Only 6 short weeks after a majority voted to restore the fire rings, Councilwoman Diane Dixon has decided– at the last minute– to put this measure back on the agenda, yet again.  You usually don’t put the item back on the agenda until you think you have the votes to carry out your wishes, so she may have convinced a weak link to …

Remember that Sunday morning we set our clocks FORWARD by one hour! Daylight savings has to do with energy savings, particularly in old factories.  By slightly adjusting the clock to account for the changes in the sunrise and sunset times, employers were able to save money on heating and electricity. Remember, this Sunday on March the 8th, “Spring Forward” into the new …

Don’t you love the Balboa Ferry?  We’ve all taken countless trips on it, and it’s been here as long as anyone can remember.  Newport’s historic Beek family built the ferry service back in 1919, and have been running it since. Here is a collection of some great shots from the 1930s, and one from the 1920s! The original ferry prices were just a nickel …

Whoops, we missed this anniversary!  On February 17, 1984, “Footloose” was released.  This movie was released over 30 years ago, making fun of a small, backwards town whose City Council was literally trying to ban dancing and rock music. Thankfully, America has grown in the last three decades and we now realize that music and dancing are actually enjoyed by human beings …

We had our time to make fun of the rest of the country, but Newport Beach is now experiencing some chilly weather of its own.  In fact, we have been getting hail today across the coastline.  Hail reports have been coming in from as far as 56th and Seashore all the way down to Balboa Peninsula near Bay Island. Hail is caused …

After much public pressure, Councilwoman Diane Dixon and City Manager Dave Kiff have recently confessed that the intention of the Balboa Overlay (most commonly known as “Lights Out After 11pm”) is even worse than we thought.  Its intention is to literally strip property rights from building owners.  If passed, it would mean that the city of Newport Beach can essentially come up with rules and …

Monday the 2nd– is the final day to register to vote for 2015’s election cycle on the 37th State District.  You can do it online by clicking right here.  There is no cost to do so, it only takes about 90 seconds, and if you aren’t already registered, there is literally no reason not to do it right this second. This will give …

Ben Carlson was the best of men.  Without hesitation, he gave his life to save another.  Private donors are stepping up to the plate to create a statue in his honor– a statue which will also serve to honor the sacrifices that all lifeguards make. Our group, SaveNewport, stepped up to the plate and donated into 5-figures to the cause. …

Last Tuesday, the Newport Beach Police Department was the star of the show at the Town Hall meeting where the public was promised a reason for the “Lights Out At 11pm” proposal, a proposal officially known as the innocuous-sounding “Balboa Overlay”. Instead, what the public received was two-fold: 1) An outright refusal to answer the question of “why is this being proposed” …

The Lido Theatre was opened in 1938, and the first film it played was Bette Davis in “Jezebel”. The reason for that was Davis lived nearby in Corona Del Mar and traveled by the site daily. Upon stopping by, she told the owner “they had better open with my picture.” And they did. Davis also is responsible for the sitting parlor …