A quick look at the things that made news this week in Newport Beach:
▬ The Chamber of Commerce cancelled this year’s Taste of Newport, in what would have been the event’s 25 year anniversary.
The famous food festival demanded too much time and resources from staff, said Steve Rosansky, chamber president and former city councilman.
The chamber has recently seen some financial hardships and the Taste event actually lost money last year.
The chamber will focus on other events in the meantime and will decide later if the Taste of Newport should be revived.
▬ A free, mobile device application was launched by the City of Newport Beach this week, called “myNB.”
The app allows users to submit and track service requests, obtain city information, and the ability to contact City Council members.
Now available in the Apple and Google app stores, the app is powered by PublicStuff, a software company.
For more info, contact Rob Houston at (949) 644-3033, or rhouston@newportbeachca.gov.
▬ Newport Beach can now build Sunset Ridge Park in West Newport, city spokeswoman Tara Finnigan wrote in a community email message Thursday.
The city announced that the state Supreme Court denied Banning Ranch Conservancy’s petition to review the appeals court’s decision to deny BRC’s challenge to the project’s environmental impact report.
The Conservancy sued the city, challenging the council’s approval of the project. The suit alleged that Newport Beach violated the California Environmental Quality Act and the city’s General Plan, and that the environmental impact report was inadequate.
The court also denied their request for depublication of the appeals decision.
The city anticipate breaking ground on the project later this spring.
▬ The Newport Beach Police Department will actively be ticketing drivers caught texting or otherwise operating cell phones while driving during April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
The current minimum ticket costs $159, while subsequent tickets are upwards of $279.
– The Orange County Sanitation District Board of Directors approved an increase to sewer rates on Wednesday, Patch.com reported. The annual baseline price for single family homes will go up by 4.8 percent, or about $14, this year and 2.4 percent, or $8, annually for the next four years.
▬ Chef and owner of Irvine’s Lucca restaurant, Cathy Pavlos, will be opening Provenance in the fall. It will be a Napa-influenced restaurant taking the place of Newport’s former Sage restaurant at 2531 Eastbluff Dr., reported the Orange County Register.
▬ Vessel safety checks conducted by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will take place on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Newport Dunes Launch Ramp, reported Patch.com.
▬ The Starbucks in Corona del Mar has reopened following its renovation. The coffee shop is located at 2801 E. Coast Hwy.
— Compiled by Justin Swanson
