Building a life in a growing city

Having spent half my life in Costa Mesa, there are some memories that

jump out at me.

My first stint in this town was for six months in the mid-1960s,

when I returned to Southern California after service in the military.

I was launching myself into a new career, making very little money at

the time, and found Costa Mesa to be an affordable place to live. I

rented a studio apartment near the corner of 19th Street and Maple

Avenue for $85 per month. I worked 50 to 60 hours per week and did my

laundry at the Laundromat on 19th Street on Friday nights.

Costa Mesa was a place I slept, munched an occasional taco and did

my laundry. I recall fighting the ground fog -- caused by the

agriculture that preceded South Coast Plaza -- that frequently

shrouded the “Newport Freeway” in those days. One of life’s great

adventures is trying to drive up the freeway from its terminus at

Bristol Street in fog so thick that you have to open the driver’s

door and look for the lane lines while trying to keep the car pointed

in the right direction.

After marrying my sweet wife and bouncing around the country like

a couple of gypsies for several years, we returned to Costa Mesa in

the early 1970s. We will have lived in the same house on the Eastside

for 30 years in a couple of months. My real Costa Mesa recollections

begin at that time.

“Culture” in those days was represented by the old Mesa Theater

and Kona Lanes. South Coast Plaza had been completed and was by then

the premiere shopping venue in the country -- the place to go.

Triangle Square did not yet exist, but one of its predecessors on

that location, MarVac Electronics, was a destination of choice until

redevelopment forced it out and up Harbor Boulevard.

In those early days, the traffic around the Devil’s Triangle --

Newport, Harbor and 19th Street -- was not yet overwhelming. A person

could actually drive across town without feeling the need to hum the

“Jeopardy” theme while waiting for the signals to change.

One could still skate at the Ice Chalet -- or simply drop in after

taking in a show at the Edwards Theaters to watch the kids as they

practiced and developed skills that would take a few of them to the

Olympics.

Of course, one thing that has not changed much is the Harbor

Boulevard of Cars. Although the brands have changed and ownership of

most dealerships have changed, it still looks very much like it did

in the ‘70s. The sales tactics have changed, though, because I don’t

recall feeling like a tethered lamb being circled by predators back

in those days.

Another thing that has not really changed much is the Orange

County Fair -- a place where it is still possible to get a lifetime

supply of fat in a single day at the fair by simply grazing the many

food carts. The fair fare has changed over the years, but the

constant has been fried food. My stomach’s gurgling at the thought as

I type this.

The Orange County Swap Meet morphed into the Marketplace over the

years, and the real swap meet now takes place across Fairview, on the

parking lot of Orange Coast College.

OCC, too, has changed. It evolved from being a very good junior

college with strong athletic and academic traditions into one of the

largest and very best two-year schools in the country. It has

provided a solid academic foundation for hundreds of thousands of

students.

City government has changed in the past three decades. Costa Mesa

has gone from a little burg run by a bunch of “good old boys” -- the

founding fathers -- to a thriving center of commerce and culture

managed by an extremely effective city staff. The early leaders did

an amazingly good job under the circumstances.

Our neighborhood has changed in the past 30 years, too. When we

moved in, we were the “young couple” in the neighborhood, and there

were only six children in our little enclave. But nature has taken

its course, and our neighborhood has undergone a renaissance.

Today, many of the homes built in the early 1950s on land that had

been 20-acres of sweet potatoes, have sprouted second stories and

others have used the large lots to expand on one floor -- all to

accommodate young, growing families.

We are no longer “the young’uns,” and my last tally showed 40

bright, happy, delightful children playing near my home. From this

crop, nurtured by loving families and caring neighbors, there will

almost certainly come champion athletes -- perhaps an Olympian or two

-- and future leaders in business, academia and government. They will

help shape Costa Mesa in years to come.

Today, I count among my neighbors a former mayor; a former fire

captain; the scion of a prominent political family; a world-renowned

expert on water quality issues; successful contractors; a couple who

take great pride in helping to build major components for our space

and defense programs; a family that has produced three generations of

Eagle Scouts; a former Daily Pilot columnist and a member of the

Daily Pilot’s 103 from a couple years ago.

These are complemented by a mix of retirees and owners of thriving

businesses. It may not be Shangri-La, but it’s a great place to live

-- despite the noise from John Wayne Airport.

The future looks bright for Costa Mesa. One thing is sure --

change will continue to happen. We eagerly look forward to the

changes that will cause reinvigoration in some our neighborhoods

crying out for it. As nature continues to take its course, we watch

to see how our growing Latino population assimilates into the

mainstream of this city and brings with it the rich culture and joy

we see among its members.

We will watch to see if Triangle Square can find a way to

re-energize itself and fulfill its promise as a dominant retail and

entertainment center.

We will watch with eagerness as our civic leaders find ways

educate all our children, create safe and clean neighborhoods and

guide this community into the future.