Fairview Park A-Buzz With Activity Sunday

 A PERFECT PARK DAY
Yesterday was a perfect day for activities at Fairview Park, Costa Mesa's Natural Jewel.  It was a blue, cloudless sky and just enough breeze off the ocean to make everyone gathered at the park comfortable, whatever their chosen activity might have been.

PICNIC TIME
I chose to spend part of my day with the folks invited to a picnic by Costa Mesans For Responsible Government (CM4RG) at the picnic shelter on the west side of Placentia Avenue, but hundreds of my neighbors chose to visit the Orange County Model Engineers and the Costa Mesa Firefighters on the east side for hot dogs, tamales and train rides.  Some did both.
CORRECTION:  The picnic permit was acquired by Cindy Brenneman, who invited her friends in  CM4RG and others, who invited others.

KEEPING IT NATURAL
Signs on display capture the theme - that Fairview Park should remain a Natural Park, free from development to be enjoyed on days like yesterday by ALL members of the public.

AND MORE...
Here are some of the other images I captured during my couple hours at Fairview Park...

PARK AMBASSADORS AND ACTIVITIES
Under the watchful eye of one of our freshly-minted Park Ambassadors, the invited guests to the picnic enjoyed many activities, as listed here:

NATIVE AMERICAN MUSICIANS
Native American musicians explained the roots of their music and played for the more than 100 guests in attendance.

SPEAKERS DESCRIBE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PARK
Tribal elders explained the importance of Fairview Park as a site of historical significance and reverence.

GENIS DESCRIBES THE PARK'S VALUE
Former mayor and current councilwoman Sandra Genis welcomed the crowd and explained her views on the importance of Fairview Park.

PAINTING FACES
Activist Greg Ridge, shown here chatting with former (and future?) council candidate John Stephens, set up shop to paint the faces of guests.

BONES AND COGSTONES
Visitors stopped to ask questions at informational booths set up.  This one had a great display of bones and Native American artifacts like those found at Fairview Park.

THE MAYOR DROPS IN
Mayor Jim Righeimer apparently got wind of the event and showed up with daughters in tow.  Here they investigate one of the booths.  In the second image Righeimer "takes care of business" while the girls learn to chip stones from Native American artisans.  I later saw him escorting a small covey of people down past the vernal pools, decomposed granite path and off toward the site of the potential tot lot and parking area near Pacific Avenue.

GUIDED TOURS
Guides were available for tours of important elements of Fairview Park for groups of all ages.

HAPPY VISITORS
Retired Costa Mesa Planning Executive Perry Valantine and his wife, Pam, joined the throng.

TAKING THE PULSE
Nature-loving activist Chris Blank was seen taking the pulse of the event, schmoozing with members of the crowd and exchanging information with the mayor during the day.

DOING FIELD WORK
Member of the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee Anna Vrska joined friends to hear the presentations and soak up some sun.

INTERESTED VISITORS
Many other residents sat on the lawn and listened as speakers regaled them with information about Fairview Park.

 WHY NO NEWS?
"So, why didn't you publicize this event, Potstirrer?", you ask...  Well, the hosts advised me that it was a "family and friends, invitation-only event", and asked me NOT to publicize it - so I didn't.  That plan apparently fell apart, since it was all over the local media and social media.  I kept my word...

KUDOS TO CM4RG
Thanks to Robin Leffler and Cindy Brenneman and their hard-working  CM4RG amigos for hosting this very positive, uplifting event.

Fairview Committee and West 19th Street Meetings

MORE MEETINGS....
In addition to the packed City Council meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, the rest of the week has some interesting meetings, as well.

FAIRVIEW PARK CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
First, on Wednesday, November 6th, from 6:00 - 7:30 in the Victoria Room at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue (Lions Park), the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee will hold an important meeting as that group of volunteers assesses "The Jewel Of Costa Mesa" and determines its future.

PLAYING FIELDS OR NOT?
The very aggressive agenda is available for viewing HERE.  Right up front there will be three presentations that promise to be quite interesting.  Committee member Anna Vrska will discuss Youth Sports Data.  I assume this will be to help the committee accurately assess the needs, or lack thereof, for playing fields within the boundaries of the park.

DUELING OPINIONS
Next there will be two presentations, one by the California Cultural Resource Preservation Alliance, by Sylvere CM Valentin Cultural Resource Specialist.  The second one will be city contracted consultants Scientific Resource Surveys, Inc., by Dr. Henry C. Koerper, Principal Investigator and Connie "Destiny" Colocho, Archaeologist/Lithic Analyst.  Although I'm not sure, this looks a lot like dueling opinions dealing with the proposed enhancements at the end of Pacific Avenue and the Native American historical presence in the park.  It will be very interesting to see how this goes.

NOT MUCH TIME TO TALK
Following those presentations Public Comment will be permitted, 3 minute per speaker to a MAXIMUM of 15 minutes total.


RECAP AND MOVING FORWARD
Then the committee will review a recap of proposed changes to the Master Plan and evaluate proposed changes to the Northwest Quadrant of the park.

GIVE YOURSELF A COUPLE HOURS
For any folks interested in the future of Fairview Park I suggest you carve out a couple hours - I really don't think they can accomplish this agenda in only 90 minutes - and come to the meeting.

19TH WEST STREETSCAPE MASTER PLAN
The next interesting meeting will be the next day, Thursday, November 7th, from 6:00 - 8:00, also in the Victoria Room of the Neighborhood Community Center.  This is the Community Outreach Meeting for the 19 West Streetscape Master Plan - the second such meeting in as many months. 

FOLLOW THE LINKS
You can read the agenda HERE and follow the link included on that page to the City web site.  Once there you will find much more information on this project, including links to three YouTube video clips showing graphic depictions of the proposed enhancements of this part of 19th Street, including a proposed "roundabout" at the intersection with Monrovia Avenue.

BE THERE IF YOU CARE
If you live on the Westside and care about how 19th Street will evolve, take some time to attend the meeting and make your views known.