On Saturday, Aug. 10, longtime Costa Mesa healthcare provider Share Ourselves officially opened the BESST Community Health Center on the Westside that will provide Family Medicine Services, including pediatric through geriatric care.

Mayor John Stephens joined Share Ourselves CEO Christy Ward for ribbon-cutting ceremonies put on by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

The Mayor was accompanied by Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Harlan, Council Members Andrea Marr and Manuel Chavez and City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison. Also attending was Assembly Member Cottie Petrie Norris, County Supervisor Katrina Foley and Newport-Mesa Superintendent Wes Smith.

Representing the Chamber was President and CEO David Haithcock and Juliann Harkness, Vice President of Member Services.

On Saturday, Aug. 3, Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Harlan attended a customer appreciation and community event at Ganahl Lumber in Costa Mesa.

The event included food vendors and a car show and the Mayor Pro-Tem provided Ganahl's store Manager Jesse Rosas with a Certificate of Recognition to celebrate the store's 35 years in Costa Mesa and 140 years in business.

The Mayor Pro-Tem is pictured with Rosas and Ganahl employees Kelly Slaughter and Maria Gasca.

Mayor John Stephens and Council Member Manuel Chavez joined City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, Deputy City Manager Alma Reyes and other City staffers to support the third annual Back to School Fresh event held in the Shalimar community on Sunday Aug. 11.

Costa Mesa Police Lt. Carlos Diaz was also in attendance along with Crime Prevention Specialist Jenette Martinez.

Organized by Eric Jimenez, Lambert Higuera and Brian Garrido, the event is meant to prepare local youth for the upcoming school year by providing backpacks, haircuts, clothes and more. 

Good news, we have extended our survey to hear your ideas on what should happen to the future of the Fairview Development Center?

Go here to take the survey https://fdcplan.com/ and win some Costa Mesa swag.

New survey deadline is now Aug. 30 at 5 p.m.

We are making plans to build a brand new Fire Station No. 2 and we want to hear from you.

Please join us for a Community Meeting at Fire Station No. 2 on Tuesday, Aug. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. as we collect your ideas and suggestions and we share our plans for the station. 

For more please call 714-754-5323 or email Station2@costamesaca.gov.

There will be free food and refreshments available. 

Save the date for our next workshop on the Fairview Park Master Plan Update, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.

The workshop will be held at 6 p.m. in the Grand Hall at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Topic: Fairview Park Master Plan Update Community Workshop

Date/Time: Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 6:00 pm

Location: Costa Mesa Senior Center, 695 W. 19th Street

We look forward to seeing you in the workshop.

Our CMTV team features last week's successful National Night Out event hosted by the Costa Mesa Police Department at Lions Park.

This FREE, family-friendly event gave police personnel a chance to engage with the public and educate participants about their work, showcase the equipment and vehicles they use and highlight the many community programs and career opportunities the Department has to offer.

If you or someone you know is interested in a career in law enforcement or just wants to learn more about CMPD please visit cmpolice.org.

Watch the Video HERE.

The Costa Mesa Police Department had a special visitor last Friday.

Wyatt was made an honorary police officer for the day by Chief Lawrence, and given a full tour of the police department. He is a smart young man with a bright future. Thank you for being a member of our CMPD team for the day Wyatt!

“One of my favorite parts of my job is when young people are excited about the policing profession,” said Chief Ron Lawrence. “After being sworn in as an honorary police officer for the day, Wyatt got the grand tour, and got to see our Helicopter pad, jail, briefing room shooting range, police vehicles, the Chiefs office and all sorts of cool things. Thank you Wyatt for visiting us at Costa Mesa PD and for making our weekend brighter!”

The 2024 Motorhome Madness Demolition Derby at OC Fair was a "smashing" success.

Not only did our Costa Mesa Police Department and Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Chiefs leave their mark on the main event, they and their fellow Orange County public safety partners helped Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) reach their fundraising goal of $50,000.

Every dollar donated through this year's event will go directly to children and families in need at CHOC. Special thanks to Southside Towing, Sunnyside Promotions, Expertech and everyone who participated or came out to cheer on our first responders!

Check out video highlights from the Demo Derby HERE: 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue extends our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family, friends, loved ones and our brothers and sisters of the Los Angeles County Fire Department for the recent passing of Firefighter Paramedic (FF/PM) Dustin Roberto.  

Recently Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Assistant Fire Marshal Nikki Johnson, Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors, and Code Enforcement Officer Luke Senger attended the monthly Fire Prevention Officer meeting, which took place at Sprinkler Fitters U.A. Local 709. 

This meeting was conducted by John Seligman from Johnson Controls, who instructed all attendees on the technical ins and outs of CPVC sprinkler pipe installation and inspection.

The meeting concluded with hands on training regarding proper procedures to properly affix pipes together for proper application.

Recently all CMFR personnel participated in the annual Personal Protection Equipment fitting and inspections.

All personnel are individually fitted for their regular station uniforms, wildland personal protection equipment, structural personal protection equipment, and footwear.

Establishing this annual system has streamlined the departments approach to protecting the crew members in all areas of emergency response especially pertaining to personal protection equipment.

During this time, each member has their personal self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) mask inspected and tested to ensure it creates a proper fit. 

This test is a mandated test that is required annually. The machine used for the testing is highly sophisticated and calibrated to detect the smallest leak in the seal between the skin and the mask.

If the test detects a failure, the SCBA Manager will try different sizes on the individual until a proper seal is detected.

Public Works Department implemented the Santa Ana Avenue Bike Facility Gap Closure Project to close an existing southbound gap in the popular Santa Ana Avenue Bike Lanes between 22nd Street and East 21st Street. Key elements of the project included:

• Removal of existing 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. parking restrictions on the west side of the street to allow for parking at all hours; 
• Removal of parking on the east side of the street; 
• Implementation of high-quality bike lanes in both the north and southbound directions; 
• Refreshing of existing high visibility crosswalks; and 
• Addition of new high visibility crosswalks across Camellia Lane and Lilac Lane at Santa Ana Avenue. 

This project matches the existing bicycle facilities on the remainder of the corridor with parking on the west side of the street and bike lanes in both directions to increase mobility options for students and residents getting around the Eastside by bicycle. 

The lighting at the Bark Park was recently upgraded to energy efficient LED lighting. 

The upgrades included the addition of two new poles to the back of the park between the Tennis Center and Armory. The newly added lights increased lighting and the usability of that area.  

The new LED Lights illuminated the park significantly increasing visibility at night while reducing energy use.

The benefits of LED lighting are wide ranging from longer life span and energy efficiency to improved security. The new lighting will reduce maintenance and energy costs by as much as 85% over the life of the lights.  

A special thank you to the office of State Senator Dave Min for providing the support and funding to make this project possible.

Did you enjoy our FREE Concerts In The Park Series this summer?

If so, here's a reminder that there will be another FREE concert in the park opportunity when the Pacific Symphony returns to Costa Mesa with their "Symphony On The Go!" performance in Heller Park Saturday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Bring the family along with your lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy this mobile community concert experience. Details at pacificsymphony.org/SOTG

Check out this concert video flashback from a few weeks ago featuring Flashback Heart Attack:

We spent a mystical night under the stars last Friday at Access Costa Mesa’s all abilities friendly dance.

DJ Noah spun beats that made us all feel like it was 1999 and the gang busted moves that would make Prince proud.

It was truly a night to remember so look out for the next dance this October!

An Award Ceremony for this year's ARTventure will take place Sept. 21 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Orange County Museum of Art.

For more information, please visit our webpage here.

The event is Free but registration is required to attend..

The City of Costa Mesa has a new permitting process for murals on private property through our new permitting software, TESSA.

If you are thinking about commissioning an artist to paint a mural on your property or business, you may access the online application here. In the search bar, type in the word "mural" and the application will be shown on the top of the page.

Click the Apply button to start the process. For more information, contact Laurette Garner, Arts Specialist at laurette.garner@costamesaca.gov or (714) 754 –5322.

Save the date for an unforgettable night of outdoor cinema on Aug. 17

Join us at Movies in the Park for a screening of the rip-roaring, treasure-hunting classic, The Goonies. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. with exciting activities and a fantastic food truck to kick off the evening.

hank you for joining us, and we look forward to seeing you there.

For eight weeks, youth in grades 1st through 8th have been learning short- and long-distance running techniques through the Happy Feet Running Club in preparation for their end of the season Fun Run.

This year, participants were placed in divisions based on age to allow more youth to join our popular sport. Held at Fairview Park on Saturday, Aug. 3, 57 eager runners lined up at the starting line to give their best in front parents, family, and staff.

A- and B-Divisions completed a 5K course while C-Division completed a 2.3 mile course. Congratulations to our fastest runners in each division: Jamel (A, 7th grade, 23:27:10), Sonny (B, 4th grade, 27:15:32), and Sierra (C, 3rd grade, 20:30:56).

All participants received a Happy Feet Fun Run completion medal and lunch provided by Frank’s Philadelphia.

Congratulations to all our Happy Feet runners and a special thank you to Frank’s Philadelphia for supplying lunch for runners and their coaches.  

BeFIT Futsal arrives this fall for children in 1st – 8th grade.

This FREE, clinic-based program is designed to introduce the sport of Futsal, while focusing on the fundamentals in a fun, non-competitive environment.

Program consists of two clinic-based practices during the week for A- and B-Divisions, and one practice for C-Division on Saturdays leading up to scrimmages and end-of-season games!

Registration currently open and available online at www.cmclassesonline.com. For more information, please visit our webpage at bit.ly/BeFITFutsal or call (714) 754-5084.  

Symphony on the Go! is a mobile community concert experience. Pacific Symphony brings a traveling stage to communities around Orange County. The City of Costa Mesa is thrilled to host an upcoming concert.

All concerts are presented weather permitting. You are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to our free outdoor concerts. Each concert is 50 minutes long.

The next concert is 6:30 p.m. August 24 at Heller Park.

Thank you to Orange County Supervisor, Katrina Foley for sponsoring Symphony on the Go! for this upcoming concert!

The Mobile Recreation Program made an exclusive visit to Moon Park on Saturday, August 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Program offered a specialized schedule of activities which allowed participants to get a feel for what the program offers. Participants made mosaic art on the sidewalks near the playground with chalk, while also giving the opportunity to create their own fruit kabobs with watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple.

To finish off their day, participants were given a Table Cyclone Challenge, where they were to compete to get the fastest time for eliminating ping pongs through a cardboard course with holes.

Come out and visit our second visit to Moon Park with a new schedule of activities on Saturday, September 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

We hope to see you there! For more information on Mobile Recreation, please visit www.costamesa.gov/MobileRecreation or call (714) 754-5109.

Notice: The Huntington Beach Household Hazardous Waste Center (HHWCC) will be temporarily closed from Aug. 20 through late October for renovations. Last day open is Saturday, Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Costa Mesa residents who frequent the center are welcome to drop off hazardous waste at nearby centers during renovations:

🚧 Anaheim - 1071 N. Blue Gum Street, 92806

🚧 Irvine: 6411 Oak Canyon, 92618

🚧 San Juan Capistrano: 32250 Avenida La Pata, 92675

For more info, visit //OCLandfills.com/HHWCC-Notice🌟