On Saturday, Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., the City will be partnering with Caltrans, State Sen. Dave Min and Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris to host a Clean California Dump Day event.

Residents can drop off bulky household items that day free of charge at the Costa Mesa Senior Center parking lot at 695 W. 19th Street.

Caltrans staff will be there to collect household items that are too big for residential trash bins.

No hazardous waste, e-waste or other items will be accepted.

On November 8, 2022, residents of Costa Mesa will have an opportunity to vote on Measure K, which helps to address the City’s affordable housing challenges while keeping residential neighborhoods intact.

If approved, Measure K, Ordinance to Revitalize Commercial and Industrial Areas and Protect Residential Neighborhoods, will allow the City to revitalize major commercial and industrial corridors, such as Newport and Harbor Boulevards, and provide for affordable housing for working and middle families, individuals, and seniors.

Single-family residential neighborhoods will remain intact and the City will maintain local control. 

Click here to visit our webpage.

The Orange County Model Engineers will be hosting a Bridge Dedication on Monday Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the completion of the rebuilt train trestle.

The event will take place at the OCME headquarters at Goat Hill Junction on the east end of Fairview Park.

OCME offers free train rides on the third Saturday and the following Sunday of each month from 10:00 am until 3:30 p.m. over five miles of actual track winding through the park.

We are looking for the public's help and input on our Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The City of Costa Mesa is preparing a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan that will help create a safer community for residents, businesses, and visitors.

The plan allows public safety officials, city staff, elected officials, and public members to understand the threats from natural and human-caused hazards in our community.

The plan will also recommend specific actions to decrease these threats before disasters occur proactively. The public review period for the plan is 30 days ending on Oct. 20, 2022.

Click here to visit the webpage.

Members of the Costa Mesa community can review the plan and answer a survey question on the page to provide feedback.

Thanks for your help in keeping our community safer.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

– Winston Churchill

Costa Mesa is known as the "City Of The Arts," and we are fortunate to have a diverse pool of talented artists in our community.

As we wind down Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate one local photographer who was recently recognized at the city's ARTventure event.

Amparo Barajas emigrated to the United States from Mexico 22 years ago, and she has developed a love for photography that has grown from a hobby to a flourishing local photography business.

Find out more about this CostaMazing artist in our latest episode of PORTRAITS.

You can watch the PORTRAITS episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSR76MZFyRA.

Have you had a chance to visit the new OCMA / Orange County Museum of Art yet?

This beautiful new addition to the "City Of The Arts" celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony last week.

Costa Mesa Television was on hand to cover the festivities, which featured a program of dignitaries who provided historical background about how this new museum finally found its way to the City of Costa Mesa.

For information about OCMA and its debut exhibits visit www.ocma.art.

You can watch the ribbon cutting ceremony in its entirety here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY-wAHfOMbo.

Wednesday Oct. 12 was the memorial service for Ret. Lt. Jerry Hildeman.

On behalf of the City of Costa Mesa and the police department, our deepest condolences to Jerry’s beautiful family, who delivered moving eulogies at the service.

Chief Ron Lawrence, Mayor John Stephens and City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison also provided eulogies.

Jerry, you will be missed but never forgotten. RIP.

October is Crime Prevention Month. This week we are sharing tips on how to keep your home secure.

The goal of this awareness month is to remind people of the importance of taking simple but important measures to help deter theft.

Many home and property crimes each year could have been prevented with better home security measures.

Crime Prevention Month is a great time to analyze your home’s security. Ensure your home is safe and crime-free all year round by considering the following tips above.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For the entire month, the Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will participate in the Pink Patch Project, a public awareness campaign to bring attention to the fight against breast cancer and support breast cancer research organizations.

The Pink Patch Project is an innovative campaign to increase public awareness about breast cancer.

The project originated in 2013 with members of the Seal Beach Police Department, who began wearing pink patches on uniforms during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The project has grown over the years to include over several hundred partner agencies throughout the world. The Costa Mesa Police Department is proudly one of those partners. This year, a 2022 commemorative patch has been created for purchase.

Proceeds of each purchase will be donated to the City of Hope in an effort to raise funds for the fight against the disease. In addition to the commemorative patch, a Station 44 T-shirt, pink bears and the original pink patch are also available for purchase. There are only a few CMPD pink bears left, so if you were not able to get one last year, make sure you get one this year.

To support this cause, you can purchase Pink Patch Project items by sending payment to the Costa Mesa Police Association Venmo account @CostaMesaPA.

Cash is also accepted, see Lt. Selinske, Jenette Martinez, Patty Lara or Kimberly Velazquez at the Front Desk for items.

Patches: $10.00

Shirts: $25.00 (specify crew neck or V-neck) each

Bears: $25.00 each

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue attended and participated in the Annual Orange County Fire Service Memorial.

This event is led by the Orange County Fire Chiefs Association (OCFCA), and honors fire service family and pays tribute to the lives of those firefighters and fire service professionals from the Orange County Fire Service who have passed away over the past year.

 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) honored Costa Mesa Firefighter Bob Haynes who passed away Dec. 10, 2021, and in attendance was his daughter Nicole, and her husband and daughter.

In addition, recognized was Fire Captain Barry Adams who passed away Jan. 19, 2022, and was honored by family Jane Adams, as well as his wife Lois, who shared in the services from Italy. Lastly, CMFR honored Fire Battalion Chief Gerald Poarch, who passed away Feb. 26, 2022 and was recognized by daughters Debbie and Becky and their families.

CMFR personnel in attendance include Fire Chief Dan Stefano, Operations Division Chief Jason Pyle, and Fire Marshal/CRR Division Chief Jon Neal and our Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Honor Guard. The annual event takes place at the Orange County Firefighter Memorial Monument located at the Irvine Regional Park in the City of Orange.

A presentation of colors was executed by honor guard members from numerous fire agencies throughout Orange County, all part of the Orange County Fire Services Joint Honor Guard. CMFR representation was strong, with Fire Captain Fred McDowell (trumpet), Fire Engineers John Brock and Dave Kearley, and Firefighter/Paramedic Chad Pregizer, part of the ceremony.

In honor of Fire Prevention Month, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) invites you to our annual community Open House event!

This is a great FREE community event, and all are welcomed. Come out and meet CMFR’s firefighters, learn about the fire service, participate in simulated firefighting drills, fun activities and see live Fire demonstrations and learn how we run emergency calls.

The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Fire Station no. 4 located at 2300 Placentia Ave.

There is free parking at Estancia High School.

We hope you all come out, and we can’t wait to see you there!

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s newest Probationary Firefighters are in the process of finishing their last weeks of manipulative training and the academy.

Efforts have focused on truck and engine operations, live firefighting operations, emergency medical services skills, wildland, hose and tool operations, ventilation evolutions, auto extrication and technical rescue operations, among other areas.

A special thanks to our Training & Safety Captain Chuck Torres for his leadership in coordinating the Academy and our outstanding Academy Cadre of Captain Eliasar Maldonado, Engineer Luke Anderson, and Firefighter/Paramedics Maurilio Torres and Kyle Brosamer.

In addition, thank you to all of the CMFR subject matter experts and crews who assisted throughout the entirety of the academy.

The final week of the probationary firefighter training will be focused on driving and training on apparatus.

Upon successful completion, they will earn a state certification as a Driver Operator.  

It is officially a wrap for 2022 National Walk to School Day.

The fun and educational events were held at 13 Costa Mesa elementary schools on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, drawing approximately 1,825 participants. 

Walk to School Events are designed to show how easy it is to get to and from school in Costa Mesa by walking, biking, rolling, or using other non-automobile forms of transportation.

The event is meant to encourage use of active transportation modes to access City’s schools year-round.

As the City continues to expand infrastructure supportive of car-free and car-light mobility, these events can be powerful tools to inspire lasting change in younger generations of Costa Mesans and encourage an active healthy lifestyle.

In addition to the plethora parents and students participating, Costa Mesa Public Works staff, Costa Mesa police, school district staff, the City’s Active Transportation Committee, and community volunteers were on hand to assist in the event and hand out giveaways.

The City’s annual Bike to School events will be forthcoming in May 2023.

Fall is here and cooler temperatures are fast approaching, but that doesn’t mean the season for swimming is over.

Drop-in adult lap swimming is offered at the Downtown Recreation Center on a year-round basis. The pool is open from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Monday through Friday for the early birds and again at 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Monday through Friday for those that prefer to get their swim in at lunch time.

Lap swimmers have full access to the heated outdoor pool, locker rooms and showers, and kickboards, fins, paddles, and pull buoys at no extra charge. Passes can be purchased one at a time or in bulk.

 

Please call the Downtown Aquatic Center at (714) 327-7564 if you have any questions.

Join Animal Care Services for the 4th annual Barktoberfest!

Meet us at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa (970 Arlington Dr. 92926) on Saturday, October 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

Sign up for the delightfully spooky pet costume contest, participate in the pet parade, win prizes, meet local pet vendors and rescue groups, enjoy a K-9 Demonstration put on by Costa Mesa Police Department and much more!

 

*Pet Costume Contest Registration will be taken the day of the event between 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Join the Parks and Community Services Department for the annual Scarecrow Festival this Saturday, October 15 from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Lions Park.

Don’t miss out on this scary-good time!

 

The event is held at Lions Park Event Lawn 1845 Park Ave.