Around Town: New Balboa Peninsula Trolley averages 790 riders per day for first two weekends

The new Balboa Peninsula Trolley service for that tourist-heavy section of Newport Beach attracted more than 3,000 riders over its first two weekends.

The summer service, which started June 17, pulled 3,158 passengers June 17, 18, 24 and 25, Newport Beach City Councilwoman Diane Dixon said Tuesday in an update to her council peers.

That’s an average of 790 riders per day, or 113 per hour. The peak hours are 1 to 3 p.m., and popular stops include Balboa Village and Hoag Hospital, where shuttle riders can park for free.

The free shuttle runs Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 3, plus Tuesday, July 4, every 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. The shuttle also makes a 7:30 a.m. run for passengers who plan to ride the ferry from Newport Beach to Catalina Island.

Costa Mesa High grad awarded $40,000 scholarship

Xally Varela, a Costa Mesa High School graduate who will be attending Cal State Chico, is the newest recipient of the Isidore & Penny Myers Scholarship, presented this week.

The $40,000 scholarship, funded through the Myers family foundation, goes toward a four-year college degree for an immigrant or the son or daughter of immigrants.

Varela, who hopes to become a nurse, will receive the scholarship in payments of $10,000 per year.

Shoe donations for needy being collected at Newport law office

McKennon Law Group, a law firm, is conducting a summer shoe donation drive at its Newport Beach office for Soles4Souls’ “Go Green” initiative.

New or gently worn pairs of shoes can be dropped off at the office at 20321 S.W. Birch St., Suite 200.

Since 2006, Soles4Souls has collected and distributed more than 30 million pairs of shoes to people in need in 127 countries and all 50 states, according to a news release.

Junior League names new president

The Newport Beach-based Junior League of Orange County has named Maria de Vera-Suarez as its new president.

The Tustin Ranch resident has been with the women’s organization since 2009. She is a controller with Venture Retail Group in Aliso Viejo.

St. Joachim Catholic School raises funds for wheelchair nonprofit

Third-graders at St. Joachim Catholic School in Costa Mesa recently raised $5,042 for an Irvine-based nonprofit that provides wheelchairs for people with disabilities.

Students held bake sales, started lemonade stands and sold snacks to help raise money for Free Wheelchair Mission. The amount gathered will help provide wheelchairs to 63 people.

This is the school’s fifth year raising funds for the nonprofit. It has raised $12,620.

Coastline Community College debuts program for local students

Coastline Community College is debuting a program intended to help local first-year students earn a degree or technical certificate.

The Coastline College Promise program will provide vouchers for textbooks, help with first-year enrollment fees and priority registration each semester.

The program is being funded by the Coastline Community College Foundation, whose board pledged $300,000 of its annual budget to help fund it through the fall semester of 2020, according to a news release.

Recent high school graduates from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, Huntington Beach Union High School District and Garden Grove Unified School District are encouraged to apply early, as funds are limited.

Project Independence gearing up for walk fundraiser

Project Independence, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that helps people with developmental disabilities, is looking for sponsors and gathering teams in preparation for its Walk for Independence on Sept. 9.

The event at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa will support the nonprofit.

For more information, contact Todd Eckert at todd@proindependence.org or (714) 549-3464.