Mailbag: Protect the rabbit statues from the City Council

We would like to defend the bunny rabbits in civic center park.

Many, many people like us love these concrete cottontails and enjoy seeing them as we drive by. They bring a smile to our faces and a lift to our days. All the children who come by these adorable and playful creatures also love them.

We see Brownie troops petting them. We see people taking pictures of each other in front of them.

We hope that our Newport Beach City Council will not remove our white bunny rabbits. They’re distinctive, artistic and well-made. We understand the city has already paid for them, and there’s no maintenance to them.

People for generations to come will remember these bunnies. They’re a landmark and will bring honor to Newport Beach.

Kay and John Torell

Newport Beach

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In the spirit of Chuck Jones

The bunnies must stay. They make me smile. I glance at them and grin every time I drive past the Newport Beach Civic Center and park.

Rabbits are universal symbols of fantasy and fun. Bugs Bunny and friends were beloved characters when we were kids and are still. Bugs himself has roots here. His ingenious creator, Chuck Jones, was a Newport Beach resident.

The City Council deserves thanks for giving all ages the pleasure to still react like children. And can’t we use a dose of happiness these days?

Barbara Shelton

Corona del Mar

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Hares are the highlight

Councilman-elect Scott Peotter wants to get rid of the concrete bunnies in the Newport Beach Civic Center park. He says he hasn’t met anyone who likes the installation.

While I can understand his frustration with the total cost of the civic center, I wonder how many of his youngest constituents he has polled.

As a 65-year-old recent retiree and a 35-year resident, I find that the bunnies are my favorite part of the new civic center and park. When I first saw them, they brought to mind the childhood song “Teddy Bears Picnic,” an anthropomorphic fantasy that’s magic to a child’s imagination.

The circle of bunnies is also a fanciful reflection of the deliberations in the nearby council chambers.

My 2-cents worth: Keep the bunnies.

Dennis Fratt

Newport Beach