Newport

Tony Altobelli LAGUNA NIGUEL - After being shutout on Sunday, early runs were the order of the day for the Newport Beach Little League "B" All-Star team. That order was delivered by the 9- and 10-year-olds Monday in a 7-5 win over South Mission Viejo in the District 55 All-Star Tournament at Wagon Wheel Park. Newport jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings and hung on for dear life for the win. "We dug down and hung in there," Manager Brian Freeman said.

LOS ALAMITOS - The Newport A men's water polo team placed fourth Sunday in the 2000 Men's senior Nationals at the U.S. Water Polo National Aquatic Center. In the third-place game, Newport A was outscored by two goals in the fourth quarter during a 9-7 loss to New York Athletic Club. Mark Hunt briefly tied the game for Newport in the fourth quarter. In the semifinals, Newport A got edged by Olympic Club, 8-7. Hunt, Ryan Bailey and Mike Evans each had two goals.

The Newport-Mesa's eighth-grade All-Net girls basketball team improved to 3-1 with a 47-35 victory over El Toro at Laguna Beach High. Ivy Melo led all players with 15 points and Allie Duernberger added 12 points and five rebounds for the victors, who trailed 8-0 to start the game. Newport went on a 10-6 run to close the first period and led at halftime, 21-12. Taylor Holden scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots.

The seventh-grade Newport-Mesa boys National Junior Basketball All-Net team improved its record to 4-0 with a 49-46 victory over Fullerton. Jamie McGee led Newport with 14 points and six rebounds while Robbie Boyer had nine points. Joe Eberhard (eight), P.J. Simpson (four), Kyle Caldwell (four and six rebounds), Will Kelly (four), and John Swift and Ali Meshkin, each with two points, contributed to Newport's scoring. Newport trailed for the first two and a half quarters before going to the full-court press.

No lead was safe as the Newport Beach Little League AAA All-Star Tournament team fell to South Mission Viejo, 13-12, in extra innings, in the second round of District 55 play. Newport trailed, 8-1, starting the third inning, before coming back to take the lead, 10-8, in the top of the fifth. Newport had leads of 11-9 and 12-11, but SMV tallied three consecutive hits in the bottom of the seventh to end the game. With the score 11-9 in the bottom of the sixth, the first two SMV batters walked and the third was hit by a pitch.

The Newport girls under-13 APP team played four tremendous games this past weekend. Newport 6, Tustin 0: Newport started out very strong in their first outing against Tustin. Sarah Cope, Lily Dierkes, Andrea Aqueveque, Kristina Heimstaedt, Kelly DeYoung, Stephanie Nealey, and Tia Shefflette played tremendous defense, shutting out Tustin. Scoring for Newport were Claire Josephson and Cassidy Gayner, with two goals each, and Monique Gallardo and Lyndsi Lewan, with one goal each.

Joseph Boo MORENO VALLEY - Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco (11-12) All-Star Manager Kevin Heenan realized only one team would end the PONY League postseason with a victory. But NHBA's 10-4 loss to North City of San Diego in a West Zone Regional elimination game Saturday at Moreno Valley's Sunnymead Field did not befit a team that went further than any Newport team in history in these circles. "I thought we were real flat in both our games," Heenan said, including Newport's 6-2 loss to Corona Friday.

Michael Helfrich hit a jump shot from the top of the key as time expired to give the Newport-Mesa seventh-grade basketball team a 56-55 victory over San Clemente to win the All-Net championship. San Clemente was called for traveling with two seconds to play, which set up Helfrich's shot. Newport (10-1) received solid play from Joey Jones (12 points), Sean Donovan (10 points), Danny Miller (eight points), Cameron Holmes (eight rebounds) and Helfrich (14 points)

As thousands of grocery workers across Southern California sit outside in the blazing sun, one might think conservative Newport Beach is the toughest place to be. No so. It seems being a picket in Newport is not so bad. Not only are people not crossing the picket line in droves and throwing disapproving looks and phrases, faithful customers of the Lido Aisle Pavilion's are bringing the pickets cold sodas and water....

The Anaheim 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars again showed their mastery of the Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco A team with a 12-4 victory in the semifinals of the section tournament Monday night at York Field in Whittier. Newport lost twice to Anaheim in the sectionals and once in the district tournament. Despite Monday's loss, Newport will advance to the regional tournament as the No. 2 seed in Orange County -- behind Anaheim -- by virtue of its 2-0, eight-inning victory over Los Alamitos Sunday.

A former Newport Beach resident charged for running a fraudulent Internet company returned to the U.S. on Thursday after fleeing the country in 1999. James S. Eberhart, 71, was deported from Malaysia and was expected in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, according to an FBI release. Eberhart, along with co-defendants Eugene M. Carriere, Richard Hines and Kenneth Gottlieb, were indicted for allegedly operating YES Entertainment Network, Inc., a fraudulent Newport Beach company that solicited for investments over the phone for an 18-channel, multimedia, family-oriented website, according to court documents.

Cecil Whiteside, a former Newport Harbor High standout, has been kicked off the football team at Cal for violating team rules, Coach Jeff Tedford announced Thursday. Tedford did not specify what the linebacker did, according to the Associated Press and the San Francisco Chronicle. Whiteside was regarded as one of Tedford's most talented defensive players, the Chronicle reported. As a freshman, he played in 10 games and started three for the Bears. He recorded 17 total tackles, four for losses.

With reserves expected to reach $98 million next fiscal year, Newport Beach officials indicated this week that they may be ready to spend some of the money. The City Council gave preliminary approval to the 2012-13 plan Tuesday night, after Finance Director Tracy McCraner presented a balanced budget that invests slightly more in information technology and capital improvements, while generally keeping expenditures at the same level as this year. But the city has a long list of deferred harbor and beach projects — like more than $30 million in identified dredging and a $68-million project to replace Balboa Island's aging sea walls.

More than $50,000 was raised for local public schools at the 29th annual Newport-Mesa Spirit Run. Spirit Run President and Race Director Diane Daruty presented the Newport-Mesa Unified School District with a check during its March 8 meeting for $50,593 for the 16 schools in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa that participated in the event. The race, which has nonprofit status, also donated $2,520 for lock boxes, which brought the total donation to $53,113. "We're very committed and proud that the Newport-Mesa Spirit Run gives every student in the community the chance to participate," Daruty said at the meeting.

Newport Beach firefighters will pay more toward their pensions, and newly hired firefighters will receive less in their retirement, according to a union contract the City Council unanimously approved Tuesday. With the increased contributions and a less generous retirement plan, Newport joins a growing roster of California cities reforming their pensions and saving long-term employment costs. "This is about finding balance about what is fair for our dedicated employees, and what is fair for taxpayers," said Councilwoman Leslie Daigle.

Two groups may receive more than 70% of the city's annual special event grants, if the Newport Beach City Council approves the city staff recommendations Tuesday. Combined, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Newport Beach Film Festival are likely to receive about $130,000 of the total $180,000 allocated for community events, based on outlined recommendations in a staff report prepared for Tuesday's council meeting. The chamber produces the Christmas Boat Parade and the Taste of Newport each year.

Re. Wu: "Employee-to-resident ratio suggests big govt.," May 6): It was kind of Jack Wu to credit me with swinging a Conan-like budget ax (the Barbarian, though sometimes I feel more like O'Brien), but that's not where credit is due. The City Council adopts budgets, including cuts. All seven members spend many hours reviewing the budget documents by the time they vote. They rely upon their peers on the three-member Council Finance Committee to study every detail of the budget I propose.

WALNUT - Don't get Ethan Cochran wrong. He was happy to win his second straight CIF Southern Section Division 2 title in the discus Saturday. Excited? That's a different story. The Newport Harbor High senior wants more. He'll be excited for a second straight state championship. For now, he's OK with a Division 2 first-place medal. "It's not the most exciting thing because I won it last year," said Cochran, who is bound for Cal. "The more exciting thing is winning state.

Some of the best water polo players in the world are coming to Newport Harbor High next weekend. With the weeks dwindling until the London Olympics, the Newport Beach Water Polo club is working on making it into a Memorial Day weekend to remember. The club is hosting a three-day, pre-Olympic water polo showcase at Newport Harbor starting Saturday. Three of the top men's national teams in the world — Team USA, Hungary and Croatia — will be participating. Robert Lynn can't wait.

Newport Beach firefighters could start contributing significantly more to their pension costs, officials said Friday. The City Council on Tuesday will consider a plan that would gradually move firefighters toward paying the full portion of their contributions to a state retirement fund. A second, lower retirement tier would go into effect for new hires that would eventually prove less costly for the city. FOR THE RECORD: An earlier version incorrectly reported the meeting would be held Monday.