Green Light

Yes, the cameras are a good thing. I've noticed a lot lately in the past year that in the intersections of 17th and 19th streets, there are a lot of red lights that have been run, resulting in accidents. It's very scary to drive here in Costa Mesa with the way that these people drive and run red lights. I think the cameras are great. Please do not take out the cameras. They need to be there for the safety of our community. And the drivers who do continue to run the red lights should be ticketed by the Costa Mesa Police Department so that they can learn their lessons and not run red lights and cause accidents.

It's only fitting that the City Council has sent Stephen Sutherland's Marinapark resort plan to the voters. In a sense, that should have been what opponents of the project wanted. But it hasn't been, and that leaves us scratching our heads and wondering if Greenlight advocates are playing a game more reminiscent of the children's playground game, red light, green light. If Sutherland's 110-room luxury resort on the Balboa Peninsula, between 15th and 18th streets, will be such a death knell for the area's residential and recreational character, as the pro-Greenlight, anti-resort bloc argues, why is there such resistance to it going to voters?

Susan McCormack DOVER SHORES -- A mysterious letter endorsing the controversial "green light" initiative was circulated within a recent Dover Shores Community Association newsletter, but no one will own up to who wrote it or how it was allowed to be distributed. The board is sending a retraction to all residents, saying "a gross error" has been committed because the letter was to be supplied as "information only." "We're not a political animal," said Byron Romig, board president.

Whenever Max Stone is open, he has the green light to shoot the basketball. It doesn't matter if he's missed his last six shots, or hasn't made one because Corona del Mar High relies on its guard to score. If he doesn't produce, the Sea Kings are usually in trouble. For their sake, Stone is one of the top three-point shooters in Orange County, averaging around three per game. But there have been times he has hesitated to take a wide-open look and opted to pass. This is when Coach Ryan Schachter gets on Stone's case.

An elderly woman suffered severe head injuries and is in critical condition after she was hit by a car Wednesday morning as she crossed the street against a green light, authorities said. The woman, whom police declined to identify, is a 76-year-old volunteer at the Fairview Developmental Center. Costa Mesa traffic officers said she was crossing the street next to the center, at Harbor Boulevard and Fair Drive, against green light at about 7:15 a.m. when a car southbound on Harbor Boulevard hit her, Sgt. Victor Bakkila said.

Points for a bright idea A Families Costa Mesa program to encourage children to do their schoolwork and attend classes strikes the right chords on a number of levels. First, anything to get students fired up about school will benefit not only them but also their wider community. Plus, the rewards aren't selfish. These students get points to be used for presents for their families during the holidays. A happy one it should be. Bye bye, Boylan Costa Mesa suffered a big loss this week when longtime police Sgt. Tom Boylan hung up his gun. Boylan has been a uniting presence in the department, whether it was pulling pranks or pulling the troops together.

Authorities have identified the 35-year-old man who died Thursday after his scooter collided with a car in Costa Mesa. Oscar Alaniz of Orange was traveling south on Superior Avenue about 2:30 p.m. when a 98-year-old woman turned her red 2003 Jaguar left in front of him at Industrial Way, according to a Costa Mesa Police Department news release and the Orange County coroner's office. Officials said the scooter struck the side of the Jaguar. An ambulance took Alaniz to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead, police said.

A couple accused of "fairly sophisticated squatting" at an ocean-view mansion in Newport Coast was sentenced to three years of probation Wednesday in Santa Ana. Chris Wayne Duncan, 43, and Robin Ann Duncan, 37, both of Newport Beach, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit trespass and one misdemeanor count of trespass, the Orange County district attorney's office said. "This crime is an example of people taking advantage of the current real estate environment," said Pete Pierce, the prosecutor who originally asked for the Duncans to be charged with a felony.

This week I talked to Peter Paget, captain of the Terri L. Brusco. And, no pun intended, he gave me a boatload of information. The Terri L. Brusco is the tugboat you see in Newport Harbor, moving the barges from Newport to the Port of Long Beach and back. Capt. Paget has just completed a month of work and now must take a month off. He started his career some 30 years ago in Alaska, and has kept his hand on the helm ever since. "As a kid I sailed in Portland, Ore., and became fascinated with the tugs," Paget said.

Leslie Bruce Twenty children stood at attention -- their engines rumbling, as they anxiously awaited the green light. Dan Green, a naturalist with the Environmental Nature Center, unlocked the metal gate and pushed it open. Instantly, a drove of elementary school children spilled onto the Newport Harbor High School baseball field to relish their free time. "If they made crafts all day, they would go insane," nature center program director Lori Whalen said.

Authorities have identified the 35-year-old man who died Thursday after his scooter collided with a car in Costa Mesa. Oscar Alaniz of Orange was traveling south on Superior Avenue about 2:30 p.m. when a 98-year-old woman turned her red 2003 Jaguar left in front of him at Industrial Way, according to a Costa Mesa Police Department news release and the Orange County coroner's office. Officials said the scooter struck the side of the Jaguar. An ambulance took Alaniz to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead, police said.

Whenever Max Stone is open, he has the green light to shoot the basketball. It doesn't matter if he's missed his last six shots, or hasn't made one because Corona del Mar High relies on its guard to score. If he doesn't produce, the Sea Kings are usually in trouble. For their sake, Stone is one of the top three-point shooters in Orange County, averaging around three per game. But there have been times he has hesitated to take a wide-open look and opted to pass. This is when Coach Ryan Schachter gets on Stone's case.

Ahoy! In my last two columns, I commented about how the California Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) is trying to grab the California Department of Boating and Waterways' (Cal Boating) dedicated funds. Last week, I mentioned that Parks has been hiding $54 million in special funds' accumulating for more than 12 years. However, these hidden special funds appear to be the tip of the iceberg. New reports are estimating that the state may have at least an additional $2.3 billion hidden in special funds.

A couple accused of "fairly sophisticated squatting" at an ocean-view mansion in Newport Coast was sentenced to three years of probation Wednesday in Santa Ana. Chris Wayne Duncan, 43, and Robin Ann Duncan, 37, both of Newport Beach, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit trespass and one misdemeanor count of trespass, the Orange County district attorney's office said. "This crime is an example of people taking advantage of the current real estate environment," said Pete Pierce, the prosecutor who originally asked for the Duncans to be charged with a felony.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don't play hard to get, as someone might take your coyness at face value. Fulfill the expectations of others if you want to derive the biggest benefit from situations. Take time out to pamper yourself. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Reliability and dependability should be stressed for success. Show off your best manners to impress others and win brownie points. Tradition is in fashion, so imbue the classics with your own special flair. GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

This week I talked to Peter Paget, captain of the Terri L. Brusco. And, no pun intended, he gave me a boatload of information. The Terri L. Brusco is the tugboat you see in Newport Harbor, moving the barges from Newport to the Port of Long Beach and back. Capt. Paget has just completed a month of work and now must take a month off. He started his career some 30 years ago in Alaska, and has kept his hand on the helm ever since. "As a kid I sailed in Portland, Ore., and became fascinated with the tugs," Paget said.

The Newport Beach City Council has approved the use of eminent domain to acquire a parcel of land from reluctant property owners along Jamboree Road to complete a street-widening project. The city offered to purchase the land for $452,000 in January, but was unable to reach an agreement with the property owners of the land, which spans a tenth of an acre and has no buildings, according to staff report. Citing it as a "resolution of necessity," the council approved the action in a 6-1 vote Tuesday evening.

An elderly woman suffered severe head injuries and is in critical condition after she was hit by a car Wednesday morning as she crossed the street against a green light, authorities said. The woman, whom police declined to identify, is a 76-year-old volunteer at the Fairview Developmental Center. Costa Mesa traffic officers said she was crossing the street next to the center, at Harbor Boulevard and Fair Drive, against green light at about 7:15 a.m. when a car southbound on Harbor Boulevard hit her, Sgt. Victor Bakkila said.

Although statistics show that red light cameras in Costa Mesa have increased the number of accidents where they monitor traffic, they have decreased the number of injury-related collisions, leading city staff to recommend doubling the number of photo-enforced intersections in the city. City council members will vote tonight on whether to add red light cameras to four Costa Mesa intersections within the year. The cameras would be installed by Nestor Traffic Systems at Harbor Boulevard and Gisler Avenue, Harbor Boulevard and Baker Street, Harbor Boulevard and South Coast Drive, and Victoria Street and Placentia Avenue.

The lights are officially on at Lincoln Athletic Center in Corona del Mar. AYSO Region 57 will celebrate the dedication of the newly lighted field at 5:30 p.m. Thursday before its first Mayor’s Cup game, a championship tournament for the organization. The region 57 board donated $150,000 to light the field because American Youth Soccer Organization teams have increasingly had to compete for fields as lacrosse has grown in popularity, and adult and club soccer leagues have flourished.