Gail Reavis

Mission Viejo council members are cautiously weighing a nondenominational church's offer to build a $15-million community center and public gymnasium on city property. Some council members acknowledge that the offer is generous but say the site might be more valuable as soccer fields, its current use. At stake is construction of a two-story, 80,000-square-foot facility that would feature a basketball gymnasium and space for other nonprofit organizations, the largest being the Boys & Girls Club.

The Mission Viejo City Council was expected to end its stormy relationship with City Manager Dan Joseph on Monday night, but in a strange twist to this yearlong saga, council members postponed the decision to ratify his severance package until tonight. Mayor John Paul Ledesma said the council wanted residents to understand why Joseph and his wife, Ivy, the city clerk, were given such lucrative settlements. "We're talking about a lot of money here," he said.

The Audis are coming to Mission Viejo. But hardly anyone, including the Audi dealer, is smiling after the City Council last week grudgingly approved a redevelopment project that helps the dealership move into town.

The decision by foes of the proposed El Toro airport to dramatically alter their strategy for killing the project has given airport proponents confidence that a compromise can be worked out. Newport Beach Mayor Dennis D. O'Neil said Friday that the decision could defuse emotions long enough to give both sides time to talk over issues "without the threat of an initiative." "I also hope the leadership of the pro-airport constituencies and the anti-airport constituencies will . . .

The developer of an affordable-housing project in Mission Viejo has been criticized by neighbors and rejected twice by the Planning Commission. Now he has apparently decided to pursue Plan B -- high-end housing on the same lot. "What can we do?" asked Michael Hall, vice president of Steadfast Cos. in Newport Beach. "We're real estate developers, not affordable-housing advocates. We're going to do what works." But Hall's problems may not be over.

Companies seeking work with the Orange County Fire Authority could soon be required to publicly disclose political donations they make to influence the election of local officials who sit on the fire board. The authority board voted 12 to 7 on Nov. 18 to ask attorneys to draft the regulations and to return for a final vote. Critics contend that companies use third-party donations to get around local campaign limits and curry favor with board members.

Although usually more comfortable flexing its political muscle behind the scenes, the Orange County Business Council has pushed itself to the forefront of the raging debate over future use of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. For the past several months, members have been meeting and planning strategy to increase their role in promoting development of a civilian airport at the surplus military base.

A government committee that monitors transportation spending in Orange County is raising new questions about whether $340 million in local sales tax revenue can be spent on the controversial CenterLine light-rail system.

Bill Stolarik strolled down the path of his community garden, checking for wayward berry bushes, rotten tomatoes and the biggest scourge of all--weeds. First he spotted a sunflower exceeding the six-foot maximum. Then a mammoth zucchini too plump to possibly be edible. "That's not right," said the 81-year-old garden cop. "That's just plain old neglect." Citations will be forthcoming.

The El Toro airport controversy has been running for years and the gulf between the two sides gets deeper and irreconcilable. Unfortunately, there seem to be no new ideas or suggestions. The two parties just repeat their position in louder and more shrill voices. Here is an idea to breach the gulf. It is based on the following premises, all expounded by the opposing parties: Newport Harbor wants relief from the air traffic noise of John Wayne airport. They feel others in the county should share the pain.