EDUCATION Decision on sale of KOCE passes...

EDUCATION

Decision on sale of KOCE passes another hurdle

Coast Community College District trustees voted Wednesday night to

accept the final terms submitted by the KOCE-TV Foundation to buy the

public television station. That vote brings the deal one step closer

to fruition, but leaves one major obstacle: Christian broadcaster

Daystar Television Network is still suing the district for the right

to buy the station. Daystar’s attorney argued before the vote that

the company should have been named the highest responsible bidder for

its $25.1-million cash offer, which would provide instant relief to

the cash-strapped district.

* Local students who are learning English in school are making

strides toward fluency, according to a report released Thursday. The

state published results from the California English Language

Development Test, which measures students’ English proficiency. The

number of English learners in the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District who tested at the advanced or early advanced level increased

from 37% last year to 51% this year.

* Mariners and Paularino elementary schools held their annual

jog-a-thon fundraisers Friday, just days after similar events at

California and Victoria elementary schools. The annual student runs

raise money for the schools and are enough to tucker out even the

most energetic kindergartener. Newport Elementary School held its

jog-a-thon in February.

* Vanguard University announced it will receive three federal

grants totaling $1.3 million to pay for science and technology

programs and help build and furnish a new science center. The money,

earmarked for the school in federal appropriations bills, will fund

design and construction drawings for a planned $9 million science

center, the refurbishing of existing science facilities and new

equipment for science programs. The school might not have gotten as

much but for a tiff between congressional Republicans and Democrats,

Rep. Chris Cox said. Democrats agreed to vote against all

appropriations bills, so the Republican majority ignored the other

party’s funding requests, which left more money for their own

districts, Cox said.

-- Marisa O’Neil

NEWPORT BEACH

New battleground in development war

The city’s Local Coastal Plan is shaping up to be a new

battlefront for development. As the Planning Commission considered

the details of the document, which is a local adaptation of state

coastal development guidelines, those for and against development

voices weighed in. A major concern was whether the plan would trump

the city’s general plan when the two documents conflict. Planning

Commissioners believe they may have worked out a compromise to

consider projects on an individual basis.

* Some Adelphia cable subscribers who turned on their televisions

to see this week’s Toshiba Senior Classic were surprised to learn

that The Golf Channel is no longer part of Adelphia’s basic service.

The company recently switched the channel to a premium digital

package, leaving some surprised cable customers without a way to

watch the annual tournament. However, the second round Saturday and

today’s final round can be seen on CNBC. Today, the event will air

from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

* The Newport Technology Center is the latest project to raise the

ire of Greenlight leaders. Members of the slow-growth group sent a

letter to city officials saying that they believe that attempts to

change the type of tenants allowed in the building are an attempt to

circumvent Greenlight rules.

-- June Casagrande

PUBLIC SAFETY

Mailman delivers one for the police

Los Angeles Laker Karl Malone and his agent, Dwight Manley, both

Newport Beach residents, donated $81,000 for the Newport Beach Police

Department to purchase defibrillators for every marked police

vehicle.

The automated external defibrillators are roughly the size of a

lunch box. Police personnel will receive two hours of training of the

units, which shock the heart back into a regular rhythm after a heart

attack.

* Former Police Chief Dave Snowden was appointed the new police

chief of Beverly Hills Wednesday, contingent on City Council

approval. Snowden’s ability to modernize the department as the

interim police chief impressed his peers so much that the city

manager ended the recruitment process and appointed Snowden.

-- Daily Pilot staff

COSTA MESA

City Council decides not

to sell small parts of park

The City Council decided not to sell parcels of Fairview Park to

homeowners who have encroached upon them. Instead, the city will

offer encroachment permits for homeowners whose backyards and

belongings cross into the park less than 40 inches beyond property

lines.

* Youth Employment Services is asking the community it serves to

increase its financial support so the organization can continue to

find jobs for youths aged 14 to 22.

* Veteran Bud Hohl is also looking to the community for financial

help for an eagle memorial he wants to install at Harbor Lawn-Mount

Olive Mortuary & Memorial Park. The memorial would honor veterans who

died overseas and are interred outside the United States.

-- Deirdre Newman