WEEK IN REVIEW

Richard Riordan did some damage control with Newport Beach residents

last week after local leaders blasted him for doing a “180-degree

turnaround” on the proposed airport at El Toro.

In an interview with the Daily Pilot, Riordan clarified his recent

change of heart on the subject. He now advocates a regional solution, he

said, but it should be up to Orange County residents to decide whether

anticipated increases in air traffic should be accommodated by John Wayne

Airport, El Toro or elsewhere.

In a last-minute surprise to officials who thought Newport Coast

annexation was a done deal, residents on Friday handed in enough

signatures to possibly stop the annexation.

Annexation aggravation doesn’t stop there. The city is gearing up to

annex parts of Bay Knolls and Santa Ana Heights, where residents, too

are gearing up for a fight. But unlike their Coast counterparts,

residents in these areas are fighting to become part of Newport Beach

instead of Costa Mesa.

In other news, City Council members are looking for ways to comply

with some tough new water-quality rules that will likely be imposed by

the regional water quality board. One proposed rule would make it illegal

for merchants to hose down their sidewalks unless they capture all the

water with sandbags then vacuum it up to keep it out of the storm drains.

-- June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .

Justice postponed

A jury trial was postponed from Nov. 26 to Feb. 19 in the case of

Ramadan Dokovic, the 42-year-old man accused of publicly shooting and

killing Newport Beach resident Miroslav Maric in May outside a fast food

restaurant in Costa Mesa.

Court and attorney schedules were the reason for the delay, officials

said.

Several witnesses reportedly saw the shooting that happened on a

Friday afternoon in a bustling shopping center at the corner of 17th

Street and Tustin Avenue. Police found Maric shot several times and

slumped in the front seat of his black Mercedes convertible.

Police have not released any further information on the case regarding

the motive for the shooting or about the relationship between the two

men.

In other news, Newport Beach Police said Monday that a 41-year-old

Huntington Beach attorney found dead at the base of a three-story parking

structure in Newport Beach committed suicide.

The coroner as well as detectives were investigating Jeffrey Wall’s

death as “suspicious.” But police said an initial report from the coroner

and other investigation showed that Wall’s injuries were consistent with

him voluntarily falling off the parking structure near O’Melveny & Myers,

the law firm where he worked.

-- 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 .

An election, already?

With election season just around the corner, candidates have emerged

for both Newport-Mesa assembly races.

In John Campbell’s 70th District, Democrat John Kane and Libertarian

Paul Studier hope to unseat Campbell, a popular incumbent in one of the

state’s most Republican districts.

Both men live in Lake Forest. The newly realigned district no longer

includes Costa Mesa.

Bidding to represent that city in the state assembly are three men --

Republican Ken Maddox, Democrat Al Snook and Libertarian Doug Scribner.

Maddox is the heavily favored incumbent.

Another statewide race has drawn the attention of locals -- the race

for the 12th Senate District. State Parks Director Rusty Areias would

have to step down from his post to run for the seat. The former

assemblyman has expressed interest in getting back into an elected

office.

The move would mean the 46 cottages in Crystal Cove State Park would

lose one of their biggest allies. Areias has been one of the most

outspoken proponents of funding for the restoration of the cottages.

-- 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 .

A little too noisy, we’re afraid

If Councilwoman Linda Dixon’s proposal to add more homes to the Home

Ranch site was considered an eleventh-hour request, then her decision to

withdraw that suggestion must have come somewhere around hour 12 or 13.

The City Council voted unanimously last week to withdraw the proposal

just two hours before the Planning Commission was set to hear

presentations from city planners and C.J. Segerstrom & Sons about the

possibility of adding an additional 174 houses to a portion of the former

lima bean fields that backed up against the Los Angeles Times building.

Dixon said she visited the site where the additional housing could be

built -- designated for industrial use in the Segerstroms original

proposal -- and said the loud shrills of the printing presses were too

loud to neighbor any houses.

The thuds of large rolls of newsprint and clanking of metal from the

forklifts would keep residents awake at all hours of the night, she said.

The council is set to vote on the project Monday night.

-- Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .

A civil apology

Newport Harbor High School officials apologized for the use of a

Confederate flag by its band at a halftime football show last week. The

flag, and its American counterpart, will not be used during any more

football games, although they will still be used in band competition.

Corona del Mar hosted its annual Community Service and Assembly Fair

with an inspirational speech by Peter Biehl, whose daughter Amy was

murdered while doing social work in South Africa. Biehl and his wife,

Linda, are carrying on Amy’s work in South Africa and have reconciled

with the men who murdered her.

Also at Corona del Mar, students kicked off the “Best Buddies

program,” which matches up students with special education buddies. The

international program enables students with developmental disabilities to

share in the social activities of their buddies.

And Harbor View School celebrated its honor of earning a Blue Ribbon

award -- one of the most prestigious awards a school can attain.

-- Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .