Fewer sea rescues than expected on...

Fewer sea rescues than expected on Saturday

Newport Beach lifeguards made only about 40 rescues as of late

afternoon on Saturday despite warnings earlier in the week of heavy

surfs and the possibility of increased rescues.

A heightened vigilance among lifeguards following the hazardous

surf warnings paid off as the number of rescues was significantly

smaller than the 125 made on Friday.

Officials talked all day to ocean-farers about possibly dangerous

surf conditions to take a more preventive approach to guarding lives,

said lifeguard dispatcher Mark Herman.

A forecast last week had predicted Hurricane Elida, which was

about 1,300 miles southeast of Newport Beach on Friday, would cause

more intense waves and increase the number of rescues on the weekend.

Costa Mesa-based

boys chorus wins grant

The Costa Mesa-based All-American Boys Chorus was recently awarded

an Arts and Culture Field of Interest grant that will help its

widely-praised music-reading program.

The $9,275 award was given to the nonprofit chorus by the Orange

County Community Foundation.

Information: (714) 708-1670.

OCC’s performing arts brochure available now

Orange Coast College’s lengthy performing arts brochure

forecasting its 2002-2003 season, highlights of which include

performances by Debbie Reynolds, Shelly Berman and the Peking

Acrobats, is now available to the public.

The season will begin Sept. 14 and most of the shows will be

staged at the Robert B. Moore Theatre.

The free brochures can be found in OCC’s Community Education

Office or requested by mail. Information about the season’s

hundred-plus shows is also found on OCC’s web site,

www.orangecoastcollege.com.

The college is located at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

Information: (714) 432-5880.

Robert Altman gives Ballet Pacifica a thrill

Ballet Pacifica got struck with stars last week as Academy

Award-winning director Robert Altman and director Robert Levy visited

the company to film dancer Davis Robertson for an upcoming

documentary on the principal dancer for the Joffrey Ballet of

Chicago.

Since earlier this month, Robertson has been in residency at the

Irvine studio as part of the Pacifica Choreographic Project, an

annual program for select choreographers and their works-in-progress.

Altman is best known for directing films including “The Player,”

“Nashville,” McCabe and Mrs. Miller” and most recently “Gosford

Park.”

Information: (949) 851-9930.