NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“It helps me understand what people from our country are going

through. It makes me think twice about the war.”

-- Clairisa Maygren, a junior at Estancia High School, on taking part

in a Tuesday exercise by teacher Jon Williams that tried to re-create the

tactical and sensory assault of World War I trench warfare.

“I think what the citizens of Newport Beach are saying with Greenlight

and Measure G is that they think developers control the city’s

decision-making process in ways that are inconsistent with their own

values.”

-- Scott Bollen, professor of urban planning at UC Irvine, analyzing

the results of the Nov. 20 special election, in which 6,251 residents

voted no on Measure G, killing a developer’s plan to add 250,000 square

feet of office space to the Koll Center at MacArthur Boulevard and

Jamboree Road

“If every one of us takes the opportunity to contribute in one small

way, then no one can stop us.”

-- Debbie Davis, president of Act for Global Justice, taking part in a

rally Tuesday at UC Irvine that highlighted the plight of Afghan refugees

“Firemen are usually labeled as the good guys or the heroes. But when

people see a cop they think, ‘Oh, they’re coming tohassle us.’ It’s

really sad.”

-- Claudia Austin, who took part in Costa Mesa’s Citizen’s Academy, on

how cops are perceived. The 12-week academy gives area residents a chance

to learn about law enforcement.

“I was just so thankful and so warmed over about these people that

were going to offer their time, it really made the difference.”

-- Jim Jordan, on having local Fire Explorers and others help him put

up the “Peanuts” Christmas display he does every year at his mother’s

Costa Mesa home. Jordan was considering not installing the display for

the first time in 35 years.

“I believe this is how communities are truly supposed to work.”

-- Dave Brooks, Newport-Mesa Unified School District board president,

on the district pitching in with the city and community members to donate

16 new computers to Youth Achievers of Costa Mesa, an after-school

program.

“It all worked out perfectly. He didn’t have to be as diligent as he

was. The guy was great.”

-- Richard Esposito, lauding Newport Beach’s Glen Everroad for helping

him fix a problem in his towing bill. Everroad, an administrative

services specialist, discovered that a local towing company was

overcharging people because of a computer program glitch.