Around Town: Now’s the time to vote for theme of 113th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade

It’s Christmas in June! Not really. The Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce announced the final three proposed themes for this year’s upcoming 113th Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, set for Dec. 15 through 19.

The parade won’t be happening until December, but organizers are asking the community to weigh in on which theme should come out on top. Choose from: Jingle on the Waves, ‘Tis the Sea-son to Sail-abrate and Santa’s Sensational Sail-abration.

Visit christmasboatparade.com to cast a vote until 5 p.m. on Monday, June 21.

Laguna fire chief to speak at Laguna Beach Business Club meeting

The Laguna Beach Business Club will have Laguna Beach Fire Chief Mike Garcia as its guest speaker next week.

Garcia will share his expertise on fire safety and make a call for community collaboration when he speaks on the topic “Laguna Beach Fire Safety Practices and Protocols: How Every Resident Can Help.”

The breakfast meeting will take place at Nirvana Grille, 303 Broadway, Ste. 101, in Laguna Beach on Thursday, June 17 at 7:30 a.m. The event is open to nonmembers, for which the guest fee is $30.

Garcia took over as the fire chief of Laguna Beach in April 2018 after more than 32 years of working in the fire service, including 28 years with the Long Beach Fire Department. He earned his bachelor’s degree at CSU Long Beach.

UCI commencement scheduled for Saturday

Approximately 7,500 graduates will participate in UC Irvine’s virtual recorded commencement ceremony that begins at 9 a.m. Saturday. At least 6,801 of them have registered to take an in-person, on-stage “graduate moment,” which focuses on giving each graduate individual recognition.

Those who chose to participate will be able to wear their regalia and wait to cross the stage until their names are called, just as they would in a traditional graduation ceremony.

About 200 of those awarded advanced degrees will be hooded during their in-person graduation moments.

“Every graduating class leaves a distinct and unique imprint on the university,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman in a statement. “The class of 2021 will long be remembered for the resilience and fortitude with which it met and overcame the effects of the pandemic. It has truly been an inspiration for all of us.”

Interested parties can view the schedule for graduation at commencement.uci.edu.

OCC names Second Harvest Food Bank its community partner

Orange Coast College has named Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County as its community partner for this year.

Campus officials said that faculty and staff have worked with Second Harvest for years to distribute food and basic necessities through the College Pantry Program. It also worked with the college to distribute food boxes to students in need when the campus shut down initially in March of last year.

“For many years Second Harvest has been an integral partner in our efforts to address food insecurity and a lack of basic needs among our student population,” said OCC President Angelica Suarez in a statement. “In the past year, as the pandemic posed tremendous challenges for our students, Second Harvest worked diligently with us to continue to provide that support, distributing essential food supplies to our most vulnerable students each week.”

Summer reading program gets underway at Newport Beach Public Library

The Newport Beach Public Library announced this week it would kick off its summer reading program on Saturday. This year’s theme is “Reading Colors Your World.” The program will run through the end of July and offer reading opportunities for children, teens and adults.

“The summer reading program is a great excuse to read, read, read,” said Debbie Walker, the youth services coordinator at the library. “[It’s] great for all ages. It’s simply fun and smart.”

Library officials said this year’s program will feature Beanstack, a new online reading tracker that will allow patrons to track their minutes and activities and see upcoming events in addition to receiving weekly, personalized book recommendations.

Interested readers can visit newportbeachlibrary.beanstack.com to download the app. Visit newportbeachlibrary.org for more information.

Ceremonies held for local community college grads

In a week of graduations at local high schools, the Coast Community College District also announced Tuesday that it also conferred more than 13,000 degrees and certificates at its three college campuses throughout Orange County. All ceremonies were held virtually for Golden West College, Coastline College and Orange Coast College.

“Commencements are celebrations of our graduates and likewise celebrations of the community that empowers their success,” said Coast District Chancellor John Weispfenning, in a statement. “This starts with families, faculty, and staff, extending to reach countless partners, contributors, and champions.”

July 3 set for Second Chance Pet Adoptions fundraiser

The nonprofit Second Chance Pet Adoptions will hold a Bake and Craft Sale fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, outside the Petco store at 5961 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach.

Homemade baked goods, handcrafted jewelry and one-of-a-kind gift items will all be on display. All of the proceeds of the sale will go toward the care of cats and kittens.

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