21st Century

In agreement with Smith's column I want to applaud Steve Smith for his column, "Static over TV issue," Saturday. I believe it's well-written and well-said. I totally agree with him about the hypocrisy on the left, and he expressed very well my same feeling, and I thank him for the time and effort that he took to put the column in the paper. MICHELE FRASER Corona del Mar Community should support Measure F Measure A has done an excellent job -- on time and on budget -- of bringing 1950s schools up to 21st Century code, but they are still 1950s schools.

Daniel Stevens The band that played the Pacific Amphitheatre on July 25 was called the Doors of the 21st Century, but in essence, it was the Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger Band. So what? The show was not a transcendental experience, it was not a happening, and the band did not try very hard to pretend it was. Instead, for two hours, two old rockers played some very good rock 'n' roll and enjoyed themselves. What the show was was two hours of some very good rock 'n' roll played by two old rockers enjoying what they were doing.

Roger Carlson IRVINE - Friends and family of Howard L. Handy, who died from an apparent heart attack last week, will be gathering Saturday afternoon at 2 at The Meadows Mobile Home Park at 14851 Jeffrey Rd., where Mr. Handy and his wife of over 60 years, Lois, had been residing for the past 19 years. It will be an informal setting for what most likely will be an overflow crowd for the tribute at the site's clubhouse. Mr. Handy, who was 84, was a sportswriter for the Daily Pilot from 1969-82 and was a familiar sight to many in sports into the 21st century.

An open-entry contest for any budding youth sportswriter has been launched for the summer by the Daily Pilot sports staff with three divisions for boys and girls: Third- and fourth-graders (in September); fifth- and sixth-graders; and seventh- and eighth-graders. Participants must simply write a sports story on any subject with a 1,000-word maximum and submit it to Daily Pilot Sports Editor Richard Dunn at Richard.Dunn@latimes.com or fax the sports desk at (949)

Newport-Mesa kids need a bridge to the 21st century. That’s the message Newport-Mesa school board members said they were sending when they voted Tuesday for a new science, math and technology magnet to take the place of Davis Elementary in the fall. “In the 21st century, what are we doing to teach our kids so that they will compete?” asked board member Karen Yelsey. “The U.S. is missing from the list of the top 10 science and math countries. It’s confirmed that we lagged behind many other industrial countries.

When Thomas Edison electrified America in 1882, he hardly could have known the benefits his invention would have for mankind. And, as it turned out, womankind. South Coast Repertory is presenting an exhilarating example of the latter achievement with its latest offering, Sarah Ruhl's "In the Next Room. " Lest anyone be unaware of the subject matter, she subtitles it "or the vibrator play. " The centerpiece of this 21st century envisioning of a late 19th century breakthrough is, indeed, a vibrator — or, as it's also called, "an electro-massage machine for curing disease at home.

Mothers have been officially celebrated at least since the time of the Greeks and their spring festival honoring Rhea, the mother of the gods. The English had an official Mothering Sunday near the end of Lent. But it wasn't until Julia Ward Howe (who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") tried to organize a sort of mothers-for-peace day in the late 19th century that the movement began in the United States. True credit for Mother's Day lies with Anna Jarvis of West Virginia, who in 1907 convinced her local church to celebrate mothers on the anniversary of the death of her own mother.

For the past 10 weeks, the Daily Pilot gave our readers a glance back at the last 100 years. It was an interesting lesson as to where we came from. What we learned is remarkable. Our Newport-Mesa forefathers were pioneers and trendsetters who foresaw the creation of the largest pleasure harbor in the nation and the preservation of one of the state's largest nature reserves. They were able to envision beautiful communities with some of the best parks, beaches, schools, glimmering shopping malls, libraries and performing arts centers in the state and nation.

ROBERT GARDNER The other night we drove out to the Phoenix Club in Anaheim. It was an adventure in time travel as good as anything described by H. G. Wells. It didn't start out that way. It started out with me being compressed into the back seat of a small car. It's amazing how difficult it can be to squeeze two size 11 shoes into what is laughingly called leg room, particularly at my age. I finally managed to get my limbs in and the door closed, and off we went.

Tom Titus When it came time for UC Irvine to choose the musical with which to open its beautifully refurbished Claire Trevor Theatre, the logical choice was the late actress and benefactor's favorite show, "My Fair Lady." It was an inspired selection. "Inspired" is, indeed, the word to describe the UCI production. The Alan Jay Lerner-Frederick Loewe version of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," which arrived on Broadway in 1956 and stayed for six years, is given a superb rendition in all artistic phases -- performance, music and dance.

When Thomas Edison electrified America in 1882, he hardly could have known the benefits his invention would have for mankind. And, as it turned out, womankind. South Coast Repertory is presenting an exhilarating example of the latter achievement with its latest offering, Sarah Ruhl's "In the Next Room. " Lest anyone be unaware of the subject matter, she subtitles it "or the vibrator play. " The centerpiece of this 21st century envisioning of a late 19th century breakthrough is, indeed, a vibrator — or, as it's also called, "an electro-massage machine for curing disease at home.

Newport-Mesa kids need a bridge to the 21st century. That’s the message Newport-Mesa school board members said they were sending when they voted Tuesday for a new science, math and technology magnet to take the place of Davis Elementary in the fall. “In the 21st century, what are we doing to teach our kids so that they will compete?” asked board member Karen Yelsey. “The U.S. is missing from the list of the top 10 science and math countries. It’s confirmed that we lagged behind many other industrial countries.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez are racing to get some sort of healthcare reform deal together before the legislature adjourns this month. They have separate plans, but both would raise business and hospital taxes to ensure every Californian has health insurance. Should the state try to make sure everyone has health insurance and, if so, how should state lawmakers accomplish that? ? The current drive for “healthcare reform” in California has, unfortunately, turned into a drive to have the government take over healthcare.

After 42 years in business, Lawry's Five Crowns in Corona del Mar has traded in its "lusty wench" server costumes for more elegant and comfortable uniforms, which debuted at the restaurant Tuesday evening. The female servers at the restaurant, which is modeled after one of England's oldest inns, have worn somewhat low-cut, short-skirted dresses, akin to those of an early 20th century English chambermaid, since Five Crowns opened in 1965. "It was time to really upgrade the themed costumes and bring the professionalism of the restaurant and the service staff to the floor with these new uniforms," general manager Chris Szechenyi said.

If any performing group is well-versed in the art of presenting big musicals on small stages without losing any dimension other than size, it's Costa Mesa's Vanguard University, which has demonstrated how to succeed in the past with "Into the Woods," "Brigadoon" and "The Secret Garden," among others. Now the university is succeeding again with "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," the 1960s-era musical satire on the world of big business directed, as were the aforementioned others, by Amick Byram.

Any viewer would expect Director Oliver Stone to bring a cutting-edge perspective to the events of 9/11. But "World Trade Center" is a very conventional, even oldfashioned Hollywood movie of disaster and survival. Stone offers no political statements, no rants about the government, just a poignant tale of love and loss in the shadow of America's harrowing catastrophe. The first 30 minutes cover the shocking events that led to the fall of the twin towers in Manhattan five years ago. Great special effects highlight the terrifying reality that rained death and destruction on New York that day. But once the towers fall, two Port Authority cops played by Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena are buried up to their necks in tons of rubble.

Mothers have been officially celebrated at least since the time of the Greeks and their spring festival honoring Rhea, the mother of the gods. The English had an official Mothering Sunday near the end of Lent. But it wasn't until Julia Ward Howe (who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") tried to organize a sort of mothers-for-peace day in the late 19th century that the movement began in the United States. True credit for Mother's Day lies with Anna Jarvis of West Virginia, who in 1907 convinced her local church to celebrate mothers on the anniversary of the death of her own mother.

In agreement with Smith's column I want to applaud Steve Smith for his column, "Static over TV issue," Saturday. I believe it's well-written and well-said. I totally agree with him about the hypocrisy on the left, and he expressed very well my same feeling, and I thank him for the time and effort that he took to put the column in the paper. MICHELE FRASER Corona del Mar Community should support Measure F Measure A has done an excellent job -- on time and on budget -- of bringing 1950s schools up to 21st Century code, but they are still 1950s schools.

Minority forced school board to make a major error Do you really think teenagers don't know about sex and drugs? Big deal about the flier for the Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series. This only made me want to go even more, but unfortunately when I called today, they were sold out. "It's a conservative community," says former school board member Wendy Leece. Well, there are some of us out here who go the other way and want to be able to make our own choices, including high school students who will be going off to college without their parents running interference for them.