Fair Game
By TOM JOHNSON
A retirement brings a change at the top of the Newport Beach Police Department
Newport Beach has been blessed to have Jon Lewis’s leadership as Chief of Police for the last seven years and as a member of the NBPD for his entire 31-year career.
Chief Lewis is retiring at the end of the month. He’s accomplished so much since becoming the 10th chief of police in the department’s history when he assumed that role on March 22, 2016. He has led an exemplary staff of 233 full-time employees, serving in four divisions and multiple other specialized units.
He began his career in 1991 while working part-time and completing a criminal justice degree at California State Long Beach. Chief Lewis has been extremely involved in the local community and with numerous law enforcement organizations during his time overseeing the department, including as president of the Orange County Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs Association, and as a board member for the California Police Chiefs Association.
One of the challenges facing Newport Beach City Manager Grace Leung will be finding Jon’s replacement. One candidate, who will be strongly considered, is current Deputy Chief Joe Cartwright, who will assume the role of Acting Chief during the time Grace conducts a national search.
Borrowing on an idea that Amy Senk has done so well for Stu News on a regular basis, I sat down with both Chief Lewis and Deputy Chief Cartwright to complete a Take Five, where I asked each of them five questions about life.
Hopefully, this offers you some insight to both, after all, it’s not often that Newport Beach changes police chiefs, this being only the 11th time in its history to do so.
Take Five: Retiring Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis
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Photo by Ed Olen
Newport Beach Chief of Police Jon Lewis
Q: Why is now the right time for your retirement?
A: In November, I became eligible for my service retirement. It’s also good timing for my family and for the Police Department to make this transition. I know that our organization is operating at a high level and will continue to excel in the future.
Q: Under your service as Chief, what accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: As a law enforcement agency, fighting crime is a fundamental part of our mission. I am proud to say that we have driven our crime rates to historic lows. This has been a team effort involving everyone at the NBPD. I am continually impressed by the teamwork, collaboration and selflessness of everyone in our department and their ability to work together to impact any challenges we face.
Q: Other than the obvious of not having to go to work every day, what will be the biggest changes to your life?
A: Not being a police officer anymore. I put on this uniform 31 years ago and I’ll have to get used to not wearing it anymore.
Q: What are you going to miss the most?
A: Not to be repetitive…but not being a police officer, for sure. It is a noble calling and one that I’ve been grateful to have been a part of for so many years. I will also miss the people that I’ve had the honor of working with every day and the friendships and relationships that I’ve developed in the community over the years.
Q: What are a few of the things you’re most looking forward to doing in retirement?
A: Having more time to be with my wife and kids. I’ve only been as successful as I am in my career because they have supported me and made sacrifices along the way. Now, I will get to volunteer in my wife’s kindergarten classroom, be my son’s biggest fan at his baseball games and root my daughter on at her cross-country competitions.
Take Five: Catching up with incoming Acting Chief Joe Cartwright
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Courtesy of NBPD
Deputy Chief Joe Cartwright will assume the role of Acting Chief
Q: First off, let’s get the obvious out of the way…were your parents big fans of the old TV show Bonanza…and how often has that question come up in your life?
A: I’ve never heard of Bonanza, Tom – next question, please. In all honesty, that question has come up hundreds of times throughout my life, but I’ve almost outgrown it, because most of the young police officers at NBPD have never seen Bonanza. As for my parents, both have always denied naming me after the famous Michael Landon character. Now Tom, I’m not calling my parents deceptive, but if I wasn’t named after Michael Landon’s character, why did we visit the Ponderosa TV set when I was a kid? Moreover, why was my dad constantly watching Bonanza? I think it’s safe to say I solved that mystery a long time ago.
Q: Being named the Acting Chief, what does that mean to you and will you pursue the permanent role?
A: I have spent almost 21 years serving the great city and citizens of Newport Beach. Being named Acting Chief is an incredible honor, but also a significant responsibility that I will never take lightly. I am very fortunate to go to work every day with the finest group of professionals in our business, coupled with the most impressive city team I have ever seen. I will definitely pursue the permanent Chief of Police position because I care deeply about this city and its exceptional police department. Our unparalleled level of service must continue into the future as we train and develop our team to embrace daily challenges and seize opportunities for constant, never-ending improvement.
Q: Why do you feel you should be given serious consideration for becoming Newport Beach’s 11th Chief of Police?
A: Thanks to the leadership of Chief Jon Lewis, our management staff, and every employee, the state of our department has never been better. I am fully committed to the success of this department. I honestly believe that it would be a challenge to find anyone who cares more about this city, this department, and the employees who make up our collective family. In addition to this level of commitment, I bring decades of education, training and Newport Beach experience, all of which makes me best suited to ensure a seamless, stable transition and continuity of leadership.
Q: Chief Lewis has become a popular figure throughout the community...tell us what we should know about new Acting Chief Joe Cartwright?
A: I have had the privilege of working with Chief Lewis for my entire career at the NBPD. He has been a close friend and respected mentor for more than 20 years, so the community will quickly discover that we are quite similar in many respects. You will find me to be an open-minded collaborator who puts the needs of others before my own. My journey to this point began in the United States Marine Corps, so I have always had a very strong sense of service to others. When I need a healthy reminder of who I am, I look to my favorite Mark Twain quote for inspiration: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” I still remember the day I found out “why” – it has been a non-stop adventure ever since.
Q: What do you envision will be the best parts of potentially being named permanent chief and what will be the biggest challenges facing the department and city?
A: The best part about potentially becoming the 11th Chief of Police at the NBPD is that I would continue to have the privilege of working alongside the finest law enforcement professionals in the business – it is that simple. This organization is not, and never has been, about one person. With that in mind, it is not lost on me that becoming Chief of Police would be the greatest honor and privilege of my life. The biggest challenges facing the department and city will be recruitment and retention of quality employees, continuing our successful efforts to address homelessness and decreasing property theft by organized South American Theft Groups. Moreover, our department must continue pursuing and arresting those who victimize our residents, businesses and visitors, even when less-than-ideal legislation makes our job more difficult.
Community hears latest update on proposed Mariners’ Mile mixed-use development
By SARA HALL
Community members heard an update this week on a proposed mixed-use project for Mariners’ Mile during a virtual forum hosted by the developer.
More than 30 people attended the online meeting on Tuesday (Dec. 6) for the proposed Newport Village project, located on several parcels at 2000-2244 West Coast Highway, on both the north and south sides of the highway.
The forum was hosted by the project applicant, Mx3 Ventures and MSM Global Ventures, real estate investment companies headed up by the local Moshayedi family. Marice DePasquale, a local public affairs consultant retained by brothers and developers Manouch and Mark Moshayedi to help with outreach, led the meeting.
The proposed project is a mixed-use development that will cover 9.4 acres on PCH in the Mariners’ Mile corridor.
The project will be a total of 63,285 square feet of commercial floor area: 20,310 square feet of office space; 20,690 square feet of retail and 22,285 square feet of restaurant space. Plans also call for a new publicly accessible plaza and boardwalk along the waterfront and 848 surface, structured and subterranean parking spaces.
The proposed housing portion of the project requests a 20% density bonus in exchange for the inclusion of affordable dwelling units. Total, the project would include 198 dwelling units: 181 apartment (rental) units, including nine units that are for affordable to very low-income households, on the north parcel and 17 condominium units on the south parcel.
The maximum height of buildings on both parcels is proposed at 35 feet (measured from established grade). The existing structures at 2241 West Coast Highway (A’maree’s building) and 2244 West Coast Highway (office building) would remain, while other structures will be demolished as part of the project.
“The approach to this design was to really take into (account) the visual characteristics of Mariners’ Mile and we’ve got a great history there,” DePasquale said, noting the boat yards and maritime businesses in the area. “We really tried to do our best to capture that spirit.”
DePasquale briefly went over the timeline of the project, starting from when the applicant kicked off the process in 2016. The first set of plans were submitted to the city in late 2017.
Over the course of the next year, the applicant team met with city staff numerous times. The design was modified and plans were revised, and by the end of 2018 they were on scheme seven, she pointed out.
“(We) certainly tried to do our best to have multiple iterations of the project based on input and feedback,” DePasquale said.
Eventually the application was withdrawn in early 2022.
During the entire process residents raised concerns about the project, primarily about the height, style and potential view losses. Locals have also expressed frustration at the process, that they weren’t being adequately involved, and that their feedback was not being incorporated. Prior to this week’s forum, the most recent community meeting was in September 2021, which highlighted many similar comments.
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Art courtesy of City of Newport Beach/MX3 Ventures
A view rendering of the retail portion on the north parcel of the proposed Newport Village project
This week, the team presented the most recent plans (scheme eight), submitted to the city in August.
DePasquale emphasized that Tuesday’s meeting was applicant-driven and not the city.
“We just wanted to reach out and wanted to give everybody a chance to see the plan and then ask questions,” DePasquale said.
The project will require an EIR and multiple city meetings with many opportunities for public input.
“This is the beginning of a long process,” she said.
On November 29, City Council authorized an amendment to a professional services agreement with Psomas for additional environmental review of the revised project. The contract with Psomas for the project was initially approved in 2019.
The EIR will likely kick off in January or February 2023, with a scoping meeting early in the year. They anticipate the draft EIR will be released for public comments in summer 2023. That will be followed by a Planning Commission meeting, likely in late 2023 or early 2024, and a City Council meeting if an appeal/call for review is filed in early 2024.
During the forum on Tuesday, DePasquale shared updated renderings of the project, conceptual site plans and answered questions. Most of the virtual audience Q&A revolved around familiar topics: Building heights and view impacts, traffic and parking concerns and code consistency.
Public view simulations aren’t available yet, DePasquale said, but that will also be a part of the EIR process. The large plazas and open areas are designed intentionally to maintain those public views. The buildings were also placed as to best preserve the views, she added.
“The project is designed to protect those public views that are indeed protected,” DePasquale said.
Most of A’maree’s will stay visible from PCH, DePasquale confirmed, answering an attendee question about whether or not the new buildings will block the view from the highway.
“With any redevelopment and any project there are changes to how the site looks,” she said. “It will absolutely look different than it does now and that’s to be expected when you have a redevelopment of this nature.”
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The City comes out in force to recognize NBPD Chief Jon Lewis at his retirement ceremony
Photos by Ed Olen
Wednesday (Dec. 7) afternoon, the Newport Beach community came out in droves to the Civic Center for the retirement ceremony of beloved Police Chief Jon Lewis.
Last month, Chief Lewis announced his planned retirement at the end of the year, ending a 31-year career, all with the Newport Beach Police Department. Lewis came to Newport Beach working parttime, while still attending classes at California State Long Beach where he’d graduate with a degree in Criminal Justice.
His career took him from the early days working at the front desk answering incoming calls and visitors to the facility all the way to the top of the organization when he was named Chief of Police on March 22, 2016.
Chief Lewis’ career was exemplary, culminating in his years as chief where he became an instrumental leader out in the community, led a department that reduced crime, established a command staff and department of 220+ employees that was second-to-none.
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Chief Jon Lewis at the podium
Perhaps one of the most rewarding moments under his leadership was the department’s solving of the 45-year-old cold case murder of 11-year-old Linda O’Keefe, who was brutally murdered on her way home from summer school. Utilizing technology, the NBPD established a Twitter outreach campaign in “Linda’s voice” reaching out to bring attention to the case. That coupled with advances in DNA ultimately led to the arrest of her killer, much to a sense of joy and closure for surviving family members.
Chief Lewis, who has a formidable presence, was someone who was approachable and admired by those that worked for him, around him at City Hall and the many community leaders that he interacted with on a regular basis.
The ceremony in the Community Room at the Newport Beach Civic Center was standing room only and spilled out onto the surrounding outside sidewalks.
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Deputy Chief Joe Cartwright, who will step into the role as Acting Chief following Lewis’s departure, emcees the festivities
Deputy Chief Joe Cartwright, who will become Acting Chief in Lewis’ departure, emceed the event, first calling up Mayor Kevin Muldoon for his comments. From there, his many top city management counterparts took to the podium to sing their praises and bestow gifts to Chief Lewis as remembrances.
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(L-R) Mayor Kevin Muldoon with former Recreation & Senior Services Director Laura Detweiler and City Councilmember “Duffy” Duffield
Perhaps nothing did that better than a shadow box presented by Lt. Eric Little highlighting badges from each stop in the police department of the chief’s career, as well as other notable items.
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Lt. Eric Little and Chief Lewis admire the shadow box
Then, it was the chief’s turn and he did not disappoint, offering a detailed thank you to the many people that supported him along his career path, from police associates both in his department and from surrounding cities, city staff, including former City Manager Dave Kiff who gave Chief Lewis the opportunity to oversee the department. Kiff returned for the festivities.
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(L-R) Harbor Commissioner Paul Blank and former City Manager Dave Kiff share a laugh
Chief Lewis’ comments ended with considerable emotion, at times appearing to take a deep breath to potentially fight off tears, as he concluded with thanking his family. His closing remarks noted that as honored as he was to be Newport Beach’s Chief of Police, there was “nothing that came close to being a husband and a father.”
And with that, Newport Beach begins a quest seeking their 11th police chief in the city’s history.
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Councilmember Will O’Neill (R) presents a Blackies flag to Chief Lewis as he jokingly teases him about having plenty of time to surf
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(L-R) Councilmember-elect Robyn Grant with City Manager Grace Leung
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Chief Lewis (right) with wife Darcy and son JT
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(L-R) Community Development Director Seimone Jurgis, Councilmember-elect Lauren Kleiman and Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic
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(L-R) Councilmember-elect Joe Stapleton and Assistant Chief of Fire Operations Justin Carr
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(L-R) Former City Councilmember Tony Petros and Newport Beach Chamber President & CEO Steve Rosansky
Police Files
One dead following Wednesday night one-car auto collision, 21-year-old arrested on suspicion of DUI vehicular manslaughter
On Wednesday night (Dec. 7), at approximately 9:46 p.m., Newport Beach Police Officers responded to the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Marguerite Avenue on the report of a single-vehicle traffic collision.
Officers arrived on scene and found that a vehicle had collided with a traffic signal. A passenger in the vehicle was declared deceased on scene, and the driver was transported to a local hospital.
The driver, 21-year-old Madelyn Faith Wileman, of Newport Beach, was ultimately arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Charges against Wileman include suspicion of DUI Alcohol causing bodily injury, DUI meeting or exceeding .08 causing bodily injury, underage DUI with blood alcohol exceeding .05 and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The decedent’s identity has not yet been released pending notification of family.
Editor’s Note: An arrest contains allegations that a suspect has committed a crime. Every suspect is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Burglary occurs over weekend in Mariners/Dover Shores while resident was away
A residential burglary occurred sometime between the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 2 and 7:20 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 5 on the 1000 block of Marian Lane in the Mariners/Dover Shores Community.
While the victim was away, an unknown suspect accessed the side of the house and pried open the laundry room door. Inside, the suspect rummaged through a guest bedroom, the master bedroom and master closets.
The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction, taking an overnight bag. No suspect information was available.
NAC rower to embark on Atlantic trek for charity, hopes to break world record
Jordan Godoy, rowing out of Newport Aquatic Center (NAC), is the youngest American to have rowed the Pacific Ocean. An alumnus of Servite High School (2012) and Cal State Fullerton (2016), Godoy competed on a four-person team, comprised of three Americans and one Scot, in the 2018 Great Pacific Race where the participants rowed a 24’ boat from Monterey, Calif. to Waikiki, Hawaii, a distance of approximately 2,400 nautical miles. His team was the first to finish, reaching Waikiki in just under 50 days. A slightly younger teammate from Scotland, Michael Prendergast, became the Guinness Record-holder as the youngest person in the world to row this route.
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Photo by Ellen Hoke
Jordan Godoy
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Photo by Robert Behny
(L-R) Michael Prendergast and Jordan Godoy during the 2018 Great Pacific Race
On Tuesday, Dec. 13, Godoy will depart for Portugal (as a team member of four), preparing to break a world record in rowing the southern Atlantic Ocean. The team will be rowing unsupported, carrying all equipment and food necessary to sustain them on their expedition. They will attempt to beat the world record of 48 days, 4 hours and 30 minutes, rowing the 3,500 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Portimao, Portugal to Cayenne, French Guiana. This trip will hopefully be completed in 48 days. In completing this, Godoy believes he will be the youngest person in the world to have rowed both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
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Photo by Ellen Hoke
(L-R) Jordan Godoy, Evan Buckland, Michael Prendergast and Robert Behny in the 2018 Great Pacific Race. This boat is similar to the one being rowed on the southern Atlantic Ocean crossing.
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Photo by Rod Mayer
(L-R) Michael Prendergast and Jordan Godoy, taken from the support boat during the 2018 Great Pacific Race
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help defray at least some of his expenses, but he wanted 75% of everything raised to go to the cause of his choice – the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The GoFundMe link can be found at https://gofund.me/7a6003b2, in case you would like to donate.
These rowing events are acknowledged to be the most difficult of physical challenges; nothing else compares. The physical toll comes from each teammate rowing for two hours, then resting for two continually throughout the journey. The rowers are exposed to the elements the entire time and are always wet. Their food sources are the most compact, highest protein and nutrient-rich things available: freeze-dried packets, protein bars and military-style MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat). The goal is to take in 5-6,000 calories each day to support the 12 hours that each person rows. Due to seasickness and adapting to the movements of the boat along with the new schedule on the water, not a lot of food is consumed the first week. Drinking water comes from a desalination device on the boat. The mental toll comes from the lack of a normal sleep routine, the isolation and the endless expanse of the open ocean. Each rower deals with hallucinations at times, and teamwork can be made difficult due to each person’s own mental state. Each day is a lesson in overcoming adversity and working as a team. There is no support boat on this trip.
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Courtesy of Bruce Whisnant
Graphic of the projected route for the upcoming southern Atlantic crossing
The ocean itself can be an adversary. Bad weather, unfavorable wind and/or currents can result in zero miles gained after a full day of rowing – a depressing outcome for the crew. There are overcast, moonless nights that are pitch black. There can be the sudden occurrence of rogue waves; there are sometimes encounters near shipping lanes of gigantic tankers that the tiny rowboat needs to avoid. This year, the crew also needs to be wary of a pod of orcas that have been attacking small crafts off the shores of Portugal and Spain. They’ll have their heads on a swivel for the first 48 hours keeping an eye out for these whales. Hopefully their on-board electronics work more often than not and they plot a good course.
Editor’s Note: Bruce Whisnant, business manager with Phillips Whisnant Gazin Gorczyca & Curtin in Newport Beach, shared this information with “Stu News.” Godoy has been working at this law firm for the past 3 1/2 years and his last day of work there is today. To quote Whisnant, “May the weather and currents be with them and the wind always at their back.”
Council set to swear in new members, light agenda for newcomers’ first meeting
By SARA HALL
Newport Beach City Council has a short agenda next week, but the meeting will include the ceremonious changing of the guard for the newly elected members.
At the Tuesday (Dec. 13) meeting, council will consider: Certifying the election results; a councilmember request to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran who have been impacted by the human rights injustices; second reading of an amendment to the Local Coastal Program to allow the transfer of development rights in the coastal zone and various contracts on the consent calendar.
The main item of the evening will be the reorganization of the council, following the November 8 election. The election results will be certified, new councilmembers are sworn in and mayor and mayor pro tem are selected for the upcoming year. Council will also decide on the updated seating arrangement of the dais.
The ballots have all been officially counted and Joe Stapleton, Erik Weigand, Robyn Grant and Lauren Kleiman will be the fresh faces on the dais.
Public comments regarding the reorganization will be allowed prior to the presentations. The newly elected and any outgoing councilmembers, as well as the new mayor and mayor pro tem typically share some remarks as well.
The only items on the agenda during regular business for the new council lineup to consider will be setting the 2023 meeting dates and to designate the mayor and mayor pro tem as the city’s representatives for purposes of labor negotiations with all unrepresented employees within the Key and Management Group.
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Photos courtesy of City of Newport Beach
(L-R) Joe Stapleton, Erik Weigand, Robyn Grant and Lauren Kleiman are set to be sworn in as councilmembers on Tuesday
Under “matters which councilmembers have asked to be placed on a future agenda,” outgoing Councilmember Joy Brenner requested that the council consider adopting a resolution declaring that the “Newport Beach City Council stands in solidarity with the women, men and children of Iran and our Iranian-American population who have been impacted by the human rights injustices in that country.”
The request come after an outpouring of speakers commented on the issue during the November 29 council meeting during public comments on non-agenda items.
On the consent calendar, council will consider the second reading of an amendment to the Local Coastal Program to allow the transfer of development rights in the coastal zone.
City code allows for the transfer of development rights from one site to another, subject to certain parameters and council review. However, the 2017 certified LCP does not contain any provisions for a potential transfer in the coastal zone and as a result, general plan policy allowing transfers in the coastal zone cannot be implemented without the proposed amendment.
Council adopted a resolution to solve the issue on Oct. 8, 2019. The California Coastal Commission approved the amendment on October 12 with suggested modifications. City council then accepted the modified amendment on November 29.
If the ordinance is adopted the item will be sent back to the CCC for final acceptance.
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48th Annual Candlelight Concert raised $3.1 million in support of Segerstrom Center’s nonprofit initiatives
Guests of the 48th Annual Candlelight Concert were transported away to the city that never sleeps for a night of 1980s New York elegance on Friday, Dec. 2, for the premier charity gala of Orange County. Guests arrived at an immersive replica of America’s most beloved Central Park. The elevator lobby was transformed into a luminous garden, with luscious greenery and dim lighting to give an outdoor feel. The angularity of the Fire Bird art installation was used to represent myriad angles that comprise the Brooklyn Bridge, transforming the terrace into a geometric celebration of the New York skyline. The stage sparkled with a large Brooklyn Bridge. Guests filled the halls with laughter and enjoyed live entertainment and rich Italian cuisine, while they celebrated in “The Big Apple” ambience. Tabletops were decorated with a variety of white floral mercury cut glass and bud vases accented with dark green foliage.
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Photo by Cheryl Mann
(L-R) Segerstrom Center for the Arts President Casey Reitz, Chairwoman of the Board Jane Fujishige Yada and 2022 Candlelight Concert Chair John E. Stratman Jr.
The evening provided critical funds to benefit Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ nonprofit initiatives – from world-class artistic programming to signature Education and Community Engagement programs like Studio D: Arts School for All Abilities, American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and ArtsTeach. The funds also support new endeavors such as commissions, productions and world premieres. Along with the celebrating, laughing and dancing, the Center was able to raise $3.1 million for its nonprofit initiatives.
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Photo by Chuck Bennett
Idit and Moti Ferder with Presenting Jewelry Sponsor Lugano Diamonds
Remarks were given by Segerstrom Center for the Arts President Casey Reitz, Chairwoman of the Board Jane Fujishige Yada and 2022 Candlelight Concert Chair John E. Stratman Jr. High praise was lauded to all donors for their gracious support and fundraising. Guests had a special surprise when celebrity chef for the evening’s dinner, Giada De Laurentiis, made her way on stage and shared a few remarks.
“Candlelight has been a longtime tradition at the Center, even before we opened our doors,” said Yada. “A tradition meant to celebrate the importance of the performing arts to our audiences, students, artists and the entire Orange County community.” She thanked the entire board of directors of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and gave heartfelt recognition and appreciation to top sponsors and contributors including The Argyros Family Foundation, Elizabeth Segerstrom, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Britt and Bob Meyer, Sally Segerstrom, Jane and Jim Driscoll, Kaiser Permanente, and Moti and Idit Ferder with Presenting Jewelry Sponsor, Lugano Diamonds.
“It’s truly been an honor to chair this 48th Candlelight Concert,” said Stratman, who thanked everyone for sharing in the success and announced $3.1 million was raised in support of the Center.
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Photo by Scott Varley
Ling and Charlie Zhang
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Photo by Jason Weiss
Dave and Jaynine Warner
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Photo by Scott Varley
Evan and Veronica Slavik
Guests were entertained with an ‘80s pop music whirlwind. The Brooklyn-born, Grammy, Emmy and Tony-winning superstar Cyndi Lauper was the headliner of the evening. Casey Reitz, president for Segerstrom Center for the Arts shared, “Cyndi is the perfect artist to celebrate the Center and our commitment to Broadway. Cyndi is passionate about Broadway. Her musical KINKY BOOTS won six Tony Awards, including her Best Original Score and Best Musical. It ran for six years for more than 2,500 performances on Broadway and also appeared on this very stage in Segerstrom Hall twice in 2014 and 2018.” Lauper gave an electrifying performance like no other and stunned guests while performing some of her most iconic pop hits including “Time After Time,” “True Colors” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
The concert was warmly received by the audience who gave Lauper a standing ovation through the encore songs. Following Lauper, guests continued to celebrate with a Studio 54-themed dance party with legendary Southern California radio, television and film personality DJ Richard Blade. Guests danced the night away as he spun the 1 and 2’s rocking some wave music and electronica.
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Photo by Cheryl Mann
Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning superstar Cyndi Lauper was the headliner of the evening
As guests danced the night away, New York-style pizza and Giada Catering cookies were enjoyed as late-night bites. In the Valet Lounge, guests enjoyed New York espressos as their night cap to the evening among the city lights. Gifts by Presenting Jewelry Sponsor, Lugano Diamonds, were shared.
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Photo by Gary Payne
Chef and Emmy Award-winning television personality Giada De Laurentiis provided the Italian cuisine for the evening, complete with cookies for late-night bites
The highly regarded Chef and Emmy Award-winning television personality De Laurentiis provided the cuisine for the evening. This very successful restaurateur with the highly regarded restaurants GIADA and Pronto by Giada in Las Vegas, curated a decadent arrangement of Italian plates especially for the evening.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. For more information, visit www.scfta.org.
You Must Remember This: Evelyn Hart
By NANCY GARDNER
A lot of people knew Evelyn Hart better than I did. We didn’t go out for coffee or play bridge – fortunately for her since I’m terrible at counting cards. I knew her essentially in her city role, but her public face was pretty indistinguishable from her private one – something you can’t say about a lot of people in the public eye.
My first meeting with her was momentous, at least from my POV. We had started the Newport Beach chapter of Surfrider, a small group with lofty goals and woefully little experience. Early on, I realized that we needed to know more about how things were run and managed to get myself appointed to the Environmental Quality Affairs Committee. I was immersing myself in EQAC, observing how staff functioned, the role of the committee, trying to make myself effective, and feeling a little over my head when one afternoon I got home and there was an invitation, but not just any invitation. An invitation from EVELYN HART. OMG. I may not have known a lot about how the city functioned, but I knew who Evelyn Hart was – and she was inviting me to lunch! Granted, she was inviting a lot of other people, in fact every woman on a city committee or commission and many female staff members. This was typical of Evelyn. She wanted to see more women involved and she didn’t just think about it – she acted. She started this luncheon that brought together all these women with an interest in the city, and she did it at her house. That was another thing about Evelyn: She loved to entertain and was great at it.
It was one of those gatherings where you’re the new kid and you know nobody. I put on my best smile, steeled myself for an afternoon smiling in the corner, but that didn’t happen at an Evelyn event. She greeted me like she’d known me forever, made sure I got introduced around, and by the end of the afternoon I felt I really belonged, and that was another of her qualities. While she marked out a sterling career for herself, she was always looking to support causes and individuals that she felt were good for the city.
There were several projects where we connected, one being the fundraising committee for the new OASIS. She was chairing the effort and what a success it was. With her stature in the city, she brought together the right people (I can exclude myself as I was a council liaison), and her engaging, energetic leadership kept the group moving forward with the result the funds were raised for what I think is one of the best-looking buildings in the city. There was a bit of controversy at the end. A number of people saw her leadership as the reason the drive succeeded and proposed naming the event center after her. There were those who disagreed and the council was bombarded from both sides as we faced a difficult decision. When the controversy arose, she was pressured to deny the honor and remove a difficult decision from our plate, but she demurred, making it clear that she would enjoy having her name on the center. No B.S. No false modesty – and I think that is one of the reasons that she remained such an influence in the city, and make no mistake, she was. If anyone wanted to start something, the first comment was usually, “You have to get Evelyn.”
A remarkable career. A remarkable life. A remarkable woman.
~~~~~~~~
Nancy Gardner, former Mayor of Newport Beach, long-time resident and daughter of Judge Robert Gardner, is a regular contributor to Stu News Newport.
CdM residents…come light up the town and enter the home decorating contest
The Corona del Mar Residents Association (CdMRA) and outgoing Newport Beach City Councilmember Joy Brenner (District 6) are co-sponsoring the third annual home lighting event to brighten up every neighborhood in Corona del Mar, including the Village, planned communities and apartment homes. Their goal is to make Corona del Mar the brightest community in all of Newport Beach.
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Courtesy of CdMRA
This residence on Carnation Avenue in CdM is decked out in holiday lights, wreaths and garlands, complete with a Letters to Santa mailbox
All Corona del Mar residents are invited to enter. Decorate your homes or balconies, take a hi-resolution photo or two and submit them along with the online entry form no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16.
A panel of CdMRA judges will view all contestant homes in person during the week of December 18. Winners will be notified and receive CdM restaurant gift cards purchased by the co-sponsors.
Information and the entry form for this fun holiday event are available at www.cdmra.org and on their social media channels (Facebook @cdmra or Instagram and Twitter @cdmra92625).
First SyncAR for Spine Surgery in the world performed at Hoag
Hoag’s innovative spine team has performed the first spinal fusion surgery utilizing the recently FDA-cleared augmented reality (SyncAR) surgical navigator for Spine, co-developed by neurosurgeons from Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute and medical visualization platform leader Surgical Theater.
SyncAR for Spine utilizes 3D virtual reconstructions of CT and MRI images to enable detailed visualization of anatomic structures as well as the surgical tools and hardware. The data-rich hologram produces a life-like reconstruction of the spine to assist surgeons in making detailed pre-planned surgical decisions down to the millimeter. Using multiple displays within the AR goggles, 3D real-time feedback maximizes the accuracy of surgical precision and hardware placement.
Hoag’s neurosurgeons have already studied and published the benefits of SyncAR technology in the lab, demonstrating an improved accuracy of >99% for screw placement in the spine. SyncAR for Spine subsequently received FDA clearance in September 2022 paving the way for its utilization in the operating room to help real people.
“Integrating augmented reality into the operating room has the potential to improve surgical precision and patient outcomes at hospitals around the world,” said Burak Ozgur, M.D., director of Hoag’s Spine Center at the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, and one of the surgeons who performed the recent SyncAR for Spine procedure.
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Courtesy of Hoag Hospital
(L-R) Drs. Ozgur and Kanter with SyncAR for Spine
“SyncAR for Spine is allowing not only enhanced navigation in the operating room, it is enabling more enlightening and informed pre-operative conversations with our patients. They put on the goggles and get to see their own anatomy, and the pathology, with their own eyes. It’s truly empowering,” said Adam Kanter, M.D., associate executive medical director of the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, who assisted Dr. Ozgur during the first SyncAR for Spine patient.
Hoag’s comprehensive Spine Center is a recognized leader and provider of the most advanced non-operative and minimally invasive treatment options available. Hoag’s board-certified, fellowship-trained spine experts provide personalized patient-centered care that enables them to achieve some of the best clinical outcomes in the nation.
“Much of the discussion of surgical innovation centers around the next hardware iteration,” said Daniel Yanni, M.D., F.A.A.N.S., vice chair of the division of neurosurgery, who worked closely with Robert Louis, M.D., chief of neurosurgery and the Empower360 Endowed Chair in Skull Base and Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, to develop the AR software. “Few people think, ‘How do we change surgical execution?’ It takes a hospital as forward-thinking as Hoag to advance the way surgery is conducted.”
Dr. Louis agreed, saying the speed at which Hoag’s expert neurosurgeons were able to develop expertise in and deploy this cutting-edge technology in the operating room can only happen at a hospital as nimble and innovative as Hoag.
“In an academic setting, the speed of evolution would be much slower,” said Dr. Louis. “We are leaps and bounds ahead in terms of both the development and deployment of advanced technologies. We are thrilled to bring this technology to our community and beyond.”
Dr. Kanter, who spent his previous 15 years in academia at UPMC concurs, “I spent over a decade trying to bring advanced equipment such as robotics and augmented reality to Pittsburgh. At Hoag, it’s all already here! Bringing innovative technology into the community is part of the culture at Hoag, we are imagining and creating the future of spine surgery right here in Orange County.”
The patient is recovering well and many more patients will benefit from the technology going forward.
SyncAR for Spine enhanced view could result in more efficient surgeries, streamlined surgical planning, less exposure to X-rays and optimal surgical precision. It also enables training of existing and future spine surgeons while deploying Hoag’s technological capabilities to hospitals anywhere.
For his part, Dr. Ozgur is thrilled that this homegrown technological innovation elevates the entire field of neurosurgery.
For more information, visit www.hoag.org.
Chabad Center for Jewish Life to hold upcoming Chanukah events
Chabad Center for Jewish life in Newport Beach is holding a variety of events to celebrate Chanukah, and here is the line-up.
–Menorah Workshop at Home Depot, 2300 S. Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa takes place Sunday, Dec. 11 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Come build and decorate your own Menorah and enjoy holiday treats. RSVP to reserve your kit at https://bit.ly/NBChanukah22.
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Photos courtesy of Chabad Center for Jewish Life
Menorah Lighting
–The Menorah Lighting at Fashion Island takes place Sunday, Dec. 18 from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Atrium Garden Courtyard by Barnes & Noble in Fashion Island. Come enjoy singing and festive traditions.
–Chanukah Comedy Night is happening on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. Starring the legendary Robert Cait, enjoy a buffet dinner, open bar and lots of laughs at the Jewish Center. Tickets: $36 in advance, $40 at the door. An event sponsorship is $180. RSVP to https://bit.ly/ChanukahComedy22.
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The Fire Truck Gelt Drop
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Eager youngsters catching gelt
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The Moshav Band will be featured at the Chanukah Concert
–Chanukah Concert and Fire Truck Gelt Drop featuring the Moshav Band on Sunday, Dec. 25 at 1 p.m. outdoors at the Jewish Center, 2240 University Drive, Newport Beach.
Center for Jewish Life is located at 2240 University Drive, Newport Beach. For more information, visit www.jewishnewport.com.
2023 Dragon Kim Fellowships open with $225,000 in grants, Sage Hill students have been past recipients
Calling all motivated high school students who want to make a positive difference in their communities.
The Dragon Kim Foundation, an Orange County-based nonprofit whose mission is to inspire our youth to impact their communities while discovering and pursuing their passions, has launched the 2023 Dragon Kim Fellowship program that awards community service grants to motivated teens to create and manage programs that will positively impact their communities.
Applications are open now through January 9, 2023. For more information and to apply, go here.
Student teams of up to three teens are eligible to apply for the program. To gain a better understanding of what’s involved, students can attend one of several inspiration sessions that will be held in the weeks ahead. For more, about the 2023 Fellowship, click here. For more information or to sign-up for inspiration sessions, visit https://calendly.com/beadragon. Attendance at an inspirational session is not mandatory to apply for the fellowship.
This year, the foundation sponsored 35 Fellowship projects run by 72 high school students that served a wide variety of communities and addressed varied issues. Projects ranged from a basketball and computer coding camp, a health fair for at-risk families with little or no health insurance, an educational initiative to address the mental wellbeing of young minds, a program to introduce kids to the inclusive sport of bowling and a music composition camp.
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Submitted photo
Katelyn Gan, a Sage Hill School student, was named a 2022 Dragon Fellow. She is pictured at the Dragon Kim Foundation’s headquarters presenting her E-liminating E-waste project.
Among them was E-liminating E-waste, a project undertaken by Katelyn Gan, who is a member of Newport Coast’s Sage Hill School’s class of 2025. Her timely Dragon Fellowship project was dedicated to raising awareness about the detrimental effects of electronic waste (e-waste) on the environment. She collected e-waste from around the community including batteries, cellular phones, computers and other types of electronic waste.
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Submitted photo
Nadia Ansar (right) is interviewing Dr. Samantha Levy, a clinical psychologist with post-doctoral training at UCLA’s Pediatric Pain Program, who was featured in Ansar’s documentary video, “The Invisible Condition.” In the film, Dr. Levy talks about some children who aren’t believed when they complain of chronic pain and how many see multiple doctors in their search for help.
Gan is one of several Sage Hill students to have been a Dragon Kim Foundation Fellow. In 2020, Nadia Ansar, as a junior at Sage Hill, created The Invisible Condition, a project dedicated to spreading awareness for children with chronic conditions and the treatment options they turn to. She produced a documentary video that won an award at the LA Indie Fest – Outstanding Achievement Award in the Young Female Filmmaker category.
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Submitted photo
(L-R) Twins Miya and Hana Stauss of Newport Beach when they were honored as ABC7 Cool Kids, recognizing their OC Coder project. As Sage Hill juniors, they received a Dragon Kim Fellowship in 2019.
Prior to Ansar, in 2019, twin sisters Hana and Miya Stauss, then Sage Hill juniors, received a Dragon Kim Fellowship for creating a free website and app called Peer Genius, designed to help students connect with their school peers to receive academic tutoring. Peer Genius connected “gurus,” or kids proficient in particular school subjects, with “newbies,” or students seeking tutoring.
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OCMA to hold Artist Talk: Lily Stockman
Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) is holding an Artist Talk featuring Lily Stockman. Join Stockman on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. when she is in conversation with OCMA CEO and Director Heidi Zuckerman.
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Courtesy of OCMA
Installation view of “13 Women” showing Lily Stockman’s “Canyon Fire”
Stockman draws from her affinity for the natural world and interest in the organizing principles of structure, from poetry meter to musical form to create arrangements of biomorphic shapes, planes and borders. Her work is on view in the “California Biennial 2022: Pacific Gold and 13 Women.”
Tickets are free and required. Reserve your ticket here.
OCMA is located at 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. For more information, visit www.ocma.art.
Pacific Symphony presents Manhattan Transfer on December 16 and 17
Pacific Symphony is presenting “Holiday Pops with Manhattan Transfer” on Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m., when they will grace the holiday-decked Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall stage with Evan Roider conducting.
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Courtesy of Pacific Symphony
“Holiday Pops with Manhattan Transfer” comes to Segerstrom Center for two nights, presented by Pacific Symphony
Warmth, joy and magic are only some of the words that can be used to describe the holiday season. Those are also the same words that can be used to describe jazz vocal group The Manhattan Transfer’s The Christmas Album and An Acapella Christmas albums. Enjoy standards such as “Happy Holiday,” “Let It Snow,” “Christmas Time Is Here,” “Jingle Bells” and more.
Pacific Symphony opens the program with holiday tunes such as Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. Enjoy sparkling classics and favorites for the season –and even a visit from Santa.
During the performance, close-ups of the orchestra musicians, conductor and guest artists will be projected onto the big screen above the orchestra.
Before the concert, the Foothill High School Dickens Carolers will deck the halls with holiday cheer in the concert hall lobby from 7-7:50 p.m.
Underwritten by the Sharon and Tom Malloy Family, tickets are available here.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. For more information, visit www.pacificsymphony.org.
Operation Christmas – helping our troops and their families during the holiday season
Operation Christmas is currently collecting toys (new, unwrapped), DVDs (new or used), gift cards and cash donations (please drop these off at the City Clerk’s office – City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive - Floor 2, Bay E) for our local military families and service members through Saturday, Dec. 17.
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Photo by Lana Johnson
Look for holiday decorated drop-off boxes like this one at the Newport Beach Police Station on 870 Santa Barbara Drive. Boxes can also be found at the City Clerk’s office and at Winter Wonderland, Bonita Canyon Park (University and LaVida) on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Operation Christmas is a program organized by Yellow Ribbon America (www.yellowribbonamerica.com) that supports more than 300,000 members
of the armed services and their families.
Help bring a Merry Christmas to California’s military and their families. Let’s show them how much Newport Beach appreciates them!
The Roosters Foundation to donate $140,000 to charities at December 10 holiday luncheon
The Roosters Foundation of Orange County is hosting its Annual Grant Check Presentation/Holiday Luncheon for Rooster families and friends, on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel, located at 3350 Avenue of the Arts in Costa Mesa at 11:30 a.m.
The gathering will be a celebration of giving, as The Roosters will be donating $140,000 to 29 Orange County, fully vetted, children’s charities who support needy and disadvantaged kids. The Roosters Foundation raises this money every year through events such as The Orange County Food and Wine Celebration, now in its 12th year and Golfing for Kids.
The three-time Emmy-winning Southern California Children’s Chorus, one of the many recipients, will be performing the musical program of the luncheon. Now in its 26th year, the chorus exemplifies the results of the hard work of the charities that The Roosters Foundation believes in and supports, as it enhances children’s lives through distinguished choral music education and world-class performance.
A very special Santa (who is also a member of The Roosters Foundation) will also be in attendance to hear Christmas wishes. Children of all ages and families are welcome to attend.
Tickets are $60 for adults, $40 for children. To purchase your tickets, donate or learn more about The Roosters Foundation, visit www.Rooster.org.
The Roosters Foundation was founded in 1977, and encompasses both a charitable and social group that includes both men and women and is open for new members to join.
Branching out with Christmas wishes
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Photo by Doug Forde
This Keel Drive, CdM home’s tree is decorated exquisitely
School Notes
Applying to college can be burdensome and stressful…here’s some help
Decisions about which college or career paths to take can be stressful for high school students and their families. The pressures of graduating from high school are compounded by deciding on a post-secondary pathway to success.
To help ease some of this stress, Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) offers on-campus and online resources to help focus students’ goals.
With the support of such resources, many of NMUSD’s 1,660 graduates from 2022 are now attending top colleges throughout the United States and internationally. They are matriculating at Ivy League schools such as Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Cornell University and Columbia University, as well as top colleges such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles and Duke University.
Many 2022 graduates are attending community colleges. Thanks to the California College Promise Program, created by Assembly Bill 19, many students qualify for free tuition at community colleges throughout the state. Every NMUSD high school student is able to dual enroll in on- and off-campus courses through Coastline Community College. Students who take advantage of the program earn college credit while still also attending high school. Early College High School students typically graduate high school with one year’s worth of college credit.
Throughout their secondary education, NMUSD students are encouraged to explore the numerous college and career resources available at SchooLinks, an online college and career readiness platform that offers assessments for students to help students determine how their interests might integrate into a future career, as well as what major they might pursue and what college might fit best.
Most school counseling offices offer college and career exploration fairs, workshops on how to apply and pay for college, college application assistance, as well as help filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and/or scholarship applications.
Many NMUSD campuses host representatives from surrounding colleges in an effort to recruit students. Plus, some schools schedule visits to college campuses such as those in the University of California (UC) system, including UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley, as well as the University of Redlands and Loyola Marymount University. Students also are encouraged to enroll in Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways that follow their interests.
Some pathways are available starting in middle school. The district’s College and Career webpage shows the different pathways available at NMUSD schools. The College and Career Department also hosted a free Virtual College and Career Night that features workshops and informational sessions, plus interactive panels with industry experts. In addition, some high schools arrange Lunch & Learn panels and presentations with local leaders for interested students.
Whatever path your child chooses for his/her future, NMUSD has resources and events to help them navigate their future success. Please check with each school’s counseling department or visit the College and Career Night Resources Webpage.
Balboa Island Holiday Home Tour is this Sunday
The 24th Annual Balboa Island Holiday Home Walking Tour, sponsored by the Balboa Island Improvement Association, is this Sunday, Dec. 11 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. – rain or shine.
Come tour eight tastefully decorated island homes and cottages at your leisure, as all are sure to spark holiday cheer.
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Courtesy of BIIA
Balboa Island residences will be decorated for the Holiday Home Walking Tour on December 11
Tickets are $40 and may be purchased online at www.balboaislandnb.org; they’re also available at the following locations on Balboa Island: Balboa Island Museum of Newport Beach, Crush Clothing and Sur Le Mer.
Will Call tickets will be available to purchase and pick up at the Balboa Island Museum Newport Beach located at 210B Marine Ave., Balboa Island at 9:30 a.m. on the day of the Home Walking Tour.
Come join the fun on the Island and be sure to visit all the shops on Marine and Agate avenues for your holiday shopping and refreshments. New this year, is the Holiday Market at the Royal Hen Restaurant, 311 Marine Avenue, Balboa Isalnd from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Get out and explore Buck Gully this winter
Taking a hike in the Buck Gully Reserve, which connects Corona del Mar and Newport Coast, is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the cooler weather. Explore this 300-acre natural habitat on foot, with three hikes led by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy staff.
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Photos by Emily Spain
Several bridges provide unique vantages and viewing platforms
–Buck Gully Loop Hikes: Come and explore the entire Buck Gully Reserve trail system on Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 8-11:30 a.m. Beginning from the OASIS Senior Center, you’ll hike up through the almost three-mile length of the canyon, then along San Joaquin Hills Road for about a mile, stopping at Canyon Watch Park, where you will take in the panoramic view of the reserve and the Pacific coastline before descending back into the canyon along the Bobcat Trail. This hike is 6 miles; duration, 3.5 hours with high-moderate difficulty and conducted at a walking pace, approximately three miles per hour. It is geared to those 12+ years of age. This hike is free, but registration is required. Meet at the OASIS Senior Center auxiliary lot at 5th and Marguerite in Corona del Mar Register at www.letsgooutside.org.
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The stream is running, making for a memorable late afternoon/early evening hike
–Buck Gully Upper Loop Evening Hikes: Explore the richness of Buck Gully Reserve as you hike during the beautiful early evening hours on Saturday, Dec. 20 from 3-5:30 p.m. The stream is running, and the rich plant and animal life are enjoying the cool, shady canyon making for an evening hike in a natural oasis amid the suburban surroundings. Walk along San Joaquin Hills Road, which overlooks Buck Gully for the first mile, then drop down into the canyon on the Bobcat Trail, looping back through the upper end of the gully along the Buck Gully Trail. This activity is conducted at a walking pace, approximately 3 miles per hour. The distance is 4 miles; duration, 2.5 hours with moderate difficulty. This hike is open to those 8 years and older. This hike is free, but registration is required. Staging area is the Newport Coast Community Center at 6401 San Joaquin Hills Road. Register at www.letsgooutside.org.
Pet of the Week 
Stu News Newport is delighted to be working with the Newport Beach Animal Shelter (NBAS) to help get the word out in search of loving homes for pets that deserve a warm, nurturing environment and a place to call “home.”
Peanut is a momma’s boy and has the softest fur. At just over 8 weeks in age, he’s totally sweet and enjoys playing with his dilute calico sisters. He’s the shyest of his litter, but that doesn’t stop him from being totally welcoming and enjoying his indoor adventures. If you’ve heard that the creamsicle or orange tabby and white kitten is one of the best, we couldn’t agree more. Peanut wanted you to know the shelter staff can be reached at either 949.718.3454, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He said that the nice people at the shelter will inquire a little about what you’re looking for in a pet and, if it’s a good match, then we’ll get to meet.
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Courtesy of the Newport Beach Animal Shelter
Meet Peanut
In addition, they have a great new professional photographer who is donating her time to help the shelter get the best out of their pet guests. They invite you to visit Andrea Domjan’s IG page at @andrea_domjan_photography to see all of her fabulous photography that she shares with the world.
The shelter does require completed application forms for their animals, so simply print one up from their non-profit’s webpage at www.FONBAS.org. After it is completed, you can email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and upon review, they’ll call you to schedule an appointment. If you have any questions, call 949.718.3454.
Peanut is waiting for a very special loving and forever home.
Newport Beach Animal Shelter adoption fees:
–Adult Dogs - $150
–Puppies - $225
–Adult Cats - $90
–Kittens - $110
–Rabbits - $45
Also, consider becoming a member of an incredible nonprofit that supports the city’s efforts with providing wonderful opportunities to stray, injured, ill and owner-surrendered domestic pets.
The Nutcracker returns with its holiday magic
Segerstrom Center for the Arts announces the return of SoCal’s favorite holiday tradition – American Ballet Theatre’s captivating production of The Nutcracker. Co-presented by the Center and ABT with choreography by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, The Nutcracker is the beloved holiday story based on The Nutcracker and the King of Mice written by E.T.A. Hoffmann and set to a magical score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky that will be performed live by Pacific Symphony.
In its annual holiday engagement, American Ballet Theatre will give 12 performances between December 9 through December 18, in Segerstrom Hall. This year marks the seventh time that The Center has presented ABT’s The Nutcracker, Southern California’s grandest production of this beloved holiday tradition, featuring ABT’s international all-star cast.
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Courtesy of scfta.org
A scene from “The Nutcracker”
This engagement will mark ABT’s last performances with Kevin McKenzie as artistic director, who is retiring after three decades at the helm. McKenzie was a leading dancer with both The Joffrey Ballet and the National Ballet of Washington before joining American Ballet Theatre as a soloist in March 1979. He was appointed a principal dancer the following December and danced with the company until 1991. McKenzie, 68, was appointed ABT’s artistic director in October 1992.
American Ballet Theatre has a long, storied history of producing several critically acclaimed productions of this annual family-friendly classic tale of Clara and the Nutcracker over the years. The Nutcracker, with its timeless music by Tchaikovsky and splendid costumes and scenery, is the perfect way to introduce children to ballet and even inspire them to study dance and become a little Clara or Nutcracker Prince. This production, with choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by Tony Award®-winner Richard Hudson (Disney’s The Lion King) and lighting by Tony Award®-winner Jennifer Tipton, received its World Premiere in 2010.
Single tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker start at $29 and are now available online at www.scfta.org, at the Box office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling 714.556.2787.
Remembering our local fallen veterans on National Wreaths Across America Day
Every December, National Wreaths Across America Day aims to lay holiday wreaths to remember and honor those who have served or are currently serving our country. Ceremonies take place at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 2,800 additional locations in the U.S., at sea and abroad.
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Photo by Doug Forde
Volunteers placing wreaths on veterans’ gravesites at Pacific View
Locally, on Saturday, Dec. 17 at Pacific View Mortuary & Memorial Park in Corona del Mar beginning at 9 a.m., the community is invited to help the Newport Beach Country Club Dewsweepers and friends honor our local heroes by volunteering to place remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes, sponsoring a wreath to be placed at a veteran’s gravesite and inviting friends and family to help. There are 8,000 veterans’ graves at Pacific View and the goal is to place wreaths on each of them.
For more information on how you can show your support by sponsoring a wreath and/or volunteering on Wreaths Day, visit www.wreathacrossamerica.org/CA0551.
Pacific View Mortuary & Memorial Park is located at 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar.
Chita Rivera to grace the Segerstrom Center stage on December 11
Come celebrate the one and only Chita Rivera in a unique concert event, CHITA: THE RHYTHM OF MY LIFE, for a single performance only on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m., presented by Segerstrom Center for the Arts at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Rivera’s special guests will be Broadway favorite George Dvorsky and her daughter, Lisa Mordente.
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Photo by Laura Marie Duncan
Chita Rivera
This incomparable Tony Award winner will recreate signature moments from her legendary Broadway career from West Side Story, Sweet Charity and Bye Bye Birdie to Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Visit and more. In addition to a tribute to her dear friends John Kander and Fred Ebb, the timeless music of Leonard Bernstein, Charles Strouse & Lee Adams, Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim will also be featured, accompanied by Rivera’s long-time trio.
A theatrical icon and one of Broadway’s greatest triple-threat talents, Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned 10 nominations, and won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. A versatile actress/singer/dancer, her most recent starring roles include The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway; the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer’s Life, a dazzling musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas.
Her long-awaited book CHITA: A MEMOIR will be published by HarperOne in April 2023.
Tickets are now on sale at www.scfta.org.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.
Celebrate the holiday season with the return of A Christmas Carol to South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) celebrates the holiday season with their 42nd production of A Christmas Carol, a longtime Orange County favorite. The Charles Dickens classic, adapted by Jerry Patch, runs November 26-December 24 on the Segerstrom Stage.
SCR Founding Member Richard Doyle returns for his second year as Ebenezer Scrooge. His performances as the miserly curmudgeon in last year’s production drew critical praise. And Hisa Takakuwa returns to direct, along with Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Paula Tomei.
“A Christmas Carol resonates deeply with me,” Ivers said. “It inspires me on a professional level and has become a beacon to me on a personal level. Everyone who saw Richard Doyle take the top hat and scarf and make it his own last year knew they were watching something special. When you combine that with Hisa Takakuwa’s knowledge and artistry, an outstanding cast and stellar creative team, you have a truly special holiday experience.”
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Photos by Jenny Graham/SCR
Richard Doyle as Scrooge
All in all, Doyle brings 37 years of A Christmas Carol experience to audiences. He has played many of the show’s characters, including the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, Fezziwig, Scrooge’s nephew Fred and both solicitors.
“This year will be slightly different, because this year, I will have an ownership of this amazing role I was charged with creating for the first-time last year,” Doyle said. “Now, rather than working to make it my own, it will be my story to tell. Actors are at heart storytellers and as stories go, this is a great one.”
Takakuwa relishes her role as director. She served as assistant director for 14 years and also appeared in the production for 14 more. Her experience with the production, her skill working with the 16 children who alternate performances and the level of trust she inspires among both returning actors and newcomers adds to the quality awaiting audiences.
“I am honored to both shepherd the cherished legacy of SCR’s A Christmas Carol and support beloved Founding Artist Richard Doyle as he continues to deepen and grow his Ebenezer Scrooge,” Takakuwa said. “I am especially excited to welcome several new cast members into the A Christmas Carol family this year, all of whom are SCR veterans. As always, there will be a bit of new to keep it fresh for audiences, but never at the cost of the heart-warming and comforting holiday classic that so many hold as a family tradition.”
Joining Doyle in A Christmas Carol’s cast are Preston Maybank (Bob Cratchit), Michael Manuel (Ghost of Marley), Richard Soto (Ghost of Christmas Present), Jennifer Parsons (Ghost of Christmas Past), Melody Butiu (Mrs. Fezziwig/Solicitor), Tommy Beck (Young Scrooge), Larry Bates (Fred/Gentleman), Kelsey Bray (Mrs. Shelley/Pursued Maiden), Eduardo Enrikez (Joe, Young Marley), Michael Reese Shald (Topper), Erika Schindele (Belle), Nick Slimmer (Thomas Shelley), William Francis McGuire (Mr. Fezziwig), Elyse Mirto (Mrs. Cratchit) and Alicia Coca (Sally).
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Richard Doyle as Scrooge and Julia Ner as Tiny Tim in the 2022 SCR production of “A Christmas Carol”
The cast is joined by 16 young performers, who are divided into two eight-person teams. The teams alternate performances. The child actors are students in the SCR Theatre Conservatory who auditioned for their roles after completing at least two years in the Conservatory.
The creative team includes Thomas Buderwitz, scenic design; Dwight Richard Odle, costume design; Donna & Tom Ruzika, lighting design; Dennis McCarthy, music arrangement/composer; Drew Dalzell, sound design; Dennis Castellano, vocal director; Kelly Todd, choreographer; Joanne DeNaut, CSA, casting and Talia Krispel, production stage manager.
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(L-R) William Francis McGuire, Alicia Coca, Tommy Beck, Jennifer Parsons and members of the cast in the “A Christmas Carol,” 2022
A Christmas Carol received generous support from Honorary Producers Julianne and George Argyros/Argyros Family Foundation.
Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $35-$101, with additional discounts available for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org or by phone at 714.708.5555.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. For more information, visit www.scfta.org.
Crown Ace Hardware holding Toy Drive to benefit CHOC
Crown Ace Hardware, with three locations in Newport Beach and Corona del Mar, is holding a Toy Drive to benefit children at CHOC Children’s Hospital. Children of all ages, from infants to teens, will be delivered toys this year with your contributions.
Click on photo for a larger image
Photo by Lana Johnson
The final collection day is December 15
Toys Wish List (All toys must be in new packaging):
–Infant/Toddler toys
–Dolls and accessories
–Arts & Crafts
–Sticker kits
–Puzzles
–Games
–Coloring books
They are not able to accept:
–Gift-wrapped toys
–Used items
–Stuffed animals
–Nerf guns or toys with weapons or violent themes
–Gifts that are religious in nature
Simply stop by a Crown Ace Hardware store and drop your new, unwrapped toy donation in the bin. Final collection day is Thursday, Dec. 15, when the last of the toys will be delivered to CHOC Children’s Hospital. You generous donations will help make miracles happen for very special children this year.
Crown Ace Hardware has three locations locally: 1024 Irvine Ave. (Westcliff Plaza), Newport Beach, 2644 San Miguel Drive (Newport Hills), Newport Beach and 3107 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar.
Golden nights
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Photo by Kevin Pellon (Instagram @socalsnapz)
Reflecting on a beautiful winter evening in Newport Beach
Police Beat Primer
Compiled by Tom Johnson
Police Beat derives from information in the log maintained at the front counter by the Newport Beach Police Department and required under CA Government Code Section 6254 (f). The press does not have access to written police reports.
Information in the police department log is deemed reliable and StuNewsNewport is not responsible for mistakes made available as public record by the Newport Beach Police Department.
Any person arrested is innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
Abbreviations sometimes used in Police Beat:
647f – Public Intoxication; DUI – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; NFA – No fixed address; RP – Reporting/Responsible Party; UTL – Unable to locate
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