NEWPORT BEACH Lifeguard’s annual challenge can be...

NEWPORT BEACH

Lifeguard’s annual challenge can be a bit draining

Newport Beach Lifeguards held a blood drive Wednesday, part of a

challenge with other area lifeguards.

They have won the challenge for four of the past five years. Final

results from all the other participating agencies should be in next

week.

* Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort has doubled the number of

cottages it has available for rent.

Twelve studios were built and one-bedroom cottage was developed

last year, and resort crews just finished installing 12 more because

demand was high. Most are on the shores of the Dunes’ lagoon, and

larger units have a full kitchen and can sleep up to 10 or 12 guests.

* East Santa Ana Heights residents have finally found success in

their quest to get two parcels at the entry of their neighborhood

developed as a passive parkland instead of a parking lot. The

residents obtained the support of the City Council to pay for

maintaining the park and Supervisor James Silva expressed his desire

to maintain the character of the neighborhood.

* City officials want to address overcrowding at City Hall as soon

as possible. City Manager Homer Bludau considers it his top priority

for the new fiscal year, which began this month. At least one council

member is interested in renovating the existing city hall, which was

built in 1940, but several others are leaning toward a new facility.

COSTA MESA

New study offers options to ease freeway congestion

The Orange County Transportation Authority is exploring ways to

improve traffic in central Orange County. One of those ways would be

extending the Orange Freeway (57) to the Corona del Mar Freeway (73),

through the Mesa Verde neighborhood. Transportation officials

emphasize that these are just preliminary options and no specifics

have been fleshed out yet because the six-month study just began.

* A small group of book lovers opened another chapter last week in

the saga of opening up more library space in Costa Mesa. The group is

starting small and hopes to raise awareness about its efforts, and

recruit more volunteers before it brings any plans for more space to

the city.

ENVIRONMENT

Organization taking a closer look at the Rhine Channel

Orange County CoastKeeper plans to launch a $346,000, in-depth

study to learn what toxic materials are in the sediment in Newport

Beach’s Rhine Channel and how it can be cleaned up. The group will

hire a consultant to collect data on the pollution and suggest

cleanup methods for the channel, which a 1998 state report deemed a

toxic hot spot. The study will begin in August with completion

expected in April 2005.

* The House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that would

provide up to $20 million to the Orange County Water District’s

expansion of its natural wetlands treatment of the Santa Ana River.

This would be beneficial because the treatment enhances water quality

by purifying the water naturally and costs less than purifying it in

a factory.