BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

French students return to Newport Beach

Ten students and a teacher from Antibes, France, are visiting Newport Beach this week as part of a sister-city program that’s in its eighth year.

During the 11-day visit, five of the French students will attend Newport Harbor High School and the other five will attend Corona del Mar High School. The visitors plan to meet Mayor Steve Rosansky at the Newport Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Marie Atkins, vice president of the Newport Beach Sister City Assn., said the group toured Disneyland and had a potluck dinner over the weekend. Later in the week, Atkins said, the students will visit Universal Studios and the Balboa Pier.

The host students from Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar High plan to visit Antibes in April during Newport-Mesa’s spring break. This year marks the second time that Newport Harbor High has participated in the program, which has centered around Corona del Mar High for most of the past decade.

“They really blend in,” Atkins said. “They like a lot of the same music. They dress the same. They have the same way of talking to each other. It’s really hard to tell, when they’re together, who comes from where.”

City committees need new members

The Costa Mesa City Council is seeking to fill openings on the following committees: the Access Building, Housing and Fire Code Board of Appeal, which has five regular and two alternate-member vacancies; the Child Care and Youth Services Committee, which has eight regular member vacancies and two alternate-member spots to fill; the Cultural Arts Committee, which has four regular member openings; the Fairview Park Friend/Fundraising Committee, which has four “at-large” positions that are open; and the Historical Preservation Committee, which has one vacancy.

Those interested should request and complete a Committee Interest Form from the city manager’s office or from www.ci.costa-mesa-.ca.us, or submit a letter of interest to: Costa Mesa City Council, P.O. Box 1200, Costa Mesa, CA, 92628-1200. Letters may also be hand-delivered to the city manager’s office at 77 Fair Drive. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on March 9.

Farview Park welcomes winter visitors

The Friends Committee of Fairview Park in Costa Mesa has invited the community to a winter tour on March 10.

Fairview Park Plan Administrator Robert Staples and Project Manager Bart Mejia will show the public around recent restoration projects and trails planned for the park. If enough rain falls before the tour, they will also show attendees rare vernal pools.

The 90-minute tour begins at 9 a.m. on Sat., March 10, in the westerly parking lot at 2525 Placentia Ave. Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and appropriate clothes.

For further information, call (714) 754-5698 or go to www.CMFairviewPark.org.