WEEK IN REVIEW

BUSINESS

Fashion Island turns 40; mall expanison continues

In 1965, it broke ground on a barren cow pasture. In 1967, it opened its doors to shoppers. In the 1980s, it was a struggling giant, spending millions of dollars on renovations to compete with South Coast Plaza.

Fashion Island weathered the entire ride, from the troubling lows to the dizzying highs. On Sunday, the Newport Beach mall observed its 40th anniversary, although there was no big celebration at hand — since the Irvine Co. was in the process of expanding the mall even further, adding new parking and retail space.

“Our work is not done,” said Keith Eyrich, the Irvine Co.’s president of retail properties. “There’s no part of the real estate business that’s more dynamic than retail. And you can never stop looking.”

 Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian received a $16-million gift from the George Hoag Family Foundation, the second-largest donation the hospital has ever received.

The funds, which are pledged over the next decade, will go toward Hoag’s cancer center and new diabetes program. Most of the money is earmarked for infrastructure and equipment, but some will also be allotted for physicians and personnel.

 EDUCATION

UCI chancellor takes back job offer to liberal lawyer

Just days after well-known constitutional lawyer Erwin Chemerinsky accepted the job to be UC Irvine’s first law school dean, Chancellor Michael Drake rescinded the offer. Drake insisted in a letter to faculty that he did not bow to pressure from conservatives who might have objected to the liberal Duke University professor’s politics. But Chemerinsky said Drake told him that he was too politically conservative. “He hadn’t expected the extent of the opposition to my being hired,” Chemerinsky said.

 PUBLIC SAFETY

UCI police turn investigation evidence over to prosecutors

UC Irvine Police submitted their investigation into rape allegations made by one student against another to Orange County prosecutors this week.

Prosecutors will review UCI’s investigation into the case, then take one of three courses of action, Det. Caroline Altamirano said.

They could conduct further investigations, press charges or decline to file charges.

On Aug. 25, Brian Timothy Russell, 21, of Irvine, was arrested at his apartment in the Vista Del Campo apartments in the 62600 block of Arroyo Drive, hours after a female UCI student filed a rape report with the UCI Police Department on campus, police said.

Russell and the victim allegedly met through a mutual acquaintance at a party in the apartments, police said.

 Newport Beach’s newest fire house, the Santa Ana Heights Fire Station, officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday.

The ceremony included a number of speeches from Fire Chief Steve Lewis, Mayor Steve Rosansky, Councilwoman Leslie Daigle, City Manager Homer Bludau and Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach.

The station was named after former Division Chief Randy Scheerer, who died in December of 2003 of a heart attack in his Mission Viejo home.

The station includes a community room, training tower and 2.3 acres of space for outdoor exercises.

The station is across the street from the Santa Ana Heights Golf Course at 20401 Acacia St.

 Two people were killed last weekend in traffic accidents in Costa Mesa.

Faustino Perez-Cortez, 40, of Costa Mesa, was killed in a broadside collision at Victoria Street and Placentia Avenue Sept. 8.

A 74-year-old man Bakersfield man was struck and killed by a pickup truck while walking across Newport Boulevard at Bristol Street against a red “Don’t walk” signal, police said.

The driver of the truck, Flavio Juarez Zavala, 33, of Costa Mesa, had the right of way, police said.

But police arrested Zavala on suspicion of driving without a driver’s license. He was booked and later released at Costa Mesa City Jail, police said.

 The Costa Mesa-based, 222nd Combat Communications Squadron of the California Air National Guard and the last remaining military presence from the historic Santa Ana Army Air Base said its goodbyes to the city during a closing ceremony Sept. 9, attended by past and present personnel, their families and city officials.

Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor and Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen appeared made appearances at the ceremony.

Many of the unit’s full-time staff will make the move with the 222nd to Beale Air Force Base.

 NEWPORT BEACH

City Council gives go-ahead to Marine monument design

The City Council voted Tuesday to approve the proposed design for a monument to the city’s adopted Marine battalion, which will be placed at Castaways Park and will be visible from East Coast Highway.

Now supporters must raise the $100,000 the monument is expected to cost, but they got an early start with a $5,000 donation.

Newport-Mesa firefighters paid tribute to the 343 New York City firefighters killed in the 9/11 attacks with a number of memorials.

One of the more dramatic was when hundreds of Southland firefighters took a 40-mile motorcycle ride through Newport Beach and other area cities on Tuesday.

The firefighters aimed to get 343 bikers involved in the ride.

They started at 3:15 p.m. west toward the ocean. Passing through Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, they ended the journey at Joe’s Crab Shack in Long Beach. About 4:30 p.m. the group rumbled under the Arches bridge where Newport Boulevard crosses over West Coast Highway.

A fire engine from Newport Beach Station No. 2 hung an American flag over the bridge and turned on the sirens to cheer the crew on.

POLITICS

Street keeps control of county’s investment pool

Orange County Treasurer Chriss Street faced county supervisors Tuesday but didn’t lose control of the county’s $6 billion investment pool, as had been threatened. Street is the subject of several investigations, including two by county prosecutors, but no charges have been filed against him.

Supervisor John Moorlach, the former treasurer, has called for Street’s resignation and proposed taking his investment power.

But Moorlach’s colleagues didn’t support that move, saying that county investments are healthy and there was no firm evidence of wrongdoing. Supervisors will revisit the issue Oct. 16.