Program all booked and ready to go

JIM DE BOOM

Almost 9,000 people made it through the Orange County Fair’s

turnstiles on July 28 without ponying up a cent.

Instead, they exchanged new and gently-used children’s books for

free admission to the 112th running of the annual event.

From noon to 6 p.m., a total of 29,611 books were collected, and

they, plus an equal number of books to be donated by Scholastic, will

be delivered to Orange County schools, said Roger McGonegal, “Reading

by 9” coordinator for the Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa.

This inaugural event, cosponsored by the Orange County Fair and

the Los Angeles Times “Reading by 9” program, is the most successful

single event book drive that the program has ever conducted,

McGonegal added.

Rotarians who volunteered to collect, count and box the books

included: Dick Carroll, Cathleen Collinsworth, Micki Elliott, Dan

Hoffmann, Lizbeth Laroff, Roger McGonegal, Dean Reavie, Wendell

Sawyer and Rick Weiss from Newport-Balboa; Arnold Blaine from Newport

Irvine; Price Shapiro from Newport Beach Sunrise; Nancy and Bob Long

from Signal Hill; and Bill Christensen and Bob and Carol Gallagher

from Orange. The Rotary Clubs of Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine and

Newport Beach Sunrise have supported the Holiday Book Drive since its

inception five years ago, and in recent years delivered nearly 26,000

new books to Pomona, Whittier and Wilson elementary schools,

McGonegal said.

The vision of “Reading by 9” is that 95% of all children in

Southern California will read in English at grade level by the age of

9, and the recreational reading books provided by the program are

provided to develop a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

NEW OFFICERS FOR EXCHANGE CLUB

Recently installed at ceremonies at the Five Crowns in Corona del

Mar were the new officers and directors of the Exchange Club of

Newport Harbor. John Fornes is the new president of the Club. Also

serving for the coming year are Duncan Forgey, president elect; David

Atencio, vice president; Tuck Rabbitt, secretary; Lloyd Jenkins,

treasurer; and John Kruse, immediate past president. Joining

continuing board members Art Gronsky, Jack Allanach and Bob Kinton

are new board members Steve Pool, Bill Bechtel and Bob Klein.

IT’S ALL ABOUT WOMEN

A special video presentation of a panel discussion at the Mary

Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity in Boston -- which

features one of the largest collections by and about an American

woman, including papers, artifacts, historic photographs and rare

books related to Mary Baker Eddy’s ideas, life and achievements --

will be presented on Sun., Aug. 29 at the First Church of Christ

Scientist, Costa Mesa, 2880 Mesa Verde Drive East.

The video includes a trio of scholars, said Sandra Clark,

development director for the First Church of Christ Scientist.

“All three scholars had spent time researching the collections in

the Library, through the lens of religious, medical and women’s

history -- and their comments were illuminating,” she said. “For

example, it was amazing to hear what an impact Christian Science had

on society and the medical community in Mrs. Eddy’s day. Their

collective respect for Mary Baker Eddy, as well as for the

Collections, is most impressive and, frankly, quite moving.”

This program is free of charge and the public is welcome. For more

information, call (714) 545-1747, or the reading room librarian at

(714) 546-4252 or by e-mail to: clerk@access-4-free.com.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for Today, provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “The person who has learned to

disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable

secret of a diplomat.”

-- Robert Estabrook

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 47-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at the Five Crowns Restaurant for a program by developer Steve

Sutherland. (https:www.newportbeach

sunriserotary.org).

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Terrence Payne talk about “All the

things that can be done with hypnosis”.

6 p.m.: The 50-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus member Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn (https://www.kiwanis. org/club/costamesa); the 50-member

Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club; the 85-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor

will meet at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum for a program by Tom

Naughton, “Update on the airport Issue” (https://www.nhexchange

club.com); the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine will meet at the

Radisson Hotel to hear Bill Laningham discuss the history of the air

traffic control system.

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655

or by e-mail to jdeboom@ aol.com.