Tag

Capital improvement projects for the upcoming fiscal year in Newport Beach will focus on park rehabilitation and renovation, Newport Harbor maintenance, street improvements and infrastructure, and city facilities. Newport Beach City Council reviewed the fiscal year 2019-20...

Since Scott Peotter and friends have brought up the issue of comparability with the candidate who is running against him for Newport Beach City Council, Joy Brenner (claiming that he is “more Republican” than she), I thought it would be an opportune time to name some of the other...

A solar-powered, trash-collecting water wheel device that aims to capture garbage flowing down San Diego Creek and into Newport back bay, the harbor, and the ocean, got an unanimous nod of approval by City Council this week. Council voted 5-0 to approve the Mitigated Negative...

The restoration project for Big Canyon Creek in Newport Beach was recently honored for its excellent engineering, officials announced this week. “What began as a project to remove a single contaminant from a degraded urban creek ended as a comprehensive program to restore the...

  Newport Beach Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield illustrated why 2018 will be the “Year of the Harbor” during an event last week. Duffield gave a “State of the City” speech at Speak Up Newport’s 37th Annual Mayor’s Dinner on Feb. 2. About 450 people attended the event at...

A solar-powered, debris-gathering water wheel, an idea that has been floating around the harbor for more than a year, is getting some traction this week as the city helps the project move forward. Public Works Director Dave Webb provided an update on the project to the Newport...

Marine protections imposed five years ago along the Southern California coast reveal no consistent region-wide “abundance trends” or extinctions for any species, says a report released this week. The data will be presented to the state Fish and Game Commission on April 26 when it...

Eelgrass is alive and well in the Upper Newport Bay, according to an expert who provided an update on the restoration project to the Newport Beach Harbor Commission this week.   They have been working to preserve and restore the important plant for several years now, said Orange...

In an effort to clean up trash from Newport Bay, the city and concerned residents are considering a variety of solutions, including a proposed solar-powered, debris-gathering water wheel. The proposed project has been floating around for a few months and the Water Quality/Coastal...

Local and regional officials have recently been discussing copper in Newport Bay, a topic that has peaked the interest of boaters, environmentalists and local business owners. The Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region, held a public workshop Oct. 28 to discuss proposed...

California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region, will hold a public workshop today to discuss copper in Newport Harbor The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. at the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave. The topic is “Basin Plan Amendments to...

The Environmental Quality Affairs Committee discussed the proposed Newport Beach Sustainability Plan during a meeting Tuesday. The plan was prepared by a citizen’s steering committee led by former councilwomen Nancy Gardner and Jean Watt. This is so the city has an action plan,...

Mooring permit holders may soon see a free or discounted mobile pumpout service offered through the city as part of a pilot program discussed by Newport Beach City Council this week. Staff presented the idea of a vessel sewage pumpout program for mooring permittees duri...

The flames have finally settled after the California Coastal Commission approved a plan with a mixture of both charcoal and wood burning fire rings in Newport Beach. After about 90 minutes of discussion and nearly two dozen public speakers, the CCC voted 9-1 to approve the plan,...

Fire rings once again caused a heated discussion during a Newport Beach City Council meeting this week. On Tuesday, council members and 10 members of the public spoke on the, now, 10 possible plans for the controversial beach pits. Staff had previously written up seven plans, a...

Newport Beach Declared “Superstar Beach” The National Resource Defense Council named Newport Beach one of 35 “superstar” beaches in the United States, earning the only title in the entire state of California. The NRDC (nrdc.org) issues an Annual Beach Report Card called “Testing...

Eelgrass, ocean acidification and related topics were among those discussed at a local group’s monthly meeting this week. Garry Brown, founder and president of Orange County Coastkeeper, discussed the organization and coastal issues at the Speak Up Newport meeting, held Wednesday...

Given the intensity of the debate over Hoag’s affiliation with St. Joseph – Attorney General Kamala Harris’s office is re-examining the agreement – and the various issues afflicting our country (Congress’s general ineptitude, Detroit’s bankruptcy), our city (the controversy over...

Usually it’s women’s clothing that takes center stage in the fashion world, but for one clothing line, it’s all about the men. St. Croix Shops, a small chain of independently owned men’s specialty stores, take their menswear seriously. The Fashion Island store has been dressing...

I had the honor of sitting down with Jean Watt this past week to talk about grassroots organizations in our community. I have become very interested in how groups get started here and what it takes to become effective. What I discovered is that grassroots groups are far more...