4 newportbeachindy . com NOVEMBER 24 , 2023

With negativity and bad news seeming to be everywhere around us , I want to give thanks this Thanksgiving to someone . Someone who makes such a positive influence in my life .

Someone who greets me by name , seems to be always in a good mood . I don ’ t really know him , but I feel like I know him , when he passes by my Kiosk at the Crystal Cove State Park and we share a smile and sometimes

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Chica and Newport .

Newport Beach will see more immediate results . As part of the project , the Army Corps will use 100,000 cubic yards of accumulated sand from the far West Newport area , near the Santa Ana River , to replenish beaches between 52nd and 36th streets in the coming weeks . Work is scheduled to begin in late November , following recent sand management work by the County of Orange .

Federal sand replenishment projects began in the 1960s to offset the erosion of Orange County beaches caused by construction of federal flood control channels and other projects that disrupted the natural flow of sand and river sediment .

Historically these replenishment projects were done every five to seven years . The last such project was in 2009 , however , before federal funding was discontinued . Newport Beach , along with other coastal cities , successfully advocated for the return of federal funding , which was awarded in the

EDITORIAL

EDITOR Christopher Trela christopher @ newportbeachindy . com

DESIGN / PRODUCTION

CREATIVE & MARKETING DIRECTOR Tracy Powell

exchange a few words about the weather .

This simple interaction so inspires me , totally reminding me of the Frank O ’ Hara poem “ Having A Coke With You ,” which is about focusing on normal experiences shared with that special someone , even if he is someone I barely know .

Let us be thankful for these small acts of kindness .

Suzi Scallon / Laguna Beach

current fiscal year budget . The federal contribution is $ 15.5 million , with about $ 7.5 million from the state , local cities and agencies .

The ongoing replenishment of beach sand is a critical issue for Newport Beach . Beach erosion threatens a major part of our economy -- ocean recreation and tourism -- and increases the risk of flooding during high tides . The City will continue to advocate on behalf of our residents and businesses for a return to more frequent sand replenishment along the Orange County coast .

Library Lecture Hall Moves Forward

The new Library Lecture Hall , which has been in the discussion and design phases for nearly six years , will move forward into construction .

At a study session on Tuesday , November 14 , the City Council agreed , via a 4-3 straw poll , to continue with the project , which will construct an auditorium facility near the Central Library at 1000 Avocado Ave .

The City recently received a low bid of about $ 19 million for construction , out of a total $ 23.4 million project cost .

The 9,814-square-foot building is designed to complement the existing Central Library and City Hall architecture . It will include tiered , stadium seating for 299 people and host a variety of authors , speakers and lecturers throughout the year .

The project costs are being shared by the City and the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation , which committed $ 7 million received from community donations , and pledged an additional $ 4.7 million in donations during the next three years .

At its next meeting , the City Council will consider forming a Council Ad Hoc committee to propose revisions to the Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Foundation . We then expect to return to the City Council for a construction contract award in January .

Construction of the Library Lecture Hall is expected to take about 21 months .

Superior Avenue Pedestrian Bridge Construction Update

Construction teams have made significant progress on the Superior Avenue Pedestrian Bridge project in recent weeks .

Earlier this month , crews poured concrete for the entire bridge deck . With the completion of the bridge deck , just one more concrete pour remains for the side barriers and the top of the arches .

The City ’ s contractor is also constructing a large retaining wall that runs northeast of the site . Construction of the wall requires a significant amount of temporary excavation to reach the bottom of the wall ’ s foundation . The large temporary mound of dirt now on site will be used as fill material for the retaining wall .

SALES

ADVERTISING SALES TEAM Carol Josepher , Chris Mattingley , Dawn Lindeman , Mara Hertel

PRODUCTION MANAGER Tina Leydecker tina @ firebrandmediainc . com

ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION : Tel : 949-715-4100 | Fax : 949-715-4106

Newport Bay Trash Interceptor Construction Underway

Construction on the Newport Bay Trash Interceptor project is now underway .

Initial construction work includes the installation of guide piles for the floating trash wheel , railway support piles , and boom connection piles . A 113-ton crane , loaded onto a floating barge , recently installing a boom pile on the south side of San Diego Creek . One end of the trash-collecting boom will be connected to this pile , with the other end attached to the floating trash wheel installed on the north bank .

When completed , a boom system stretching across San Diego Creek will capture floating trash and debris and direct it to the trash wheel assembly . Trash and debris will then be lifted by a conveyor system and dropped into haul-off containers that sit within a rail sled on a raised railway . A graded , paved road will give trash trucks access to the creek bank from Jamboree Road .

The Trash Interceptor is expected to be fully assembled by early summer and fully commissioned and operating prior to the 2024 rainy season .

The project ’ s construction contractor is Jilk Heavy Construction . The construction management team includes City staff and the Burns & McDonnell ( B & M ) design team ’ s civil , mechanical , electrical and geotechnical engineers . Biological monitoring is performed by the B & M ’ s biologist and cultural resources monitoring is performed by the Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians .

City Congratulates Recent CERT Program Graduates

The Newport Beach Fire Department closed out another successful Community Emergency Response Team ( CERT ) program with 20 new graduates . In total , 50 people have

CITY MANAGER Page 11

PUBLISHER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Steve Zepezauer

PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING Scott Sanchez

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Tiffany Thompson

MAILING ADDRESS : 900 Glenneyre Street , Suite B , Laguna Beach , CA 92651 | Tel : 949-715-4100 | Fax : 949-715-4106 | www . newportbeachindy . com