Around Town: Roger’s Gardens GM to speak on ‘Monarchs & Milkweed’ at Sherman Gardens

Sherman Library & Gardens, in partnership with Newport Beach restaurant 608 Dahlia and South Coast Plaza will host a March 9 Lunch & Lecture Series featuring Roger’s Gardens General Manager Ron Vanderhoff.

In his talk, “Monarchs & Milkweed: What Gardeners Need to Know,” Vanderhoff will discuss the history of the iconic and imperiled butterflies and their current status in California, sharing more on the species’ population decline and the controversy over their recovery.

A horticulturalist and native plant botanist who chairs Plant Science at the California Native Plant Society in Orange County, Vanderhoff will also speak on the insects’ intimate relationship with milkweed and how gardeners can help.

Lunch service begins at 11:30 a.m. The lecture is at noon. Seating is limited, and registration is required. Full admission is $35 for Sherman Gardens members and $45 for nonmembers. Lecture admission is free for members, $5 for nonmembers. For more information, visit thesherman.org or call (949) 673-2261.

Caltrans work continues on PCH

Caltrans in a commuter alert this week noted it is continuing daytime and nighttime construction in the cities of Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, closing one lane at a time to allow work to proceed.

On Monday, concrete profile grounding is scheduled on 9th Avenue to Vista del Sol overnight, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Paving at Los Trancos in Newport Beach is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday. That same day, work on the installation of a traffic loop at Los Trancos and Vista Del Sol is planned for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Wednesday, paving work is scheduled to be done on the northbound side of 9th Avenue in Laguna Beach from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Laguna Beach Business Club to meet Thursday

The Laguna Beach Business Club will host Steve and Embry Munsey, the owners of Jedidiah Coffee, as their featured guests for the Feb. 17 meeting.

The Embrys will share the story of how they went from managing local coffee shops to starting their own to serve the Laguna Beach community.

The meeting will be at Seven7Seven, 777 Laguna Canyon Road, at 7:30 a.m. A buffet breakfast will be served and there will be networking opportunities available.

Admission for those who are not a member of the club is $30.

Law enforcement reminder to drive sober Super Bowl Sunday

The Fountain Valley Police Department is asking the community to take the safe option with respect to how they get to and from their plans for Super Bowl LVI.

“If you plan to have a drink or two, choose a sober way to get to and from wherever you are watching the game,” Sgt. Brian Mosher said in a statement. “Have a ride-hailing service or a family member who hasn’t been drinking take you home.”

There will be additional officers patrolling the area looking for drivers who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs on Sunday, the department said in its advisory message. Authorities warned that marijuana, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications can also impair a person’s ability to safely operate a vehicle.

Fountain Valley partners with local biz to etch catalytic converters

With catalytic converter thefts on the rise, the Fountain Valley Police Department is partnering with a local auto repair shop on Feb. 19 to etch identifiable information on these car parts.

The free event will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a first come, first serve basis at 18302 Ward Street. No other services will be provided at Fountain Valley Tire and Auto during this event. People are encouraged to enter the shop through Ellis Avenue because of the Ward overpass closure.

Police say etching catalytic converters will help them identify a victim when arrests are made.

Huntington Beach music teacher recognized in national campaign

Yamaha’s “40 Under 40,” a nationwide campaign celebrating extraordinary arts teachers, recognized one educator from the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts.

Danielle Collins is director of APA’s Music, Media & Entertainment Technology department. She oversees the Popular Music department with all performing and recording groups, which includes classes such as songwriting and recording, music production and guitar.

“Collins is an immensely skilled music educator,” Yamaha said in a statement.

Collins said she was thrilled to be nominated. “As a former traditional music educator, I’m happy to see the support for Popular Music Programs in the educator community!” she said in a statement.

For the second year in a row, Yamaha received hundreds of nominations by students, parents and teachers pitching their favorite educators who left a mark in their life. Yamaha narrowed down that list to the top 40.

Costa Mesa Sanitary District customers eligible to receive rebates for home sewer line inspections

Costa Mesa Sanitary District customers may receive up to $500 in rebates for a home sewer inspection or installing a sewer clean-out through an ongoing Sewer Inspection Rebate Program that encourages proactive sewer lateral maintenance.

Customers may receive up to $200 to perform a closed-circuit television video from a ground-level cleanout (a capped pipe that provides access to a sewer line) to CMSD’s main sewer line.

Rebates up to $250 are available to perform a CCTV video from a roof vent or toilet flange to CMSD’s main sewer line or up to $500 to install a ground-level cleanout. Homeowners can participate by submitting a program application on the CMSD Sewer Inspection Rebate Program website. Approval must be obtained prior to any work being done.

Orange County receives $3.9M to support underserved small businesses impacted by COVID-19

The Orange County Workforce Development Board (OCWDB) announced this week it had received $3,975,481 through the California Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program to support underserved microbusiness and entrepreneurs affected during the pandemic.

The county will provide payments of $2,500 to small businesses owned by women, minorities, veterans, undocumented individuals and those with limited English proficiency or who do business in low-wealth communities.

To be eligible, a business must be active, have less than $50,000 in gross revenue during the 2019 tax year, have fewer than five full-time employees, have been in operation prior to Dec. 31, 2019, and have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.

For more information or to apply, visit oconestop.com/grant-relief-programs beginning Monday at 9 a.m. For questions, call the county’s Business and Economic Recovery Call Center at (714) 480-6500.

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