WEEK IN REVIEW

An airport for the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station may be an

idea thats time has come. Or at least that was the case last week at the

Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting.

After years of delays, the board certified the environmental report

for its airport plan at the base.

The board picked an airport that could handle as much as 18.8-million

annual passengers a year. As on extra twist, Supervisor Jim Silva who

represents Newport-Mesa, suggested bringing back the Marine Corps for a

“joint use” of the base. The Marines left in 1998.

South County forces, of course, vowed to carry on the fight against

the planned airport.

-- Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

[email protected] .

No worming his way out of this

Dennis Rodman pleaded guilty Thursday to three criminal misdemeanor

charges relating to noise violations at his 40th birthday in May.

The former NBA star also paid off a ticket he received for speeding

his boat through Newport Harbor in August.

Superior Court Judge Margaret Anderson ruled Thursday that Rodman pay

$1,000 to the Newport Beach Police Department as reimbursement for law

enforcement expenses and $500 to pay court costs.

The judge also ordered Rodman to pay a $1,080 to settle the speeding

ticket.

Prosecutor Mike Fell said he was satisfied with the judge’s ruling and

that he was pleased that Rodman pleaded guilty on all counts. Rodman’s

attorney Paul Meyer said his client was singled out and treated

differently than others who might have been in the same position.

In other news, a suspected child molester, wanted for exposing himself

to three Costa Mesa girls in April, was arrested in Tustin. Kirk Brian

Eggleston, 35, a Tustin Ranch resident was arrested near his home this

week after a six-month long investigation by Tustin, Irvine and Costa

Mesa police. He is being held in Orange County jail with bail set at

$150,000.

-- Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached

at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

Putting all their apples in the lobby

The city’s stance against unbridled expansion of John Wayne Airport

took on national significance as the City Council approved plans to lobby

Washington. Council members decided to spend at least $350,000 on two

contracts for legislative advocacy. Their goal: to convince Federal

Aviation Administration and other officials to side with the city and

extend a settlement agreement now governing some airport impacts. That

agreement will expire at the end of 2005 if it’s not extended.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints submitted plans to the

city for a 17,500-square-foot temple at Bonita Canyon Drive and Prairie

Road. Plans include a 91-foot-tall spire topped off with a statue of the

angel Moroni. That steeple will require special approval by the city.

Two of the beach’s worst bathrooms will soon be bulldozed and

replaced. Public restrooms at Balboa Pier and at Washington Street, under

a $531,000 contract, will be closed for 12 weeks, probably beginning in

mid-November, and replaced with portables while new facilities are being

constructed.

-- June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

Planning more than just the fair

Orange County Fair Board members managed to keep everyone seemingly

happy last week while moving forward on plans for a 10-year master plan

for the site.

At a public meeting on the fairgrounds, members of the board of

directors heard from about 50 concerned audience members about three

major components of the master plan -- the Market Place, amphitheater and

equestrian center. A total of about 150 people attended the meeting.

Board members took advantage of the meeting to clear some things up,

like the fact that there were never any plans to move the Market Place

from its current spot on the site. Hearing that, about 75 vendors -- who

were ready to express their disapproval of the proposed plans -- breathed

a collected sigh of relief.

In fact, vendors walked out of the meeting with more than they had

asked for, as board members offered to explore the possibility of moving

the carnival part of the annual fair that usually requires Market Place

vendors to close shop for three weeks during the summer.

President Curt Pringle also took about five minutes to explain to

audience members the difference between this fair board and past fair

boards. Frustrated with assumptions made by audience members who were

opposed to the revival of he amphitheater, Pringle explained the board’s

motivation was not a profit-seeking one.

Residents charged the new amphitheater would bring the same loud rock

concerts it had in the 1980s, but Pringle insisted the atmosphere would

be different.

Horse enthusiasts may have gotten the worst deal with the proposed 50%

cut of the equestrian center but audience members cheered the decision,

as it was far better than the option to cut it entirely.

-- Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

School bond bounds ahead

Last week was potentially big one for the school district.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board asked the county Board

of Supervisors to issue $40 million in bonds to begin the facilities

implementation plan approved by Measure A. The bonds are for the first

two years of construction.

The board also discussed adding two temporary relocatable buildings

for the STEP and Transition 2 programs, which serve developmentally

disabled students, at Harper School. The board will vote on this at a

future meeting.

The board also revised the school’s zero-tolerance policy to include

making terrorist threats, committing sexual assault, harassing a student

who is a complaining witness and carrying a pager, except under a

doctors’s authority, as grounds for suspension.

Two schools also received $25,000 donations by Harbor Boulevard of

cars “Dollars for Schools Program.” Estancia High School received $25,000

for two scoreboards. Corona del Mar received $25,000 for its

college/career center and its math clinic.-- Deirdre Newman covers

education. She may be reached at (949) 574-4221 or by e-mail at o7

[email protected] .