The
Current
NEWPORT BEACH & COSTA MESA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
AN EDITION OF
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1 6, 20 1 3
OCREGISTER.COM/CURRENT
Man sues Newport for police dog bite Plaintiff says he was sleeping in garage when K-9 attack woke him.
MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Eric Chavez, 3, of Costa Mesa uses muscle power to carry a perfect pumpkin during the Environmental Nature Center’s Fall Faire and Pumpkin Patch in Newport Beach on Sunday. Proceeds from the event benefit environmental education programs at the center.
A FAIR P
FOR ALL FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE FALL FAIRE, SEE PAGE 4.
umpkins, pony rides and a petting zoo drew about 3,000 people to the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach on Sunday for its 33rd annual Fall Faire and Pumpkin Patch. Also featured were children’s crafts, games and live animal exhibits. Education Director Lori Whalen said the center’s seasonal fairs, held in fall and spring, serve for many people as an introduction to the nature center, which spans 3.5 acres of wild, open space with representatives of 15 California plant communities, she said. “If it is their first time at Fall Faire, they can come back for the programs we offer or even with family for a nice, quiet picnic lunch,” Whalen said. The center’s Spring Faire is scheduled for May 4. For more information, call 949-645-8489 or visit encenter.org.
Rare oarfish found off Catalina
Trustees find disapproval among selves, employees
Marine science instructor pulls creature to shore.
College district staff vent in survey. Trustees in the Coast Community College District recently got a scathing report card from district employees, revealing dissatisfaction with board manageLAUREN ment and STEUSSY internal REGISTER WRITER squabbles
among the trustees. Back in August, the trustees decided to ask employees to evaluate their performance. Many of the comments from the evaluation show that employees perceive a lack of efficiency and teamwork on trustees’ parts. The trustees also completed a routine selfevaluation, which redirected criticism at the district’s chancellor, Andrew Jones.
A man who says he was bitten by a Newport Beach police dog while sleeping in a friend’s garage has filed a lawsuit against the city. Usyel Ocampo Roman, 34, of Costa Mesa seeks more than $25,000 for medical bills, lost income and damages, though his complaint ERIC does not ask H A R T L E Y for a specific REGISTER amount. WRITER The lawsuit says Ocampo Roman suffered severe wounds to both arms and had surgery. Aaron Harp, Newport Beach’s city attorney, said he hadn’t reviewed the lawsuit in detail and could not respond Tuesday. Ocampo Roman’s lawsuit, filed Thursday, gives the following account: In the early morning of March 17, Ocampo Roman was sleeping in a friend’s garage on Coolidge Avenue in Costa Mesa. The garage door was left open for ventilation. Newport Beach police were in the neighboring city looking for a suspect. About 3 a.m., police released a dog, which ran into the open garage and “attacked Plaintiff in his sleep,” leading to wounds and scarring mostly on his upper arms, forearms and wrists. The lawsuit alleges negligent training or oversight of the police dog by the city and the police department. Jennifer Manzella, a Newport Beach police spokeswoman, said Costa Mesa police asked Newport officers to help search for a robber just after 2 a.m.. A Costa Mesa police spokesman said he could not find any information on the incident Tuesday.
FILE PHOTO: JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Andrew Jones, chancellor of the Coast Community College District, has been criticized by trustees. S E E C O L L E G E ● PA G E 4
A real-life sea serpent was discovered at Santa Catalina Island last weekend, as 26-year-old science instructor Jasmine TAYLOR Santana HILL brought to REGISTER shore an 18WRITER foot oarfish at the Catalina Island Marine Insti-
COURTESY OF CATALINA ISLAND MARINE INSTITUTE
The crew of Tole Mour and instructors with the Catalina Island Marine Institute hold the dead 1 8-foot oarfish found in the waters off Santa Catalina Island.
tute. The long, snakelike fish usually resides in deep oceans, but Santana hap-
pened upon the sea creature in less than 15 feet of S E E O A R F I S H ● PA G E 4
INSIDE TODAY’S CURRENT MAN IS COUNCILWOMAN ARRESTED SPEAKING UP
TAKING IT ONE STEP AT A TIME
Man is arrested after kidnapping estranged wife, driving her to Costa Mesa home, according to police. SEE STORY ON PAGE 3
A Newport Beach woman and her younger brother, who lives in Yorba Linda, embrace the grueling sport of competitive stair climbing. SEE STORY ON PAGE 7
Newport Beach City Councilwoman Leslie Daigle shares her opinion on why outsourcing trash pickup makes sense at Speak Up Newport meeting. SEE STORY ON PAGE 6 FILE PHOTO: THE REGISTER
EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER