NEWPORT BEACH Fourth of July partyers parley...

NEWPORT BEACH

Fourth of July partyers

parley to no avail

It was too little, too late for a group of young party enthusiasts

who descended on City Hall Tuesday to protest Fourth of July alcohol

restrictions. Despite the dozens of speakers arguing against the

rules for harsher crime penalties and prohibition of alcohol

deliveries, the council members approved the measures unanimously.

Mayor Steve Bromberg’s “state of the city” speech delivered at the

annual luncheon meeting of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce had

a concise message: “The state of the city is good,” Bromberg said.

The luncheon also honored chamber volunteers.

Council members got their first look at the 2003-04 budget they

must approve by the end of June. The $156 million spending plan

includes creating a new division to combine code enforcement with

water-quality personnel, who together will enforce regulations on

keeping pollutants out of storm drains.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].

BUSINESS

Landmark unveils its

new look to the public

Balboa Bay Club & Resort leaders cut the ribbon on their new $65

million hotel and resort Wednesday in a glitzy ceremony.

Led by Chairwoman Beverly Ray, the club added a 132-room hotel to

its existing property. The club, which was a Hollywood haunt to John

Wayne, Humphrey Bogart and others in the 1960s and ‘70s, was first

built in 1948 on Newport Harbor and had become somewhat ramshackle.

The new resort also signals a new era of openness for the public,

which can now books a stay in the rooms, visit piano lounge Duke’s

Place or eat a meal in restaurant First Cabin.

Ray, who took over the torch on the project after husband Bill Ray

died suddenly in 1991, beamed about her new club during a 30-minute

ceremony.

“At the risk of bragging a bit, I’d say we’ve done this grand old

place proud,” Ray said.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

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

[email protected].

COSTA MESA

City council’s vacant

chair finally gets filled

Eric Bever’s frustration with the City Council’s perpetual

deadlock in the appointment process inspired decisive action that the

council lacked. Monday, Bever withdrew his application to replace

former mayor Karen Robinson leaving Mike Scheafer as the remaining

candidate. Scheafer was unanimously approved and immediately sworn

in. His first official council meeting is Monday.

And city officials found out Monday that they have up to two

months to convince Fountain Valley and Newport Beach officials to

take off both the 19th Street and Gisler Avenue bridges from the

county’s master plan. The deadline for consensus was forced by the

Orange County Transportation Authority, which put off a decision on

granting a request by Fountain Valley to study the Gisler bridge, for

up to two months.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

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

PUBLIC SAFETY

Veches’ trial given

to jury for deliberation

Jury deliberations began Thursday in the trial of the 32-year-old

former Newport Beach recreation coordinator accused of sucking

several children’s toes.

During the five-day trial, the prosecution presented 23 boys who

were between 6 and 10 years old when the alleged crimes took place.

All of the children testified that Trenton Veches either sucked their

toes, massaged their feet or took pictures of their feet.

One boy said Veches made him take off his clothes and touched him

inappropriately. The defense has maintained that Veches sucked the

boys’ toes, but didn’t do so for sexual gratification.

Veches faces 25 felony counts of performing a lewd act on minors.

If convicted, he faces a maximum of life in prison. He already

pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, which is a

misdemeanor. Deliberations will continue Monday morning.

And a 55-year-old Newport Beach woman was hospitalized Thursday

after being attacked and robbed in the driveway of her Lido Isle

home.

The man then struck her on the head with an unknown object and

fled. Police are still looking for the alleged robber. The woman was

treated for the head injury at Hoag Hospital and released the same

day.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

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