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Fair Game

By TOM JOHNSON

If your child rides an e-bike, you might want to check in with the NBPD to see what they’re doing to make our streets and “parking lots” safer

If you’ve ever been in the “little” Ralphs’ parking lot in Westcliff Plaza shortly after Ensign Intermediate School students are released from classes for the day, you probably understand the safety concerns when I say, “e-bikes versus vehicles.” We’ve all had our close calls.

My worry is that one of these times that close call is going to be worse.

Well, if you’re thinking of perhaps buying an e-bike for your young person or already have one for that matter, you now can learn more about what the Newport Beach Police are doing to educate and enforce issues in this area.

Two community meetings have already been presented on the subject, and three more are still planned: Monday, Oct. 2 at Mariners Elementary from 6-8 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Ensign Intermediate from 5:30-6:30 p.m.; and finally a “students only” meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at Mariners Elementary.

It’s not necessarily meant to be a fun meeting, but it’s an important one for everyone’s safety!

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Newport Beach is having a very special evening…a night to recognize those that allow us our freedoms every day here at home. It’s the 20th Anniversary Mess Night Celebrating the Newport Beach One One Marine Foundation.

It’s an evening to join in a formal mess dinner with 1/1 Marines to share in the Corps’ customs and courtesies as the Foundation builds camaraderie and esprit de corps.

The dinner will be held next Thursday, Sept. 21 from 6-9:30 p.m. at the Balboa Bay Resort.

Hopefully, most are familiar with the 1/1 Marines, but for those that aren’t, they are an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton. Their motto is simple – “Ready to Fight”…with their role being to “locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver.”

It’s definitely a group you want on your side.

The Foundation raises money to support the members of the 1/1 and their families during any difficult circumstance that may present itself. Some of those have ranged for needed repairs, replacement appliances and even costs to attend funerals of loved ones.

The “Mess Night” is to celebrate the 1/1, thank them and such. In a perfect world we’d all make this a priority.

To join in the festivities, go here.

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Next Thursday, Sept. 21, the Corona del Mar Residents Association will focus on Disaster Preparedness Month at their monthly meeting.

Newport Beach Fire Department staff will join in to discuss family and home preparedness.

–Raymi Wun, Life Safety Specialist, will discuss two important components of Fire Prevention for our homes: vegetation management and ember protection.

–Josh Leith, Community Coordination and NBFD Public Information Officer, will discuss family preparation tips and the upcoming fall CERT training, offered free to Newport Beach residents.

Disaster Preparedness is a topic of great interest to CdMRA because their neighborhoods are close to wildland interface areas, such as Buck Gully, Newport Coast and such.

Councilmember Lauren Kleiman and Mayor Pro Tem Will O’Neill will present updates on city business, with NBPD Area 4 Commander Lt. Vincelet sharing an update on public safety, including concerns such as the recent postal mail thefts and ongoing distraction thefts.

ALL CdM residents are encouraged to attend this event. It will be held at 7:30 a.m. in OASIS Senior Center Room 2. RSVP to https://cdmra.org. This event is also posted on CdMRA’s social media channels (Facebook @cdmra or Instagram and Twitter/X @cdmra92625).

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Okay, raise your hand if you can say, “I’m attending my “100-year” high school reunion.” (See my raised hand.)

Now, as Newport Beach Fire Chief Jeff Boyles chuckled and said Wednesday evening when I told him about it, “Oh, so you’re 118 years old.”

Wrong.

My high school (Amador) in Pleasanton, Calif. is turning 100 years old and ALL classes over the years have been invited back to town for a parade down Main Street this afternoon, to the high school football game tomorrow night, a pancake breakfast Saturday morning and a concert in the park Saturday afternoon featuring a guy from my high school class.

The group is called Teddy & the Ten-Speeds and they’re supposed to be very good.

To be honest, I’m kind of excited…my graduating class of ’71 was I believe less than 250 people, so you knew pretty much everyone.

My biggest regret is only starting my diet three days in advance, rather than six months ago. Hopefully, they won’t get past my balding head and face full of wrinkles to notice my over-sized middle.

I guess that’s what the years do to you, which reminds me of one of Mickey Mantle’s great sayings, “If I knew I was going to live this long I would’ve taken better care of myself.”

The fun part is that I’m doing it with my brother who was in the class ahead of me.

And, all those gorgeous young girls I remember walking the Amador halls those many years ago between classes, they’re also 70! Boy, where has the time gone!

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Laguna Beach artist and long-time Sawdust Festival exhibitor Rosalie Marsh-Boinus has been invited to showcase her landscape paintings and prints in the Sherman Gardens Gift Shop, beginning today, Sept. 15.

Her paintings have been inspired by her photographs taken while traveling around the world. Their presentation also coincides with the autumnal equinox and fall foliage, flowers and plants.

Sherman Library & Gardens, of course, is an inspiring horticultural oasis and nationally renowned botanical garden in Corona del Mar. Their Gardens are open between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Sunday.

You can view a sampling of Rosalie’s impressive work at www.designsbyrosalie.com.

For more information on Sherman Library & Gardens go to https://thesherman.org.

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Several locations in Newport Beach will join in for California Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 on Saturday, Sept. 23rd from 9 a.m. to noon.

First up is the Upper Newport Bay organized by Newport Bay Conservancy. Participants will meet at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center with the goal of “tackling the tons of trash and debris that has built up in the Bay.”

You can reserve your spot here.

The second spot will be at the Pelican Point Parking Lot #3 where they will do clean up at Crystal Cove.

For all locations participating along California’s Coast, go to www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html#map.

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Newport Beach Commodores founding member Tom Evans will be honored today, Sept. 15, at 1 p.m. at Pacific View with a Memorial Celebration of Life.

Evans passed away August 18 at his home.