Week in review

Coast Community College trustees voted last week to explore the merits

of a $344-million bond that would be used for facilities improvements. A

committee has been set up to examine the viability of the bond and will

report back to the full board with its recommendation sometime this

summer.

The UC Irvine Dean of the Graduate School of Management will not be

leading the school next year as administrators have declined to renew his

contract. David Blake, who has been at the school since 1997, came under fire by a group of senior professors who accused him of misguided

marketing strategies and a decline in the Health Care Executive MBA

program.A junior from Newport Harbor High School won first place in the

classical dance competition of the Music Center Spotlight Awards in Los

Angeles on Tuesday. Diane Booth scored $5,000 and a chance to take a

class with the artistic director of American Ballet Theatre’s junior

company, along with eight of the top finalists.

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

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

A-tent-tion

The Costa Mesa City Council, in a surprise move last week, unanimously

rejected a Planning Commission decision and approved a 36-foot-high

temporary sanctuary for Calvary Church while its permanent building is

under construction.

The 7,910-square-foot tent at 2115 Newport Blvd. will be used to host

church services for about five years. Council members have asked the

church to return in 2 1/2 years with an update on construction.

Planning commissioners had voted down the tent because they said its

appearance was not consistent with other buildings in the area and that

neighbors were concerned about noise and increased traffic.

The council also voted 4 to 1 to keep the controversial Job Center

open -- to Costa Mesa residents, as well as those from other cities. The

Westside employment hub for day laborers will, however, charge a higher

registration fee -- a hike from $5 to $10 for residents and $15 for

nonresidents.

Several people who spoke in support of the center said it provides

locals, as well as others, with an opportunity to earn a living in a

dignified manner. Those opposed said the center does not check

identification and attracts illegal immigrants into the area, increasing

crime and hurting the quality of life.

Chris Steel was the lone council member to cast a dissenting vote on

the issue.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

When actresses attack

Newport Beach police arrested actress Tawney Kitaen-Finley Monday on

suspicion of battering her husband, former Angels pitcher and current

Cleveland Indians pitcher Chuck Finley, during a domestic dispute.

The couple had gotten into an argument Monday after dinner on their

drive home, officials said. Police said Kitaen-Finley beat her husband

with her bare hands and high-heeled shoes, causing cuts and bruises to

his arms, legs and face.

Police said they received a 911 hang-up call from the couple’s Newport

Coast home. Kitaen-Finley was released Wednesday on her own recognizance.

She faces arraignment April 28 on two domestic violence charges.

Kitaen-Finley is also scheduled to be arraigned on a vandalism charge

April 18. The incident, officials said, happened in Newport Beach when

the actress allegedly got in a fight with another woman over a parking

spot and then keyed her car.

A judge ordered that Kitaen-Finley stay away from her husband and that

she not attempt to contact him.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

Sent to the big house

A mysterious group has been mailing out fliers on Balboa Island,

warning of a trend toward “mansionization.” It appears the trend doesn’t

exist on the island. But in areas such as Corona del Mar, it’s emerging

as a major concern.

Members of American Legion Post 291 have been offered a 50-year lease

on their city-owned property. But they say it’s too soon to tell whether

they’ll sign on the dotted line.

Peninsula residents concerned about plans to replace ficus trees on

Main Street will have a chance to be heard at the May 7 meeting of the

city’s Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission. Some want to keep the 25

ficus trees there, while others say it’s time to replace them with a

species more friendly to their city surroundings.

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

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

Insurance costs take off

Things just keep getting more expensive at John Wayne Airport. Last

week, the news came that insurance costs would jump more than 60%.

Airport insurance policies from the previous year lapsed on Monday, at

which time they were replaced by new, more expensive coverage.

Orange County will be paying 61.5% more for property coverage and

66.5% more for protection from lawsuits stemming from injuries.

The jump was caused by fallout from Sept. 11 and the skyrocketing

insurance costs as a result.

In other news, an internal investigator’s report exonerated Newport

Beach from any impropriety in the sending of dried-out sewage to an

Irvine landfill for 12 years.

The March 29 report, which was released Monday, cleared any black

clouds over City Hall in saying no state laws were broken.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment, John Wayne Airport and

politics. He may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

[email protected] .