Notable Quotables

“It is one of the best memories of my life. My daughters, my husband,

my family and the Rose Bowl.”

-- Rhonda Heintz, 42, of Costa Mesa, on riding on the 1978 Mission

Viejo float in the Rose Parade. The float won the Sweepstakes award.

“Historically when we have rainy weather, we traditionally have boat

fires.”

-- Sgt. Ron Peoples of the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol,

speaking about a 51-foot sailboat that suffered around $10,000 in damages

during a fire on Dec. 29, a rainy Saturday.

“I think people want to spend more time with their families and not

just celebrate for the sake of celebrating. People are realizing the

value of family.”

-- Richard Zarate, assistant manager at The Party Staff Inc., a Costa

Mesa company that provides chefs, waiters and valets for parties, on why

there were fewer New Year’s parties for 2001-2002.

“This whole thing isn’t going to make him a better ball player, or

more desirable for a college program. It kind of puts a mark on him.”

-- Gary Johnson, a Costa Mesa-based pro baseball scout for the Kansas

City Royals, on the suit filed by Marc Martinez, father of Sea Kings

pitcher J.D. Martinez, against Corona del Mar coach John Emme. The suit

claims that derogatory statements made by Emme hurt his son’s chances for

college recruitment.

“When I was first elected, I didn’t have the best image. I was not

looked at as a team player, but I have gone out of my way to give [fellow

council members] what they want -- to a point. I hope they will give me

the benefit of the doubt and second some of my motions -- at least give

me a chance.”

-- Chris Steel, on serving on the Costa Mesa City Council. Steel was

named the Daily Pilot’s newsmaker of the year.

“I think he is the most fantastic choir teacher in the universe. He

has a passion for music and wants us to focus but does it in a nice way.”

-- Michelle Baldwin, freshman at Costa Mesa High School, on music

teacher Jon Lindfors, who was recently recognized in the top echelon of

Orange County Teachers of the Year for 2002.

“Historically, we’ve sponsored pep rallies and provided band practice

space at schools -- things like that. But now it’s a much greater

challenge to market Newport Beach.”

-- John Cassady of the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau,

on the trouble the city is having attracting fans, players and bands from

the Rose Bowl. The Jan. 3 game for the national championship between

Miami and Nebraska marked the first year that the teams didn’t represent

the Pac 10 and Big Ten conferences.

“People who use John Wayne are a little less sensitive to the economy.

They’re richer.”

-- John Heimlich, director of economic and market research with the

Air Transport Assn., on why John Wayne Airport seems to have bucked the

national downward trend in holiday travel, with figures showing that the

2001 numbers were close to those of 2000.