NEWPORT BEACH Tree changes leave nothing to...

NEWPORT BEACH

Tree changes leave nothing to residents’ chance

City Council members approved changes to the policy that governs

maintenance of the city’s 40,000 trees, making it easier to get a

problem tree removed and saving money for residents, who often must

pay for tree removal and replacement. The revisions took an ad hoc

committee months to craft and spawned hours of public debate on how

to balance the desire for faster tree removal procedures with tree

protection.

* The city will consider climbing aboard the smoke-free beach

bandwagon after council members were petitioned a second time by

students who want a beach smoking ban.

Other coastal cities including Los Angeles, Santa Monica and San

Clemente have adopted similar bans, and two Newport Beach council

members asked city staff members to research the issue.

* Council members also voted to forward comments from the city’s

Environmental Quality Affairs Committee on an Irvine development to

officials in that city.

After a contentious relationship for many years, Newport Beach is

hoping to get better results using the soft touch in dealings with

its neighbor.

To that end, council sent comments on an environmental report on

Irvine’s Central Park project but held off on demanding a report that

takes Newport’s concerns into account.

-- Alicia Robinson

EDUCATION

Parent Help event highlights awareness of child abuse

Parent Help USA used National Child Abuse Awareness Month to

highlight the issue, and Orange County Superior Court Judge James

Gray, a Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate, spoke with parents

and staff members at the Costa Mesa office on Tuesday.

The organization seeks to prevent abuse through parent education,

a resource library and donations.

They are seeking volunteers and donations of food, baby items and

children and adult clothing.

* Corona del Mar High School senior Evan Hirsch was one of four

county students to receive a $10,000 scholarship from the Irvine Co.

last week.

“I was really surprised,” Hirsch said. “I didn’t see it coming at

all.”

Hirsch has been involved in various activities during high school,

including drama, peer assistance and the harbor patrol.

The 18-year-old just finished working on the school’s musical,

“Into the Woods,” and next is co-directing a sketch comedy show.

-- Marisa O’Neil

COSTA MESA

Revision makes planning decision an easy one

Revisions to a housing project at the former Calvary Church

Newport Mesa site enabled its approval by the Planning Commission on

Monday.

The Olson Co. modified the project it designed for the corner of

23rd Street and Orange Avenue, reducing the density of the

single-family housing project.

-- Deirdre Newman

POLITICS

Babies make five for Huntington congressman

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s congressional salary suddenly isn’t going

to go as far as it used to.

Tuesday night, the Huntington Beach congressman’s wife, Rhonda

Carmony, gave birth to triplets at Saddleback Memorial Hospital in

Orange.

Born a month premature, the two girls and one boy were reportedly

healthy and soon to head home. Daughter Annika Brigit Rohrabacher, 4

pounds 6 ounces, was born first around 5:15 p.m. Her brother,

Christian August Rohrabacher, 3 pounds 15 ounces, and her sister,

Tristen Francis Rohrabacher, 3 pounds 7 ounces, followed.

* Rep. Chris Cox sent two letters to the chief Defense Department

official in charge of the former El Toro Marine Air Base reuse in a

continuing effort to air the concerns of military families regarding

opening a commissary and reusing the housing. But some military

family advocates feel like Cox is more talk than action.

-- Alicia Robinson