BUSINESS Pacific Life on Fortune 500 list...

BUSINESS

Pacific Life on Fortune 500 list for third straight year

Fortune Magazine released its annual Fortune 500 list on Monday

and, for the third consecutive year, a Newport Beach company made the

cut.

The list, which chronicles the top 500 revenue generators in the

country, included Pacific Life Corp., a local insurer.

Pacific Life moved up on the 2002 list to 419 from 439 the year

before. The company pulled in $3.8 billion during that year from its

string of insurance and financial businesses.

On Tuesday, Costa Mesa drug maker ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc. won

plaudits for its ribavirin as a potentially effective treatment for

severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.

The World Health Organization said the drug has been effective in

stabilizing some patients; it also cautioned that more scientific

study is required.

Ceradyne Inc., on Wednesday, announced it had pinned down a

$13.8-million contract with the U.S. Army to provide ballistic

ceramic body armor. The Costa Mesa company has secured $26.5 million

in such contracts over the past four months to provide the armor for

soldiers now fighting in Iraq.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].

COSTA MESA

Lighting up the

appeal process

Trinity Christian Center is chafing at the Planning Commission’s

decision to postpone any decision on whether it can broadcast outside

for nine months. On Monday, the center filed an appeal of the

postponement, calling the delay an “undue burden”. The City Council

will hear the appeal on April 21.

Thursday was a day to celebrate community spirit. The Costa Mesa

Chamber of Commerce and South Coast Metro Alliance honored three

paragons of community spirit: Experian for the Community Spirit

through Corporate Leadership Award; the Ursini family for the

Community Spirit Award; and Police Chief Dave Snowden for the

Individual Achievement Award.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].

NEWPORT BEACH

It takes a village to

make a district

Corona del Mar residents’ worst fears about City Council

redistricting appear to be coming true. Preliminary attempts to

balance out lopsided council districts seem to leave no option other

than splitting up Corona del Mar. The easiest cut might be to carve

Irvine Terrace out of the Corona del Mar District 6 and splice it

onto District 5.

Two city actions could go a long way toward curbing West Newport

partying. The council members will consider changing the city’s

liquor sales ordinance to forbid stores from setting up beer and

liquor sales outside, as they often do during Fourth of July. The

city will also accept about $78,000 from the state to add more

weekend police DUI patrols and DUI checkpoints.

The city’s plan to take over the multimillion-dollar redevelopment

agency for Santa Ana Heights seems to be gaining momentum. County

Supervisor Jim Silva said he might support the plan, and residents

might be amenable to the idea as well, assuming the city is willing

to compromise on some key points.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].

PUBLIC SAFETY

Window smashing

across Costa Mesa

Vandals apparently embarked on a window-breaking spree last

weekend, possibly using baseball bats and BB guns to smash the glass

of homes and cars, police said Wednesday. Nine similar incidents were

reported between March 28 and March 30, all involving vandals either

hitting a window with a baseball bat, throwing objects or probably

using a pellet or BB gun.

The incidents were not concentrated in one area, but reportedly

occurred all over the city -- Paularino Avenue, Bristol Street,

Sunflower Avenue, Maple Avenue, Rose Lane, Monte Vista Avenue, Canary

Drive, Rosemary Place and Labrador Drive. Five of the incidents

involved homes, and four affected vehicles, police said.

There are no suspects in custody. Descriptions of the alleged

vandals have also been hard to get because only two of the victims

even came close to catching a glimpse of anyone the vandals. Police

only have the description of “a male wearing a denim jacket” and

another man “wearing dark clothes.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].