Around Town: Fair Trade Fashion Show helps spread word about slavery

About 150 guests attended a Fair Trade Fashion Show last week at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, presented by campus club Live2Free.

The student-run club works to raise awareness among Orange County young people about modern-day slavery and how they can combat it through their consumer choices.

Thirty Vanguard students modeled clothing and accessories that were recycled, artisan-made or created using practices that treat employees fairly and protect the environment, according to a news release.

“The global fashion industry is full of exploitative labor and even slavery,” Ruthi Hoffman Hanchett, Live2Free’s coach and an adjunct professor at Vanguard, said in a statement. “As consumers, we can either be part of the problem or the solution by buying fair trade, ethically sourced and responsible products.”

Santa Ana Country Club marks golf course renovation completion

The Santa Ana Country Club will hold a private ceremony Friday to celebrate the completion of a three-year project to revitalize the club’s golf course and reduce its water consumption.

As part of the project, officials installed a new irrigation system, replaced 30 acres of turf with native plants, drained five artificial lakes and removed hundreds of non-native trees.

The changes reduced the course’s annual water use by a third — from 100 million gallons to 67 million gallons, according to a news release.

The country club is at 20382 Newport Blvd.

Math and food to come together at O.C. fairgrounds

Taste of Math, a culinary event from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, will raise funds to support the Irvine-based nonprofit MIND Research Institute’s Math Fair on Saturday at the fairgrounds.

Taste of Math will gather chefs and culinary partners such as Fuddruckers, Crazy Rock’n Sushi and Mother’s Market & Kitchen.

“It was a natural fit that the fundraising event for our annual Math Fair would allow people to not only experience these fascinating mathematical concepts through food, food sciences and the culinary arts, but also be able to taste them,” Matthew Peterson, chief executive and co-founder of the MIND Research Institute, said in a statement.

Math Fair exhibits will be open to the public for free from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Activities will include games and performances.

The OC Fair & Event Center is at 88 Fair Drive.

For more information about Taste of Math and the Math Fair, visit mindresearch.org/mathfair/sponsors.

Craft beers up for tasting at Balboa Village

The third annual Balboa Craft Beer Festival, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Balboa Village, will include tastings from 13 breweries such as Hangar 24 and Barley Forge and food from local restaurants including Balboa Bar-B-Que and Newport Landing.

Admission is $45 for designated drivers and $65 for guests interested in beer tastings and food.

Balboa Village is at 600 E. Balboa Blvd., Newport Beach.

For more information and tickets, visit balboabeerfest.com.

Motorcycle ride honoring veterans will start at Huntington Beach Pier

The second annual Veterans Honor Ride will take motorcyclists and passengers on a 30-mile journey Sunday from the Huntington Beach Pier to the VA Long Beach Healthcare facility for a visit with wounded and sick veterans and then to American Legion Post 716 in Los Alamitos for live music, drawings, vendors and lunch.

Registration for the ride will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Huntington Beach Pier Plaza off Pacific Coast Highway near Main Street. The cost is $35 for drivers and $25 for passengers.

Proceeds will help support the Military & Veterans Resource Center of the Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos.

For more information, visit veteranshonorride.org or call (714) 794-8184.

Village View Elementary gets new principal

The Ocean View School District announced that Francesca Ligman has been appointed principal of Village View Elementary School in Huntington Beach.

Ligman began her career in public education 20 years ago as a teacher at the school and was its interim principal at the start of this school year.

“Mrs. Ligman has demonstrated a commitment to building consistency and growth in the Ocean View School District,” Supt. Carol Hansen said in a statement. “I have been impressed with the enthusiasm and strong leadership she has provided in just a short time.”

Food drive continues in Fountain Valley

Coastline Orthopaedic Associates in Fountain Valley, in partnership with national nonprofit Move for Hunger, is holding a Thanksgiving food drive until Nov. 21 at 11160 Warner Ave., Suite 311, Fountain Valley.

Donors can contribute non-perishable foods such as stuffing mix, cranberry sauce and canned vegetables.

Reid Day School to host medical officer

Reid Day School in Costa Mesa will host a presentation and Q&A from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 10 with Marc Lerner, a medical officer with the Orange County Department of Education.

Reid is for students who are considered twice-exceptional, meaning they are gifted and have a learning, emotional or behavioral issue.

Lerner will talk about the social and emotional needs of such students.

Reid is at 151 Kalmus Drive. For more information, call (949) 680-9592.

Author’s Luncheon in H.B. to feature Vietnam vet

The Huntington Beach Central Library will hold an Author’s Luncheon on Nov. 10 with Vietnam veteran and author Frank Pangborn.

Lunch will be at noon for $25, followed by a program at 1 p.m. for $12 in which guests can learn about U.S. military history, starting with the Revolutionary War.

The library is at 7111 Talbert Ave. For tickets, visit fotlhb.com/tickets.html.

Newport woman named a director for senior services nonprofit

Newport Beach resident Martha Farrington has been named director of fund development for Laguna Hills-based nonprofit Age Well Senior Services.

Farrington has held executive positions with various nonprofit organizations over the past 25 years, according to a news release.

She has worked with the South Coast Medical Center Foundation, Riverside Community College Foundation, Hoag Hospital Foundation and USC School of Medicine.