Around Town: Newport to throw going-away party for city manager

Newport Beach will have a public send-off Aug. 30 for departing City Manager Dave Kiff.

The informal festivities will run from 3:30 to 6 p.m. on the Civic Center green outside City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

Kiff’s last day on the job is Aug. 31. He is leaving after 20 years of service with Newport, including nine as the city’s top appointed official.

Corona del Mar community meeting slated for Thursday

The Corona del Mar Residents Assn. board of directors will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday in Room 5 at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave.

The guest speaker will be Chris Crossen, aka “Mr. Sandcastle.”

For more information, visit cdmra.org.

Newport Dunes to host Pacific Wine & Food Classic

The Pacific Wine & Food Classic will hit the sand in Newport Beach this weekend.

The event will run from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive.

In addition to more than 100 food, wine, beer and cocktail stations, the program includes music on the beach.

For tickets and more information, visit bit.ly/2Mfe9Kx.

Music swap meet this weekend at OC Fair & Event Center

The Southern California World Guitar Show will let guests buy, sell and trade music gear this weekend at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The event is slated for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Hangar at the fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive.

General admission is $20.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2w6q16Q.

Costa Mesa Speedway puts Harley motorcycles in spotlight Saturday

The Costa Mesa Speedway, which is celebrating its 50th year, will present Harley Night for its evening of motorcycle racing from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday in the Action Sports Arena at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

General admission is $20.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2ML6DTU.

Donation event set at Orange Coast College

The Costa Mesa Sanitary District and Goodwill will hold a donation event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Orange Coast College Recycling Center at 2701 Fairview Road in Costa Mesa.

Donation items can include lightly used clothes, shoes, housewares and electronics.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2MMW3vG.

Laguna Beach native wins Ethics in Journalism Award

Laguna Beach native David Folkenflik was honored recently by the Society of Professional Journalists with its 2018 Ethics in Journalism Award.

Folkenflik, who graduated from Laguna Beach High School, is a media correspondent for NPR News and is scheduled to be a co-host of the “On Point” show Monday. He was recognized for his reporting last year on sexual harassment allegations against a top NPR executive, with organizers praising the coverage despite it being connected to his own organization.

The Society of Professional Journalists noted how Folkenflik “took the extraordinary step of refusing to participate in off-the-record staff discussions about the allegations so as not to compromise his ability to cover the story within his newsroom.”

Folkenflik, who now lives in New York, will be recognized during a banquet later this year in Baltimore.

UC Irvine is ranked third-best in U.S. by Money magazine

UC Irvine was recently ranked third on Money magazine’s list of “50 best colleges in the U.S.”

“We are delighted that UCI has once again been recognized as one of the finest public universities in the U.S.,” Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a statement. “Combining outstanding academics with outstanding value is one of the great challenges facing American higher education, and the fact that we are identified as a national leader is a testament to the great work of our faculty, students, staff and supporters.”

Community Art Project names award recipients

The Laguna Beach-based Community Art Project recently named Sally Strand the recipient of its People’s Choice Award.

Viewers cast votes for their favorite works during the “Pastels!” exhibit at Laguna Beach City Hall. Strand’s pieces “Man With Yellow Towel” and “Player Series No. 2” tied.

Mike Ishikawa won the Arts Commission’s Choice Award for his piece “Heisler Park.”

Costa Mesa launches new mobile app

The city of Costa Mesa has launched a new mobile phone app, MyCostaMesa.

Like Costa Mesa Connect — the city’s first app, which it’s replacing — MyCostaMesa will enable residents to request services and report issues they observe using their phone cameras and GPS.

The app is available to download for free through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Costa Mesa seeks entries for photo contest

Residents are encouraged to submit their best shots of Costa Mesa pets, programs or parks during the city’s first Parks & Community Services photo contest.

For submission information and contest rules, visit costamesaca.gov/photocontest. The entry deadline is Sept. 21.