At the Tuesday, Oct. 18 meeting, Mayor John Stephens and the City Council issued proclamations to recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness and Crime Prevention Month. 

Accepting the proclamation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month was Jaquelin Ortiz, the Prevention and Community Education Coordinator for Human Options, an Orange County based nonprofit that assists victims of domestic violence.

Accepting the Crime Prevention Month proclamation was Police Chief Ron Lawrence and his leadership team of Deputy Chief Joyce LaPointe, Capt. Bryan Wadkins and Public Affairs Manager Roxi Fyad.

On Thursday, Oct 12, Save Our Youth (SOY) hosted its 30th Anniversary Back to SOY Night.

In attendance were Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Harlan, Council Members Loren Gameros, Manuel Chavez and Arlis Reynolds along with Police Chief Ron Lawrence and Deputy Chief Joyce La Pointe. OC Supervisor Katrina Foley was also in attendance.

Throughout the evening, students from the Youth Council gave guests a tour of the center and shared about SOY’s activities and programming, like the College Bound and Scholarships program. 

Taco Mesa Owner and Chef Ivan Calderon sponsored and served healthy and authentic food for the celebration.

For more photos click here.

Thank you to the more than 4,000 people who came out to our Scarecrow Festival and Contest event on Saturday, Oct. 14 on the Lions Park Event Lawn.

Visitors enjoyed trick or treat stations, games, pumpkin decorating, and a costume contest.

Click here to see more photos.

There was a record number of scarecrow entries since moving the festival to the event lawn.

Victoria Elementary School won first place with their entry, which was judged by the city’s Arts specialist and art commission chairperson Charlene Ashendorf.

There were food vendors on site and a very exciting new feature to the event was a free water station that allowed people to bring their own water bottles to the event to minimize the use of single use plastic water bottles.

There was approximately 137 gallons of water consumed at the water station and we saved more than 1,000 water bottles from going into landfills .

Special thanks to Parks and Community Services for organizing the event and especially staffers Kathia Viteri and Tiana Johnson.

See you all next year!

On Thursday, Oct. 19, Costa Mesa employees participated in The Great Shakeout Drill.

Joining millions of people worldwide, at 10:19 a.m., City employees practiced earthquake safety, implementing “drop, cover, and hold on,” and evacuating all city facilities, including City Hall, PD and Fire, the Bridge Shelter and the Corp Yard, to designated safe refuge areas.

Each city facility had an appointed designated Area Sweep, who was responsible for checking all areas to make sure everyone was safely evacuated from the premises. These individual area leaders made up an emergency response team, all part of the life safety drill.

These exercises are to engage employees, key staff members and leaders to think through issues that are more complex and think through emergency response and actions, should there be an actual emergency.

Costa Mesa’s Employee Safety Committee organized the drill which included every city facility. Emergency operations and 9-1-1 calls were not interrupted during the drill.

Personnel in the field provided a safety message via radio during the drill. Evacuation and city facility check-in was completed in under 20 minutes. Staff also included a safety element and staff observers to share insight on the response actions.

A formal debrief will be conducted in early November to review and discuss what worked, what did not, and any potential changes for the next drill or actual earthquake.

The City of Costa Mesa honors the contributions of our Filipino American community as well as all of our employees whom we celebrate during Filipino American History Month this October.

We are grateful for their many contributions to our City, our residents and businesses.

The City of Costa Mesa observes October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

We encourage residents to help raise awareness, learn preventative measures and how to support others who are currently fighting breast cancer.

Click here to learn more.

The City of Costa Mesa will once again be partnering with Human Options to #ShineTheLight on domestic violence with a walking vigil at Lions Park Monday, October 23 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m at the Lions Park event lawn.

Join the Costa Mesa Police Department and local leaders for a show of solidarity with victims and survivors of relationship violence held in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Here are some highlights from last year's walking vigil, and we invite everyone to come join us for another strong showing of support. To learn more about available resources and event details visit humanoptions.org

Watch last year’s highlights from the walking vigil at the link below: 

On this Flashback Friday we look back to Saturday, Oct. 7 when Project Independence held its 14th Annual "Walk For Independence" at TeWinkle Park.

This local non-profit organization's mission is to promote civil rights for people with developmental disabilities through services that expand independence and choice.

Project Independence is celebrating 45 years in Costa Mesa, and we congratulate them on another successful Walk benefiting people with disabilities in Orange County.

To learn more about this CostaMazing organization visit proindependence.org.

Watch highlights from the Walk For Independence event at the link below:

CMTV compiled highlights from last weekend’s Scarecrow Festival, where an estimated 4,000 people came out to enjoy trick or treat stations, games, pumpkin decorating, and a costume contest.

There were also food vendors on site and a record number of scarecrow entries since moving the festival to the Lions Park event lawn.

Special thanks to Parks and Community Services for organizing the event, which got everyone in the mood for fall fun. See you all next year! 

Check out the video in the link below:

On Oct. 18, members of the Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) attended the memorial service for Manhattan Beach Police Department (MBPD) Motor Officer Chad Swanson.

Chief Lawrence, Deputy Chief LaPointe, Honor Guard, motors, officers and other CMPD team members joined our extensive law enforcement family to say goodbye to a hero.

 Per MBPD, on Oct. 4, at about 5:15 a.m., Motorcycle Officer Chad Swanson was involved in a fatal on-duty traffic collision on the 405 Freeway.

Officer Swanson was a 13-year veteran of the police department and also served as a member of the MBPD SWAT Team and Honor Guard.

His service was marked with a strong sense of duty, professionalism, and a genuine desire to make the community safer. He was not only a colleague, but also a friend to many, and his absence will be deeply felt. Officer Swanson is survived by his wife and three young boys aged 4, 2, and 10 months old.

Tomorrow, Oct. 21:

This year, the Costa Mesa Police Department, who recently took over Animal Services, will be hosting the annual Halloween Pet Event, Barktoberfest (Saturday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.).  

Sign up for the Pet Costume Contest for a chance to win amazing prizes. Costume Contest registration will be taking place at the Animal Services booth on the morning of the event from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Take part in the costume parade and wait to hear your name called! Winners will be announced after the parade at 12:45 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 23:

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year like last year, Human Options, the City of Costa Mesa, and the Costa Mesa Police Department will be hosting a walking vigil #ShineTheLight on Monday evening starting at 6 p.m. Oct. 23, at Lions Park. Join us for a vigil in solidarity with victims and survivors of relationship violence.

Wednesday, Oct. 25:

Join the Costa Mesa Police Department on Wednesday morning starting 7:30 a.m., Oct.25, for Coffee with the K9 Unit at Moongoat Coffee at 1985 Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa. Officer Candyce McMorris and K9 Aran as well as Officer George Maridakis and K9 Bodi will be there to chat with residents and visitors over coffee, and maybe a cup of whip cream for the two four-legged crime fighters, for being such good boys. CMPD will be there until 9 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28:

The Costa Mesa Police Department will be participating in the National Medication Drug Take Back Day. On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., bring us your expired, unused, unwanted medications and we will take them off your hands so they don’t fall into the wrong hands at home.

Stop by the department at 99 Fair Drive to dispose of the drugs listed in the graphic. This is a national event so other nearby police departments will also be participating. For more info, please visit takebackday.dea.gov. 

✅ Accepted: prescriptions, over the counter medicine, vitamins, supplements, pet medicine, and liquid medicine.

🚫 Not accepted: needles and sharps, inhalers, illicit drugs, chemotherapy medication, mercury thermometers, bulk pharmaceutical waste. 

If you can’t make it on that Saturday, the Walgreens on Superior has a drop box where you can dispose of non-controlled medications year round during business hours.

Have you heard about the 9PM Routine?

This practice was created by law enforcement to educate and remind residents of some daily safety tips to help reduce preventable crimes.

The 9PM Routine suggests these safety checks be completed each evening at the same time and become part of your nightly routine:

• Remove valuables from car
• Lock your car
• Lock your home windows and exterior doors
• Close and lock your garage door
• Bring in your mail
• Turn on any exterior lighting

Need an easy reminder? 

Set an alarm on your smartphone or other device for 9PM every night and join us in the #9PMRoutine.

The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) is excited to announce that they are participating in the Pink Patch Project with a new 2023 pink patch to fundraise for breast cancer research. 

The new pink patch is also a nod to the history of the department and is based on the old Eureka patch. This year, there are also two styles of hats available.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in observance, CMPD, like many law enforcement agencies, will once again participate in the Pink Patch Project, a public awareness campaign to bring attention to the fight against breast cancer and to support breast cancer research organizations. During October, some of our officers will be wearing pink patches on their uniforms to show their support. 

To support this cause, and if you want your very own pink 2023 commemorative police patch, you can purchase a patch for $10 each with proceeds going to the City of Hope. 

To purchase, visit the Department’s website at https://www.CMpolice.org Thank you for your support!

On Oct. 14, the members of Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue's (CMFR) 2023 Citizens Fire Academy participated in “Day in the Life of a Firefighter: Engine Company Operations.” 

Captain Mark Geiger and Firefighter/Paramedic Bryan McMahon from Engine 82 presented an overview of their day-to-day experiences as well as an overview of operations and the department as a whole. 

After a thorough presentation, McMahon led an outdoor hose exercise in which every member of the academy was able to flow water, put out a fake fire, and receive a tour of the engine. Crew members from Truck 84, Firefighter Cole Blake and Firefighter Joshua Kalmonson, also aided in the outdoor activities by presenting the Jaws of Life tools.

The Jaws of Life Connect Cutter, Connect Spreader, and Connect Ram were all on display along with vehicles to discuss the tactics, tools, and strategies used for vehicle extrication.

On the Oct. 11, academy session, the participants met with Fire Chief Stefano for a group conversation over coffee and dessert.

Great questions were asked and candid conversations took place about fire and life safety practices, personnel, what it is like to be “the” Chief and shared stories about ride-along adventures in the academy. 

Thank you to Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors and Temporary Interim Emergency Manager Brenda Emrick for facilitating the academy sessions. During these classes, they also shared resources and materials on community education.

This session of students are slated to graduate in two weeks.

The next Citizens Fire Academy will be held in the spring of 2024.

CMFR’s CERT monthly meeting was held on Oct. 12 and taught practical applications of planning and organizing a response in coordination with local emergency responders through the use of a fictional town. 

CERT is trained to help coordinate a response to support evacuation in a local community.

The fictional town that was used as a tool to provide hands on practicum was “Acorn Hills,” which seems to have lots of emergencies and natural disasters.

The groups organized a traffic evacuation for over 300 households, and a care and reception center at the Acorn Hills Mall. 

This activity helps with team organization, planning, documentation, and communication skills. 

Nurse Educator Patty Gleed recently provided classroom instruction across multiple days, to all crews and shifts at Station 4’s classroom. 

Instruction covered traumatic brain injury, pre-hospital management and integration with CMFR’s new cardiac monitors, which has a dashboard to monitor and allows tracking of metrics related to a patient's brain injuries.

Nurse Gleed also covered instruction related to spinal motion restriction. 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) Station 5 crew recently visited with the incredible kids of Davis School.

This is always a great event for CMFR. The crew had an opportunity to talk about a career in the fire service, answer questions from all the children, and of course, show them how to put on turnouts, show them some of the equipment and offer a tour of the fire apparatus. 

The crew has just as much fun as the kids do!  

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue recently joined the City of Costa Mesa staff and CMPD for the 27th annual National Walk to School Day.

Thank you to Assistant Fire Marshal Niki Johnson and Fire Protection Specialist who joined the transportation team, City of Costa Mesa staff and Costa Mesa residents for a walk to school and the opportunity to come together! 

The City’s contractor completed the foundation repairs for the building addition at the Police Department. 

The work was performed last weekend to correct the foundation settlement that had been occurring for the last several years. This differential settlement had caused the windows and doorways to align unevenly.

After the repair was completed, which utilized the latest polyurethane jet grouting technology, the differential settlement between the floor slab and the building structure was reduced, and the soil permeability improved. Upon completion, the contractor applied exterior sealant around the windows.

The Public Works Department is proud to improve the City’s infrastructure that benefits public safety and the overall community.

Join us for a free family friendly day at the ARTventure Community Event on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lions Park Event Lawn located at 1845 Park Ave.

Your day will be filled with live entertainment, performances, hands-on art activities, food trucks, music, and over 200 art pieces for viewing. All art pieces will be displayed in the Norma Hertzog Community Center from Oct. 27 through Nov. 5.

For more information, please visit ARTventureCM.com or call (714) 754-5300.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Scarecrow Fest on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Lions Park Event Lawn.

We had a day filled with games, food, live entertainment, trick-or-treat stations, inflatables, a princess and superhero meet and greet, arm-painting, ghostly-town photo opportunities, and so much more.

With over 4,000 attendees, we were able to give away more than 550 pumpkins, 6,000 egg treats, over 1,000 prizes, and hold our grandest Scarecrow Contest ever.

If you have any pictures of the event that you wish to share, tag us on Instagram @Cm_Recreation or email them to us at [email protected].     

This year’s Scarecrow Contest at the Scarecrow Fest on Saturday, Oct.14, was one for the record books.

Scarecrow Fest guests were greeted by 21 scarecrows standing tall and proud at the front of the stage.

The 2023 Contest winners are Victoria Elementary’s Scarelego in 1st place, the Long Family’s Boo-Kini Bottom in 2nd place, and the Harry and Grace Steele Children Center’s Waltz of the Scarecrow receiving an honorable mention.

A huge thank you to all contestants and we hope you will join us for this traditional event again next year!

Visit us on Instagram @Cm_Recreation to see pictures of all the Scarecrow Contest Contestants.

Join us for a Wicked good time.

Access Costa Mesa is hosting a dance for all abilities, ages 18 plus, featuring DJ Noah and a photo booth. Costumes are encouraged so let your inner wicked out and get ready to dance the night away.

Dances will be held at the Costa Mesa Senior Center at 695 West 19th Street.

For more information contact us at www.costamesaca.gov/accesscm or 714-754-5300.          

Calling all ghouls!

We invite you to our Halloween Costume Pageant at our Teen Centers next week, Oct. 26 (TeWinkle) and Oct. 27 at the Downtown Recreation Center.

Teens can enter the pageant with their witch-tastic looks and boo-tiful talents for a chance to be crowned hallow-teen king or queen!

Sign up for our Teen Centers at costamesaca.gov/teens to be able to join in on the fun!

 For more information, please call: (714) 327-7562

See you next week!

Mario is a 3-year-old, male, chihuahua mix.

Mario is a known to be a sweet dog, who is eagerly waiting for his forever family. Mario is a cute pup who will surely brighten up your day. Mario is current on his vaccines and is neutered.

If you are interested in meeting Mario, he is located at Priceless Pet Rescue-Costa Mesa (1536 Newport Blvd. 92627).

For other adoptable animals, you can visit www.pricelesspetrescue.org.