WEEK IN REVIEW

EDUCATION

Monetary problems force special program to disappear

A Newport-Mesa special education program for the deaf and hard of hearing will be phased out over the next year.

The class mostly included Santa Ana School District students who used Newport-Mesa’s program because of its unique qualities. But financial woes have caused Santa Ana educators to decide they could no longer afford to send the children to Newport-Mesa so they are now bringing them back to Santa Ana.

Newport-Mesa plans to dissolve the program by the 2009-10 school year and will only service Newport-Mesa Unified School District students on an individual basis.

Some parents, like Scott Surico, who don’t live in either Santa Ana or Newport-Mesa school districts, will be forced to send their children back to their neighborhood school. The Surico family prefers the Newport-Mesa program.

COSTA MESA

Locals want abandoned shopping site demolished

Fed-up residents have begun circulating a petition to tear down the remains of the long-abandoned El Camino Center.

The unsuccessful shopping center, whose final storefronts puttered out nearly a decade ago, has been slated for demolition since 2001. Since that time, residents say, the shuttered building has become a haven for gangs, graffiti and other problems.

“The property is a complete eyesore. It’s unsafe, not a secured property,” Mesa Del Mar Homeowners’ Assn. President Lisa Reedy said. “We’ve seen kids jump the fence, tear it down to go in — the abandoned buildings there are apparently kind of a hangout for local gangs, hoodlums, the homeless…the list goes on and on.”

Erik Weeks, a member of property owner Oxbow 101 LLC, said plans are near to tear the building down and move forward with decade-old plans to develop the property as a residential neighborhood.

Details weren’t immediately forthcoming, though Weeks said residents can expect a demolition “pretty darn quick” and that plans would be clearer next week.

BUSINESS

My rebate is going toward bills, say local taxpayers

Tuesday was April 15, the deadline for turning in tax forms — and many people had an extra incentive for wanting to turn them in, as the government has promised rebate checks of up to $600 for taxpayers who earn less than $75,000 a year.

The Bush administration intends the checks to stimulate consumer spending, but many people in Newport-Mesa said they would more likely put the money toward rent or outstanding debts.

“I’m in arrears financially,” said Nancy Haro, who sat in line at the Costa Mesa nonprofit Share Our Selves shortly before the tax deadline. “That’s why I’m here. What do you think I’ll spend it on?”

Tuesday, some post offices in Newport-Mesa bolstered staff and used parking lot attendants to accommodate the crowds. Accountants at H&R; Block also prepared for a long day.

John Onstott, who works in the office on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, said his office had about 30 appointments scheduled for Tuesday.

“We’ll stay till midnight if we have to,” he said.

NEWPORT BEACH

Rehab complaint may become federal lawsuit

The U.S. Justice Dept. will investigate a claim that Newport Beach discriminates against recovering drug addicts and alcoholics.

Pacific Shores Recovery, which houses recovering addicts and alcoholics at two Newport addresses, filed a complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development earlier this year.

The complaint has now been handed over to the Justice Dept. Pacific Shores alleges a city-imposed moratorium on new rehabilitation homes in the city, which began in April 2007, is discriminatory.

The moratorium ended when the city passed a new ordinance in January requiring most of the homes to undergo a public hearing process to obtain permits.

The complaint also addresses the new ordinance, which he also claims discriminates against people battling addiction.

 The Newport Beach City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian’s proposal to shift 225,000 square feet of building space from its lower to upper campus to build a 300,000-square-foot tower.

Hospital officials contend the tower will be used to house operating rooms and other critical care facilities the city needs. More than 200 Newport residents attended the council meeting to ask city officials to make the hospital eliminate the smoggy plumes from the plant before the hospital gained approval for the plan.

The council voted to make the hospital reduce its usage of the plant by one-third during times when weather conditions make the plumes the most visible. The council voted to make Hoag curb its usage of the plant at certain times to reduce plumes of steam and exhaust from a hospital power plant by up to one-third.

Biologists identify wayward sea lion spotted during tour

Tour boat captain Eric Stallcup made a remarkable discovery this week when he spotted a sea lion with a paler complexion than usual.

When he gives his typical Fun Zone Boat Co. tour he’s used to seeing the hordes of barking sea lions on the bell buoy at the Newport Harbor entrance. But recently he saw a Steller sea lion that’s more commonly seen in Alaska.

“I see the sea lions a lot, and what was really astounding about this one was its light color and he had kind of a longer snout and a square head,” Stallcup said.

It’s probably the southernmost sighting of a Steller sea lion, said Dennis Kelly, professor of marine science at Orange Coast College.

“It would be like seeing a polar bear walking around in Southern California,” Kelly said.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Councilwoman’s son pleads guilty to battery of father

A Costa Mesa city councilwoman’s son was arrested after a dispute with his brother in the family home turned physical Monday night.

Andrew Dixon, 30, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after an argument with his brother, Adam, turned physical when their father, Michael entered the room. Andrew had been drinking, prosecutors said. Andrew pushed Michael when he came into the room, prosecutors said.

Dixon pleaded guilty to battery Wednesday and had the assault charge dismissed. He was given credit for the three days he served in jail and was sentenced to 40 hours of community service and three years informal probation.

Dixon is scheduled to appear in court May 1 for his third DUI arrest. He was convicted of driving under the influence in San Bernardino County in 2006 and in Orange County in 2000.

 The Orange County Human Relations Commission’s annual report on hate crime statistics showed a marked decrease in hate crimes across the county with a drop from 101 crimes to 81.

Blacks continued to be victimized the most, and Latinos saw a jump in their numbers. There were 12 hate crimes targeting Latinos in 2007, up from eight in 2006.

The report said that while hate crimes took a positive step last year, there is more to be done. Statistics show a pattern of a decrease in incidents with education, according to the report.

The commission did not release city-by-city statistics for two reasons: The numbers would be so small any change could be misleading, and not all cities have the same protocols for reporting hate crimes.