Entries by NHF Administrator

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ABC Water Wheel

By Phillip Palmer
ABC Eyewitness News, Los Angeles

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — Keeping garbage out of the ocean isn’t easy. So enter Mr. Trash Wheel, the 70-square-foot barge gobbling up garbage by the ton to keep the beach and ocean pristine.

Trash in the streets ends up in the river and then from the river, the ocean.

Hoping to reduce the amount of trash making it to the ocean, Newport Beach is set to become the first west coast city to use a water wheel system to scoop up trash headed toward Upper Newport Bay.

“We really need to knock that trash load down. This is not going to be a silver bullet, it’s not going to get everything, but it’s going to get a big slug of stuff,” said John Kappeler, a senior engineer for the city of Newport Beach.

July 12, 2022 /0 Comments/by

On the Waterfront

By Matt Morrison

For a generation of youngsters who grew up around the Newport Harbor, there’s a legacy to perpetuate. OK, maybe they’re only considered youngsters on a geologic scale, yet together they’ve accumulated decades of passion for the fabulous waterway central to our community. The goal now is to preserve it for generations to come.

We might compare it to fixing up a stately landmark home; the curb appeal is still magnificent but the bones need attention. Dennis Durgan can certainly relate to the analogy.

A residential real estate professional in the community for more than four decades, Durgan grew up on the harbor, beginning in the early 1960’s when it was a seasonal recreation destination. He learned to sail here, then went on to crew in three America’s Cup competitions working with both Ted Turner and Dennis Connor. Now it’s a cause for the future, and not just his own.

“There are numerous issues the harbor has, and will continue to have, as we move forward. There’s more and more people that want to use it,” Durgan explains. “I used to call it the sandbox. Well, the sandbox is overflowing with kids that want to play.”

“With all of their toys…” chimes in Val Lyon, like Durgan, a board member of the Newport Harbor Foundation, established in 2019.

June 28, 2022 by

Letter to the Editor: Dithering Delays Dredging

Lower Newport Bay’s main channel (the harbor) has not been dredged to its required 25-foot “design depth” since 1938. Our harbor is the primary economic, recreational and water quality resource asset in Newport Beach. We haven’t had the money or political will to dredge the harbor’s main channel to its federally required design depth, until […]

February 3, 2022 by

$8.3 million in infrastructure bill to dredge Newport Harbor, but sand projects at standstill

By Laylan Connelly – Orange County Register Officials have secured $8.3 million to dredge Newport Harbor in the $14 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but sand replenishment projects for two stretches of Orange County coastline were not included. U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel said dredging of Newport Beach’s harbor is long overdue in her announcement […]

January 19, 2022 by

Meet Paul Blank, Newport Beach Harbormaster

Corona del Mar resident Paul Blank was named Newport Beach Harbormaster last spring, a grand achievement to cap off an on-the-water lifestyle that began at age 10 with a two-week sailing class offered through the city’s recreation department. The harbormaster’s job is typically described as being a lead ambassador for Newport Harbor, one of the largest recreational harbors in the country, and includes overseeing a dozen or so employees and an annual budget of $1 million-plus. But like most things in the past year or so, the first several months have been filled with surprises. I caught up with him to learn more.

January 7, 2022 by

William “Skip” Kenney Named to Newport Harbor Foundation Board of Directors

Newport Harbor Foundation Chairman Dennis Durgan has announced the addition of Newport Beach Harbor Commission Chairman William “Skip” Kenney to the Foundation’s board of directors. Kenney joins former Newport Beach Harbormaster Dennis Durgan, Val Lyon, and Devon Kelly. “As we build out our board of directors Skip Kenney’s almost eight years of service as a […]

December 20, 2021 by

Devon Kelly Named to Newport Harbor Foundation Board of Directors

Longtime Newport Beach resident Devon Kelly has joined the Newport Harbor Foundation board of directors. “Devon brings a wealth of harbor history and knowledge to the Foundation’s mission. She has spent her entire life sailing on the bay and volunteering in the community. Her boundless energy is welcome as we push towards taking our harbor […]

November 30, 2021 by

Newport Harbor Foundation holds kickoff champagne brunch

It’s been more than five decades since Newport Beach City Councilman Marshall “Duffy” Duffield started his Duffy Electric Boat company. Duffield built his first boat when he was 16 years old. His company has sold tens of thousands of boats and become synonymous with Newport Beach, where Duffy rides on the harbor are the norm. […]

October 18, 2021 by

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Newport Harbor Foundation Aims to Return Local Control of Newport Harbor to City of Newport Beach

Last week 175 residents, political leaders, and Newport Harbor supporters donated over $550,000 to kick off the Newport Harbor Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to return local control of our harbor to the city. We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Duffy Electric Boat. Duffy’s passion for the harbor spans decades. With 25 miles of […]

October 18, 2021 by