EDUCATION Corona del Mar High School gets...

EDUCATION

Corona del Mar High School gets air time on KOCE

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District got a publicity boost

Monday when KOCE-TV’s “Calming the Waters,” a documentary about

Thailand after last year’s tsunami, featured a segment about Corona

del Mar High School’s benefit concert in March. The school had raised

more than $4,000 for Thai high school students.

* Newport-Mesa school district has a higher percentage of

special-education students than the average California district and

paid more of its special-education costs, according to a report by

School Services of California. In 2003-04, the district paid 48% of

its overall bill, compared with the state average of 26%. The

district is taking measures next year to cut costs and expand

services.

* John Avise, an innovative biologist and longtime University of

Georgia instructor, became UC Irvine’s 17th distinguished professor

last week. He followed choreographer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer, who

joined the Claire Trevor School of the Arts earlier in June.

* Dan Diehl, the principal of TeWinkle Middle School accused of

discriminating against Latino students, submitted a plan to the

district outlining 21 measures to improve morale at the school next

year. He said he was surprised by the complaints and that he had

detected no racial tension at the Costa Mesa campus.

COSTA MESA

Jerry Mandel steps down as arts center chief

After eight years as president and chief executive officer, Jerry

Mandel stepped down Friday from his post at the Orange County

Performing Arts Center.

Mandel, 65, will become vice chair of the arts center’s board of

directors, where he will focus on fundraising for the new 2,000-seat

Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and the new 500-seat Samueli

Theater, scheduled to open fall 2006.

Judy O’dea Morr, the arts center’s executive vice president, is

serving as interim president until the board of directors names

Mandel’s replacement.

* A new, three-digit phone line, 211, debuted this week throughout

Orange County.

The hotline, staffed by Costa Mesa-based Info Link Orange County,

is free and operates 24 hours a day. It is meant for residents who

need health and human-services referral information.

At the hotline launch party, which took place Thursday at the

Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center, Info Link Executive

Director Angie Baur said she expected the new number to receive at

least 40,000 calls in the next year.

* The city’s skate park opened Wednesday at TeWinkle Park with no

ceremony, just a bevy of skateboarders rushing in to practice their

sport. The 15,000-square-foot concrete park features two bowls,

steps, a railing and various ramps. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 9

p.m. daily at the corner of Arlington and Junipero drives.

POLITICS

Costa Mesa gets money for the roads

The Orange County Transportation Authority on Monday voted to dole

out $208 million to the county’s 34 cities for road projects,

including $16.1 million for Costa Mesa and $2.4 million for Newport

Beach. Costa Mesa will match the funding to begin about $32 million

in transportation upgrades, such as adding lanes to Newport Boulevard

and rehabilitation of Baker and 19th streets.

* Huntington Beach Assemblyman Tom Harman announced that he’ll run

for Newport-Mesa Sen. John Campbell’s seat instead of the Orange

County 2nd District supervisor’s seat he had been seeking. Harman’s

run for the state Senate is contingent on Rep. Chris Cox being

confirmed as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which

will give Campbell a shot at Cox’s seat in congress.

Harman said Wednesday he hasn’t given up his bid for supervisor;

he’s just put that campaign on hold.

NEWPORT BEACH

Hard Rock Cafe at Fashion Island packs its case

The 13-year-old eatery is leaving the shopping center, though a

new tenant is already on tap. The vacancy left by the rock ‘n’

roll-themed restaurant is expected to be filled by a new restaurant

brand owned by Outback Steakhouse Inc., based in Tampa, Fla.

* The City Council approved a 2005-06 budget that will spend

nearly $150.8 million on operations and $36.1 million on capital

projects. Major capital spending will include work on a new community

center in Newport Coast and completion of the Mariner’s branch

library. Residents will also likely see increases in their water and

sewer fees. The city hasn’t raised those fees in nine years but is

proposing increases now to prevent future deficits.