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The buildings block the view of the ocean and sky from outside. Inside, the ground-floor ballroom is in the back with no ocean view. The rooftop is served for conventioneers. Hotel guests and city residents have no rooftop views.

I suggest the following changes to create a seaside resort that is beautiful and inspired by our own Oceanside style, has easier traffic access, is less expensive to build and maintain, has views of the sea and sky from outside, and provides rooftop viewing for all:

Sink the railroad that runs through downtown into a tunnel that goes to the station. This frees ocean view space. Traffic would have access to four sides of the hotel and its underground parking, with a leisurely drive down Mission.

Ring the two oceanfront lots with majestic King palms. On each side of Mission, build a beautiful, symmetrical sand castle that frames the ocean view. These two sand castles would be open, airy and elegant, drawing on our unique style, as found in our two local landmarks, Mission San Luis Rey and City Hall, both on Mission, our view corridor to the ocean.

Father Junipero Serra, founder of the 21 California missions, spent his first 36 years on the island of Majorca in Spain. His missions were influenced by this Moorish, Spanish architecture, with its white stucco, fantasy seaside fortresses, round towers, and arched doorways.

Combine our local architectural style with modern dome technology to create two exotic sand castles. Using a dome shape allows for soaring, vaulted ceilings and tall, arched doorways on all four sides of each castle, opening the ground floor to sweeping ocean views.

Round towers open up the sky to the eye. One-way, reflective glass and skylights in the towers and domes give privacy inside, and reflect the clouds outside.

What do you want to see when you go to the beach? A brown-shingled box that blocks your view, or a sand castle retreat with a view as far as your eye can take in?

JAN DAWKINS
Oceanside

I oppose the Malkin hotel project in downtown Oceanside because it is not appropriate for the City Council to use our tax money to subsidize a for-profit enterprise (“Oceanside approves additional subsidy for resort,” Local, Aug. 17). If the hotel cannot be built without a subsidy, then the city should not prop up what would otherwise be an unprofitable venture.

A lease with a dollar a year rent for 14 years is a joke! I favor selling the land rather than leasing it.

When one calculates all the costs imposed on the city by the project, the total subsidy will be significantly higher than the estimated $27 million. If the city becomes a partner in the project, the city won't dare allow it to fail. Council members eager to save face would plow more tax dollars into the project when the costs inevitably rise.

Before lining the pockets of a developer with our tax dollars, let's use that money to solve our traffic problems. And when the marketplace demands a hotel, a developer will come forward to build it without wanting our tax money.

GEORGE BARRANTE
Oceanside

Why let arsonists, rapists out of prison?

I would like to add my two cents about Garrett Alan Gifford who keeps setting fires (“Man, 30, charged with arson had set fires in '96,” Local, Aug. 26).

First of all, it seems the Department of Corrections knew what this guy was up to and capable of doing.

Back in 1996 they convicted him, only to let him go. And now two people are dead because of the 2003 Paradise fire, something he has been asked about but has refused to discuss.

Why do we arrest people and then plea bargain with them? If he is found guilty of the crime, have him committed. And when did mental stability ever come into the picture?

If my neighbor is mentally unstable and likes to play with fire but doesn't understand it is wrong, isn't he more dangerous than someone who knows he's doing wrong but does it anyway?

I've never understood the “mentally unable to stand trial” defense. Those are the people who belong behind bars. Whose job is it to tell the family of the two dead people that it may have happened because someone unstable was left out of prison? Who gets to tell them that the judge didn't feel the punishment was warranted?

Perhaps we should let unstable individuals who are paroled live with the judge. Maybe more of them would wind up behind bars if the judge had to take a vested interest and let them into their homes.

The judges seem to think the felons won't do any more harm to society? Let's test that theory at their house.

But apparently it is OK to let convicted arsonists, convicted rapists and convicted child molesters live their lives in society and in our neighborhoods.

It's time to elect officials and judges who care about what happens to the 99 percent of the population who obey the laws, pay taxes and support the government, not the 1 percent who try to harm others in any way they can, and then when caught, push the blame on their “mental status.”

Wake up to this before these people burn down your house.

DON SNYDER
Oceanside

Civilians were heroes in this emergency

Regarding “Firefighters tear apart wreckage to get driver” (Local, Aug. 24):

I came upon this accident probably 30 seconds after it happened. Smoke was still coming out of the vehicles.

What I saw at the accident had such a profound impact on me, but was never mentioned in the article or in broadcast coverage. I thought it would be helpful to share with the public what happened before emergency crews were at the scene.

Several people pulled their vehicles to the side of the freeways (both the Interstate 5 and the Route 56 bypass) and were running to the horrific scene (this was dangerous in itself as cars and trucks were still passing by on the freeway at about the speed limit).

The first man at the scene stood on the guardrail to try to check on the driver. (This also took some courage not knowing what he would find in this twisted wreckage and with smoke coming out of the cars; who knows if it could have exploded).

As I pressed 911 on my cell phone, I already saw people running toward the scene with cell phones to their ears, and was certain they were doing the same. I chose to drive on to my meeting since several people already were around the cars. Although it looked as if no one could survive such a crash, I said several prayers for the drivers and any possible passengers and went on my way.

I realize the firefighters did an incredible job freeing the woman, and I was amazed to hear she survived.

The people who took the time to stop and rush to her aid are heroes in my mind and should be acknowledged.

MARGIE HOLMSTROM
Carlsbad

Mackin showed lack of common sense

The disclosure of Oceanside Councilwoman Shari Mackin's spending spree with her city-issued credit card is disheartening and a cause for indignation.

Her questionable expenditure of $10,215 of taxpayer money in the past fiscal year merits closer examination.

In her defense of the alleged misuse of her city-issued card, Mackin pleads ignorance because she did not receive the usual book of instructions. Even so, one would expect that common sense would compel any reasonable person to ask the city attorney or a colleague about the limitations on the use of the credit card, as she did belatedly.

For Mackin to have thought she was given unlimited spending authority would be absurd. All that aside, where was her sense of propriety and good judgment as to what is an appropriate expenditure of taxpayer money?

It was reported that many of Mackin's charges were at restaurants. So, who were the recipients of her largess and how did this benefit the city of Oceanside? It gives added meaning to the phrase “feeding at the public trough.”

Mackin claims that her extensive travels throughout the state at taxpayer expense to attend meetings somehow “benefited the city by increasing her knowledge of local government.” Unless she can point to some significant benefit to the city, it is doubtful the trips justified the cost. Her time would have been better spent researching and developing spending policies for the entire council and working on current Oceanside problems.

It seems as if all members of the Oceanside City Council would benefit from some guidance on the proper spending of taxpayer money.

There seems to be a desperate need for someone to mind the till.

M.J. KAUTZ
Oceanside

Poway residents angry over ball field noise

For over a year Aubrey Park residents have asked the city of Poway to abate noise or move softball fields from Poway's newest park. There has been no response to a recent study that verified noise from the fields exceed by more than 10 dB levels what the city told residents and the state they would be.

There also has been no response to requests for a public meeting to discuss the use of the softball complex. Residents have reported the conditional use permit and the facility use agreement are at odds with each other and the scheduled use of the fields does not even come close to actual use of the fields.

City staff members say the City Council has not directed them to look at Aubrey Park issues.

Residents again ask the city to take some positive action to restore peace and quiet to our neighborhood and correct the inappropriate placement of a high-use softball complex in a small, residential neighborhood.

Continued reciting of inaccurate and conflicting use documents is not the answer or the help residents need. Come November, it may be time to vote out council members who under-represent the middle-class majority of this city and ignore our pleas for help.

KATHIE HORMAN
Poway

Concerts provide quality of life

I had gotten a long-distance call, so I was running late. Not to worry, plenty of parking at the Carlsbad senior center almost across from the Community Church (Harding and Oak streets) where the Coastal Communities Concert Band would be performing a salute to the Dorsey Brothers Band.

The church's skylight allowed daylight to cover the whole auditorium-like facility. The 17 musicians played well. Vocalist Michael Ruhl did justice to songs sung by Frank Sinatra. The highlight was trombonist Bill Tole. Such a gifted musician, not only could he play but also he gave a rendition of the Big Band era.

At times they all took me back to before my time. I danced in my mind and wished that I had been sitting on the main floor, where I could have done so. We are so blessed in the North County to have such concerts available.

WILLIAM HART
Carlsbad