Dreaming of a warm and sunny Christmas

Marisa O’Neil

While other parts of the country dug out from more white than they’ve

ever dreamed of for Christmas, people in Newport-Mesa got to

celebrate under sunny skies.

Temperatures hovered around the 70-degree mark, drawing locals and

visitors to the shore, soaking in the Southern California sunshine.

Some even took a dip in the chilly waters of the Pacific.

“You get people here from out of town and this is 40 or 50 degrees

warmer,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Lt. Mike Halphide said. “They

wonder: ‘Why aren’t there any Californians out there in the water?’”

People wandered around Newport Pier Saturday afternoon, soaking in

the sun and checking out the waves.

A crowd gathered around artist Jaime Valenzuela as he used spray

paint and stencils to create paintings of ocean scapes and other

scenes.

Northern California resident Byron Woertz and his family stopped

by for a look and ended up buying one of the paintings.

They were visiting for the week and planning to have Christmas

dinner with relatives in town.

“We’re just out enjoying the warm beach,” he said.

Inside the bar Sharkeez, sports fans packed in to watch the

much-touted Shaq-Kobe matchup. Cold beers, chips and salsa filled the

bill for a Christmas lunch there, with nary an empty seat to be

found.

Jon Falk, on the other hand, was in town for another big game.

He works as equipment manager for the University of Michigan

Wolverines, set to play in the Rose Bowl.

They had the day off training, and he decided to come down to the

beach with his wife and teenage daughter.

They’re used to celebrating Christmas on the road at various bowl

games -- almost always in warmer climates than Ann Arbor.

“But we always hope for the Rose Bowl,” he said.