Week in Review

COSTA MESA

$27-million renovation, expansion beginsCity officials broke ground Monday on a $27-million project to expand and renovate the police station at the civic center on Fair Drive. The work will take 2 1/2 years and will add 11,000 square feet to the facility and refurbish 75% of the existing space.

Some in the city have questioned whether the expansion will meet future Police Department needs, and whether building new would have been more cost-effective, but City Manager Allan Roeder said a new building would have cost substantially more and exceeded the density allowed at the site in the city’s general plan.

In 2006, Mansoor reported raising $58,944 for his reelection bid and spending $43,168.

The least money was raised by first-time candidate and businessman Chris Bunyan, who reported collecting a total of $2,750 in 2006. He has spent $610 on his campaign.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Man leads police on chase, surrenders to dog threatA man who led police on an hour-long chase around north Orange County freeways finally surrendered to Costa Mesa police Monday when they threatened to release a police dog. Patrick Joseph Rizzo, 45, of Newport Beach, failed to pull his truck over during a routine traffic stop near Jamboree Road and Bristol Street, so police followed him onto the northbound San Diego Freeway (405).

After Rizzo pulled over at Newport Boulevard and 19th Street, he stayed in the truck for about 10 minutes, smoking a cigarette and talking on a cellphone. He finally got out of the truck when Costa Mesa officers said they’d deploy a police dog.

The boat was one of three untied from Balboa Boat Rentals’ dock in the Balboa Fun Zone. Another was retrieved from Wassall-Kelly’s neighbors dock and the third was found floating about 400 yards off the Balboa Pier.

NEWPORT BEACH

City-county pact grants Newport JWA vetoThe city officially gained veto power over future expansion at John Wayne Airport on Tuesday when Orange County Supervisors signed off on an agreement that lets the city block a second commercial runway or extension of the existing one.

Officials began discussing the agreement more than three years ago, and it was originally supposed to include a number of cooperative city-county provisions. But politics led to the stripping of but three items from the pact: the airport runway issue and two cooperative studies of the Upper and Lower Newport Bay.

Newport officials said they expect to revisit the remaining issues, most of which revolve around Santa Ana Heights and its redevelopment agency, which some supervisors want to shut down.

Lifeguard officials told the City Council on Tuesday they’ll go back to the longer program but enrollment will be limited to 1,200 for safety reasons.

The biggest spender in 2006 was Jack Wu, also running for the District 1 seat. He reported spending $53,590, about $2,000 more than Henn spent.

Money has poured into the campaign to defeat Measure X, a ballot initiative that would tighten voter controls on some development projects in Newport. The No on Measure X campaign reported raising more than $255,000 and spending about $191,000, most of it in the first three weeks of October.

The Greenlight residents group, which is backing Measure X, did not file a report by Thursday’s deadline.

BUSINESS

Newport-Mesa rentals among highest in countyNewport Beach rentals are ranked the highest in Orange County, with Costa Mesa not far behind taking the No. 4 spot.

The ranking comes from a data analysis company looking at large apartment communities with 100 or more units.

The smaller units may charge less for fewer amenities, said property manager and Coastline Community College professor Joe DeCarlo, but the rankings are still reflective of what’s going on in the smaller market.

More people are getting jobs in Orange County, more people want to live in the desirable beach-close areas, and almost no new properties are being developed.

Irvine and Aliso Viejo hold the No. 2 and 3 spots.

EDUCATION

School board candidates’ fundraising nears $40,000Former Corona del Mar High School parent Karen Yelsey led all Newport-Mesa school board candidates this week in campaign finance, with $38,099 amassed by Oct. 22. Yelsey, who filed her statement a day after the deadline, beat Loretta Zimmerman, who declared $35,565.

Yelsey is facing incumbent Serene Stokes, while Zimmerman — also a Corona del Mar High parent — is up against trustee Judy Franco, who has been on the board since 1980. Franco was third in campaign contributions with $29,737.

The candidate with the least funds was Michael Collier, the PTA president of College Park Elementary School who was endorsed by the teachers union. Collier submitted a form to the Orange County Registrar of Voters saying that he had amassed less than $1,000, although he noted that after paying for a website, he would have to declare his funds by the next deadline.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“We have expectations that wisdom comes with age. Jesus began ministry in his 30s. The reality is that young people can be smart and wise. What is unique about me is that I’m not afraid to speak my truth from the pulpit; I think that’s why they called me.”— Rev. Sarah Halverson, the new senior pastor at Fairview Community Church in Costa Mesa, who is not only the first woman to lead the church, but at 29, is also the youngest

“Nearly 40 years later, we’ve got 272 full- and part-time employees, so it’s more than doubled. So that started us realizing a while back that we’ve run out of room; we need more space.”

— Tom Warnack, Costa Mesa police captain, on the $27-million renovation and expansion of the police station

“We have so many people at this school who are making fantastic things happen. I just feel fortunate to be part of a great team. It’s a very healthy community here, and I think it’s a wonderful educational opportunity we’re providing to the kids.”

— Kurt Suhr, principal of Newport Heights Elementary School, who is to receive the Orange County Department of Education’s Outstanding Contributions to Education Award next month

“We’d hoped that the sphere issues agreement would be a little more comprehensive, but we got the main item that we wanted to get.”

— Don Webb, Newport Beach mayor, on a pact approved by the City Council and the county board of supervisors that gives Newport Beach veto power over expansion at John Wayne Airport

“Yes, there’ll be kids who probably won’t be able to participate … there are other summer programs.”— Tod Ridgeway, Newport Beach councilman, on lifeguard officials’ decision to return the popular summer junior lifeguard program to one eight-week course with limited enrollment