Mailbag: Cogged stone site is a jewel

Bolsa Chica is home to a 9,000-year-old archaeological cogged stone site. It was recognized by the Department of the Interior as eligible to be a National Historic Site. It is older than the pyramids and Stonehenge by thousands of years. This site was a manufacturing village for cogged stones. The only other such site is in Chile. The California Coastal Commission acted appropriately. Unpermitted digging by Scientific Resource Surveys should be punished. The Land Trust has been working for 20 years to preserve the cogged stone site. We hope to identify funding and work with the landowner to purchase this internationally significant prehistory site.

Flossie Horgan

Huntington Beach

The writer is the executive director of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust.

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Fireworks will dog Surf City

For the past 10 years or so, fireworks have been illegal in Huntington Beach. Each year, for the days before and after July 4, the neighborhood I live in is loud with the sound of fireworks. M80s can be heard booming and whole batches are set off at once. For me, it is particularly bad because my dog is very disturbed and I do not sleep for days. Even without my dog pacing, urinating in the house and shaking with fear, I could not sleep for hours because of the noise from surrounding fireworks. And this was at a time when they were illegal! What will our life be like now that the council has voted to lift the ban? How will this affect the quality of our ocean water with the residue washing unfiltered into our waters? What are they thinking? Are they representing the residents of our city? I do not think so; there must be some hidden agenda.

Beth Shafer

Huntington Beach

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H.B. contributed to global cause

Thanks to the generous efforts of Huntington Beach-area residents, thousands of hurting children worldwide will have the opportunity to experience the joy of Christmas. Residents joined Operation Christmas Child, the world's largest Christmas project of its kind, to pack 8,475 shoe boxes with toys, school supplies and necessity items. These gift-filled shoe boxes are making their way — or have already made their way — into the hands of needy children in 100 receiving countries.

On behalf of our community, I would like to thank the volunteers at local collection sites and everyone who packed an Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift. For many of the children receiving these boxes, the simple shoe box will be the first gift they have ever received.

Although the Huntington Beach drop-off location is closed until November 2012, gifts are received throughout the year at Samaritan's Purse, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, N.C., 28607. If you would like to get involved year-round in helping children in need through Operation Christmas Child, go online to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/occ or call (714) 432-7030.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in this project. A simple gift, packed with love, can communicate hope and transform the lives of children worldwide!

Jennifer Trevithick

Santa Ana

The writer is the West Coast regional director for Operation Christmas Child.