Around Town: Blessing of the Waves in Huntington Beach will be Sunday

The annual Blessing of the Waves interfaith prayer service will be held Sunday in Huntington Beach.

The event will run from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the Huntington Beach Pier, 325 Pacific Coast Hwy.

The service, which seeks to recognize the spiritual significance of the ocean, will include the blessing ceremony by Father Christian Mondor of Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church and a paddle-out. Program participants will represent a variety of faiths, including Muslim, Christian, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Bahai and Sikh.

For more information, call (714) 914-9797 or visit surfcityusa.com/event/blessing-of-the-waves/17592.

Worthy Park in Huntington Beach to be rededicated

Worthy Park in Huntington Beach will be rededicated during a ceremony Thursday.

The event will begin at 4 p.m. at the park, 1831 17th St.

The park’s namesake, Norman L. Worthy, is considered the father of the Huntington Beach park system. It was first dedicated in 1983.

Sunset Serenades concerts begin Friday in Laguna

A collection of free concerts with a variety of music genres will begin Friday in Laguna Beach’s Heisler Park.

The Sunset Serenades series will begin with Tommy Kowalczyk — rock and classical piano — at 5:30 p.m. Friday. He will be followed on successive weeks by Jason Feddy singing the Laguna Beach police blotter on Sept. 15, Ginger Root with summer grooves from the Chapman University band, and Jodi Siegel, singer, songwriter and guitarist, on Sept. 29.

Concerts will be held at the amphitheater. The series is funded by local hotels.

Pacific Symphony to present ‘Tchaikovsky Spectacular’ Saturday

The Pacific Symphony will wrap up its SummerFest 2017 series with a “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The evening will culminate with the “1812 Overture,” complete with cannons and fireworks.

For more information, visit pacificsymphony.org/summerfest.

‘Green’ lifestyle and disaster preparedness are focus of Newport event

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and the city of Newport Beach invite residents to the Civic Center Green for the Green on Green and Disaster Preparedness Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Local businesses and organizations will showcase “green” practices, innovations, products and education, and there will be information booths on how to prepare for a disaster. Admission and parking are free at 100 Civic Center Drive.

For more information, call the chamber at (949) 729-4400 or the Newport Beach Fire Department at (949) 644-3112.

Costa Mesa nonprofit to hold benefit walk

Project Independence, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that helps people with developmental disabilities, will have its eighth annual Walk for Independence at 8 a.m. Saturday at TeWinkle Park, 970 Arlington Drive.

To sign up or for more information, visit proindependence.org/walk-for-independence.

O.C. Black Chamber banquet set for Saturday at fairgrounds

The Orange County Black Chamber will present its 26th annual banquet from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa with a cocktail hour at the Heroes Hall veterans museum and the main event at The Hangar concert venue.

Admission is $150 per person; parking is $8.

For more information, visit banquetocblackchamber.com.

Art exhibit by Alzheimer’s patients on display in Newport

“Memories in the Making,” an exhibit of art by people with Alzheimer’s disease, is open through Nov. 3 at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave.

As part of the Memories in the Making program, sponsored by the Newport Beach Arts Commission, patients with no art background can create art to aid their ability to communicate.

The library exhibition is presented by Alzheimer’s Orange County.

Costa Mesa girl a winner in countywide poster contest

An 8-year-old Costa Mesa resident recently was winner in Orange County Waste & Recycling’s 2017 poster contest.

Sophie Rafle was one of five winners in the “Batting for a Green Planet” contest, which sought to promote recycling and keeping green and food waste out of landfills.

Sophie and the other winners will be recognized Sept. 15 at a ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Walk will aid Project Hope Alliance

The Shamba Way, a gym in Costa Mesa, and Project Hope Alliance, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that helps the homeless, plan a benefit walk for 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 16 at Newport Harbor High School, 600 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach.

The event aims to raise $10,000 for Project Hope Alliance.

To register or for more information, visit projecthopealliance.org.

Short-term rental workshop set in Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach officials will hold a community workshop Sept. 16 to discuss the pros and cons of short-term rentals.

The event is slated for 9 a.m. to noon at the Senior Center in Central Park, 18041 Goldenwest St.

A short-term rental is when an owner rents a home to an individual or a group for less than 30 days at a time, often as a vacation getaway. Though it is a source of income for property owners, it can be a source of annoyance for neighbors who don’t like strangers moving in and out of their neighborhoods or the noise and trash they can create.

The workshop will include community development leaders, lawyers, short-term rental owners and representatives of local cities and Airbnb, a website that advertises such rentals.

For more information, visit huntingtonbeachca.gov/announcements/announcement.cfm?id=1165.

County agency starts Newport Boulevard project

The Orange County Sanitation District recently began a construction project along Newport Boulevard between West Coast Highway and Industrial Way in Newport Beach.

It will replace a trunk sewer line. Normal working hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Completion is scheduled for May.

City of Laguna Beach will host gardening workshops

The city of Laguna Beach will host a series of free gardening classes guided by expert gardeners.

The first class, on Sept. 16, will focus on small-space edible gardening. Future classes will include creating pumpkin succulent centerpieces (Oct. 14) and a workshop on bulbs (Nov. 11).

All workshops will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Laguna Beach Community & Susi Q Center, 380 Third St.

To register, call (949) 464-6645 or visit lagunabeachcity.net and click on “Recreation classes.”

Costa Mesa announces new transportation manager

The city of Costa Mesa has named a new transportation manager.

Jennifer Rosales has more than 20 years’ experience in transportation engineering, planning and management, according to a news release. She most recently worked for the city of San Clemente.

The Oregon State University alumna also is a speaker and an author on transportation subjects.

Newport library receives donation

The Newport Beach Public Library Foundation recently donated $155,025 to the city library to fund improvements and resources.

Projects include securing eBook platform licenses, buying a directional kiosk and informative signage, digitizing past issues of the Daily Pilot, providing free remote access to lynda.com, adding literacy stations at the Balboa branch and Central Library and supporting literacy services for adult residents.

“We are very grateful for the foundation’s generous donation, as it enables us to make improvements to the library that will truly benefit the more than 1 million customers that we serve annually,” Tim Hetherton, library director, said in a statement.

Mesa Water to celebrate new vending machine

The Mesa Water District will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony and festival Sept. 23 to launch a new water vending machine outside its Costa Mesa headquarters.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Mesa Water, 1965 Placenta Ave. Guests will receive a free water bottle. Area community groups also will be represented.

For more information, visit MesaWater.org/iHeartMesaWater.

Dining events to benefit food pantry

A new series of informal dining events will benefit the Laguna Food Pantry, according to a news release.

The first, featuring tapas, paella and sangria, is scheduled for 3 p.m. Oct. 1 at Sharon and Roger McErlane’s home in North Laguna. Tickets are $95.

For more information, visit lagunafoodpantry.org or call (949) 497-7121.

All-American Boys Chorus to honor Apollo 13 astronaut

The All-American Boys Chorus will honor Jim Lovell, mission commander of Apollo 13, at its annual fall gala in Costa Mesa.

The event Nov. 4 at the Hilton hotel will include live entertainment from the chorus, which is based in Santa Ana. Funds will benefit the group’s tours and musical education.

For more information, call (714) 361-3920.