Around Town: Church, firefighters celebrate Mardi Gras
St. James the Great Episcopal Church in Newport Beach held a “Mardi Gras at the Fire Station” party on Tuesday night at the Lido Fire Station.
More than 100 St. James the Great congregants, plus the station’s firefighters, participated in the annual event to mark the beginning of Lent.
St. James the Great has been without a permanent home since June, when the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles closed its former site on Via Lido, pending the sale of the property to a townhome developer. The sale has not closed as the property remains tangled in a legal battle.
In October, the congregation moved its Sunday services to the Gray Matter Museum of Art in Costa Mesa.
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Traffic to be topic of CdM board meeting
The Corona del Mar Residents Assn. board of directors will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave.
Newport Beach Councilman Ed Selich, Public Works Director Dave Webb and Senior Civil Engineer Brad Sommers are scheduled to discuss options for traffic to bypass Corona del Mar.
For more information, call (949) 719-9390 or visit cdmra.org.
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New bus route serving Costa Mesa proposed
A new bus route running from Costa Mesa to Santa Ana is one of several changes the Transit Committee of the Orange County Transportation Authority has recommended to the proposed 2016 bus service plan, which is intended to reverse the trend of declining bus ridership.
The new Route 150 would cover major portions of Routes 51 and 145 that are being eliminated, according to the OCTA. It would provide direct service to Santa Ana College and other nearby schools, the agency said.
During the past two months, OCTA collected and reviewed public feedback and additional technical analysis of the plan, resulting in a revised plan that modifies 14 of the 35 routes originally proposed for changes. The revision also cuts in half the number of riders who would lose service, the agency said.
OCTA’s board of directors is expected to vote on the proposed changes Feb. 22.
For more information about the bus service plan, visit octa.net/2016busplan.
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Irvine food drive underway
The city of Irvine, in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, is presenting Irvine Has Heart, a community food drive, through March 31 to collect 3,500 pounds of canned food for needy families and senior citizens.
Collection barrels are available at city facilities including the Civic Center and Police Department, along with libraries and faith-based organizations.
For a complete list of locations or more information, visit cityofirvine.org or call (949) 724-6680.
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2 Concordia alumni recognized during homecoming
Concordia University in Irvine presented awards to two alumni at the school’s homecoming festivities Jan 30.
Xavria Schwarz of San Diego, from Concordia’s class of 1996, was named Alumnus of the Year. Erik Rees of Rancho Santa Margarita, class of 1992, received the Distinguished Service Award.
Alumnus of the Year is presented for a person’s performance as an authority in his or her professional field. The Distinguished Service Award is given to someone who has made significant contributions to his or her community.
Schwarz is the principal of Christ Lutheran School in La Mesa. Rees formed the Jessie Rees Foundation in 2011 to help children fighting cancer.
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OCC to host student opera performances
Orange Coast College’s annual “Opera Magnifica” performance will feature student singers Feb. 26 through 28 at the campus’ Music Recital Hall.
Students will perform scenes from operas such as “The Pirates of Penzance” and “Hansel and Gretel.”
Show times are 7 p.m. Feb. 26, 3 and 7 p.m. Feb. 27 and 3 p.m. Feb. 28.
Admission is $10. For tickets, visit occtickets.com.
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Lecture on brain and music to be held at Segerstrom
Neuroscientist and musician Charles Limb will be the featured speaker at the seventh annual Creative Edge Lecture on March 14 at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.
Limb has conducted research on how the brain creates and responds to music. He currently is a professor and chief of otology/neurotology and skull base surgery at UC San Francisco.
The presentation also is scheduled to include musicians from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA.
The event will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the concert hall, 600 Town Center Drive. Tickets are $25 before Feb. 29 and $35 afterward. Admission for students is $10.