SERVING THE NEWPORT - MESA COMMUNmES SINCE 1907 ON 1HE WEB: WWW.DAILYPILOT.COM MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2000 Co:nnni$sioner resigns over skate park views •Mike Scheafer says the location - chosen by the Street location but do not want letter he wrote opposing the ney's office advised tum to City Council in January - is to delay building the skate council's decision on the au1n101 he was asked to abstain TO SKATE, OR I abstain to be safe. appropriate. park. Charle Street location. from voting because NOT TO SKATE? The goal of the law pro­ "The skateboard park is a •I would not vote against He said he saw the city hibiting such conflicts JS to big deal to me, and I really tl)is proposed plan tonight attorney's letter Aug. 22. of a letter he wrote. Should Commi~ protect the public from biased think (the City Council) is bOCause of location,• Stiller "My ability to express my decision-makers, Wood said. said. ·1 would like to ask staff sloner Mike Scheat... JennHer Kho making a mistake: he said. opinions and to give input on have abstllined from vot­ Scheafer s&d he doesn't DAILY PILOT "This is very emotional for to look for another location an issue that I'm really ing on the skate park? think me.· but not to delay the process involved in was take n away he should hdve to Give us your opinion via abstain from voting and said COSTA MESA - A parks His resignation on any further.• from me,• he said . "What 1t e-mail at dailypilotO commissioner at odds with Wednesday came as part of a · Scheafer, who put the tells me is there are people on Councilwoman Linda Dixon. /atimes.com or by calling our whose rebuttal to !us letter was the City Council over the ' months-long debate over a skate park on the agenda last the City Council who don't Readers Hotline at {949) published in the Pilot in Janu­ location of a planned skate skate park on Charle Street. year after the city failed to want me to express my opin· 642-6086. park on Charle and Hamilton The City Council find a location eight years ions. We all have opinions on ary, was not asked to abstain. streets has resigned his post, approved plans for a site at ago, said he resigned the things we do. I have the ~Does she have a personal saying it stems from pressure Lions Park last year but because he feels his freedom right to speak my opinion as a ney's office recommended embroilment now, and should by the city attorney to keep changed them after neigh­ of speech is restricted as a citizen, and I don't feel I could that Scheafer abstain but that she abstain w hen that JSsue . his views silent. bors objected because of couunissioner. continue as a commissioner Scheafer made the final deci· comes before the council?" he The outgoing and outspo­ noise and flooding concerns. Scheafer said the city having to second-guess my sion to do so. said. ken commissioner, Mike At the meeting Wednesday, attorney's office issued a let­ opinions or be careful about Schealer's public state· Bill Morris, public sel'Vlce Scheafer, said though he is in Commissioners David Stiller ter recommending he abstain what I say.• ments did not cause a conflict director for the city, asked the favor of the city building a and ruchard Mehren said they from voting on the issue after Tom Wood, assistant city of interest but came dose, skate park, be does not think also disagree with the Charle the Daily Pilot published a attorney, said the city attor- Wood said, and the city attor· SEE RESIGN PAGE 4 District needs applicants for bond committees • Newport-Mesa Unified groups will oversee the spending of $163 million. Danette Goulet D AILY PILOT NEWPORT-MESA - Tune ts runrung out !or resi­ dents to apply to serve on the committee that will oversee the spending of the $163-million school bond passed by voters this spring. Applications for the committee pos1Uons are due at the ctislrict office by Sept. 5. The Newport-Mesa Unified school bodrd estab· lJshed the purpose, cntena, compos1tion and opera· bons of a two-tiered oversight system There will be a 29-mem- -------­ ber distnct oversight commit­ tee and committees of seven "Anyon e can to 11 members at each fill out an appli­ school. These groups will ensure cation; those thdt the funds from the school bond are spent according to 325 were just the racility plan released in the ones we Jdnuary. In February, the district had in our sent out 33,000 le tters with database. " return cdrds to find Newport­ RYAN RAYBURN I DAILY PILOT Mesa residents interested in Mike Fine Orange Coast College's training ship, the Alaska Eagle, pulls into Newport Harbor on Sunday after compleUng a serving on these committees. assistant trip around the world. The 65-foot sailing ship, crewed by students, received an escort from the Harbor Patrol. The district received 325 superintendent of responses. IL then sent appli­ business services cabons to those people. said Mike Fine, assistant superintendent of business ser­ vices. •Anyone can fill out an applicabon; those 325 were JUSt the ones we had in our database,• Fine Welcome·home, weaty traveler srud. Of those 325. about 30 to 35 residents have returned the applications already. OCC's training ship returns said, adding that she was •kind of" and has skippered the Alaska Eagle. Because applicants for most of the positions on the looking forward to having him back. While the majestic boat graciously distnct-level committee must meet certain criteria, from a 20,000-nautical-mile trip Together with a dozen other sailing made her way to the college's doc.ks on such as being an architect or a representabve of the enthusiasts, Last brought the Alaska Mariners Mile, Avery said a complete Orange County Taxpayers Assn., the district's next launched more than a year ago Eagle, the college's 65-foot sail training checkup was in store. step is to send those applications to the various asso­ vessel. home from a 20,000-nautical­ "The ship has had to take it all and ciations. mile trlp Sunday. endure it all,• he said. "It doesn't look For instance, Fine said, Orange County 1reasurer MathkWlnkler Since her departure on July 1, 1999, like it. But we'll tear it all down and John Moorlach would choose which candidate DAILY P1lOT the ship has sailed to Hawaii, Tuhiti, take everything off.• would serve among those who checked Orange Australia, New Zealand and Vancouver Since the college received the vessel County Thxpayers Assn. s 10-year-old Josette got ready to Island, among other destinations. About as a donation in 1982, the Alaska Eagle If all goes according to plan, Fine said, the com­ board Orange Coast College's 160 students took part in the 16 legs of has sailed nearly 200,000 miles in the mittee selection process should be completed by the A motor yacht to welcome her dad, the trip. Pad.fie and Atlantic oceans. That's in end of September or the beginning of October. That Micha.el Last, out at aea, she could Crew members "wash dishes, raise addition to the 100.000 miles she had means the district oversight committee could begin think of ooe reason why she enjoyed the sails, pavigate and steer - the already shouldered. when she came to meeting as early as October. bis absence from home. whole thing,• said Brad Avery, who The school-based committees will be formed fur. •1 got to sleep in the big bed,• she directs the college's sailing program SEE TRAVEL PAGE 4 ther down the riled., Fine said. Tbe great blackball flag caper •J waa kind ~ b•nnmed tbeY made MICb • big deal about tt. • ~ 111¢ •tt wujlllta .• NTHE Daity Pilot 2 Monday, August 28, 2oo0 Terrance Phlps THE HARBOR COLUMN Hoog Hospi,ta,/ fund-raiser back in business n Sept 8 and 9, some local inhabit.ants will be heard 0 singing the ~119 that made Engelbert Humperdinck famous, •p1ease Release Me.• After a one-year layoff, the 12th annual 552 Club "Get Hooked On Hoag• tag and release billfish tour­ nament returns. The guests of honor include marlin, sail and swordfish - which if caught are tagged and released. consistent with the lnlemational Game Fish Assn. regulations. An estimated 120 anglers are expected to partidpate. l>roceed.s will benefit the hospital through the purchase of equipment, funding medical researm and patient assis­ BRIAN P08UDA I DAllY Pl.OT tance. Minney's Yacht Surplus manager Gary Lohela checks the store's Inventory Friday. Mlnney's ts a dream come true for savvy shoppen. "This year, we've added another classification of fish just in case no one catches a bil1fisb, • said Lynn Cathcart. tournament CO<hair. "1\vo yecm ago, no bi1lfish were caught. and we ended up drawing the win­ ner out of a bat. As a backup, we've decided to add bluefin tuna, yellow· The rights tail, albacore, dorado and bigeye Alex Coolm•n naker or whatever. tuna to the mix. However, bil1fish tags are still the focus.• DAILY PILOT Looking for boat parts? Looking to get rid When times are bad, the boat owner unloads the gear, and Min­ Last years event was postponed hen the set designers of because of other tournament con­ of boat parts? Minney's has you covered.