State decision could lead to lawsuit, budget hole in H.B.

The state Department of Finance is refusing to pay back millions of dollars Huntington Beach once loaned to its now-disbanded redevelopment agency, a decision that may lead to litigation and leave a large hole in the city’s general budget.

Following a decision in December by the state Supreme Court that declared the state’s redevelopment agencies (RDAs) unconstitutional, cities began submitting listings of legally binding agreements or contracts the disbanded agencies had to their county auditors and the state finance department for a review — and payback, said City Manager Fred Wilson.

Those listings included bonds or loans the RDAs had issued for various projects. The process was part of the agencies’ winding-down activities.

Part of the listing Huntington Beach submitted in February was $71.8 million the city advanced to its former agency over the last 20 to 30 years.

The state is now contending that the $71.8 million the city loaned to the agency is not repayable under the law that was passed to dissolve redevelopment, Wilson said.

“At this point, we don’t believe we’ll see any of that money,” he said.

–Mona Shadia, @MonaShadia, HB Independent

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Police break up homeless camp in Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa Sgt. Vic Bakkila, left, and senior Officer Larry Fettis find a pellet gun rifle, among other items, in a homeless encampment under the 405 Freeway near the Santa Ana River. (Don Leach)

A Costa Mesa homeless encampment adorned with animal rights posters and graffiti could shelter suspects connected to a recent spate of burglaries, police said Thursday.

Police discovered the elaborate encampment beneath a San Diego (405) Freeway underpass where the Santa Ana River meets Moon Park, 3377 California St.

Officers believe eight men have been living in the encampment for about two years, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Vic Bakkila.

Police came upon the camp after an officer saw a suspicious-looking man go under the overpass, according to Bakkila.

Authorities had increased patrols in the area because of a recent increase in burglaries.

In the encampment, police found a cache of bikes and watches, although where the items came from and whether they were stolen was immediately unknown. Police were working to determine whether the items were connected to the recent burglaries.

–Lauren Williams, @LAWilliams30, Daily Pilot

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Citizen survey: Laguna’s a great place to live

A citizen survey conducted by National Research Center Inc. showed that 97% of respondents rated the overall quality of life in Laguna Beach as “excellent” or “good,” according to results released at Tuesday’s city budget workshop.

The resident opinions included responses from 405 citizens, with many reporting that they plan on staying in the community for the next five years.

The survey said the four areas that received the most favorable ratings were the overall image or reputation of Laguna Beach, quality of overall natural environment, overall appearance and the cleanliness of Laguna Beach.

Amount of public parking, ease of car travel, traffic flow on major streets and the availability of affordable housing received the lowest ratings, according to the survey.

All city services were rated favorably, with 29 out of 35 city services “above” the benchmark rating. (NRC’s database of comparative resident opinion is made up of resident perspectives gathered in citizen surveys from 500 jurisdictions.)

–Alisha Gomez, Coastline Pilot

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April Ross qualifies for London Olympics in beach volleyball

There will be two former Newport Harbor High volleyball standouts in the London Olympics.

April Ross, who starred at Newport Harbor, and Jennifer Kessy have qualified for their first Olympics. They will join Misty May-Treanor, also of Newport Harbor, and Kerri Walsh, the two-time gold medalists, in the Olympic beach volleyball tournament.

Ross and Kessy were the No. 3 team at the Beijing Olympics, but the duo clinched the second of two American women’s berths after finishing fifth in the Beijing Grand Slam this past weekend.

Beach volleyball teams qualify for the Olympics by compiling points on the international pro tour. A country can have a maximum of two men’s teams and two women’s teams.

Matt Fuerbringer, an Estancia alumnus, is in contention to qualify for the Olympics for the men. Fuerbringer and Nick Lucena are tied in the standings with Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb for the second men’s spot.

Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, the defending men’s gold medalists, have already locked up the other U.S. men’s berth.

–Daily Pilot staff reports

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CdM loses mural on John Blom photography building

Courtesy Corona del Mar Today

The new owner of the John Blom photography studio building at 3732 East Coast Highway has painted over a mural on side of the structure and plans to add a “living wall,” or a green wall that will be covered in succulents that create a design.

The mural had depicted pelican’s holding waving pictures of seascapes and a church, floating in a blue, cloud-filled sky. Blom said he returned from vacation to see the mural was gone, but he said it was the new owner’s right.

“It was good while it lasted,” he said. Blom recently sold the building and is closing his studio, but he’ll continue to work with clients on locations.

–Amy Senk, @coronadelmartdy, Corona del Mar Today

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‘American Idiot’ musical to hit Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Gabrielle McClinton (Whatsername), center, is joined by other cast members of "American Idiot." (Photo by Doug Hamilton)

Punk band Green Day skyrocketed to fame in the 1990s, but is winning over an entirely new audience with its latest offering: a Broadway musical.

But their “American Idiot” is a far cry from “Camelot.” It’s a gritty, urban-inspired show that uses the same punk songs that made the band famous, and adds more than a smattering of simulated drug use, strong language and other adult situations.

“American Idiot,” which arrives in Costa Mesa on May 29, follows the lives of three disaffected suburban youths: Johnny, Will and Tunny.

The country’s residents are riveted by their television sets, and the boys want a way out. Johnny and Tunny move to the big city, where Tunny soon is brainwashed by an Army recruitment ad, shipped off to war, and wounded. Johnny, in the meantime, discovers heroin — and love. Passive-aggressive Will stays at home to support his pregnant girlfriend, but takes his solace in beer and pot.

The musical is based in part on Green Day’s 2004 “American Idiot” studio album, and more specifically with the song that became “Homecoming.”

The three band members spent a day in the studio creating solo 30-second songs, which later merged and connected into the song, and inspired a full concept album akin toThe Who’s”Tommy” orAndrew Lloyd Webber’s”Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Michael Mayer, the director of the wildly successful modern musical “Spring Awakening,” heard the album and approached the band about adapting it for the stage. It had a successful run on Broadway before being launched as a nationwide touring production.

–Candice Baker, Special to the Daily Pilot

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Tourism conference: O.C. cities should work together

Sibling rivalries are expected, and to a degree, beneficial, but when it comes to tourism in Orange County cities, the message Wednesday was all about working together.

“Of course, we’ll keep working individually too — I still want to keep my job,” Gary Sherwin, president and chief executive of Visit Newport Beach Inc., joked while speaking at the fourth annual Tourism Conference, organized by the Orange County Tourism Council (OCTC) at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa.

Overall, speakers encouraged the audience — and each other — to work together to develop “The OC” as a global brand and destination for international visitors.

“We’re talking about this wonderful shared asset called Orange County,” Sherwin said to the audience. “When you hear ‘The OC’ anywhere in the world, you know what they’re talking about — they’re talking about us. And we take a lot of pride in that.”

Panelist Judith Bijlani, president and chief executive of the Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau, pointed to the county’s miles of beaches, many art museums and galleries, and shopping as several of the key components making up “part of the OC experience,” a tagline she encouraged local businesses to adopt.

–Sarah Peters, @SPeters01, Daily Pilot

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Mansoor accuses opponent of willingness to work with unions

Assemblyman Allan Mansoor speaks at a Surf City Tea-sponosored forum at the Huntington Beach Central Library on Monday. (SCOTT SMELTZER)

Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) told a conservative group Monday that he believes his Republican opponent in the June 5 primary will bow down to unions and special-interest groups in Sacramento.

During a Surf City Tea-sponsored forum in the Huntington Beach Central Library, Mansoor said Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle, who is running against him in the 74th Assembly District race, supports unions and raising taxes.

“That’s a clear difference between me and my opponent, who calls herself Republican,” he said.

Daigle said Tuesday that there is no basis to Mansoor’s claims.

“There’s nothing in my record of public service that suggests I’m a tax-raiser,” she said. “I would say that together with my colleagues, we’ve gotten more pension reform [in Newport Beach] than Allan [did when he was on the Costa Mesa council].

“Several of the employee groups are now paying their full share of their employee pension, and we’re in the process of working with police and fire, and we anticipate reaching an agreement by the end of the month.”

–Mona Shadia, @MonaShadia, HB Independent

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Costa Mesa man, dog found dead in minivan

A 44-year-old man and his dog were found dead Wednesday afternoon in his minivan that was parked in his Costa Mesa driveway, according to authorities.

He could have been there for two or three days, authorities said.

About 3:15 p.m., a gardener went to the man’s house in the 2600 block of Riverside Drive to do some work when he found the man apparently dead in his Toyota minivan.

Orange County Sheriff’s deputies said that the man appears to have died from health-related issues, and his death was not considered suspicious. All the windows in the van were up, and authorities could not immediately say how the dog died.

The man’s father had last been seen him alive two or three days ago, authorities said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Hazardous Materials team initially responded to the scene but was later called off.

The man’s identity was not immediately available. The coroner was responding to the scene.

— Joseph Serna, @JosephSerna, Daily Pilot

Whelan Gallery vacating North Laguna space

Patrick Whelan of the Whelan Gallery. The gallery space on North Coast Highway will close at the end of May. (KEVIN CHANG)

After nearly six years in North Laguna, Whelan Gallery will be closing its doors at the end of the month.

Owner Patrick Whelan said he was told last month that he had until the end of May to vacate the space at 353 N. Coast Hwy. He sublets it from Adam Neeley, who has decided not to renew the lease, Whelan said.

According to Whelan, he had no plans to leave any time soon before this. The gallery was “doing alright,” he said, and “holding its own.”

He said it’s not the last that Laguna will see of the gallery.

He is hosting the second annual Night of a Hundred Angels show in conjunction with the Laguna College of Art & Design, and he’ll be showing in the Festival of the Arts in the summer.

He plans to look for another space in the fall.

“We’re not going away,” he said. “There’s just going to be a big dent up here in the north.”

Whelan will have a temporary office at the Cottage Gallery, 1524 S. Coast Hwy.

For more information, visit whelanartgalleries.com.

–Joanna Clay, @joannaclay, Coastline Pilot