Week in Review

EDUCATION

Races for local school, college boards intensify

The Newport-Mesa education community, which has seen only a handful of new public representatives in the last few years, could be seeing quite a few in the near future. Over the last week, the November races for the Coast Community College District and Newport-Mesa Unified School District intensified as a slew of candidates launched their campaigns.

COSTA MESA

Funeral held for victim of drive-by shooting

Family and friends of Israel Maciel buried the 23-year-old drive-by shooting victim Friday, following a funeral service at St. Joachim Catholic Church.

Maciel and four others were shot on Aug. 2 at a Baker Street apartment complex. The other victims are recovering. Dozens of drivers showed up at the Ferrari and Maserati of Orange County dealership on Baker Street last weekend to support the family of Maciel.

Costa Mesa residents said they were united with Maciel’s family because violence affects the entire community.

Nester Contreras, Maciel’s cousin, estimated they washed more than 60 cars, with many people simply showing up and donating money.

The money raised was to offset funeral expenses.

Paris Hilton, Kevin and Christine Costner, Jillian Barberie-Reynolds, Caroline D’Amore and Kim Kardashian were among the guests.

Earlier in the day, the stylists were busy cutting hair for the fundraiser’s cut-a-thon, called the heart of the event by owner Lacey Cammarata.

NEWPORT BEACH

City Council readies for legal showdown with Irvine

City Council members on Tuesday asked the city’s attorneys to write a legal challenge to a 445-condo development recently approved by the Irvine City Council. Newport council members said the 2323 Main St. project hasn’t been adequately studied for potential effects on traffic and other concerns, and they believe it and other planned residential projects in the Irvine Business Complex will lead to clogged streets in Newport.

Newport Beach City Atty. Robin Clauson will bring a draft of the challenge to the council Aug. 22. Representatives of the two cities will likely meet before then and discuss Newport’s concerns.

A preview of the new museum is expected to open at the end of August. Officials are hoping to raise $19.5 million to pay for the land and the new facility.

Phil Arst, a spokesman for the group proposing the growth control “Greenlight II” ballot measure, said the Irvine Co.’s new building would require a public vote if his group’s initiative is passed. But city planning officials disagreed, saying the measure only would apply to projects that require discretionary approvals from the city, which the Fashion Island proposal doesn’t need.

BUSINESS

Newport firm developing new cellphone technology

A Newport Beach-based company is developing global-positioning systems for cellphones in anticipation of coming requirements from the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC has mandated that all cellphones be equipped with a locator so emergency dispatchers are able to find someone in distress, wherever they may be. This became a cost for manufacturers, but with new technology emerging, they are creating applications to produce revenue.

Newport Beach’s Glonav, a new semiconductor company, is developing global positioning system chips for such applications. Cell phone users will be able to find their way around town, get information about restaurants and entertainment, as well as keep track of their kids with the chips.

Steven Goon and John Hamilton Jr., also of Newport Beach, were named as rising stars by Law & Politics magazine.

Each honor is voted on by the nation’s top attorneys in their fields.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Boy, 6, dies in accident; mother arrested, charged

A Costa Mesa woman who was arrested after an alleged drunk-driving crash that killed her 6-year-old son was out of jail on $100,000 bail as of late Friday.

Julie Ann Smith, 46, was charged Thursday with vehicular manslaughter, child abuse and endangerment, and felony drunk driving. Her arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 24 in Orange County Superior Court.

Police said Smith was driving north on the Corona del Mar Freeway (73) late Tuesday night with her son, Trevor Smith, in the car, when she hit a metal guardrail and Trevor was ejected. He died at the scene.

Trevor was a student at Woodland Elementary School in Costa Mesa.

The Orange County district attorney’s office said Smith had been drinking at a friend’s house in Laguna Niguel before the accident.

John Wayne and other airports adopted new rules barring passengers from bringing any liquids, including drinks and personal products like shampoo, onto planes in carry-on luggage. Liquids are still allowed in checked luggage.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“There are certain things you have to do to file a lawsuit against the city. This is just the first step…. In this case [the city is] the judge and jury because it’s their land…. [This is] the only way we can get an independent review of what’s fair in this circumstance.”

— John Rettberg, president of the Marinapark Homeowners Assn., on the group’s claim that Newport Beach did not follow legal guidelines for closing the Marinapark mobile-home park

“In speaking with parents and families in the community, they clearly want us to remove the welcome mat in terms of crime and criminals. And, yes, we need to remove the welcome mat for the gang members and other criminals.”

— Allan Mansoor, Costa Mesa mayor, in defense of his comments regarding the Aug. 2 drive-by shooting that left one dead and four injured

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. If he lived here, he would get the scene. If he lived here, he would understand. If he came, he would see that there are a lot of hard-working people and no gang members.”

— Raul Lopez, a 17-year-old victim of the drive-by shooting, on the mayor’s comments

“If you’ve ever ripped an aluminum can in half, that’s pretty much what the car resembled.”

— Jude Olivas, Newport Beach firefighter paramedic, who was among the first rescuers at the scene of Tuesday’s alleged drunk-driving crash on the Corona del Mar Freeway (73) that killed a 6-year-old Costa Mesa boy

“Passengers will be seeing probably a larger presence of law enforcement officers. “

— Nico Melendez, federal Transportation Security Administration spokesman, on new security measures at John Wayne and all other airports implemented Thursday

“I’ve been asking my dad to take me fishing, and when this came up, I was really happy.”

— Evan Schneider, a 10-year-old Murietta boy who was among more than a dozen Make-A-Wish kids departing for a five-hour fishing trip from Davey’s Locker Sportfishing on the Balboa Peninsula