PUBLIC SAFETY Protest signs vanish on Easter...

PUBLIC SAFETY

Protest signs vanish on Easter morn

Cliff Haven residents woke up to an Easter surprise -- their signs

protesting the expansion of St. Andrew’s Church had disappeared

overnight.

Residents wondered about the timing of the signs’ removal, right

before one of the biggest church days of the year. Church officials

reported that the signs had appeared on their property late on Easter

eve and that an intern had removed them. The incident is under church

investigation.

* The Costa Mesa Police Department’s Westside Substation will be

closed for the next few months.

Wet weather led to problems for the building, prompting the police

volunteers to temporarily set up shop in the main police station on

Fair Drive. The main station is also having renovations done,

expanding the women’s locker room and the property room.

GOVERNMENT

Water, water hikes everywhere

Officials said last week that they expected water rates around

Newport-Mesa to be increased this year. Rates for customers served by

the Mesa Consolidated Water District, the Irvine Ranch Water District

and the city of Newport Beach are all expected to increase. A key

reason cited by officials for likely rate hikes is the expectation

that water suppliers will increase rates.

Officials said they did not know how high rates could go.

* Newport Beach City General Services Director Dave Niederhaus has

told city officials that he will retire April 15 after working for

the city for 18 years. A former Marine, Niederhaus heads the

department that handles more visible aspects of the city, such as

beach cleanup and sidewalk repair.

While he has been at the center of some controversies -- mainly to

do with city tree-removal policies -- officials praised Niederhaus

for his hard work and dedication to the city.

ENVIRONMENT

Butterfly kisses by the thousands

Painted lady butterflies fluttered by the thousands through

Newport-Mesa this week.

The insects, which resemble small monarch butterflies, are heading

from Mexico and southwestern deserts to Canada, experts said. This

winter’s rains led to a proliferation of the plants the butterflies

lay their eggs on.

ENTERTAINMENT

More artistic direction for repertory theater

Orange County theater veteran John Glore will take over as

associate artistic director at South Coast Repertory this summer.

Glore was literary manager for 15 years at the Costa Mesa theater

before accepting a job at Los Angeles’ Center Theater Group in 2000.

Glore, 49, will cultivate relationships with playwrights and have

a say in artistic endeavors at the Repertory. He will also direct the

Pacific Playwright’s Festival.

The position became vacant when Jerry Patch left for a job at the

Old Globe Theater in San Diego more than a month ago.

* The lineup for the Sixth Annual Newport Beach Film Festival was

announced Friday, with more than 300 films screening at theaters

across the city.

Among the 72 documentaries showing at the event, which runs April

21 to April 30, festival directors say one of the most anticipated is

“Ringers: Lord of the Fans,” a film about “Lord of the Rings”

aficionados. The film is making its West Coast premiere at 7:30 p.m.

April 23 at Lido Theater.