As election day nears, trying to keep track of who is endorsing which of the many candidates running for office this Fall can be quite confusing. But one thing is certain in these challenging and uncertain times, and that is how important our fire, police and first responders are to protecting our country at large and our local communities.
The dedicated men and women who serve us tirelessly day-in and day-out, protecting us from harm and peril at every turn are really the modern-day unsung heroes of our childhood.
You don’t appreciate who is there providing consistent and much-needed services until there is a crisis in our midst. And thus, it should come as no surprise we are seeing signs sprout up all around our neighborhoods proclaiming our uniform support and appreciation for their great service.
As we have learned first-hand over the past six months, Newport Beach is not immune to the many challenges confronting our civil society today — the impact of the pandemic, business closures, smoke and ash covering our neighborhoods and blocking out the sun, casting an eerie orange glow over our neighborhoods, not to mention maintaining order during the mostly peaceful protests this summer that were occasionally interrupted by a stray gun-toting antagonist or driver who ran into a group of protestors standing in the middle of Balboa Boulevard on the Peninsula.
These are but a few examples of the events transpiring in our midst that illustrate why support and praise of our fire, police and first responders is well-deserved.
Hence, I was not surprised to see former Mayor, Diane Dixon and a few others on City Council give their thanks to our fire, police and first responders at a recent City Council Meeting (viewed online).
Clearly our local fire, police and first responders are doing a great job protecting us and our community. And while I find it somewhat disappointing to see reports in the news that some local residents are going around removing and discarding these blue and white signs, in some cases even damaging the signs by cutting them (as was done to a first responder sign hanging outside a cottage on Balboa Island), there is not much we can do, other than to continue showing our support and uniform strong support for our fire, police and first responders.
That is why come this election day, I plan to support them by voting for those City Council Candidates that “they” have endorsed.
While I find it somewhat curious that they are not endorsing the standing District 5 incumbent, it is really not for me to question why they are endorsing a newcomer instead. They likely know something I do not. So come this Fall, I will be showing my support for our local fire, police, and first responders by voting for Noah Blom! Everything I have learned about Noah is authentic and above board! Please learn more for yourself and I think you will find the same!
Barbara Eusey / Balboa Island
