Around Town: OCMA invites members of armed forces to enjoy art and a free lunch Saturday

In recognition of Armed Forces Day, the Orange County Museum of Art is offering military service members and up to five household members a chance on Saturday to participate in a morning of art appreciation and enjoy a free lunch during “See Art, Make Art.”

Guests will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a guided tour of select works in the museum, where they will explore the different ways artists use visual compositions to invite conversations on theme, subject matter and more. Afterward, participants will be asked to create their own works of art.

Presented by OCMA, in coordination with Blue Star Museums, the event concludes with free complimentary boxed lunches that can be enjoyed outside on museum grounds or taken to go.

Active-duty service members do not have to be physically present and may RSVP for up to five household members. Indoor mask wearing and social distancing will be required throughout the event.

The Orange County Museum of Art is located at 1661 W. Sunflower Ave., in Santa Ana. Space is limited. To register, visit ocmaexpand.org/rsvp.

Mesa Water awarded $1.6M grant to enhance groundwater production

Mesa Water District will receive $1.6 million to help improve water supply reliability throughout its service region, as part of a $55-million multiyear grant awarded by the California Department of Water Resources to five water agencies in the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority.

Funding will be used to assist Mesa Water in building Croddy Well 14, one of two new wells that will help increase local groundwater production capacity. The well, whose construction is scheduled for completion in 2022, will be able to produce up to 4,000 gallons of water per minute.

The grant program includes the Santa Ana River Conservation and Conjunctive Use Program, a groundwater-banking program that will allow for a regional approach to long-term groundwater basin management and replenishment, helping agencies plan for extended dry periods.

Funds are provided by Proposition 84, passed by California voters in 2006. For more, visit mesawater.org.

U.S. water polo women come to Orange County next week

The top-ranked U.S. women’s water polo national team will host Canada in a three-game series in Southern California next week.

The teams will play at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos on Wednesday at 2 p.m. That is preceded by a game at the Brenda Villa Aquatic Center in Commerce on Monday at 6 p.m.

The series concludes at Goleta Dos Pueblos High School on Friday at 6 p.m.

These are the first international matches for Team USA since the coronavirus began, and serve as a preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer. The U.S. is seeking its third straight gold medal.

Though the Olympic roster has yet to be named, Team USA includes local high school products Aria and Makenzie Fischer (Laguna Beach), Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Harbor), Stephania Haralabidis and Maddie Musselman (Corona del Mar) and Alys Williams (Edison).

No tickets will be sold for the matches, as guests will be limited to athlete family and friends. Matches will be streamed for a fee via joymo.tv, and live stats will be provided via TheFosh.net.

Reagan Headrick promoted within Ocean View School District

The Ocean View School District Board of Trustees has appointed Reagan Headrick as its assistant superintendent of human resources, effective June 30.

Headrick is currently the executive director of special education in the district. She will take over her new position for Felix Avila, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

Headrick has been a special education administrator in Orange County for nine years and part of OVSD’s negotiations team since 2019. She has a master’s degree in education from La Verne and a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona.

Pacific Airshow to debut new Growler flight team

The Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach will host the U.S. Navy Growler Legacy Flight Demonstration Team for the first time this fall, the show announced recently.

The team’s two EA-18G Growler aircraft will join in formation with the North American T-28 Trojan Navy aircraft from the Vietnam War era for a three-ship salute to the history and tradition of Naval aviation.

The Pacific Airshow, which debuted in Huntington Beach in 2016 and returns Oct. 1 to 3, will also feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels celebrating their 75th anniversary among other highlights.

Laguna Live! Summer Jazz Series

A summer series of jazz music performances will run weekly into the month of June, and it is being brought to the public by Laguna Live!

The series is bringing artists in for virtual concerts each Wednesday, which are live streamed and can be seen on Facebook at 6 p.m. on the day of the show. It began on May 12 with Elena and George Gilliam Quintet.

Still to come in the lineup are Adam Bravo Quintet (May 19), John Noreyko’s TUBOP (May 26), Jason Fabus Quintet (June 2), Peggy Duquesnel and Friends (June 9), Kevin Hicks Quintet (June 16) and Brian Clancy Quintet (June 23).

The virtual concerts are free and are being put on with the help of the Music Performance Trust Fund and American Federation of Musicians Local 7.

Those interested in viewing the shows can visit lagunalive.org to RSVP for each respective event.

Torelli Realty hosts multifamily Mesa Verde yard sale Saturday

Go on a treasure hunt in Costa Mesa’s Mesa Verde neighborhood this Saturday, as Torelli Realty hosts its annual multifamily garage sale, featuring finds from more than 75 homes.

Bordered by the 405 Freeway to the north, Harbor Boulevard to the east, Fairview Park to the south and the Santa Ana River Bed to the west, the event takes place from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more, visit torellirealty.com.

Blind Children’s Learning Center raises $125K during Destination Independence Walk

The Santa Ana-based nonprofit Blind Children’s Learning Center, which helps prepare children with visual impairments and disabilities for a life of independence, recently raised $125,638 through its 17th annual Destination Independence Walk.

Proceeds will be used to serve children and families served by the nonprofit in three areas of focus: academic and mobility support, family support services and early intervention.

This year’s event took place in a relay format, allowing participants to engage with one another in a safe, socially distanced manner. Walkers could choose to walk in person during an April 18 in-person walk at Mater Dei High School or on their own time virtually.

Some 340 walkers, organized into 42 fundraising teams, collected funds from 657 donors who responded in support of children with visual impairments and their families.

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