Around Town: Disputed needle-exchange program to hold town hall

The Orange County Needle Exchange Program will hold a town hall meeting Thursday in Anaheim to discuss the service it plans to operate in four cities, including Costa Mesa.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Downtown Anaheim Community Center, 250 E. Center St.

Last month, the California Department of Public Health approved a proposal to allow the program to distribute needles and other supplies for two years in Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana.

In Costa Mesa, the program would operate on West 17th Street between Whittier Avenue and the city boundary from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays.

After the state’s approval, the Costa Mesa City Council voted to join Orange County in a lawsuit seeking to stop the service and adopted an urgency ordinance prohibiting the establishment and operation of needle exchanges anywhere in the city.

Newport Beach also announced plans this week to file its own lawsuit against the state.

Sage Hill School to celebrate newly renovated library Monday

Sage Hill School in Newport Coast will celebrate its newly renovated library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday.

The $3.5-million renovation added new meeting spaces with flexible study areas for students. The library also will be the new home for the school’s Hamoui Family Sage Center.

OC Fair Express transported almost 80,000 passengers

The OC Fair Express — a bus service operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority, ferried almost 80,000 people to this year’s Orange County Fair.

Buses ran from 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends during the fair, transporting riders from nine locations across the county to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

“It’s encouraging to see so many people choosing to use the express bus service, resulting in thousands of cars being taken off local roads,” OCTA Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, who also is the county’s Fifth District supervisor, said in a statement. “Every person who took the OC Fair Express helped improve overall traffic conditions and reduced air pollution in the process.”

Longtime Little League coach receives Costa Mesa mayor’s award

Longtime Costa Mesa American Little League coach and volunteer Todd Cowley received the Costa Mesa mayor’s award during last week’s City Council meeting.

Cowley, a 24-year Costa Mesa resident, has served as the league’s president since 2011.

Costa Mesa resident takes the helm at nonprofit

Costa Mesa resident Paul Martin was recently appointed chief executive of Royal Family KIDS Inc., a nonprofit that provides services and mentorship to foster children.

Martin, a former Republican candidate for California’s 48th Congressional District seat, holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from UCLA and a master’s in the philosophy of religion and ethics from Talbot School of Theology.

“I am humbled to lead this remarkable organization that has a powerful 30-year history of providing comfort, positive affirmation, acceptance and love to over 100,000 innocent children,” he said in a statement.

Hoag Hospital ranked the best in Orange County

Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach announced this week that it is the highest-ranked hospital in Orange County in new rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

It also was named the fourth-best hospital in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and eighth-best in the state.

“The recognition of Hoag as one of the state’s and nation’s top hospitals underscores the commitment and compassion our staff exemplifies every day by providing the highest-quality patient care,” Robert Braithwaite, Hoag president and chief executive, said in a statement.

Renovated UCI facility expected to save 80 million gallons of drinking water annually

UC Irvine and Irvine Ranch Water District officials Wednesday dedicated a newly renovated Central Plant on the campus that will use recycled water to cool 65 buildings.

The plant will save more than 80 million gallons of drinking water annually, officials said.

“UCI is one of the nation’s ‘greenest’ universities, and we like to set the bar high for environmental stewardship,” Wendell Brase, associate chancellor of sustainability at UCI, said in a statement. “This would not be possible without our partnership with IRWD.”

Orange Coast College to hold lecture series on exercise techniques

Orange Coast College’s dance department on Sept. 11 will start the 12th annual Pilates Guest Speaker Series for students and the community.

The gatherings will be held from 11:10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the OCC Art Center in Costa Mesa. The program ends Nov. 13.

The lectures will cover therapies and exercise techniques. Lectures are free for OCC students and $20 each for the public.

Orange Coast College is at 2701 Fairview Road. For tickets, visit occtickets.com.