Around Town: Newport resident leading group to help African children and hospital
A Newport Beach resident is going on her 13th trip to Tanzania this month to help impoverished children in the African nation.
Joan Coleman, 70, is business manager of Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar and co-founder of the nonprofit Asante Sana, which has raised more than $435,000 to help Mbahe Primary School, an orphanage and Huruma Hospital, which are near Mount Kilimanjaro.
Coleman and her group have raised more than $27,000 for the trip and collected enough supplies to fill 10 50-pound duffle bags. The bags contain school and medical supplies and baby blankets.
At Mbahe Primary School, Coleman’s group will give students new uniforms, $1,000 scholarships and supplies and teach geography, map skills and art. The teachers will receive $200 for professional enrichment and resources for their classrooms.
“I went to Africa 13 years ago on a personal quest but returned with an overwhelming love for the people and a desire to make a difference in their lives,” Coleman said in a statement. “These children ... are some of the poorest in the world, yet they welcome us each year with wide and bright smiles.”
For more information, visit asantesanafromthechildren.org.
Officials recommend principal for Wilson Elementary
After serving in an interim role since November, Mia King has been recommended to serve as principal of Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, according to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
King, formerly an elementary instructional support specialist, has 15 years’ experience in education and is “known for her approach to creating positive school cultures and developing successful instructional programs,” according to a district news release.
“Mia has done an outstanding job of connecting with the Wilson students, the staff and the community,” Kurt Suhr, the district’s executive director of elementary education, said in a statement. “Her focus on positive relationships and her deep knowledge of curriculum and instruction will be instrumental in her role as the school principal.”
Tickets on sale Saturday for 3 O.C. Fair summer concerts
Tickets go on sale Saturday for three summer concerts at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.
They are:
July 22: Strangelove (Depeche Mode tribute), Dead Man’s Party (Oingo Boingo tribute)
July 30: Marshall Tucker Band
Aug. 9: Steve Miller Band, Peter Frampton
The July 30 concert will be in The Hangar. The others will be in the Pacific Amphitheatre as part of the Toyota Summer Concert Series.
For more information, visit OCFair.com.
Laguna Art Museum to offer free admission
The Laguna Art Museum will offer free admission to all Laguna Beach residents Sunday through March 31 as “a gesture of gratitude” for a matching grant program the City Council approved in March to help support the museum and the Laguna Playhouse, according to a museum news release.
The program enabled the museum and the playhouse to apply for grants matching fundraising of up to $250,000 per year for four years to use toward capital improvements. The museum’s first major improvement under the program was a new heating, ventilation and cooling system, the release said.
The Laguna Art Museum is at 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach. For more information, visit lagunaartmuseum.org.
SOY seeking donations of snow gear
Save Our Youth, a Westside Costa Mesa nonprofit, is looking for donations of snow gear, including winter scarves, wool socks, sleeping bags and blankets.
Donations can be dropped off at 2045 Meyer Place, Building E, Costa Mesa. For more information, call (949) 548-3255.
Pacific City to host dinosaur story time
Parents and their children can take in a tale Tuesday about how dinosaurs choose their pets.
The free story time will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at Pacific City, 21034 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach.
Kids also will be able to craft their own dinosaurs, but they must RSVP at eventbrite.com/e/dinosaurs-tickets-31619825750.
$100,000 raised for H.B. Youth Shelter
More than $100,000 was raised at a Feb. 10 wine-tasting fundraiser to benefit the Huntington Beach Youth Shelter, an emergency crisis and intervention program for youths ages 11 to 17.
About 500 people attended the event at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach resort. It was presented by Community Service Programs, the nonprofit that runs the shelter.
H.B. ranks 4th on ‘best fiscal shape’ list
Huntington Beach was ranked fourth on Fiscal Times’ list of the 116 cities in “best fiscal shape,” according to a city news release.
The publication looked at cities with populations of more than 200,000, using data from 2015.
“I am so proud of our City Council and our ongoing commitment to fiscal excellence,” City Manager Fred Wilson said. “We’ve come a long way since the last recession, and this ranking proves to our community that we’ve been diligent over the years to put our taxpayers first.”
Estancia to host conference on teen dating violence
Human Options, an Orange County-based nonprofit that aids victims of domestic violence, will hold a presentation and conference next week in Costa Mesa for parents and teenagers to help raise awareness about teen dating violence.
The “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” conference will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 25 at Estancia High School, 2323 Placentia Ave.
For more information, visit humanoptions.org or call (949) 737-5242.
Fashion show to raise funds for senior services in F.V.
The annual Fit & Fabulous Fashion Show, a fundraiser for senior services in Fountain Valley, is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at The Center at Founders Village Senior and Community Center in Fountain Valley.
The event will include lunch, prizes and a fashion show by Chico’s.
Tickets are available for $15 at the center’s reception desk, 17967 Bushard St.
H.B. orchestra plans Russian composers concert
The Huntington Beach Symphony Orchestra will present its “Passions of Russian Composers Concert” on March 5 at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.
“Festive Overture” by Shostakovich will open the concert, followed by “Montagues & Capulets” by Prokofiev and “Romeo & Juliet Overture” by Tchaikovsky. “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov will be presented in the second half of the program.
The concert will begin at 3:30 p.m. at OCC’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road.
Tickets are $20 in advance for adults ($28 at the door), $18 for senior citizens ($25 at the door) and $10 for students with identification.
Tickets are available at Fountain Valley Music, 8740 Warner Ave.; Mayer Music Academy, 10180 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach; AB Music Studios, 19171 Magnolia St., Huntington Beach; or online at hbsymphony.org. Credit cards can be used online and at the door.
Registration open for Huntington Beach Marine 5K
Registration is open for Huntington Beach’s 5K Marine fun run, which will raise funds for families of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines.
The run along the coast will start at 8 a.m. March 11 in the beachfront parking lot at Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway.
The Huntington Beach Fire Department will provide a pancake breakfast, which is included in the registration fee.
Tickets are $40 until Feb. 19 and $45 afterward.
To register, visit bit.ly/2kNsT2o.
Wine and cheese fundraiser set for Huntington nonprofit
Tickets are available for Project Self Sufficiency’s annual wine and cheese fundraiser April 8.
The “Wine, Cheese and Chocolate, Please” event will be held at 5 p.m. at the SeaCliff Country Club, 6501 Palm Ave.
Project Self Sufficiency aids low-income single parents.
Tickets, which include dinner and entertainment, can be purchased for $75 at winecheeseandchocolateplease.com.
Registration open for H.B. walk/run to benefit library volunteers
Registration is open for the Huntington Beach Central Library’s annual 5K walk/run.
“Walk Run Read” will start at 8 a.m. April 8 at Huntington Beach’s Central Park, 18000 Goldenwest St.
Proceeds will benefit the Literacy Volunteers program at the Central Library.
Tickets are $35 before March 22 and $40 afterward. To register, visit walkrunread.com.
UCI launches new online master program in pharmacology
UC Irvine will have a new online master of science program in pharmacology under the School of Medicine.
The deadline to apply for admission for fall 2017 is June 1. To register, visit sites.uci.edu/mspharmacology.
For more information, contact Barbara Shainberg at bshainbe@uci.edu or (949) 824-3130.