History

From a news perspective, the 1990s in Newport-Mesa had it all. Million-dollar embezzlements by officials in a city and a school district. A sexual harassment scandal in the Newport Beach Police Department that took down the chief and his top lieutenant. A hard-fought and highly emotional political campaign over a proposed airport that divided the north and the south. An ongoing environmental story. An international sports star in our backyard. A devastating car crash and its aftermath, including what many called a modern miracle.

A car crashed into a tree, split in half and then burst into flames on one of Newport Beach's widest and busiest streets Monday evening, claiming the lives of five teenagers and leaving questions about what caused one of the worst wrecks in city history, police said. The injuries to two of the victims were so severe that the county coroner was using fingerprints to confirm their identities. The victims' identities were expected to be released Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters and police responded to the scene just north of Jamboree Road and Island Lagoon Drive at 5:20 p.m., according to Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman Kathy Lowe.

Nearly a decade after the conclusion of World War II, folks in Orange County decided that a small corner of Costa Mesa should be dedicated to those who didn't make it back home. A 1.4-acre memorial garden - planned in 1953, erected the following year and dedicated to all who served - was built at the Orange County Fairgrounds. In its heyday, the Orange County Memorial Garden had its fair share of plants: weeping willows, jacarandas, hibiscus and the like. The once-quiet garden, though, is long gone, but the former Army barracks next to it - known these days as the Memorial Gardens Building - has been in the area since 1942.

UC Irvine's David Kniffin was named Coach of the Year in men's volleyball by Volleyball Magazine after guiding the Anteaters to their second straight NCAA title in his first season at the helm. Also recognized in the publication's June edition were senior outside hitter Kevin Tillie (first-team All-American), sophomore libero Michael Brinkley and junior middle blocker Collin Mehring (second-team All-Americans) and junior middle blocker Scott Kevorken (third-team All-American). Kniffin became only the second coach in the 44-year history of NCAA men's volleyball to coach a team to the NCAA championship in his first season.

The Orange County Fair and its marquee concert venue was recognized by an international trade publication this month for its high attendance in 2010. Venues Today magazine ranked the O.C. Fair the eighth most attended fair in the U.S. and the Pacific Amphitheatre the seventh most attended venue of its size internationally in its January issue, according to a release from the OC Fair & Event Center. The 2010 fair, with the theme "The Beat Goes On," was the highest attended fair in its 120-year history with more than 1.1 million people visiting, President and Chief Executive Steve Beazley said in the release.

It started three years ago, innocently enough, by a well-meaning professional bureaucrat charged with managing Newport Harbor. Then-Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff requested a Harbor Area Management Plan (HAMP), the City Council funded the $200,000 study and shazam — a solution in search of a problem was launched. With more than $100 million in "improvements" to fend off global warming outlined in the HAMP, the bureaucrats had the validation they needed to set in motion the juggernaut resulting in the largest property tax levy in Newport's history.

Seriously? Thursday is Thanksgiving? I don’t see how that’s possible. But it is, apparently, and you and I and just about everyone will have to deal with it. Checking the T-Day folder, we find that in years past we have done the history of Thanksgiving; how to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner; how not to; how to prepare a traditional Italian Thanksgiving dinner; and what to do with T-Day leftovers. This year, given everything that’s going on in the nation and the world, it is time to examine what Thanksgiving really means, why it matters, and what we need to keep in mind as we approach another annual day of thanks.

In the 10th grade, after school and cross country practice, I would walk two miles past my home, the neighborhood market and my best friend's house. My destination was a center called Save Our Youth in Costa Mesa. This center was a break from my busy home. My home was always too crowded, and I didn't have a place to focus and do my homework. Even though I would come home after dinner, my mother understood and would serve me dinner after she had served dinner to my six siblings and my father.

A group of 90 teen surfers, all diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, will gather from around California hoping to catch a break at Laguna Beach on Saturday morning. The Pediatric-Adolescent Diabetes and Education, or PADRE Foundation is hosting its ninth annual Surfing with Diabetes Camp at Three Arches Bay, which will feature a surf lesson from former professional surfer Scott Dunton, a luau and an evening beach bonfire. "It's not all about diabetes. It's about having fun," said Evan Barker, 15, of Laguna Beach, who has surfed the event since he was 12. "You don't have to feel weird about checking your insulin, you can be yourself and not have to hide.

Thousands lined Marine Avenue to attend the biggest little parade in Orange County on Sunday. The 20th annual Balboa Island Parade, which marched along a two-and-a-half-block route, was the best attended in its history. Organizers estimated that more than 3,000 came to cheer, clap and laugh as entrants passed by dressed up for the theme of "Balboa Island - Yesterday and Today. " "The spirit here is amazing," said parade Chairman Jack Callahan. "People just love to come because you get a small town of America feel in the middle of Southern California.