PUBLIC SAFETY Two local men indicted in...

PUBLIC SAFETY

Two local men indicted in child pornography sting

One man from Newport Beach and another from Costa Mesa were among

those named this week in a child pornography sting.

Federal grand juries issued indictments July 6 against John

Breault, 42, of Newport Beach and Mario Ralph Riley, 49, of Costa

Mesa. Each is accused of possessing child pornography and could face

up to 10 years in federal prison.

* Woody, the mascot for Newport Beach landmark Woody’s Wharf, was

reported missing recently.

The restaurant’s owners noticed the 3 1/2 - to 4-foot statue

missing from his skiff atop the restaurant. They’re offering a dinner

and drinks at their best table for information leading to his return.

BUSINESS

Pelican Hill Golf Club will close for two years

The Irvine Co. announced the impending closures the Pelican Hill

Golf Club’s practice facility and courses Thursday. Plans call for

the courses to be shut down for about two years while underground

water storage tanks are built as part of the construction of a

resort.

The practice facility is set to close July 31 and the last day the

golf courses will be open this year is Nov. 30.

Respected designer Tom Fazio is slated to update the links before

the courses planned reopening in late 2007. The resort -- which will

include a 204-room hotel, 128 villas, a new golf clubhouse,

restaurants, a spa, meeting rooms and specialty shops -- is expected

to open in 2008.

NEWPORT BEACH

Centennial fundraising reaches $250,000

Fundraising for Newport Beach’s centennial celebration has topped

$250,000, centennial project director Marie Knight said.

Knight said Monday that the largest donor for the planned year of

events was Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, with a $100,000

contribution. Centennial events are expected to cost $1.2 million.

The city has budgeted $350,000 for the centennial, but Knight said

those funds are a placeholder and she hopes the city receives

sufficient donations to return those funds to Newport’s coffers.

The revealing of the design of Newport’s 2006 Rose Parade float

was considered the beginning of centennial events. An October beach

party is planned as the first major centennial event. The city’s

official 100th birthday is Sept. 1, 2006.

* The city of Newport Beach announced it has hired Mark Harmon as

director of the general services department, which handles trash

collection, beach cleanup and street maintenance, among other duties.

Harmon, 46, replaces Dave Niederhaus, who retired in April after 18

years of working for the city.

For the last 10 years, Harmon has worked for the city of

Claremont. He’ll begin his Newport position Aug. 1.

COSTA MESA

Christian broadcaster asks court for right to buy KOCE

Daystar Television Network is asking an appeals court to grant

them the right to buy Orange County’s only PBS channel.

The court last month overturned the sale of KOCE-TV by Coast

Community College District to the station’s fundraising arm, accusing

the district of favoritism. The district named the KOCE-TV Foundation

the highest bidder in late 2003.

* The Orange County Fair opened with a record-setting first day --

attendance reached 53,144 on opening day, officials said. The

opening-day total for 2004 was 42,427.

“We’re surprised and very excited,” fair spokeswoman Sabrina

Sakaguchi said. “It’s a nice way to start 2005.”