Corona del Mar starts to mark time until 100 years

Deepa Bharath

Debbie Sutton speaks only in superlatives about the community she’s

been a part of for 12 years.

She walks everywhere. She makes a living as a dog walker. And she

rents.

“It’s the best,” she says, almost giving up on finding the

choicest adjective.

Sutton shared that love, passion and pride for her community with

many others Thursday night at the Sherman Gardens. Food, festivity

and good-old neighborhood cheer marked the beginning of the

community’s centennial celebrations, set for October.

Blue dolphin balloons bobbed along the garden’s pathways. The

event was attended by close to 400 people, said event chairwoman

Kathleen Schultz.

“Our focus for the celebration is on local art and history and art

has been a big part of our history,” she said. “The goal of this

particular event is to kick off the celebrations.”

Among the attendees were Newport Beach Mayor Tod Ridgeway and

other city council members, City Manager Homer Bludau and

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Superintendent Robert Barbot,

who presented awards to student winners of the centennial art

contests.

The event also featured a display of historical photos and maps,

video presentations and the narration of “The Story of Mary Burton”

by local storyteller Linda Pruitt, who played the role of Burton, a

Corona del Mar resident of 100 years ago.

“This is really a celebration of our history and heritage,”

Schultz said.

Curt and Nancy Heaton, who have lived in Corona del Mar for 28

years, said they are excited about their community’s 100th birthday.

“How many little towns can say they’re 100 years old?” Nancy

Heaton asked with a smile.

Eve Kornyei called Corona del Mar “the most beautiful place in the

world.”

“The people, the palm trees, the ocean -- it’s all great,” she

said. “Everyone knows everyone else. When I walk around here, I stop

and talk to everyone I know.”

Originally from a small town in Hungary, Kornyei said this

community with its quaint charm reminds her a lot of her hometown.

Sutton said she enjoys the small-town feel Corona del Mar offers.

“I don’t go to the big chains,” she said. “I go to the

neighborhood coffee shop and I feel happy that someone had the

courage to compete with the big chains.”

She loves it that there are no streetlights in Corona del Mar.

“It has a certain timeless feel to it,” Sutton said. “And everyone

works hard at keeping that feeling going.”

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

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