Village Inn

There has been much discussion during the war on terrorism about whether new government policies infringe on Americans' basic Constitutional rights. Last month a much clearer, and therefore much more chilling, attack on those rights occurred during a much smaller war raging on Balboa Island. This fight is one that could happen almost anywhere. On one side is a Balboa Island homeowner, Anne Lemen. On the other is her neighbor, the Village Inn. She claims the restaurant/bar is far too noisy, far too late into the night and that the inn's new owners, the Toll family, have changed the establishment from a relatively quiet, locals-mostly spot to a nightclub for non-islanders.

Absolutely, the city or whomever it is that governs entertainment in Newport Beach should approve additions to the Village Inn's live music lineup. We are alive and breathing, and one of our basic needs is entertainment. There is so little of it available for those of us in Newport Beach who are over 40 other than the Village Inn -- it is a treat. Sorry about the neighbor, but maybe she should start to enjoy the music instead of fight it? MARIE CASE Corona del Mar I am plagued myself by absolute noise that should not be happening and this absolutely is a residential neighborhood in Balboa and the addition to the Village Inn to have a music venue in that particular location is just way out of line.

June Casagrande An outspoken opponent of loud, late-night revelry at the Village Inn is facing an injunction to keep her quiet. Village Inn owners the Toll family are fighting neighbor Anne Lemen in court on the charges that her actions to battle noise problems in her neighborhood constitute harassment. Lemen and her attorney, Michael Bush, say her comments to customers at the restaurant and her videotaping some of the activities there do not constitute harassment.

June Casagrande A Superior Court judge has ruled that a resident made false statements against the Village Inn and should be restricted in her future speech. Judge Gerald G. Johnston on Tuesday issued an injunction against resident Anne Lemen forbidding her from making false statements about the Village Inn, making contact with the restaurant's employees or videotaping the business from within 50 feet, except from her own property. Lemen and her attorney said the ruling amounts to a violation of her free speech rights.

Veronica Duran It was a sad day in the community when owners of The Village Inn on Balboa Island closed their doors about a year ago to give the place a face lift. But after investing nearly $700,000 to rebuild the interior of the resaturant/lounge, owner Lance Wagner officially reopened the doors Monday to loyal customers. He made sure everything from floor to ceiling was remodeled, giving it a Las Vegas lounge look. In a setting where many locals enjoyed dancing, relaxing and catching up with friends, those who attended a private party last week to celebrate the reopening said The Village Inn means a lot to them.

June Casagrande NEWPORT BEACH -- The Village Inn does not need to apply for a use permit to add drums and guitars to its live music lineup, the Planning Commission decided Tuesday. Instead of ruling on the request by the Balboa Island restaurant and lounge, planning commissioners ruled that the question fell outside of their jurisdiction, much to the dismay of the packed house of residents who showed up to voice their opinions on the matter. "We've had recurring problems over the years with loud music and drunks coming out of the bar at 1 and 2 in the morning and causing a disturbance in the neighborhood," said Balboa Island resident Tom Fredericks, who opposes the Village Inn's request.

The Village Inn that exists in Balboa Island resident Ken Edward’s head is populated with an uppity South Bayfront resident named Olga Renderklott who has appointed herself the unofficial spokeswoman of the “YES on underground utilities” movement and a female bartender whose alter ego wears a beehive hairdo and goes by the name Trixie Louise. The real Village Inn, Balboa Island’s only full bar, a red brick tavern on the corner of Marine and Park avenues, has more beer on tap than intrigue, but it’s just as homey, Edwards said.

Deirdre Newman The Village Inn may be a place where everyone knows your name, but it's also OK to call employees names like "whores," "drunks," and "Satan" and as they are coming and going -- according to a ruling issued Wednesday by the 4th District Court of Appeal. The ruling regarding the bar, which many patrons liken to "Cheers," overturns an Orange County Superior Court judge's injunction prohibiting Anne Lemen -- a former neighbor who now rents out her small cottage -- from initiating contact with people she knows to be bar employees and from making alleged defamatory statements about the establishment to others.

Newport Beach Councilman Ed Selich will host a history trivia quiz and walk around Balboa Island to raise money for the Newport Beach Relay for Life. Participants will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at Marine and Park avenues on Balboa Island to pick up maps and copies of the quiz. Players will find answers during a walk around the island. The group, including Selich and other members of the Newport Beach Council Critters Relay for Life Team, will meet back at the Village Inn after the walk.

TODAY 1The Beet goes on. The Blue Beet Cafe's stage will be graced by Peace Corp. The band is known for its classic rock and howling blues tunes. Built in 1912, the cafe is the oldest structure in Newport Beach. It's at 107 21st St. For information, call (949) 675-2338. SUNDAY 2Sunday grooves. Every Sunday night in the main lounge at Detroit Bar, is a mix of the jazz, soul, rock, funk and the other eclectic beats of DJ Scotty Coates and his special guests.

Newport Beach Councilman Ed Selich will host a history trivia quiz and walk around Balboa Island to raise money for the Newport Beach Relay for Life. Participants will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at Marine and Park avenues on Balboa Island to pick up maps and copies of the quiz. Players will find answers during a walk around the island. The group, including Selich and other members of the Newport Beach Council Critters Relay for Life Team, will meet back at the Village Inn after the walk.

This year’s Balboa Island parade on Sunday will include appearances by U.S. Rep. John Campbell in a vintage 1911 Stoddard automobile and a water show visible from the Balboa Island bridge courtesy of the Orange County Harbor Patrol, but the highlight of the beloved community event for the past eight years has been the Patio Chair Drill Team. Sunday will be the last time the team marches down Marine Avenue twirling its plastic patio chairs like batons. Organizer and founder of the group Maridee Banaf is calling it quits, she said this week.

The Village Inn that exists in Balboa Island resident Ken Edward’s head is populated with an uppity South Bayfront resident named Olga Renderklott who has appointed herself the unofficial spokeswoman of the “YES on underground utilities” movement and a female bartender whose alter ego wears a beehive hairdo and goes by the name Trixie Louise. The real Village Inn, Balboa Island’s only full bar, a red brick tavern on the corner of Marine and Park avenues, has more beer on tap than intrigue, but it’s just as homey, Edwards said.

1. Which Newport-Mesa landmark was sold at the end of May? A. Lido Marina Village B. Village Crean C. The Village Inn D. The Inn Above the Highlands 2. An 890-unit, gated apartment complex being proposed by the Irvine Co. for an area along Anton Boulevard east of Sakioka Drive would include which of the following amenities if approved by the Costa Mesa City Council? A. A 1.5-acre park with walking paths and bike trails B. Three swimming pools C. Granite countertops D. All of the above 3. Which of the following is not included in Costa Mesa's proposed 2006-07 budget?

"Any system of prior restraints of expression comes to this court bearing a heavy presumption against its constitutional validity." Supreme Court (Bantam Books, Inc. vs. Sullivan, 1963) "Whore," "Satan's spawn" and "drunk" aren't necessarily words to live by, but sometimes hearing them is part of the price we pay in a country where -- unless for a compelling reason -- our words, or our writings, are not regulated before we say or publish them. That was at the core of a decision of the 4th District Court of Appeal on Aug. 11. The court overturned a trial court injunction that prohibited Anne Lemen, a neighbor of the Village Inn in Balboa Island, from using such defamatory words in her public bemoaning of noise and other nuisances at the bar-restaurant.

1. What popular former judge retired his weekly Pilot column last week? A. Judge Lance Ito B. Judge Joseph Wapner C. Judge Judy D. Judge Robert Gardner 2. To quell the number unilateral second looks of lower-body city decisions, the Newport City Council voted to do what? A. Impeach any member who calls for a review B. Make council members write standards if they call for a second look C. Require a simple majority vote on the council before a review can happen D. None of the above 3. What popular performers from the '70s and '80s will entertain at the Taste of Newport in September?

PUBLIC SAFETY Watching for signs of West Nile virus in Newport-Mesa City and county officials this week said they will continue their efforts to stop the spread of West Nile virus but don't plan any significant changes now that two birds have died from the disease. Residents expressed concerns that the city isn't doing enough to prevent breeding areas for mosquitoes, the insects that carry the disease. City officials said that Orange County Vector Control District handles the majority of mosquito control, and residents can do their part by making sure they eliminate standing water on their properties.

Deirdre Newman The Village Inn may be a place where everyone knows your name, but it's also OK to call employees names like "whores," "drunks," and "Satan" and as they are coming and going -- according to a ruling issued Wednesday by the 4th District Court of Appeal. The ruling regarding the bar, which many patrons liken to "Cheers," overturns an Orange County Superior Court judge's injunction prohibiting Anne Lemen -- a former neighbor who now rents out her small cottage -- from initiating contact with people she knows to be bar employees and from making alleged defamatory statements about the establishment to others.

Submit AFTER HOURS items to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (949) 646-4170; or by calling (949) 574-4295. SPECIAL EVENTS ART OF ALFRED HITCHCOCK Orange Coast College is offering a nine-part film history on Alfred Hitchcock. The series will be moderated by retired OCC professor H. Arthur Taussig. Each session will be held at 6:30 p.m. one Friday each month through June 4. The events will be held at OCC's Fine Arts Hall 116. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for seniors and OCC students.