Around Town: Newport taking survey on planned peninsula shuttle
Time is running short to give Newport Beach officials input about a new shuttle service planned for the Balboa Peninsula.
The shuttle is proposed to run between Hoag Hospital and Balboa Village, with 20 stops in between, on 10 summer weekends.
The public can fill out an online survey by 5 p.m. Friday.
A meeting about the shuttle is scheduled for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Marina Park, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd.
For more information, call associate planner Ben Zdeba at (949) 644-3253.
Newport library to host kids’ reading session with dog
Children ages 5-12 are invited to practice their reading alongside a specially trained dog on Sunday at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave.
The free event, sponsored by the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation, goes from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
The dogs are with Beach Animals Reading with Kids, or BARK.
For more information, call (949) 548-2411 or email events@nbplfoundation.org. Advance registration is suggested, as space is limited.
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.
Valentine’s event for teenagers scheduled at Downtown Recreation Center
Costa Mesa teenagers are invited to party “hearty” next week during a Valentine’s Day-themed event at the city’s Downtown Recreation Center.
The event will run from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 with games, contests, a photo booth and food from Maggiano’s Little Italy. The band Undecided Future is scheduled to perform.
Teenagers in middle and high school are encouraged to attend. The Downtown Recreation Center is at 1860 Anaheim Ave.
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.
Costa Mesa removes trees near Police Department
The city of Costa Mesa recently removed four trees in front of the Police Department headquarters on Fair Drive to prevent their roots from causing problems with sewer pipes and damaging a nearby sidewalk.
City officials said pruning the roots would have compromised the trees’ stability.
Removing the trees, officials added, also increases the Police Department’s visibility and allows new landscaping in the area.
HR analyst receives City Manager Leadership Award
Costa Mesa City Manager Tom Hatch recently recognized Itzia Carvajal with the City Manager Leadership Award.
Carvajal, a principal human-resources analyst, joined the city in 2014. Before that, she worked for various departments for the city of Santa Ana.
Carvajal administers workers’ compensation and benefits and has worked to streamline and improve the administrative process, according to a city news release.
City officials called Carvajal, a graduate of the University of Riverside, “a consummate professional and credible resource who possesses a strong work ethic, a high level of customer service and enhanced organizational skills.”
H.B. police air unit awarded for flying over 70,000 hours without an accident
The Huntington Beach Police Department’s Air Support Bureau was given an award last month by McDonnell Douglas Helicopters for flying more than 70,000 hours without an accident.
The air unit, known as HB-1, was established in 1968 to support ground forces, according to the Police Department. It is made up of six pilots, one sergeant pilot and two mechanics.