What a great weekend

It’s hard to believe, but there was too much to do over the weekend.

That’s not a bad problem for a community to have.

The Costa Mesa Fish Fry returned to its long-standing tradition at

Lions Park after two quiet years. The Daily Pilot Cup, the annual

soccer tournament, grew bigger and better in its fourth year. The

Balboa Island Parade celebrated its 10th annual event in front of

thousands on Marine Avenue. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church held

its fourth annual three-day carnival.

The events just remind Newport-Mesa of how rich, diverse and full

of life this community truly is.

Pilot Cup director Kirk McIntosh outdoes himself every year. More

children than ever participated in the growing event at the Costa

Mesa Farm Sports Complex, and it appears McIntosh would like to see

that trend continue. He said he would like to see more participants

from some of the less represented Newport-Mesa schools.

It would also behoove more parents and teachers at those schools

to become involved next year. The tournament will certainly need

them.

It was wonderful to see the Fish Fry return, albeit in an

abbreviated form. The fried fish returned -- Alaskan cod substituted

for traditional Icelandic cod -- and carnival-goers lined up 30-plus

strong at times, reminding the Lions Club just how popular an event

they have on their hands.

It will be great to see it grow again next year, with the help of

more volunteers and booths, so that the community groups can benefit

from this fantastic fund-raiser.

Lions Club officials said they sold more fish on Saturday than

they expected to sell the entire weekend and almost exhausted their

supply of secret batter. Whatever the secret, that recipe needs to

become public. It’s too delicious for everyone to taste only once a

year.

Like the Pilot Cup, the Balboa Island Parade keeps growing. The

only number that stays constant is the number of Keystone Kops in the

parade: four, among them Newport Beach Mayor Steve Bromberg. Like the

other events, the parade proves to be a tradition worthy of

continuing and growing. It’s a wonderful celebration of community and

life.

Newport-Mesa knows how to live so much, through all of these

events, that the Daily Pilot found itself overwhelmed in coverage.

That’s proof of an involved community.