Around Town: Registration opens for Laguna Beach Junior Lifeguards program

Registration for the Laguna Beach Junior Lifeguards program is now open, the city announced on Thursday.

The program is open to children between the ages of 8 to 15, and participants will have the opportunity to learn about beach activities, marine safety operations, ocean safety, physical fitness and rescue techniques.

In addition, junior lifeguards will receive shorts, a t-shirt, a rash guard, a sweatshirt, a towel, a group photo, and there will be a picnic.

There will be two sessions for the Laguna Beach Junior Lifeguards program — Session 1: June 14 to July 1; Session 2: July 5 to July 22.

The cost for the Junior Lifeguards program is $295 for Laguna Beach residents and $320 for non-residents. Space is limited for the program, and registration for non-residents will open on April 5 at 5 p.m.

Those wishing to return as junior lifeguards are eligible to register. Newcomers must pass a swim test. Swim tests are available by appointment at the Laguna Beach High School and Community Pool (670 Park Ave.).

Swim tests require those ages 8-11 to swim 100 yards in 2 minutes 20 seconds, and those who are ages 12-15 need to cover the same distance in a time of 1:50.

Changes may be made to the program as needed to comply with state and local health orders.

For more information on this program, contact Marine Safety Captain Kai Bond at kbond@lagunabeachcity.net.

New assistant superintendent named for Laguna Beach Unified School District

The Laguna Beach Unified School District board of education approved the appointment of Dr. Chad Mabery to the position of assistant superintendent of instructional services on Thursday.

Prior to this appointment, Mabery served as the district’s director of assessment and accountability. He has a doctorate degree in education leadership from UCLA, a master’s degree in education administration Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Michigan State. He also earned a minor in economics.

“Dr. Mabery’s work in LBUSD the past several years as the director of assessment and accountability is evidence of his vast experiences in education,” District Supt. Dr. Jason Viloria said in a statement. “His experience, as well as his focus on building relationships with staff, students and community, make him the perfect fit for our needs at this challenging time.”

The district transitioned back to having three assistant superintendents after Deputy Supt. Leisa Winston left the district to become the superintendent of the Huntington Beach City School District.

Mabery joins Jeff Dixon and Mike Conlon among the district’s three assistant superintendents under Viloria.

Blind Children’s Learning Center welcomes new members to its board

Blind Children’s Learning Center — a Santa Ana nonprofit that prepares children with visual impairments for a life of independence — recently welcomed Kapil Malhotra and Jared Moriarty to its board of directors.

Malhotra, a vice president and senior business systems analyst at investment management company PIMCO, brings more than 16 years of leadership experience to the position, including project management, business analytics and budget allocation.

A Newport Beach native, Moriarty is a managing director at McDermott + Bull Executive Search, who’s also worked for Mosaic Media Group and Unified Technical, Inc. He served as host of BCLC’s 3rd annual Vision Beyond Sight event in Feb. 2020, which helped raise nearly $250,000 for children and families served by the organization.

“Kapil and Jared truly understand the needs of the children and families we serve, and we look forward to years of success with each of these men by our side,” stated BCLC President and chief executive Angie Rowe.

O.C. Libraries presents programming inspired by women in science

From March through May, Orange County public libraries will offer a series of programs centering around science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) activities, guest speakers and other offerings inspired by Hope Jahren’s book, “Lab Girl,” selected as the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read this spring.

Programming will include monthly virtual speaker series featuring women and authors whose work centers on themes of science, nature and technology.

On April 15 at 7 p.m., meet Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants” and a scientist, mother, professor and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

May 6, at 7 p.m., Lori Gottlieb, psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author, will discuss her book “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone,” which is being adapted into a television series.

May 20, at 7 p.m., Lucy Jones, author of “The Big Ones” and founder of the Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society will discuss her work as a research associate at the Seismological Laboratory of Caltech.

For more information about OC Public Libraries, including book and author information, visit ocpl.org/neabigread.

Festival of Arts next “Concerts on the Screen” with Billy Valentine set for March 19

Viewers can tune in on March 19 at 5:30 p.m. to catch a pre-recorded virtual concert of vocalist Billy Valentine, who’s worked with music legends Roberta Flack, Ray Charles and Burt Bacharach in a “Concerts on the Screen” performance hosted by Laguna Beach nonprofit Festival of the Arts. Tickets cost $25 per household but are free to Festival members who preregister.

Valentine began career as a solo artist opening for Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack in the 1970s before going on to form The Valentine Brothers with his brother, John. He has written numerous songs, including Ray Charles’ “My World,” and has collaborated with Will Jennings and the Neville Brothers.

His vocal work can be heard on the theme song of TV’s “Boston Legal” and on the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed series “Sons of Anarchy.”

To register and purchase tickets visit foapom.com/event/virtual-concert-valentine. An April 23 concert will feature Brian Bromberg’s Big Bombastic Band.

Vanguard University’s Center for Hispanic Leadership names Norlan Hernández director

Costa Mesa’s Vanguard University recently named Norlan Hernández as the new full-time director of its Jesse Miranda Center for Hispanic Leadership, an effort to support thriving Hispanic congregations through a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc., received in 2019.

As director, Hernández will work internally with administrators, faculty and staff to support student success and strengthen Vanguard’s Hispanic-serving initiatives. He will also help advance the Jesse Miranda Center’s mission through pastoral education, congregational care, academic research and community development.

“We are thrilled to have Norlan lead the Jesse Miranda Center, further shaping the dynamic environment we have created for Hispanic students as they grow within academia and the church,” Pete Menjares, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs said in a release issued Tuesday.

Hernández comes to the university after having served as director of online and graduate student success at Biola University, where he created and led a team to support online and graduate students with advising, coaching and educational and general support. He also served as an adjunct professor at Biola and the Latin American Bible Institute and has been a guest lecturer in several undergraduate and doctoral courses.

Several Orange County students win prizes in C-Span StudentCam competition

C-SPAN announced Wednesday that several students throughout Orange County won prizes in the station’s national 2021 StudentCam competition, which challenges students to produce a short documentary exploring the issues that they most want the new presidential administration to address in the current year. More than 2,300 students participated.

C-SPAN received over 1,200 entries from across the country. The most popular topics focused on health care, environmental and energy policy, equal rights and equity, criminal justice and policing and education.

“With the continual shift in the educational landscape, it is difficult to overstate just how challenging the pandemic has proven for schools across our nation,” said Craig McAndrew, director of C-SPAN Education Relations, in a statement. “We are so impressed by the resilience and ingenuity of this year’s prize-winning students who have delivered among the finest short films in the history of the StudentCam competition.”

The winners in Orange County include Landon Tyner, a student at Western High School in Anaheim, who placed second for the documentary “A Plea for Reform” and won $1,500. The documentary will air on C-SPAN throughout the day on April 10.

Chanwoo “David” Kim and Colin Sueyoshi of Sage Hill School in Newport Beach also won $250 and an honorable mention along with Irvine students Hwa Lang “Calvin” Cho and Yuriko Mikasa, of Arnold O. Beckman High School, and Jiwon Park and Seohyun Park, of Portola High School.

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