96,000 JWA passengers expected this weekend...

96,000 JWA passengers expected this weekend

John Wayne Airport officials are asking for the public’s

cooperation to operate smoothly during the upcoming Thanksgiving

holiday -- the most traveled weekend of the year.

Last year, almost 96,000 passengers passed through John Wayne

during the holiday weekend.

The busiest travel days are expected to be Wednesday through

Sunday. Officials say air carriers are expecting similar passenger

levels this year compared to last year.

Planning ahead and allowing adequate time to get to the airport,

park, check in baggage and complete the screening process will ensure

a smooth travel experience during the holiday season, officials said.

New JWA program helps with security

John Wayne Airport, in collaboration with the Transportation

Security Administration, recently launched Prepare for Takeoff, a

passenger awareness campaign to inform travelers about new security

measures.

The campaign, officials say, will help passengers prepare for

travel before they go to the airport and assist them once they

arrive. The campaign educates passengers about preparing for their

trip by offering timesaving tips to help minimize stress.

Other partners in the campaign include the airlines, travel agents

and customer service organizations. More information is available on

the TSA Web site at www.tsa.dot.gov. John Wayne Airport’s Web site at

www.ocair.com.

Canned donations welcomed at library

Bins for “Share Our Selves” are now in front of the Newport Beach

Central Library for donations of canned goods and other nonperishable

items that will be distributed to the needy throughout the region.

The charity has issued a “wish list” of the items most desperately

needed this year: powdered or evaporated milk; canned soup, fruit,

vegetables, juice, meat, tuna, etc.; cereal; flour; sugar; salt rice;

peanut butter; jelly; baby food, bottles, wipes, diapers; macaroni

and cheese; hamburger helper; pasta and pasta sauce; pancake mix;

tea/coffee; beans; chili; stew; cake mix; salsa; crackers; snacks;

deodorant; shampoo; lotion; toothbrushes; toothpaste; razors; shaving

cream; laundry soap; personal soap; fast food gift

certificates/restaurant certificates; grocery certificates; gravy;

canned holiday goods such as ham, pumpkin, yams, cranberry sauce;

sauces; stuffing and desserts.

Donations may be made anytime the library, at 1000 Avocado Ave.,

is open, which is from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9

a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call (949) 717-3801.

Civic leaders christen revamped footbridge

Local leaders rededicated a 74-year-old Corona del Mar footbridge,

as if it were brand new, at a ceremony Thursday.

The 243-foot utilitarian-style bridge, built in 1928, reemerges

from a months-long rehabilitation with a new coat of paint, ramps

that allow handicapped individuals access and freshly planted

geraniums along the two top rails.

The bridge is a local favorite and provides a path to the beach

for walkers and joggers.

Former Newport Beach Councilmen Dennis O’Neil, who represented

Corona del Mar until he was termed out Nov. 5, is expected to attend

the ceremony, along with other city and community leaders.

O’Neil successfully secured $25,000 of the project’s $40,000 price

tag in the city’s 2002-2003 budget. Locals who live around the bridge

had lobbied the two-term councilman and former mayor.

Civic leaders B.J. Johnson, Liz Torelli, Kathy Sommer and others

pushed for the work. The women also raised private money to help

finish the funding need for the work. Many of those donors are

expected to attend the event, along with the city’s general services

director Dave Niederhaus.

The bridge, which has given residents living above Ocean Avenue a

direct route to Corona del Mar State Beach, runs across Bayside

Drive.

Lincoln Elementary raises $50,000

Lincoln Elementary School’s off-site fundraiser, Calypso on the

Coast, generated $50,000 for the Corona del Mar school. More than 300

parents and faculty members attended the event, held Nov. 1, at the

Hyatt Newporter.

The evening included dinner, dancing and live and silent auctions.

Teacher wish lists for classroom supplies generated additional

donations.

Local eateries and businesses sponsored the event.