Print Costa Mesa fire investigators are examining the cause of a 1-acre brush fire that broke out Friday in a portion of Fairview Park where sensitive wildlife is known to reside and where evidence of human activity was also spotted Department spokesman Battalion Chief Chris Coates said the blaze was first seen and called in shortly after 9:30 p.m as officers flew over the scene just west of Placentia Avenue 2025An earlier version of this story indicated an 8.4-acre fire broke out in Fairview Park in June 2023 “They happened to be flying in the area and observed it,” Coates said Monday Costa Mesa fire personnel respond to a nearly 1-acre brush fire at the city’s Fairview Park on Friday (Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue) Crews arrived at the park and saw flames reaching toward the sky but could not immediately access the fire’s origin point as the area was covered in thick brush that was unreachable by vehicle Firefighters used chainsaws to hack their way through the vegetation to gain access and then ran approximately 2,000 feet of hose to the spot to tackle the fire Personnel from four engine companies and one battalion chief remained at the park for 4.5 hours to make sure the site was completely overhauled and no burning embers remained but the fire spokesman said there were signs of human activity in the surrounding area “The fire occurred in an area where there is evidence of homeless encampments,” Coates said clarifying that it will be up to investigators to determine whether that may have contributed to the brush fire A June 2024 fire at Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park burned 8.4 acres and caused the temporary evacuation of nearby residents Model Engineers) Such fires are not uncommon in Fairview Park which falls under the care and maintenance of the city of Costa Mesa On June 23, 2024, crews battled an 8.4-acre brush fire at the park’s southern end near Victoria Street that, fueled by high temperatures and dry conditions, caused the temporary evacuation of residents on Swan Drive to the north. Two teenagers reportedly received minor injuries during the blaze and were assessed at the scene, while another individual found in an encampment at the park was taken into police custody on suspicion of trespassing. It is unknown whether that person may have been linked to the start of last year’s fire, the cause of was never publicly reported. Although the Pilot requested public records on the investigation in September, that request was denied because the case was still under review. Costa Mesa spokesman Tony Dodero confirmed Tuesday the city typically performs brush clearance at Fairview Park each year before the July 4 holiday, but waits until September to maintain portions of the park’s east side, due to bird nesting season. Last year, city crews began mowing certain “fuel modification zones” in the park beginning in late June, according to Dodero. 12:57 p.m. April 30, 2025: This story was updated to include information from the city of Costa Mesa regarding annual brush clearance schedules at Fairview Park. Sara Cardine covers the city of Costa Mesa for the Daily Pilot. She comes from the La Cañada Valley Sun, where she spent six years as the news reporter covering La Cañada Flintridge and recently received a first-place Public Service Journalism award from the California News Publishers Assn. She’s also worked at the Pasadena Weekly, Stockton Record and Lodi-News Sentinel, which instilled in her a love for community news. (714) 966-4627 News 2025: An earlier version of this story indicated an 8.4-acre fire broke out in Fairview Park in June 2023 Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map has been working to reduce hospital anxiety for children particularly those between six months and four years old The hospital's committee has implemented various strategies to help families like the Carters was born prematurely and needed surgery in his first month the Carters found comfort in the care provided by Dr who performed the surgery and frequently checked on Wyatt to ensure his well-being Wyatt was also the first patient at the hospital to receive surfactant treatment which helped him keep food down and grow healthily The hospital has introduced several child-friendly initiatives to make the hospital experience less intimidating for kids Same-day surgery manager Halee Childers advises parents to talk openly with their children about their fears and avoid downplaying their concerns ensuring that children feel understood and supported during their hospital visits LEARN MORE Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInFAIRVIEW PARK Ohio (WOIO) - Police are searching for a 20-year-old man wanted for assaulting and strangling his girlfriend Fairview Park Police and the SWAT team attempted to serve an arrest warrant for Tayveonn Elliott Friday morning at his girlfriend’s apartment in the 18900 block of Lorain Rd. Fairview Park Police Chief Paul Shepard said an investigation into Elliott began on Feb for a report of a man chasing a woman outside with a gun but learned he had recently been staying at the apartment Chief Shepard said during the course of their investigation officers gathered enough evidence to charge Elliott Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Fairview Park Police at 440-333-1234 Fairview Park is a rare jewel “that’s unique [in] all the state,” said Travis Brooks Also known as the Fairview Indian Site by the National Register of Historic Places it’s the sacred home of tribes whose habitation goes back to 1500 B.C The mesa is the watershed for vernal pools where federally protected Riverside and fairy shrimp live They’re supposed to be “specially managed and maintained,” said Robb Hamilton a biologist who’s been studying them since the 1980s but he called the area a “free for all,” referring to the Harbor Soaring Society Yet there’s no park ranger for the 208 acres which is larger than all of the other city parks combined The federal and state departments of Fish and Wildlife as recently as last month told Costa Mesa to stop HSS the park administrator and over 800 members of the Fairview Park Alliance Residents voted 70.9% in favor of Measure AA to protect Fairview Park and California Administrative Code states that “No person shall remove deface or destroy any object of paleontological Brooks showed 100 years of aerial photographs documenting the degradation of the watershed by HSS since the 1960s They’ve cleared protected tarweed and bulldozed the watershed as well as trampling the pools while retrieving their gliders and tow lines a leader of HSS — who doesn’t live in Costa Mesa — rose to his feet and threatened to oust from office any member of our council who votes to oust them from the park also commonly known as ballot measures or referendums are questions placed before voters on local ballots Citizen-initiated ballot measures give voters the opportunity to repeal an existing city ordinance or propose a change in the city governing document In Huntington Beach that is our City Charter The process gives people the ability and the power to collect signatures to place those proposals directly before voters a majority of voters tell the local government what the public wants to get done blue and purple states have used initiatives to get issues on the ballot that help their communities Direct democracy is the will of the people we all want the freedom to make decisions on important issues that impact our lives It’s an essential tool for passing people-centered policies at the local level and a critical part of building an inclusive It is a process that is truly by the people and for the people Are the members of the Huntington Beach City Council afraid of democracy Let the voters decide how they want their public libraries managed and what books and materials should be purchased As a trained volunteer who spent six months collecting petition signatures from concerned residents who want to protect the library from government overreach I am incensed that the city of Huntington Beach under the direction of its 7-0 MAGA City Council distributed a survey to residents casting doubt on the legality of the petition process Of all the culture war ploys they have enacted accusing library supporters of being liars is one of their lowest attempts which creates a parent/guardian review board Their 21-member board of political appointees who have final and non-appealable authority to determine which books are purchased and kept in our library is book banning don’t like an award-winning Young Adult book because it has a sexual or LGBTQ+ reference they have the power to remove and permanently keep that book off the shelves with its vast collection and range of programs is the envy of non-Huntington Beach residents who don’t have their own city libraries We can’t take this city institution for granted As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Central Library this year we need to protect it from politicians and their culture war agenda When the library initiatives are placed on the ballot for a special or general election Huntington Beach residents must vote yes to preserve our city’s crown jewel for current and future generations 6 insurrectionists is and alarming insult to police Failing to hold violent offenders accountable emboldens others to attack law enforcement The mayor of Huntington Beach is a former police officer and should be ashamed to support or display a statue honoring someone who disregards the safety of your former profession This isn’t just poor judgment — it’s a toxic endorsement of weakness and possible violence It’s time to end the MAGA culture wars and stop wasting taxpayer money on frivolous lawsuits Focus on restoring our city’s financial health has been great long before you ever stepped onto this dais I can only hope that the students of Chapman University are not as ignorant as Struppa, and that King was right about the arc of the moral universe being long but bending towards justice. What the hell is going on in my country? The vast majority of the demonstrators were advocating for justice for innocent Palestinians, not for antisemitic, anti-Israeli groups like Hamas. The only documented violence during these demonstrations was by a rogue Zionist group at the UCLA campus. I wonder if anyone took a close look the bronze bust of Martin Luther King Jr. that stands at Chapman University? If there were no tears falling from his eyes, there should be. Opinion Print On a sprawling landscape east of the Santa Ana River Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park encompasses numerous habitat ecosystems from wetlands and riparian grasslands to coastal sage scrub areas and vernal pools in which dormant life awakens with adequate rainfall city leaders undergoing a master plan process for the 200-acre park are finding the visions for and uses of the space present a crowded playing field of competing and conflicting interests Does a park belong to the people who recreate there or the tribal cultures whose ancestors for centuries called it home Does it belong to the biodiverse species documented there and their caretakers or should it be subject to the shifting priorities of the leaders of its city of ownership A family walks a path toward the footbridge in Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Such questions came to a head in a special meeting Tuesday where officials lifted the lid on years of planning and analysis that have continued at the site despite a recent shift in parks department heads and Fairview Park administrators along with restoration ecologist Travis Brooks of Land IQ and biologist Robb Hamilton who participated in Fairview’s first master plan in 1998 provided an overview of the park’s many resources Some 220 different types of birds have been spotted living a biodiversity hot spot that plays host to 197 varieties of plants but because it has the diversity of habitat types and vegetation communities that provide a home for all these different species,” Brooks said Tuesday A large hawk soars above Fairview Park in Costa Mesa (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “Some of these are so special or have been so impacted by urbanization that people have gone to the effort of putting them under some kind of conservation status under the state or federal level,” Brooks said which spring to life during sustained periods of rain provide home to federally protected fairy shrimp who serve as a food source to multiple migrating birds and a food chain of critters Artifacts from indigenous tribes, whose presence dates back to at least 1500 B.C., are still preserved in Fairview’s soil, and the space is regarded as a sacred home to the Tongva and the Acjachemen tribes and their descendants Informational signs at Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park point out the area’s rich ecological and cultural treasures and recent preservation efforts (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) But for all the rich ecological and archaeological activity recorded at the Costa Mesa site Fairview is just as popular among current human users serving not only recreationalists but model train and aircraft enthusiasts who’ve enjoyed the property for decades under historic city-approved use agreements Members of model aircraft hobbyist group the Harbor Soaring Society have flown remote-control planes and gliders on Fairview’s environmentally sensitive west side since 1964, while the Orange County Model Engineers since 1989 have operated 5 miles of miniature train tracks on a 40-acre lot just across Placentia Avenue Environmentalists and hobbyists have clashed in recent years with representatives from both sides clamoring for consideration in the emergent Fairview Park Master Plan Their viewpoints were refreshed Tuesday in nearly 50 public comments, primarily provided by members of the plane and train hobbyist groups, as well as from elementary school students to retirees and the environmentally focused nonprofit Fairview Park Alliance Orange County Model Engineers have offered free mini train rides in Fairview Park for more than three decades (File Photo) Hobbyists described their role in protecting the park and introducing its plant and animal life to residents and visitors alike so let’s make sure it retains its natural beauty for our citizens to enjoy and recreate in for generations to come,” said Orange County Model Engineers treasurer Hank Castignetti but without native plants and animals we have nothing to show you from our trains but dirt and you can see that in your own backyard.” particularly the operations of Harbor Soaring Society’s interrupts birds’ flight path and threatens sensitive nearby vernal pool activity A mallard rests near the vernal pools in Fairview Park in March 2023 (File Photo) “I’m not against glider planes or flying but they shouldn’t be happening in Fairview Park because they are destroying the habitat,” said Fairview Park Alliance board member Kim Hendricks maybe you can just move them somewhere else.” Members of the model plane group countered that their meet-ups are places where people connect out of a passion for aviation fostering new generations of interest in STEM-related endeavors Harbor Soaring Society has called Fairview Park our home,” said member John Rittenhouse “If you don’t have another generation of children who appreciate it they will not protect it when their time comes.” Model flyers have been forced to curtail operations in recent years, limiting allowable aircraft to nonmotorized gliders and flying only on the first and third Saturdays of each month. A Harbor Soaring Society member attaches a wing to his glider at Fairview Park in 2019. (Courtesy of the Harbor Soaring Society) Councilman Loren Gameros said Tuesday he favored a master plan that would allow current uses to continue, even if that required some kind of concessions or modifications. “If we cannot come to that, we’re going to be backed into a corner to make some very hard decisions, and I’m not going to just push the smallest dog off the cliff,” he said. “So let’s figure this out and work up a solution where everybody gets a little bit of what they want. I want everyone to be pissed off, that way no one feels cheated.” Tuesday’s discussion was the first public unveiling of the Fairview Park Master Plan. In a second presentation that could take place sometime later this month, consultants will share their initial findings and recommendations ahead of submitting a draft of the plan to the council, which could happen as soon as May 31 and would kick off a long environmental review period. After hearing nearly two hours of public testimony, council members affirmed their desire for a plan that preserved the park’s cultural resources, while incorporating the goals of environmental stewards as well as hobbyist uses. “I think there’s definitely an opportunity for us to come together as a city and make it happen for HSS and the [Model Engineers],” said new District 6 Councilman Jeff Pettis. “I also want to see us preserve the wildlife, the vernal pools and the ecosystem. I think we can do both.” Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez said he was heartened to hear everyone speak about Fairview from a place of love. “Fairview Park has needed to be defined for a long time — everyone’s passionate responses today demonstrates the need for that,” he said. “If all of us come forth in a common sense way, where we are trying to be collaborative and not confrontational, we can solve this problem.” Ohio (WOIO) - All Fairview Park City Schools were closed Thursday due to a threat e-mailed to one of the buildings The threat was received early Thursday morning and according to Fairview Park Police Chief Paul Shepard the sender mentioned explosive devices had been placed around a school building checked all district buildings and found nothing suspicious “There is an ongoing investigation into the threat and we have confidence that the schools are safe and secure,” said Chief Shepard If anyone has any information in regards to this threat please call 440-333-1234 Ohio — Seabury Avenue in Fairview Park was still a draw for people who wanted to see some of the best holiday light displays in Northeast Ohio “Foot and car traffic has reduced tremendously by about 50%," said Nick Walansky who has decorated his house for 14 years and is known as the guy with the Grinch House or Charlie Brown house “People have been walking with young kids and older kids but it's not the same as it was in years past," Walansky said That's because city officials decided to enforce a ban on personal property which includes cords and arches of light that have become a staple in the neighborhood for visitors so underwhelming," said Kimberly Jones of Seven Hills usually there's tons of cars and you can't park." along with her husband and their daughter Emerson Seabury Avenue has been a Christmas Eve destination for the last ten years And so we wanted to make a Christmas tradition and with her so we'll have to see what next year brings," said Jones Last year more than eight thousand people are believed to have visited the neighborhood light display which brought a lot of issues along with it and there were more people who were not from the area Residents complained to the city after their lawns and displays were disrespected and not admired and I think they just didn't like the fact that they couldn't get in and out of their driveway," said Walansky "The trash that was being left down the street One person who was not happy with the changes is Bill McVicker who started the ball rolling 14 years ago."I'm not happy it's a little different for me because everything began here.” McVicker was back running the carousel and had the Elf tent where they handed out hot cocoa for the kids While he understands his fellow neighbors' concerns he believes the city went overboard with restrictions especially with banning the sidewalk arches McVicker would have liked to see the city take on the issue next year when they could have more time to plan This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Seabury Avenue lights are quite the sight during the holidays People who live on the half-mile stretch in Fairview Park decorate their lawns for Christmas and people come from miles around to take in the sights "There are people that have expressed fear and concern for their safety and that's where we come in," Chief Paul Shepard said The city is not asking people who live on Seabury Avenue not to decorate their yards and for people to stop coming to view the decorations The city just wants everyone to do so safely and for the decorations to be kept legally on their property and not on the sidewalks or tree lawns The city wants visitors to be mindful of the neighborhood there were reports of oversized vehicles that exceeded the weight limit Fairview Park residents like Leslie Ford feel that the city is acting like a Grinch and keeping people from enjoying the holiday "It's a big part of our holiday celebration," Ford said "The Christmas lights are so magical and are such a big part of family tradition and when you're in your house and you hear the kids walking up and down the street and you can literally just hear the laughter to the point where you almost feel it." with the visitors and vehicles parked everywhere Shepard would prefer compliance over enforcement and that these laws have been on the books for years if they wanted to go back to our legislative body and have them amend the law they have to abide by the rules that have been put forth for the last 50 years," Shepard said DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin is mourning the sudden and unexpected loss of its CEO, Don Avery Avery had served as the hospital’s CEO for 17 years The news of Avery’s passing has prompted an outpouring of condolences from other hospitals and professional groups across Georgia Dodge County Hospital posted a heartfelt tribute on Fairview Park’s Facebook page “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Don Avery His dedication to the healthcare community and his many years of service have left a lasting impact not only at Fairview Park but throughout rural hospitals as a whole Don’s contributions to healthcare were immeasurable and his loss leaves a significant void in our community.” Crisp Regional Hospital expressed their sympathies “On behalf of the entire team at Crisp Regional Hospital we want to express our heartfelt condolences to you and your community on the loss of your esteemed CEO Don’s dedication to healthcare leadership and his commitment to improving the lives of others left an indelible mark not only on Fairview Park Hospital but also on the wider healthcare community.” The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) also shared their condolences “The GHA family is absolutely heartbroken to hear this news Don was a big supporter of GHA and Georgia’s hospitals We miss him dearly and are praying for his family and all of you at Fairview Park Hospital.” In December, Avery had announced his plans to retire in the summer of 2025, reflecting on his remarkable tenure at Fairview Park Hospital. In his retirement announcement he expressed gratitude for the warmth and support he had received from the community since moving to Dublin in May 2008 He described his role at the hospital as “the most amazing job anyone could ever hope to have” and acknowledged the lasting relationships he had built over the years Print Costa Mesa is encouraging residents to explore their own backyards neighborhoods and city parks in search of wild animals and plant species they can help catalog Coinciding with Costa Mesa’s annual Earth Day celebration — which takes place at City Hall on April 26 — the four-day challenge asks participants to download the iNaturalist app and then observe and report what they find through photos and notes Those unfamiliar with iNaturalist and how it works are invited to attend a workshop at the city’s Fairview Park on April 19 where they can make observations and help with the restoration of a coastal sage scrub site Started as a casual competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2016, the now-global City Nature Challenge is a friendly contest to see whose citizens can document the greatest number of wild species within a defined time period The event not only inspires people to get out in nature It also tracks wildlife and plant species residing in places that scientists and researchers may not be able to access who plans to participate in this year’s challenge “It has literally been the source of the discovery of new species or finding species that science thought were extinct or lived in places we didn’t think they lived in — and that’s all coming from regular people,” Reynolds said Thursday Of the more than 2.1 million animal species living on the planet, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, more than 500,352 have been recorded by “citizen scientists” through the iNaturalist app, the nonprofit network reports on its website 9,623 observations have been recorded of 1,264 different plant and animal species Costa Mesa sightings can be cataloged in iNaturalist under Orange County where citizens have already signed up and are letting other cities join in the fun An exotic Mandarin duck was one of nine spotted at Costa Mesa’s TeWinkle Park in 2021 Officials are asking residents to join in a City Nature Challenge April 25-28 in which they document plant and animal sightings (File Photo) Fairview Park administrator Kelly Dalton said the smartphone app is an easy and accessible way for people to engage in citizen science and learn about their natural surroundings “We use it when we’re out in the field to document plant species observed along the trails or when we’re determining if [a plant] is native or non-native and needs to be removed,” he said “It’s a great tool — at the snap of your finger you can take a photo and learn more about a species and where it comes from.” Reynolds said Costa Mesa is filled with treasures just waiting to be discovered “Go find nature in your backyard,” she added “You don’t have to go to Yellowstone or Yosemite There’s so much around you on your street — look around you and notice.” Costa Mesa’s Parks & Community Services Department will hold an iNaturalist workshop April 19 The city’s annual Earth Day Festival takes place April 26 A coyote eats a rodent it on the fields of Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park in 2021. (File Photographer) NewsCosta Mesa Sara Cardine Follow Us Idaho — These are a few of the things happening today in your neighborhood: Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – After 17 years of service to the Dublin community and 38 years in the healthcare industry marking the end of an era for the hospital Avery expressed deep gratitude for the support “You have made us feel like we are home,” he wrote in his heartfelt announcement According to a news release from the hospital Avery led Fairview Park Hospital through significant growth and change fostering a family-like environment among staff and ensuring the hospital remained a cornerstone of exceptional healthcare for middle Georgia He described his role as “the most amazing job anyone could ever hope to have” Avery plans to remain active in the Dublin community While he is excited for this next phase of life Avery acknowledges the mixed emotions of leaving a role he loves is expected to begin the search for Avery’s successor soon