Banner year for ‘villages’

STEVE BROMBERG

* EDITOR’S NOTE: The ‘Politically Correct’ piece that ran on Thursday

was inadvertently edited. The complete piece follows.

In October 2006, the city of Newport Beach will have its 100th

birthday. This will be our centennial.

Newport Beach is so rich with history of those “good ole days,”

the centennial celebration, which will last one year, starting in

October 2005, will be loads of fun.

In the latter part of 2004, the City Council formed the City

Council and Citizens Ad Hoc Centennial Committee. The committee

consists of three council members, several members of the public,

representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the Visitors and

Conference Bureau, as well as members of our city staff. We are off

to a running start, and we have not slowed down yet.

This is a very hard-charging committee where everybody works. The

citizen members of the committee were chosen through an application

process, which was quite detailed.

Setting the mission

Our first order of business was to set the mission statement of

the centennial celebration and this, in and of itself, was no easy

task. However, after a number of meetings and discussions, the

mission statement is: “The Mission of the City of Newport Centennial

Celebration is to unify our neighborhoods through a series of events

and activities that will enhance community spirit, honor our rich

heritage, promote pride in our future, and celebrate the many unique

opportunities we have to offer.” This mission statement seems very

fitting, as Newport Beach is comprised of a number of villages, each

with its own unique character. To that end, our goal is to bring all

of the neighborhoods, villages and communities together for a

yearlong celebration, and so far, everything seems to be going in the

right direction.

We also asked the public for suggestions regarding a theme for the

centennial celebration, and not surprisingly, we had a few pages of

suggestions. We wrestled with this issue probably more so than we did

with the mission statement. However, considering the nature and style

of Newport Beach, being a coastal water-related community and with

close to 11,000 boats in our harbor, our theme is “Sailing Through A

Century.”

Upcoming events

From the kickoff in October 2005 to conclusion, we intend to plan

at least three public events that will allow everyone in this city to

participate. In October 2005, there will be an opening party, which

will be in the form of a family picnic at the Newport Dunes. We did

talk about having a black-tie gala event. However, While those events

are very nice, only a few-hundred people can participate, and they

can get expensive. The Dunes can accommodate thousands of people, and

this should be a fine party indeed.

We are also looking at having a family celebration incorporated

into a carnival and parade in the spring of 2006, and we are talking

to Fashion Island about perhaps having the event at that location.

The final event would be on the birthday itself in October 2006, and

that would be an event of events. This will include dancing, parties

and an incredible fireworks display between the Newport Pier and the

Balboa Pier.

Stopping to smell the roses

Another item or event you may have heard about is that we are

considering entering a Rose Parade float. I sit on the Rose Parade

Float Subcommittee, and about two days before the last Rose Parade,

we took a field trip to Fiesta Floats in Duarte to observe how they

construct these floats and to speak with a number of representatives

from other cities that have been involved in floats over the years.

This trip was not only a great deal of fun, it was quite instructive.

A little-known secret in this city is that we have a significant

number of former Rose Parade queens as residents.

The cost of a Rose Parade float ranges from around $75,000 for a

non-animated smaller float to around $260,000 for a significantly

larger float, with animation as well as hydraulics. There are, of

course, prices in between, depending on what one is actually looking

for. A Rose Parade float seems to be a nice touch to our city

centennial. We are a world-class city, and I believe there would be a

great deal of pride out there when television commentators are

talking about a float from Newport Beach. We are looking for someone

to underwrite the entire cost of this float. This could be an

individual, or it could be a company, or a number of individuals or

companies. Who would ride on the float?

Well, that depends on a number of factors. If an individual or

company underwrites the cost, then it would seem only appropriate

that these folks should have the first right to be there with their

families. After that, perhaps a contest might be some fun. There will

be more to come on this issue.

Annual events to take on centennial

Also, throughout the year, we have several community events such

as the Balboa Island Parade, which is the first Sunday in June each

year; the Christmas Boat Parade sponsored by our Chamber of Commerce,

which is the granddaddy of all boat parades; as well as many other

events in other communities. We are contacting those communities and

asking that they consider having the centennial be the theme for

their event if it falls between October 2005 and October 2006.

Right now, the committee is made up solely of volunteers, and we

are most surely looking for additional volunteers to serve on the

various planning subcommittees. As we approach events, more help will

be needed to assist with the actual nuts and bolts of having the

event be successful. Specifically, at this time, we have a need for

people who have backgrounds in marketing, public relations,

fundraising and event planning. If you think you might be interested,

please call Teri Craig at (949) 644-3158. Craig is part of our

Recreation and Senior Services Department. You can also boot up to

the centennial website, which is https://www.newport

beach100.com.

The centennial celebration is going to be a wonderful event, and

it is being structured in such a way that virtually every individual

in this city can participate in if he or she wishes to, and it is

something that we will all be proud of. I will be sure to keep you

informed on future developments as they occur.

* STEVE BROMBERG is mayor of Newport Beach.