Spirited but civilized celebration

Sue Doyle

NEWPORT BEACH -- The city’s alter ego showed itself Tuesday as thousands

flocked to the Balboa Peninsula to celebrate, transforming the normally

peaceful seaside town into a gigantic fraternity party.

Bare-chested men and bikini-clad women poured into the streets and roamed

from house to house on a never-ending quest for the perfect party.

Costa Mesa resident Chad Fassler stood with friends on the porch of one

home, deciding who would pass inspection and be allowed to enter their

party.

“The blonder their hair, the tanner their skin and the bluer their eyes,”

Fassler said. “That’s how we decide who gets in.”

Despite the huge crowds, there were no reports of the lawless behavior

that has tainted past celebrations.

Newport Beach reported a decline in arrests made over the holiday weekend

when compared to previous years. Authorities made approximately 75

arrests Friday through Monday and about 50 more Tuesday, mainly

alcohol-related.

“There’s been a lot of people, but it’s been quiet,” said Lt. John

Desmond of the Newport Beach Police Department.

Last year, approximately 180 arrests were made -- still fewer than in the

late 1980s, when as many as 300 to 400 arrests were made, said Sgt. Mike

McDermott of the Newport Beach Police Department.

The Fourth of July is a nationwide tradition, but one that marks a

special occasion for the city, which over the years has become notorious

for wild parties thrown on the west side of town.

Some have dubbed the area the “War Zone” for the celebrations that in the

past have grown out of control, turning the festive occasion into

complete chaos.

Many locals have blamed out-of-towners for the problems of the past,

saying the visitors don’t care about the consequences and spoil the fun

for others.

“Only people from Newport should party here. No one here wants to goof up

their town. It’s the other people that do that,” said Mike Ryan, 26.

In 1986, vacationing youths on Seashore Drive threw bottles and fireworks

at police, injuring one officer. Authorities now patrol that area with

helmets.

But 1992 marked the worst for crime on the Fourth. A gang-related

shooting of three young men at 21st Street and Ocean Front turned the

holiday into an ugly manhunt for the suspects. The shooting was followed

by the beating of a 17-year-old gang member and the stabbing of a

25-year-old man during a fight.

Authorities beefed up patrols in order to prevent the same problems this

year. The entire Newport Beach Police Department, all reserve officers,

plus backup from the California Highway Patrol and the Orange County

Sheriff’s Department hit the streets Tuesday.

A special command post was set up behind City Hall, where officers

processed all arrests. A bus from the Orange County Jail sat waiting to

transport any number of offenders to Newport Beach Jail.

Officers on bicycles carefully navigated the streets through heavy

crowds. Others directed traffic. Some walked through the streets.

Some locals didn’t seem to notice the heavy patrols and continued with

their partying as police helicopters hovered overhead.

“This seems less patrolled than other years. Everyone is having a good

time and maintaining their sanity,” said Chet Van Horn, 25.