Around Town: Costa Mesa school receives 25 engines from Honda for physics class
Honda Engines, a unit of Honda Power Equipment based in Alpharetta, Ga., donated $8,000 worth of engines to 10th-grade physics students at Waldorf High School of Orange County in Costa Mesa.
This week, the students at the private school disassembled and rebuilt the 25 donated engines as part of the mechanics portion of their physics class.
“These students will develop a working knowledge of mechanics and engines so they understand mechanical problems that may arise with their cars, recreational vehicles and even small household appliances,” Rich Hlaves, Honda Engines product and technical manager, said in a statement.
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Red Hill Avenue bridge work begins
Work on the Red Hill Avenue bridge over the 405 Freeway is beginning, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The project near Costa Mesa and Irvine is expected to cost $9.5 million and include full and partial closures of the bridge. A full closure of Red Hill between Main and Pullman streets could take four months.
Caltrans aims to stabilize the bridge by removing the existing earth walls, reinforcing the underlying soil embankment and building new retaining walls, according to a news release. Completion is scheduled for mid- or late 2017.
For more information and detour routes, visit dot.ca.gov/dist12/Red_Hill.
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Costa Mesa charity a beneficiary of football party Sunday
Former NFL players will attend the Kermit Alexander & NFL Legends Playoff Party on Sunday to help support the Costa Mesa-based Raise Foundation, a child abuse prevention council.
The event, at the Citadel Outlets shopping center in Los Angeles, also will raise money for Prevent Child Abuse Riverside County, an organization that offers scholarships to camps for children who have experienced abuse.
Former players including Alexander, Dokie Williams, Joe Sweet, Craig McEwen and Efren Herrera will greet the public from 1 to 3 p.m., and the AFC and NFC championship games will be shown on a 15-foot LED screen starting at noon.
A tailgate party will be offered in a VIP lounge, with doors opening at 11:30 a.m. Tickets to the party are available for $25 for adults and $10 for children 14 and younger.
For tickets and more information, visit pcafootball.com.
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Newly launched Newport Beach Walking Club seeks members
Newport Beach residents seeking exercise — and company — will have 12 opportunities a week, thanks to a club that a resident launched Tuesday.
Loyda Cordero, who refers to herself as a “socialite,” declared the start of the Newport Beach Walking Club. The informal group, which is seeking members, will meet at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays outside the Jack in the Box restaurant at Superior Avenue and West Coast Highway.
The length and route of the club’s walks will be decided at each meeting, Cordero said.
The club could provide a welcome break for people who need companionship, she said. “A lot of people are alone out there, lonely, and they have no place to go.”
Cordero said anyone interested in joining the club can call her at (949) 903-4627.
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O.C. supervisor to co-host free forum on conditions of children
Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel and the Orange County Children’s Partnership will present a free forum Wednesday in Costa Mesa about the recently released Conditions of Children Report.
The report, sponsored by the Children’s Partnership, addresses living conditions for children in Orange County.
The forum will begin at 2 p.m. at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave. Registration begins at 1:45.
Participants will include David Núñez, family health medical director at the Orange County Health Care Agency, and Ilia Rolon, director of health programs and policy for the Children and Families Commission of Orange County.
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Adams Avenue getting traffic signal work
Costa Mesa public services staff are working on traffic signal improvements along Adams Avenue as a joint project with the city of Huntington Beach.
Orange County Transportation Authority grants are assisting in the effort, which aims to coordinate traffic signals in the corridor between the two cities, according to a Costa Mesa news release.
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SOS fundraiser set at Newport Rib Co.
Costa Mesa-based nonprofit Share Our Selves will have a fundraiser at Newport Rib Co. in Costa Mesa on Jan. 28.
The restaurant, at 2196 Harbor Blvd., will donate 20% of sales between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. to SOS.
For reservations, call (949) 631-2110 and mention Share Our Selves.
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Boys chorus to hold open house
The All-American Boys Chorus, based in Costa Mesa, will have a “shadow day” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 30.
Boys interested in joining the group, which is celebrating its 46th anniversary, can attend to see what it’s like, according to the chorus.
“The All-American Boys Chorus wants to reach out to as many families as possible,” Anthony Manrique, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “Boys in the [chorus] receive a superb music education, acquire leadership qualities, establish lifelong friendships and enjoy unique opportunities to travel the world.”
For more information, call (714) 708-1670 or visit taabc.org.
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Costa Mesa looking for committee members
The city of Costa Mesa is looking for applicants for a variety of committees.
Seats are available on the Bikeway and Walkability, Cultural Arts, Historical Preservation, Housing & Public Service Grants, Finance Advisory and Pension Oversight committees.
Applications are available at the city clerk’s office or on the city website at costamesaca.gov/apply.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Feb. 19.
The City Council is tentatively scheduled to make appointments March 15.
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Fire officials receive awards
Captains from the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa fire departments received awards from the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center during the center’s recent annual symposium.
Capt. Glenn White of Newport Beach received the Director’s Special Recognition Award as his department’s terrorism liaison coordinator, a position he has held for the past decade, according to a news release.
Battalion Chief Kevin Diamond of Costa Mesa received the award for Fire Terrorism Liaison Officer of the Year for Orange County.
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Spots open for web series featuring undergraduate STEM projects
STEMbility, a YouTube web series featuring undergraduates, is accepting student applications for its second season. Six students will be selected.
Students in the first season were expected to create science, technology, engineering and math projects with real-world applications.
Through a partnership with Listo America, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit, resources and lab space for the projects are provided at no cost to the students.
For more information and an application, visit stembility.org.
—From staff reports