* Send AROUND TOWN items to the...

* Send AROUND TOWN items to the Daily Pilot, 1375 Sunflower Ave.,

Costa Mesa, CA 92626; by e-mail to andrew.edwards @latimes.com; by

fax to (714) 966-4679; or by calling (714) 966-4617. Include the

time, date and location of the event, as well as a contact phone

number.

TODAY

Taco Mesa and Taco Rosa restaurants will donate 50% of net

revenues to tsunami relief efforts. Taco Mesa is open from 7 a.m. to

11 p.m. at 647 West 19th St., Costa Mesa. Taco Rosa is open from 11

a.m. to 10 p.m. at 2632 San Miguel Road, Newport Beach. Information:

(949) 642-0629 for Taco Mesa, (949) 720-0980 for Taco Rosa.

The United States Intelligence Community will be the topic of the

Great Decisions event that will touch on the findings of the 9/11

Commission and intelligence relating to the Iraq war. The 7 to 8:30

p.m. talk will be at St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 2100 Mar Vista,

Newport Beach. A nonpartisan guidebook published by the Foreign

Policy Assn. will be used as a guide and is available for $15.

Information: (949) 760-1691.

TUESDAY

Something Greater, a charity block party, will be held to raise

money to aid tsunami victims. The event will be at Avalon Bar, 820

West 19th St., Costa Mesa, and the Detroit Bar, 843 West 19th St.,

Costa Mesa. Call for times. Information: (949) 515-4650 or (949) 642-0600.

The Waldorf School of Orange County will hold an open house,

allowing parents to visit four classrooms as classes are in session.

The 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. open house will be at 2350 Canyon Drive, Costa

Mesa. Information: (949) 574-7775.

THURSDAY

The 24th annual Mayor’s Dinner will be hosted by Speak Up Newport.

Mayor Steve Bromberg will present his State of the City address and

Maj. General Timothy E. Donovan, commanding officer of Camp

Pendleton, will be the featured guest. The event will begin at 6 p.m.

at the Sutton Place Hotel, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach.

Information: (949) 673-1191.

A retro-slide tour of Southern California in the 1940s, ‘50s and

‘60s will be led by Charles Phoenix, an author, historian and

performance artist. The 3 p.m. event will be at the Newport Beach

Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. Information: (949)

717-3800 or https://www.newport beachlibrary.org.

FRIDAY

The African Children’s Choir will perform a 7 p.m. concert at

Christ Lutheran Ministries, 760 Victoria St., Costa Mesa. The show

will be free. Information: (949) 631-1611.

The “Butterfly Initiative,” a project sponsored by KOCE-TV, will

debut. The TV station commissioned Orange County artists to create

more than 50 butterfly sculptures that will be shown for the first

time at 10 a.m. at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills, Corona

del Mar. Information: https://butterflyinitiative.org.

A “members only” preview of the Friends of the Newport Beach

Library’s used book sale will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Newport

Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. Hardcover

books will be priced at two for $1 and paperbacks at six for $1.

Information: (949)759-9667.

SATURDAY

The Friends of the Newport Beach Library will hold a used book

sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until books are gone, at the Newport

Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. The sale is

open to the public, and all books will be priced at $1 per bag.

Information: (949)759-9667.

FEB. 9

Espionage activities during World War II will be the topic at a

meeting of the California Retired Teachers’ Assn., Harbor Division

No. 77. Costa Mesa resident George Morales will discuss his time

assigned to the Office of Strategic Services. He is the author of

“And the Code Word is Mozambique Mystique.” The 12:30 p.m. meeting

will be at the Costa Mesa Community Center, 1845 Park Ave., Costa

Mesa. Information: (949) 551-5082.

A children’s paint en plein air class will be held from 9 a.m. to

noon at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University

Drive, Newport Beach. The class will cost $15 for children and $20

for adults. Information: (949) 923-2275.

FEB. 11

Joe Klein, author of “Primary Colors,” a senior writer at Time and

regular contributor to “Paula Zahn Now” on CNN, will kick off the

Newport Beach Public Library Foundation’s Distinguished Speakers

Lecture Series on Friday. The 6 p.m. catered lecture will be at the

Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach.

Admission will cost $55. Information: (866) 301-2411 or

https://www.nbplfoundation.org.

FEB. 12

An intermediate plein air painting class will be offered from 9

a.m. to noon at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301

University Drive, Newport Beach. The class will cost $20.

Information: (949) 923-2275.

Joe Klein, author of “Primary Colors,” a senior writer at Time and

regular contributor to “Paula Zahn Now” on CNN, will kick off the

Newport Beach Public Library Foundation’s Distinguished Speakers

Lecture Series. The 2 p.m. lecture will be at the Newport Beach

Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. Admission will

cost $20. Information: (866) 301-2411 or

https://www.nbplfoundation.org.

FEB. 13

A family paint en plein air class will held from 9 a.m. to noon at

the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 Universty Drive,

Newport Beach. The class will cost $15 for children and $20 for

adults. Information: (949) 923-2275.

FEB. 14

“Look Good ... Feel Better” classes are sponsored by the American

Cancer Society. The classes are designed to teach techniques to help

cancer patients keep up their appearance while undergoing treatment.

The 10 a.m. to noon class will be at Hoag Hospital Cancer Center, 1

Hoag Drive, Newport Beach. Registration will be required for the free

event. Information: (949) 261-9446.

FEB. 26

Pacific Northwest Ballet School will hold auditions for its

five-week summer course. Auditions will be held at 3 p.m. for dancers

12 to 15 years old and at 4:30 p.m. for students 16 to 18. The

sessions will be at the Jimmie Defoe Dance Center, 151 Kalmus Drive,

Costa Mesa. Information: (206) 441-2435.

ONGOING

“Dr. M.P.” will discuss love skills at 7 p.m. on the first and

third Tuesdays of the month at University Towers, 4199 Campus Drive,

Suite 550, Irvine. Information: (949) 725-3366.

Life drawing workshops are held from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to

4 p.m. Saturdays at Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa

Mesa. The cost is $5 per session. Information: (714) 432-5880 or

https://www.occtickets.com.

A “Financial Strategies for Successful Retirement” workshop will

be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. 16 at Orange Coast

College’s Science Room 169, and from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through

Nov. 11 at the college’s Business Education Room 102, 2701 Fairview

Road, Costa Mesa. The cost is $69. Information: (714) 432-5880 or

https://www.occtickets.com.

The Inter-generational Troupe of Actors workshop meets from 3:15

to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse, 611 Hamilton

St., Costa Mesa. The free workshop is comprised of people of all ages

who want to perform and study drama. Interviews are required.

Information: (714) 841-1733 or https://www.friendsofoasis.

org/tsplayers.

The Newport Beach Cake Decorating Club meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays

at the Versailles Apartments, Hospital Road and Superior Avenue.

Information: (949) 650-1332.

The Newport Beach Spanish Club meets at 1 p.m. Mondays and

Saturdays at the Versailles Apartments, Hospital Road and Superior

Avenue. Information: (949) 650-1332.