Around Town: Civil War reenactment returns to Huntington Beach this weekend

The battle to preserve the union will play out this weekend during Huntington Beach’s 24th annual Civil War reenactment.

The free event will be held from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday behind the library at Huntington Beach Central Park at 7111 Talbert Ave.

For more information, visit hbhistory.org/civilwar.

Huntington Beach restaurant to host dinner to raise funds for Houston flood victims

A spaghetti dinner will be held at Zach’s Pier Plaza on Saturday to raise money to aid flood victims in Houston.

The dinner will be provided from 6 to 8 p.m. with a $5 donation at the restaurant at 405 Pacific Coast Hwy.

Mike Ali, the owner of Zach’s, said all of the donations will be given to organizations helping in Houston.

Labour of Love Music Fest in Huntington Beach to feature the Newsboys

The Labour of Love Music Fest, featuring the Newsboys, will return Saturday to Huntington Beach.

The free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bolsa Chica State Beach at the north end of the parking lot near the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Warner Avenue.

The festival, organized by Calvary Chapel of the Harbour, will also have food and family-friendly activities like face-painting and bounce houses.

For more information, visit labouroflovemusicfest.com/fast-facts/.

Nonprofits can still apply for grants through Cox Charities

There is still time for Orange County nonprofits to apply for grants through Cox Charities, the philanthropic arm of Cox Communications.

The application deadline is Friday for organizations based in one of Cox’s coverage areas, which include Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.

Cox Charities will award $50,000 in grants to nonprofits that focus on youth, education, conservation and the military.

Organizations must have 501 c-3 status, show measurable results from the featured program and provide information on outreach components including website and social media work.

Cox Charities is funded by employee donations with a company match. Requests up to $5,000 will be considered.

For more information, visit coxcharitiesca.org.

Sign-ups now open for Pacific City ping pong tournament

People can now enter to play in the second annual Pacific City Ping Pong Challenge for Charity in Huntington Beach.

The tournament will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 14 on the second level of the shopping center at 21010 Pacific Coast Hwy.

Billed as the largest oceanfront ping pong tournament in the country, participants will battle it out for prizes, including gift cards to Pacific City vendors.

People can sign up for $20 at bit.ly/2woXPMb.

Participant proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

Mesa Water board elects new leadership

Mesa Water District board members have elected Jim Atkinson to serve as board president following the recent resignation of former president Ethan Temianka.

Fred Bockmiller was chosen as the board’s vice president, replacing Atkinson. Both will serve in those roles through Dec. 13, 2018.

“Efficiency, high-quality water and fiscal accountability are instrumental to Mesa Water’s operations and we are committed to championing cost-effective water service, reliability, and transparency to our customers,” Atkinson said in a statement Tuesday.

Harbormaster coming to Speak Up Newport meeting

Speak Up Newport is hosting a meet-and-greet featuring the city’s harbormaster on Sept. 13.

Dennis Durgan is responsible for managing the moorings, coordinating with the harbor patrol and enforcing ordinances.

A reception starts at 5:15, with the program at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

Admission is free.

Costa Mesa IT employee honored with award

Costa Mesa’s IT network administrator, Lloyd Swanson, has received the City Manager Leadership Award.

Swanson, a USC graduate, has been with the city since 2000. He has also worked for the Police Department.

“Lloyd has a critical job when it comes to supporting the technology needs of City Hall staff,” City Manager Tom Hatch said in a statement. “I admire him for his knowledge, patience and problem-solving abilities. His commitment to doing excellent work makes him a great role model for all of us here, and this is just an opportunity to thank and honor him for his dedication.”

Costa Mesa City Hall garden gets upgrade

The Japanese garden at Costa Mesa City Hall recently received some improvements, according to a city news release.

At the request of Mayor Pro Tem Sandy Genis, the gardens received about 150 new plants and grading work. The pond area also received a new layer of blue rock/grass.

The plants came from The Good Plant, based in Costa Mesa.

PBS SoCal president to receive honor

The Orange County Black Chamber of Commerce is honoring PBS SoCal President and CEO Andrew Russell during a banquet Sept. 9.

PBS SoCal is based in Costa Mesa. The banquet will be held at the OC Fair and Event Center.

The event will also feature a display of a Huey helicopter in the upcoming PBS SoCal film, “Take Me Home Huey.”

Nonprofit gathers backpacks to donate

Project Hope Alliance, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that helps fight homelessness, recently held a back-to-school backpack drive for local schoolchildren.

The drive gathered 114 backpacks with school supplies from 34 donors.