Banner year for ‘villages’

STEVE BROMBERG

In October 2006, the city of Newport Beach will have its 100th

birthday. This will be our centennial.

Newport Beach is so rich with history of those “good ole days,”

the centennial celebration, which will last one year, starting in

October 2005, will be loads of fun.

In the latter part of 2004, the City Council formed the City

Council & Citizens Ad Hoc Centennial Committee. The committee

consists of three council members, several members of the public,

representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the Visitors and

Conference Bureau, as well as members of our city staff. We are off

to a running start, and we have not slowed down yet.

Our first order of business was to set the mission statement of

the centennial celebration and this, in and of itself, was no easy

task. However, after a number of meetings and discussions, the

mission statement is: “The Mission of the City of Newport Centennial

Celebration, is to unify our neighborhoods through a series of events

and activities that will enhance community spirit, honor our rich

heritage, promote pride in our future, and celebrate the many unique

opportunities we have to offer.” This mission statement seems very

fitting, as Newport Beach comprises a number of villages, each with

its own unique character. To that end, our goal is to bring all of

the neighborhoods, villages and communities together for a yearlong

celebration, and so far everything seems to be going in the right

direction.

We also asked the public for suggestions regarding a theme for the

centennial celebration, and not surprisingly, we had a few pages of

suggestions. We wrestled with this issue probably more so than we did

with the mission statement. However, considering the nature and style

of Newport Beach, being a coastal community and with close to 11,000

boats in our harbor, our theme is “Sailing Through A Century.”

From the kickoff in October 2005 to conclusion, we intend to plan

at least three public events that will allow everyone in this city to

participate. In October 2005, there will be an opening party, which

will be in the form of a family picnic at the Newport Dunes. The

Dunes can accommodate thousands of people, and this should be a fine

party indeed.

We are also looking at having a family celebration incorporated

into a carnival and parade in the spring of 2006, and we are talking

to Fashion Island about perhaps having the event at that location.

The final event would be on the birthday itself in October 2006, and

that would be an event of events. This will include dancing, parties

and an incredible fireworks display between the Newport and Balboa

piers.

Another item you may have heard about is that we are considering

entering a Rose Parade float. I sit on the Rose Parade Float

Subcommittee, and about two days before the last Rose Parade, we took

a field trip to Fiesta Floats in Duarte to observe how they construct

these floats and to speak with a number of representatives from other

cities that have been involved in floats over the years. This trip

was not only a great deal of fun, it was quite instructive. A

little-known secret in this city is that we have a significant number

of former Rose Parade queens as residents.

The cost of a Rose Parade float ranges from around $75,000 for a

non-animated smaller float to around $260,000 for a significantly

larger float, with animation as well as hydraulics. There are, of

course, prices in between, depending on what one is actually looking

for. A Rose Parade float seems to be a nice touch to our city

centennial. We are a world-class city, and I believe there would be a

great deal of pride out there when television commentators are

talking about a float from Newport Beach. We are looking for someone

to underwrite the entire cost of this float. This could be an

individual, or it could be a company, or a number of individuals or

companies. Who would ride on the float?

Well, that depends on a number of factors. If an individual or

company underwrites the cost, then it would seem only appropriate

that these folks should have the first right to be there with their

families. After that, perhaps a contest might be some fun. There will

be more to come on this issue.

* STEVE BROMBERG is mayor of Newport Beach.