Balboa Pier

A 49-year-old man was found dead about a half a mile from Balboa Pier, police said Thursday. The body of Nino Nobles of Irvine was found about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday about 30 yards from the Coronado Street lifeguard tower, which is about half a mile from the Balboa Pier, according to coroner and police reports. There were no apparent signs of foul play, said Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman Kathy Lowe. An autopsy was scheduled to performed Thursday, but no cause of death has been determined pending a toxicology report, which will likely take weeks, according to the coroner's office.

NEWPORT BEACH - Lifelong surfer Billy Lewis stood on Balboa Pier watching the waves Thursday afternoon. Spots of water from the splashes shooting upward dotted his face, shirt and hat. "I had to take a look at it. I'm a surfer," the Newport Beach resident said. Hundreds joined Lewis on the pier because no one around there was up to experiencing Mother Nature first hand. Waves were up to 8 feet on average, with some peaking as high as 12, lifeguards said. The sand around the pier was absent of any people braving the waves, and only a few tried dipping their feet in the shorebreak.

Professional and amateur skimboarders will compete this weekend in the third annual Oktoberfest Skimboard Contest sponsored by Exile Skimboards and Main Street Surf Shop. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the south side of the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach. The contest marks the final stop on the United Skim Tour, which features professional riders from across the country competing for a spot in the tour?s rankings. Skimboarding has become more popular in this area over the years, and locals account for the majority of entrants in the amateur division.

NEWPORT BEACH — In a cost-saving move, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to reorganize the City Attorney's office. The staffing changes eliminate three positions: two vacant administrative roles and one deputy city attorney. The deputy city attorney was retained as a contractor and the hiring of a new legal secretary was approved. The council also granted a permit for a restaurant near the Balboa Pier, despite protests about adding another liquor license to the area.

There are probably few days at the Balboa Pier that feel as family-oriented as the annual Monster Mile race. The parking lot is jam-packed with cars and SUVs, the sand is lined with enough adults holding cameras that you would think they were shooting a surfing competition, and the pier is loaded with cheering parents. They’re all there for the same reason: to cheer on their and others’ kids as they go about completing a monster of a task, running a mile and swimming a mile up the beach.

BALBOA PENINSULA — Chase Braun turned a subtle shade of blue as he shivered on the shores of Balboa Peninsula. But it was worth it. The 9-year-old, freckle-faced Newport Beach boy had just completed his first swim around the Balboa Pier with hundreds of his friends, and he came in first place for his age group. Every Thursday, the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards program holds a competition day for the kids so they can apply the skills they have learned. "It was cool and nauseous at the same time," Chase said between shivers.

NEWPORT BEACH — Areas near the Balboa Pier flooded Wednesday due to a high tide and surf increase, according to lifeguards. A 6-foot tide at 11:20 a.m. flooded streets and closed the parking lot northwest of the pier and on A Street, said lifeguard Capt. Boyd Mickley. The increase was due to a swell from the Southern Hemisphere, Mickley said. Areas were affected for about 30 minutes. Cleanup will continue for several days, and use street sweepers, hand crews and other equipment to remove debris and sand that washed up, according to Mark Harmon of the city's General Services Department.

-- June Casagrande Bright red, white and blue "Shop Balboa" banners mounted on at least a dozen light poles will help Balboa Village businesses burdened by construction as the city makes $8 million in improvements. A-frame sidewalk boards will direct shoppers and visitors to where additional parking is located, in particular during the annual Christmas Boat Parade from Monday to Dec. 23. The first phase of work includes renovation and restoration of Balboa Boulevard from Main Street to Adams Street, the Washington Street and Balboa Pier restrooms, and the Balboa Pier area.

A 49-year-old man was found dead about a half a mile from Balboa Pier, police said Thursday. The body of Nino Nobles of Irvine was found about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday about 30 yards from the Coronado Street lifeguard tower, which is about half a mile from the Balboa Pier, according to coroner and police reports. There were no apparent signs of foul play, said Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman Kathy Lowe. An autopsy was scheduled to performed Thursday, but no cause of death has been determined pending a toxicology report, which will likely take weeks, according to the coroner's office.

NEWPORT BEACH — In a cost-saving move, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to reorganize the City Attorney's office. The staffing changes eliminate three positions: two vacant administrative roles and one deputy city attorney. The deputy city attorney was retained as a contractor and the hiring of a new legal secretary was approved. The council also granted a permit for a restaurant near the Balboa Pier, despite protests about adding another liquor license to the area.

Newport Beach and surrounding coastal communities this week received the kind of report card that would make any parent proud: nearly straight As. From Newport Bay to Crystal Cove, area beaches not only scored high in water quality on Heal the Bay's annual report card, but many fared better than last year. The Santa Monica-based environmental nonprofit's report gave A-to-F grades to 447 California beaches after documenting the "routine monitoring of beaches by local health agencies and dischargers," according a press release.

Volunteers will descend on local waterways and beaches for California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday. More than 50 Orange County beaches, lakes, and waterways are slated for group cleanups between 9 a.m. and noon. Some Newport-Mesa locations include: Crystal Cove, Upper Newport Bay, Balboa Beach near the Balboa Pier, Corona del Mar State Beach, and Vista Park/Victoria Pond in Costa Mesa. In 2010, volunteers removed more than a million pounds of trash and recyclables from across the state.

NEWPORT BEACH - Lifelong surfer Billy Lewis stood on Balboa Pier watching the waves Thursday afternoon. Spots of water from the splashes shooting upward dotted his face, shirt and hat. "I had to take a look at it. I'm a surfer," the Newport Beach resident said. Hundreds joined Lewis on the pier because no one around there was up to experiencing Mother Nature first hand. Waves were up to 8 feet on average, with some peaking as high as 12, lifeguards said. The sand around the pier was absent of any people braving the waves, and only a few tried dipping their feet in the shorebreak.

NEWPORT BEACH - Areas near the Balboa Pier flooded Wednesday due to a high tide and surf increase, according to lifeguards. A 6-foot tide at 11:20 a.m. flooded streets and closed the parking lot northwest of the pier and on A Street, said lifeguard Capt. Boyd Mickley. The increase was due to a swell from the Southern Hemisphere, Mickley said. Areas were affected for about 30 minutes. Cleanup will continue for several days, and use street sweepers, hand crews and other equipment to remove debris and sand that washed up, according to Mark Harmon of the city's General Services Department.

NEWPORT BEACH - A gruesome skeleton hung from the bow of the ship. A giant skull and crossbones graced the mainsail. Pirates stood around guarding chests of treasure. A sailor kept watch from the crow's nest. Others stood ready at the cannons. With his hands on the wheel, Capt. Bloodbeard looked out from his ship to the colorful sea that his misfit crew created on the sand below. "Welcome aboard the S.S. Scurvy," proclaimed Bloodbeard, also known as Jimmy Newton, a junior lifeguard instructor.

A portion of the coast near the Balboa Pier remained closed Wednesday after a sewage spill the day before contaminated the waters off Newport Beach. The area 1,000 feet upcoast and 1,000 feet downcoast of the Balboa Pier are closed for swimming, diving or surfing until further notice, according to a Tuesday statement from the Orange County Health Care Agency. Up-to-date information on beach closures is available on the agency's website, http://www.ocbeachinfo.com , and its Twitter account, @ocbeachinfo.

The two fishermen who hauled a massive black sea bass to shore at the Balboa Pier pleaded guilty Wednesday and were sentenced to 120 hours of community service. They had faced up to six months in jail for catching the endangered species. Prosecutors had charged the two with misdemeanor possession of a black sea bass after they were videotaped with the fish, and their images landed on YouTube . Orange County Commissioner Richard E. Pacheco agreed to the plea bargain, which reduced their violation to an infraction.