City leaders to hear cable service...

City leaders to hear cable service concerns

Newport Beach residents who want to sound off about cable service

in the city, and especially people with ideas about what they would

like from their cable providers, will have the ears of city leaders

at a public meeting on Aug. 27. The meeting will take place as part

of the regular Tuesday night City Council meeting, which begins at 7

p.m. Leaders will listen to residents on any and every aspect of

cable service in the city, from programming to high-speed Internet

access to past problems with providers. In particular, officials hope

to hear from residents on public, educational and government access

programming.

For more information or to learn more ways to weigh in on cable

service, call the city of Newport Beach at (949) 644-3000.

Taste of Newport grant applications accepted

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting

applications for Taste of Newport Grants, which are awarded to a

broad range of local nonprofit organizations. The grant money is

raised as part of the annual Taste of Newport food festival, which

will take place Sept. 13-15. To obtain a grant application, contact

the chamber at (949) 729-4400. The deadline for submitting the grant

requests is Sept. 13.

Openings on Costa Mesa traffic committee

If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic and been struck with an idea

of how to improve circulation in the downtown and Eastside

neighborhoods, the City Council invites you to serve on an ad hoc

committee.

The Downtown and Eastside Transportation Ad Hoc Committee was

established in October 2001 to advise the council and city staff in

developing suggestions and improvement plans for East 17th Street,

Newport Boulevard south of 19th Street and nearby Eastside

neighborhoods.

It consists of residents and representatives from East 17th Street

and Newport Boulevard businesses.

Beyond addressing the typical issues relating to traffic

circulation, the committee will also assess opportunities for

improving pedestrian and bicycle access, parking and median and

parkway design.

Participation involves monthly meetings, occasional field trips to

the study area and time to read reports.

You can find a form at City Hall or the city’s Web site at

www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us or send a letter of interest to the City

Council, City Hall, P.O. Box 1200, Costa Mesa, CA 92628 by Sept. 10.

Information: (714) 754-5032.

Livestock tours will be given at fairgrounds

The fair may be a distant memory by now, but kids can check out

the livestock starting Sept. 23, when the 2002-03 tour season for

Centennial Farm begins at the fairgrounds.

Farm tours book up quickly, so teachers are encouraged to make

tour reservations as soon as possible.

The 1 1/2-hour tours, led by volunteer docents, include an egg

gestation lecture, baby chick handling, radish planting and a

walk-through of the gardens, livestock area and Millennium Barn.

Preschool groups and the general public are welcome any weekday

between 1 and 4 p.m. and weekends between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Milking

demonstrations are held at 3 p.m. daily in the Millennium Barn.

Centennial Farm is a four-acre working farm that provides a

hands-on educational experience highlighting agriculture. The farm

features a selection of growing crops of fruits and vegetables, and

offers visitors a close-up view of a variety of animals, including

peacocks, cows, llamas, rabbits, chickens, sheep and horses.

Newport Beach libraries receive materials grant

The Newport Beach Public Library Foundation has granted the

library $161,900 for materials, the Mariners Branch and other major

improvements. The foundation has also launched a membership drive and

has 160 new members with a goal of 500 by the end of the summer.

Law enforcement grant committee has openings

The Costa Mesa City Council is asking residents to submit letters

of interest to serve on the city’s Local Law Enforcement Block Grant

Ad Hoc Committee. The city is looking for a member of the general

community and someone representing a local nonprofit, educational,

religious or community group active in crime prevention or drug-use

prevention.

The committee will review proposals and assist city staff in

making recommendations to the council about how to spend federal

grant funds. The city has been given $70,595 under the federal law

enforcement block grant program for the 2002-03 fiscal year. Meetings

will be held only once to review proposals and make recommendations.

Interested people should submit a letter explaining their reasons for

serving on the committee.

The letter should be sent to Mayor Linda Dixon, P.O. Box 1200,

Costa Mesa, CA 92628-1200 or hand-delivered to City Hall.

Information: Sheralee Ford, (714) 754-5112.