COSTA MESA Gisler Avenue bridge will...

COSTA MESA

Gisler Avenue bridge will be studied by Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley officials shocked Costa Mesa leaders last week

when they took steps toward the implementation of the contentious

Gisler Avenue bridge, which has been the center of discussions

between the two cities for nearly a decade.

The Fountain Valley City Council approved a funding request of

$500,000 from county transportation officials to study the

feasibility of a bridge over the Santa Ana River that would connect

Costa Mesa to Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach.

Costa Mesa officials have long opposed such a bridge, saying it

would flood Mesa Verde with streams of cars traveling from Huntington

Beach to the freeway. While the bridge exits on the county master

transportation plan, regional leaders had agreed to find other

alternatives.

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

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

ENVIRONMENT

Newport activist loses environmental challenge

An Orange County Superior Court Judge on Thursday declined Newport

Beach-based Defend the Bay’s petition against the city of Irvine

asking to invalidate an environmental study relating to an Irvine Co.

development.

The study involved a general plan amendment and zone change to

develop 7,743 acres of land for residential, commercial, recreational

and public uses.

The local environmental group headed by Bob Caustin maintained

that the development would harm native plants and animals and would

raise issues such as traffic, police protection and water quality.

Defend the Bay petitioned the court, saying that the environmental

study did not address any of those issues.

Judge Robert Jameson ruled that the city had complied with the

state law and addressed all issues raised in the complaint.

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

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

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT

JWA loses flights,

but gains passengers

A national report released last week highlighted the continued

decline of domestic air traffic at the nation’s airports since the

Sept. 11 attacks. Los Angeles International has had a 20% drop in

flights. Although John Wayne Airport was not named in the report,

officials said it has had a 2.7% decline over the last 10 months

since the attacks.

However, it has seen an increase in the number of passengers using

the airport.

In November, the number of passengers going through JWA went up by

6.2% compared to the previous year. The airport has been seeing

numbers improve since April, said airport spokeswoman Anne McCarley.

At the moment, JWA is gearing up for the Dec. 31 deadline the

Department of Transportation Security Administration faces to upgrade

baggage screening equipment.

* DAILY PILOT STAFF. To contact the newsroom, call (949) 642-5680

or by e-mail at dailypilot@latimes.com.

EDUCATION

Some district employees may receive 1% raises

Nonteaching Newport-Mesa employees may soon receive a 1% raise.

The board approved the raise on Thursday and made it retroactive to

July. It’s now up to the county to give the increase a final

once-over.

UC Irvine students will have to shell out more dough to attend

classes after the UC Regents approved a systemwide $135-per-quarter

student increase that will start in January. The hike helps the state

make up for some of its deficit.

And a rose garden was dedicated at California Elementary School on

Thursday to honor Ellen Rose, a former teacher who died from

complications of breast cancer in 2000.

Over Christmas break, Measure A elves will be finishing all the

temporary housing at the first group of schools to undergo facility

improvements. Construction is slated to begin in February on seven

out of the first eight schools. The improvements are being funded by

a $110 million bond passed in 2000, $63 million in state matching

funds and $2 million in deferred maintenance funds from the district.

The funds will support a slew of improvements at each school like

seismic strengthening, handicap access and new paint.

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

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