Fair Game

By TOM JOHNSON

Local group announces major fundraising strides toward assuming sole jurisdiction of our Harbor

Some 175 community leaders, harbor residents and elected officials gathered at the Balboa Bay Resort yesterday for a kickoff luncheon acknowledging the fundraising success of the Newport Harbor Foundation (NHF). The NHF announced that they’ve raised more than $275,000 to support an effort to have the Newport Beach Police, Fire and Harbormaster assume sole jurisdiction over controlling our harbor.

What made the $275,000 announcement even more exciting was the fact that an anonymous donor gave a matching gift, immediately making it $550,000.

Former Newport Beach Mayor and current City Councilmember Marshall “Duffy” Duffield was also recognized at the luncheon for his longtime service to the community and in particular to the harbor. The timing, coincidentally, celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Duffy Electric Boat.

“Today, I was touched by the community’s outpouring of financial support for my family business and Newport Harbor – the heart of our city. Now the hard work of ‘Taking Back Our Harbor’ begins,” said Councilmember Duffield.

Duffy built his first electric boat as a 16 year old growing up on Newport Harbor. Then, over the next half-century, Duffy followed up building and delivering 30,000 Duffy Boats throughout the world. 

So, what’s ahead for the NHF? In 2019, a group of concerned Newport Harbor residents organized, recognizing “decades of benign-neglect of the harbor and the need to begin creating our own Harbor Public Safety Department. The Foundation plans to purchase a fire boat and four patrol boats to jump start the effort. This is the first step to “Taking Back Our Harbor.” 

Why do it?

Duffy said, “We want to make our harbor healthier, cleaner and to get the public educated on what makes this harbor so special.”

The harbor is one of Orange County’s most popular tourist destinations. It is a thriving economy that is home to more than 1,000 businesses that employ nearly 10,000 workers. Charter cruises, ferry services, shipyards, fueling facilities, sailing, fishing, as well as retail stores and hotels combine to generate $1 billion in annual economic activity. 

Improving the harbor’s ecosystem will be one of NHF’s primary missions. According to a press release from the Newport Harbor Foundation, “Without constant dredging and proper management, our harbor will deteriorate over time. Working with the city, the Newport Harbor Foundation will provide the resources to improve our treasured asset for future generations.”

NHF Chairman Dennis Durgan, who is also a former harbormaster, pointed out that the harbor is made up of 25 miles of shoreline, home to 9,900 boats and 1,200 mooring, yet Newport Beach rests in the second position of control to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

That’s all expected to reverse once the fire and police boats are purchased and the start-up funding of some $2.5 million is attained.

To find out more and make this dream of many become the reality, go to https://NewportHarborFoundation.org.

As a post-script to the luncheon, Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon did a nice job handling the emcee chores, while Durgan offered up his comments on the NHF efforts, Mayor Brad Avery “properly” introduced “Duffy,” while City Councilmember Will O’Neill presented “Duffy” with recognition for his long-time service.

Then, the audience was entertained by “Duffy” with the stories of his years on the water and the creation of his company.

And, just for good measure, the original Duffy Boat (1967) was on display at the entrance to the luncheon.

• • •

In 2003, the City of Newport Beach adopted the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines’ combat unit out of Camp Pendleton. What did that mean? Well, when these young men and women were away fighting for and protecting our freedoms, we were assisting their families back home here with emergency needs and social programs.

In order to continue this effort, the Newport Beach 1st Battalion 1st Marines Foundation was established to allow additional assistance through ongoing fundraising efforts. The mission was simple, “to provide charitable assistance and relief for the 1/1 Battalion and their family members who became injured, ill, distressed or some other way came to need assistance.”

Recently however, the Foundation was called upon to shift gears and to now handle the receipt and distribution of donations for the 2/1 Marines. These monies are for the families recently devastated by the August 26 terrorist attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan. I’ve added the photo below to remind you of that fateful event.

The Foundation is now seeking the community’s assistance in ongoing efforts and would like to direct everyone to www.oneonemarines.com to learn more and perhaps make a donation to the 2/1 Marines.

Courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps and

Jason Minto, U.S. Air Force

A solemn time as the fallen begin their final ride home

• • •

Changes are afoot at the Orange County Fairgrounds. One of their more prominent users over the years has been the Crossroads of the West Gun Show that has regularly hosted events dating back to 1995.

No more.

Effective January 1, 2022, the fairgrounds will no longer allow gun shows courtesy of SB 264, introduced by Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine) and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Council contemplates rebuilding Newport Pier, rehabilitating McFadden Plaza, surrounding area

By SARA HALL

A discussion this week posed the idea of rebuilding the aging Newport Pier and, as part of a larger master plan idea, possibly adding some resident- and visitor-serving amenities and improving the nearby area.

City Council held a study session Tuesday, Oct. 12 on the potential rehabilitation of Newport Pier, McFadden Plaza and the ocean front parking lot.

Councilmember Diane Dixon, whose district covers the Balboa Peninsula, suggested studying it holistically, in a master plan-type structure, forming a committee to study the project further as well as starting to explore possible options. They should look at other piers to see how they were built and then draw in visitors with the surrounding area, she added. 

They want to preserve and protect the cultural and historical aspect of the pier, Dixon said, but that doesn’t mean they have to replicate the old design, she said. Residents can get creative in what they want to see down there.

“Get the community to envision what this area could be,” Dixon said. Aim “to have a vision that could be open to new things.”

Dixon, who has long advocated for the improvement of the area, said they’ve discussed looking at it in a bigger picture, master plan approach for several years. These projects need to be done and have been identified in the CIP process, she said, but it’s really important to think long term about what needs to be done to invest in the area over the next five to seven years.

“It’s for our residents, it’s for our visitors, it’s for the long-term health of our city,” Dixon said. 

A rough concept of designs for a master plan is a great place to start, agreed Mayor Brad Avery.

“It’s time to shoot high, in terms of creativity and maximum usage. Give people lots of options of ways to enjoy getting out over the water, because that’s what it’s really about for folks,” Avery said. “It changes your entire perspective when you walk out on the pier. People tend to want to linger, have a drink, have a meal, have something to eat, and make it a very social place. I think it’s great.” 

It might be a long way to the finish line, certainly in terms of the timeline and funding it, he added, and they have to describe the way forward with community input. Ultimately, they’ll have a great plan, Avery said. 

Most councilmembers seemed to lean toward the idea of building a new pier. Although what that might look like is entirely up in the air.

Based on the council’s discussion, the new pier could have a Ferris wheel or parking on the pier itself, with a new restaurant at the end, and other amenities. There was some discussion if it should be wood or concrete. There was mention that the pier could be raised at the end and ramp down, or the entire thing raised (it doesn’t meet the current height standard to stay above the large swells). Or maybe the restaurant could be moved forward, particularly if the lifeguard building is reduced. The plaza and neighboring street front could be refreshed. The parking definitely needs to be improved.

There will likely be challenges with funding, historical components, and legal and bureaucratic hurdles.

Ultimately, council agreed it needs to be done and want to see what some possible master plan designs could potentially look like.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Kevin Pellon (Instagram @socalsnapz)

The city is looking into rebuilding Newport Pier and rehabilitating McFadden Plaza

Deputy Public Works Director/City Engineer Jim Houlihan shared some very rough estimated costs, including to replace the entire pier (with a higher height and using concrete) could cost about $20 million.

Other rough cost estimates: $200,000 to remove the existing restaurant; $3 million to construct a new 6,230-square-foot restaurant building; $2.5 million to repair/replace just the end of the pier; $2 million to redesign and replace McFadden Plaza; $1.5 million to replace the pier public restrooms; $4 million to replace the lifeguard headquarters on a smaller footprint; $750,000 to refurbish the Dory Fleet facility; $2-$3 million to redesign/replace the oceanfront parking lot; and $2 million to separate the bicycle path between 15th and 36th streets.

It’s one of the busiest and oldest locations in the city, Houlihan noted. Hundreds of thousands of people come through that area every year, on top of the elements wearing it down.

The current CIP includes a project to demolish the existing restaurant building, replace most or all of the piles at the end of the pier and build a new foundation for a future restaurant building.

On Tuesday, in a straw vote, council unanimously agreed to demolish the restaurant building. A deck will be placed to cover the space and anything else will be put on hold as the city works through the new master plan process and decides what to do with the area. 

Another project currently in the CIP includes a study to look at improving pedestrian and bicycle circulation through the oceanfront parking lot and McFadden Square area. 

The facility finance plan also calls for the replacement of the lifeguard headquarters in the near future. It’s about 10-15 years out, Houlihan noted. 

Houlihan went over the history of the various facilities in the area.

Most of the surrounding buildings around the parking lot were built in the 1920s and 1930s, some are more than 100 years old, Houlihan noted. 

McFadden Plaza has been expanded over the years, including adding the centennial monument and the Ben Carlson statue. The last major rehabilitation project was more than 30 years ago.

Newport Pier is more than 80 years old, originally built in the late 1800s and rebuilt in 1940. 

This is where it all started, Councilmember Marshall “Duffy” Duffield said, while the historical aspect of it is interesting, it doesn’t show that the city is growing or thinking of the future.

“The thing is going to fall down, obviously,” Duffield said. “It needs to be replaced.”

The city spends more than $150,000 every year on maintenance, Houlihan said, more if any major work is needed to remove/replace damaged or falling wood piles and support beams. The pilings often get washed out and crews have to “gingerly” replace them, he explained. They’ve had to do that almost yearly in the last four or five years.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of the City of Newport Beach

Newport Pier and surrounding area in 1987

The restaurant was built in 1989, but the last operator closed its doors in 2012. It’s now dilapidated and no longer functional, Houlihan said. 

“It is falling apart,” he said. “That’s one of the items we really want to get on and take care of in the near future.”

Councilmember Noah Blom, who, along with Dixon, requested the study session, said the area has a lot of great assets. But there are a multitude of issues in the area, he said, and improving it will make it better for the city at large. The current condition of the pier and empty restaurant is “shameful” for Newport Beach, he said. 

“(The pier) does not suit who we are as a city,” Blom said, with a “dilapidated, unused, almost condemned building sitting at the end.”

He spends a lot of time on the boardwalk and loves the area.

“I want to see us be the best Newport we can be,” Blom said. 

The pier has been frustrating for a lot of local residents, including herself, Dixon said. They got so close to having Bluewater Grill in the restaurant space, she noted, but it was never fully finalized. It’s a great opportunity, she added, it just hasn’t worked out.

Staff had also previously suggested possibly widening the pier just before the end in order to accommodate restaurant infrastructure.

“There’s a lot of different ways to look at what we can do to enhance serving visitors, enhance the resident experience and enhance the public access experience,” Dixon said. 

Although it will be challenging to create something dramatically different, she noted, because parking is such a tough issue.

Other piers, like Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, park cars on the actual pier.

“I can’t imagine cars parking on a pier, but they do,” said Duffield, who mentioned the SB pier. “I’ve driven on it and parked.”

The Santa Barbara pier is the “lifeblood” of the city, he said.

“If we had a stellar, hall of fame pier, with all these great amenities, people would come,” Duffield said. “It would work, (but) how do you get it off the ground?”

They also need to find out management, permittees and other pertinent information about the Dory Fleet, Duffield said, since they are at the center of the area the city wants to redevelop. They may not want to move or change anything, he added. 

There are likely historical hurdles as well, said Public Works Director Dave Webb. And they might deal with some difficulties with the California Coastal Commission, although the pier provides public access, he noted, and they could use this project to enhance that aspect.

Funding such a large project may also be a challenge, several agreed. Dixon suggested looking into federal grants or available funds.

And any project that rebuilds the pier will have to consider, as staff discovered in their research, that it’s currently too low.

“It doesn’t meet the height standard for waves,” Webb explained. “When they built the piers back then they really didn’t consider how much waves swell.”

Webb was in Huntington Beach when that pier was rebuilt, and it had been destroyed when the waves came up from below, he said. At the time, they raised the pier height and put it on concrete pillars, he explained.

If Newport Beach were to replace the pier at some time in the future the recommendation would be to raise it “out of that swell zone,” Webb said. 

There are also questions about the size, shape, location, fishing space, restaurant location, more views, parking, historical storefronts and more, Webb said. 

It’s a slow process, Webb pointed out, suggesting a subcommittee to get the ball rolling. 

“There’s a lot of public input and a lot of moving parts,” Webb said. “There really are a lot of big choices.” 

It can be component-driven, Webb said, and worked through as needed. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of the City of Newport Beach

Newport Pier and the Balboa Peninsula

There was also concern about incorporating work on improving the boardwalk.

“This sounds fabulous, obviously,” Councilmember Joy Brenner said, “but I have a concern about the boardwalk because when we’re talking about the peninsula, that’s where we get the concerns from the residents about the safety of people.”

The overall plan should be broken down into manageable pieces and prioritized, Brenner suggested. 

“That is one of my top priorities,” she said. 

It’s a liability issue and residents continually ask about the boardwalk, she added.

There are definitely some issues with the bicycle path, Avery agreed, incorporating it sooner rather than later would be good. 

The circulation through the plaza area could definitely be worked on through this project and that could lead to the rest of the boardwalk plan. It doesn’t all have to be done at once, Webb said.

Although councilmembers have had opposing opinions in the past about a second trail or extended boardwalk.

The supportive direction from the council on Tuesday is a different tune from how a majority voted on a related project earlier this year. The earlier discussion focused on the boardwalk whereas this week’s study session concentrated on the pier.   

On June 22, a council majority rejected an agreement with IBI Group, Inc. for concept development of the Oceanfront Boardwalk Improvement Project, which included improvements for McFadden Square and the parking lot. Dixon, Brenner and Avery supported the project, while Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon, and councilmembers Duffield, Blom and Will O’Neill opposed.

Most of the concern at the time was about the cost of the contract and the idea of splitting or expanding the boardwalk and the California Coastal Commission’s involvement.

The proposed contract with the Irvine-based company had a not-to-exceed price of $283,015, although Dixon proposed cutting it down to $210,000.

During Tuesday’s study session although there was concern, councilmembers supported looking further into the idea.

Although one public speaker thought it might be best to tone it down a little.

It’s a very busy area, said West Newport resident George Lesley. The main restriction is parking and general maintenance and cleaning. It has a certain old Newport charm, he said, and warned about over-modernizing the area. 

“People are coming in droves,” Lesley said. “I’m a little concerned about the idea of ‘Let’s really revamp the whole area.’ To me, that’s a bad idea. It’s very popular as it is.”

~~~~~~~~

Sara Hall covers City Hall and is a regular contributor to Stu News Newport.

Take Five: Meet Suzanne Joe Kai, Newport Beach filmmaker and part of NBFF

By AMY SENK

The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is around the corner – October 21-28, and I know one film that is on my must-see list: Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres. I’m a longtime admirer of Fong-Torres, and I was thrilled to learn the filmmaker is Newport Beach resident Suzanne Joe Kai, an Emmy-nominated broadcast journalist who studied documentary film at Stanford University and was featured in an earlier NB Film Festival with her short, The Last Line, about Star Wars fans. Her new film already is getting rave reviews, and I was lucky to be able to catch up with Kai to learn more. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Photos courtesy of Suzanne Joe Kai

Suzanne Joe Kai

Q: How did Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres come to life?

A: Ben and I knew each other as professional colleagues. He at Rolling Stone magazine, and I was a young staff television news reporter at KRON TV, which was the NBC television affiliate in San Francisco. We were all very young. I was one of the first three Asian American faces as broadcast journalists on-camera at a major network television affiliate in San Francisco; I was probably 21 or 22 when I became a staff reporter. The two others were Christopher Chow at KPIX TV (CBS) and David Louie at KGO TV (ABC). In fact, David is still broadcasting at KGO today. But Ben was at Rolling Stone magazine and in radio as well as television years before all of us. Fast forward, Ben contacts me that he is flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles to meet with “Q” and would I be able to meet after that. Of course, I said yes. So over dinner, I just simply wondered out loud, “You appear in rock and roll documentaries, but there’s no documentary about you?” Ben, I remember simply said, “Then why not do one?” So that was it. By the way, “Q” turned out to be Quincy Jones. I had just finished The Last Line, a fun short 28-minute award-winning documentary film about the inside world of Star Wars fans and it did great at festivals in the U.S. and Europe. In fact, it premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Another festival surprised me by inviting Storm Troopers to march in the streets of London to welcome my film. 

Q: What were the biggest challenges and surprises in making the film?

A: Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres is my first feature-length documentary film. I didn’t realize there can be such a huge difference between making a short, 28-minute film and a feature length documentary film. The surprises were many. I originally approached it as a fun and entertaining rock-and-roll film centered around Ben’s life story, and it still is – but when I started to do the original source interviews, every single interview I did was a revelation. Then I realized Ben’s true story is very profound. I interviewed insiders at Rolling Stone magazine, rock stars, the music industry, community members and his family. I blocked myself from reading or seeing any films related to Ben or Rolling Stone magazine until after I finished my first phase of research. Then I started to look at what was already out in the public. To my surprise, most of what I filmed with the insider sources was not in any books or films. Challenges – that would make a list too long. The lucky thing is that early on, our film won documentary fellowships, like Film Independent’s Documentary Lab, NALIP.org’s Producer’s Lab, and the Producers Guild of America’s Power of Diversity Workshop, which is a multi-week intensive mentorship. I met amazing filmmakers who would become my advisers and executive producers for our film, so I am very lucky that our film has people with years of experience to help me guide our film to the finishing line.

Q: Why was this an important story to be told, and what do you want the audience to take away from this film?

A: I made this documentary about Ben Fong-Torres to correct an omission in our American history. I did a deep dive researching and filming more than 120 shoots over 12 years to find Ben’s extraordinary story. It’s a fun and entertaining film, but it became a bigger mission. Not only was Ben the first editor in charge of music coverage at Rolling Stone magazine, helping to shape American culture, he also broke the color barrier as America’s first editor at a national magazine of Chinese American descent. Ben’s true story has been lost for 50-plus years. This shocking lapse affects a lot – including our American, California, San Francisco, music, journalism, cultural and ethnic histories. It affects current and future generations, in a world of too few inspiring role models. Ben’s life directly intersects with the youth revolution of the ‘60s and its ideals of free speech, civil rights and its quest for truth and honesty. Now, more than 50 years later, we find ourselves still facing the same challenges today. There are many elements in the film that we can learn from Ben’s story that can positively affect people from all backgrounds. Plus, Ben shatters all of those negative Asian American caricatures and stereotypes that have been projected by mainstream media and Hollywood for years. His American story is one of very few about a central subject who is Asian American in a feature length documentary film with the potential to attract a wide general audience. With signs of change for more diversity, equality and inclusion in our world, I hope my documentary will entertain – and in entertaining – as well as educate audiences from all backgrounds to Ben Fong-Torres, whose real-life story can inspire us as human beings and help foster positive change to bring people together.

Click on photo for a larger image

Suzanne Joe Kai’s documentary world premieres at the 2020-21 Tribeca Film Festival 

Q: What was it like premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival?

A: The in-person screen at Tribeca was huge – multi-stories high. It took a lot of hard work with our film team to make our deadlines and there we were. We made it…staring at this huge screen. All I cared about was that there would not be any tech glitches with the screening. And Ben had invited a lot of his colleagues from his early years at Rolling Stone, so I wanted their feedback. It was supposed to rain that day, but luckily the whole film screened pitch perfect with no rain, and just as the credits started there began a sprinkling of rain. That was just as I was thinking of the people I missed who couldn’t be at our screening, including my documentary professor at Stanford, who had passed away and has been a guiding light throughout my adult life. Then just as the rain sprinkles started, they stopped. So, I wondered if that was a wink from the heavens, saying, “We are here with you.” The amazing thing is the reaction to the film. Ben’s more than 20 Rolling Stone colleagues who saw the film said I portrayed Ben accurately. Another said I nailed it. Press reviews and mentions, as well as audience comments have been positive.

Q: What advice would you give an aspiring filmmaker?

A: To just go out and make films. Short ones, long ones. Cell phones are becoming more sophisticated, in fact, one of the major scenes has footage from my cell phone. It’s sometimes when our professional film crew has packed up already, that the people we came to interview continue and really have fun, so luckily those precious moments were captured on my cell phone.

Editor’s note: “Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres” will be screened at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22. For more information and complete film schedules, visit www.newportbeachfilmfest.com.

~~~~~~~~

Amy Senk is a long-time resident of Corona del Mar and a regular contributor to Stu News Newport.

Guest Letter

Will O’Neill 

City Council member, District 7

Newport Beach’s financial rebound

Courtesy City of NB

Will O’Neill

I will never forget our city’s March 12, 2020 Finance Committee meeting. The Minutes state that our Finance Director “reported COVID-19 has changed the budget strategy.” That turned out to be an understatement.

Our city’s Finance Committee and City Council took swift action. We had three months left in our 2019/20 fiscal year and reduced our general fund budget’s expectation from $231.4 million to $217.9 million. This revenue reduction needed expenditure reduction too, which we quickly adopted.

The pandemic hit right as we were ramping up our budget planning for our 2020/2021 fiscal year too. As “two weeks to flatten the curve” stretched longer, we drastically reduced our budget expectations. 

Fortunately, our budget relies heavily on property taxes. This fairly consistent revenue source does not yo-yo like other taxes thanks to the stability built into the system by Prop 13. Sales tax and the hotel bed tax (“TOT”) are the most reactive to system shocks. A city like Anaheim, for example, was always going to take a harder fiscal hit due to its reliance on tourism at Disneyland and the convention center. 

Despite approximately half our budget relying on the consistent revenue source, we still reduced our revenue expectations from $231.4 million to $199.6 million; a nearly 14 percent reduction.

Which meant that we needed to close the revenue and expenditure gap. Giving credit to our City Manager and Finance Director, the Finance Committee recommended that the City Council adopt a “tiered” short-term budget reduction strategy that required quarterly review to move up or down the tiers depending on city revenues.

We prioritized public safety and never defunded any portion of our police, fire, or lifeguard departments.

We had also accumulated surplus funds from fiscal years 2018/19 and 2019/20 of $24.1 million (typically used to pay for one-time neighborhood enhancements and pay down long-term liabilities) in addition to the $52.6 million reserve to ward against this kind of “black swan” event. Thanks to this accumulation, we needed to use only a small fraction of the reserve to balance our budget, which we re-filled before the 20/21 fiscal year was out.

Throughout the 20/21 fiscal year, we carefully monitored our tax and fee collection. As the economy lifted up, so too did our sales taxes and TOT. The stronger-than-expected revenues allowed us to put $15.9 million back into the city’s capital program and roll back some of the service cuts.

Yesterday (Oct. 14), the city’s Finance Committee met to discuss how we ended the 2020/21 fiscal year. The tone was markedly different than our meeting from nearly nineteen months ago.

Our expenditures remained well below the pre-COVID budget figures and solidly below our revised budget, resulting in savings of $7 million. With better-than-expected revenues, too, our budget surplus coming out of the unstable fiscal year 2020/21 is projected to be an eye-popping $31 million.

Now, a few caveats must be explained. First, this is really three years of accumulated budget surplus. Only $7 million of that is from this past year, while the remaining $24 million is from prior years’ surpluses that we held as a backstop to the pandemic economy. Second, we did not rely on any of this money to balance our 2021/22 budget. Third, this is one-time money. Which means that as a matter of policy we should not use this to add recurring costs to our city.

Instead, we can and should use this money to further pay down long-term liabilities (pension obligations and future facilities replacement costs) and fund our future investments in capital improvement projects and neighborhood enhancements. This approach will remain consistent with our City Council policies.

I thank everyone in our community whose resilience through this past year has placed us and our business community in better footing going forward. I thank our City Council and Finance Committee for their efforts to monitor and adopt proactive and reactive budgeting processes. And, I thank our City Manager and staff for their diligence throughout last year.

We are indeed a resilient city built on firm foundations of community bonds. #NewportStrong

Will O’Neill is the Chair of the Newport Beach Finance Committee, a current City Council Member, and was Mayor of Newport Beach in 2020.

Festival of OC Chefs benefiting KidWorks a huge success

Festival of OC Chefs, benefiting KidWorks, hosted its first culinary event on Sunday, Oct. 3 at Newport Beach Country Club. 

The food festival, which featured 25 chefs, invited 425 guests to mingle and sample their fare. Renowned wineries, such as Duckhorn, JCB, Justin and Crown Point, were also a part of the mix. Guests were later seated on the lawn to sample desserts and be introduced to the chefs by MC DawnMarie Kotsonis. Chef Event Chair Pascal Olhats introduced Honorary Chef, Lindsay Smith-Rosales of Nirvana Grille, Laguna Beach, who has been featured as a celebrity chef on Food Network’s Chopped. She credited Olhats as her mentor.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photos by Tony Lattimore

(L-R) Newport Beach Country Club Host Chef Graeme Blair, Event Chef Chair Pascal Olhats and Honorary Chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales

Chefs representing Newport Beach restaurants included Host Chef Graeme Blair and Lead Chef Rachel Putnam, Newport Beach Country Club; Robert Gomez, A Restaurant; Jacob Davis, Balboa Bay Resort; Victor Soto, Cannery Seafood of the Pacific; Elvis Morales, CdM Restaurant; Andy Arndt, Newport Beach Marriott; Kyung Carroll and Zack Kasara, Pelican Hill Resort; and Riley Huddleston, The Mayor’s Table Pacific Pub + Kitchen.

Click on photo for a larger image

(L-R) Newport Beach residents and event co-chairs Tracy and Kevin Murphy, Lisa and Cory Alder, and Kyle and David Team

Kidworks’ board member and event co-chair Cory Alder shared the Kidworks’ story. Involved with the charity for 15 years, he lauded the nonprofit’s academic support, character and leadership development programs that empowers students in Orange County’s underserved neighborhoods from pre-K through their college years. He said the key was involving the entire family to ensure the student’s success. “We are most proud of the fact that 100% of our high school graduates enroll in college or university,” he stated.

Click on photo for a larger image

Newport Beach residents, event committee members/sponsors Ruben and Heidi Mendoza 

The Presenting Sponsors Kay Family Foundation, represented by Ethan Kay and the David A. Pyle Family, represented by Annie Pyle, were honored for their ongoing KidWorks support.

Fun was had as guests joined the Heads or Tails Game, with one guest left standing. The very happy winner, Newport Beach resident John Cornuke, guest of Natalie and Todd Pickup, received $500 in cash, which he promptly donated back to KidWorks. Newport Beach resident Bob Parsons was the winner of the 50-bottle premium wine tree raffle, donated by Mona Lee Nesseth and valued at $4,000.

Click on photo for a larger image

Newport Beach residents, event committee members/sponsors Camille & Tim Strader Jr., who is also a KidWorks board member

The event co-chairs included Lisa and Cory Alder, Tracy and Kevin Murphy and Kyle and David Team, with committee members Joey Booth, Darin and Jeff Garell, Nina and Ethan Kay, Heidi and Ruben Mendoza, Connie and David Oh, Camille and Tim Strader Jr., Eleanor and Tim Tang, and Sue and Nick Willett. Also attending were Board Chair Adrian Montero and KidWork’s CEO/Executive Director David Benevides. KM Productions was thanked for producing the event. 

Click on photo for a larger image

CdM Restaurant Chef Elvis Morales

Following a generous Fund-A-Need portion, which helped boost net proceeds to more than $640,00, the band, Flashback Heart Attack, took the heartfelt evening home. 

Click on photo for a larger image

The Mayor’s Table at Lido House Chef Riley Huddleston

Ante Up for Autism gala raises $900,000

The 15th Annual Ante Up for Autism gala and casino night took place last month at the Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach. The Autism Community in Action (TACA), headquartered in Newport Beach, surpassed their fundraising goal by bringing in an impressive $900,000.

TACA’s mission is to provide education, support and hope to families living with autism. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of TACA

(L-R) Dan Carney, Glen Ackerman and Keith Banning 

Supporters for the evening included TACA Founder and Executive Director Lisa Ackerman, Master of Ceremonies actor Johnathon Schaech, event co-chairs and board members Keith Banning and Dan Carney, TACA Autism Ambassadors Jonathan Hallstead and Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, along with many others gathering in person safely and responsibly, while the evening program was also live streamed to viewing parties hosted throughout the country. 

Click on photo for a larger image

(L-R) Vicki Carney, Todd Spitzer and Kelly Ernby enjoying the gala and casino night

Major sponsors of Ante Up for Autism included the Warne Foundation and Broadcast Presenting Sponsor, Oldham Global. 

TACA was established in 2000, when numbers showed that one in 500 children were diagnosed with autism. Today, rates have dramatically increased. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) most recent report states that one in 54 children has autism. 

Click on photo for a larger image

(L-R) Glenn Ackerman and Master of Ceremonies actor Johnathon Schaech

Funds raised enable TACA to annually provide services to more than 75,000 affected. On average, 600 parents and caregivers reach out to TACA every month for help. 

TACA offers free educational meetings, webinars, a parent mentor program, an online Hope and Help support group, scholarships, annual National Autism Conferences and a free Autism Journey Guide given to newly diagnosed families. 

Click on photo for a larger image

(L-R) Daneen Green, Celena Hallstead and Karen Lederman

TACA also has a strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. For more information, visit https://tacanow.org/ante-up-for-autism-2021/.

Turbulent times for Southwest Airlines this past weekend

By GARY SHERWIN

Southwest Airlines, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do.

News headlines were fixated this week on the operational meltdown at the fabled airline, which is continually bragging about its love for the customer.

More than 2,000 flights were inexplicably cancelled throughout last weekend, more than 29 percent of its schedule, leaving passengers stranded and essentially on their own. And my wife and I were two of them.

Why? Well, no one is really fessing up, but there were rumors of a rogue bunch of pilots who staged an informal sickout to protest an upcoming vaccine requirement. The Pilot’s Union denied that claim and Southwest management blamed the snafu on bad weather in Florida. That might have been a plausible excuse except that no other airline apparently had the same problem.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of Visit Newport Beach

Gary Sherwin

We had gone to Kansas City over the weekend to visit our daughter, but it was clear that when we arrived at the airport to go home on Sunday, this would not be a smooth trip. After loading the plane, the pilot announced that there was a problem with two of the luggage bins and maintenance would have to come fix it. It would take three minutes, he said.

Twenty minutes later, a mechanic came onboard and put two pieces of tape on the bins and walked out. We waited some more. The pilot said that maintenance still hadn’t completed the paperwork. He said another three minutes. After a long delay, the mechanic came back with a ballpoint pen and wrote on the tape “Do Not Open” and walked out. Forty-five minutes later, we finally departed after maintenance finally signed the papers. I guess that epic penmanship on the tape did the trick.

The delay caused us to miss our connecting flight in Dallas. Love Field is the headquarters for Southwest and the terminal was in bedlam when we arrived with hundreds of angry customers scrambling to figure out their flights. Due to the chaos, you couldn’t use your app to rebook. You had to stand in a long line and deal with a live person.

When we finally spoke with a gate agent, he acknowledged the apparent sickout although that wasn’t what corporate was saying. The airline had automatically rebooked us on a return flight two days later, which was a no-go for us.

After two standby efforts failed, we finally got a plane home to Los Angeles, not Orange County and an Uber ride home with a driver who was literally falling asleep at the wheel when we arrived after midnight.

If you travel enough, you will rack up these kinds of stories in your life. But what was so troubling is that Southwest, a leader in customer service, failed so spectacularly in an area they normally excel at. Many people list Southwest as one of their favorite airlines.

Some have speculated that the airline is already suffering from the nation’s labor shortage, and they had just enough people and planes to operate but that if there was an unofficial sickout, that would be enough to cause havoc. However, union officials blamed the airline’s internal operating and scheduling systems as the culprit. 

During a time that the country is suffering with logistical issues into our ports causing empty store shelves and backed up orders, this was another example of something we expect to work but instead failed miserably.

Most troubling, it does cast a shadow on the upcoming holiday travel season. If employees choose to quit their airline jobs rather than get vaccinated, that will put more pressure on the system when travel is often at its peak.

Airlines like United and American are also enforcing vaccine mandates but so far have avoided the pushback from its pilots and crew. Nearly all United employees are now fully vaccinated, and their schedule normally proceeded this weekend.

Of course, no one is saying if there was a work slowdown, real or imagined. Southwest is playing coy and that is what is most frustrating.

While I was sitting at Love Field, I noticed a word cloud painted on a wall that stated Southwest’s core values. They highlighted “Feel the Luv,” and “Our Customers Make our Heart Beat.” They also prominently featured the manufactured phrase “Transfarency” which means their fares are clear and understandable, but also that the company is transparent in its dealings with customers.

Yeah, not so much this weekend. Crises happen to most companies at some point, but how you respond to it during these rough times are a telling sign that companies can live their values and not just paint them on a wall. A little straight talk would have been appreciated especially for us passengers flying with them this week.

But Southwest wasn’t talking, walking, or flying much over the past week and that’s regrettable for a company that was one of the few airlines still in the sky that purportedly cared about the customer and made flying a little fun. In fact, had they been candid about what happened, they would have left a better impression with their customers than denying it or sweeping it under the rug.

Southwest likes to talk about feeling the love. But there was none of that over the past week and most disappointing is that they appear uninterested in fixing the problem anytime soon.

Gary Sherwin is President & CEO of Visit Newport Beach and Newport Beach & Company.

Newport Beach Foundation soiree up on Lido House rooftop

The Newport Beach Foundation is holding its 2nd Annual Rooftop Soiree “with a view” up on the Lido House Topside Roof Deck. On Wednesday, Nov. 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., come connect, network and hang out with other young professionals for a beautiful evening and a great time.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of Lido House

Lido House Topside Roof Deck

Tickets, which are $65, can be purchased here. Each ticket includes food and one drink. The attire is business casual. This event is going to sell out quickly! Their charitable partner is the Marine 1/1 Foundation.

The Newport Beach Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic organization strengthening the current and future community leadership through education, research and advocacy thereby enhancing the quality of life for all residents and visitors. For more information and to get involved, visit www.nb-foundation.org.

Lido House, Autograph Collection is located at 3300 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach.

Hoag welcomes renowned cardiac surgeon Timothy Lee, M.D., M.S.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced that specialty trained and highly skilled cardiothoracic surgeon Timothy Lee, M.D., M.S. joined the Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute at Hoag on October 4. 

 Having built a practice around personalized cardiac care in San Francisco, Dr. Lee comes to Hoag with extensive experience in minimally invasive surgeries, all arterial coronary artery bypass surgeries, the repair and replacement of heart valves and clinical trial research. He is double-board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of Hoag

Timothy Lee, M.D., M.S.

Dr. Lee graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University before earning his master’s degree in clinical and translational research and his medical degree from the University of Michigan. He performed his internship and residency at New York University School of Medicine, where he received cardiothoracic surgery fellowship training and served as chief fellow and administrative chief. His research has been published in many peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Lee joins renowned cardiac surgeons Anthony Caffarelli, M.D., F.A.C.C., Newkirk Family Endowed Chair in Aortic Care, director of Hoag Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Elaine & Robert Matranga Aortic Center and Asad Shah, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.S., co-director of Hoag Cardiothoracic Surgery at Newport Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery. Hoag officials said Dr. Lee’s patient-centric approach to care make him the right fit for the team.

“Dr. Lee possesses the intellect, drive, compassion and expertise that patients have come to expect with Hoag’s cardiac care,” said Robert T. Braithwaite, president and CEO of Hoag. “We believe he will be an asset to our patients and to our community, and we are excited for Dr. Lee to join the Hoag team.”

The San Francisco native said he is looking forward to working with an institution that is recognized as one of the top cardiovascular hospitals in the nation.

“Hoag’s reputation for innovation makes it one of the premier places to work as a cardiothoracic surgeon,” Dr. Lee said. “I’m looking forward to joining this cutting-edge team.”

The Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute at Hoag is one of the preeminent cardiovascular centers on the West Coast, and is well respected for delivering quality care and exceptional patient outcomes in the areas of valve disease, vascular disease and cardiac arrhythmia. It has achieved international and national accreditation for many of its programs. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.

Police Files

National Teen Driver Safety Week is a good time to make certain that driving is being done safely

As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week that runs October 17-23, the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) reminds parents and guardians of the importance of talking to their teen(s) about driving responsibly and safely.

Driving remains the most dangerous activity for teens. Per mile driven, teen drivers are nearly four times as likely to be involved in a crash as drivers in all other age groups. 

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), speeding was a factor in 43 percent of all teen driver and passenger fatalities from 2015 to 2019, compared to approximately 30 percent of all traffic deaths among adults 20 and older.

“Like most skills, experience and training make you better and more prepared as a driver,” NBPD Lieutenant Ryan Peters said. “Teen drivers are naturally inexperienced and more likely to take risks and pick up bad habits, which is why it is important for parents and caregivers to play an active role in instilling safe driving habits in their teen.”

The NBPD offers the following tips to parents and guardians for starting conversations about safe driving with teens:

–Provisional Driver’s License: Learn about California’s provisional licensing law, which places restrictions on passengers and driving at night during the first year they have a license.

–Lead by example: Have driving sessions with your teen. Tell, but also show your teen how to drive safely.

–Set ground rules: Be firm on rules such as no phone use, being distracted by friends, always following the speed limit and always buckling up.

–Sober driving: Emphasize the importance of never driving under the influence or riding with someone who has been drinking.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Bike safety meeting scheduled Monday at NHHS

The Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) invites residents to join them for a meeting to discuss bicycle safety. Parents of school-age children in the area are especially encouraged to attend. 

The meeting will take place in the gym at Newport Harbor High School at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18. 

Topics covered will be information about electric bikes, rules of the road, safety equipment, NBPD’s enforcement efforts and preventing bike thefts.

Letters to the Editor

Trust the voters to Elect Our Mayor

I respect the difficult decision it must take to run for City Council. Fundraising, knocking on doors, going to debate after debate and taking a beating sometimes on social media. So even when I disagree with the candidate, I respect the effort.

None of that effort exists, though, to become Mayor of Newport Beach. Once a person becomes a City Councilmember, they become one of only seven people eligible to become Mayor. 

Voters are trusted to choose City Councilmembers. We should be trusted to Elect Our Mayor. 

The initiative to do that is exactly right. Voters get to choose. Candidates would have to convince us, not just a few of their colleagues. 

Accountability, transparency and trust will all be improved if we can Elect Our Mayor.

Brandi Bagley

Corona del Mar 

Don’t like the idea of the Elect The Mayor proposal being possibly agendized by council

It was rumored that a sizable number of proponents were going to attend Tuesday’s, Oct. 12th City Council meeting to support Councilmember Will O’Neill’s Elect a Mayor plan. However, the supporters never materialized, leaving instead an audience primarily of opponents. It was not unusually large, but sufficient in size to chasten the council members for considering putting the mayoral plan on the discussion calendar for a future date. (O’Neill [reportedly] had abandoned the route of gathering signatures when he realized that doing so was a lengthy and expensive process.)

Not one person in the audience spoke in favor of electing a mayor. Instead, in measured and intelligent speeches, seven community leaders spoke against the proposal citing the fact that electing a mayor should be one vetted by the whole community not just the council before going on the ballot. This, said one speaker, would allow for more careful consideration of the proposal. 

The failure of the proposal to meet the term limits of the city charter, thus allowing the mayor to serve 16 uninterrupted years in leadership instead of eight years, sets an unbelievably long period of control by one person. This long period of leadership coupled with the expanded power that the new proposal would give the mayor in relationship to the council could easily lead to authoritarian rule. 

When it came time to vote, it appeared that Mr. O’Neill had already persuaded the council to support bringing the proposal up for discussion at a future date. My observations of the council members’ faces and gestures indicated to me that they were not overly enthusiastic about their votes or their role. In fact, not one council person commented or spoke to issues brought forth by the audience. 

Giving the council the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they thought that putting the plan on a future agenda would allow them to discuss the proposal at length. Unfortunately, this has not been a successful route in the past for opponents of an issue because public discussion will occur in only one meeting consisting of comments to the council. It excludes the public from any meaningful discussion regarding whether this major attempt to restructure our city government should even make it as far as the ballot.

Lynn Lorenz

Newport Beach

No shortcuts should be used in getting the ballot initiative Elect Our Mayor on the ballot

I am opposed to Councilman Will O’Neill’s initiative to Elect Our Mayor in Newport Beach but that’s only my opinion and some people feel differently. Perhaps our citizens should make sure they fully understand all the underlying facts involved in electing the mayor, but most importantly how Will O’Neill is trying to circumvent the system to get this item airlifted onto a future ballot in the next few weeks. 

Has anyone on the council asked for a thorough financial analysis of what impact this move will have on our city? Adding another layer of government, staffing this layer, adding in retirement costs and benefits all need to be analyzed with costs being projected out over several years. 

Also, this initiative would create a second class of councilmember with less ability to represent his/her constituents because of redistricting which creates a larger number of people to represent and diminishes the importance of neighborhoods, villages and businesses within each district.   

Newport Beach voters approved a term limit of eight years for councilpersons, including the mayor, for a very good reason. Councilman O’Neill’s initiative would allow a councilperson who has served his eight years to then run for mayor, where he could potentially also serve two terms, i.e., another eight years! The councilmembers have term limits, but the proposed elected mayor will serve without term limits.

Mr. O’Neill had 180 days from the date his amendment was certified to obtain 9,000 signatures to put this on the ballot for our citizens to vote on. Apparently, he’s finding that’s not such an easy task. 

I can confirm that it’s not, from my experience getting signatures for the Museum House initiative. It’s a very difficult labor-intensive task but a large group of residents prevailed, and all worked hard together to get it done. It was a community effort.

Mr. O’Neill has now decided to circumvent the system by trying to “persuade” a majority of our City Council to vote yes to put his initiative on the ballot, instead of him getting the necessary 9,000 signatures required. Is that legal? Yes. But does it reflect the will of the people? I don’t think so.   

Whether or not this proposed agenda item appears on the ballot will depend on four votes being received from our City Council. It is also rumored that Will O’Neil has ensured this “on the fence” councilmember that if he votes in favor of this proposed initiative being on a future agenda, he can be assured that his goals for the harbor will be met. 

Mr. O’Neill has a way of getting what he wants with little or no resistance from councilmembers, but please I am pleading with you our elected city councilmembers, to put this item on the ballot only after a thorough and complete public vetting of the reasons for and against this important change to our form of government. Do not let this item be thrown into your laps, our elected City Council in exchange for future favors. 

Why don’t we bring all of this to the community in the form of a series of Study Sessions, or just an old fashion Town Hall. Why not really listen to the community on this issue, rather than basing your decision on one person’s idea of what our form of government should be – without any debate on the issues that are of critical importance to how our city is governed. This decision should not be based on promises and favors. 

In my mind, this should not happen this way. Will O’Neill is trying to arrange things to facilitate long-term control of our city without the messy process of debates and give and take and consent of the people. Yes, democracy is messy but it’s better than the alternative (per Winston Churchill).

Please let’s do this for the people and by the people!

Lynn Swain

Big Canyon

Abba the Concert comes to Segerstrom Hall for one night only

Come dance, come sing for one night only at the ultimate tribute celebration, Abba The Concert “Mamma mia, here I go again…my, my, how can I resist you?”

It might be impossible to resist attending ABBA the Concert one night only at Segerstrom Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Back by popular demand, their performance celebrates such fan-favorites as “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S.,” “Money, Money, Money,” “The Winner Takes All,” “Waterloo,” “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” and “Dancing Queen.”

Click on photo for larger image

Courtesy of scfta.org

“Abba the Concert” takes the stage at Segerstrom Hall on November 2

21st Century Artists, Inc. has presented its ABBA tribute show throughout North America for well over a decade, bringing one of the greatest pop phenomena back to life. According to Senior Director of Music Programming at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Aaron Egigian, “More than anything we need to feel good right now and ABBA the Concert will do exactly that for our audiences.”

Tickets for ABBA the Concert start at $39 and are available for purchase online at www.SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling 714.556.2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings of 10 or more, call the Group Services office at 714.755.0236.

Segerstrom Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Holiday Gift Faire & volunteer cookbook launch at Sherman Library & Gardens

On Thursday, Nov. 4 from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., start your holiday shopping early with free admission that day to the Holiday Gift Faire at Sherman Library & Gardens.

“The Holiday Gift Faire rings in the holiday season and raises money for our beloved Library and Gardens. In addition to the seasonal plants and holiday merchandise that is for sale, we’re debuting the Volunteer Association’s First Monday Coffee cookbook,” said Karin Zenk, chairman of the Cookbook Committee. The cookbook is a collection of recipes compiled by the Volunteer Association of Sherman Library & Gardens. Volunteers meet on the first Monday of each month at 9 a.m., before the Gardens open to the public and sign-up to bring main dishes, pastries, fruit or cookies. There are 123 delicious recipes shared in the pages of the cookbook, so come and sample some of the cookbook’s tasty treats, and purchase copies for your friends and family.

Volunteer and artist Carol Kreider has created whimsical watercolors for the cover and divider pages of the cookbook. Shermie, the otter mascot of Sherman Library & Gardens, adorns the cover holding a wooden spoon and cupcake. The cookbook retails for $24 and is available for pre-sale. 

Members receive a 15% discount on all Garden Shop purchases of seasonal plants, one-of-a-kind handmade items, unique holiday gifts and the new cookbook. Proceeds from the cookbook sales support children’s education programs in the Gardens.

Sherman Library & Gardens is located at 2647 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. Visit www.thesherman.org.

Heroes Hall exhibition Through Their Eyes features work by local military artists

A new exhibition at Heroes Hall Museum, Through Their Eyes: Artwork by Active Military and Veterans showcasing the artwork of 24 local veterans and active U.S. service members, is on display now through January 20, 2022.

In this juried show, the artists have expressed their individual experiences through a variety of mediums including sculpture, photography, painting, carving and woodworking. Their subjects are as unique as the artists themselves and range from combat scenes to flowers, from landscapes to surreal portraits. Though their artwork varies by subject and individual perspective, one thing unifies them: They have all served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Among the artists, the top winners were: First Place - Unlikely Path by David Vargo; Second Place - Hope by Giovanni Berdejo; and Third Place -Entrenchment by Ed Bowen from Corona del Mar.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photos courtesy of Orange County Fair & Event Center

“Unlikely Path” by David Vargo

–First Place: David Vargo for Unlikely Path. Vargo is an art professor at Laguna College of Art and Design, and has painted illustrations for companies like Blizzard Entertainment, Arch Enemy Comics, Lucasfilm and Wizards of the Coast. “My love of the mysterious combined with my passion for the figure has led to a long-term art affair with imaginative realism,” Vargo said.

Click on photo for a larger image

“Hope” by Giovanni Berdejo

–Second Place: Giovanni Berdejo for Hope. Berdejo is a photographer and author, and has taught photography workshops for student veterans at Chapman University.

Click on photo for a larger image

“Entrenchment” by Ed Bowen 

–Third Place: Ed Bowen for Entrenchment. Bowen is a Vietnam War veteran whose art is part of the Army’s war art collection and is displayed in various government facilities including the Pentagon and the Smithsonian.

Heroes Hall Museum is dedicated to honoring Orange County’s service members and providing a place where they can tell their stories. For this new exhibition, military service members have expressed their individual experiences through a variety of mediums including sculpture, photography, painting, carving and woodworking.

“It has been such a pleasure meeting the artists and hearing the stories behind their artwork,” said Carol Singleton, Heroes Hall Museum supervisor. “Several of the veterans in this show turned to art as a means to heal both emotional and physical wounds. We are privileged and honored to bring this extraordinary exhibit to the community.”

To learn more about the artists, go here.

Through Their Eyes was underwritten by the Heroes Hall Veterans Foundation. The judges were Dave Barton, Fatemeh Burnes and Denton Knapp.

Heroes Hall is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It is located at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

COVID-19: 35 new cases and two new deaths reported in Newport Beach this past week

Stu News Newport is reporting COVID-19 numbers on a weekly basis, as reported by the OC Health Care Agency.

This week, October 6-October 12, there have been 35 new cases in Newport Beach and two new deaths, bringing the overall totals to 5,005 cases reported to date and 95 overall deaths. 

During the past week, the county reported a total of 1,792 new cases, raising the total to 300,531 to date. The death totals for the county were 56 for the week, bringing the overall total number of deaths to 5,504.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 12, Orange County has performed a cumulative of 5,202,497 tests to date. There are 211 current cases of hospitalized patients in Orange County, of which 45 are in ICU.

For questions about the data presented by the county, call 714.834.2000 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To view the county’s data dashboard, click here.

COVID-19 numbers are updated weekly by Stu News Newport in Friday’s edition.

Click on photos for larger images

Data courtesy of OC Health Care Agency

Good Morning CdM features Special Agent, FBI Virginia Kwon

The Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce will present their “Good Morning CdM!” monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 14 from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. 

The free meeting, with complimentary coffee and pastries, will feature Special Agent, FBI Virginia (Gina) Kwon, Orange County Resident Agency.

Agent Kwon will discuss “Cyber Security Issues Facing America and How to Protect Your Home and Business.”

The gathering will also provide updates from local legislative office representatives, including Newport Beach City Councilmember Joy Brenner, District 6; Congresswoman Michelle Steel, 48th District; State Senator Dave Min, 37th District; Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, 74th District; and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley from the 2nd District.

The meeting is open to the community at large and no RSVP is necessary. Tables are set for social distancing.

The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club is located at 1601 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar. 

For more information, visit www.CdmChamber.com.

Balboa Island Classical Concerts presents “Fall Romance”

Balboa Island Classical Concerts presents “Fall Romance” on Tuesday, Oct. 19 from 7-8 p.m. The performance features The Aviara Trio: Erin Breene, cello; Ines Irawati, piano; and Robert Schumitzky, violin.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of TheAviaraTrio.com

(L-R) Erin Breene, cello; Ines Irawati, piano; and Robert Schumitzky, violin

The concert takes place at St. John Vianney Chapel, 314 Marine Ave., Balboa Island. Limited tickets are $15 per person and available at Balboa Island Museum Newport Beach, 210 B Marine, Ave., Balboa Island and online at www.balboaislandnb.org.

Newport Beach Film Festival seeks volunteers

The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) seeks enthusiastic film lovers to volunteer for Orange County’s celebration of cinema – the 22nd Annual Newport Beach Film Festival, which runs October 21-28. 

Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in several aspects of the festival. Volunteer positions include guest relations, merchandise sales, theater ushering and office reception. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of NBFF

Prior to the festival, volunteers must attend at least one mandatory orientation meeting. The meeting provides an overview of festival activities, as well as updated information on positions and volunteer responsibilities. Volunteers will have the opportunity to sign up for specific shifts at the meeting. 

Volunteers under 18 years old must submit a signed parental consent form. A parent/guardian must accompany volunteers, under the age of 16. 

All volunteers are required to attend ONE of the following Newport Beach Film Festival orientation sessions:

–Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m.

–Saturday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m.

–Saturday, Oct. 16 at 12 p.m.

–Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on volunteering and to RSVP and select an orientation date, visit https://newportbeachfilmfest.com/volunteer/.

For any questions, contact Paul LaVigne, director of volunteers at 949.873.6602, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Orange County Organic Gardening Club to meet in person on Tuesday, Nov. 9

The Orange County Organic Gardening Club will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Their first in-person event since March 2020 will feature Lucie Galvin, a Corona del Mar resident and local sustainable gardening teacher and gardener who initially trained with the National Trust for Scotland. She will be speaking about strawberries and their origins, characteristics, and needs and uses including fun, organic, creative ways to successfully grow them at home.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photos courtesy of the Orange County Organic Gardening Club

Lucie Galvin

The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Orange County Fairgrounds’ Centennial Farm located at 88 Fair Drive, Coast Mesa. Drive through the main gate of the fairgrounds off Fair Drive, turn left and park near the Silo Building.

For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click on photo for a larger image

A strawberry pot is visually appealing in a container garden

22nd Annual Newport Beach Film Festival announces Opening, Closing Night films

The 2021 Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) announces its Opening and Closing Night films. Set to take place in person from October 21-28, the festival’s 22nd edition will showcase more than 300 films from around the world. The festival will host nightly special events, world premieres, awards contenders, red carpet galas and compelling conversations with filmmakers. Highlights include the 2021 Festival Honors program celebrating “Variety’s ‘10 Actors to Watch,’” International Spotlights (U.K., Ireland, Mexico, French, Swedish, Italian, German, Czech, Spain, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Vietnam) and Special Programs (Action Sports, Art, Architecture + Design, Culinary, Environmental, Music Film Series). Films will screen at THE LOT (Fashion Island in Newport Beach), The New Port Theater (Corona del Mar), Edwards Big Newport (Newport Beach), Starlight Triangle Cinemas (Costa Mesa) and Regency South Coast Village (Santa Ana). 

Click on photo for a larger image

Photos courtesy of NBFF

A scene from Opening Night’s World Premiere of “Never Catch Pigeons: And Eleven More Hard Lessons From Mr. Paul Van Doren” at Edwards Big Newport

Opening & Closing Night

On Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., the festival will kick off its eight-day run with the World Premiere of Never Catch Pigeons: And Eleven More Hard Lessons From Mr. Paul Van Doren at Edwards Big Newport (300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach). The film tells the remarkable and honest story of the late Paul Van Doren, a self-made innovator who started Vans, the iconic shoe and lifestyle brand that inspired a global skateboarding revolution. Directed by NBFF alumni Doug Pray, the film features Paul Van Doren; legendary skateboarders Tony Alva, Christian Hosoi and Ray Barbee; action sports pros Brighton Zeuner, Hana Beaman and Dylan Graves; and Paul’s family: Steve Van Doren, Cheryl Van Doren, Kathy Van Doren, Paul Jr. Van Doren and Janie Van Doren. Following the screening, the festival will host a Street Party presented by Vans at 9 p.m. outdoors under the stars in the parking lot behind Edwards Big Newport. The event will feature a hosted bar by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and live entertainment.

Click on photo for a larger image

A scene from Closing Night’s “War on the Diamond” at The New Port Theater

On Thursday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., the festival will close with the West Coast Premiere of War on the Diamond at The New Port Theater (2905 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar). Directed by Emmy and Peabody Award winner Andy Billman and based on the award-winning book The Pitch That Killed by Mike Sowell, War on the Diamond tells the story of Ray Chapman – the only MLB player killed by a pitch – and the 100-year rivalry between two baseball teams and two cities: Cleveland and New York. A Closing Night reception will follow the screening at the The New Port Theater. 

“The Newport Beach Film Festival is extremely excited to be back on the big screen. We are proud to bring outstanding global cinema to our local theaters. This year’s incredible line up of narrative features, non-fiction films and curated shorts programs reflects the incredible storytelling talents of our filmmakers. We are thrilled to open and close the festival with documentary films that have strong Orange County connections,” said Gregg Schwenk, CEO/executive director of NBFF.

Tickets to Opening Night and Closing Night are $95. The events are open to attendees 21 and older. 

For festival passes, tickets and COVID-19 safety information, visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.

Look what’s happening at the library in October

During the month of October, there is a lot happening at Newport Beach Public Library (NBPL). From School Bingo to book discussions, a meet and greet with a bestselling author to of course…trick or treating.

Here’s a sampling of some activities, for all ages:

Click on photo for a larger image

Photos courtesy of NBPL

A black & white photograph by Richard L. Ferncase

–Paris and Beyond, where you’ll take a stroll through the City of Light with the work of photographer Richard L. Ferncase. The exhibition is on display at Central Library during regular operating hours.

–Back-to-School Bingo is a reading challenge and a game. Simply log into Beanstack here. Join the fun that continues through October 16. Geared to ages 0 to 12. Prizes include a Kindle eReader, art sets, outdoor play toys and Pop Its. They are looking forward to seeing you online. 

–Book Discussion Group with sleep expert and neuroscientist Matthew Walker, who provides an exploration of sleep and how it affects our physical ND mental well-being. On Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 9:30 a.m., Walker who is the  author of Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, explains how to harness sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, and more, with actionable steps on getting a better night’s sleep. More information, go here.

Click on photo for a larger image

Syrinx Quintet

–Sunday Musicale where you can join the Syrinx Quintet on Sunday, Oct. 17 from 3-4 p.m.  in the Friends Meeting Room at Central Library. Their work spans from Rameau and Mozart to modern-day composers and includes Victoria Lee on oboe; Micah Wright on clarinet; Patrick Olmos on saxophone; Mathieu Girardet on bass clarinet; and Alex Rosales Garcia on bassoon. Find out more, here.

Shelley Rusk

–2021 Concert at Marina Park with Shelley Rusk on Sunday, Oct. 17 from 3-5:30 p.m. As a professional singer, Shelley Rusk has worked for music artists such as Johnny Mathis, Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, Sandi Patty, Ray Boltz and Bill Gaither both in the recording studio and in concert. Shelley Rusk will be performing songs from some of Broadway’s greatest musicals of all time. Food trucks will be on hand. 1600 W. Balboa Blvd. Presented by the Newport Beach City Arts Commission. For more information, go here.

–Finding the Right College for You on Wednesday, Oct. 20 from 7-8 p.m. in the Friends Meeting Room at Central Library. In partnership with Collegewise and Strive to Learn, the Newport Beach Public Library (NBPL) is hosting a series of college planning seminars to help students and parents understand the college admission process, and help develop a strategy that optimizes the student’s potential for acceptance into a college that matches their goals. Geared to high school juniors, seniors and parents. Register here.

Click on photo for a larger image

Look what’s Halloween

–Children’s Halloween Extravaganza! Join trick or treating fun on Saturday, Oct. 30 at your local branch or Central Library all day. Crafts will be available (while supplies last). Don’t forget to wear your costume! Stop by the photo booth to have your picture added to their social media Halloween parade.

For more information and upcoming events, visit www.newportbeachlibrary.org.

South Coast Repertory announces return of its renowned NewSCRipts play-reading series

South Coast Repertory (SCR) Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Paula Tomei) announce the return of its renowned NewSCRipts play-reading series, part of The [email protected], the Costa Mesa theatre’s comprehensive play-development program. The series begins Monday, Oct. 25 with Louder by Caroline V. McGraw at 7:30 p.m. on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

The popular series continues Monday, Dec. 6 with a yet-to-be-determined play. It wraps up with Funnie by Jessica Moss on Monday, April 25, 2022. NewSCRipts play readings are free and open to the public. Tickets can be reserved by calling SCR’s ticket services office 714.7085555, or online at www.scr.org.

In addition, SCR announces a new program: NewSCRipts in Schools. This pilot program brings a reading of McGraw’s Louder to the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The NewSCRipts in Schools reading will be followed by a moderated discussion with the playwright, director and the actors. The NewSCRipts in Schools reading will be performed exclusively for an invited audience of UCI students and faculty. 

The NewSCRipts in Schools program gives UCI theatre students the opportunity to experience a reading of a play in progress, bringing them into the process with SCR-commissioned playwrights, actors and the director. Likewise, it enriches the development process for the playwright. By experiencing their play with two unique and vastly different audiences, the playwright gains valuable knowledge in how audiences will respond to their work. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Jordan Kubat

Courtesy of SCR

South Coast Repertory Artistic Director David Ivers

“Our NewSCRipts in Schools program provides a vital connection for SCR and the educational community of Orange County,” Ivers said. “And we’re thrilled that UC Irvine is joining us in launching this new program that will mutually benefit the playwright, the work in progress and UCI students. Their enthusiastic response in joining us in this partnership is a testament to UCI and their status as one of the premier drama programs.”

Don Hill, the chair of UCI’s Department of Drama, anticipates the partnership with SCR will create a greater understanding among his students into the storytelling process and what it entails.

“The Department of Drama in the UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) is thrilled to be building an ongoing relationship with SCR,” Hill said. “The art of storytelling is the core of theatre, and this program helps inform and empower UCI drama students in exploring the world of playwriting and development. Having new works shared live directly with our community on the CTSA campus creates new connections and discoveries. The value of our students observing professional actors at work and being an active part of post-play discussions is immeasurable.”

For more information, visit www.scr.org.

South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

A weekend to celebrate 90+ years of Newport Harbor High School

The Newport Harbor High School Alumni Association is in final preparations for Homecoming Weekend planned for October 15-17. This celebration has been 90 years in the making, dating back to when the school’s doors opened in 1930. 

A party had been originally planned for 2020 to formally celebrate the 90 years but was delayed by pandemic issues. Like many events, those plans were postponed to this year, and the NHHS Alumni Association is excited to finally invite everyone to the NHHS 90 (+1) Birthday Bash.

The weekend kicks off on Friday, Oct. 15 beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a Tailgate Dinner & Football Game. Guests can enjoy a lasagna dinner from the NHHS Culinary Arts program. Expect special appearances from mascot Tommy Tar, Cheer, Dance, Band & more. Then at 7 p.m., cheer on the Sailors against Huntington Beach High School in a reserved section on the 50-yard line. For more information and tickets, go to www.newportharboralumni.org/tailgate. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of the NHHS Alumni Assoc.

The Newport Harbor High School tower

Saturday, Oct. 16 begins at 11 a.m. with a private viewing of the documentary film, THE TOWER, featuring 90 years of memories, photos and interviews with favorite teachers and alumni. Attendees can walk through the free Campus Open House Festival from 12-3 p.m. There will be a “Battle of the Alumni Bands” (12 p.m., Walter Etc.; 1 p.m., The Milestones; and 2 p.m., Fireside Chats), with food trucks from TK Burger and Tacomiendo Mexican Grill, pop-up booths, campus tours, an opportunity to visit with teachers, coaches and staff in the Teachers Tent and view the NHHS Heritage Hall Museum. For more information and tickets, go to www.newportharboralumni.org/the-tower-documentary-interest.

On Saturday night, there will be a special Tars & Stars Concert Event featuring the band HONK. Doors open at 7 p.m., the All Star Alumni Jam Band performs at 7:30 p.m. and HONK plays at 8 p.m. The show will be outside, so everyone can enjoy great music with a view of the tower illuminated at night. 

There will be a Goodbye Brunch on Sunday, Oct. 17 at the Newport Aquatic Center (NAC) from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Other weekend events include a water polo alumni game on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the NHHS pool, a field hockey alumni game on Saturday at 11 a.m. on Davidson Field, class reunions, an afternoon of jazz and more. 

You can view the full event line-up at www.newportharboralumni.org/90th-bash-landing-page.

The proceeds from the weekend festivities will help support the NHHS Alumni Association’s Scholarship program, which prioritizes students attending a community college, trade, technical or nursing school. Because of the generosity of fellow alumni, over the last five years they have been able to help the career dreams of 26 NHHS students come true. For more information, visit www.newportharboralumni.org/scholarships.

Capturing iconic Newport Beach and beyond: Crystal Cove State Park

Click on photo for a larger image

Artwork by Don Krotee

This drawing shows the native plants, coastal sage scrub, oak and sycamore trees commonly found on one of many hiking trails in Crystal Cove State Park. Located between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove State Park encompasses 2,400 acres with beautiful backcountry wilderness as well as sandy beaches and tidepools. Hikers, bikers and visitors enjoy panoramic views and the beach. Crystal Cove’s protected habitat has been a source of inspiration for many plein air painters. One of the historic cottages in the Crystal Cove Historic District (found in the state park) has been named the “Painters Cottage” in honor of the artists. The media, alcohol-based architectural markers, are used every day in architectural practice and it is common to make this type of study drawing before a watercolor painting. 

~~~~~~~~

Don Krotee is a 35-year resident of Newport Beach, a member of the 2000 GPAC, a Corona del Mar Residents Association member, the founder of the Newport Heights Improvement Association, a board member of SPON and lives in Corona del Mar. He is an architect, a sailor and a fine artist who has been drawing and painting from an early age. He provides Stu News drawings and paintings from iconic Newport Beach, Calif. and the world.  Follow @donkrotee.art for more art by artist Don Krotee.

Newport Harbor nights

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Kevin Pellon (Instagram @socalsnapz)

Wowed again by seeing another sunset over Newport Beach

Pet of the Week 

Stu News Newport is delighted to be working with the Newport Beach Animal Shelter to help get the word out in search of loving homes for pets that deserve a warm, nurturing environment and a place to call “home.”

The shelter is so happy to share with you the kindest kitty. Her name is Tortellini and she appears to be a little munchkin with her short stout legs. She’s the absolute best! She’s just about 6 years of age and will totally be the diamond in your household. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of Newport Beach Animal Shelter

Meet Tortellini

If you’d like to meet a shelter favorite (Oops…Don’t tell the other furry pet guests that they shared this), feel free to reach out by calling 949.718.3454. They do require completed application forms for their animals, so simply print one up from their non-profit’s webpage at www.FONBAS.org. After it is completed, you can email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and upon review, they’ll call you to schedule an appointment. 

Newport Beach Animal Shelter adoption fees:

–Adult Dogs - $150

–Puppies - $225

–Adult Cats - $90

–Kittens - $110

–Rabbits - $45

Also, consider becoming a member of an incredible nonprofit that supports the city’s efforts with providing wonderful opportunities to stray, injured, ill and owner surrendered domestic pets.

Backhausdance rehearsals at Sherman Gardens

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of Sherman Library & Gardens

Members of Backhausdance rehearse moves created exclusively for Sherman Gardens, inspired by its flora. Garden guests are invited to observe rehearsals taking place on select mornings now until the sold-out performances on October 16. Rehearsals take place from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14 and Friday, Oct. 15. Viewing is free with garden admission. Sherman Library & Gardens is located at 2647 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar.

Pacific Chorale launches 2021-22 season with Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (All-Night Vigil)

Pacific Chorale, considered one of the nation’s leading choirs, launches its 2021-22 season with a luminous program anchored by Rachmaninoff’s a cappella masterwork Vespers (All-Night Vigil) conducted by Artistic Director Robert Istad on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Istad also leads the Pacific Chorale-commissioned world premiere of The Stillness Chained by Grammy-nominated former Composer-in-Residence Tarik O’Regan, set to the poetry of Yone Noguchi.

Additionally, the chorus performs the West Coast premiere of Damien Geter’s profound Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, featuring celebrated soprano Aundi Marie Moore, hailed for “her vivid, rich voice” (Washington Classical Review) and Pacific Symphony Principal Cellist Warren Hagerty, a “thoughtful, impressive” artist (Singapore’s The Straits Times), which offers a message of hope refracted through the lens of Bach’s musical legacy interwoven with African-American spirituals. The program – and the Chorale’s 54th Season – opens with Hyo-Won Woo’s dramatic Me-Na-Ri (Space Music), a work sung in Korean that stretches the boundaries of choral music. The concert, featuring 80 chorus members, marks the first live performance in more than 19 months by Pacific Chorale. Audience members must show proof of vaccination and wear masks inside the venue. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Drew Kelley

Artistic Director Robert Istad leads the Pacific Chorale

“I can’t wait to welcome audience members and Pacific Chorale’s singers back inside the concert hall with this significant program so we can all, once again, enjoy the visceral experience of a live performance,” said Istad. “The repertoire showcases the choir’s remarkable technical and sonic malleability. Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (All-Night Vigil) is a work we’ve performed numerous times that’s beloved by our singers and audiences alike. Pairing it with Tarik O’Regan’s world premiere adds a wonderful sonorous dimension to the program as does the West Coast premiere of Damien Geter’s Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, a new work that I was completely taken with when I first heard it – it’s concurrently emotionally raw, tragic and optimistic. I am particularly excited to have soprano Aundi Marie Moore join us to reprise her solo role from the work’s digital premiere with the Washington Chorus in November 2020.”

Pacific Chorale’s 2021-22 Season is made possible by generous support from Platinum Season Sponsor Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons, and Silver Season Sponsor Charles and Ling Zhang.

Single tickets range from $25 to $70. The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org, or call 714.662.2345. For view the COVID protocols, go here.

Pacific Symphony’s classical season presents “Beethoven’s Eroica,” Ticheli world premiere

Pacific Symphony’s 2021-22 Classical Season is officially in full swing after an exciting opening weekend, marking the orchestra’s return to live music in the concert hall. The second program in Pacific Symphony’s season features two great Romantic masterworks and opens with an exciting world premiere by contemporary composer Frank Ticheli. 

“Beethoven’s Eroica” takes place Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 14-16 at 8 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall; doors open at 6:45 p.m. Single tickets start at $25. A preview talk with Jake Sustaita begins at 7 p.m. This concert is part of the Symphony’s 2021-22 Hal & Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation Classical Series. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 714.755.5799, or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.

The Friday night performance will be live-streamed and the recording will be available to all ticket holders for online viewing for 30 days. 

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of Pacific Symphony

Pacific Symphony’s Music Director Carl St.Clair

Ticheli’s All the World’s a Stage is as playful, joyful and novel a work as you’re likely to hear in a concert hall. This piece d’occasion was commissioned by Pacific Symphony in celebration of Carl St.Clair’s 30th anniversary season as the orchestra’s music director. Ticheli, currently professor of composition at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, was composer-in-residence with Pacific Symphony from 1991 through 1998. By now – as he comments in his note on the piece – “Carl is a dear friend of nearly 40 years.” 

In his compositional note, Ticheli shared: “All the World’s a Stage takes its name from the oft-quoted line from Shakespeare’s well-known play, As You Like It: ‘All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.’ For my piece, the ‘stage’ is literally the entire performance hall. The audience participates with the orchestra in various ways, making gentle wind sounds and whistling effects, snapping fingers to a specified rhythm, singing Shakespeare’s words set to an original melody, and so on.” 

Beethoven’s thrilling “Eroica” Symphony – a work so innovative and influential it changed the course of music history – closes the program. Leonard Bernstein said the first two movements are “perhaps the greatest two movements in all symphonic music.” The symphony’s second movement has been played as a funeral march at state funerals, memorial services and commemorations including to mourn the deaths of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President John F. Kennedy. One of the Beethoven’s most celebrated works, it marks a true milestone in classical music. 

The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located in Segerstrom Center for the Arts at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Balboa Island Museum Newport Beach presents Fun Zone Festival

On Friday, Nov. 12, the Balboa Island Museum Newport Beach will present the Fun Zone Festival, where “It’s Good to Be a Kid Again.” The event celebrating the Pyle family takes place from 6-10 p.m. on Balboa Peninsula, 600 E. Bay Ave., Newport Beach.

Festivities include food & drinks, carnival games, a patio concert, shopping vendors and photo opportunities.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of Patrick Moore

Fun Zone Ferris Wheel

Admission is $150 with proceeds benefiting the museum. You must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Tickets are available at www.BIMNBFunZoneFestival.com.

The mission of the Balboa Island Museum Newport Beach is to collect, preserve and promote the culture and history of Balboa Island and Newport Beach.

ENC’s Fall Faire & Pumpkin Patch with animals, crafts and entertainment galore

On Sunday, Oct. 17, head over to the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) for the 46th Annual ENC Fall Faire & Pumpkin Patch from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for a day of fun.

This family-friendly festival attracts hundreds of visitors who enjoy the Log Area pumpkin patch (where you can pick out your favorites!), a petting zoo, pony rides, crafts & games, embark on a virtual “craft crawl” and “story walk,” face painting, entertainment on the Fire Circle Stage and tasty food from local restaurants including Bluewater Grill, Shirley’s Bagels, Pizza Bakery and Al’s New York Café at the Savor OC Showcase. 

Be sure to check out (and bid on) the items in the ENC’s online auction from October 11-17, with the auction closing on October 17 at 3 p.m. Bid on excellent items like gift certificates for frozen yogurt from House of Yogurt, Mexican food from Descanso Restaurant and Mi Casa, a polymer clay jewelry class from Dancing Bear Arts and music lesson from Molly’s Music.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of ENC

So many pumpkins to choose from in the ENC patch

Through the generous support of the community, the ENC will continue to provide equitable access and inspire all to protect the natural world by serving as our community’s leader in ecological responsibility, sustainable practices and environmental education. To donate a silent auction item, complete this form If you have questions, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If you renew or become an ENC member on October 17, you’ll receive a free pumpkin! Not a member? Sign up at https://encenter.org/become-a-member/.

New this year will be pumpkin patch pre-sales. Register at https://encenter.org/become-a-member/ to get early bird status to the pumpkin patch. Pick up your pumpkin(s), with proceeds supporting the ENC and ENC Nature Preschool, or just take festive photos in the Pumpkin Patch. Pre-sale dates: October 13, 14 and 15 from 3-6 p.m. - ENC members only, registration required; October 16 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. - Everyone welcome and no registration is required.

To help make this event more sustainable, parking will be tight, so if you live close by, walk or ride your bike. Bring your own reusable water cup and receive free lemonade and water. Bring your reusable plates and utensils and receive a raffle ticket to be entered to win a fabulous prize.

Environmental Nature Center is located at 1601 E. 16th St., Newport Beach. For more information on upcoming events, visit www.encenter.org.

For A Good Cause

From Golf to Galas: Supporting Our Community

Hope for the Children Gala to support Olive Crest | Saturday, Oct. 16 from 6-10 p.m. The event is in conjunction with Lead OC, which provides a platform for Orange County’s leading executives to combine their skills and resources to advance & raise awareness for various local philanthropic causes championing children & military families. The mission of the organization is to alleviate the financial burdens of these charities so they may fully dedicate their efforts towards affecting positive change. 

 Cost: Individual tickets are $250; Table of 10 is $2,500. Sponsorships range from $5,000-$40,000. 

Contact: Amy Moodie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Takes place at the Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

Mission: Olive Crest works tirelessly to meet the individual needs of kids in crisis by providing safe homes, counseling, and education for both youth and parents. Since 1973, it has transformed the lives of more than 130,000 abused, neglected and at-risk children and their families. It has grown to become a leader in the prevention and treatment of child abuse, serving more than 1,000 children and families each day in Orange County

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by KLK Photography

28th Annual BE GREAT Gala to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast | Saturday, Oct. 23 from 5:30-10 p.m. The BE GREAT Gala is a premier annual fundraising event that supports the Clubs in their ability to deliver the strategic programs which seek to break the cycle of poverty and provide youth with the tools and resources they need to graduate high school on time, with a plan for their future. Through their focus on structured academic support, encouraging physical fitness and healthy lifestyles, and strategic academic enrichment programs, their mentor professionals build lifelong relationships that ensure kids have the resources to BE GREAT. RSVP by Friday, Oct. 8. This year, the gala honors and recognizes Dr. Mark Colon, a pediatrician, as the 2021 DreamMaker, who has made a significant impact in the lives of youth, inspiring them to pursue greatness and helping make dreams come true. In addition, the 2021 Corporate Champion Award will be bestowed upon loanDepot.

Cost: Individual tickets are $300. Sponsorships range from $3,750-$50,000. Register at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/bgcococ/event/834402/.

Takes place at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum, 7905 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.

Mission: To ensure every child has mentors and champions in life.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by KLK Photography

Orange County Chapter of Childhelp’s Beach Ball Gala | Saturday, Oct. 23 from 6-11 p.m. Event chairs Linda Burns and Kelly Haugen will lead the committee to transform the main ballroom and patio into a Riviera-style beach club. Festivities include cocktails, and dinner and dancing to live music by Woody and the Longboards, silent and live auctions and casino-style gambling, all to raise money toward stopping child abuse and neglect and to support the children under Childhelp’s care. LA prosecutor Jonathan Hatami will be honored with the Benevolent Heart Award.

Cost: Tickets are $250. 

Takes place the Paséa Hotel & Spa, 21080 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach.

Contact: For tickets, sponsorships, donations and underwriting, visit www.bipal.net/childhelpocgala2019, or contact Linda Burns at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Mission: Childhelp is a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse. Founded in 1959 as International Orphans, Inc. by Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, Childhelp is one of the largest nonprofit child abuse prevention and treatment organizations in the nation.

Seneca Family of Agencies Forever Families Gala | Saturday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. This 4th annual gala – An Evening in the Orange Grove – celebrates Seneca Family of Agencies’ foster care and permanency work in Southern California. Seneca’s programs work to build and sustain families for the children who need them, and to prevent disruption at all costs by providing critical mental health support. The evening honors Geoff Le Plastrier and Susan Laird with the Seneca Leadership Award, and Wylie and Bette Aiken with the Community Impact Award. Tickets ranging from $500-$50,000 can be purchased at https://aesbid.co/ELP/FF21/Tickets.

Takes place at the Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

Contact: www.senecafoa.org

Mission: The national average of adoptions remaining permanent is roughly 75 percent, which means 25 percent of children are returned to foster care due to a failed adoption. With Seneca’s commitment to unconditional care – doing whatever it takes to support the success of kids and families – 100 percent of their adoptions in Orange County remain permanent.

Click on photo for a larger image

Courtesy of scfta.org © RMA Photography Inc.

Segerstrom Hall

Segerstrom Center for the Arts Candlelight Concert | Friday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. One of the most treasured and celebrated fundraising galas in Orange County, it brings together the luminaries of the community to raise critically needed funds for the arts. Through the magic of theater, Segerstrom Hall’s stage is transformed into a breathtaking ballroom, where guests dine and dance the night away. This historically sold-out event raises more than $2 million each year to support the Center’s artistic, education and community engagement programs. Britt Meyer will serve as the event chair.

Takes place at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Contact: www.scfta.org

Mission: Segerstrom Center for the Arts believes in the power of performing arts to transform lives and that the shared experience and exploration of the arts will help unite Orange County, creating a more culturally connected and vital community. They will help shape the Orange County of the future through meaningful collaborations with diverse communities, embracing creativity in all its forms and enabling a more inclusive, vibrant performing arts scene at the Center and across the region.

Editor’s Note: If you represent a philanthropic organization located in Newport Beach with an upcoming event or know of a charitable organization choosing Newport Beach as its event venue, please email the information and a hi-res photo for consideration in our “For a Good Cause” calendar to help you publicize the event. Email pertinent information and images to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Police Beat Primer

Compiled by Tom Johnson 

Police Beat derives from information in the log maintained at the front counter by the Newport Beach Police Department and required under CA Government Code Section 6254 (f). The press does not have access to written police reports.

Information in the police department log is deemed reliable and StuNewsNewport is not responsible for mistakes made available as public record by the Newport Beach Police Department.

Any person arrested is innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

Abbreviations sometimes used in Police Beat:

647f – Public Intoxication; DUI – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; NFA – No fixed address; RP – Reporting/Responsible Party; UTL – Unable to locate