Exchange club seeks talent

“T he world is filled with talented kids, and some of the most talented will be performing at the Search for Talent contest, sponsored by the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor,” club member Dean Bottorf reports.

The event will take place at the Oasis Senior Center at 7 p.m. March 31. If you know of any talented kids between 6 and 18, tell them to call Bottorf at (949) 673-8701 to get entry forms, which are due by March 24. The performance is open to the public.

“Let’s break a leg!” Bottorf says.

STUDENT SPEAKER CONTEST

Newport Harbor High School’s Arielle Little won the Lion’s Zone Student Speaker Contest held recently at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District office. Arielle was sponsored by the Harbor Mesa Lions Club.

Also participating in the contest were Caitlin Hewes of Edison High School, who was sponsored by the Huntington Beach Host Lions Club; and Carolina Barnes of Estancia High, sponsored by the Costa Mesa Orange Coast Breakfast Lions Club.

Arielle received $75 for winning the contest and will go on to compete in the regional contest in Tustin on April 4. Students spoke on the subject, “The Internet, Hero or Villain?”

For information on speakers contests, call (714) 227-1715.

LIONS COLLECT COMPUTERS

Lions clubs recently donated about 100 used computers, televisions, fax machines and stereo components to Computers 2 Schools.

The charitable organization began in 1999 to promote education through the use of technology. Computers 2 Schools refurbishes the equipment and donates it to schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, senior centers and church after-school programs.

Harbor Mesa Lion club member Sandi Scheafer chaired the project and was assisted by the members of her club, the Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions, Huntington Beach Host Lions and the Buena Park Noon Lions. For further information about Computers 2 Schools, including future collection sites, call (714) 827-8060.

FOCUS ON FASHION

The Newcomer’s Club of Newport Beach will meet for the Fashion and Beauty event at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Balboa Bay Club, 1221 W. Coast Highway. The cost of the event is $30, plus $7 for valet parking.

For information, call (949) 719-0748 or (949) 715-7590.

LIONS INTERNATIONAL GROWS

Men and women in three more countries have joined Lions Clubs International. With the addition of Kazakhstan, Somalia and the Maldives, the total number of countries where Lions serve rises to 197.

The ninth-largest country in the world, Kazakhstan, was approved by the international board of directors in October. Somalia, in eastern Africa, was also approved at the October board meeting. The Republic of Maldives was approved during the January meetings.

Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service-club organization, with nearly 1.35 million members in about 44,600 clubs around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth.

WORTH REPEATING

From the thought for the day, as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council:

“We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers ? you can blame anyone but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change, you’re the one who has got to change. It’s as simple as that, isn’t it?”