Locals fired up for Fourth of July celebrations

Marisa O’Neil

By boat, by bike, by foot and by wagon, Newport-Mesa residents will

make their way to Independence Day celebrations this weekend.

But, police warn, troublemakers need not attend.

Those who want to responsibly celebrate the birth of our nation

can do so at any number of boat parades, bike parades, block parties

and barbecues. Folks who want to visit notoriously party-heavy West

Newport, however, could again face tripled fines if they get too

rowdy.

“I am encouraged and optimistic,” Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve

Shulman said of this year’s July 4. “I’d like to think we would write

less citations and arrest less people [this year]. But it only takes

a few people who didn’t get the message to change that.”

Last year’s “safety enhancement zone” in West Newport, where some

fines were tripled for rowdy lawbreakers, helped decrease the number

of problems, Shulman said. Last year, 103 people were arrested,

compared to 154 in 2002.

More than 200 officers from Newport Beach, California Highway

Patrol and other agencies will keep an eye on parties and partyers,

many of whom come from out of town for the festivities. Police are

hoping people stay away or cooperate, so they don’t need to write as

many citations or make as many arrests.

Nevertheless, some West Newport homeowners are getting the heck

out of Dodge.

Peter Smith said he and his family plan to get out of the “war

zone” that day. They also decided not to rent out their home for that

week, as they used to do, to keep it from becoming a party house on

Independence Day.

“And we can’t see putting a family in there unless they’re

familiar with the area and know what it’s like [on Independence

Day],” he said.

Instead, they’ll go to Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, where his

11-year-old daughter, Samantha, will kick off the fireworks show by

singing the national anthem. The 45th Independence Day fireworks

show, billed by organizers as “the largest patriotic-themed fireworks

extravaganza ever,” will follow a day-long event with carnival games,

crafts, games and music.

In Costa Mesa, where safe and sane fireworks are legal,

neighborhood block parties trump wild, drunken parties. Police watch

out for illegal fireworks and other problems, but have things

relatively easy, compared to Newport Beach, Costa Mesa Police Lt.

John FitzPatrick said.

“We rarely have problems with our community on the Fourth,”

FitzPatrick said. “It’s basically a great night and a great holiday.

We get the occasional drunk driver, but outside of that, the

community really bands together, and it’s an opportunity where

neighbors meet neighbors.”

The Fourth of July also brings out the creative spirit in many

locals, who deck out their beach cruisers, scooters or any other

preferred form of locomotion in red, white and blue.

“Part of the fun is just the anticipation of decorating our

bikes,” said Patricia Nance, who takes her two sons to a bike parade

at Mariners Park. “They love it. They get all the little neighborhood

kids excited, doing their bikes.”

The Mariners celebration, in its 31st year, will also include

carnival games and rides. It serves as a fundraiser for Mariners

Elementary School’s foundation.

The Mesa del Mar homeowner’s association will hold its

second-annual neighborhood parade from Sonora Elementary School to

TeWinkle Park. Last year, it drew about 150 people, resident Katrina

Foley said.

“The parade was great,” Foley said. “There were tons of kids. They

had a great time, their bikes were decorated really fun, and people

even brought wagons out.”

Those who forgot to pick up red-white-and-blue crepe paper and

flags can head down to Malarky’s Irish Pub in Newport Beach that

morning. They’ll continue a 20-year, bike-decorating breakfast

tradition, owner Bill Hamilton said, where cyclists gear their

cruisers up before hitting the boardwalk.

The day’s parades continue on the water with the American Legion

Yacht Club’s 53rd annual boat parade, themed “Sharing the American

Spirit.” About 100 boats festooned with patriotic glory, like Gay

Wassall-Kelly’s SS Michigan, will sail around Newport Harbor.

“Since our boat has sunk so many times, we have a banner on the

side that says: ‘Our American spirit is unsinkable.’”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].