Fish Fry dead in the water again

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Under normal circumstances, large carnival rides would

litter the Costa Mesa skyline this weekend and the scent of battered

Icelandic cod would waft through the air.

Today, however, marks the second consecutive year that the annual Fish

Fry is absent from the Costa Mesa landscape as the result of a lawsuit

launched by an Irvine woman.

Mike Scheafer, the president of the Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions

Club, formally announced this week that his club would not host the event

this year.

“A lot of the club members didn’t want to any kind of planning -- and

rightfully so -- until we had our lawsuit settled,” Scheafer said.

The lawsuit that single-footedly brought a halt to the 57-year

tradition of the Fish Fry was filed by Arlene Wolff, who claimed she hurt

her ankle when she stepped off a curb at Orange Coast College -- the site

of the 2000 Fish Fry. Wolff was on campus for a computer exhibit but

filed a verified claim that she also attended the Fish Fry.

Wolff, 53, sued OCC in 2001 for $80,000, and the college filed a cross

complaint against the Lions Club, asking the club to share in the

liability.

The civil lawsuit was settled out of court for $30,000 about two weeks

ago. Insurance carriers for Lion’s Club International and the computer

show split the settlement given to Wolff, lawyers said.

Wolff could not be reached for comment.

Orange Coast College was also reimbursed for all its legal fees

related to the lawsuit, said Milford Dahl, an attorney for the Coast

Community College District. Dahl said the contract allowing use of

district property for the Fish Fry clearly outlined that the college be

covered under the Lions Club insurance in return for use of the campus.

“They settled and fully exonerated the college and the district,” Dahl

said.

Scheafer said he was saddened by the fact that Costa Mesa would again

miss out on the traditional event. By the time the lawsuit was settled,

it was too far into the “Fish Fry year” to plan for it, Scheafer said.

Club members have already started preliminary plans for next year’s

Fish Fry, Scheafer said. Organizers are looking to move the date back

from the first weekend of June to sometime after school is let out to

allow for the use of either Estancia or Costa Mesa high school campuses.

The return of the Fish Fry will be a grand affair, Scheafer said --

complete with carnival rides, booths and entertainment -- a far cry from

the picnic dinner members had planned to throw this year.

“This lawsuit almost killed the Fish Fry,” he said. “But that won’t

happen as long as I have anything to say about it.”

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

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

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