Gas

An electrical contractor struck a gas line at John Wayne Airport about 7:30 a.m. today, forcing authorities to block traffic into part of the airport and to evacuate some areas, according to emergency responders. No one was injured by the leaking gas. By 8:30 a.m. workers from the Southern California Gas Co. had capped the 2-inch line and vehicle traffic was allowed to flow again, airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said. No flights were canceled but some may have been delayed as passengers had trouble reaching the terminal, she added.

ne thing is clear when it comes to rising gas prices: they’re going to keep on rising. We can’t do much about that, so to save money we need to be concerned with what we are in control of: the way we use it. The following are key strategies for keeping gas in your tank, and cash in your wallet... straight from the experts. Lighten your loafers The single biggest change you can make to your gas consumption is easing up on the throttle, especially those “jackrabbit starts” coming off a red light.

Two people were burned Monday when the gas from a burst utility pipe ignited in Newport Beach, fire department officials said. About 11:24 a.m., firefighters responded to a gas line rupture on Cypress Street, where two people had suffered first- and second-degree burns to their arms. The two were doing construction on a home there and while digging, broke the natural gas and electrical lines, officials said. The gas ignited and shot flames up to 15 feet in the air, firefighters said.

Talk about a wake-up call. A gas station attendant working the coffee machine got a rude surprise Sunday morning when a 57-year-old woman who thought she was putting her car in reverse plowed into the store. The woman put her Jeep Liberty into drive rather than reverse at Chevron, 3000 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. When she started moving, she panicked and hit the gas instead of the brake, Officer Scott Dibble said. “It was so scary, everything fell down and the door broke,” said Zeineb Abrahim, the clerk who scrambled to get out of the way of the car. “I didn’t believe the car was inside.

Deepa Bharath NEWPORT BEACH -- Several people were evacuated from the Union Bank building on Dover Drive and a stretch of Westcliff Drive was closed Tuesday afternoon following a line break that caused a gas leak in the building, officials said. The gas pipe was broken by a truck that was painting the building, said Newport Beach Fire Battalion Chief George Pearce. No one was injured, nor was there any danger of the building blowing up, he said. Employees on the third floor smelled the gas and called the fire department around 1:35 p.m., Pearce said.

Trying to do its part to soften the blow from ever-rising gas prices, the Orange County Transportation Authority announced Thursday it’s offering commuters free one-day bus passes from Monday to June 20. The agency wants people to join a growing trend of commuters using public transportation, officials said. Nationally, the public took 2.6 billion trips on public transportation during the first three months of 2008, more than a 3% increase from last year. Light rail ridership increased more than 10%, officials said.

Photos and interviews by Stefanie Frith The Daily Pilot asked fifth-graders at Adams Elementary School in Costa Mesa: What do you think about the rising gasoline prices, and what are some alternative ways of getting around town? "Prices are really high. They need to find more gas. People should ride their bikes or their Razor [scooter] or use electric cars or buses. And bikes are good exercise." AARON GROSS, 10 Costa Mesa "The prices are going up too much.

Throughout the Memorial Day weekend, the Helpful Guys and Girls in Blue visited local movie theaters to be….Helpful.  Lucky moviegoers were able to avoid long lines and sold out ticket windows by receiving free movie tickets and vouchers, courtesy of the Southern California Honda Dealers. On Saturday and Sunday, fans visiting Newport Beach theaters to see “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” were treated to a free showing.  This is just one of the many unexpected ways the Helpful Guys and Girls in Blue have been helping local residents this year.

I laugh all the way to the bank when I think of the alleged consumer advocates' attack on utilities, which are the victims, not the cause, of our power crisis. I receive a royalty for electricity generated from geothermal steam. It is now more than three times the amount I received during January and February of 1999. The cost per kilowatt hour purchased by Southern California Edison is more than it charges its customers. It does not take much brains for an honest man to see that this is unfair and won't continue for long.

Firefighters evacuated 10 Costa Mesa homes because of a gas leak Friday, authorities said. The leak was reported at about 11:50 a.m. in the 1500 block of Redlands Place after a construction crew punctured a 3/4-inch gas line while excavating on a lot, according to Costa Mesa Fire Department Battalion Chief Fred Seguin and Southern California Gas Co. spokeswoman Angela Sentiman. Because it was an active flow, firefighters from Costa Mesa and Newport Beach evacuated the area, he said.

Cafecito Organico is opening up shop in Costa Mesa. The coffee shop, which holds philosophies in authenticity, recycling and earth-grown goods, opens Saturday at the Lab. "We're very excited to be at the Lab, a sort of landmark in Costa Mesa," said cafe co-owner Angel Orozco. "Our concept fits really well in terms of developing this site. We're looking forward to meeting the community and bringing good coffee to the city. " Cafecito Organico grows all its beans without chemicals and roasts them in a "green" coffee roaster that was designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by up to 80%. The company also prides itself on affordability, with many drinks costing no more than $4. Cafecito Organico's specialty drinks — the Cafecito and Global Warming — are $5. The business also believes in a zero-waste concept, using items like biodegradable soap.

Costa Mesa's former police chief confirmed in a recent interview that he was suspended and ultimately resigned from the city after an investigation found that he had charged gas for his personal vehicle on a city credit card. "Bad judgment? Yes," said Chris Shawkey, 52. "I should've gone to the city manager and said, 'What do you want me to do?' and work it out that way. But that was really the only thing outside of my employment agreement. " Expense reports submitted to his department over his four years - he was hired in 2006 - show he charged hundreds of gallons of gas across California, Arizona and other states.

City planners told Eastside Costa Mesa residents this week that their neighborhood is getting a major face-lift. Funded through gas tax and Measure M returns, dozens of the area's residential streets will have their cracks sealed, bumps and dips leveled, and sidewalks redone. More than $8 million in improvements to streets and pavement is scheduled through 2013, of which than $6.3 million in work is scheduled from July to January. "The point of this program is to repair what's there," said city Public Services Director Ernesto Munoz.

If the idea of paying more than $4 a gallon for gas isn't appealing but the idea of taking the bus is frightening, head to the Environmental Nature Center for tips on how to get around with public transportation. The Newport Beach center is hosting "Getting There, Greener," a presentation by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) at 6 p.m. March 1 to explain how to use the train and bus systems, safe bike riding and ride share. The presentation will go over what public transportation options are available and the basics of using them, including safety.

A new university study released this week confirms what many here already know: Orange County has some of the most congested freeways in the nation. California can boast — or loathe — that it has nine of the 10 most clogged stretches of freeway in the country, with a majority in Los Angeles County. But just take a short drive southbound on the San Diego (405) or Santa Ana (5) freeways to the O.C., and the situation isn't much better. According to the study by an institute at Texas A&M University, parts of the 405, 5 and Costa Mesa (55)

Newport Beach wants gardeners, residents and homeowner associations to know its ban on gas-powered leaf blowers takes effect Nov. 11. Passed by the City Council in May, the ordinance prohibits using the machines in residential areas. They will still be permitted in commercial districts and in neighborhoods where homeowner groups have registered with the city. Residents who want to complain about someone blowing leaves after next week can contact the city's Code Enforcement Division online or by calling (949)

A private construction crew sheared a gas line behind a home on Balboa Island on Tuesday, forcing firefighters to evacuate more than a dozen residents in the area, officials said. About 3:17 p.m., a crew doing construction on a home in the 800 block of South Bay Front was cutting concrete when they also cut a natural gas line, said Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz. Firefighters asked 16 residents in the 100 block of Sapphire Avenue to leave the area until it was under control, she said.

COSTA MESA — A day after a newspaper report showed that the police chief's subordinate had the authority to OK his boss's expense reports, City Manager Allan Roeder said Wednesday that he plans to change how credit card expenses are approved by department heads. "This will be a one-line change in our existing policy that stipulates that department director submittals must be authorized by the city manager," Roeder said in an e-mail. The change does not require City Council approval.