Mayor John Stephens and Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Harlan witnessed some exciting action at the finals of the Newport Mesa Soccer Classic soccer tournament on Sunday, June 2 at Jack Hammett Sports Complex.

Formerly known as the Pilot Cup, the Newport Mesa Soccer Classic is now sponsored by the youth sports organization Costa Mesa United. Longtime soccer organizer Kirk McIntosh and Costa Mesa United leader Brett Eckles are the tournament directors.

The tournament is open to all public schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, and all private schools in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. More than 2,000 kids take part in the tournament that runs from Tuesday through Sunday.

It was a big day for Kaiser Elementary with three victories, and five teams in championship games. In the Girls third and fourth grade category Kaiser Elementary beat Carden Hall in the gold category and in the Boys third and fourth grade category Kaiser Elementary defeated Newport Heights Elementary in the Gold final.

In the Girls fifth and sixth grade category Kaiser Elementary defeated Mariners Elementary in the Gold final and in the Boys fifth and sixth grade category Mariners Christian defeated Whittier Elementary in Gold final.

For more information please visit the tournament website here.

On Saturday, June 1, Mayor Stephens joined Chief Dan Stefano and other members of the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department at the grand re-opening of the Michael's craft store at 610 W. 17th St.

The store was damaged by a fire in 2023 and the closure lasted 13 months.

Michaels has been in this location since 1998 and today the store provides jobs for 27 local residents. Those who were employed here at the time of the fire were relocated to other Michael’s stores. So they didn’t lose their jobs.

Ketchum Libolt Park and Shalimar Park will soon undergo a complete transformation that includes suggestions and ideas from parents, children and stakeholders living nearby.

Residents and the general public will have their first chance to view the changes developed by the City’s design consultants at the upcoming Parks and Community Services Commission meeting on Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers. 

Changes to size, themes and play equipment of both parks are being considered by the Commission in recommendations derived from a series of community meetings and public engagement over the last year and culminating this past May.  

Members of the public are encouraged to attend and comment in-person or virtually via Zoom.

Visit our website here the week of June 10 to view the Parks and Community Services Commission agenda and Zoom directions or call the City Clerk’s office at (714) 754-5225.

Additionally, members of the public may submit a written comment via email to pacscomments@costamesaca.gov.

Comments received by 12 noon on the date of the meeting will be provided to the Commission, made available to the public, and will be part of the meeting record.

This Thursday, June 6, 2024, Mayor John Stephens attended the Grand Opening ceremony of Chicky Chicky, the newest addition to Costa Mesa's vibrant business community.

The Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce held a ceremony that celebrated style, featuring Chicky Chicky's beautiful, trendy, and fun women's clothing and accessories, as well as its luxurious spa products.

The boutique was alive with excitement as City staff presented the certificate of recognition, a testament to Chicky Chicky's commitment to offering highly trendy fashion. The event was a true community celebration, filled with joy, laughter, and a shared sense of pride.

Be sure to visit Chicky Chicky and follow them on Instagram @shopchickychicky to stay updated on the latest fashion trends and exclusive offers.

Welcome, Chicky Chicky, to the heart of Costa Mesa!

Costa Mesa's efforts to address homelessness continues to be a success as 363 people have now been housed as of May of 2024.

The City of Costa Mesa’s Network for Homeless Solutions is a collaborative effort among City staff, volunteers, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations to address homelessness in our Community.

Through the efforts of the City’s Network for Homeless Solutions, individuals experiencing homelessness in Costa Mesa are connected to resources such as case management, employment assistance, housing navigation, and health care services.

For more information on the City's efforts to address homelessness click here.

On Saturday June 8 from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. at Lions Park, the City will be hosting a Community Health Resource Fair in conjunction with Cal Optima, the Orange County HealthCare Agency, the County of Orange Social Services Agency, OC Supervisor Katrina Foley and Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris.

Members of the public can update their MediCal contact information and apply for CalFresh and Medi-Cal. 

There will be free food distribution and diapers while supplies last, family-fun: music, face-painting, balloons, and more!

Last week, the supervisors of the Costa Mesa Police Department held a quarterly meeting with a team building workshop put on by TM Consulting.

The session, "Communicating Through Purpose," was not just about sharing insights; it was also about truly connecting through shared goals and visions. 

Some of the input from attending supervisors commented that … “this was the most effective and productive team meeting to date. It was nice to openly discuss and realize our shared values and goals, while recognizing, but bridging, our many differences.”

This workshop was facilitated by Lt. Matt Grimmond and was very appreciated by all participants, which consisted of sergeants, lieutenants, professional supervisors, captains, Deputy Chief Joyce LaPointe and Chief Ron Lawrence.

This week, the School Resource Officers were proud to support all the Newport Mesa Unified School District students who graduated, a major career milestone.

Congratulations to all Costa Mesa students, teachers, faculty, and families! The future is bright!

Recently, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue completed its annual Comprehensive Wellness Program, which is facilitated and managed through Santa Ana College’s Wellness and Fitness Division.

The comprehensive program includes informative training and lectures on best practices for proper health, fitness, and wellness for those in the fire service and also provides an annual health and fitness assessment of each member.  

The final portion of the well-rounded program included lectures on breathing techniques, meditation, and stress reduction for better sleep. During class time, CMFR crews focused this week on stretching/breathing and incorporating and building upon the skills they acquired throughout the year. These tools will help them manage cortisol levels—a stress-related byproduct. 

The program is year-round and during the course of the year, CMFR crews participated in multiple trainings and lectures, a blood test, detailed assessments on flexibility, pulmonary capacity, body composition and a treadmill test that evaluated cardiovascular health and capacity, while identifying any potential heart related risks and/or irregularities. 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue will host the next CERT class on June 10, 2024 and it will run every Monday until July 15, 2024.

CMFR’s CERT course prepares and teaches community members to become better prepared for emergencies, how to suppress small fires, assist with medical emergencies, conduct light search & rescue, and organize people and resources before, during, and after a major disaster. 

There is no fee to attend this program other than your commitment of time and effort. The CERT course will be held at Fire Station no. 4 and will be a wonderful opportunity to hear and learn from subject matter experts throughout the city and community.

To join the waitlist for this upcoming class, or to sign up for the interest list for a future class, please email Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors at ryan.meadors@costamesaca.gov.

School is out and summer is right around the corner, and as we enter into the warmer weather and outdoor activities, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue reminds residents of the ABC’s of pool safety: 

A – Adult Supervision

B – Barriers

C – Classes (swim and CPR)

In the case of a drowning situation, remember that CPR initiated prior to emergency medical services arriving can increase the likelihood of survival. CPR certification classes for parents and caretakers are available through the American Heart Association, American Red Cross and by other CPR Providers. Classes are both online/in-person and are fee-based. Hands-only CPR is a simple skill to learn.

The rescuer calls 9-1-1 and applies compressions in the center of the chest to an unconscious person who does not respond to touch or voice interactions.

Adults too can drown. A medical condition, injury or related event can occur while swimming or lounging in a spa alone.

These events are common causes of adult drowning incidents across the county every year. Adults should limit all activities near the water if they are alone, under the influence of alcohol or any type of drug or medication. Drowning is preventable – Never swim alone.

To learn more about hands only CPR and other CPR related classes, go check out https://cpr.heart.org/.

Roadway construction is progressing as scheduled along Adams Avenue and along Royal Palm Drive.

The final asphalt layer has been placed along Adams Avenue from Placentia Avenue to the Santa Ana River, and temporary markers have been installed until final striping and pavement markings are completed. 

As of this week, all paving operations along Adams Avenue and Royal Palm Drive have been completed. The final cap of asphalt surfacing was placed for all lanes throughout the project limits.

The City's contractor is currently adjusting utility valves and manholes and installing temporary striping, marking the areas for permanent striping. 

Afterwards, the contractor will proceed with installing traffic loop detectors, signage, and applying final striping.

The working hours for construction will be Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  While access to portions of the road might be temporarily restricted, two-way traffic and access to the residence will be maintained.

Periodic updates for the Adams Avenue improvement project will be published on the City’s website and can be viewed by visiting the following web address: www.costamesaca.gov/trending/adams-avenue-project.

The Public Works Department appreciates the cooperation of the City’s residents and community stakeholders in following all traffic controls during the course of this project.

On June 5, Public Works staff, Patrick Bauer, Seung Yang, Jennifer Rosales and Arash Rahimian, were invited to Costa Mesa High School to hear presentations and review projects focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Motivated high school students were tasked to develop engineering and architectural conceptual designs for a new technology center, focused on aerospace, at the high school library.

Public Works staff reviewed and discussed the concepts and provided valuable input to the students on their innovative designs. The high school teachers involved in this project also shared their input and expressed their appreciation to the Public Works team for its contributions in advancing the students’ knowledge and capabilities.

The Public Works Department is proud to participate with Costa Mesa High School in helping to promote and foster interest and enthusiasm to ambitious students interested in STEM fields who can one day become leaders in their chosen professions.

Summer Mobile Recreation is holding its annual Mobile Summer Kick Off next week, June 10 – 13 at a local park each day.

Participants will have the opportunity to create their own site coloring poster, make their own fruit kabob, and take part in our squirt water activity all while making fun memories with new friends. We hope to see you all there!

Mobile Recreation is a FREE, drop-in program that is available for our community youth in kindergarten through 6th grade. Summer Mobile Recreation runs from June 10 to August 15, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

·     Monday – Paularino Park

·     Tuesday – Shalimar Park

·     Wednesday – Ketchum-Libolt Park

·     Thursday – Wilson Park

For program information, please visit www.costamesaca.gov/MobileRecreation.

Come on out and have some fun with Mobile Recreation!

The Costa Mesa Senior Center offers a variety of resources and assistance support such as Council on Aging Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP).

The program offers free, unbiased counseling to help Medicare beneficiaries, their families, caregivers, and friends understand Medicare benefits and options.

On the first and third Monday of the month, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Counselor, David Yokoyama, is available onsite at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, to answer questions regarding Medicare benefits.

Call the Senior Center at 714-327-7550 to schedule an appointment. To speak to a program counselor over the phone, please call Orange County HICAP at (714) 560-0424.

HICAP also provides support in multiple languages.

Additional information can be found at https://www.coasc.org/programs/hicap/.

The City of Costa Mesa invites artists across Southern California (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura) to apply to ARTventure, our Juried Art Exhibition and event.

More than 200 artworks will be accepted into the show and will be eligible for cash awards.

 ARTWORK SUBMISSION TIMELINE

***No Entry Fee to Apply***

• Application Opens: June 3, by 8 a.m.
• Downloadable Application
• Application Deadline: July 3, by 11:59 p.m.
• Acceptance Email: July 26, by 6pm (check spam folders)
• Exhibition Dates: Sept. 14 through 22 at the Norma Hertzog Community Center
• Community Arts Day and Opening Reception for the Juried Art Exhibition:
• Sept.14, 11a.m. -3 p.m. at the NHCC
• Award Ceremony: Sept. 21 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Orange County Museum of Art

Theo is a 7-year old, male, wheaten terrier looking for his forever home.

Theo is known for his sweet nature and affectionate personality. Theo adores going on walks and cannot wait to make new memories with his new family.

Theo is neutered and up to date on his vaccines. Theo is available at The Orphanage – Costa Mesa Adoption Center 1536 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

National Mosquito Awareness Week 2024 (June 16-22) is just around the corner, and for better or worse, it typically heralds the start of mosquito season here in the OC.

Heavy rainfall earlier this year has established substantial mosquito breeding areas throughout Orange County.

Mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other animal in the world. In California, two species of concern are the Culex and Aedes mosquitoes. Both have the potential to transmit diseases to humans and animals. Please be proactive and dump or drain any sources of standing water.

Here are some tips to prevent mosquito bites: 

• Apply insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 to exposed skin according to label instructions.
• Dress in long sleeves and pants, especially if outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes that can spread West Nile virus are most active.
• Install screens on windows and doors and keep them in good repair to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
• Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including flowerpots, old tires, buckets, pet dishes, and trash cans. Mosquitoes can lay their eggs in very small amounts of standing water.
• Repair leaking faucets and broken sprinklers that can contribute to standing water around your home.
• Clean rain gutters clogged with leaves.
• Report neglected swimming pools and day-biting mosquitoes.

To find more information, please visit MosquitoesSuck.org.