Costa Mesa

The Orange County city that received national attention when it moved toward laying off up to half its workforce and outsourcing municipal services to private contractors in order to trim its future pension cost is finishing the year $3.8 million in the black. Officials in Costa Mesa, who had projected a $1.4-million deficit, credited better-than-expected sales taxes and cuts to city staff and municipal programs for the improved numbers. "We're not in the critical period, but we're still in the hospital," Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer said.

For 44 years, the Jordan family crafted an elaborate Charlie Brown-themed Christmas display outside their Costa Mesa home. The doctor was in, with a Lucy cutout offering counseling. Charlie Brown and Sally clutched a wrapped gift. Linus (with blanket) stood beneath the Christmas tree. And much of the "Peanuts" gang ice-skated around a faux pond. "I grew up around the corner from there. It's been there every year," said Lisa Dugan, who helps with the setup.

Here is a roundup of alleged cons, frauds and schemes to watch out for: Stolen credit cards — A Costa Mesa man has been convicted of identity theft and other federal crimes related to the theft of credit cards from Vietnamese immigrants living in Southern California. A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted Hung Van Tieu, 62, of conspiracy, credit card fraud and identity theft. The charges carry a sentence of two to 32 years in federal prison. Tieu was part of a team of con men who called credit card companies in 2010-11, impersonated customers and asked for new cards to be mailed to addresses on file.

'Come Fly Away' Where: Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles When: Oct. 25 through Nov. 6 Tickets: $25 to $105 Contact: (800) 982-2787 or http://www.broadwayla.org Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa When: Jan. 31 through Feb. 5 Tickets: $20 to $80 Contact: (714) 556-2787 or http://www.scfta.org

He remembers driving by rows of eucalyptus trees that protected bean fields from coastal breezes. That was in the 1930s, when Costa Mesa was still rural enough to be called Goat Hill and Jack Skinner was just a boy. Today, Skinner, 80, a prominent local environmental activist, says the towering trees have outlived their time. "One would call me a tree-hugger," he said, "but health would prevail in this particular case. " Contractors on Wednesday began removing about 100 eucalyptus trees following a fatal accident last week in which a falling tree killed a motorist.

Authorities were still looking for answers on Friday, one day after a 10-ton tree toppled onto a car waiting at a stoplight, crushing the driver. Haeyoon Miller, 29, was killed when the trunk of the 50-foot eucalyptus tree slammed into the roof of her Hyundai Accent as she waited at 17th Street and Irvine Avenue on Thursday afternoon. The Orange County coroner's officer listed the cause of death as accidental blunt-force trauma. Public safety officials and seismic and horticultural experts were investigating the accident but had only theories to work with, from moist soil to trimmed roots to this week's magnitude 3.5 earthquake in Newport Beach.

A young woman was killed Thursday afternoon when a 50- to 70-foot eucalyptus tree planted in an Orange County street median fell on her car as she waited at a red light. Bystanders swarmed the scene after the tree came to rest in the three southbound lanes of Irvine Avenue north of 17th Street in Costa Mesa. Haeyoon Miller, 29, of Tustin was stopped on the roadway when the tree hit her blue 2002 Hyundai Accent GS. Miller was initially conscious and talking, said witness McKenzie Soylula, 16. Costa Mesa Fire Capt.

Bring it to Tony. That's what parents and coaches have been telling young sailors for more than 30 years. Tony Burica repairs Naples sabots, the popular eight-foot boats that can be seen skimming across the water in places like Newport Harbor. As the summer racing season winds up, Burica, 83, begins another year of patching, sanding and painting. And this may be his last. As soon as he can find someone to take over his Victoria Street shop, which Burica built, he plans to retire to spend more time with his wife, Tereza.

Extreme athletes use all sorts of devices to propel themselves into the air, including skateboards, BMX bikes, skis and, in the case of Pogopalooza, pogo sticks. Over three days, pogo-ers from around the world will spring into action to see who can grab the most air, pull off the best trick and challenge five world records. OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. 1-4 p.m. Thu. 4-9 p.m. Fri. and Sat. $12.50 each day (includes admission to the OC Fair). (714) 708-1500. http://www.xpogo.org/pogopalooza.

Barred by the courts from slashing its payroll by outsourcing city jobs to private companies, Costa Mesa is now exploring forming partnerships with neighboring cities to share municipal services. City officials said they are looking into sharing such things as police SWAT teams, emergency dispatch operations and animal control. Costa Mesa has become a flash point in California in the debate over government finances for its plan to reduce expenses and pension costs by cutting more than 200 workers, a drastic proposal that has caught the attention of political and labor interests throughout the state.