Around Town: Davis Magnet honors Earth Day with campus event
Davis Magnet honors Earth Day with campus event
Davis Magnet School’s annual Eco Night welcomed more than 100 parents, students, teachers and other community members Monday evening in honor of Earth Day.
The event, organized by teachers at the Costa Mesa school, gave guests a chance to learn from environmental education groups including the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center of Huntington Beach and Inside the Outdoors of Costa Mesa, which presented a tarantula and other live animals.
Save Our Youth Fiesta fundraiser Friday
Save Our Youth, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that helps Westside youths, will present its annual Fiesta fundraiser Friday.
The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Halecrest Park Swim and Tennis Club, 3107 Killybrooke Lane, Costa Mesa.
The party will honor Jean Forbath, who helped found SOY.
Tickets, which cost $70 in advance and $80 at the door, include appetizers, cocktails, dinner and dessert.
For more information, visit www.save-our-youth.org or call (949) 548-8501.
Vanguard Film Fest and Communication Awards to honor students’ work
The 2016 Vanguard University Film Fest and Communication Awards Gala will be held Friday in the Scott Courtyard of the Costa Mesa campus.
The gala, which will recognize students’ creative projects and academic work, begins at 5 p.m. with a red carpet event. The film festival begins at 8.
Awards will be given in categories such as journalism, photography, filmmaking and screenwriting.
Volunteers sought for house cleanup in Costa Mesa
Volunteers are sought for the second annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors house cleanup Saturday in Costa Mesa with Mayor Steve Mensinger, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Christ Lutheran and Palm Harvest churches.
The effort is intended to clean the homes of needy residents through donations and volunteers.
People and funds for event preparation, painting and cleanup materials are needed, organizers say.
For more information, email cm.cool@costamesaca.gov or call (714) 754-5156.
Irvine teacher, Costa Mesa residents honored for service
Three Costa Mesa residents and an Irvine teacher were recently recognized by the Regional Center of Orange County, a Garden Grove-based nonprofit that helps people with developmental disabilities.
Mary Parpal, Sue Hewitt, Sam Durbin, all of Costa Mesa, and Northwood High School special-education teacher Elise Flocken received the center’s Spotlight Award during a dinner and dance April 8 at the Embassy Suites Anaheim hotel in Garden Grove.
OCC to break ground on new recycling center
Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa is scheduled to break ground May 6 on a new recycling center near the school’s Adams Avenue parking lot.
The facility will add two classrooms and administrative offices and increase parking spots from eight to 45. It also will have planter beds for organic gardening demonstrations and men’s and women’s showers for bicycle commuters.
“We’re going to have enough space to possibly expand the types of materials we collect and possibly expand the types of materials we pay for,” Mike Carey, OCC’s environmental sustainability coordinator, said in a statement.
Mesa Water touts safety record
Mesa Water District has surpassed 1,000 days without a lost-time injury or incident — a rare feat for Orange County public agencies, according to a news release.
District officials said their safety record has improved since 2012 and that Mesa Water has reduced its workers’ compensation premiums from more than $180,000 annually to less than $100,000.
“Over the past four years, our board and management team have emphasized training and prevention while incorporating efficiency into our daily work practices,” Mesa Water General Manager Paul Shoenberger said in a statement. “Our staff has responded well, with each department making it a priority to participate in ongoing training programs. … Additionally, we have a staff-driven team of safety ambassadors and an annual employee award for best safety improvement suggestion.”
Project Access gets new board members
Chris Garcia, a banking executive, and Ana Marie del Rio, a real estate investment company executive, have joined the board of directors of Project Access.
The Newport Beach-based nonprofit helps low-income people with after-school programming, education assistance and wellness education.
Garcia is an associate vice president for Banc of California.
Del Rio is chief operating officer and general counsel for Steadfast Cos. in Irvine. She also served on Project Access’ board from 2006 to 2012.
Poster contestants could be Angels bat kids
Discovery Cube Orange County is holding an eco-challenge poster contest, with five winners getting to be honorary bat kids at an Angels baseball game in August or September. Entries must have a theme of green waste or food waste.
Winners will be chosen from each of the five Orange County Board of Supervisors districts based on the poster’s originality, visual clarity, relevance to theme, artwork and effectiveness of message.
The contest is open to boys and girls who will be ages 8 to 14 during the Angels regular season, which runs until Oct. 2.
Entries can be mailed or hand-delivered to Discovery Cube, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana 92705, by June 30. Winners will be notified by July 31.
For more information, visit discoverycube.org/oc.
Hoag and Santa Ana nonprofit receive grant
Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and the Santa Ana-based nonprofit MOMS Orange County received a $74,000 grant as part of the HealthCare Foundation for Orange County’s 2016 Grant Awards.
The grant will support infant health and development programs.
UCI law students to get fellowships from new program
Law students at UC Irvine and three other University of California campuses will benefit from a new systemwide fellowship program announced by UC system President Janet Napolitano, according to a news release.
The University of California President’s Public Service Law Fellowships will award $4.5 million annually to promising students at the law schools at UCI, UC Berkeley, UC Davis and UCLA.
The funds will make postgraduate work and summer positions more accessible to students who want to pursue public interest legal careers. The fellowship program will provide for about 425 summer fellowships and 60 postgraduate fellowships.
Funding will be distributed proportionately based on how many students are attending each law school. Each school will manage its application and selection process.
Nominations accepted for philanthropy awards
Nominations are being accepted by the Orange County chapter of the Assn. of Fundraising Professionals for businesses, corporations, schools, nonprofits and individuals for the 2016 National Philanthropy Day Orange County Awards Luncheon, scheduled for Nov. 17 at Hotel Irvine.
The luncheon, with the theme “Giving is Always in Season,” will honor businesses, groups and individuals for their philanthropic activities.
Submissions must be completed by May 30 at npdoc.org.