Balboa Peninsula

Noaki Schwartz BALBOA PENINSULA -- Come next year, you might want to check how much time you've got on your parking meter. The City Council on Monday got a close look at the long-awaited Balboa Peninsula Parking Management Plan and likely will take a vote on it in November. The plan, a result of numerous community workshops, included 16 different options to deal with parking problems on the peninsula. At those workshops it was decided that the city needed to tackle a number of traffic-related issues, including: giving priority for residential parking, improving signage, reducing traffic congestion and redesigning current parking.

TODAY WHAT: A Christmas concert with tenor Christopher Campbell and organist Charles Welling WHERE: Costa Mesa Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 271 Avocado Ave., Costa Mesa WHEN: 4 p.m. INFORMATION: (949) 548-6596 WHAT: "A Winter Waterland" is the theme of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce 96th annual Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade Balboa Island, Lido Isle and Balboa Peninsula. WHERE: Newport Harbor WHEN: 6:30 to 9 p.m. INFORMATION: Lighted dinghies, yachts, sailboats and canoes will cruise around the harbor.

Authorities have a man in custody thought to be responsible for several “peeping tom” cases along the Balboa Peninsula, police said. The suspect, Rick Ryan Febbo, 34, of Los Flores was arrested Sunday after failing to appear in court to face the charges, authorities said. Investigators allege that between Oct. 9 and Nov. 6 Febbo exposed himself four times along the Balboa Peninsula, police said. Febbo would allegedly peek in the windows of various peninsula homes and was caught masturbating a number of times, police said.

        Betty Louise McCarthy, a long time resident of the Balboa peninsula, was born January 1, 1920 in Whittier CA and passed away peacefully on February 19, 2010. She is remembered fondly by those who knew her for her quick smile, her infectious laughter and delightful wit. Betty is survived by six children, Michael McCarthy of Naperville, IL, Karen Casey of Bainbridge Island, WA, Molly Wiehardt of Newport Beach, CA, Thumper McCarthy of Maui, HI, Meg Wiatt of Henderson, NV and Tracy McCarthy of Costa Mesa, CA. She leaves 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren of whom she was very, very proud.

A 20-year-old Marine from Camp Pendleton was arrested early Monday morning for stealing a pair of dinghies in Newport Beach, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's harbor patrol said. Around 2:15 a.m., Seth Charlson of Washington state was arrested with a pair of inflatable boats that had been reported stolen from the Balboa area earlier in the night. Sgt. David Ginther of the harbor patrol said that Charlson made off in one dinghy and then took a second one soon after, possibly because the first one didn't go fast enough.

62, Balboa Peninsula ... Member of the Divas, a support group for the Balboa Theater ... Home and Garden network will host Wassall-Kelly and husband Bill Kelly on "Extreme Christmas" ... President of the Balboa Merchants Owners Assn. ... Editor of the 2,000-circulation Balboa Beacon, now in its seventh year ... Watches out for Rupert and Pearl, the swans in the harbor ... Trying to launch program to put plaques on the old buildings of the chronological order of businesses ... For seven years, the Kellys won first place in various categories in the Christmas Ring of Lights competition for decorations on their home ... Married with five children, 30 to 42, and five grandchildren ... Last year's ranking: 54

Leaning over a copy of a 1950s map of Newport Beach, 76-year-old Dolores Perlin traced her memories: hanging out at the Fun Zone, renting speed boats and racing them inside Newport Harbor, packing a bunch of girlfriends on Johnny Weissmuller's surfboard, and swimming across the harbor. Perlin, a Newport Harbor High School graduate, grew up on Balboa Peninsula. Her father, Joseph "Francois" Marshall, managed Christian's Hut, a restaurant on the bayside. In 1947, Perlin was Pirate Queen during the Pirate Days celebrations in early fall.

A fleet of classic woodies has taken to the streets of Newport Beach, shuttling local residents and visitors alike all over Balboa Peninsula and Coast Highway. Friday was the launch of the O.C. Cruiser, a privately funded shuttle service launched by attorney Sabrina Dagostino and Dave Muller of the Newport Nautical Museum. Dozens of local dignitaries were on hand to commission the O.C. Cruiser and take a tour with the bus along its first route. The O.C. Cruiser will offer free rides around the Balboa Peninsula all weekend, and hopes to begin regular service after June 13 when it goes before the Newport Beach City Council for approval.

On the heels of a state Department of Conservation report showing how devastated Newport Beach would be if a tsunami were to strike, the California Coastal Commission is slated to approve the installation of tsunami warning sirens along the Balboa Peninsula. According to the agenda for the Dec. 14 commission meeting, commission staff recommend that it approve three 50-foot-tall warning sirens along the peninsula, which would alert residents and beachgoers of a deadly wave headed to the coast.

A power outage Sunday night will affect homes and businesses on the Balboa Peninsula. Southern California Edison will be conducting maintenance to improve electrical service beginning at 11 p.m. Sunday through 5 a.m. Monday, according to a city press release sent Friday. Homes and businesses from Island Avenue to the end of the peninsula will be without electrical power. Stop signs will be placed at Main Street and Balboa Boulevard while the street lights and traffic signals are not operating.