WEEK IN REVIEW

It was an important week for two families: the Bechlers, who saw one

among them sentenced to life in prison and the Marshalls, who closed a

turbulent chapter of their lives with a run through Back Bay -- just the

way Pegye Bechler would have wanted it.

A jury in February found 33-year-old Eric Bechler guilty of killing

his wife Pegye during an anniversary cruise off the Newport Beach coast

three years ago. He was sentenced Friday to life in state prison without

the possibility of parole.

Bechler consistently pleaded innocent and said that Pegye must have

fallen off their rented speedboat when it was hit by a giant wave. He

said she was driving the boat while towing him on a body board.

Bechler’s family is determined to appeal the verdict and have started

a Web site to gather support.

On a more positive note, the Newport Beach Police Department

recognized several officers for their work in the past year. The winners

were honored at a special awards ceremony Thursday. Off. Joseph Wingert

was declared “Officer of the Year.”

An historic ending

Some people have waited 20 years for Tuesday’s news out of Crystal

Cove.

The residents living in the 46 beachfront cottages, whose court

victories over the years have allowed them to stay in the historic state

park, agreed to leave by July 8.

On Tuesday, the cottage dwellers agreed to drop their Feb. 13 lawsuit,

filed one day after they received eviction notices from the state.

As part of the deal, the residents also pledged not to ask for more

extensions and to cooperate with state efforts to determine whether there

are sewage leaks from septic tanks underneath the cottages.

Crystal Cove became state parkland in 1979, when the California State

Parks and Recreation Department purchased the land and historic shanties

from the Irvine Co. for $32.6 million.

On the national stage

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District made the national spotlight

this week with a revision to the student conduct policy that added

bullying to the list of things punishable by suspension.

Despite what it sounded like listening to many otherwise reputable

media sources, the policy does not demand such a consequence.

Administrators will look at each case -- from flipping an obscene

gesture to a classmate to a flat-out threat or punch in the nose -- on a

case by case basis. Once they do that, administrators will decide what

punishment, if any, is appropriate.

Another correction district officials and school board members had to

make during their moments in the sun was to correct the idea that the

policy changes were a result of the tragic school shooting in Santee,

Calif. In fact, the change stemmed from an incident in Newport-Mesa last

spring.

An unartistic decision

The hearing itself was almost anticlimactic, and council members

thanked supporters and opponents of an arts and education center on open

space behind the Newport Beach Central Library for their courteous

behavior.

But Tuesday’s decision to reject the arts center proposal and keep the

parcel as open space had environmentalists rejoicing and center

supporters disappointed.

Proponents of an undeveloped park for the site said they’ll get going

on their project as soon as possible. And center supporters, while

discouraged by the vote, said they’ll look for another site.

At the same meeting, the city’s elected leaders also set aside almost

$3.7 million in city funds to support a campaign to bring an airport to

El Toro. Citizens and Jobs for the Economy and the Airport Working Group,

two pro-airport organizations, had requested the money. But city

officials said that they’ll also consider giving some of the money to

other groups as well.

A city-style make-over

The Westside is on its way to a face-lift, along with a few other

parts of Costa Mesa.

The City Council, acting as the city’s Redevelopment Agency, voted

Monday to add six areas outside of the Westside to a list it will

consider for a proposed redevelopment study in April.

The agency decided to include the neighborhoods at Mission Drive and

Mendoza Drive, Filmore Way and Coolidge Avenue, Joann Street, Wilson

Street and Canyon Drive, Placentia Avenue to Estancia High School and the

north end of 19th Street.

Westside areas already included are West 19th Street from Anaheim

Avenue to Monrovia Avenue; Placentia Avenue from Victoria Street to 19th;

West 18th Street near Wallace Avenue and Pomona Avenue; Pomona and

Wallace from 19th to Hamilton Street; industrial areas surrounding 17th

Street and Placentia; the industrial area between Monrovia and Whittier

avenues; and the industrial area west of Whittier Avenue.

Redevelopment, expected to take at least a year if it is ultimately

approved, could involve the city using the property taxes to improve the

area or take land using eminent domain.