COSTA MESA OCC Swap Meet gets...

COSTA MESA

OCC Swap Meet gets go-ahead to re-expand

Hundreds of vendors are silently rejoicing and waiting with baited

breath to see if anyone appeals the Planning Commission’s approval of

a Saturday swap meet last week.

Planning commissioners agreed to reopen the swap meet on Saturdays

with an average of 260 vendors per day, as long as college officials

worked on a more advanced vendor reservation process and prohibited

parking in the Coast Community College District parking lot across

the street. Commissioners also ordered a six-month review to track

the college’s progress.

College officials and vendors alike said they are more than

willing to adhere to all the city’s requirements and are merely

anxious to make up for six months of lost income.

The Planning Commission decision is considered final unless

appealed by 5 p.m. Monday.

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

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

POLITICS

Congressional candidates debate illegal immigration

Four candidates in the race for the new 46th Congressional

District squared off Wednesday evening at Orange Coast College.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher -- the Republican -- Democrat Gerrie

Schipske, Libertarian Keith Gann and Green Party representative Tom

Lash mapped out each other’s positions on a host of topical issues,

including possible military action against Iraq, benefits for illegal

immigrants and the war on drugs.

In a lively debate that featured the candidates swapping jabs and

quips, the four answered audience questions, along with a handful of

questions prepared in advance.

A student committee led by sophomore Madeline Levy organized the

event.

The congressional district was pieced together from four existing

districts after the 2000 Census data was made available. Parts of

Long Beach, Palos Verdes and other areas in Los Angeles County were

added to areas of coastal Orange County.

Rohrabacher has held a seat, most recently the 45th Congressional

District, since 1988.

* 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

School board candidates discuss CHOC center

Candidates for school board debated issues affecting Costa Mesa

and the district as a whole during the second and final candidates’

forum in Costa Mesa on Tuesday. The proposed, on-hold, CHOC health

center at Rea Elementary, sex education and how to engage more

English-speaking parents in the educational process were just some of

the issues discussed.

And UC Irvine students clamored to get a glimpse of Arnold

Schwarzenegger when Conan came to the campus Tuesday to tout his

after-school initiative, Proposition 49. The initiative would expand

preschool funding to any public elementary, middle or intermediate

school in the state that chooses to have one, without raising taxes.

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

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

PUBLIC SAFETY

Former Newport Beach contractor sentenced for fraud

A federal court judge in Kansas City on Wednesday sentenced a

54-year-old man to four months in prison for defrauding the city of

Newport beach while working on an equipment funding and leasing

contract two years ago.

Darrell G. Jarman of Kansas City was also ordered to pay the city

$127,894 -- money he was supposed to pay a supplier to purchase

equipment for the city. Jarman’s company, Municipal Funding Group,

was a contracted vendor for Newport Beach. He admitted in court that

he deposited $127,894 of the city’s money into his personal bank

account in Kansas City instead.

Jarman was found guilty of one count of mail fraud and was

sentenced to four months in prison without parole, plus three years

of supervised release that will include four months of home

detention.

In other news, a fire that broke out in the living room of an

Eastside home Wednesday evening caused about $20,000 in damages and

led to the arrest of one of its residents for an outstanding traffic

warrant.

The fire started when one of the residents used gasoline to light

the fireplace. The fire caused extensive damage to the living room,

but the three occupants managed to escape through the back door

without any injuries. It took 24 firefighters less than 10 minutes to

put out the fire.

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

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