SPOTLIGHT

LAURIE GARRETT SPEAKS,

How strong are the world’s public health systems? Strong enough to

help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus? Strong enough to help keep

the world’s population safe from biological harm?

Journalist Laurie Garrett, author of “Betrayal of Trust: the Collapse

of Global Public Health,” will speak to these questions Friday and

Saturday as part of the 5th annual Martin W. Witte Distinguished Speakers

Lecture Series at the Newport Beach Central Library.

Garrett, a medical and science writer for New York Newsday, is the

only writer to have won all of the top awards in American journalism,

including the Pulitzer Prize and the Peabody Award.

The Friday night program includes a buffet dinner from Clayton

Shurley’s Real BBQ and live music from the Billy Erickson Duo. Saturday

afternoon’s lecture includes light refreshments.

Future speakers in the series will include revisionist historian

Howard Zinn and economist Todd Buchholz.

FYI

* Where: Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport

Beach

* When: 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday

* Cost: $55 for Friday, $18 for Saturday

* Contact: (949) 717-3890

Program to discuss ongoing problem of slavery

‘SLAVERY: IT STILL EXISTS’

While slavery has been outlawed in America, there are still countries

in which it still goes on. On Wednesday, the Media Correction Group of

the Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Orange County

will present “Slavery: It Still Exists.” The program will feature Dr.

Charles Jacobs, president of the American Anti-Slavery Group, and Abuk

Bak, a slavery survivor from Sudan, speaking to the topic. Program

co-sponsors include the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation

League, Jewish National Fund, Mideast Reporting in Truth, Museum of

Tolerance, Olam Magazine, Stand With Us and Stephen S. Wise Temple.

FYI

* Where: Jewish Federation of Orange County, 250 E. Baker St., Costa

Mesa

* When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

* Cost: Call for cost. Reservations required.

* Contact: (714) 755-5555

PLANNING AHEAD

‘CHEVAL’

Equestrian artistry will come to the Orange County Fairgrounds

with the opening day of “Cheval -- Imagination at Full Gallop.”

Wednesday, March 20

SMALL BUSINESS EXPO

The third annual Small Business Conference and Expo, with the theme

“The Dynamics of Branding, Marketing and Sales,” will be held at Orange

Coast College.

Wednesday, March 27

NUMERICALLY SPEAKING

1: The number of vineyards/wineries in Newport Beach.