Around Town: Animals receive blessings from St. James church

St. James the Great Episcopal Church in Newport Beach had its annual Blessing of the Animals in Lido Park on Sunday.

Worshippers took their pets and other animals to be blessed by the Rev. Canon Cindy Voorhees.

Reid Day School to present film Wednesday

Reid Day School in Costa Mesa will present a screening Wednesday evening of “2e: Twice Exceptional,” a film that follows the journey of high school students in Los Angeles who are identified as twice-exceptional — meaning they are gifted and have a learning, emotional or behavioral issue.

The event will begin at 6p.m. at the Newport Beach Civic Center, 100 Civic Center Drive, and will include a meet-and-greet and Q&A with the film’s director, Tom Ropelewski, and Dr. Mike Postma, a consultant and author on the development of twice-exceptional children.

Reid Day School is for students considered twice-exceptional. For more information, call (949) 680-9592 or visit reidday.org.

H.B. chamber to present energy forum Thursday

The Huntington Beach Green Forum & Expo, sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce, will be held from 4 to 8p.m. at the senior center in Central Park, 18041 Goldenwest St.

The forum is billed as “A Night of Energy: Plug in to the Future.” Tickets are $30. To register, visit hbchamber.com.

Admission to the expo is free.

Police lieutenant receives Costa Mesa leadership award

Costa Mesa police Lt. Joyce LaPointe, a 19-year veteran of the department, was recently recognized by Costa Mesa city Chief Executive Tom Hatch with the CEO Leadership Award.

The award recognized her work dealing with local challenges including issues with the homeless population, according to a news release. She is currently Area 1 commander, overseeing patrol operations on the south end of Costa Mesa. She also manages the park rangers and bike detail team, among other duties.

“What I admire about Joyce is that she is always quick to point out that what she does is part of a larger team effort,” Hatch said in a statement. “I appreciate her leadership skills and value the hard work she has done throughout the years and most recently her efforts to solve our homeless challenges.”

Plants and vegetables up for grabs at OCC

Orange Coast College’s horticulture department plans a fall plant sale from 10a.m. to 4p.m. Friday, including succulents, perennials and fall and winter vegetables.

Proceeds from the sale at the campus horticulture gardens in Costa Mesa will go toward student scholarships and projects, according to a news release.

For more information, visit occhorticulture.com.

Haircuts at Newport salon will benefit local animal rescue

Shear Attitude Hair Salon at 3416 Via Lido in Newport Beach will host its inaugural fundraising “cut-a-thon” from 9a.m. to 5p.m. Saturday.

The salon will offer $40 haircuts for men and $50 for women. Half of all proceeds will be donated to Newport Beach-based Paw Prints in the Sand Animal Rescue.

Appointments are not necessary but can be made by calling (949) 723-4688.

Friends of Costa Mesa Libraries to hold book sale

The Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries will have a used-book sale from 9a.m. to 3p.m. Saturday and noon to 3p.m. Sunday at the Donald Dungan branch, 1855 Park Ave.

Saturday’s prices are $1 for hardcover, 50 cents for soft-cover and three for $1 for children’s books. Sunday’s price is $1 for a grocery-store-size bag of books.

All proceeds will benefit the library.

H.B. walk raises $80,000 to fight Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Assn. Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday in Huntington Beach raised $80,000 for services and research toward a cure of the disease.

“All of our Orange County voices banded together, along with the national Alzheimer’s Assn., [to] support that key research to putting an end the Alzheimer’s epidemic,” Anne Grey, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Assn.’s Orange County chapter, said in a statement.

Centennial Farm gets new oxen team

Centennial Farm in Costa Mesa welcomed a new oxen team Friday, according to a news release.

Hoss and Howie, 3-year-old American Milking Devon cattle, came to the farm at the Orange County fairgrounds from Colorado.

Hoss and Howie will be featured in the farm’s public education efforts.

Newport Beach pageants taking sign-ups

Registration for the Miss Newport Beach, Miss Corona del Mar and other Newport Beach pageants is open through Oct.15.

The pageants will be held Oct.23 at the Port Theater in Corona del Mar.

Contestants for Miss Newport Beach and Miss Corona del Mar must be between the ages of 19 and 28.

Several other pageants, including Miss Angel Newport Beach for ages 3 to 5 and Ambassador Newport Beach and Ambassador Corona del Mar for ages 55 and over also are open for sign-ups.

For more information on pageant eligibility and to enter, visit newportbeachpageant.org/contestants.

Big Brothers Big Sisters event raises $1.5 million

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire raised about $1.5million toward the nonprofit’s one-to-one youth mentoring programs at the organization’s 52nd annual gourmet dinner last month at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach.

Newport Beach resident and Newport Investment Associates Chief Executive Rudy Baldoni received the 2016 Joel K. Rubenstein Award for his longtime support of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Earlier this year, Baldoni became the group’s national chairman.

Costa Mesa High to hold ceremony for new field

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Costa Mesa High School’s new Mustangs Field will be held at 5p.m. Oct.14 before the school’s homecoming football game at 7p.m.

Costa Mesa High School is at 2650 Fairview Road.

Group launches vodcast on children’s issues

Costa Mesa-based Project Hope Alliance has joined Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and THINK Together in launching “Our Kids,” a monthly vodcast series featuring conversations on issues facing children, according to a news release.

Project Hope Alliance’s chief executive, Jennifer Friend, will be among a group that discusses the topics.

The online videos are available on the website of the UC Irvine Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, blumcenter.uci.edu/connect/media, the second week of every month.