WEEK IN REVIEW

The cheerleading controversy at Newport Harbor High School raged on

last week as Coach Lisa Callahan, who has been working with the

cheerleaders for the past 13 years, received notice that she was not

hired properly and would not only have to comply with the district hiring

regulations, but would have to submit her name to a new pool of

applicants to resume coaching.

Complaints have been filed at the district level and are pending at

the state level to get her reinstated.

In other news, midyear cuts have passed the Legislature and are

awaiting Gov. Gray Davis’ signature. The only one that will have a major

effect on the district is the cut in energy funding, said Mike Fine,

assistant superintendent for the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District.Special education students at Corona del Mar High School helped

to install a koi pond in the garden outside their classroom on Monday

morning.

On Tuesday evening, Orange Coast College political science professor

Kenneth Hearlson returned to campus after a four-month absence to teach

Political Science 180 -- the class that exploded in controversy last fall

when Hearlson was accused of harassing Muslim students. Hearlson was

eventually cleared of most of the accusations.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail ato7 [email protected] .

These books are in cyberspace

Demonstrating an enterprising community spirit, Costa Mesa officials

happily celebrated the opening of an unusual library -- located

conveniently in a local strip mall.

City and county officials gathered last week for the grand opening of

the Costa Mesa Technology Library at 3033 S. Bristol St. Mayor Linda

Dixon and Supervisor Jim Silva joined the new library staff and about 60

members of the community for the inaugural event.

“I take great pride in this exciting new venture,” Dixon said.

The branch is part of a pilot program, Adams added. Library officials

will watch the progress of the mostly technological library to see how

many patrons it attracts.

The 2,400-square-foot branch offers 27 computer stations that provide

access to the Internet and the Orange County Public Library catalog,

database and computer programs.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

Molester faces new charges

A convicted child molester who has spent the last three years in a

state psychiatric hospital was charged with molesting a young Costa Mesa

boy five years ago, officials announced last week.

Cary Jay Smith, 41, was sent to the state hospital after his wife

found a lurid letter he had written fantasizing about raping and killing

a 7-year-old boy.

The Orange County district attorney charged Smith with 22 counts of

performing lewd acts on a child who was younger than 14 years old at the

time, officials said.

The case unfolded when a private investigator befriended Smith during

his time at Patton State Hospital, claiming he wanted to write a book,

prosecutors said.

During interviews with the investigator, Smith divulged information

that pointed in the direction of the victim. The case was investigated by

Costa Mesa police.

In other news, a 20-year-old man survived after he was shot in the

neck last weekend after three men barged into his Costa Mesa apartment.

Police do not have descriptions of the men, police said.* Deepa

Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at (949)

574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

Water, water everywhere

The discovery of a cancer-causing substance in the county’s

ground-water aquifer led to the shut down this week of the wells that

supply Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

Newport Beach officials ordered four wells pulled out of service

Monday, and Mesa Consolidated Water District leaders shut down three

wells.

The move came after the Orange County Water District discovered

“1,4-Dioxane” in December. The solvent has been placed on a state watch

list of 50 substances potentially dangerous to human health.

Costs are expected to skyrocket for water providers, because they will

be forced to buy more imported water from the Metropolitan Water

District.

Prices for that water are about double that for pumping ground water

out of the aquifer.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

[email protected] .

A mayor speech in Newport Beach

Mayor Tod Ridgeway hammered home his goal of promoting reasonable

growth at the Speak Up Newport Annual Mayor’s Dinner on Thursday. Also

emphasizing priorities such as the proposed El Toro airport and water

quality, Ridgeway said he hoped to be a consensus builder for the city.

A crane elevated to the height of a steeple at a proposed Mormon

Temple at 2300 Bonita Canyon Drive was met with mixed reviews this week.

Some say it shows the 124-foot-high steeple will be too imposing. Others,

most notably church officials, say it will be a thing of beauty and an

enhancement to the neighborhood.

Greenlight backers are bucking for better representation on a resident

committee that will consult on the general plan update process. Going as

far as to suggest that the appointment process is tainted by age

discrimination, Greenlight Committee spokesman Phil Arst has asked the

city to be more inclusive.

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .