The owners of Vin Goat have applied for licenses from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and a sign went up Monday announcing the application.

“We’ve had huge number of requests from customers, so we’d like to add a small selection of wines to complement our cheese selection,” said co-owner Erich Vogel in an email. “We’re not going to turn into a wine bar, or have late nights or entertainment…etc.”

If a license is granted, Vogel said the shop may host periodic wine and cheese pairing classes after regular business hours but no later than 9 p.m.

Vin Goat opened at 3326 East Coast Highway in May 2011, offering dozens of kinds of cheeses, charcuterie, oils, sweets, dried fruit and nuts, party platters and more. Read our earlier stories here and here.

In an interview in 2010, owners Vogel and John Bennett said that offering wines to pair with cheeses was part of their ultimate vision for Vin Goat.

Last week, the Shake Shack also applied for a beer and wine license; read our story here.

The burglary occurred between 8:30 a.m. May 8 and 6 p.m. May 11 and was reported at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a report.

The lost items included a ring, a watch, compass, laptop, guitar and cash, said Kathy Lowe, a Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman.

The volunteer event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, and preregistration is required; click here to sign up.

“This program is specifically to prepare for the opening of the trails,” said Jenn Starnes, communications manager for the IRC, in an email. The program is open to anyone at least 18 years old and “a great way for people to be involved in creating sustainable trails in the Buck Gully Preserve,” Starnes said.

No experience is necessary for the work, which involves clearing vegetation and shaping the trail head with hand tools, organizers said. All tools as well as water and snacks will be provided. Volunteers should bring gloves, sturdy work shoes or boots and should wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants for protection from poison oak. Organizers also suggest wearing sunscreen and a hat.

Participants should meet at the parking lot at Fifth and Marguerite avenues.

Read more about the Upper Buck Gully Trail here and here.

Newport Beach firefighters quickly extinguished a vegetation fire behind Sage Hill School at 9:43 a.m. today, according to a fire department statement.

A 911 caller alerted authorities to the blaze, which was off the 73 Toll Road.

“Once on scene they found a brush fire in vegetation that covered roughly 50 by 50 feet of vegetation,” the statement said. “Newport Beach firefighters aggressively attacked the fire and it was quickly extinguished.”

The fire did not damage any structures, and no one was injured, fire officials said.

“At this time, there is no estimated damage from the fire as only a small area of vegetation burned,” the statement said. The cause remains under investigation but appears that a downed power line may have started the blaze.

“The Newport Beach Fire Department would like to remind individuals that it is fire season and individuals should be careful when in wildland areas,” the statement said. “Additioanlly, if you see suspicious activity in these areas you should immediately notify the authorities.”

Photos courtesy of the NBFD.

I found this story:

“Newport Beach police took a report of suspicious circumstances at 9:39 p.m. Monday after someone threw a liquid substance on a vehicle in the 300 block of White Cap.

“‘The report states that the liquid substance appeared to be a “milkshake, frappuccino, or similar substance,”‘ said Kathy Lowe, a Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman, in an email. ‘The owner was able wash the liquid off.’ It appeared there was no permanent damage to the vehicle, she said.

“The incident occurred sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. Monday, a police report said.”

But then I did a little fact checking. White Cap is in Jasmine Creek — but is it a road or a drive or what? So I used Google maps to check. Guess what? There are two in Newport Beach. In Corona del Mar, the White Cap is a drive. Up in Newport Coast, it’s just plain old White Cap.

I confirmed which White Cap with the police spokeswoman — at this point hating myself for bugging her over a spilled milkshake, or maybe a thrown one. And it was Newport Coast.

Sometimes I cover Newport Coast news. If it’s a major burglary, or a rash of thefts at Sage Hill or in the Pavilions parking lot, then yes, I’ll report it.

But this story was barely worth anything to begin with. I spent way too much time on it.

I kept thinking about how a few months ago, after taking my daughter and her friend to get our nails done, we came out to a car that looked like it was covered with vomit. Actually, it appeared someone chucked (as opposed to upchucked) a Chronic Taco menu item at the windshield. It was really gross, and as soon as I got home, I washed the car. All the tiny flecks of rice and chicken and lettuce.

As appalled as I was, and as convinced that I was that it was no accident, this disgusting situation I was left to clean up — never once did I consider calling the cops to report it.

I’d love to ask the police if this person called in the report because of some conflict. Maybe they have an enemy or a rival who had threatened to throw a shake on the car, and the victim wanted this event documented. Or maybe, they just were outraged that such a thing happened to them and felt it needed police documentation.

I’d love to ask the police, but I will not spend any more of their time or mine on this.

In fact, the only reason I’m writing this rant is to share a little of my daily frustrations in running this site.

The new owner of the John Blom photography studio building at 3732 East Coast Highway has painted over a mural on side of the structure and plans to add a “living wall,” or a green wall that will be covered in succulents that create a design.

The mural had depicted pelican’s holding waving pictures of seascapes and a church, floating in a blue, cloud-filled sky. Blom said he returned from vacation to see the mural was gone, but he said it was the new owner’s right.

“It was good while it lasted,” he said. Blom recently sold the building and is closing his studio, but he’ll continue to work with clients on locations; read our story here.

Bryan Seigel, 55, of Newport Coast, bought the building and has already begun making changes, he said in a telephone interview this week.

“The transformation will be beautiful,” he said. “I want it to be very special. It’ll have shimmering lights, an atrium with a water feature…You’ll take a second look. It’ll be just quaint.” The front of the building will have a brick facade with arched windows, he said.

The building will be divided into space for two businesses, one of which could be a high-end dessert business that is currently in negotiations for a lease.

“I’ve had a lot of inquiries,” he said.

Siegel said he sees Corona del Mar as a “diamond in the rough” with many commercial buildings that need updating. With a background in fashion accessory design, he specializes now in taking commercial properties and updating them.

“I’m trying to bring new blood to Corona del Mar,” he said. “It’s going to stop traffic. It’ll be a show stopper. My goal is to put a new face on Corona del Mar. They’ll like it. Corona del Mar residents don’t want another bank.”

According to one online property search website, the property was built in 1949 includes the 3,400 square foot storefront as well as two separate apartment units on a second level.

Small demolition of a glass block wall has already begun, and major construction should begin in the next few weeks, Siegel said. The building could be finished in four to six months, he said.

Mayor Pro Tem Keith Curry was elected to represent coastal cities by the Orange County City Selection Committee, which is comprised of the mayors of each city in the county. Curry currently is serving as commission chairman.

“I appreciate the confidence of my fellow council members, and I look forward to continuing to work for additional park and open space opportunities in Orange County,” Curry said in an email.

Mission Viejo Council member Trish Kelly was reelected to represent the inland cities, according to a news release.

The Orange County Parks Commission advises the Orange County Board of Supervisors on parks and recreation issues. Last year, the group reviewed the 20,000 acre open space dedication by the Irvine Company and is currently working on the conversion of the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin to a regional park.

The Charter Update Committee will be comprised of seven members of the public who will be appointed by the City Council, the release says. The charter updates could be placed on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The committee will complete its work by July.

“If appointed, committee members must make every effort to attend meetings on May 24, May 31, June 7, June 14, June 21, June 28, July 5 or other dates scheduled by the committee,” the news release says.

Applications and additional information are available in the City Clerk’s office at City Hall at 3300 Newport Blvd., or online; click the tab for City Government and then Boards, Commissions & Committees. You also can call (949) 644-3005.

The application deadline is 10 a.m. May 21, and committee appointments are scheduled to be made at the May 22 City Council meeting.

But the problem was no movie was playing — making the cafe a violation of the theater’s permit.

“The Port is a theater and food can be served in conjunction with films but not by itself,” Mayor Nancy Gardner said in an email. “It cannot be a coffee house.”

Newport Beach officials became aware of the illegal cafe after someone complained, and city staff contacted the owner to explain, said Tara Finnigan, a Newport Beach city spokeswoman.

“The coffee use needs to be ancillary to the theater use,” she said in an email. A staff member “contacted the owner last week and intends to meet and work with him. Their discussion, of course, will center on why the coffee service needs to be operated in conjunction with the theater, applicable code provisions, etc.”

A resident on Heliotrope Avenue, who did not give his name, said he was concerned when he saw the cafe because of parking problems in the area.

“I know that the Port Theater is grandfathered in as a theater and does not have a parking requirement,” the resident said in an email that was sent to city officials. “Living on Heliotrope we already face a space crunch…Add the retail in the area and we have a real issue. It would seem to me that this should have had to go to the planning commission where public comment would have been allowed before a new use for the Port Theater could be established.”

This is not the first time a resident’s complaint led to city officials cracking down on Corona del Mar coffee shops. Last summer, a resident complained that Starbucks had more than the 21 seats its permit allowed. A city inspector investigated, and seats were removed; read our story here.

Read our earlier story on the New Port cafe here.

The burglary occurred between 2 p.m. May 5 and 8 p.m. May 9 in the 3700 block of Blue Key. The loss was $3,640.

Police also took a report of a grand theft from a hotel room at 9:44 a.m. Sunday at the Island Hotel at 690 Newport Center Drive, a report said. The theft occurred between 2 and 7 a.m. with a loss of $4,770.

A stolen license plate with a value of $19 was stolen at 303 Goldenrod Ave. sometime between 8 p.m. May 9 and 10 a.m. Saturday, according to a report. A vehicle burglary with a loss of $1,900 was reported at 11 p.m. Sunday at 8112 East Coast Highway. The burglary occurred between 5 and 11 p.m. Sunday. Police also took a report of a petty theft at 403 Fernleaf Ave. at 6:55 a.m. Friday; the theft occurred between 9:45 a.m. May 10 and 6:15 a.m. Friday with a loss of $570. A petty theft from a motor vehicle occurred between 7 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday in the 400 block of Acacia Ave. The theft, with a loss of $515, was reported at 12:33 p.m. Friday.

Police arrested a 22-year-old Lake Matthews man at 10:25 p.m. Saturday on suspicion of grand theft at 1601 Bayside Drive. His bail was $20,000.