Briefly in the news

Seniors and other community members began their holiday season Tuesday

by decorating a Costa Mesa Senior Center Christmas tree with teddy bears,

angels, stars and Disney cartoon characters.

The TeWinkle Intermediate School band played Christmas music during

the decorating and, during lunch, Santa read a Christmas story to the

decorators.

The event launched the senior center’s holiday program, which will

include a performance by the Page Private Schools 82-member choir from

11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, a second tree decorating at 1 p.m. Friday

with entertainment provided by the Phoenix House and a performance by the

TeWinkle Intermediate School choir at 11:30 a.m. Monday.

The center also will have its first Hanukkah party at noon Dec. 26,

with entertainment by Partners in Time.

Target donated two trees to the senior center, and they are being

decorated with ornaments donated by the community.

The center has accumulated donated ornaments for two years, said Aviva

Goelman, the center’s executive director.

“We’ve got a great collection,” she said. “We keep them from year to

year so the trees get fuller. And if people don’t have any, we let them

take some of the decorations home.”