Around Town: Dancing With the Staff event coming up
The fifth annual Dancing with the Staff event at Newport Harbor High School will be held Wednesday and Thursday.
The school’s dance team will pair with a school staff member for choreographed dance duos. The event benefits the dance team.
Each performance begins at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s Robert B. Wentz Theater, 600 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach.
Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door. For more information, call the school at (949) 515-6300
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Harbor’s Holiday Lights Cruises begin Friday
Newport Landing will begin its annual Holiday Lights Cruises of Newport Harbor on Friday.
Cruises will be offered at 5:30, 7:15 and 8:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 3, including during the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade from Dec. 16 to 20.
Tickets are $32 to $36.
For tickets or more information, visit christmasparadeboats.com/reservetickets.html.
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Charity shopping event set for Saturday
Costa Mesa-based Girls Inc. of Orange County and the Irvine-based Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Tilly’s Life Center are among 18 area nonprofits that will benefit from the inaugural Shopping Extravaganza charity fundraiser at the Outlets at San Clemente shopping center, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.
Consumers can receive discounts at more than 30 stores while the center donates $25 for every $35 ticket purchased to a nonprofit organization of each shopper’s choice.
Steve Craig, managing partner of Newport Beach-based Craig Realty Group, which built the Outlets at San Clemente, began Shopping Extravaganza events at Craig Realty-owned and operated centers in 1998. Since then, more than 80 such events nationwide have raised more than $3 million for nonprofits.
Tickets to the San Clemente event are available at shoposc.com/tickets.
The shopping center is at 101 W. Avenida Vista Hermosa.
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Newport Harbor, Ensign teams perform before Clippers game
The Newport Harbor High School pep squad and the Ensign Intermediate School cheer team traveled to the Staples Center in Los Angeles to perform at the Clippers’ professional basketball game on Sunday.
The teams performed on the Staples Center floor for the sold-out game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Vanguard awarded funds for diversity program
Vanguard University in Costa Mesa has received a five-year, $2.57-million grant to help expand educational opportunities for Latino and low-income students through its Diversity and Inclusion Department.
The funding from the U.S. Department of Education is part of more than $51 million in federal grant money awarded among 96 institutions. Vanguard is the only four-year Orange County-based institution to receive a grant.
Vanguard, a private Christian university, opened its Diversity and Inclusion Department in 2009 to encourage students to explore issues of cultural, racial and gender diversity and equality. The grant will enable the school to enhance faculty and curriculum development, academic tutoring and mentoring and other services at the department, according to a news release.
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Moorlach invites public to holiday open house
State Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) is having a Christmas open house at his district office on Dec. 17.
The event at 940 S. Coast Drive, Suite 185 in Costa Mesa is from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served.
Organizers say space is limited, and RSVPs can be sent to aly.john@sen.ca.gov.
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Junior League event
The Junior League of Orange County is hosting its Champagne and Diamonds with Santa event from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
The event is at Brax Jewelers, 3601 Jamboree Road, Suite 15A, Newport Beach.
For more information and to RSVP, visit jlocc.org.
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Water district gives free conservation kits
The Mesa Water District is giving free water conservation kits Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Estancia High School, 2323 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa.
Items in the kit include a high-efficiency showerhead, test materials for toilet leaks and an automatic shutoff hose nozzle.
To receive a kit, ratepayers need to provide a copy of their water bill or a California identification. The kits will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Coastline recognized for veteran services
Coastline Community College has been selected as a 2016 Best for Vets College in Military Times.
More than 600 schools participated in the Military Times survey that consisted of more than 120 questions, according to a news release.
The survey assessed the student services available and the academic achievements for military and veteran students. Colleges were evaluated by their military culture on campus, student support, special accommodations offered and financial incentives.
Coastline was ranked No. 13 on the list for online and nontraditional schools for the 2016 Best for Vet Colleges. To be placed on the list, more than half of the college’s classes are required to be online, or most of the students that attend the college are distance learners.
For more information, visit militarytimes.com/bestforvets-colleges2016.
—Daily Pilot staff