Garage Sale

Balboa Island Garage Sale - Love it or hate it - what it your take?

Having been in the newspaper business all my life I know the haters are the ones squeak the most because I am a squeaker! So I need some feedback from the other 99 percent.

Call The City - Call the Newport Beach Police Department. Tell them there is a person named Matt Dingwall who would love to shut our Garage Sale down because of a few whiners. Or make us pay exorbitant fees - bring in Bathrooms - Policemen. We have bathrooms. Other neighborhood garage sales do not.

And when you get right down to it what we do is totally legal. They determined that last time we went to bat on this issue. They just don't like that we are on the OC Marathon Weekend. Excuse me - this was my weekend way before the Marathon came along. And the Marathon doesn't care one whit about Balboa Island.  They don't even clean up after themselves and their trash goes into our beautiful bay.

 We have businesses on Balboa Island. The Garage Sale Day is also a huge day for Retail Business on Balboa Island and the Markets and the Restaurants - tax Revenue for Newport Beach. It is Starbucks biggest day of the year!

The only people who have a truly legitimate issue are the hair dressers. If I were a hair dresser I would either close down for the day or hire a driver to bring my clients from off the Island to my salon - how cool would that be!! They might even chauffeur new clients who would want a new experience!

So if you want to see another Garage Sale - contact your City Council Person Ed Selich - Contact Matt Dingwall at the Recreation Department (are Garage Sales Recreation?)

I will need volunteers next year to help with the traffic issue - much as we love them, we don't need to be paying policemen to direct traffic - we solved the problem with volunteers for the Parade. Maybe we can make this a walking event! We can do better!!  And now that I will be 66 for the next Garage Sale I actually do need some help!!! Thanks

Please leave comments at the end of the this blog - I have changed the settings so anyone can comment and so that the comments go to my e-mail ccarrcomm@gmail.com   The comments link is very tiny - so if you don't see it just e-mail me.  Thank you - I really need help on this.