The year in quotes

Whatcha goin’ to do?

“How can you not like Chief [Dave] Snowden? That’s just not

possible.”

-- Burt Santee, a Costa Mesa Police sergeant, on Snowden, who

retired in 2003 from the Police Department after 16 years as chief.

“In those five years, I got the kind of experience people normally

get over a whole career. There were several officer-involved

shootings, and I wanted to take that experience and train officers

who worked in areas where they did not get that kind of experience.”

-- Dave Kress, who now runs the Costa Mesa Police Department’s

shooting range, on patrolling South Los Angeles earlier in his

career.

“Most of these rapes are not stranger rapes. It’s not some guy

jumping up from behind the bushes. Most of them are acquaintance

rapes, and many of them involve alcohol and possibly date-rape

drugs.”

-- Bob Ciszek, Costa Mesa Police sergeant, about a 340% increase

in rapes in the city from the same period last year.

“It just happened by coincidence. But it’s only a matter of time.

You can’t run forever. Sooner or later, justice catches up with you.”

-- Jack Archer, Costa Mesa Police sergeant, on the arrest of a man

wanted in connection with a 2-year-old murder in Fairview Park.

“I can’t be Dave. I have my own style. I’m not saying it’s better

or worse. It’s just different. It’ll take some getting used to.”

-- John D. Hensley, Costa Mesa’s new police chief, on how he’ll be

different from retiring chief Dave Snowden.

“We had started enforcement actions in that area by the start of

[last] year. And we were able to have an impact and bring down the

number of crimes.”

-- Dale Birney, Costa Mesa Police lieutenant, on how Costa Mesa

crime statistics revealed a 5% drop in crime in 2002.

A school daze

“A lot of people say that students are lazy or don’t want to

learn. I think the opposite is true. They want to learn. But things

are shoved down their throats and they’re not allowed to think

analytically or critically.”

-- Amanda Rubenstein, a Corona del Mar High School senior, who is

lobbying to shift educators’ focus off test scores and onto teacher

quality.

“It was important to me because I feel like being a teacher is a

very important profession and you have to strive to remain educated

and continue the growth process.”

-- Chandra Prough, a teacher at Newport Coast Elementary and one

of three in the district to gain board certification, on earning the

honor.

“We want to bring the kids out of this disgusting room. Please do

something about this. Come spend one day in the classroom to see the

disgusting environment they’re studying in.”

-- Brittany Malone, Corona del Mar High School senior, on the

problems of rats to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of

Directors.

“It should have been caught. But it took parents making phone

calls to stop it. So many things have not gone the way they said they

would. It’s a question of credibility.”

-- Meg Harrison, Harbor View Elementary parent, about worries of

asbestos removal during school hours and the possible exposure to

students.

“I’m always surprised with the amount of diversity in our schools.

And seeing the statistics for the rest of the county and how well the

students are achieving and learning, to me, it’s an affirmation that

we’re on the right track.”

-- Dave Brooks, Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of

Trustees member, at a meeting the state of education in the county.

“It makes class a lot more enjoyable.”

-- Megan McCal, a first-year student at Orange Coast College, how

students in college want to be there, as opposed to her classmates in

high school.

Now they’re cooking

“I’m very excited. We need a good set of ribs on the bay.”

-- Don Webb, Newport Beach councilman, on a Tony Roma’s coming to

Mariner’s Mile, which is part of Webb’s City Council district.

Railing against the system

“Why would we build a rail system to move people from one area to

another without going past South Coast Plaza. This is for the people,

not to benefit one specific person.”

-- Tom Smalley, the general manager of the Wyndham Garden Hotel on

Avenue of the Arts, said about the preferred route for the CenterLine

light rail system.

“I think it’s really important for everyone to keep involved and

follow this, because it will be a changing line until something

works. And that’s what we’re hoping -- that one of these alternatives

will be the answer -- and everybody needs to keep their eyes open and

participate in the open houses and those kind of things.”

-- Costa Mesa Councilwoman Libby Cowan about the CenterLine light

rail proposals under consideration.

“I don’t believe it will happen. I don’t understand what they’re

doing. I don’t think they would destroy this beauty.”

-- Avo Kilicarslan, owner of Avo’s Bistro, on possibly losing his

business to the CenterLine rail.

“I think there was resolve all around that if, in fact, we could

not find a way for CenterLine and the north Costa Mesa [area] to fit,

then we would have to say, ‘We’re sorry, we can’t participate.’”

-- Allan Roeder, Costa Mesa city manager, on a new CenterLine

proposal that would send the light rail system underground as it

passes by South Coast Plaza.

Gone, but not forgotten

“Sometimes we forget each one of us here in Corona del Mar touches

a whole other world. We see a small part of everyone every day, but

we never see the rest of their lives. We don’t understand that unless

something like this happens.”

-- Sharon Fry, principal, regarding a memorial service at Corona

del Mar High School for Matthew Ramirez, 17, who was killed on

Halloween in an off-road vehicle accident.

“I finally got my dad to come to church with me today.... But I

always thought it would be for my wedding. Not for his funeral. It’s

too soon.”

-- Vallyn Hatfield at a memorial service for her father, musician

Bobby Hatfield part of the Righteous Brothers duo.

“I feel helpless because I don’t know anything. And I feel

frustrated as a mother because officials tell me I won’t know what

caused his death for at least five months.”

-- Pam Toulouse regarding the mysterious death of her son, Adam

Casler, who died in a Costa Mesa trash bin after, according to

police, he allegedly tried to carjack a woman.

“It felt like it was a blessing from his grandfather. I still get

goose bumps when we talk about it. I can’t just think of it as some

fancy coincidence.”

-- Leslie Louvier, a Costa Mesa resident, on finding an obituary

on her husband’s father during remodeling of their home.

“There’s one thing we don’t want, and that’s closure. We want to

continue to celebrate her.”

-- Zach Biehl, on the 10th anniversary of his sister Amy’s death

in South Africa and the fact that he and his family continue to help

others in her name.

Flames, here and there

“We need to go to the council and say, ‘This is what we have right

now in Buck Gully, but we no longer believe it’s enough.’”

-- Tim Riley, Newport Beach Fire Chief, on a proposal he made to

the City Council about improving fire protection in Buck Gully.

“It’s staggering to see so many homes on fire. This is the most

firefighting I’ve ever done in my 27 years as a firefighter.”

-- Ron Sutherland, Newport Beach battalion chief, who was among

Newport-Mesa firefighters who battled the Southern California

wildfires.

“They’re using our yard to hose down the fire. This is shocking.

This was a very quiet and safe neighborhood -- till today.”

-- Carol Ludmir, Newport Beach resident, as firefighters battled a

blaze set by a home intruder.

“The thing that has always impressed me about our community is the

way everyone comes together in a time of need. You live, eat and

sleep together. You become family.”

-- Jack Schuitt, a retiring Costa Mesa Fire captain, on the most

memorable part of his time with the Fire Department: his fellow

firefighters.

Stores on strike

“I usually go to the Vons on 17th Street. But I believe the

union’s demands are fair. I have to respect that.”

Judy Cookson, a Newport Beach resident, on the grocery store

strike.

Recall the recall?

“People are sick and tired of dirty money, closed doors, backroom

deals and special interests. I will represent the people for a

change.”

-- Arnold Schwarzenegger, then the front-runner in the recall

campaign, during a stop at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

“As a Democrat, I’m 100% comfortable supporting him.”

-- Maria Shriver, on her husband Schwarzenegger, during a talk at

the Balboa Bay Club.

“We all made our mistakes when we were young. For some, was

alcohol. For some, it was group sex. For me, it was Newt Gingrich.’

-- Arianna Huffington, during a recall campaign stop at Orange

Coast College.

“There’s no way to get to the goal line without violating the

principles that brought him into this election in the first place.’

-- Peter Ueberroth’s campaign manager, Dan Schnur, on why the

candidate decided to pull out of the race.

“Peter has incredible credentials. Unfortunately, he is facing a

candidate [in Arnold Schwarzenegger] who has sucked the oxygen out of

this race.”

-- Buck Johns, a GOP fundraiser, on Peter Ueberroth.

“This was a very tough decision for us because of Peter Ueberroth.

He’s known by the New Majority.”

-- Larry Higby, chairman of the New Majority in Newport Beach, on

the group’s decision to endorse actor

Arnold Schwarzenegger for governor during the recall campaign.

Exit stage San Jose

“With my background in airport issues as an attorney, a pilot, a

member of the Airport Commission and the Citizens Advisory Commission

to oversee the reuse of El Toro, I ran and was elected to the Newport

Beach City Council in November 2000.”

-- Gary Proctor, Newport Beach City Councilman, in a letter

announcing his resignation.

In coach speak

“We won tonight, but now we have to teach them how to really win.’

-- Craig Fertig, Estancia football coach, after a victory against

Magnolia High, the Eagles first victory since last season against the

same team. Last year, Estancia finished with a record of 1-9. This

year, the Eagles ended the season 3-7.

Doggone it

“We’re not really anti-bark park. We’re saying, ‘They already have

a bark park. They don’t need another one. We need a skate park.’ Dogs

aren’t more important than kids.”

-- Jim Gray, a longtime advocate for a skate park, on the fact

that he supports a skate park, but not necessarily at the expense of

bark park proponents.

“Eventually, no matter how good the intentions are, one of these

days, some young man or woman will be on a skateboard going through

that parking lot and someone will not be caring for their dog the way

they should be and whether the dog bites somebody or just scares the

skateboarder, they’re going to go down and we’ll probably end up

losing our bark park.”

-- Terry Tyson, the vice chairman of the Costa Mesa Bark Park

Foundation, on his opposition to placing a skate park near the bark

park off Arlington Drive.

The one from Dennis

“I’m allowed to go to the restroom, too.”

-- Dennis Rodman, the West Newport resident and former NBA star in

a civil trial regarding an alleged sexual assault of a 39-year-old

woman, answering the prosecutor’s question, “As the owner of Josh

Slocum’s, are you allowed to go behind the bar and make drinks for

people?”

The one that started it all

“With grass, we usually get Mexicans coming in there early in the

morning, and they claim it as theirs, and it becomes their personal,

private grounds all day.”

-- Dick Nichols, Newport Beach councilman, on his reason for not

supporting turf grass at Corona del Mar State Beach

And the aftermath

“If Mr. Nichols’ comments about specific minorities reflect the

way he truly feels, he should consider resigning as councilman,

because that’s not truly representative of the best interests of this

community.”

-- Steve Bromberg, Newport Beach mayor, on the day after Nichols

made his comment.

“I think that Dick Nichols is his own worst enemy and his tirades

are going to continue.”

-- Lloyd Ikerd, a Newport Beach businessman, on dropping his

recall efforts, but warning that he will create a watchdog group to

keep tabs on the Corona del Mar councilman.

“I don’t know if a recall would really have legs. That’s the pulse

in Corona del Mar ... that people aren’t going to support that.”

-- Chip Stassel, Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce chairman, on

whether Newport Beach Councilman Dick Nichols will be recalled.

“I hope he is man enough and I hope he is bright enough to realize

the embarrassment he’s caused this city, and I hope he will resign.”

-- Gary Proctor, Newport Beach councilman, on Councilman Dick

Nichols public remarks about Mexicans at Corona del Mar State Beach.

One from the newsroom

“He is an institution. I don’t think anyone in our area has had a

bigger impact on youth sports and high school sports. He was the

guy.”

-- Kirk Bauermeister, an assistant principal at Costa Mesa High,

commenting on former Daily Pilot sports editor Roger Carlson

announcing his retirement after 35 years with the paper.

And cell phones.... And PDAs.

“Thank God for computers.”

-- Steve Bromberg, Newport Beach’s mayor, on the fact technology

will be used to redraw the seven City Council district’s in the city.