Around Town: Citizen of the Year gala Friday to honor ex-Newport city manager

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce will present its 2017 Citizen of the Year gala from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday to honor former city manager Homer Bludau.

The event at the Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 W. Coast Hwy., will include a no-host cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a three-course dinner, dancing and live entertainment.

The cost is $125 per person. To register or for more information, visit bit.ly/2A40Ovb.

Bludau has lived in Newport Beach for 18 years and was city manager from 1999 to 2009.

GoFundMe page helps Laguna woman after crash in Newport

A GoFundMe page has been created to help pay the medical costs of a woman whose vehicle crashed into the outdoor seating area of a Newport Beach restaurant.

On Oct. 24, an SUV driven by Laguna Beach resident and small-businesswoman Katie Ford damaged part of the patio at The Bungalow Restaurant.

The single mother of two is in a medically induced coma, according to the GoFundMe page, which is seeking $100,000. It had raised nearly $28,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Bungalow is donating a portion of its sales Wednesday to Ford’s cause.

‘The Boss Baby’ screening set for Friday at Newport park

“The Boss Baby,” a computer-animated movie comedy released this year, will be screened from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at San Miguel Park in Newport Beach.

Admission, candy and popcorn are free at the event, presented by the Newport Beach Recreation and Senior Services Department. Other food will be available for purchase.

The park is at 2200 San Miguel Drive. For more information, call (949) 644-3151.

Chili cook-off returns to Halecrest Park in Costa Mesa

Things will heat up at Halecrest Park on Saturday during the private facility’s annual chili cook-off.

The free event will feature a selection of recipes and run from 1 to 5 p.m. at Halecrest, 3107 Killybrooke Lane in Costa Mesa.

For more information, visit halecrestpark.com/events.

Celebration of Native American culture comes to fairgrounds

Southern California Indian Center Inc. will hold its 49th annual Pow Wow and cultural festival this weekend at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The Pow Wow will feature food, arts and crafts booths and different types of Native American music and dancing.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive.

General admission is $5; tickets for guests older than 55 or between 13 and 17 cost $3. Admission is free for children 12 and younger. Parking is $8.

For more information, visit indiancenter.org.

Injured Warrior Appreciation Run to visit fairgrounds

Motorcyclists will ride Saturday in the sixth annual Injured Warrior Appreciation Run.

Participants will depart from Orange County Harley-Davidson at 8677 Research Drive in Irvine at about 9:30 a.m. and ride to the Heroes Hall veterans museum at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa for lunch and a short ceremony.

Tickets cost $35 for riders and $25 for passengers. Proceeds will go to Warrior Foundation Freedom Station, a charity that provides aid to injured military service members.

For more information or to register, visit warriorfoundation.org or injuredwarriorride.com.

Newport Beach CERT to hold skills day

Newport Beach’s Community Emergency Response Team will have a Drill the Skills day from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

The event is held twice a year at the Santa Ana Heights fire station, 20401 SW. Acacia St., Newport Beach.

Organizers said the event enables recent CERT graduates and active members to refresh their skills and renew certifications.

For more information, contact Matt Brisbois at (949) 644-3112 or mbrisbois@nbfd.net.

5K in Huntington to benefit women recovering from cancer

Healing Odyssey, a Lake Forest-based nonprofit that helps women recover from the effects of cancer, will present its major annual fundraiser, the 5K Empowerment Walk/Run, at 2 p.m. Sunday at Huntington Beach’s Central Park, 6622 Lakeview Drive.

Onsite registration begins at 1 p.m. An awards ceremony will follow the 3.1-mile event.

Registration is $25 per person; children younger than 10 are admitted free.

The group hopes to raise $50,000 in donations through the run/walk.

To register or to donate, visit healingodyssey.net/empowerment-walk.

For more information, call (949) 707-1710.

Alzheimer’s walk raises $70,000 for research

Walk4ALZ, a fundraiser in Huntington Beach for research of Alzheimer’s disease and similar illnesses, raised nearly $70,000, organizers said.

An estimated 1,400 walkers participated in Saturday’s event, presented by Alzheimer’s Orange County.

Costa Mesa fire chief receives award

Costa Mesa Fire Chief Dan Stefano recently received the Spurgeon Award in recognition of his community service and leadership of Explorer programs, according to a news release.

Stefano received the award during a luncheon Oct. 20. Costa Mesa firefighters have managed the city’s Explorer Post 400 since 1996.

Moises Vaca, a Costa Mesa fire Explorer and intern, and police Explorer Citlaly Gomez received the 2017 Young American Award scholarship from the Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Bahia Corinthian member honored by Marine Corps

Richard “Dick” Stone, a member of the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Newport Beach, recently received the Spirit of Hope Award at the Pentagon.

Stone was recognized by the Marine Corps for his efforts for the Special Forces Home for Christmas Fund, which sends financially challenged Marines home for the holidays.

Stone served in the Marines and has worked in the aerospace and property management industries.

Presentation will look back on the old days in Newport

The Balboa Island Museum will present Tom Stillwell, founder of the popular Facebook group “I grew up in Newport Beach before it was the OC,” on Nov. 8 as he shares photos, videos and stories about the days of the Buffalo Farm, horseback riding on the beach and waterskiing on the Back Bay.

The event will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Newport Beach Central Library’s Friends Room, 1000 Avocado Ave.

NBB4OC has more than 14,000 followers, most of whom grew up in Newport as it made its transition from a sleepy beach town to a center of wealth and commerce. A few still live in town, but most are spread across the United States and the world.

Assemblyman Harper to speak in Corona del Mar

State Assemblyman Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach) will speak at the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce’s “Good Morning CdM” meeting from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Nov. 9 at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive.

Harper, who represents the 74th Assembly District, will provide updates from the state capital and discuss priorities for the coming year.

The event is open to the public, and admission is free. Coffee and pastries will be served.

Orange Coast College to host ‘Animal Farm’ adaptation

Orange Coast College’s theater department will adapt George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” as part of the Costa Mesa campus’s new Social Justice Series, according to a news release.

Performances are scheduled for Nov. 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Students and senior citizens receive discounts. For more information, visit occtickets.com or call (714) 432-5880.

Lighting of the Bay returns to Newport Dunes on Nov. 24

Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach will host the 27th annual Lighting of the Bay from 3 to 8 p.m. Nov. 24.

At 5:30 p.m., Santa Claus will ride a stand-up paddleboard to flip a switch on tree-shaped lights that will illuminate the Back Bay. The event also will include live music, a movie screening, cookie decorating, holiday crafts and train rides, along with the opening of Newport Dunes’ Christmas tree lot.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2znpZf3 or call (800) 765-7661.