At its regular meeting of Tuesday, Dec. 5, the City Council will recognize the Newport Mesa Pop Warner Patriots 12U team for their championship season. Also, the City will commemorate the 60 seasons of South Coast Repertory Theatre. 

Additionally, the Council will consider a modification to the City’s Outdoor Dining ordinance.

The meeting, which is the last regular meeting of 2023, starts at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers. 

Mayor John Stephens made the welcoming remarks at the Nov. 24 opening of the Winter Fest OC at the OC Fair & Event Center.

He was joined by County Supervisor Katrina Foley at the Winter Fest OC event that runs through Jan. 7, 2024.

For more information click here.

Mayor John Stephens joined Vanguard University President Michael Beals to honor Professor of Leadership Studies Roger Heuser, for his 40 years at the university. 

Dr. Heuser holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy Religious Studies with an emphasis in leadership from New York University.

Heuser began at Vanguard University, then Southern California College, on June 1, 1983. Dr. Heuser was hired to teach in the first graduate program offered at VU. 

Dr. Heuser is the longest-serving employed professor at Vanguard University. He has taught undergraduate and graduate classes during his career and has impacted thousands of students.

At Vanguard, Dr. Heuser has served in a variety of roles in academic administration, including Dean of the Graduate School, Director of the Graduate program in religion, chair of Division of Religion, and founding co-director of the Judkins Institute for Leadership Studies.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) officials have partnered with the City of Costa Mesa to open the school’s fields adjacent to Harper Park, located at 1768 Tustin Ave., Costa Mesa.

Public access to the fields is available after school hours, which is 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and weekends for families to recreate and enjoy the outdoors.

Read more here.

On Saturday Nov., 18, Mayor John Stephens and Council Member Loren Gameros were on hand for the Grand Reopening of the Camp Transformation Center.

Mayor Stephens presented a Certificate of Recognition to the owners of the fitness center where he is a regular attendee.

For more information about The Camp Transformation Center click here.

Wahoo's Fish Taco marked its 35th year in business Friday, Nov. 17, and Mayor John Stephens joined in on the celebration that included the founders of the restaurant chain Ed Lee, Mingo Lee and Wing Lam.

County Supervisor Katrina Foley was also in attendance at the event, which took place at the original Wahoo's at 1862 Placentia Ave.

Mayor Stephens presented the brothers with a Certificate of Recognition for their contributions to the community.

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison announced that veteran legislative affairs leader, Jay Barkman, has been named the City’s new Governmental Affairs Manager.

“We are looking forward to having Jay fill this much-needed role to build even stronger relationships with other government agencies and our elected officials at the County, State and Federal levels,” Farrell Harrison said. “Jay will also be a huge asset in helping the City build short and long-term legislative priorities under the policy direction of the Mayor and City Council and City leadership.”

Click here to read more.

Educated and trained as an architectural designer, Roland Escalona is a self-taught artist who doesn’t dwell on a specific medium or artistic theme.

Escalona started creating art as a hobby, and in recent years he has gone on to create multiple award-winning pieces in competitions both locally and across the country. His 2023 digital art entry “Praying For Answers” combines the themes of religion and art, and received the People’s Choice award in this year’s ARTventure juried art competition. 

This is Escalona’s second CostaMazing ARTventure win, having also been awarded “Best Of Show” for an architectural photograph he entered back in 2016.

To learn more about ARTventure, visit our webpage here: 

Check out a video profile about Roland and his art below:

For these opportunities and more, visit our website here.

On Nov. 18 – Nov. 19, the Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) explorers competed in the OC Law Enforcement Explorer Advisor’s Association competition.

The scenarios included situations where the explorers had to employ tactical skills, investigative skills, and verbal skills. CMPD explorers competed against 26 teams from other agencies throughout Orange County and the State.

At the conclusion of the competition, our team placed 2nd in the downed officer scenario.

Great work, CMPD Explorers, and a special shout out to our Explorer Advisors: Officer Cordero, Officer Richie, Officer Molina, Officer Baker, SRO Sapida, and CSS Quijivix for the time and effort they put into training and the program!

The Costa Mesa Police Department congratulates the three Communications Officers Bethany Milella, Antoinette Altomonte, and Peter Diminich, who just recently completed a 120-hour P.O.S.T. Certified Public Safety Dispatcher Course at Rio Hondo College – Regional Training Center. 

The Public Safety Dispatchers' Basic Course introduces students to the necessary skills and knowledge to work in a law enforcement communications center productively and professionally.

The course also prepares each student for the basic roles, responsibilities, and duties of a public safety dispatcher within a law enforcement agency.

The Costa Mesa Police Chief, with Mayor John Stephens, and the support of the Council, has now completed three events of the Listening Tour throughout Costa Mesa.

The residents that have come to these events to discuss safety issues in and around their neighborhoods were very engaged. These events are intended for you, the community member, to meet with the Chief and Mayor of the City and voice any concerns – they are there to listen to you.

The next Listening Tour is Thursday, Dec. 7, in District 4, at the Norma Hertzog Community Center.

This is the last one of the year. The remaining two, District 5 and District 6, will be rescheduled for after the Holidays.

As the shopping season revs up, the Costa Mesa Police Department would like to remind the community of these shopping safety tips.

Be mindful of your surroundings and park in places that are easy to access and in well-lit areas. Keep your purse on you at all times and do not leave shopping bags unattended or in your vehicle in plain sight.

Happy Holidays to all!

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue has officially launched this year’s Firefighters Annual Toy Drive campaign which runs through Dec. 23, 2023. 

For those interested in making the holiday season a little brighter for a child in need, please bring any new, unwrapped toy or sports equipment to your local fire station, and please remember, the toy or sports equipment needs to be new, unwrapped and in their original packaging or box.

Toys to consider include board and card games, craft activities, art kits, building blocks, dolls, infant toys and youth sports equipment of all kinds. We cannot distribute stuffed animals, clothing, personal care items or blankets, etc.

Those who wish to donate may drop off toys at any of the six of Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s fire stations (through Dec. 23, 2021) or at Costa Mesa City Hall, located at 77 Fair Drive.

For questions about toy drop-off requirements, toy collection sites and events, please contact (714) 327-7400.

Recently Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue, in collaboration with the Costa Mesa Sanitation District (CMSD), orchestrated a collaborative training endeavor centered on using CMSD's designated entry point.

This joint training was designed to provide CMSD employees with a comprehensive review of confined space entry protocols and emergency response procedures.

The primary objectives included a review of the prerequisites for confined space entry and permits, hazard identification, and the implementation of effective emergency communication protocols.

Given the infrequent yet high-risk nature of accessing CMSD's entry points, fostering a profound familiarity among personnel from both departments is imperative.

The culmination of the training session witnessed mutual satisfaction and enthusiasm from Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue and the Costa Mesa Sanitation District. Both CMFR and CMSD acknowledged the knowledge acquired and professional networks established during the exercises and are thrilled for this partnership and joint training efforts. 

In response to a residential fire incident Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue strategically deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, to enhance situational awareness.

Using this advanced technology allowed CMFR to swiftly assess the extent of the fire and identify potential hazards from a real-time, birds-eye perspective.

The drone, equipped with high-resolution cameras, provided real-time visual data, enabling our incident commanders to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation and tactical response.

The drone facilitated a more comprehensive understanding of the incident’s dynamics, aiding in establishing an effective firefighting strategy. The data gathered, including thermal imaging capabilities, significantly contributed to identifying hidden hotspots and optimizing our firefighting efforts. 

“Actively integrating technology and innovation into all of our fire and rescue operations remains one of our key priorities,” shared Fire Chief Dan Stefano. “CMFR’s drone program is a shining example of implementing another valuable and dynamic tool in our tool box to enhance all our emergency response capabilities. A special thanks to Battalion Chief Chris Coates, Captain Aaron Davis and Firefighter/Paramedic Corey Brean for their focused leadership in literally getting our drone program successfully up in the air!”

The City of Costa Mesa is collaborating once again with the offices of Assembly Member Cottie Petrie Norris, Caltrans and My EWaste to hold a Dump Day Event on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Residents can dispose of bulky waste items that are too big to fit in residential garbage bins, including mattresses, furniture and toys.

No hazardous material will be accepted. This event is free of cost for all OC residents and no appointment is necessary. It is first-come, first-serve and items will be accepted until full capacity is reached. 

The holiday fun is coming to City Hall!

We invite everyone to join us at Snoopy House Dec. 15 through Dec. 22 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily at City Hall located at 77 Fair Drive.

This holiday season there will be photos with Santa, letters to Santa, food trucks, entertainment, and so much more!

For more information, please visit our Snoopy House website here or call (714) 754-5300.

Join us on Dec. 6 at the Teen Centers to make your tree ornaments and play a fun game of Holiday Jeopardy!

Our Teen Center staff comes up with exciting activities every day, so don’t miss out and register today!

Sign up for free at costamesaca.gov/teens or in person at one of our Teen Centers:

Downtown Recreation Center (1860 Anaheim Ave; grades 7-12) or TeWinkle Middle School (3224 California St; grades 7-8)

Please call (714) 327-7562, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. if you have any questions.

See you at the Teen Centers!

Parks and Community Services Youth And Teen Programming staff attended a Mandated Reporter Workshop on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Balearic Community Center.

For this specific workshop, we invited a guest speaker, Social Service Worker Tomas Malabanan, from the OC Social Services Agency to explain the responsibilities, as well as the expectations of a Mandated Reporter.

Based on that, the workshop focused on undergoing the proper step-by-step procedures for when staff are working with children and teens out on the field and reasonably suspect child abuse or neglect.

All staff undergo this specific training every year to ensure staff are up-to-date with the proper procedures and expectations when reporting suspected child abuse or neglect while working with children and teens amongst the vast variety of programs we have to offer. 

Costa Mesa’s Teen Program is hosting a FREE Dodgeball Tournament!

On Thursday, Dec. 14, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m., the City of Costa Mesa Teens will be battling the Costa Mesa Police Department to be crowned the Snowball Champion! Food and drinks will be provided.

Don’t have a way to get there? No problem! Free transportation from nearby schools will be provided to the Downtown Recreation Center.

All NMUSD students in grades 7th- 12th are welcome!

See you on Dec. 14!

Sign up online at www.costamesaca.gov/teens (Active Net Activity #18666) or give us a call for any questions: 714-327-7562.

Meredith is a 7-month-old, domestic short hair kitten. She is sweet but also a little shy.

When given time, Meredith warms up and likes to get lots of pets an play! Meredith is up to date on her vaccine and is spayed.

If you are interested in meeting Meredith, she is located at Priceless Pet Rescue – Costa Mesa (1536 Newport Blvd. 92627).

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