Rearview Mirror: OC Week in Review

Sunday (06.07.15)

Merchandise sales help Disney reap big rewards

Walt Disney Co. can thank fans for generating an estimated $1 billion or more in annual merchandise sales at the company’s theme parks. Disney pockets an additional $40 billion-plus from licensed merchandise peddled each year in retail outlets. Now, with Disneyland’s 60th shindig in full swing, the merchandising machine has hit overdrive with glowing mouse ears, crystal castles and other memorabilia. Analysts say about 10% of Disney’s theme park revenue comes from merchandise sales — twice the rate of other theme parks. (Los Angeles Times)

City considers adding trolley service

Newport Beach is looking into a trolley-style service that could move visitors and locals around the often-congested Balboa Peninsula during the busy summer months. The peninsula is narrow, with a single main road that becomes crowded on hot summer weekends. Beachgoers and shoppers often circle around Balboa Boulevard as they hunt for a parking spot. (Los Angeles Times)

Robber of Anaheim restaurant sought

A man was being sought after an armed-robbery attempt at a fast-food restaurant in Anaheim on Saturday night, authorities said. Officers responded at about 11:30 p.m. to a report of a robbery at a Jack in the Box in the 1100 block of North Euclid Avenue, said Lt. Joseph Feria of the Anaheim Police Department. (KTLA)

Monday (06.08.15)

Teenager accepted to all 8 Ivies

A Fullerton teen who is one of an elite crew accepted by all eight Ivy League schools has decided to go to Yale. Fernando Rojas, 17, the son of Mexican immigrants, is a skilled debater, earning a national championship, according to KABC-TV. He was a co-valedictorian at Fullerton High School and attributes his success to his parents, who told him to reach high. (Los Angeles Times)

Authorities identify baby who drowned in pool

A 9-month-old Irvine baby who drowned Saturday in his family’s backyard pool has been identified as Jace Carlton, authorities said. The child was taken to Hoag Hospital and later pronounced dead. The boy’s mother told authorities she couldn’t find him after he slipped unnoticed from the home, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi. (Daily Pilot)

O.C. men plead not guilty to helping ISIS

Two Orange County men accused of conspiring to aid Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria pleaded not guilty in federal court. Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi, both 24, allegedly conspired “to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,” according to a criminal complaint. (Los Angeles Times)

Titans headed to College World Series

Cal State Fullerton is headed to Omaha, site of the College World Series. The Titans came back from a two-run deficit to defeat Louisville, 4-3, in 11 innings Monday night at Louisville. (Los Angeles Times)

Police shoot suspect armed with knife

Two Anaheim police officers fatally shot a man who charged at them with a chef’s knife, authorities said. About 2:40 p.m., a police officer had made a traffic stop in the 300 block of West La Palma Avenue when a man who was not involved in that incident came toward the officer, Police Department Lt. Eric Trapp said. The man, described as in his 30s, brandished a large kitchen knife and rushed toward the officer, Trapp said. A second officer who arrived at the scene “was also charged at by” the man, Trapp added. (Los Angeles Times)

Tuesday (06.09.15)

California drought: No rain, but ‘the sky is not falling’

California’s epic drought has cast some doubt on the state’s future, but along the Santa Ana River in Orange County, water officials have put aside their interests and are working together on some innovative steps to better manage the water supply during dry times. (Los Angeles Times)

I.D., but little else, released in stabbing

Authorities have identified a man who was stabbed to death in Costa Mesa last month, but investigators haven’t been able to determine where he lived, police said. Floriberto Villasenor Cortes, 44, died at 5:30 p.m. May 30, about an hour after he was found bleeding on a lawn in the 2900 block of Peppertree Lane, according to police and Orange County coroner’s officials. (Daily Pilot)

RSM woman accused of having drugs in jail

A Rancho Santa Margarita attorney convicted this year of killing a bicyclist while driving under the influence of prescription drugs has been accused of having a controlled substance while in jail, authorities said. Hasti Fakhrai-Bayrooti, 41, faces a felony drug-possession charge after jail officials found her with Clonazepam, usually prescribed to treat anxiety, seizures and panic attacks, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. (Los Angeles Times)

Wednesday (06.10.15)

SuperShuttle offers free airport rides

SuperShuttle is giving airport travelers a break this summer. If you have three or more passengers on a shared-ride reservation to or from more than 40 airports, one person rides free. SuperShuttle’s Summer Sale applies to airports in a variety of places, including Orange County. To get this deal, you must make reservations online through the company’s mobile site or use its mobile apps. Use the discount “RIDES” when booking. (Los Angeles Times)

New farmers market coming to Costa Mesa

A farmers market will set up shop every Saturday in Costa Mesa’s Eastside beginning in September. The Planning Commission voted 3 to 1 to approve a permit allowing St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, at 183 East Bay St., to operate a weekend farmers market in the church parking lot. The farmers market, which will offer fresh local produce, flowers and other food items, will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Daily Pilot)

Thursday (06.11.15)

Conservation may lead to rate hike

The drought is driving down water use in Newport Beach. But a consequence of reduced use is a decline in revenue that officials were counting on to help fund necessary improvements to the municipal water system, such as replacing aging pipelines and sewer stations. Ratepayers may be asked to help close that gap. (Daily Pilot)

Investor Gross discusses the ‘new reality’

Investment brokers owe it to their customers to deliver some grim news, just as doctors sometimes must tell patients they have only six months to live, longtime bond investor Bill Gross told a roomful of financial advisors. “Your clients are going to have to face a new reality,” Gross said at a Dana Point meeting sponsored by Janus Capital Group, where he has managed a bond fund since he bowed out late last September at Pacific Investment Management Co., the giant Newport Beach investment firm he co-founded. After a decades-long rally in bonds and other assets often pumped up by central-bank stimulus efforts around the world, Gross said there wasn’t a lot of upside left in financial markets. (Los Angeles Times)

Friday (06.12.15)

Disneyland generates $5.7 billion in activity

Disneyland Resort, Orange County’s largest employer, is responsible for more than $5.7 billion in annual economic activity throughout Southern California, supporting 28,000 regional jobs, according to an independent economic study. The estimated economic impact for fiscal year 2013 is a 21% increase over a similar study’s estimate for fiscal year 2009, when the resort generated an estimated $4.7 billion in economic activity and 21,000 jobs. (Los Angeles Times)