Briefly in the news

Paul Clinton

In a court filing Wednesday, airport supporters argued in favor of

Judge James Gray’s ruling invalidating the signatures collected thus far

for the Orange County Central Park initiative.

With the 30-page filing, attorneys for Citizens for Jobs and the

Economy were responding to initiative supporters who have appealed Gray’s

July 31 ruling.

Signature gatherers with the Committee for Safe and Healthy

Communities have collected more than 140,000 for the initiative that

would pave the way for a park, open space and other non-aviation uses at

the closed El Toro Marine Corps base.

They have asked for an emergency ruling from the state appellate court

so they can try to get the measure on the March ballot. The deadline is

Sept. 18.

An appellate judge could have a ruling in the next several weeks.