Around Town: Free meals to be served up at Huntington Beach public elementary, middle schools

The Huntington Beach City School District has announced it is planning to serve meals through the Seamless Summer Option program for the 2021-22 school year.

All students will be offered a free breakfast and lunch at Peterson and Smith elementary schools, as well as Dwyer and Sowers middle schools. Students at Eader, Hawes, Seacliff and Moffett elementary schools will be offered a free lunch option.

For more information, contact Michelle Van Horn of food service accounting at (714) 378-2076 or mvanhorn@hbcsd.us.

Huntington Beach Fire Department receives grant

The Huntington Beach Fire Department recently received a $24,774 grant through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation that it plans to use toward the purchase of six Scott rapid intervention team packs.

Fire department representatives will be acknowledging the grant award and demonstrating the new equipment at the Firehouse Subs at 7251 Warner Ave. on Wednesday, starting at noon. The restaurant is offering free chips and drink with a purchase.

Laguna Beach Live! receives grant from Festival of Arts

Laguna Beach Live! announced this week that it has received a $3,500 grant from the Festival of Arts Foundation.

There will be two concerts put on by Laguna Beach Live! at the Festival of Arts venue, and the group also plans to have musicians perform at the Promenade on Forest.

Rise in COVID-19 cases could impact public meeting format in Laguna Beach

The emergence of the COVID-19 Delta variant has become cause for concern, including for Laguna Beach city officials. The California Department of Public Health recently recommended that masks be worn indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

In an appearance on the “Mornings with Ed” show on Laguna Beach-based radio station KX FM 104.7, Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen indicated that options such as a mask requirement for in-person public participation at public meetings or virtual meetings were up for consideration.

“Orange County is currently in one of the areas of the state with a high transmission rate,” Laguna Beach City Manager Shohreh Dupuis said in a statement. “I will be working with the mayor under our emergency protocol to see how that impacts the format of our future public meetings.

“We are also considering adopting further vaccine protocols for city employees to keep our employees and the public safe, and to help combat the spread of COVID-19.”

Alta Laguna Field closed temporarily

Alta Laguna Field in Laguna Beach will be closed through Aug. 16 for field maintenance ahead of the upcoming youth sports season in the fall.

Turf renovation is planned during the closure.

Hoag again highest ranked hospital in O.C. by U.S. News & World Report

For the fifth consecutive year Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian was ranked highest of Orange County’s hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospital Rankings.”

“Receiving this prestigious national designation is a huge honor, especially as we reflect upon the quality care we have been able to provide throughout this past year. We are so grateful for the dedication of our employees, medical staff, volunteers, and our board, who demonstrate the compassion and courage to provide unsurpassed personalized care,” said Robert T. Braithwaite, Hoag president and chief executive in a statement released by the hospital this week. “This recognition is a tribute to Hoag’s commitment to delivering the highest quality, patient-centered care to the Orange County community — no matter what challenges we may be facing together.”

New dean named for Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at UCI

With its founding dean, Adey Nyamathi, set to leave at the end of this calendar year, the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at UC Irvine has announced her replacement.

Mark Lazenby, advanced practice nurse and philosopher, will assume the role of dean on Jan. 1, 2022. Currently a professor of nursing and associate dean for faculty and student affairs in the School of Nursing at the University of Connecticut, Lazenby was selected for the UCI post after a nationwide search.

“Our School of Nursing is poised for growth, and Mark Lazenby is the right leader to move us forward,” said UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, in a statement. “His passion is an inspiration, and his interdisciplinary expertise will be critical as we reinvent the future of nursing in the context of an integrative approach to whole-person wellness and an unshakable commitment to health equity in our community and beyond.”

— From staff reports

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