Say Again

“It’s really a new era for this district. Two cities -- six to eight

communities -- said ‘let’s fix our schools.’ This community hasn’t stood

up for itself like this any time in the past 30 years and should be proud

of itself.”

-- Kurt Yeager, Measure A campaign volunteer, on the passage of the

$110-million school bond.

“That’s good news. We must be doing something right if we’re keeping the

kids in school. Maybe it’ll start a new trend. It’s cool to stay in

school. It’s not cool to drop out.”

-- Wendy Leece, school board member, on a report that found that

Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s drop-out rate is among the lowest

in Orange County.

“The rest of us will probably sue. It’s like opening a Pandora’s box. If

you give one person something, then you have to give it to everyone

else.”

-- Donald Corbett, a Corona del Mar resident, on one of his neighbors

requesting a 10-foot extension to her property to make her house bigger.

“You can’t go anywhere anymore. You just have to stay at home. It’s

either too crowded because of traffic or you have to go on a toll road,

and it’s too expensive.”

-- Laurie Horner, a Tustin resident, on the rate hike from 50 cents to $1

for commuters on Newport Coast Drive.

“It threw me around like garbage. I tried to swim and wasn’t getting

nowhere.”

-- Wesley Dodd, 14, on the June 4 riptide that claimed the life of Willie

Earl McFarland, 38.