WEEK IN REVIEW
An airport for the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station may be an
idea thats time has come. Or at least that was the case last week at the
Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting.
After years of delays, the board certified the environmental report
for its airport plan at the base.
The board picked an airport that could handle as much as 18.8-million
annual passengers a year. As on extra twist, Supervisor Jim Silva who
represents Newport-Mesa, suggested bringing back the Marine Corps for a
“joint use” of the base. The Marines left in 1998.
South County forces, of course, vowed to carry on the fight against
the planned airport.
-- Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may
be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7
paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .
No worming his way out of this
Dennis Rodman pleaded guilty Thursday to three criminal misdemeanor
charges relating to noise violations at his 40th birthday in May.
The former NBA star also paid off a ticket he received for speeding
his boat through Newport Harbor in August.
Superior Court Judge Margaret Anderson ruled Thursday that Rodman pay
$1,000 to the Newport Beach Police Department as reimbursement for law
enforcement expenses and $500 to pay court costs.
The judge also ordered Rodman to pay a $1,080 to settle the speeding
ticket.
Prosecutor Mike Fell said he was satisfied with the judge’s ruling and
that he was pleased that Rodman pleaded guilty on all counts. Rodman’s
attorney Paul Meyer said his client was singled out and treated
differently than others who might have been in the same position.
In other news, a suspected child molester, wanted for exposing himself
to three Costa Mesa girls in April, was arrested in Tustin. Kirk Brian
Eggleston, 35, a Tustin Ranch resident was arrested near his home this
week after a six-month long investigation by Tustin, Irvine and Costa
Mesa police. He is being held in Orange County jail with bail set at
$150,000.
-- Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached
at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .
Putting all their apples in the lobby
The city’s stance against unbridled expansion of John Wayne Airport
took on national significance as the City Council approved plans to lobby
Washington. Council members decided to spend at least $350,000 on two
contracts for legislative advocacy. Their goal: to convince Federal
Aviation Administration and other officials to side with the city and
extend a settlement agreement now governing some airport impacts. That
agreement will expire at the end of 2005 if it’s not extended.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints submitted plans to the
city for a 17,500-square-foot temple at Bonita Canyon Drive and Prairie
Road. Plans include a 91-foot-tall spire topped off with a statue of the
angel Moroni. That steeple will require special approval by the city.
Two of the beach’s worst bathrooms will soon be bulldozed and
replaced. Public restrooms at Balboa Pier and at Washington Street, under
a $531,000 contract, will be closed for 12 weeks, probably beginning in
mid-November, and replaced with portables while new facilities are being
constructed.
-- June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)
574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .
Planning more than just the fair
Orange County Fair Board members managed to keep everyone seemingly
happy last week while moving forward on plans for a 10-year master plan
for the site.
At a public meeting on the fairgrounds, members of the board of
directors heard from about 50 concerned audience members about three
major components of the master plan -- the Market Place, amphitheater and
equestrian center. A total of about 150 people attended the meeting.
Board members took advantage of the meeting to clear some things up,
like the fact that there were never any plans to move the Market Place
from its current spot on the site. Hearing that, about 75 vendors -- who
were ready to express their disapproval of the proposed plans -- breathed
a collected sigh of relief.
In fact, vendors walked out of the meeting with more than they had
asked for, as board members offered to explore the possibility of moving
the carnival part of the annual fair that usually requires Market Place
vendors to close shop for three weeks during the summer.
President Curt Pringle also took about five minutes to explain to
audience members the difference between this fair board and past fair
boards. Frustrated with assumptions made by audience members who were
opposed to the revival of he amphitheater, Pringle explained the board’s
motivation was not a profit-seeking one.
Residents charged the new amphitheater would bring the same loud rock
concerts it had in the 1980s, but Pringle insisted the atmosphere would
be different.
Horse enthusiasts may have gotten the worst deal with the proposed 50%
cut of the equestrian center but audience members cheered the decision,
as it was far better than the option to cut it entirely.
-- Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)
574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .
School bond bounds ahead
Last week was potentially big one for the school district.
The Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board asked the county Board
of Supervisors to issue $40 million in bonds to begin the facilities
implementation plan approved by Measure A. The bonds are for the first
two years of construction.
The board also discussed adding two temporary relocatable buildings
for the STEP and Transition 2 programs, which serve developmentally
disabled students, at Harper School. The board will vote on this at a
future meeting.
The board also revised the school’s zero-tolerance policy to include
making terrorist threats, committing sexual assault, harassing a student
who is a complaining witness and carrying a pager, except under a
doctors’s authority, as grounds for suspension.
Two schools also received $25,000 donations by Harbor Boulevard of
cars “Dollars for Schools Program.” Estancia High School received $25,000
for two scoreboards. Corona del Mar received $25,000 for its
college/career center and its math clinic.-- Deirdre Newman covers
education. She may be reached at (949) 574-4221 or by e-mail at o7
deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .
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