Helping children learn to read

JIM DE BOOM

Daily Pilot readers ought to be encouraged by the improving Academic

Performance Index scores in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

API scores were up at 28 of the district’s schools, with the

greatest growth at Pomona, Whittier and Wilson schools, the three

target schools for the Daily Pilot’s and Rotary’s Reading by 9

program. It takes talented teachers, involved parents and volunteers,

plus the necessary resources to help students learn and master

reading.

During the past four years, the efforts of the Daily Pilot and the

Rotary Clubs of Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine and Newport Beach

Sunrise in support of the Los Angeles Times Reading by 9 program has

raised more than $24,000. That total includes $10,000 from Daily

Pilot readers toward delivering 16,500 books to kindergarten through

third-grade students at Pomona, Whittier and Wilson elementary

schools, which have the highest percentage of

limited-English-speaking students and lowest test scores.

This year, the three Rotary Clubs have challenged Daily Pilot

readers to match the $6,800 they’re putting up to buy books for the

three schools. Your $10 donation will be matched by the Rotary Club

to buy 11 reading books. A $25 donation will be matched to buy 30

books, a $50 donation will be matched to buy 58 books and so on.

Your tax-

deductible donation to buy Reading by 9 books can be made payable

and mailed to Rotary District 5320 Foundation, c/o Daily Pilot, 330

W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627. Book orders are due Jan. 5, so pull

out your checkbook and help provide the resources to Pomona, Whittier

and Wilson elementary schools.

Make your investment and then watch the dividends grow.

EXCHANGE SUPPORTS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION

The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor donated the proceeds from its

movie benefit, some $26,000, to the Child Abuse Prevention Center.

The Newport Harbor Club helped to start the center, which now has

a budget in excess of $3 million and serves more than 20,000 children

annually, past President Dick Freeman said. Club President John Kruse

had the pleasure of presenting the check to a most appreciative Kathy

McCarrell, the center’s director, who expressed her appreciation for

the Exchange Club’s continued support.

COSTA MESA KIWANIS MOURNS TAG TAGGART

Longtime Costa Mesa Kiwanis member “Tag” Taggart passed away on

Dec. 6 at the age of 92. I never knew Tag’s real name until I read

the Celebration of Life program from his service at the Presbyterian

Church of the Covenant in Costa Mesa -- Claude Ellis Taggart.

I first met Tag at the Service Club Olympics that was held at the

YMCA in the early 1980s and at the Service Club Hall of Fame Luncheon

around the same time. He was one of the first inductees into the

Service Club Hall of Fame.

Tag had a long working career, including years at National Cash

Register, Dean Witter and in real estate sales. He graduated from

Ball State University with a degree in physical education, taught

business classes and coached high school basketball after graduation.

After retiring, he taught at Coastline College. Tag was a husband,

father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a real contributor

to his community. He will be missed. My condolences to Marie and the

family.

HOLIDAY BRUNCH FOR FOCIS

Friends of the Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter held its annual

holiday brunch on Dec. 10 at the Newport Coast home of Janet Kerber.

The event co-chairs were Gale Edelberg, Myra Wiener and Samantha

Olenik.

The brunch was a big success, with carloads of gifts, toys and

clothes gathered for homeless families living at the Orange Coast

Interfaith Shelter in Costa Mesa, Edelberg said. The event also

raised more than $3,000.

Piano music by Sally Edmonds added to the festivities. The

shelter’s board members catered the event with the help of Chef

Dennis Brask at the Five Crowns restaurant, and board member Sue

Bershad sold Christmas tree ornaments made by children at the

shelter. The “purchased” ornaments were then put on a tree and taken

to the shelter for the children to enjoy.

Homelessness is growing in Orange County, shelter executive

director Michael Arnot said.

“More than 23,000 people are without permanent shelter and of

those, 17,000 are in families with children,” he said. “The Orange

Coast Interfaith Shelter is the oldest and largest in the county for

homeless families. Our temporary program is a model for others

nationwide in helping homeless families become self-supporting.”

FINDING A WAY TO FILL THE KETTLE

“I was at the Ruby’s Diner corporate office in Newport Beach and

there were 10 or so Salvation Army kettles on the reception desk,”

Daily Pilot reader Connie Hamilton said.

“Curious by nature, I asked what these were for,” she said. “It

seems that someone there had heard of the financial challenge

Salvation Army has this year due to the grocery store strikes. The

management of Ruby’s Diner volunteered to place a money bucket at

each of its locations to help Salvation Army out. I’m impressed with

this display of teamwork and community spirit.”

That’s the holiday spirit!

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for the Day provided by Greg Kelley of the

Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council:

“How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the

young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and

tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life, you

will have been all of these.”

-- GEORGE

WASHINGTON CARVER

Happy New Year to all!

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published every Saturday in the Daily

Pilot. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949)

660-8667; by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com; or by mail to 2082 S.E.

Bristol St., Suite 201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.