COSTA MESA Costa Mesa considers $112-million budget...

COSTA MESA

Costa Mesa considers $112-million budget

The City Council spent Monday staring at a $111.8-million budget

for the 2003-04 fiscal year. The preliminary budget allows the city

to maintain programs and services at existing levels. The city

expects to take in about $38 million in sales tax and about $15 in

property tax during the year. Councilman Allan Mansoor questioned

some of the city’s proposed spending, including money on the Westside

Police station that he said only operates during business hours and

not during peak crime hours.

Roger Mendez, 17, received the Honorary Jose Angel Garibay

Scholarship, awarded by the Orange County Hispanic Educational

Endowment Fund, and will receive $1,000 toward his university

studies. The Newport Harbor High senior and Costa Mesa resident said

it is an honor he will not take lightly.

Garibay, a Newport Harbor grad, and six others from his base were

killed March 23 near Nasiriyah, Iraq, after encountering an ambush by

enemy troops, officials reported. He was the first of two Orange

County casualties reported in the war.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].

NEWPORT BEACH

City not counting on

El Toro airport yet

While governmental and nongovernmental organizations wage an ink

war, Newport Beach residents are a little more reserved about what

may or may not be a revival of the pro-El Toro airport cause.

Residents are split on whether the city of Los Angeles has a right

to push for decisions outside its jurisdiction.

Earlier this month, a letter surfaced in which L.A. Mayor James K.

Hahn secretly asked the federal government if Los Angeles World

Airports, the agency that runs Los Angeles International Airport,

could run an airport at El Toro.

Despite Los Angeles’ potential influence, the Navy is proceeding

with plans to unload the bulk of the base’s 4,700 acres in an online

auction in the fall.

When contacted Friday, Lt. Cmdr. Pauline Storum, a Navy

spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., said the agency isn’t planning to

call off that auction.

The Navy, through the Department of Defense, has hired real estate

marketer Colliers Seeley to publicize the sale and oversee the

bidding. The company launched a Web site at www.heritagefields.com

that contains information about the auction process.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].

BUSINESS

Airline turns down

John Wayne Airport

A Chicago-based discount airline has backed out of a bid to offer

flights out of Orange County, prompting airport managers to seek a

replacement carrier.

In a Tuesday letter, ATA Airlines declined an offer to set up shop

at John Wayne Airport.

After ATA’s decision, airport managers turned to Midwest Express,

a regional airline based in Milwaukee. Freed has tentatively offered

two daily flights to Midwest Express, which would fly to Kansas City.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].

ENVIRONMENT

Cottages get go-ahead

from Coastal Commission

The California Coastal Commission granted an approval Wednesday to

restore the historic cottages at Crystal Cove State Park and turn

them over to the public for overnight rentals.

The commission, during a marathon meeting Wednesday in Long Beach,

signed off on a plan that has been subject of much debate since it

was unveiled in 2001.

California State Parks will restore the deteriorating cabins and

plans to offer 20 as affordable rentals, eight for park staff, five

for educational uses and three for concession stands.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].

PUBLIC SAFETY

Gang sweep nets

handguns and four arrests

A multi-agency gang task force combed Costa Mesa’s Westside early

Wednesday morning in a search for gang members allegedly involved in

two shootings and a stabbing, police officials said.

Officers did not find the people they were looking for, but

arrested four others on different charges, and found three handguns

in two homes, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney said.

One boy was arrested on suspicion of violating probation, and

another for allegedly interfering with the officers’ ability to

perform their duty, Birney said. David Antonio Mendez, 18, and a girl

were arrested on suspicion of interfering. The girl also had an

outstanding warrant, Birney said.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].