Around Town: Chapman University president to speak at Wake Up Newport meeting

Daniele Struppa, president of Chapman University in Orange, will be the guest speaker Thursday for Wake Up Newport.

The event, sponsored by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, starts at 7:15 a.m. with a free breakfast at the Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave.

Struppa is scheduled to speak at 7:45 about the university, its film school, its future and its contributions to health sciences and the business community.

For more information or to register, visit newportbeach.com or call (949) 729-4411.

Night work at MacArthur intersection runs through Friday

Night work at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Ford Road/Bonita Canyon Drive in Newport Beach continues through Friday.

The work, part of a $2-million repaving effort, began Sunday and is taking place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily.

Lanes are being temporarily reconfigured to one in each direction to allow for pavement removal and repaving, according to city officials.

“Congestion is expected, and drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes during evening hours,” according to a city statement.

Work on other portions of MacArthur will happen in coming weeks.

The final rubberized asphalt paving is planned for mid-February.

Mayor’s Lunch signups in Laguna Beach due Friday

The Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach is taking reservations until Friday for its 20th annual Mayor’s Lunch on Feb. 10.

The event, which is open to the public, will recognize Councilman Steve Dicterow for his contributions as mayor last year.

“We started this tradition because club members recognized that our mayors work extra hard during their tenure,” club President Barbara Crane said in a news release. “In addition to the customary duties of our council members, we expect them to participate in a number of ceremonial duties also.”

The lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m. at 286 St. Ann’s Drive. Tickets are $40 for club members and $45 for non-members. Tables for eight people may be purchased for $320.

For reservations, visit wclb.org.

Native plants workshop set for Saturday in Laguna Beach

The South Laguna Community Garden Park will host a free native plants workshop Saturday in Laguna Beach.

Ruben Flores, owner of Laguna Nursery and chairman of the Laguna Beach Beautification Council, will provide tips for selecting native plants and demonstrate planting techniques at the garden park, located at the corner of Eagle Rock Way and South Coast Highway.

The workshop will begin at 10 a.m. For more information and to RSVP, email gardenpark@southlaguna.org. The first 25 people to register will receive a free plant.

For more information, visit southlaguna.org/garden.

Surf City Marathon set for Super Bowl Sunday

Huntington Beach will host the annual Surf City Marathon on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5.

The marathon will start at 6:30 a.m. at the Huntington Beach Pier and wind through Central Park and Bolsa Chica State Beach.

An exhibit featuring local health-related vendors will be held from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at 21291 Pacific Coast Hwy.

People can register for a full marathon for $149 or a half-marathon for $139 at runsurfcity.com.

Environmental Nature Center stream and pond being restored

The Environmental Nature Center’s stream and pond are getting a makeover.

The Newport Beach facility’s 300-foot stream and pond were built in 1972 and haven’t been renovated since, according to a news release.

The stream will be resurfaced and a new irrigation system installed. The stream often is used by students to learn how to test water nitrogen and pH levels, as well as temperature, clarity and salinity.

The effort is aided by a $50,000 donation from Frank Randall. The funds also will help develop a butterfly habitat observation deck and desert tortoise enclosure and restore teaching stations, the release said.

Project Independence receives $175,000 grant

Project Independence, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that supports people with developmental disabilities, was recently awarded a $175,000 grant from the Weingart Foundation.

Weingart makes grants to humanitarian nonprofit organizations in Southern California.

“Our goals for this generous grant center on staff training, fund development and technology,” Project Independence Chief Executive Debra Marsteller said in a statement. “These are all aspects of our organization that will increase our capacity to serve individuals with developmental disabilities through day services, independent living and supported employment.”

H.B. Central Library to host L.A. Opera talks

The Huntington Beach Central Library will host three free public presentations by the Los Angeles Opera over the next three months.

The first, at 10 a.m. Feb. 11, will feature a discussion of the play “Salome,” about a princess falling in love with her father’s prisoner.

The next two events will be at 10 a.m. March 11 and April 8.

Each play that is discussed will be performed by the L.A. Opera during its spring season. At each program, an L.A. Opera community educator will field questions from the audience.

See and learn about monarch butterflies up close

OC Parks invites the public to learn about monarch butterflies and their natural habitat with an up-close look at the creatures during the eighth annual Monarch Butterfly Day at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley.

The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 11 in the Forest Shelter near parking lot C.

Butterfly experts will be available to provide information and answer questions, including which plants to use to attract the butterflies. Participants also can go inside a netted butterfly enclosure.

Additional activities will include interpretive programs, children’s crafts, face painting and balloon art.

Mile Square Regional Park is at 16801 Euclid St. For more information, call (714) 973-6600 or email milesquare@ocparks.com.

Leadership Laguna taking applications

Residents interested in learning how city government works can sign up for the second annual Leadership Laguna citizens academy in Laguna Beach.

The city and the Laguna Beach Community Foundation are partnering on the five-week program, which will begin at 7 p.m. March 2 with a general government overview with City Manager John Pietig and Finance and Information Technology Director Gavin Curran, according to the foundation’s website.

Classes also will meet March 9, 16, 23 and 30, with topics including public safety, community development and water quality.

Organizers hope the program encourages participants to serve on city commissions, boards and committees.

Space is limited, and applicants must commit to attend all five classes.

For more information and an application, visit lagunabeachcf.org/leadership-laguna.html.

Soul Center celebrates 3 years in Newport

Soul Center OC, a transdenominational spiritual center in Newport Beach, is celebrating its third anniversary.

“The current political climate is rapidly contributing to the growth of the ‘spiritual but not religious’ (SBNR) demographic among millennials, GenXers and baby boomers,” according to a statement from the center. “Many of the SBNR no longer relate to the narrow and often judgmental approach of some traditional churches but still long for a connection to God.”

The center says its Sunday messages reflect Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and others, with a focus on the teachings of Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City.

Soul Center OC, co-founded by Patricia Griffith and her daughter, Jessica Susolik, meets at the Newport Coast Community Center. For more information on services, visitsoulcenteroc.com.