“Is it perfect? No. But [moving] is...

“Is it perfect? No. But [moving] is not good for the kids. I invite

you to look at the data.”

-- Robert Barbot, Newport-Mesa Unified School District

superintendent, in response to parents asking that their children

attend another school for a week after the district’s solution to

postpone the beginning of Harbor View Elementary’s school year by a

week because of construction problems on the campus

“As we were storming Baghdad, we grabbed a little memento. Thank

you for sending us a bit of heaven.”

-- Cass Spence, Costa Mesa Marine Staff Sergeant, while handing

Arches owner and retired Marine Dan Marcheano an Iraqi flag to thank

him for sending Spence and members of his battalion cigars and

whiskey during war

“I do believe this area has a lot of character. But I believe the

[overlay] will destroy it because it will take out of the hands of

architects and property owners the ability to build the best house

they can.”

-- Gary Monahan, Costa Mesa mayor, on why he voted with the

majority of the City Council to reject an overlay zone that would

have restricted home models on the city’s Eastside

“My husband died 33 years ago, and I had to work hard to pay for

my house and support my two children. I worked three-part time jobs

and went to college at night in order to train for a job in

secretarial science. It wasn’t easy, but I kept my house, and my

children grew up here.”

-- Sarah Sullivan, a 64-year Costa Mesa resident, on why she

doesn’t support the city’s possible use of eminent domain when it

comes to her home of 38 years

“I’ve totally given up trying to figure it out. It’s definitely a

concern for me because of my long commute. But what can you do about

it?”

-- Alexis Schwarz, who drives more than 80 miles one way from

Costa Mesa to Hesperia every day, on the latest rise in gas prices