Local advocate named to parks commission

Lolita Harper

Her role in the community has always been influential, but after an

appointment to the Parks and Recreation Commission last week, Mirna

Burciaga will have a seat on the dais and a corresponding vote to

make it official.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan appointed Burciaga -- a business owner, a

mother and an advocate for education -- to complete the term of Kelly

Feldman, who will resign effective Dec. 31. Burciaga’s term will

begin Jan. 1, officials said.

Burciaga has been involved in myriad city issues, from policies

affecting small businesses such as her quaint eatery, El Chinaco, to

bilingual education. She is the chairwoman of the city’s Human

Relation Committee -- a role that she will continue after she

officially takes her position as a parks commissioner, officials

said.

“Ms. Burciaga will be an excellent commissioner, bringing her

unique perspective and passions to her new role,” Cowan said in a

news release.

The councilwoman also touted Burciaga’s leadership on the Human

Relations Committee, saying she was doing a tremendous job as

[chairwoman].”

Those familiar with Costa Mesa’s inner civic workings may remember

the highly emotional and controversial meeting of the Human Relations

Commission in which three of its members were accused of promoting

bigoted and intolerant views. Burciaga was at the forefront of those

discussions.

Others may recall a formal complaint against the state Department

Of Education alleging, among other things, that many Latino children

attending Newport-Mesa schools “are often placed on a track for

failure.” Burciaga filed that complaint, and the state agreed. The

district is now required to create a systematic program to address

the needs of English-language learners or risk losing federal

funding.

One critic of Burciaga’s attack on the public school system was

former Pilot columnist Byron de Arakal, who now sits on the Parks and

Recreation Commission and will be her colleague. Despite the tone of

the column, which was written more than three years ago, de Arakal

said he was looking forward to serving with Burciaga. Colleagues can

agree to disagree, he said.

“She has been active on several fronts for a number of years on

other community issues, and she is clearly interested in having some

input in the direction that the community takes,” de Arakal said. “I

am happy to have her serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission and

am looking forward to see what kind of ideas she has.”