NEWPORT BEACH Newport Coast couple on Gilligan’s...

NEWPORT BEACH

Newport Coast couple on Gilligan’s Island

Newport Coast residents Glenn and Mindy Stearns will reprise the

role of the millionaire couple the Howells on “The Real Gilligan’s

Island.”

Mindy Stearns, a former KTLA reporter, and entrepreneur Glenn

Stearns signed up for the reality show, pitting them against another

couple playing the Howells. The show airs on TBS, starting on

Tuesday.

* The Newport Beach City Council is hoping to hire Acting City

Atty. Robin Clauson for the job full-time.

Council members appointed Clauson, an assistant city attorney in

the interim, after former City Atty. Bob Burnham -- who held his

position for two decades -- retired in August.

The council has made Clauson an offer, but terms of the proposed

contract were not revealed.

The council has interviewed many candidates since August and

narrowed the field down to two, including Clauson, City Councilman

Steve Bromberg said.

But the other candidate decided to stay where he was.

Clauson is a good fit for Newport Beach not only because she is a

familiar face, but because of her efficiency and knowledge on issues,

Bromberg said.

* Many of the city’s restaurants will have to pay an annual fee

for a grease-disposal permit to help keep oils and grease from

clogging the sewer system, the City Council unanimously decided this

week.

Less than half of the city’s restaurants have grease interceptors.

Those without must install the interceptors or pay a fee toward sewer

maintenance, according to the new law.

Although the newly-approved law allows the city to charge fees,

the amount of the fees won’t be set until July, when next year’s

budget is discussed. An earlier staff report proposed a permit fee of

up to $20 and an annual inspection fee of $100 to $150. A restaurant

could be charged up to $800 to have the city clean its pipes.

The new regulation will get a second reading at the council’s

December meeting and become effective 30 days after a second vote of

approval.

* Council members picked the name, Back Bay View Park, for a new

park still under construction at the corner of Coast Highway and

Jamboree Road.

Council members toyed with a few names before voting unanimously

on Back Bay View Park.

The Parks and Recreation Commission considered three other

suggestions -- Jamboree Bluff Park, Rim of the Bay Park and Upper Bay

View Park.

Commissioners handpicked those names from a list of 129 names.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Volunteers keep an eye out this season

Newport Beach residents heading out of town for the holidays can

rest assured a trained set of eyes will be keeping watch for anything

unusual.

Volunteers with the police department will perform vacation checks

on homes whose owners notify them that they will be out of town. The

year-round service helps keep an eye out for opportunistic burglars

or other troublemakers, police said.

* Newport Beach and Costa Mesa each reported a slight increase in

the number of hate crimes in 2003 despite a decrease statewide,

according to an FBI report released Monday.

Costa Mesa reported a total of three hate crimes, up from one in

2002 and Newport Beach reported seven, three more than the previous

year. Police in both cities said that such crimes only make up a

small portion of reported incidents.

* An attorney for a defendant in a high-profile gang-rape case

announced Tuesday that he also is representing the woman in an

alleged assault by a cab driver that happened this month.

The 36-year-old Placentia woman hired attorney Joseph Cavallo, who

also represents Greg Haidl, after prosecutors held off on filing

charges against 42-year-old cab driver Rodney Cornell Carter, pending

further investigation.

Cavallo, who last week asked the Orange County District Attorney’s

Office to recuse itself from the gang-rape case, said he will hold

them responsible for “selectively prosecuting” cases if they do not

file a case against Carter.

EDUCATION

Former principal files against school district

A former Newport Heights Elementary School principal has filed a

$3-million lawsuit against three district administrators and three

parents, disputing her public dismissal from the school nearly a year

ago.

The suit alleges breach of contract, violation of due process,

defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Former

Principal Judith Chambers claims the district declined her the

opportunity to respond to allegations that she didn’t push hard

enough to retain a popular substitute teacher at the school and that

it created public forums to rally support against her.