NEWPORT BEACH Survey of residents shows...

NEWPORT BEACH

Survey of residents shows traffic to be a top problem

A telephone survey of 1,000 residents shows that the largest

number of those surveyed think the best way to deal with the

“mansionization” issue is to leave it alone. The survey also showed

that people believe traffic congestion is a problem, but don’t

believe that widening major roads is the solution.

District 1 City Council candidate Marianne Zippi said that a

hacker used her e-mail address to send out offensive messages and

also made changes to her Web site. The hacker was effective at

eliciting numerous outraged calls to Zippi, who had to explain that

she had not sent the messages.

City Councilman John Heffernan has announced that he will complete

his term. The District 7 councilman made the announcement Tuesday,

contrary to his announcement earlier this year that he would step

down.

* 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.

COSTA MESA

Closed session opens

city up to litigation

In an effort to scrutinize its own legal department, the City

Council succeeded in exposing the city to a lawsuit by holding an

allegedly illegal closed session, an opinion from the city attorney’s

office contends.

Council members met in closed session Wednesday morning to discuss

a likely lawsuit from City Atty. Jerry Scheer, who was placed on paid

administrative leave during a Sept. 9 closed meeting now thought to

be unlawful.

City officials announced the findings of the critical legal

opinion from Asst. City Atty. Tom Wood, written Sept. 16, because

state open meeting laws mandate the public be made aware of the facts

of possible litigation. Attorney Greg Petersen, who represents

Scheer, has previously alleged illicit closed door meetings and

threatened legal action as a result. No claims have yet been filed

with the city.

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

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

POLITICS

Taylor under scrutiny for JWA agreement claims

Newport Beach City Council candidate Rick Taylor has come under

scrutiny by opponents who say he has exaggerated the amount of credit

he deserves for creating the John Wayne Settlement Agreement

extension. Despite a campaign mailer sent out earlier this month that

claims Taylor volunteered thousands of hours, City Council members

Norma Glover and Dennis O’Neil said that Taylor, to their knowledge,

did not contribute significantly to the agreement.

Campaign finance reports released last week show unusually large

campaign war chests. Costa Mesa City Council incumbent Gary Monahan

leads that city’s fund-raising with $40,000, the lion’s share of the

$114,000 raised by all that council incumbents. In the school board

race, Tom Egan had received the most contributions with $5,422

reported received in the first part of October. In Newport Beach,

Mayor Tod Ridgeway led the fund-raising race, with $11,716 in cash

contributions in the first part of October.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Son of lord chancellor pleads guilty to stalking

Alastair Irvine, the 25-year-old son of Great Britain’s top

judicial officer, pleaded guilty Thursday to stalking and threatening

the boyfriend of a woman who spurned his advances.

Irvine, the son of Britain’s Lord Chancellor Alexander Derry

Irvine, entered the plea in a Newport Beach courtroom and was

sentenced to 16 months in state prison. The Newport Beach resident

was arrested in late June on suspicion of vandalism, stalking and

brandishing a weapon.

Irvine pleaded guilty to five felony charges including vandalism,

stalking, burglary, two counts of threatening and one misdemeanor

count of possessing a concealed firearm. He will be deported soon

after he serves the sentence.

The judge issued a 10-year restraining order that prevents Irvine

from being near his victims. The judge also ordered Irvine to pay an

undisclosed amount of restitution to the victims.

Irvine, who has already served about six months in county jail,

will have to serve only 10 more months in state prison. He could get

out in as few as five months with good behavior and enrolling in a

work program.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.