JIM DE BOOM -- Community & Clubs

BOAT PARADE VIEWING: The annual Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade,

sponsored by the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of

Commerce, will kick off Monday night and continue through Sunday night.

Often the question asked is: “Where is the best place to view the

parade?” A million visitors are expected to watch the parade during the

seven nights, some from homes, some from yacht clubs and restaurants, and

others from the shore along the parade route. Here are a few tips, based

upon our family’s experience, to get a good viewing of the parade the New

York Times has rated as one of the 10 best Christmas events in the

country.

A few of the restaurants lining the parade route have reservations

left. Try Villa Nova at (949) 642-7880 and Rusty Pelican at (949)

642-3431, or on a first-come basis at the Tale of the Whale at (949)

673-4633, to name a few.

If you have a friend who belongs to one of the yacht clubs, such as

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club or the Balboa Yacht Club, you can watch

the parade from the club dining room or deck.

For $10, you can watch the parade and enjoy a dinner of chicken or

beef stew, homemade chili, hot dogs, spiced cider, cocoa and coffee at

the bay-side patio of the American Legion Post at 215 15th St., Newport

Beach, said Russ Hunt of the sponsoring Sons of the American Legion.

Dinner is available to the first 150 people each night, and reservations

are encouraged. Call Russ at (949) 540-0363.

To be on a boat in the parade, the Catalina Flyer is taking passengers

Monday through Friday for $15 adults and $10 for children. On Saturday

and Sunday, they offer a Champagne Cruise for $22.50 and $11.50 for

children. Call (949) 673-3014 for reservations.

Thursday night, the 552 Club Juniors will host a buffet dinner,

auction and parade viewing from the Balboa Pavilion for $55 per person

and that includes dancing to the music of the Blue Machine. Call (949)

574-7208 for reservations.

If it’s not too cold or wet, you can get a good view of the parade

from Balboa Island, Lido Village or the 9th Street beach on Bay Street.

Dress warm and enjoy the parade!

DRIVING FOR TOYS AND FOOD: Members of the Rotary Club of South

Coast Metro are participating in the Save Our Selves Christmas Toy and

Food drive Dec. 22 at the Orange County Fairgrounds. They are providing

wrapped gifts and food for needy families, with one family having seven

children. Tonight, members of the Exchange Club of Orange Coast will meet

at the home of Bob and Ellen Jessen to wrap gifts being donated to the

Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

Thursday night, members of the Newport-Balboa Rotary Club will meet at

the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce to wrap gifts being given to two

families adopted from the Friends in Service to Humanity agency list.

Members of the Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary club are donating gift

certificates from Payless Shoes, Target and Kmart to Parent Help USA to

distribute to needy families in addition to the two families they have

adopted from Wilson Elementary School.

The Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine is providing clothing and toys for

32 children from 10 families that their Adopt-a-Social Worker has

identified. The Newport Harbor-Costa Mesa Lions Club Christmas Gift Trees

will be distributed to two needy families, one identified by Whittier

Elementary School and the other by the Adopt-a-Social Worker program.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SERVICE CLUBS: Marge Chapman and Bita

Kaboli joined the Exchange Club of Orange Coast.

WORTH REPEATING: From “Thought for the Day” provided by Greg Kelley

of the Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “The person who asks a

question is a fool or five minutes. The one who does not ask a question

is a fool forever.” -- Chinese proverb

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK: Thankful for all your blessings?

Glad you live in the harbor area? Want to make a difference in life of a

youth or a troubled family here or abroad? Try helping your community and

the world through a service club. You are invited to attend a club

meeting this week to learn more about service clubs. You will probably

meet business and community leaders at the meeting. Most clubs will buy

your first meal for you as you get acquainted with them.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will meet at Five

Crowns Restaurant for a program by Judge Geoffrey Glass on the Orange

County Drug Court.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the Center

Club to hear me discuss the Polio Plus Campaign (o7

www.southcoastmetrorotary.orgf7 ), and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club

will meet at the University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club for a program on renewable energy by Eileen Smith.

6 p.m.: The Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear former Rep. Bob Badham (o7

www.newportbalboa.orgf7 ).

THURSDAY

7:30 a.m.: Costa Mesa Orange Coast Breakfast Lions Club will meet at

Mimi’s for a business meeting.

Noon: The Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the Holiday Inn, the

Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club, the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet at

the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum for presentation of the Firefighters

of the Year award (o7 www.nhexchangeclub.comf7 ), and the

Newport-Irvine Rotary Club will meet at the Irvine Marriott for its

holiday party (o7 www.nirotary.orgf7 ).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot. Send

your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949) 660-8667; e-mail

to o7 jdeboom@aol.comf7 or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol St., Suite

201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.