Thanks to the community for joining us at City Hall to kick off the fifth annual Love Costa Mesa Citywide Serve Day.

Click here for a photo gallery of the day.

It was a beautiful morning to give Costa Mesa some love.

Also thanks to Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro-Tem Andrea Marr, Council Members Jeffrey Harlan, Arlis Reynolds and Manuel Chavez, City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, Police Chief Ron Lawrence, State Sen. Dave Min, County Supervisor Katrina Foley, City partner Trellis and multiple City staff for making this day one for the memory books!

The City Council presented a proclamation for National Emergency Medical Services Week to Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Chief Dan Stefano, honoring the men and women of Costa Mesa who save lives on a daily basis.

The Council also presented a proclamation for National Public Works Week to Public Services Director Raja Sethuraman and his team of engineers, techs and maintenance crews, who work every day to maintain city streets, parks and facilities.

Accepting a proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month was Project Hope Alliance CEO Jennifer Friend, and Project Hope Alliance Director of Behavioral Health Dr. Rachel Cardenas.

On Wednesday, May 18, Mayor John Stephens and Council Members Arlis Reynolds and Manuel Chavez attended the annual Les Miller Award Dinner at Orange Coast College's College Center.

Council Member Reynolds, an Estancia graduate, was given a Les Miller Outstanding Student Award in 2002.

The Les Miller Outstanding Student’s Awards was created in 1980 by OCC’s President, Robert Moore, Costa Mesa Chamber’s Education Committee Chair, Les Miller; President of the Lions Club, Conrad “Shorty” Scheafer; and award-winning OCC Professor, Hank Panian.

For a history of the Les Miller Outstanding Student's Awards click here.

Each year, students are nominated to receive the Les Miller Outstanding Students Award by their teachers and principals for their outstanding academics and community involvement.

Mayor John Stephens presented Debora Wondercheck with a certificate to honor her recent award by Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris as Women of the Year for the 74th Assembly District.

Wondercheck is the founder and president of the nationally acclaimed Arts & Learning Conservatory and has a long track record of fundraising, public education, executive leadership, non-profit governance, community building and program development.

Her notable community work includes arts education sustainability, board development, and equitable access to the arts, and she has extensive expertise in music and education.

Wondercheck’s relationships have created artistic experiences for over 40 schools throughout Southern California, and she has partnerships with the Orange County Department of Education and the YMCA of Orange County.

The City of Costa Mesa will be home to four Vote Centers for the upcoming primary elections on Tuesday June 7. The Costa Mesa Senior Center will be an 11-day vote center and Costa Mesa City Hall, the Norma Hertzog and Balearic community centers will be four-day centers.

Vote Centers mean many more options for voters. Elections are no longer a one-day event. Voting begins the month before any election day when every voter will receive a vote-by-mail ballot.

Take advantage of the alternatives available to avoid congestion – from voting at home, drive-thru ballot drop-off, in-person options, returning your ballot via the United States Postal Service, or personally deliver your ballot to us – the choice is yours.

Click here to find a Vote Center near you.

Last week on May 12, Mayor John Stephens attended a Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting for Skin Perfect Medical Aesthetics at 3030 Harbor Blvd Suite F.

Skin Perfect, owned by Erin Bornini, takes a holistic approach with aesthetics and wellness treatments for body sculpting, facial rejuvenation, skin tightening and other non or minimally invasive techniques that help rejuvenate the entire body.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

Costa Mesa Television recently produced a two-part COSTA MESA NOW Podcast focusing on local education.

In part one of this two-part discussion, Mayor John Stephens and guest co-host, District 4 Council Member Manuel Chavez welcome Newport-Mesa Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith to the show.

Dr. Smith shares his journey that led to a career in education and his assessment of the current educational landscape, along with local challenges he’s identified since joining the district in October of 2021.

You can find the COSTA MESA NOW Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform, or you can listen to this part 1 episode here: https://www.costamesaca.gov/city-hall/city-departments/communications-and-marketing/news-videos/costa-mesa-now-podcast

In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.

Since the first recorded police death in 1786, there have been more than 23,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the United States. Currently, there are 23,229 names engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

This week, we paid honor in the remembrance of all American law enforcement officers who lost their lives, particularly our own Costa Mesa Police Officers Dave Ketchum, Mike Libolt, and Oscar Reyes. May they Rest In Peace watching over us knowing they are an everlasting symbol of honor in our Costa Mesa PD history.

This week, Sgt. Jesse Chartier, an 8-year veteran of the Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD), had his badge pinning and oath of office for his recent promotion to sergeant.

Sgt. Chartier was raised in Long Beach and graduated from Long Beach Cal Poly High School. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from University of California, Santa Barbara, before starting his career at CMPD in 2014.

He has worked in Patrol, the South Coast Plaza detail, in the Investigative Services Bureau as a Property Crimes Detective, and most recently as the Training and Recruitment Officer. He has also worked collateral assignments including SWAT, ACT Instructor, Firearms Instructor, K9 Unit Agitator, and Baker to Vegas Team Captain.

Sgt. Chartier is currently the Secretary of the Costa Mesa Police Association. This promotion is well deserved and the CMPD wishes him well in his new assignment as a patrol sergeant.

On May 18, Captain Bakkila recognized 17 members of the Costa Mesa Police Department for exceptional teamwork, expertise, and dedication demonstrated during an incident in February and presented them with a Captain Commendation.

Those recognized were Sgt. M. Grimmond, Sgt. S. Stafford, Officer S. Dean, Officer E. Peralta , Officer J. Osborne, Officer J. Torres , Officer L. Davis, Officer C. McMahon, Officer D. Tedesco, Officer J. Hermes, Officer M. Garcia, Officer K. Condon, Officer J. Elliott, Officer H. Guenther, Officer J. Trevino, Officer Nicole Brown, and Detective J. Smith.

On Feb. 28, 2022, multiple Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies (LASD) were involved in a pursuit of an attempted murder suspect.

Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) officers saw the pursuit travel into Costa Mesa. Due to different radio systems, the LASD deputies and helicopter were unable to communicate with the CMPD units.

The CMPD units were forced to maintain observation of the LASD helicopter in order to determine the location of the pursuit. The pursuit traveled into Huntington Beach and then back into Costa Mesa.

Sgt. Grimmond took command of the radio traffic in order to communicate the current location of the pursuit, which continued in Costa Mesa and subsequently came to an end near a parking structure by Crossing Church.

Ultimately, the suspect, who was on parole for attempted murder, was safely taken into custody and two firearms were recovered including one that was thrown out of the vehicle during the pursuit.

Thanks to the quick action of the patrol officers and subsequent work by detectives during the investigation, the Orange County District Attorney filed 10 charges and three enhancements against Alex Perez, who is still in custody on $4 million bail.

This Sunday, May 22, the Costa Mesa Police Association and the Costa Mesa Police Management Association are hosting the first ever Survivors Fund Cornhole Tournament.

The tournament is in honor of Lt. Jerry Hildeman, who is currently battling brain cancer. Anyone is welcome to sign up and throw some bags for a good cause or just come for the raffle and camaraderie.

If you cannot attend, you can click the CMPA Venmo QR to donate. Please see the flyer for details.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s Engine 82, Engine 83 and Engine 85 and Strike Team Leader (Battalion Chief Tim Vasin) were demobilized from the Coastal Fire and have returned home safely, with no injuries to report.

Engine 82 crew included Captain Darren deFluiter, Engineer Dave Kearley and FF/PM’s Corey Brean and Chad Pregizer. Engine 83 crew consisted of Captain Kevin Reddy, Engineer John Brock and FF/PM’s Scott Fenton and Morgan Cain. And Engine 85 crew members included Captain Nick Cerciello, Engineer Brian Brown and FF/PM’s Jeremy Jimenez and Kyle Brosamer.

Our hearts go out to everyone who was impacted by the devastating Coastal Fire, specifically all of those who lost their homes, which numbered over 20.

A bright light to this devastating fire is that because of the strong work of all the firefighters and public safety partners involved, through aggressive and coordinated firefighting operations, dozens of homes were saved as a result. In addition, as a result of the strong firefighting efforts combined with focused evacuations by the OC Sheriffs and neighboring local police officers, no lives were lost.

CMFR is grateful for the strong work done and support of the incident by all of the Metro City Fire Agencies/Departments (Anaheim, Brea, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Orange City) and the OCFA.

All of the firefighting and public safety crews worked extremely hard with a mission focus. A special acknowledgement for the outstanding work our Costa Mesa Firefighters engaged in and accomplished start to finish.

We are happy to report that all of our Costa Mesa firefighters have returned are doing well and did an exceptional job on their range of assignments while deployed.

May 15-21, 2022 is National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) week, and Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) pays special recognition to all EMS personnel for what they do for our community and our lives.

CMFR appreciates and thanks all EMS practitioners across every level. This includes firefighters, paramedics, nurses, doctors, EMT’s, medical staff and all those who are engaged in EMS. Our gratitude and appreciation for the professionalism and life-saving efforts provided is large, and not just this week, but every day.

CMFR firefighters are cross- trained to serve in multiple areas including fire, rescue and EMS. We will continue to effectively and seamlessly respond to all emergencies 24/7/365.

The Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Department Emergency Medical Services (EMS) mission is to protect and to promote community health and safety through helping citizens prevent and prepare for sudden illness or injury. CMFR prides themselves in providing compassionate and proficient medical care when responding to all emergency calls.

On May 12, 2022, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) held its monthly meeting at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Tammy Owney, a special guest with an amazing talent attended the meeting. A Costa Mesa resident and Corona Del Mar High School sign language instructor, she shared a special class with our CERT volunteers called, “Signing for Safety.”

She opened the training session with a story that occurred in her own neighborhood. She shared that after a traffic collision, professional responders were assisting one of the drivers of a vehicle involved, and she happened to be nearby and noticed one of the drivers trying to communicate using sign language.

She was able to step in and provide interpretation (and comfort) to the driver and assisted the rescuers. Fortunately, no one was injured in the collision.

The importance of needing help in an emergency is being there to help everyone. Owney shared some simple signs to help in an emergency with a person who is hearing impaired.

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) awarded the City of Costa Mesa a one-time grant of $159,969 to implement organic waste recycling (SB1383) regulations throughout the City.

In September 2016, Governor Edmund Brown Jr. set methane emissions reduction targets for California in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP).

The targets must reduce organic waste disposal 50% by 2020 and 75% by 2025 and rescue for people to eat at least 20% of currently disposed surplus food by 2025.

Learn more about recycling programs at https://irecyclesmart.com/.

The SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant will support the City of Costa Mesa’s ongoing programs in education and outreach, edible food recovery and capacity building.

Construction on the Tanager Park playground and exercise equipment is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 23. 

This will include new equipment and rubberized surfacing. The project is expected to take three to four weeks to complete.

The new play area will feature a large, single play structure designed for children ages 2 to 12. Above the structure will be a large 14-foot Hex Canopy Shade. 

The single structure will offer age appropriate features throughout. There will be three slides, two of them being double slides. There will also be four climbers: A beginner, two Intermediate and one advanced. There will be several ground level, accessible features including a chinning bar, a below deck store front panel and seat, a drum panel and a robin egg spinner.

The play area will also feature several items that will help the imaginative process as children play underneath tree canopies, and birds that pay homage to the ‘birds’ neighborhood. 

The new playground will include four swing seats including an expression seat, which is the only eye to eye swing for a parent and their child.

The newly renovated fitness area will contain over 16 fitness features in the existing space.

The Summer Recreation on Campus for Kids program (ROCKS), invites children entering first through sixth grade for the upcoming school year to join in the festivities from June 13 through Aug. 12.

The program will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Balearic Community Center (1975 Balearic Drive) and the Downtown Recreation Center (1860 Anaheim Ave.).

Registration begins on June 1 at 8 a.m. online at www.cmclassesonline.com or in person at the Balearic Community Center. Below are the session dates and fees:

·     Costa Mesa resident: FREE

·     Non-resident: $64

·     Costa Mesa resident: FREE

·     Non-resident: $52

An additional week from August 15-19 will be held at Balearic only. For more information, please call (714) 754-5013.

Costa Mesa Parks & Community Services will offer swim lessons this summer.

This is a great opportunity to get children from the ages of 6 months to 16 years in the water learning to swim, learning to be safe around water, and having a ton of fun.

The Aquatic Center is also offering adult swimming lessons, adult lap swim, and an aqua aerobics class for adults who want to learn and get moving.

Registration for Costa Mesa residents is currently open and open registration begins May 23. Lessons will begin on June 20 and run through Aug. 20.

You can register online HERE or in person at 1860 Anaheim Ave. We hope to see you here!

Costa Mesa's award-winning SMART (Sports, Music, and Art) Camp for incoming fourth through eighth graders is a creative way to spend the summer.

Be SMART and join the fun with sports, jazz, choir, and art.

Free registration is underway at the Downtown Recreation Center and Aquatic Center (1860 Anaheim Ave) and online at cmclassesonline.com. Camp is located at Costa Mesa High School (2650 Fairview Road).

Sessions are June 13 through June 30. Monday – Thursday

Sessions fill quickly so hurry and register now.

Introduce your child to musical instruments. Let them delight in the melodies while they develop coordination through  games, rhyming, and fun instruments. Ages, times and prices are below:

Ages 6 to 15 month June 24 – July 29 Fridays 9:30-10:15 a.m. $63

Ages 15 month to 3 years June 24 – July 29 Fridays 10:45-11:30 a.m. $63

Parent Participation is required!

Classes are held at the Balearic Community Center 1975 Balearic Drive.

Register TODAY at cmclassesonline.com

Have you always wanted to learn to play ukulele or guitar?

Do you want to know the chords behind your favorite songs? Now is your chance to learn. Beginning ukulele and beginning guitar classes start June18 so grab your instruments and come play along.

Register now at cmclassesonline.com or call 714-754-5300 for more information.