Laguna Woods

Residents may review the statements of qualification written by candidates in line for the three open City Council seats. The statements will be available at the Laguna Woods offices at 24310 Moulton Parkway.

Re "Pathway to citizenship likely to be rocky in D.C.," Feb. 19 Just because Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) - who said, "Just because you are a wonderful person doesn't mean you deserve to be an American citizen" - had the luck to be born here should not give him the right to deny citizenship to a person who has lived here for most of her life, is in college and will in all likelihood become a productive member of her community, paying...

A Laguna Woods woman who helped a World War II veteran commit suicide with a mixture of OxyContin, yogurt and heartburn medication has been sentenced to probation, with no jail time. Elizabeth Barrett, 66, had pleaded guilty to one felony count of assisted suicide in the death of Jack Koency, an 86-year-old Laguna Niguel resident, according to the Orange County district attorney's office. Barrett had faced three years in state prison, but county prosecutors said they weighed the victim's wishes and the defendant's lack of a criminal history in making their sentencing recommendation.

Re "Outside groups lead the charge," May 3 Wouldn't democracy be better served if there was a nonpartisan filter through which both sides would be threaded? All the "outside groups" should have the information in their ads would be fact-checked before release. The system followed now permits false claims, downright lies or, at best, shades of the truth with important omissions. This is no way to run an honorable political campaign. Anita C. Singer Laguna Woods ALSO: Letters: Ban the boarders Letters: Funding L.A.'s parks Letters: Adult education is worth saving

In a Vietnamese jungle on Sept. 4, 1969, the stubby bullet of a Russian-made AK-47 ripped into the skull of Army Spc. Leonard Rugh, then 24. It didn't stop until it had torn through his brain's right frontal lobe, powered its way through the right parietal lobe and lodged itself in the dome of his helmet. Against all odds, Rugh survived. But what happened after bespeaks the critical importance of the society that surrounds a survivor of penetrating brain injury. In Rugh's case, no one in the world beyond his hospital bed was more important than his bride of three years, Luanna Rugh, who remains, 42 years later, his chief cheerleader and primary caregiver.

OK, what do you think of when I say "lawn bowling"? Bagpipes and daiquiris? The Duke of Beaufort? I can barely conjure up a visual myself. To me, lawn bowling is like a forced marriage between badminton and a clambake. Actually, it is so much more ? more or less. Even as we speak, the U.S. Open, the largest international competition in the nation, is taking place right in our own backyards ? Long Beach, Newport, Laguna. Of course, if you bowled in my real backyard, you'd kill three gophers and a Pekingese.

Making waves Re "Sailor's parents unswayed by critics," June 12 As a solo sailor with thousands of miles under the keel, and as a father of five, I can't tell you how incensed I am at Abby Sunderland's teenage prank. First, who says sailing when you are talking to daddy on the satellite phone every few hours is "solo" sailing? Second, who says a child adrift in a dismasted vessel in the Indian Ocean is "safe"? Finally, isn't child endangerment a crime in California?

Healthcare legislation Re "How Harry Reid threaded a needle," Dec. 24 As the Democrats and most people in the nation applaud the passage of the Healthcare Reform Act in the Senate, the man who deserves the lion's share of the credit is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who kept hope alive when almost everyone else gave up. First it was Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) refusing to support the expansion of Medicare, which he had previously advocated, and then it was Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.

Trips that can make a difference Regarding "Trips That Led to New Chapters" [Dec. 20] by Amanda Jones: After traveling in Nepal frequently beginning in 1990, several trekking buddies and I started talking about forming a nonprofit to better organize our efforts helping children and women there. The Didi Project ( www.didiproject.org) was born. While visiting Nepal in the fall, during boarding school vacations, we had the delight of living and traveling with "our daughter" Sabita, who now at age 15, helps a lot with the projects.

Re "Army in dark on Hasan's e-mails," Nov. 11, and "Suspected gunman's ties to mosque investigated," Nov. 9 It is indeed troubling that despite the post-9/11 efforts to create interagency task forces to improve intelligence-sharing, communication lapses continue -- including those that may have led to the tragic massacre at Ft. Hood, Texas. What possibly could be more important than doing everything possible to ensure the integrity of those who wear the uniforms of our armed services, and to whom we entrust our country's security?

What a great article by Rosemary McClure ["Good News for the Woof Gang," Oct. 25]. Of course, we're a bit prejudiced, being owners of a wheaten. Because of her experiences (and the adorable pictures), we want to jump in the car and follow the exact same route. Marilyn Parrent Laguna Woods :: We love reading about the adventures of wheatens from all over. We too love RVing and are always looking for pet-friendly places, mostly in Florida for our wheaten terriers Riley and Teddy.