* Send AROUND TOWN items to the...

* Send AROUND TOWN items to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa

Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (949) 646-4170; or by calling (949)

574-4298. Include the time, date and location of the event, as well

as a contact phone number. A complete listing is available at

www.dailypilot.com.

TODAY

A Great Decisions discussion of “The Global Struggle for Women’s

Rights” is the last in an eight-week series on U.S. foreign policy

topics. The discussion will be led by Karen Speros from 7 to 8:30

p.m. at St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 2100 Mar Vista, Newport Beach.

For more information, call (949) 760-1691.

Steven Cojocaru reads from and signs “Red Carpet Diaries.”

Cojocaru, fashion correspondent for the “Today Show” and People

Magazine’s style editor, reveals the dirt beneath the red carpet of

today’s celebrities. Event starts at 6 p.m. at Book Soup South Coast

Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Suite 2400, Costa Mesa. For more

information, call (714) 689-2665.

“Grab a Falafel in Jerusalem” as part of an Israeli-style Purim

celebration courtesy of the Chabad Jewish Center in Newport Beach at

6:30 p.m. It will be held in the Radisson Hotel at 4545 MacArthur

Blvd.. The cost is $15 per adult, $10 per child. For reservations,

call (949) 721-9800.

TUESDAY

The Newport Harbor Orchid Society is hosting an orchid plant

auction from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Neighborhood Community Center,

1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa. Free. For more information, call (949)

642-4148.

A free seminar called “The Role of Supplements in Fighting Cancer”

will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Mother’s Market, 225 East 17th

St., Costa Mesa. For reservations, call (800) 595-MOMS.

A “Making the Right Financial Decisions” workshop, sponsored by

the Service Corps of Retired Executives, will take place from 9 a.m.

to noon at National University, 3390 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. The

cost is $40, $35 if preregistered. For more information, call (714)

550-7369.

The Surfrider Foundation Newport Beach Chapter is holding a public

meeting at 7 p.m. at the Oasis Center, 800 Marguerite Ave., Corona

Del Mar. Assistant city Manager Dave Kiff and Newport Harbor Master

Tom Rossmiller will discuss the clean water quality for Newport Beach

and the harbor.

WEDNESDAY

“Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, Nanofiction,” presented by assistant

professor of physics and astronomy Phil Collins at UC Irvine, will

cover the realities behind the nanotechnology revolution. Scheduled

at 7:30 a.m. at the University Club on campus, call (949) 824-4613

for more information.

Newport Beach Newcomers’ general meeting takes place at 11 a.m. at

the Arches Restaurant. The club is open to all women who have lived

in the area fewer than five years. To learn more, call (949)

645-9922.

“Tax Free College Savings -- A Review of 529 Plans and Your Other

Options” is a free seminar that comes with a complimentary dinner at

6:30 p.m. at the Newport Gateway Center in Irvine. Address is 19800

MacArthur Blvd. For reservations, call Celeste at 1-800-876-0353.

A free seminar called “Feng Shui for a Healing Home” will be held

from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Mother’s Market, 225 East 17th St., Costa

Mesa. For reservations, call (800) 595-MOMS.

Mesa Verde Community Inc., a nonprofit organization, will host its

general meeting. Special guests include Fire Chief James Ellis and

Police Chief Tom Warnack, who will discuss disaster preparedness.

Call (949) 452-3964 for the meeting time.

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce will host its Newport Beach

Marine Networking and Speaker Forum from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Newport

Harbor Nautical Museum, 151 Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

Free. For more information, call (949) 729-4400.

The Costa Mesa Historical Society will hold its general meeting at

7 p.m. at 1870 Anaheim Ave. Guest speaker Giles Brown will discuss

his early days at Orange Coast College. For more information, call

(949) 631-5918

Neuroscientist Dr. Stuart Zola of Emory University, a leading

expert in memory, will give a lecture in the Irvine Barclay Theatre

at 7:30 p.m. He will discuss insights gained from research about

memory distortion, memory impairment and maintaining successful

memory function as we age. Call Lori Metherate at (949) 824-7566 for

more information.

Weekly story time at Toy Boat toy store offers stories, songs,

finger plays and crafts. Newborns to 5-year-olds are invited from

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. to 21111 Newport Coast Drive. For more

information, call (949) 759-8697.

THURSDAY

“Integrity Counts the Most When It Costs the Most” is the topic

for the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. Featuring Gary Daichendt,

the event will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Newport Beach Marriott

Hotel, 900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. The cost is $25 per

person. For more information, call (949) 219-5358.

The Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s “90 Minute Breakfast Boost”

will be held from 7 to 8:45 a.m. at the Costa Mesa Country Club, 1701

Golf Course Drive, Costa Mesa. Cost is $13 or $18 at the door. To

make reservations, call (714) 885-9090.

Help for the environment is right in your back yard, says Douglas

Kent, author of “A New Era of Gardening.” Kent will present

“Gardening for Oxygen,” a free program at 7 p.m. at the Newport Beach

Central Library. For more information, call (949) 717-3816.

FRIDAY

The schooner “American Pride” will make her way into Newport

Harbor en route to the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum. This will be

the first time in Newport Harbor for this graceful 130-foot vessel, which sailed 7,500 miles through the Panama Canal from Bar Harbor,

Maine to the West Coast. Visitors are invited aboard March 22 and

March 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission $2 for children, $3 for

adults and $7 for families. For more information, call (949)

673-7863.

“Community Science Night” at Orange Coast College offers

planetarium shows, stargazing through OCC’s telescopes and other

activities from 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Call (714) 432-5725

for more information.

SATURDAY

Prince of Peace Christian Church and School is hosting its annual

Country Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2987 Mesa Verde Drive

East, Costa Mesa. Events will include rides, carnival booths, pedal

cars, face painting and more. For more information, call (714)

241-7361.

The League of Women Voters of Orange Coast will have a membership

coffee at 9:30 a.m. at 1836 Santiago Drive, Newport Beach. For more

information, call (949) 548-7117.

An “E-Commerce for Small Business” workshop, sponsored by the

Service Corps of Retired Executives, will take place from 9 a.m. to

noon at National University, 3390 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. The cost

is $25, $20 if preregistered. For more information, call (714)

550-7369.

The annual mother/daughter fashion show and luncheon sponsored by

the Newport Chapter of the National Charity League Juniors will be

held at 10:30 a.m. at the Four Seasons Palm Garden, Newport Beach.

Tickets are $90 for adults and $60 for children. For more

information, call (949) 642-4496.

SUNDAY

Spa Gregorie’s in Newport Beach will donate 25% of all proceeds to

the Orange County Affiliate of the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer

Foundation. “Pampering Toward a Cure” appointments are available from

9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call (949) 644-6672.

MARCH 25

A free spring cleaning workshop called “Detox and Cleansing Thru

Ayurveda” will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Mother’s Market, 225

East 17th St., Costa Mesa. For reservations, call (800) 595-MOMS.

A “Marketing and Promotion” workshop, sponsored by the Service

Corps of Retired Executives, will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at

National University, 3390 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. The cost is $25,

$20 if preregistered. For more information, call (714) 550-7369.

Orange Coast College hosts the annual Banff Mountain Film

Festival. Three hours of “the best of the best” will be screened at 7

p.m. at the Robert B. Moore Theatre at Orange Coast College.

Including films from Canada, America, the United Kingdom, Germany,

Australia and Switzerland, the films reflect a wide range of mountain

experiences. Tickets cost $9 in advance, $10 at the door or $5 for

students. For ticket information, call (714) 432-0202, ext. 21058.

MARCH 26

A free spring cleaning seminar called “The Tao (Way) of Cleansing”

will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Mother’s Market, 225 East 17th

St., Costa Mesa. For reservations, call (800) 595-MOMS.

Newport Beach Community Services will present a new series of

drawing and painting workshops featuring individual instruction for

beginning to advanced students in mixed media. The series will

continue for eight Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Vince

Jorgensen Center adjacent to Mariner’s Library, 2005 Dover Drive,

Newport Beach. Fee is $66 for the entire series. For more

information, call (949) 644-3151.

“Drugs: Nightlife or Nightmare,” presented by Orange Coast

College’s United Student Sociologists Club and Psychology Club, is a

symposium offering students an unbiased approach to the issues behind

the physical effects, personal experiences, cultural aspects and

legalities of drugs. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the

college’s Student Center. Call (949) 929-0527 for more information.

A business after-hours mixer sponsored by the Costa Mesa Chamber

of Commerce will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Turnip Rose

banquet facility, 1901 Newport Blvd. It is free for members and costs

$10 for potential members. For more information, call (714) 885-9090.

Weekly story time at Toy Boat toy store with stories, songs,

finger plays and crafts. Newborns to 5-year-olds are invited from

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 21111 Newport Coast Drive. For more

information, call (949) 759-8697.

MARCH 27

A lung cancer support group will discuss strategies and resources

for coping with lung cancer. The group will meet from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

at the Hoag Cancer Center, Conference Room A, 1 Hoag Drive, Newport

Beach. Free. For more information, call (949) 760-5542.

The Col. William Cabell Chapter of the National Society Daughters

of the American Revolution will present 140 awards for patriotism,

citizenship and excellence in American history to students of the

Newport/Mesa elementary, middle and high schools. The presentation

will take place at the Costa Mesa Community Center at 2 p.m.

Good food, new business clients and a beautiful location. If this

sounds like your scene, make plans to attend the Newport Beach

Chamber of Commerce Afterhours Networking event at the Colony

Apartments, 5100 Colony Plaza at Fashion Island, at 5 p.m.

The Costa Mesa High Grad Night Committee is holding a silent

auction as their main fund-raiser from 6 to 9 p.m. at Halecrest Park

Clubhouse, 3107 Killybrooke Lane, Costa Mesa. Dinner will be served

until 7:30 p.m. To make a donation or purchase a $5 ticket, call

(714) 557-0256.

Flower children, peace rallies and local landmarks in earlier

incarnations may be among the images presented at “Down Memory Lane,”

a free slide lecture at 7 p.m. at the Newport Beach Central Library.

The program will include a discussion of local news stories from the

early 1960s to the early ‘90s.

MARCH 30

Kids and their families are invited to “A Very Special Outing,” an

afternoon of interactive storytelling and crafts from 1 to 4 p.m.

Admission is free at the Newport Beach Central Library. Call (949)

717-3816 for more information.

MARCH 31

Author Adeline Yen Mah will discuss her books and personal journey

from communist China to the United States in a talk sponsored by UC

Irvine Libraries and the Orange County Reads One Book Project. A book

signing and refreshments will be offered after the program, which

will begin at 6 p.m. at the UCI Student Center, Emerald Bay Room AB

at UC Irvine. The event is free and open to the public, but parking

costs $5. For reservations, call (949) 824-4651.

APRIL 2

A support group for caregivers of Lewy body disorder and Pick’s

disease/frontal temporal dementias, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s

Assn. of Orange County, will meet at UC Irvine’s Gillespie Facility

in the second floor of the conference room at 9:30 a.m. For

reservations, call (949) 824-2382. Admission is free.

APRIL 3

A support group for caregivers, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Assn.

of Orange County, will meet at Hoag Health Center, 1190 Baker Street,

Costa Mesa, from 1 to 3 p.m. Call (714) 593-9630 for reservations.

Admission is free.

APRIL 4

America’s Family Pet Expo runs through April 6, from 10 a.m. to 6

p.m. Friday; from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and from 9 a.m. to 6

p.m. at the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center. Admission is $8

for adults, $6 for seniors (60 and older) and $3 for children (6 to

12). Call (626) 447-2222 for more information.

APRIL 5

The April in Venice annual gala of the Alzheimer’s Assn. of Orange

County will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach.

Call (800) 660-1993 for more information.

The Fairview Park Friends Committee of Costa Mesa invites the

community to participate in the first annual Earth Day in the Park at

Fairview Park and quarterly “Friends” kickoff meeting. The event

begins at 9:30 a.m. at the picnic shelter on the Park’s west side.

Call (714) 754-5698 for more information.

APRIL 20

Sailing Marina del Rey and Newport harbors, Hornblower Cruises and

Events is featuring a Champagne Brunch Cruise on Easter Sunday. The

two-hour cruise features a lavish brunch and dessert buffet prepared

fresh on board by our talented chefs. The cruise boards at 11:30 a.m.

and sails from noon to 2 p.m. The cost is $41.95 per person. For more

information or reservations, call (800) ON-THE-BAY.

ONGOING

Team Survivor, a nonprofit organization encouraging women who have

been through cancer treatment to exercise, hosts “Walk and Talk” at

10 a.m. the second and fourth Friday of the month in front of

NIKEgodess store in Fashion Island. Members meet for lunch after at

Atrium court. It is free, and all fitness levels are welcome. For

more information, call (949) 275-3888.

Newport Community Counseling Center offers a way to stop the cycle

of domestic violence through the support group In S.A.F.E. Hands.

S.A.F.E. stands for safety, awareness, faith and empowerment. The

group meets Mondays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Free. For more information,

call (949) 721-8079.

Teens are invited to drop by the city of Costa Mesa Recreation

Center from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday for indoor and outdoor

sports and activities. The Center is at 1860 Anaheim Ave. For more

information, call (714) 327-7560.

The Newport Beach City Hall is displaying watercolor paintings by

Juan Casado, Ned Parsons, Raymond Otis and Jim Teegarden through

March 28 at 3300 Newport Blvd. For more information, call (949)

717-3870.

The Assn. of Business Services hosts a networking meeting that

deals with education connections from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the second

Tuesday of every month at the Holiday Inn at 3131 Bristol St., Costa

Mesa. For more information, call (949) 805-0011.

“Divorce: A New Beginning,” a workshop for men and women divorced

or getting divorced, is held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 180

Newport Center Drive on the third Saturday of every month. Cost is

$40. For more information, call 644-6435.

The Newport Beach Public Library hosts an hour of stories and

crafts for children in kindergarten through the second grade at the

Corona del Mar branch from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays. The library is at

420 Marigold Ave. For more information, call (949) 717-3800.

Free tours of the Orange County Performing Arts Center take guests

to the dressing rooms, performer’s lounge, backstage and on stage at

10:30 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at 600 Town Center Drive,

Costa Mesa. Group tours can be held by special arrangement. For more

information, call (714) 556-ARTS, ext. 833.

The Newport Beach Newcomers Club holds a general meeting on the

third Wednesday of every month. The organization is open to all women

residents in Newport Beach who have lived in the area fewer than five

years. For more information, call (949) 645-9922, or visit

newcomers-newportbeach.org.

Oasis Senior Center holds a pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 10 a.m.

on the second Saturday of every month. Breakfast includes pancakes,

sausage, coffee and orange juice for $3, $1 for children. The center

is at 800 Marguerite, Corona del Mar. For more information, call

(949) 644-3244.

Macy’s South Coast Plaza presents “Workshop Wednesdays: A Hands-on

Cooking Class Program” hosted by chef Alexx Guevara. The class is

held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa.

The cost, including materials, is $30. To reserve a spot, call (818)

994-5075.

Yoga and rhythm, “Yogarhythmics” combines yoga, dance and fun. The

class is held from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays at 2850 Mesa Verde

Drive East, Suite 111, Costa Mesa. For more information, call (714)

754-7399.

“Earthquakes -- Not If, But When” will be re-broadcast through

April 12 on Adelphia and Cox cable systems for Newport Beach. The

show has been edited to 30 minutes and runs Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.,

Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and Saturdays at 7 p.m.

The Newport Harbor Nautical Museum offers the exhibit “Your

Majesty, There Is No Second: The America’s Cup 1851-2003” through

April 30. The museum is at 151 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport

Beach. Free admission. For more information, call (949) 673-7863.

Women 50 and older can join a discussion group coordinated by

Jewish Family Services to address issues such as anxiety, depression,

relationships, loneliness and family. The group meets from 10 to

11:30 a.m. Mondays at the agency offices, 250 E. Baker St., Suite G,

Costa Mesa. Preregistration required. (714) 445-4950.