NEWPORT BEACH Binoculars will replace coin-operated...

NEWPORT BEACH

Binoculars will replace coin-operated telescopes

The coin-operated telescopes on the piers and at Inspiration Point

will be replaced by binoculars.

City Council members voted to sever a 55-year relationship with

Carden Coin Telescopes to bring in a new contractor, Tower Optical,

despite a less-favorable split of the revenues.

A report disclosing pro-El Toro spending set off heated

discussions in Newport Beach last week. City Councilman John

Heffernan said he found it questionable that nearly a third of the

$3.6-million grant to the Airport Working Group and Citizens for Jobs

and the Economy paid for professional services of those groups’

leaders.

David Ellis and Barbara Lichman of the working group and Bruce

Nestande from Citizens for Jobs and the Economy fired back that the

city got plenty for its money.

The Balboa Theater Performing Arts Foundation and the Newport

Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau both announced new executives

last week. Mary Lonich has taken the helm of the Balboa Theater with

the goal of ushering in a new professionalism for the organization.

Marta Hayden will take over as head of the visitors bureau on Aug.

26 to fill the void left by John Cassady.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.

ENVIRONMENT

Sanitation district begins chlorinating wastewater

Orange County Sanitation District managers joined many of their

peers in the treatment industry, as they began chlorinating their

wastewater with industrial bleach.

Beginning Monday, the district began adding chlorine and a

dechlorinating chemical that removes the bleach before it enters the

ocean.

The district releases 234-million gallons of partially treated

wastewater from an outfall pipe on the ocean floor every day.

After months of protest from environmentalists, leaders of local

cities and state lawmakers, the district approved stepped-up

treatment for its wastewater July 17.

Separately, regional water-quality regulators ordered the district

to implement the chlorine disinfection.

The expensive chemicals cost the district about $8 million per

year.

Sanitation districts in Los Angeles and Hawaii have been using the

method for many years.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment and politics. He may be

reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at paul.clinton@latimes.com.

EDUCATION

One candidate wins election so far in board race

One of the school board candidates found out she will replace Jim

Ferryman on the dais in January. Linda Sneen will be appointed to

Ferryman’s seat in December to represent the north side of Costa Mesa

since no one else filed for his seat.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

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

COSTA MESA

Planners decide soccer field allocation is working

Planning commissioners upheld previous limitations on playing time

at the Farm Sports Complex last week, saying there seemed to be no

community demand for additional soccer tournaments.

Commissioners decided there was no need for more than four special

events per year at the farm complex, which was opened in 1998 to

accommodate youth soccer. Commissioners acknowledged that during

those periodic special events, Sunday games could start earlier than

regularly allowed to accommodate tournament schedules.

American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) representatives agreed

that four tournaments per year was enough to accommodate their

schedule and added that any additional field allocation time would go

to teams that hold only one or two Costa Mesa players on the roster.

Farm complex fields may be used

from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6

p.m. Sunday, except for tournament Sundays, when games may start at 9

a.m.

* LOLITA HARPER covers

Costa Mesa. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.