Lions Park

Lions Park in Costa Mesa was the site of a lighting ceremony Thursday evening, where new eco-friendly lights illuminated the upgrades. Some $520,000 of Costa Mesa's redevelopment agency funds was used to provide Davis Field with new vinyl-coated perimeter fencing, 50-foot baseball netting and a new lighting system, according to a city news release. The lighting system for the West 18th Street facility will cut energy use by about 1.2 million kilowatt hours and 873 metric tons of carbon dioxide over a 25-year period.

COSTA MESA — The Costa Mesa Police Department is set to reopen a police substation on the city's Westside in about a month, according to authorities. The substation is near Lions Park at 567 W. 18th St. and is part of a joint effort between the City Council and Police Department to reach out to the community and have a greater presence on the Westside, according to Lt. Bryan Glass. The location will not be open to the public and will largely serve as an office for the two new park rangers who are expected to work in Lions Park, Capt.

Costa Mesa City Council members are already considering a skate park at Lions Park, and on Tuesday they’ll talk about whether to continue to allow carnivals there such as the one that accompanies the Lions Club’s annual fish fry. It’s part of a larger discussion on policy regarding carnivals at all city facilities. The problem with the fish fry carnival is that the damage it causes to the ball field takes several weeks to repair, and the city doesn’t own a large space with a concrete surface, which would be better suited to heavy rides and other carnival equipment.

We too thank the Costa Mesa City Council for taking time to review the placement of a skate park carefully. The residents’ arguments against a skate park at Lions Park were overwhelming. In fact, there were only two or three speakers who spoke for establishment of a skate park at Lions Park. Green space in this park has been taken away little by little over the years. A community center, a recreation center, a historical museum, parking lots, county library, fire station, all necessary activities for a city, have gradually taken much of the green space at Lions Park.

It probably won’t bring down the price of gas, but the Lions Club Fish Fry is going green — sort of. The 61-year-old fair, one of Costa Mesa’s most beloved institutions, will bring its rides, music and fried cod out to Lions Park Saturday and Sunday; this year, however, connoisseurs of the liquid shortening that the fair has traditionally used to fry its fish might be disappointed. “We’ve gone with [soybean] oil that someone is actually going to collect from us to turn into diesel fuel,” said a laughing Mike Scheafer, who has helped organize the event for 25 years.

Moving Costa Mesa's annual Lions Club fish fry out of Lions Park may spell the death of the event that has run for six decades, Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club board member Mike Scheafer said Tuesday. As Scheafer and other Lions try to plan for the 2008 fish fry, they'll discuss contingency plans in case they're displaced. And they could be, if the city builds a second skate park near Park Avenue and West 18th Street. The fish fry, which is always the weekend after Memorial Day, has taken place at Lions Park for 59 of its 61 years.

A proposal to put a skate park at either Lions or Fairview parks has come to a skidding halt. The council voted 3-2 Tuesday, with Mayor Allan Mansoor and Councilman Eric Bever dissenting, to not move forward with the planning and design for a permanent skate park at Lions Park. Instead, Costa Mesa officials are looking into creating mini skateboarding facilities across multiple parks in the city, excluding Fairview. “It’s kind of pulling back from the idea of building a second, fairly large skateboard facility in Lions Park to something more distributed around the community where you might have small skateboarding areas around the community,” City Manager Allan Roeder said.

The Costa Mesa/Newport Harbor Lions Club held its 60th annual Fish Fry Saturday in Lions Park where they cooked up about 1,000 fish dinners. Mike Schaefer, Lions Club secretary and past president, said each year, the groups cook up about 15 pounds of fish throughout the day. The fry included several food booths, and a band that stepped in to bring the entertainment to those in attendance. The highlight of Sunday's fry will be a baby contest that will feature two categories: ages six to 12 months and ages 12 months to two years.

One city council member’s vote was all that saved the Lions Club Fish Fry this year — a far cry from the days when Charles TeWinkle and the other four members of the council were all Lions, promoting the event from their seats of municipal power. Back in those days, the fry had a big, well-attended parade down Harbor Boulevard and a Miss Costa Mesa beauty pageant. Everyone who was everyone in the city came down, as shown in pictures and video at the booth sponsored by the Costa Mesa Historical Society at this year’s fair.

Doesn't it seem ironic that Costa Mesa leaders are talking about the need to move the Lions Club's annual fish fry because they think Lions Park is an inappropriate home for the longtime tradition? City officials have a skate park pegged for Park Avenue and West 18th Street, which would force the fish fry to move. The skate park would be built where the Lions set up their picnic shelters. Mike Scheafer, a Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club board member, said the fish fry, which is the weekend after Memorial Day, may go belly-up if Lions Club members have to move.

The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday approved a $1,514 stipend for Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer and Councilman Steve Mensinger, who plan to attend the annual International Council of Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas later this month. The Costa Mesa Conference and Visitors Bureau will cover the other half of the cost. The trip is part of the city's effort to attract new commercial development, especially sit-down restaurants on Harbor Boulevard, council members said.

Lions Park in Costa Mesa was the site of a lighting ceremony Thursday evening, where new eco-friendly lights illuminated the upgrades. Some $520,000 of Costa Mesa's redevelopment agency funds was used to provide Davis Field with new vinyl-coated perimeter fencing, 50-foot baseball netting and a new lighting system, according to a city news release. The lighting system for the West 18th Street facility will cut energy use by about 1.2 million kilowatt hours and 873 metric tons of carbon dioxide over a 25-year period.

COSTA MESA — The City Council on Tuesday night will consider banning smoking in almost every city park. Based on a proposal from the Parks and Recreation Commission, the council will discuss prohibiting smoking at 25 parks that have children's playground equipment and three city athletic field sites: the Jack Hammett Sports Complex, TeWinkle Park Athletic Complex and Luke Davis Field at Lions Park. The four city parks without playground equipment would not be subject to the ban. According to the proposed ordinance, smoking would be prohibited within 50 feet of designated sites, including the children's area of the Balearic Community Center.

COSTA MESA — The Costa Mesa Police Department is set to reopen a police substation on the city's Westside in about a month, according to authorities. The substation is near Lions Park at 567 W. 18th St. and is part of a joint effort between the City Council and Police Department to reach out to the community and have a greater presence on the Westside, according to Lt. Bryan Glass. The location will not be open to the public and will largely serve as an office for the two new park rangers who are expected to work in Lions Park, Capt.

COSTA MESA — The Planning Commission on Tuesday approved the creation of a task force that will attempt to address homelessness in the city. The task force, adopted after a unanimous vote, will have two commissioners and various community members. The commissioners chosen for the task force will be decided at the next meeting. "I think the task force is a way for the community to vet the current challenges and come up with a potential solution to an issue, which appears to be a major challenge for a lot of people on the Westside and the community at large," Planning Commissioner Steve Mensinger said.

Costa Mesa Fish Fry starts sizzling today at Lions Park The 63rd annual Fish Fry, sponsored by the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club, will take place today and Sunday at Lions Park, which is on 18th Street between Park and Anaheim avenues. The event features music, games, raffles and activities to raise money for schools, clubs and nonprofit organizations. The schedule of events is: Today Noon to 1 p.m.: Opening and Davis Choir 1 to 2 p.m.: CMHS Jazz Band 2 to 3 p.m.: SOY Youth Group 3 to 4 p.m.: Endeavor School of the Arts 4 to 4:30 p.m.: Raffle 5 to 8 p.m.: The Fabulous Nomads 8 to 8:30 p.m.: Raffle Sunday Noon to 1:30 p.m.: Lou Larocco's Music 1:30 to 2 p.m.: Cheer Groups 2 to 3 p.m. Baby Contest 3 to 4 p.m.: Starlight Stage Group 4 to 4:30 p.m.: Raffle 4 to 6 p.m.: Avalon Highway 6 to 8 p.m.: Latino Band 8 to 8:30 p.m.: Raffle — Staff reports Newport Beach Henry Segerstrom to receive Carnegie medal Newport-Mesa businessman, philanthropist and arts patron Henry Segerstrom will receive the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence on Monday for his work with the Orange County Performing Arts Center and other arts institutions.

The 63rd annual Fish Fry sponsored by the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club will take place Saturday and Sunday at Lions Park, which is located on 18th Street between Park and Anaheim avenues.     The event, which features music, games, raffles and activities, raises money for schools, clubs and non-profit organizations. The schedule of events is as follows:   Today Noon to 1 p.m.: Opening and Davis Choir 1–2 p.m.: CMHS Jazz Band 2– 3 p.m.: SOY Youth Group 3-4 p.m.: Endeavor School of the Arts 4– 4:30 p.m.: Raffle 5– 8 p.m.: The Fabulous Nomads 8–8:30 p.m.: Raffle   Sunday Noon – 1:30 p.m.: Lou Larocco’s Music 1:30 – 2 p.m.: Cheer Groups 2-3 p.m. BABY CONTEST 3– 4 p.m.: Starlight Stage Group 4– 4:30 p.m.: Raffle 4– 6 p.m.: Avalon Highway 6– 8 p.m.: Latino Band 8– 8:30 p.m.: Raffle

A fter the baseball or soccer game this weekend, take the family to Lions Park for the 63rd Fish Fry sponsored by the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club. Besides deep-fried cod and fries, there will be hamburgers, hot dogs, apple pie, popcorn, sodas and more. There will be a baby contest, a variety of music from the main stage and good old family fun carnival rides and games for kids of all ages. Saturday's activities begin at noon and go until 9 p.m., while Sunday's activities begin at noon and go until 6:30 p.m. or when all the fish are gone!

To Brady [Rhoades] and all of you so quick to judge, Your comment started out with “We’re getting hammered about running, front and center, a picture of girl dancers from Endeavor School of the Arts performing at the Fish Fry at Lions Park on Saturday” (“Is this photo too risque?” blog item published June 1). “Hammered” implies some wacky visions. Was your e-mail box getting overrun? Were your phones ringing off the hook? Is that why I have been getting nothing but busy signals when calling in?

Gloomy May weather couldn’t keep the crowds away from the deep-fried goodness at the Fish Fry in Lions Park on Saturday. “The secret is using fresh fish and fresh oil, and you can taste it,” said Raul Jara, secretary and incoming president of the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club, which puts on the Fish Fry each year. The Lions club has raised about $2.5 million from the event over its 62-year history to benefit local charities and Lions Club causes, like preventing blindness, Jara said.