COMMUNITIES & CLUBS:Explorers graduate from academy

More than 120 police explorers participated in a four-day academy in August at Camp Pendleton, where 111 explorers finished a series of classes and grueling physical and mental challenges to graduate at a ceremony in Garden Grove Aug. 16, including seven from Costa Mesa and one from Newport Beach.

More than 500 people, police chiefs, officers, family members and friends of the graduates attended the ceremony, including retired Newport Beach Police Officer Stan Bressler, who now serves as an advisor to the Newport Beach Police Explore Post.

Exploring is a career education program sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, and currently has more than 3,000 high school students in several hundred posts that include aviation, culinary arts, medical, music, and hospitality industry to name a few, according to Exploring Executive Lane Calvert of Costa Mesa.

Graduates from the Costa Mesa Police Department Explorer Post were Alexander Aquilar, Ady Basurto, Vanessa Cruz, Marvin Devia, William Gartner, Jose Gomez and Angel Pacheco. From the Newport Beach Police Explorer Post was Justin Edson.

Bressler and his wife Judy spent five days this week chaperoning 10 Newport Beach explorers in New York City, where they were met at the airport by New York Police Department officers and escorted to their hotel, then toured many of the city’s sites, thanks to arrangements made by the officers.

For more information about Exploring, contact Calvert at (714) 546-4990.

The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor honored Officers and Supervisors of the Year for Costa Mesa and Newport Beach Police Departments at a recent meeting, thanks to the work of past President Bill Bechtel.

The award winners were chosen by their peers and they received a plaque stating the honor.

Costa Mesa Police Chief Christopher Shawkey presented the Officer of the Year award to Julian Trevino and Supervisor of the Year Award to Sgt. Don Holford.

Newport Beach Police Chief John Klein presented the Officer of the Year Award to Damon Psaros and Supervisor of the Year Award to Terri Craft.

 From the Thought for the Day as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “There is no such thing as a ‘self-made’ Individual. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the makeup of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.” —