in attaining his long-term goal of whirling around the sky in those funny-looking devices that can stand still and still be in the air.

Bill Spitalnick

Newport Beach

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Keep Fairview as it is

What is the real reason the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee will not wrap up its master plan study and make recommendations to the City Council?

At every public meeting I have attended, it has been clear that the majority of community comments are in opposition to further development of the park, and there is little support for new sports fields other than from the sports organizations.

Is the committee afraid to oppose powerful city officials promoting a large-scale athletic complex? Testimony by the youth sports organizations has shown that they currently have something like 65 facilities. In contrast, Fairview Park is a solitary gem. It should not be bulldozed to build lighted playing fields.

Finally, planners should keep in mind that Southern California is facing what might be a prolonged drought, more sever than any other in modern times. It is insane to propose replacing acres of natural drought-tolerant vegetation with water-hungry grass. Proponents of development will say that irrigation can be done with recycled water, but in a prolonged drought, that might become a precious resource better used elsewhere.

I urge the committee and the council to preserve Fairview Park in its current state of arrested development. Sports fields can be built anywhere, but Fairview Park cannot be replaced.

David Goss

Costa Mesa