One path to a better education

Hank Panian

My wife, Barbara, and I moved to College Park in 1956. We wanted to

be close to my work as a faculty member at Orange Coast College. Our

three children walked to school, from College Park Elementary, Davis

Middle School, Costa Mesa High School and to Orange Coast. We

participated in many activities with the Costa Mesa Recreation

Department or with attendance at the Orange County Fair and the

annual Lions Club Fish Fry. Costa Mesa has been a great place to

raise our children.

The year, 1966, emerged as a major turning point in our history.

In February, May Co. opened its doors in what later became South

Coast Plaza; Sears, Roebuck and Co. followed in November. In March,

the city had begun construction of its Civic Center on Fair Drive.

And, the Women’s Division of the Chamber of Commerce formed the Costa

Mesa Historical Society.

However, I believe the big ticket item of that year occurred with

the merger of three school systems to originate the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District, a huge benefit for our youth. This decision

came with the tussle as you might imagine. Proponents and opponents

to unification came out of the woodwork. The League of Women Voters

held stormy public hearings in both Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Two

board members of the Newport Harbor Union High School District, Betty

Lilly and Don Dungan, also Costa Mesa’s city attorney, pushed hard

for a “yes” vote.

Partisans dedicated to Costa Mesa Elementary and Newport Beach

Elementary Districts urged a “no.” In between stood many newcomers

who had no affiliation with either. Help to tilt the decision came

from Carl Boswell, superintendent of the Costa Mesa Elementary and a

majority of its board who asked for a “yes” vote even though they

knew that unification would terminate their positions. Tremendous

credit has to go to The Daily Pilot. Reporter Chuck Loos wrote

columns that analyzed the issue. Publisher Walt Burroughs made sure

that the Pilot covered the dozens of questions and answers. And,

Editor Tom Keevil capped all those efforts with an editorial that

strongly supported unification. When the smoke had cleared with a

majority “yes,” our children in both communities were assured an

education system with continuity in policy and practice from

first-grade through high school graduation. Orange Coast College and

other branches of higher learning found that characteristic basic to

effective education. We parents applauded this improvement.

The second event reflects the heart and soul of this city. In

1959, Fairview Hospital, renamed since as Fairview Developmental

Center, opened its doors. Fairview gave Costa Mesa a special place

where those who could not help themselves had a place of compassion

and care. The Foster Grandparent Program there represents those

ideals. Beginning with its charter in October, 1972 the Fairview

Foster Grandparents provide special seniors help, from feeding to

walking, for their clients. Nancy Reagan dedicated one chapter in her

book about this organization, “To Love A Child,” to a Costa Mesa

resident, Audrey Bessa. Two other late residents, Elsie Demmer, a

volunteer, and Marie Maples of the Foster Grandparent Council, came

to know each other first at Fairview before moving on to Senior

Center work. The gift shop there is named after these two.

The last event became known as the Trees Please Campaign. During

1971 and 1972, a group of 15 citizens began meeting in the Costa Mesa

City Hall to answer the question about providing more park space for

our children. Chaired by Arlene Shafer, probably Costa Mesa’s most

active official throughout its 50 years, and Vaughan Redding from

Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, this committee

came up with the answer -- provide the community with a vote on a $4

million bond issue to purchase several parcels of land.

Bill St. Clair, former councilman, fought the Trees Please bonds.

He said this way of acquiring unneeded parks would cost us too much.

But, support from environmentalists put the issue over the top with

better than a 70% “yes.” Schafer went on to be a board member of the

Planning Commission, spend eight years on the City Council and a

stint as executive director of the chamber. Currently he is on the

Costa Mesa Sanitary District Board. Trees Please gave us the many

parks and open spaces we enjoy today.