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.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.