Week in Review

NEWPORT BEACH

Family, friends gather for John Crean’s funeral

More than 1,000 family members and friends gathered at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove on Thursday to remember John Crean, a Newport Beach entrepreneur and philanthropist, who died Jan. 11 of congestive heart failure. He was 81.

The service was officiated by Crean’s pastor, the Rev. Robert Richards, and included eulogies from several of his closest friends. Speakers emphasized the breadth of Crean’s generosity and the pleasure he harvested from giving, in addition to his savvy business skills and his sense of humor.

Newport Beach Mayor Steve Rosansky attended the service to recognize the many contributions Crean made to the city, most recently with the founding of the Donna and John Crean Mariners Branch Library.

“John was very generous to our residents,” he said. “I am here to honor him and the many things he has done for our community.”

Crean was buried in the Crystal Cathedral Memorial Garden during a private burial ceremony.

EDUCATION

UC Irvine students honor civil rights leader

Monday was an holiday at UC Irvine, but more than 50 students — from the Volunteer Center, the Cross Cultural Center and a number of sororities and fraternities — opted to honor Martin Luther King Day by devoting the morning to service.

Around 9 a.m., the students met on campus in the morning chill and carpooled to the Orange County Food Bank in Garden Grove, where they folded cardboard boxes and packed them with food for needy families. Rep. Loretta Sanchez and members of AmeriCorps also stopped by.

The following day, the Cross Cultural Center and the Afrikan Student Union sponsored a march and rally, honoring the nonviolent civil rights leader. About 50 members of the campus community marched through campus chanting slogans and sharing personal reflections on King’s spirit and message.

“This is an opportunity to empower our students so they know they can make a difference in out society,” said Fred Lipscomb, who led the annual rally Tuesday for the 17th time.

COSTA MESA

Youth program shut down but may be reinstated

The Costa Mesa City Council voted, 3-2, Tuesday to suspend the city’s first youth-in-government program to the chagrin of some of the students involved.

Mayor Allan Mansoor and council members Eric Bever and Wendy Leece said at Tuesday’s meeting that there should have been more review of the program before it was instituted, despite the council approving it for the 2006-07 budget after it was proposed by Councilwoman Katrina Foley and received support from the parks and recreation commission.

“It has never come before council before in any way, shape or form, other than hidden in the budget,” Mansoor said Wednesday. “It was never brought out as a new item for us to discuss, and I think that was completely inappropriate.”

Some of the local high school students involved were unhappy with the council’s decision, saying they were looking forward to discussing issues facing the city with their peers. But the decision may not be final. Councilwoman Linda Dixon asked for the issue to be revisited at council study session.

The council appointed three new people to the parks and recreation commission Tuesday, choosing to not reappoint two sitting members.

Council members named Sam Clark, a business owner who has served on city committees, and James Righeimer, an office and retail developer who also has chaired reelection campaigns for Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, to the planning commission. They also reappointed commissioner James Fisler.

Local homeowners’ association President Mike Brumbaugh, Costa Mesa Historical Society member Terry Shaw and real estate agent Kurt Galitzki were named to parks commission seats.

Planning commissioner Bill Perkins and parks commissioner David Stiller did not get reappointed and will leave their seats in February.

The council voted unanimously to approve a plan that includes five new high-rise developments that will include residential, business and office space. But the plan for North Costa Mesa will not make it necessary for developers to include any affordable housing or pay any fee for public art or libraries, which in three votes split the council, 3-2.

Mayor Allan Mansoor, Councilman Eric Bever and Councilwoman Wendy Leece agreed at the meeting that the city shouldn’t force developers to pay for affordable housing in the city.

Members of the Costa Mesa Housing Coalition disagreed with the majority decision and before the vote gave a presentation that included showing the disparity between housing costs and public employee salaries. It also included a list of other local cities, including Newport Beach, that requires developers to pay a fee if they don’t include affordable housing.

The council’s approval of the projects overrides the Airport Land Use Commission’s decision to reject the plan in December.

Four of the five developers still must submit final plans to the council.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Mallard duck with arrow in its breast is rescued

On Wednesday, an injured mallard was rescued from a flood control drain by two Costa Mesa residents.

The duck had apparently been shot with an arrow and was hypothermic when Costa Mesa animal control transported it to the All Creatures Care Cottage, an animal hospital in Costa Mesa.

The duck was moved to the Wetlands and Wildlife Center in Huntington Beach, where a 24-inch arrow was removed from the duck’s right breast.

Recently a 29-inch arrow was removed from an Egyptian goose at the Huntington Beach center. Officials do not believe the two shootings were related.

The center is offering a $1,000 reward for information resulting in an arrest and conviction about the goose’s shooter. They are working on putting up a similar reward for the mallard, center officials said.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“It was a chance to make Costa Mesa better for teenagers. It’s really sad because it’s basically telling us that we can’t do anything to help our community.”

— Katie Brumbaugh, a 16-year-old junior at Costa Mesa High School, on the Costa Mesa City Council’s decision to discontinue a fledgling youth-in-government program

“I don’t believe that it’s our duty as government to impose another burden on them [developers] to solve the housing problems. I believe the market can do that.”

— Wendy Leece, Costa Mesa city councilwoman, on why the city should not force developers to pay for affordable housing in the five newly approved high-rise projects in North Costa Mesa

“John wasn’t out to change the world. He wasn’t out for notoriety. In the end, he just wanted to help people.”

— Jim Doti, president of Chapman University, in tribute to local philanthropist John Crean, who died Jan. 11 of congestive heart failure

“A lot of people say they hate vegans. I ask them why, and they have no reason. They think it’s unhealthy, and that’s not true.”

— Rachel Lee, president of the Newport Harbor High School students’ Compassion in Action Club that encourages respect for human and animal rights, on being a vegan and eating soy, tofu and other natural ingredients instead if any animal-related foods — including dairy products, eggs and honey

“I’m giving it a rest right now. The first few days after the race, my legs were really sore.”

— Thomas Sweeney, 11, of Newport Beach, who was one of 113 Eastbluff Elementary School students who ran the recent 26.2-mile Orange County Marathon

“We are hoping that this is an isolated incident. Looks like a kid was playing with a toy arrow and aimed for the fat part of his body and hit the breast.”

— Lisa Birkle, assistant wildlife director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, on the mallard rescued from a Costa Mesa flood control ditch after it had been shot with an arrow; the duck is recovering and is expected to survive.