WEEK IN REVIEW

Deck the halls with boughs of holly -- and campaign signs.

Although the next City Council election is still 11 months away,

former council members Heather Somers and Jay Humphrey announced last

week they are considering another run at the dais.

Somers, who was on the council from 1996 to 2000, confirmed Monday she

will try to regain the seat she lost to Karen Robinson last year by a

scant 32 votes.

“I am very interested in getting back into it again. I will definitely

be running,” said Somers, 45.

Humphrey, on the other hand, was not as sure about his decision to run

but said he is definitely “leaning toward it.”

In next November’s election, both council members Linda Dixon and Gary

Monahan will be up for reelection. Monahan, however, has announced he

will not seek another term, leaving his seat open for any takers.

A crop of Westside activists have also announced probable candidacies

but the campaign season is not expected to really start until after the

new year. For now, the hopeful politicians can go about their holiday

business, while visions of being City Council members dance in their

heads.

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

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

A cold, wet taste of research

Three researchers got more than they bargained for after strong winds

and giant waves caused their speedboat to collapse Tuesday afternoon

about 8 miles off Newport Harbor.

The Caltech scientists, who were collecting water samples for

research, spent about a half hour in the cold water before Harbor Patrol

deputies and a Coast Guard helicopter spotted them and brought them

ashore.

The researchers suffered from hypothermia, but were not injured,

officials said. At least, they said, it was nothing that could not be

fixed with a hot shower, coffee and dry clothes.

The researchers were wearing bright orange life vests that helped the

helicopter spot them through the high winds and rough seas. They had also

relayed a faint mayday call to officials using their global positioning

system.

The GPS saved their lives, Harbor Patrol officials said.

In the courts last week, it was all about continued hearings.

Newport-Mesa Unified school board member Jim Ferryman’s arraignment on

DUI charges was continued first from Wednesday to Thursday, then from

Thursday to Jan. 7.

The 53-year-old board member was arrested Sept. 27 on suspicion of

drunk driving after he collided with another driver on Newport Boulevard.

The Orange County district attorney filed charges in October after lab

tests revealed Ferryman’s blood alcohol level at the time of the accident

was 0.19 -- more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Also, Costa Mesa Councilman Chris Steel’s court hearing on felony

perjury charges was postponed from Friday to Jan. 11 at the request of

the prosecutor.

On Jan. 11, Steel attorney Ron Cordova is expected to make a motion

asking the judge to throw out one of the charges that state Steel allowed

a resident to sign election nomination papers for his wife.

-- 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 .

Granted, a library would be nice

A new library shared by the public and Mariners Elementary School

students could be the material outcome of a meeting between city and

school officials held Tuesday at City Hall. Leaders met to plan ways to

take advantage of a funding opportunity created by state Proposition 14

for building joint-use projects. If they can pull off writing the grant

by summer, the state could pay 65% of the library, estimated to cost up

to $3 million.

Several dozen city staff members will get a 2.5% raise beginning next

year, the City Council decided this week. The move also created set pay

structures for many key and management positions, which could help the

city recruit top-notch staff in the future.

Using words like draconian to describe a set of rules to control urban

runoff, council members nonetheless said they could come out in support

of the rules, which are part of a permit the county must renew every five

years to allow cities to operate 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 .

A patriotic day at school

Newport Elementary hosted a patriotic celebration on Friday, gathering

veterans and leaders from the community to share with students their

thoughts on why they are proud to be Americans.

Coast Community College District officials are eagerly awaiting a

report on the investigation of a professor accused of harassing Muslim

students. The report on political science professor Kenneth Hearlson is

expected to be released next week.

UC Irvine students held a rally to raise awareness for the plight of

Afghan refugees. Some also slept in a tent city on campus to bring more

visibility to their campaign.

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

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

It’s the taxi man

The lower deck of John Wayne Airport’s terminal was awash in yellow

Wednesday, when a fleet on new taxi cabs buzzed around and picked up

arriving travelers.

A joint venture of three new companies -- Yellow Cab of North Orange

County, Taxi Systems and Cabco Yellow -- stepped into the breech to

replace American Taxi.

Airport Director Alan Murphy pulled the rug out from under American

Taxi after the failing company informed him it would no longer be able to

serve the airport.

American Taxi, which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, was

also on the verge of losing its entire 142-car fleet to Ford Motor Credit

Co. in a repossession move.

The new companies will serve the airport for six months, until the

Board of Supervisors selects a new permanent cab company.

-- 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 .