WEEK IN REVIEW

PUBLIC SAFETY

Stop signs lead to new speeding problems

Costa Mesa added stop signs at two Eastside Costa Mesa intersections after neighbors complained about traffic, but now residents say it’s led to some new speeding problems in their neighborhoods.

The city’s traffic department will continue monitoring traffic at Raymond Avenue and Flower Street and at Raymond and Costa Mesa Street to see if more changes are needed.

Tabarsi, 41, accepted a plea deal during a preliminary hearing Monday at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach. If the case had gone to trial, Tabarsi would have faced a third-strike conviction and life sentence.

Costa Mesa Police arrested Tabarsi April 16 after he pulled a knife on an Arab man at a Starbucks on Harbor Boulevard.

Tabarsi told one of the men all Arabs are terrorists and continued to insult them with other racial slurs and expletives. He challenged one of the men to a fight outside of the shop and threatened him with a pocket knife.

EDUCATION

Local man donates $20 million to UCI law school

Local philanthropist Donald Bren of Newport Beach donated $20 million to UC Irvine to the university’s new School of Law. The money will go toward recruiting a staff of 11 law scholars, a dean, and funds for program planning.

Classes will be offered starting in fall 2009 but before that, staff must be hired and a curriculum chosen, a task educators hope to begin by fall of next year, UCI Chancellor Michael V. Drake said.

The school will be named after Bren in recognition of the gift. The Donald Bren School of Law, the first public law school to open in California since 1965, was approved in 2006 by the University of California Board of Regents.

BUSINESS

Three new executives announced at Irvine Co.

The Irvine Co. announced three new top executives Thursday, with two of them moving up in the company and a third coming in from outside.

Dan Young, the company’s executive vice president of Entitlement and Public Affairs, will take over for retiring Joe Davis and oversee all residential development on the Irvine Ranch. Meanwhile, Tony Russo, the senior vice president of Government Relations, will replace Larry Thomas, the company’s longtime spokesman who recently announced his retirement after 20 years.

The company also announced Gregory Lindstrom, a litigator for the international law firm Latham & Watkins, will soon join the executive management team.

COSTA MESA

OCPAC sues architect, builders of concert hall

The Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa is suing the firm of internationally known architect Cesar Pelli and construction company Fluor Corp., builders of the center’s Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

The center filed a complaint with the Orange County Superior Court last week, alleging the architect, builders and subcontractors exceeded the budget and timeline established for the project.

According to the lawsuit, the center estimates damages to be in excess of $30 million.

Acosta was arrested after speaking to the council to oppose a plan for local enforcement of immigration laws.

Mayor Allan Mansoor told him his time was up and he disagreed. The Orange County district attorney in February refused to file other charges such as battery of a police officer.

The court agreed to the postponement and the trial is now set to begin Sept. 25. A civil suit, filed against the city on Acosta’s behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union, also is pending.

NEWPORT BEACH

Kirk Douglas hits Fashion Island to sign books

He may be 90 years old, but actor Kirk Douglas is having a banner year. A few weeks ago, the 1951 classic “Ace in the Hole,” starring Douglas as a bloodthirsty reporter, hit DVD for the first time; in addition, Douglas’ autobiography, “Let’s Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving and Learning,” has been a bestseller since its release in March. Thursday evening, the actor appeared at Barnes and Noble at Fashion Island to sign his book.

Hundreds of customers, many of them old film buffs, lined the store beginning at 7 p.m. Drew Adams, the store’s community relations manager, said the Fashion Island location typically holds one book signing a month, and the turnout for Douglas was unusually high.

Meg Dondero, a resident of the Sierras, asked Douglas to sign a book for her father.

“This is for my dad, who’s turning 90 in February,” she said.

“He’s trying to catch up to me,” Douglas deadpanned back.

Council will negotiate with Irvine Co. over city hall site

The City Council agreed Tuesday to negotiate with the Irvine Co. for property in the 500 block of Newport Center Drive for a city hall site. The Irvine Co. offered a 99-year lease, but no other details — such as how much land the city wants or what it will cost — have been disclosed.

One potential problem is the city charter, which forbids leases longer than 25 years unless voters agree or there’s an option to purchase. The Irvine Co. also is asking the city for new building entitlements for residential units and more retail space in Newport Center.

Some residents worried the project will eat up too much of the bluff face, while others argued it’s not fair to restrict one property owner from doing what many others have already done. Council members voted not to allow the project to go as far down the bluff as the developer hoped, meaning it may need to be redesigned.

“We just pretend we’re camping somewhere, [but taking one with] two doors are easier than one; that way you’re not climbing over each other to go to the bathroom.”

— Harry Winters,

“At that time, you wanted to do everything you could for our boys, and dancing was what I could do to make them happy.”

Patty Thomas

“It’s progressive -indie-college-alternative with a pop sensibility.”

Another Day Late bassist Chad Philipps

“I think the series might be tied, which wouldn’t be bad for the first official series. It would be the most appropriate. But we’ll take the win.”

Newport Beach Police Officer Tracy McKenzie,

“So here we are, 20 years later, still in the happy-ending business.”

Toni Bruner,

“I’m philosophically opposed to it based on the fact that we have elected representatives that make those decisions, and it essentially takes away from our collective bargaining rights that we’ve worked hard to achieve.”

Jeff Boyles,

“It is the responsibility of us in elective office and the media to conduct debates on the issues in a manner which is respectful, proportionate and reflective of our community, and to the extent my own contributions to this debate have failed to meet this standard, I offer my apology to the community and my pledge to try and do better.”

Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry,