Neighbors

McCarthy, a general contracting firm based in Newport Beach, promoted

Sarah Creighton to the position of project manager. Creighton’s

responsibilities will now include overseeing a portion of the Hollywood

and Highland Entertainment Retail Complex in Hollywood. . . . Costa

Mesa-based Strategic HR Services, a national human resources outsourcing

firm, announced the formation of a new division dedicated to the staffing

needs of the building industry. . . . The American Legion Auxiliary, Unit

291, Newport Harbor, recently announced the winners of the Americanism

Essay Contest. The fourth- through sixth-grade winners are Celeste Fusco

and Taylor Funk of Newport Elementary and Jason Less of St. John the

Baptist in Costa Mesa. The seventh- through ninth-grade winners are

Vivian Borthwick, Tony Kinkorian and Issa Sakhel of St. John the Baptist.

The tenth- through 12th-grade winners included Harmony Davis of Newport

Harbor High, Lisa Kitajima of Northwood High in Irvine and Melissa Blair

of Corona del Mar High. . . . Costa Mesa-based Strategic HR Services

recently hired Claudia Thair as director of business development for its

training division, The Global Training Group. . . . The Council on

Aging-Orange County recently honored its community volunteers. Among the

honorees are Newport Beach residents Grayne Price, Shirley Laskin and

Harry Kipp. Costa Mesa resident Marilyn Cohen was also honored. . . .

Edward Warmington Sr. will be honored as the oldest living commodore at

the opening day ceremonies for the Newport Harbor Yacht Club on May 6. .

. . Fourteen Orange Coast College music, theater and fine arts students

were recently awarded scholarships by the Peter and Masha Plotkin

Memorial Foundation. Music students included Yumi Kato, Ron Levy, Mei

Ching Hsieh, Maribel Tirona and Darren Pope. Art students are Jordan

Schmidt, Heather Flaherty, Morgan McElfresh, Cari Senour, Hideki Yoshi

and Laura Siqueiros. Honored theater students included Shane Gray,

Jessica Teter and Chris Buechler.

* NEIGHBORS spotlights achievements in the community. Please direct

noteworthy information to Stefanie Frith via fax at (949) 646-4170, or

send e-mail too7 stefanie.frith@latimes.comf7 .