Costa Mesa

Nobody scored for all of regulation and two overtimes. But Rigo Miranda changed all that with a goal to clinch the championship for Costa Mesa against San Juan Capistrano in Boys APP under-14 soccer in AYSO Region 120. Miranda's game-winner was his third goal of the championship tournament, helping Mesa to an undefeated season. Costa Mesa beat Huntington Beach, 4-2 in the semifinals, getting four goals from four different players including Alberto Nava, Jose Perez, Austin Evett and German Higadera.

You think Costa Mesa's problem is illegal immigration? Please. Having the mob show up in Costa Mesa ? now that's a problem. When big guys in big cars with big cigars who come from places like Paramus and Bensonhurst and Arthur Avenue, and who pronounce oil "earl" and Earl "Oil" start showing up, that's something to worry about, and that's exactly what's happening in Costa Mesa. Well, in Tony Soprano's mind anyway. I have been many places in this world and have seen many things, but I have seen very little as strange as last Sunday's episode of "The Sopranos" on HBO, wherein mob boss Tony Soprano and the land of Newport-Mesa collide head on. It's a long way from Hoboken to here, but somehow, the mob has found the City of the Arts.

Paul Clinton Back in 1949, when Edward "Buddy" Grant opened the Grant Boys at a storefront where Triangle Square now stands, Costa Mesa's downtown wasn't much more than a scraggly landscape of feed barns, pharmacies and hardware stores. Grant's store, then known as Grant's Surplus, offered rakes, shovels, bicycles and mixed paint among the "1,001 things you can't use," as was the store's motto at the time. More than five decades later, Grant Boys owner Randy Garell explained his shop's longevity with a few simple words.

The Costa Mesa Jr. Pee Wee Black Mustangs extended their undefeated season with a 24-6 win over the Long Beach Rams Oct. 25. The Black Mustangs' offense was on the field for 29 of the game's 40 minutes. Mark Contreras scored his 11th touchdown of the season to cap a 70-yard drive. He then threw to Zack Porteous on a halfback pass on fourth-and-13 for the second touchdown. Michael Taormina scored the third touchdown on a quarterback keeper from 7 yards.

The Ocean View High baseball team "welcomed" visiting Costa Mesa to the Golden West League with a hard-fought 4-2 victory Wednesday. Mustang senior pitcher George Vargas pitched well, Coach Doug Deats said, but was outdueled by Seahawk senior left-hander Grant Theophilus, who scattered four hits and struck out nine over six innings to improve to 2-0. "Vargas pitched better than the last game he won," Deats said....

Tom Forquer Amid the hustle and bustle of contemporary corporate commerce in Costa Mesa lies a remnant of old business and community values. Tucked into a tiny alley off Newport Boulevard, you might know about Swaim's Clip Joint if you happened to notice its rotating barber pole or if you've lived in Newport-Mesa for a while. Looking for a job after he discharged from the Marine Corps, Ed Swaim took a tip from his barber. "He said you could always have a job, you wouldn't make much money, but you would meet an awful lot of nice people," Swaim said.

The Costa Mesa boys under-14 APP soccer team has an impressive run going. They didn't lose in five games of a recent tournament they won and they won their first league game last weekend. They went 3-0-1 to win the sixth annual McMillan Tournament in Costa Mesa, then followed it up with a convincing 10-0 win as league play began, all while only allowing two goals. Mesa needed to win the third pool-play tournament game to advance to the championship game and they did just that, shutting out the opposition, 7-0, to force a championship matchup with Santa Margarita Mesa won, 5-0, to give them the championship medal.

Although it is unfair to characterize a group based solely on the words and actions of an individual member, I believe most people (including Lolita Harper) are not wrong in judging the Improver's key agendas. Quite often, the core members of the Improvers have unashamedly revealed themselves to be extremely conservative, ranging from anti-immigration to homophobic beliefs. I believe most people find it rather difficult accepting the true intentions of the Improvers.

Deirdre Newman Costa Mesa's history can best be described as a tale of two cities. Early on, the town served as the center of a largely agricultural area, earning the moniker "Goat Hill." Later, as the plowshares gave way to shopping malls, it evolved into a world-class retail destination. Its history was not without adversity. The towns that predate Costa Mesa struggled with natural and economic disasters, but bounced back each time, illustrating the residents' resilience.

A Santa Ana-based group will hold a protest march in Costa Mesa on Saturday to oppose the city's illegal immigration enforcement plan, the closing of a job center and the placement of National Guard troops at the U.S.-Mexico border. Tonantzin Collective members, Orange Coast College students, Orange County Student Uprising representatives and Costa Mesa bike club members, will meet at 4 p.m. at 19th Street and Placentia Avenue. At 5 they will begin their march to Triangle Square at 19th Street and Newport Boulevard.