* Send AROUND TOWN items to the...

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

Mesa, CA 92627; by e-mail to luis.pena@latimes.com; 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.

TODAY

The Campus Colleagues of Orange Coast College will hold a luncheon

to raise funds for the OCC Disabled Students Center from 11 a.m. to 2

p.m. at OCC. There will be entertainment provided by Tyler Hoff and

Kiro Kiro, who will be playing with the Harry and Grace Steele

Children Center. The cost is $9.50 per person. Information:

standardtint@hotmail.com.

The Thursday Morning Senior Women’s Club will present its

Christmas party luncheon and a musical show at 11 a.m. at the Newport

Beach Radisson Hotel, 4545 MacArthur Blvd. This will be $23.

Information and reservation: (714) 842-5863.

Orange County Reads One Book, Year Two invites the public to

attend the first of two planning meetings at 8 to 9:45 a.m. at

Borders Books & Music in South Coast Plaza. Information: (714)

846-8717, https://www. orangecountyreads.org.

FRIDAY

Fashion Island and Star 98.7 Radio will host a holiday toy drive

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Bloomingdale’s Courtyard. Customers are

encouraged to drop off an unwrapped new toy to be placed under the

Fashion Island Christmas tree. Information: (949) 721-2000.

https://www.shopfashionisland. com.

The Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy friends support group will meet

at 7 p.m. at Cocos, 2750 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. Information: (949)

650-1212, (714) 491-9400.

SATURDAY

Sharky’s Wood-fired Mexican Grill will have a grand opening

celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help Newport Coast Cares raise

funds for La Hacienda de la Inmaculada, a small orphanage in Tijuana.

The cost will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. Sharky’s is at

21119 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast Shopping Center.

Information: (949) 433-7879.

The City of Costa Mesa and Torelli Realty are sponsoring the

city’s annual Holiday Snow Hill, which will be from 9 a.m. to noon at

the Balearic Community Center, 1975 Balearic Drive. The event will

include 60 tons of snow, hay rides and a special visit by Santa.

Santa will arrive at 10:30 a.m. by helicopter Information: (714)

754-5158.

Orange County People for Animals will have a silent auction, live

music, a guest speaker, and OCPA’s annual “Peace for Animals”

community ceremony at 6:30 p.m. at the Ayers Country Inn & Suites

Hotel, at 325 S. Bristol St. The cost is $40 for members and $50 for

nonmembers. Information: (714) 751-OCPA, https://www.ocpausa.org.

The merchants of Balboa invite you to watch the students of

Newport Elementary School as they participant in the annual merchant

Christmas painting program from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Fun Zone area

Balboa Village in front of the Ferris wheel. Information: (949)

675-0501, https://www.balboanewportbeach. com.

Costa Mesa High School will have a communitywide campus cleanup

day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2650 Fairview Road. People will meet

inside the main entrance by the Lyceum. Adults and teens are welcome.

Information: Ricardo Dence (714) 751-9856.

The Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center will host a hands on

event featuring reptiles, amphibians and arachnids from 1 to 2 p.m.

at 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach. Learn mesmerizing facts and

myths about these creatures. The cost will be $10 for ages 5 and up.

Information and registration: (949) 923-2295.

SUNDAY

Halecrest Park will be hosting a holiday boutique from 8 a.m. to 6

p.m. at 3107 Killybrook Lane, Costa Mesa. There will be handmade

crafts, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Avon Cosmetics and

more. Child care will be available. Information: (714) 557-7234.

Martha’s Bookstore will have a champagne book signing for the

“Silent Screen Cookbook” by Joanabell Lewis from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at

308 1/2 Marine Ave., Balboa Island. Information: (949) 673-7185.

Judging will begin for Balboa Island’s annual holiday home

decorating contest. Judging will go on until 10 p.m. each day through

Dec. 16. Some of the categories are traditional, most original and

best animated. Homes are all judged by volunteers. Information:

Joanie Cooper, (949) 675-4441, (949) 673-8700.

A Christmas concert will be given at 5 and 7:30 p.m. at the Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Newport Beach Stake Center,

2150 Bonita Canyon Road. The Beach City Bells and Val Jamora and

other soloists will be featured at the two performances. Information:

(949) 644-6405.

MONDAY

Judging will continue for Balboa Island’s annual holiday home

decorating contest. Judging will go on each day until 10 p.m. through

Dec. 16. Some of the categories are traditional, most original and

best animated. Homes are all judged by volunteers. Information:

Joanie Cooper, (949) 675-4441, (949) 673-8700.

Orange County Reads One Book, Year Two invites the public to

attend the second of two planning meetings, from 4 to 5:45 p.m., Dec.

15 at the Los Angeles Times Orange County community room, 1375

Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa. Enter through the security gate.

Information: (714) 846-8717, https://www.orangecountyreads. org.

TUESDAY

Judging will continue for Balboa Island’s annual holiday home

decorating contest. Judging will go on each day until 10 p.m. through

Dec. 16. Some of the categories are traditional, most original and

best animated. Homes are all judged by volunteers. Information:

Joanie Cooper, (949) 675-4441, (949) 673-8700.

Costa Mesa High School will host a book fair fundraiser from 4 to

8 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Triangle Square, 1870-B

Harbor Blvd. A book fair voucher is required for a percentage of the

purchase to be given to Costa Mesa High School. Vouchers may be

obtained at the school’s front office or they may be received by fax.

Information: nadine112390@mindspring.com.

The ACLU of Orange County will host two speakers, Charlie Reed and

Steph Campbell, who will discuss issues related to the separation of

church and state, the faith-based initiative and how it affects the

1st Amendment, at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 1259

Victoria, Costa Mesa. Information: (714) 299-4551.

WEDNESDAY

The Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center will host a

parent-and-child playtime event so children 3 to 4 years old can

learn how animals see, hear, taste, smell and feel from 10:30 to

11:15 a.m. at 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach. The cost of the

event is $5 per child. Information and registration: (949) 923-2295.

DEC. 18

The Young Executives of America will host Paul A. Motenko,

chairman of the board and co-CEO of Chicago Pizza & Brewery Inc.,

during its breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. at the Pacific Club, 4110

MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. The cost is $16 for members and $25

for nonmembers. Information: (949) 721-8686.

DEC. 20

“Divorce: A New Beginning” is a workshop for men and women in the

process of divorcing or recently divorced from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

at 180 Newport Center Drive. The cost is $40. Information:

(949)644-6435.

The Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club will serve hamburgers,

cheeseburgers and hot dogs and the Orange County Model Engineers will

conduct free train rides from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Goat Hill

Junction train station at Fairview Park. Information: (949) 574-0337.

DEC. 21

Fashion Island will host its annual menorah lighting ceremony at 3

p.m. at Bloomingdale’s Courtyard. The event will be hosted by Rabbi

Reuven Mintz of the Chabad Jewish Center in Newport Beach.

Information: (949) 721-2000, https://www.shopfashionisland. com.