Airport

Paul Clinton NEWPORT BEACH -- Always the hottest topic on the table, John Wayne Airport will take center stage again tonight at an issue forum. A panel of political leaders are scheduled to address the city's proposal for the extension of flight restrictions at the airport. The forum will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Riverboat Restaurant at 151 E. Coast Highway. Though the flight restrictions won't expire until 2005, officials at several government levels have begun work to secure an extension.

Alicia Robinson Airport officials will move forward with detailed design and architectural plans for a new passenger terminal and other facility expansions now that the Orange County Board of Supervisors has approved an environmental report for the project. The board on Tuesday approved the report, which was a supplement to one approved in 2002 that addressed the effects of expanding the airport. The supplemental report discussed logistics and short-term effects of construction of the expansion.

I think we need an international airport where we used to have a military airport in the Irvine area. And we need to keep the Orange County Fairgrounds where they are. It's not just about the fair three weeks a year. It's about activities for our community the other 49 weeks of the year, including the swap meet. How could we make any money if they have to build a new fairgrounds in Irvine, and why should Costa Mesa be left high and dry? It makes me so upset that I can't even think clearly.

-- Paul Clinton Nine months after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, John Wayne Airport is a picture of near-perfect health. After seeing large drops in travel late last year, as fearful passengers stayed away from airports across the nation, John Wayne registered a 7.5% increase in May compared with last year. In May, the passenger count was 694,333 versus the 645,617 who used the airport in May 2001. The improving conditions were also shown in the airport's year-to-date numbers.

Paul Clinton NEWPORT BEACH -- Councilman Gary Proctor wants visitors to the city to understand the benefits of an airport at the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. To accomplish his goal, Proctor said he will ask his councilcolleagues whether the city should buy informational kiosks from Orange County that are being used as part of the county's "Just the Facts" public information campaign. Proctor said the kiosks could be placed at Fashion Island and other locations known to attract crowds of visitors.

Alicia Robinson For the first time in Orange County, and possibly the nation, busy travelers looking for a time-saver can vote before they fly. Early voting for the Nov. 2 election began Tuesday at John Wayne Airport and 26 other locations in the county. Officials held a press conference next to the airport's statue of John Wayne to kick off what they believe is the first opportunity in the country to vote early at an airport. "We want to give every opportunity for people to vote prior to election day if they are unable to vote on that day," Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby said.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ensured that travelers will continue to be able to grab a luggage cart at John Wayne Airport when they extended the operator's contract for two years. The board extended the term of the deal with Smarte Carte Inc. until May 31, 2004. The contract was set to expire May 31. Smarte Carte has agreed to pay the airport $82,088 per year. The company must also station a minimum of 250 carts at the airport. The company has provided the oblong, metal luggage carts to the Thomas F. Riley Terminal and parking garages since May 1997.

Airport firefighters received a new home Wednesday when the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a new $3.8-million station. The new station, to be called Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Station No. 33, will be built on airport grounds. The board approved the environmental review on the new 14,958-square-foot station and set Feb. 27 as the date for the solicitation of bids for a builder. The airport plans to foot 80% of the bill on the new station with grant money from the Federal Aviation Administration.

It seems longtime El Toro activist Russell Niewiarowski, one of the main proponents of the airport alternative V-Plan, has come down with a severe case of airport burnout and opted out of the fight. It's hard to blame him. After all, there hasn't been a bruising, lasting conflict like El Toro since France and Britain squared off during the Hundred Years War. And both sides went through a few monarchs before that was settled. Niewiarowski, for our money -- and this fight seems to be all about money -- has earned the break.

South County cities fighting Orange County's plan for an airport at the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station submitted nearly 300 questions and comments about the environmental report. The El Toro Reuse Planning Authority forwarded its comments to the county's airport planning office so they can be included with other reaction to Environmental Impact Report 573. The county released a revised version of the report in April in response to an authority lawsuit that had challenged an earlier review.

John Wayne Airport is planning to use private security guards to protect its airfield vehicle entrances, instead of the sheriff's special officers it uses now. The Orange County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the security firm's contract at its 9:30 a.m. meeting Tuesday. Airport staff members have recommended that Orange-based Heritage Security Services be awarded the contract. The bidding process attracted 11 applicants. As the airport fully staffs Terminal C, the new six-gate facility it opened in November, it has proposed moving sheriff's special officers from the perimeter to the passenger terminal.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors decided this week to explore alternatives to using county firefighters at John Wayne Airport. Board members had considered replacing the contract with the Orange County Fire Authority, reducing current staffing levels and creating a specific airport fire department, but decided to maintain the status quo for the next year while researching alternatives. On the heels of the airport opening its new Terminal C, which is part of a $543-million expansion and renovation project, the supervisors considered a reduction to staffing.

With national unemployment idling at about 9% and the federal government in perpetual gridlock, select cities in Orange County were recognized this week by the business community for cutting bureaucratic tape and boosting local economies. The Orange County Business Council honored public agencies Thursday with the "Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Awards," which lauded business retention and expansion, adjusting to globalization and creating sustainable environmental programs, among other successes.

COSTA MESA - About two weeks ago, Jackie Marquez walked out of her local Wells Fargo bank branch in Irvine and saw an Occupy Orange County protest on the corner. Disenchanted with big banks and government, the 61-year-old said she was immediately drawn to the protestors, even though she wasn't sure what they stood for. "I was getting so frustrated with government, I didn't want to vote anymore," she said. "This economy has hit me hard. I've had to crawl my way back. " Thursday night, Marquez was still with the Occupy movement, this time taking part in a national day of action by joining more than 60 protestors at John Wayne Airport.

Travelers will soon have more room stretch out and more spaces to park in, once John Wayne Airport officially opens its new Terminal C on Monday. Officials on Wednesday previewed the building with six additional gates, a 2,000-space parking structure, and the latest security and ticketing technology. Originally proposed to meet bursting air travel demand, Terminal C opens amid a tepid market and weak economy. John Wayne operates under its limit of 10.8 million passengers annually, but officials expect traffic to pick back up. Terminal C is the capstone of the airport's $543-million expansion and renovations, first approved by the county Board of Supervisors in 2004.

The Transportation Security Administration plans to install full-body scanners at John Wayne Airport in the coming months, federal officials confirmed Tuesday. Scanners are planned for all three terminals, including the new Terminal C set to open in November. Travelers randomly selected to undergo the body scans can opt to walk through the traditional metal detectors and receive a manual pat-down instead. A recent public backlash about the machines' graphic depictions prompted the TSA to change the images the scanners produce.

Agreeing to lift constraints on affordable housing development, Newport Beach officials have received tentative approval of the city's housing blueprint. Regulators from the state Department of Housing and Community Development said last month that the city's moves would bring it into compliance with state law. If the City Council adopts the plan next month, affordable housing developments near John Wayne Airport would be automatically approved if they meet certain requirements.

John Wayne Airport can now mostly rely on itself for power, after firing up four generators to produce up to 7 megawatts of electricity. Officials on Thursday morning dedicated a $31-million central utility plant at the south end of the airport. It will provide 95% of the airport's energy and a steady stream of cool water for the air-conditioning system. Part of JWA's $540-million expansion and improvement program, officials say the plant was designed to save the airport energy costs in the long-run, and to be self-reliant.

As John Wayne Airport builds a customs inspection center and prepares to reinstate service to Canada next month, airport officials are hiring a consultant to expand into other North American markets. Soon, officials will announce an "air service development" consultant to help them evaluate prospective markets, especially those in Mexico and Canada, spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said. The need for such a position is new for JWA, which is grappling with declining passenger counts and will soon have more capacity.

Travelers and visitors at John Wayne Airport may see emergency responders treating victims of a simulated plane crash Friday morning. Airport officials announced they will be conducting a mandatory drill between 10 a.m. and noon. Various emergency personnel will be participating, including JWA Operations, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, and Airport Police Services. The Federal Aviation Administration requires commercial airports to conduct a full-scale drill every three years, according to the airport announcement.