DISTINCT DIFFERENCES

It can be said that those living north and south of Orange County’s Mason-Dixon Line (the Costa Mesa Freeway) live in different worlds. Besides the more obvious differences such as income (southerners are wealthier) and age (northerners are a little younger) and in population (there far fewer southerners), external factors also help shape an area’s identity. After all, no place with Disneyland smack in the center of it can be quite like any other place on Earth. And where else do the swallows come home to roost? With this in mind, here is a potpourri of personality-shaping factors that have helped to make North County and South County unique places.

Famous Animal North: Mickey Mouse, fictional rodent portrayed by short people in costumes at that Anaheim amusement park. At age 51, Mickey may be the most recognizable character in the world. He still can be found roaming Main Street between Fantasyland and Abraham Lincoln’s statue. South: Bubbles the hippopotamus, a real-life plant-eating mammal of the type usually found frolicking in the mud of Africa rivers. But in 1978, this two-ton escapee from the since-closed Lion Country Safari hid out for three weeks in a swamp created by heavy rains near the park. Bubbles died when shot with tranquilizers by would-be rescuers.

Higher Education (public) North: Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton; Coastline Community College, Fountain Valley; Cypress College, Cypress; Fullerton College, Fullerton; Golden West College, Huntington Beach; Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa; and Rancho Santiago College, Santa Ana. South: UC Irvine, Irvine; Irvine Valley College, Irvine; and Saddleback College, Mission Viejo.

Budget for Booze North: Orange County’s highest expenditure for packaged liquor was in the North County, where Costa Mesans spent $40.33 per capita. South: The county’s lowest per capita expenditure was in the South County, where Irvine residents spent only $9.23.

Most Democrats North: 41,101 in Anaheim South: 11,485 in El Toro

Hotbed of Libertarian Politics North: Huntington Beach, 798 registered Libertarian Party members. South: Irvine, 208 registered Libertarian Party members.

The Most Traveled Surface Street North: Beach Boulevard, south of McFadden Avenue, Westminster, 81,000 cars per day. South: MacArthur Boulevard, south of University Drive, Newport Beach, 64,000 cars per day.

Movie Theater Screens North: 102 South: 37

First Incorporated City North: Anaheim, 1878 South: Newport Beach, 1906

Last Incorporated City North: Yorba Linda, 1967 South: Mission Viejo, 1988

Most Populated North: Anaheim, 244,300 South: Irvine, 100,500

Least Populated North: Villa Park, 6,950 South: San Juan Capistrano, 24,390

TV and Radio Stations North: KOCE-TV (Channel 50, Huntington Beach); KDOC-TV (Channel 56, Anaheim); KEZY-FM 96.7 (Anaheim); KORG-AM 1190 (Anaheim); KIKF-FM 94.3 (Garden Grove); KWIZ AM-FM (1480-96.7, Santa Ana); KYMS FM (106.3, Orange); KBPK-FM (89.1 Buena Park). South: KWVE-FM (107.5, San Clemente); KOCM-FM (103.1, Newport Beach); KUCI-FM (88.9, UCI); KSBR-FM (88.5, Saddleback College).

United Way Contributors (1986, the most recent figures available) North: 17% of the work force, or 68,883 employees. South: 31% of the work force, or 27,156 employees.

United Way Contributions (1986, the most recent figures available) North: $10,354,429 South: $ 3,271,513

Significant Transformation North: In the mid-1950 Walt Disney developed 160 acres of mostly orange groves into a Magic Kingdom, which he named after himself, paving the way for a plethora of tourist attractions and setting the tone for future development of much of the North County. South: In the late 1950s and early 1960s architect William L. Pereira designed the master plan for Irvine, which supplanted bean fields and became the largest planned community on the North American continent, setting the tone for future development of much of the South County.

Tallest Building North: 20 stories, The Tishman City Tower, 333 The City Blvd. West, in the city of Orange. South: 21 stories, The Center Tower, 650 Town Center Drive, in Costa Mesa.

Oldest/Youngest Population North: The average age of North County residents is 32.3 years. South: The average age of South County residents is 35.8 years.

Accordion Stores North: 1 South: 0

Largest Ethnic Population (by percentage) North: Santa Ana, 63.1% minorities South: El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, 38.3% minorities

AIDS Cases North: one case per every 2,834 residents South: one case per every 1,384 residents

Most Distinctive Landmark North: Disneyland South: San Juan Capistrano mission

Amusement Places North: 27 South: 7, including Wild Rivers.

Bowling Alleys in Yellow Pages North: 20 South: 3

Famous or Rich Residents North: Tommy Lasorda, Carl Karcher, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, Rod Carew, Jack (Maverick) Kelly, Janet Evans, Michael Chang and Dean Koontz. South: Peter V. Ueberroth, Donald Bren, William Lyon, George Argyros, Richard O’Neill, Gavin Herbert, Henry Segerstrom, Jack Youngblood, Jose Feliciano, Buzz Aldrin, Martha Fluor and the Righteous Brothers’ Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley.

Highest Family Income North: Villa Park, $82,253 median family income South: Mission Viejo, $56,683 median family income

Lowest Family Income North: Seal Beach, $25,413 median family income South: Tustin, $27,633 median family income

Recent Political Transgressors North: Fountain Valley Councilman Fred Voss, whom 7,028 voters petitioned to be recalled from office because he was convicted in 1988 of soliciting sex from an undercover policewoman posing as a prostitute. South: C. David Baker, former Irvine city councilman who lost his 1988 bid for Congress. He forged a $48,000 check from the health foundation where he was executive director to bail out his financially floundering campaign.

The Largest City North: Anaheim, 45.9 square miles South: Irvine, 42.3 square miles

The Smallest City North: La Palma, 1.6 square miles South: Dana Point, 6.8 square miles

Overlooked Historical Facts North: The first brickyard in Santa Ana was established in 1875 by James L. Garnsey, requiring a large excavation to remove clay deposits for the kilns. From this historic hole in the ground sprung a contemporary landmark. The hole served perfectly for locating Santa Ana Stadium. South: Norman St. Claire came to live in Laguna Beach in 1901, becoming the first artist to live in that seaside community and unwittingly paving the way for innumerable artists to follow, establishing a tradition from which sprang the Pageant of the Masters, the Laguna Beach Sawdust Festival and absolutely impossible parking situations.

Mysterious Unsolved Crimes North: Burly Horace J. (Big Mac) McKenna, a former Highway Patrol officer, was gunned down gangland-style earlier this year in the early morning as he slept in the back of his limousine when his chauffeur pulled into McKenna’s secluded Carbon Canyon estate. Authorities not only don’t know who did it, they can’t find millions of dollars they think McKenna skimmed from his secret ownership of nude and topless bars. South: In Orange County’s most famous trial, Beulah Overell, an 18-year-old heiress, and her handsome fiance, Bud Gollum, were acquitted in 1947 of bludgeoning to death her parents then blowing up their cabin cruiser Mary E in Newport Beach. But whodunit remains a mystery to this day.