Seize the opportunity to celebrate 1905

It’s really old, and it’s a lot of fun. That’s why they call it

the Balboa Fun Zone. “Balboa” stands for Nunez de Balboa, a guy who

stopped by here in 1513, which would make him very old today, and

“Fun” stands for ... fun. Thus, “Balboa Fun Zone.”

I’m a big fan. You’ve heard me say that before, and I predict

you’ll hear me say it again. I’m a big fan. See? Just as I predicted.

But seriously, the whole Fun Zone-Ferry-Pavilion thing doesn’t get

enough attention, or appreciation. That’s why I was well pleased to

see all three get some good ink in a newspaper called the Los Angeles

Times (“Balboa Fun Zone: Are We Having History Yet?”) earlier this

week. The Pavilion, which is scheduled to get a long, long overdue

face-lift, the Balboa Ferry and the Fun Zone really are a major

league big deal, not just in these parts, which are our parts, but

for the entire country, which is the United States of America.

History? I’ll give you history. The Balboa Pavilion was built in

1905. It was both a bathhouse, and the “end of the line” for the

Pacific Electric Red Cars. Here’s something to think about. In 1905,

you could ride the Red Cars from downtown L.A. to the Balboa Pavilion

for a nickel, in under an hour. You couldn’t do that today for all

the money in the world. That’s progress.

According to Bill Grundy, president of the Newport Beach

Historical Society, “It was kind of a congregating place. People used

to wear hats and their Sunday clothes to the beach, then change into

these crazy outfits -- bathing suits all made of wool. This building

started Balboa.”

Just up the street, the Balboa Ferry opened in 1919, and is the second-oldest continuously operating ferry in the country, second

only to the Staten Island Ferry, which connects the island of

Manhattan with the island of Staten, which is a place nobody goes.

The Balboa Fun Zone has been causing fun for people of all sizes

since 1936, which was DiMaggio’s rookie year and the first year of

Babe Ruth’s retirement, except they beat the Giants in the World

Series four games to two anyway, as if you didn’t know that.

Speaking of the ‘30s, and we’ll throw in the ‘40s, the biggest of

the Big Bands lighted up the Pavilion and the nearby Rendezvous

Ballroom night after night. Goodman, Kenton, Miller, Harry James and

the Dorsey brothers all walked the same streets on the Peninsula that

you do today, except they played a lot better than you do.

The Fun Zone is small, but mighty, and it has bumper cars, which

is all I need. Anyplace that has bumper cars, I’m there. More

importantly, it’s one of the last examples of waterside amusement

parks in the land. Long Beach Pike? Gone. Coney Island? Poof.

Atlantic City Boardwalk? Bu-bye. (The real one, that is.) In the

great state of California, that leaves the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, if

you like your amusement parks large and seedy, and the Balboa Fun

Zone, if you prefer the small, fun and family-oriented type. The food

is all low-fat and high-fiber, with a range of nutritious choices

from the cotton candy group, the corn dog group and the frozen banana

group.

But let’s get back to 1905. For those of you who are good in math,

that means we are rushing up on the centennial of the Balboa

Pavilion. 1905 was a long time ago, and we don’t know if there will

be a 2105. In my humble opinion, that is as good a reason as any for

a major centennial rager, with parties and special events, concerts

and benefits, Hollywood stars and fireworks, etc., etc. Here’s a

brilliant idea that I invite the city of Newport Beach or a local

charity to steal, free of charge, which is a dumb thing to say

because people seldom pay for things they steal, do they?

When 2005 rolls around, we need to recreate the year 1905 at the

Balboa Pavilion as best we can. What I’m seeing is a big three-day

party/celebration/ commemoration/whateveration. Everything is done to

benefit a good cause or two or three. My personal choice would be the

Former Italian-American Mayors’ Assn., but I leave that to you. How

about a big concert/gala at the Pavilion, with everyone in authentic,

turn-of-the-20th century dress -- period gowns and impossibly large

hats for the women, Edwardian suits, hats and walking sticks for the

men. The streets should be filled with cars of the period (Peugeot

was the big name at the time) and the harbor should sparkle with

antique sailing vessels and yachts.

So that’s it. I can see no more. Somebody get on this and make it

happen. I would do it, but I don’t have the time and I look stupid in

hats. Ride the ferry, go to the Fun Zone, don’t miss the bumper cars.

I gotta go.

* PETER BUFFA is a former Costa Mesa mayor. His column runs

Sundays. He may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].