COSTA MESA SKATE PARK OPENS TO CROWDS
After 10 years of spinning their wheels, skate park proponents
will finally get a place to put down their wheels.
In September, the City Council approved a skate park for TeWinkle
Park.
Staff members are dusting off the plans for the failed Charle
Street-Hamilton Street plans. They have done a complete review of
these plans and are expecting to present the idea of modifying them
for TeWinkle Park to the City Council in January.
But some Mesa del Mar residents still oppose a skate park at
TeWinkle because they say it would destroy the last area of open
space in the park.
DEBATES STRETCH ON ABOUT NEWPORT CONTROL OF JWA
It started small, but its implications could be huge. In the fall,
Newport Beach leaders announced they wanted to create what they
called a "Sphere Issues Committee" -- a casual group of three council
members that would try to engage county leaders in a dialogue on a
number of county-run operations that directly touch Newport's
borders: the Sheriff's Harbor Patrol, the Santa Ana Heights
Redevelopment Agency, the Coyote Canyon Landfill, local tidelands and
John Wayne Airport. And though their request started off as little
more than an invitation to chat, its implications could be huge.
This year will reveal whether the city's casual inquiry could
result in taking over the harbor patrol, the multimillion-dollar
redevelopment agency, landfill operations and even possibly John
Wayne Airport.
City officials say their goal is to look for opportunities
beneficial to the county and the city -- areas where Newport might be
able to take some administrative or financial burdens off the
county's hands to provide more efficient service. But, before the end
of this year, it could be clear whether this will mean taking control
of tens of millions of dollars and several of the most influential
county facilities, and possibly gaining long-term control over
airport expansion.
FEW SURPRISES AS NEWPORT-MESA SCHOOL BOARD HEADS TO ELECTIONS
Three Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees will be up for
reelection in November.
Newly appointed President Dana Black, a member since 1996, said
she has not yet decided whether to run in the next election. Nor has
Martha Fluor, who just finished her third term as president.
Trustee Dave Brooks, who represents the northwestern end of Costa
Mesa, said that he does intend to run. Black's trustee area covers
parts of Newport Beach, and Fluor's, the east side of Costa Mesa.
