| Vista
Point , at the corner of Eastbluff and Back Bay Drives in the
northeast corner of the Bay, will be the site of a lasting memorial
to Frank and Francis Robinson, who were
instrumental in the creation of the Upper Newport Bay Ecological
Reserve in 1975.
One of the actions they undertook to protect the
Upper Bay from development was the formation, with others, of the
Friends of Newport Bay in 1967 to call attention to the ecological
importance of the Bay and to enlist broad support for the retention
and protection of the Bay in its relatively natural state. The
Friends was also at the forefront of environmental education,
conducting monthly nature tours at the Bay starting in late 1968.
These "Friends Tours" are still
given by NBNF on the second Saturday of each month from October to
March. It is therefore very fitting that the Robinsons are
remembered at the meeting point for these tours.
A preliminary design for Vista Point was presented
during the middle of 2003. As a result of feedback from Naturalists
and Friends, the design was rethought. Revised plans were issued and
the permit application to the Coastal Commission was approved in
2007. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 8, 2008.
Construction will be completed in time for the opening on October
11, 2008.
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