EDUCATION Parents voice concern about Newport Heights...

EDUCATION

Parents voice concern about Newport Heights principal

Nearly 100 angry parents vented their concerns to district

officials on Thursday morning about Newport Heights Elementary School

Principal Judith Chambers. The heated meeting came on the heels of

Tuesday night’s school board meeting, where parents complained about

a “divisive” atmosphere at the school and a lack of leadership. In

response, district officials scheduled the Thursday meeting, where

parents shared their displeasure.

* Newport-Mesa Unified School District school nurse Merry Grasska

won the Orange County School Nurse of the Year award on Wednesday.

Grasska, nurse at Rea Elementary School and for the district’s

health clinic, has worked at various schools in the district for the

past 14 years. She is now eligible for the Nurse of the Year award in

the Southern California region and could go on to state and national

competitions.

* Adequate Yearly Progress Phase III reports came out Thursday,

showing that the district as a whole met its performance targets --

beating out the state.

After adjusted data and appeals, Newport-Mesa had 11 schools that

did not meet state or federal goals. The reports encompass the

Academic Performance Index scores that came out last summer, high

school graduation rates and the Annual Measurable Objective, which is

a part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

-- Marisa O’Neil

PUBLIC SAFETY

Rape suspect freed after D.A. fails to file charges

A rape suspect was released on Tuesday after the Orange County

district attorney did not file charges in a complaint filed by a

young Costa Mesa woman on Jan. 24.

The woman reported to police that she was raped early Saturday

morning by a man who came to a party at her home in the 400 block of

Fair Drive, officials said. Police arrested the man right away near

the intersection Adams Avenue and Albatross Drive.

The suspect went to court on Tuesday, but was released because the

district attorney didn’t file charges and sent the case back to the

Costa Mesa Police Department for further investigation.

-- Deepa Bharath

POLITICS

Representative threaten for stance on immigration care

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher was the target of about 60 abusive phone

calls including a death threat on Tuesday after a New York radio

station discussed legislation he proposed that would limit health

care to illegal immigrants. The Congressman’s Huntington Beach office

received angry calls about the bill, which would require hospitals

that get federal funding to gather information about illegal

immigrants seeking treatment.

Rohrabacher said the United States spends millions on health care

for people who are in the country illegally. He said he takes the

threats seriously but he won’t back down from his legislation.

-- Alicia Robinson

COSTA MESA

Cirque du Soleil rehires HIV-infected trapeze catcher

Cirque du Soleil, which came under a barrage of criticism for

firing a performer who disclosed he was HIV positive, will offer to

reinstate him, company officials announced Thursday. Cirque du Soleil

fired Matthew Cusick because they were afraid his condition posed a

danger to fellow performers.

* A group of residents dissatisfied with the city’s approval of a

modified version of the original 1901 Newport Blvd. project -- which

is still double the amount of density allowed in the general plan --

starting circulating petitions this week for a referendum on the

issue. If they get enough signatures, the group will demand the

council repeal its approval of the project or put it out for a public

referendum on the November ballot.

Also dissatisfied with the city’s handling of the 1901 Newport

project, resident Mike Berry said the council’s decision was the

catalyst for deciding to run for an open council seat this fall.

Berry is a member of the Westside Improvement Assn. and the Westside

Revitalization Oversight Committee, which oversees recommendations

made by the Community Redevelopment Action Committee.

-- Deirdre Newman