Week in Review

NEWPORT BEACH

Nesting pole for ospreys changes position

U.S. Department of Fish and Game officials and Southern California Edison workers tried to make life a little more comfortable for ospreys in the Back Bay last week. On Thursday they moved an osprey nesting platform and the 30-foot pole on which it sits to a new location on Shellmaker Island, farther from where workers are building the new Back Bay Science Center.

A pair of ospreys hatched its young on the platform in 2006, the first of the birds to have offspring there in years. The move doesn’t seem to have upset the birds, which were reportedly using the platform at its new location Friday.

Volunteers can sign up for weekly, monthly or on-call shifts by calling (949) 887-2996 or going to www.fishharbor.org.

COSTA MESA

Owner of historic house seeks tax breaksJohn Morehart, owner of the historic Huscroft House, is urging city officials to adopt the Mills Act, a 1972 state law that allows cities to give tax breaks to property owners who preserve historic buildings.

The house was probably built in the early 1900s and moved to Costa Mesa around 1954. Morehart has spent several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars restoring it.

The city’s planning commission in January voted to recommend the council adopt the Mills Act, and the council might take up the issue this month.

Of the 104 people found to be in the U.S. illegally, 58 have been deported, federal officials said. An analysis of Costa Mesa arrest records showed more than 55% of the suspected illegal immigrants told police they live in Costa Mesa.

BUSINESS

Hollywood producer plans for stint at Arches locationHollywood producer and director, and Newport Beach native McG, whose real name is Joseph McGinty Nichol, has modest plans for the Arches location, on which he and partner Chris Brigandi recently signed a 10-year lease.

For the restaurant, he plans to maintain the quality food and good service. McG and Brigandi are hoping to create a specialty market at the Arches Liquor Store, with coffee, meats, cheeses, wine and beer.

His main impetus for signing the lease was to make sure a Newport Beach landmark stayed put.

Current Arches proprietor Dan Marcheano said he’s taking the Arches name with him when he moves to another location in Newport, but the format will change slightly. He plans to marry the traditional Arches fare with barbecue.

Trans fat has been connected with high cholesterol levels and can increase a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Marriott Hotel and Spa in Newport Beach has already begun eliminating hydrogenated oils, which have trans fat. Every property, including the Marriott Bayview and Marriott Newport Coast Villas in Newport Beach, should have a trans-fat-free kitchen by Thursday.

The Swedish company has had much success in its recent Los Angeles-area openings, with throngs of people lining up around buildings on opening days.

H&M; stores sell discount clothes but market to consumers looking for high-end fashion.

EDUCATION

New nursing center opens at Hoag HospitalHoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian celebrated the opening of its new Marion Knott Nursing Education Center last week and hopes its existence will help the nationwide nursing shortage.

California ranks 50th in the country in the number of registered nurses per 100,000 .

Nursing students from a number of local universities can complete their rotations at the hospital while being mentored by Hoag’s staff nurses. Nursing graduates will also be able to take classroom courses and shadow nurses while learning about Hoag’s procedures.

The site will also offer continuing education for registered nurses, something that’s required of all nurses.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Accident causes days-long phone and Internet outageA construction crew inadvertently cut underground telephone cables in Newport Beach on Wednesday, causing a phone and Internet outage that persisted into the weekend in some areas.

Newport Beach police lost the ability to receive non-911 phone calls for a few hours, and callers found themselves instead reaching a Newport Beach Library voice mail, Police Sgt. Evan Sailor said. .

Many stores at Fashion Island were affected to varying degrees, but shops were accepting credit cards and taking calls as usual, even if some had to call in verifications by cellphone.