Week in Review

COSTA MESA

Police arrest speaker at heated City Council meeting

Police arrested a protest organizer at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting for suspicion of disrupting the council meeting and obstructing a police officer.

The council suspended its meeting for about 45 minutes when the crowd became unruly. The protesters were upset about the city’s Dec. 6 decision to train city police to enforce federal immigration laws.

At the meeting, the man, Coyotl Tezcalipoca, spoke at the podium and urged those in the audience to stand up. Tezcalipoca is with the Tonantzin Collective, a group opposing the council’s plan. The group has also demanded that the council reopen the city’s Job Center.

Tezcalipoca, 25, helped organize two protests later in the week.

* Revelers gathered at the Orange County Fairgrounds to watch a giant orange drop from the sky to start 2006. The event, Orange County New Year’s Eve, drew more than 12,000 people.

EDUCATION

Governor announces education spending in speech

On Tuesday, two days before his State of the State address, the Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended a $4-billion increase in education funding, with specific funds allocated to physical education, arts and music grants and more.

Newport-Mesa school board members expressed general approval for Schwarzenegger’s plan, although some said they would prefer to allow school districts to allocate funds on their own. Also rankling some was the fact that the proposal does not cover the $5.5 billion that educators claim Schwarzenegger owes schools from Proposition 98 funding.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Fire season ends; local officials remain cautious

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa passed through this year’s fire season without any burn marks. Fire season, which began in May, officially ended Friday. Fire hazard areas -- mainly public trails in Newport Coast and Crystal Cove State Park -- closed during the season will reopen to public access. The length of the fire season is determined by the amount of moisture in area brush.

But firefighters say Newport-Mesa isn’t out of the danger zone. New brush growth combined with recent warm weather creates potential fire fuel, officials said.

BUSINESS

Pacific Club headquarters torn down to be rebuilt

Members of the Pacific Club, an exclusive gathering spot for Orange County’s business community, watched a demolition crew tear down the club’s Newport Beach head- quarters on Tuesday. Club members have planned to hold activities in an adjacent building while a new headquarters is built. A new building is expected to be completed by November.

NEWPORT BEACH

Newport Beach Rose Parade float wins award

Rain didn’t stop the city of Newport Beach’s centennial float from making a stellar showing in the 2006 Rose Parade. The float won the Lathrop K. Leishman Trophy, which goes to the most beautiful float from a noncommercial sponsor.

Newport Beach was one of 14 cities to enter a float in the parade. Volunteers helped decorate the float in the week before the parade.

* On Monday, high winds and heavy rains sank an unmanned, 30-foot sailboat off Corona del Mar State Beach. The boat was named Nimbus.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“It was very, very wet but lots of fun. There’s zillions of people; everyone was so happy and cheerful and waving at you, it just made you want to smile.”

-- Don Webb, Newport Beach mayor and one of nine riders on the city’s Rose Parade float

“I hate to say I was right about Triangle Square, but I was. Is a convenience drugstore going to keep a shopper there? I don’t think so.... What’s the draw that’s going to bring the shopper into a 200-car parking garage that’s probably dark and keep them there?”

-- Tod Ridgeway, Newport Beach City Councilman, comparing a proposed Mariner’s Mile Gateway with Triangle Square in Costa Mesa

“If 80% to 85% of the illegal aliens in this area are from south of the border, generally Hispanic, why would you look for somebody who looks black and profile them? ... You’d go after who appears to be a suspect.”

-- Jim Gilchrist, former Congressional candidate and anti-illegal- immigration activist, at the Costa Mesa City Council meeting, at which the city’s immigration enforcement plan came under attack