Third-graders to receive trees from Rotary Club

JIM DE BOOM

Continuing a 34-year tradition, members of the rotary clubs of

Newport-Balboa and South Coast Metro will distribute more than 2,400

seedlings to third-graders attending public and private schools in

Costa Mesa and Newport Beach on March 8 to celebrate Arbor Day, club

president Ed Rennie said.

The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska in 1872 as an

effort to create windbreaks and reduce soil erosion, while providing

shade, fruit, fuel and beauty to the plains. The timing of the

celebration varies from state to state, but generally is determined

by the best tree-planting time. In California, the date is chosen to

celebrate the birth date of noted horticulturist Luther Burbank, who

developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants in his

Northern California greenhouse.

Since its inception in Newport-Mesa, the Rotary Club has provided

more than 83,500 seedlings to generations of third-graders, who are

provided with planting and care tips so the seedlings can flourish in

yards or in containers, said Rotarian Peter Smith, who chairs this

year’s Arbor Day program.

In preparation for delivering the seedlings, several dozen

Rotarians will spend today at Hines Nursery in Irvine, trimming and

pruning the seedlings, making them ready for planting. One other

tradition that continues is the dedication of a large-specimen tree

to a school campus that will be planted at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday at

Kaiser Elementary School, 2130 Santa Ana Avenue, Costa Mesa, with

Rotarians, School Supt. Robert Barbot and members of the school board

in attendance.

PROSPECTIVE MEMBERSHIP RECEPTION

Harbor Mesa Lions will have a “Membership Reception” on Sunday at

the home of Dr. and Mrs. Harry Sparks in Mesa Verde from 2 to 4 p.m.

The reception is open to anyone interested in the Lions organization

and its projects. For further information, call (714) 545-0805 or

(714) 546-1429.

COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER

The next eight-week session of the computer classes sponsored by

SeniorNet will begin on March 29 at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Designed for those 50 and older, these seven-student classes feature

a student-to-instructor ratio of 2 to 1. No one gets left behind. The

following classes are suitable for those who can barely spell

“computer”: Introduction to Computers (Using WindowsXP) and

Introduction to Computers (Using Windows98). Seven other classes are

available to seniors who have some familiarity with computers:

PrintShop, digital photography (PhotoShop), money management with

Quicken, word processing with Microsoft Word 2002), e-mail, Internet,

and exploring WindowsXP. The fee for classes is $65 for Costa Mesa

Senior Center members and $75 for nonmembers. The fee includes use of

the supervised computer lab from 3 to 5 p.m., Monday through

Thursday. Sign up now at the Costa Mesa Senior Center (19th Street

and Pomona Avenue) or call (949) 645-2354.

COMPUTER PHOTO EDITING

Computer Friends of Oasis will meet Wednesday for their monthly

computer club program. Gerald Bretts, a lifelong photographer, will

demonstrate photo-editing using his scanner and several retouching

and enhancement tools available in most photo-editing software

programs. He will review saving, printing and e-mailing photographs.

The meeting begins at 1 p.m. with Q and A; Bretts will begin his

demonstration at about 1:30 p.m. Coffee and cookies will be served

after his presentation. This program is appropriate for everyone,

regardless of skill level. A $3 guest fee is charged for visitors who

are not members of Computer Friends. The Oasis Senior Center is at

800 Marguerite (corner of 5th Ave.) in Corona del Mar. For more

information, visit Computer Friends of Oasis’ website at

https://www.vivianboulos.

tripod.com.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for Today, provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council:

“Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but

when we are challenged to be what we can be.”

-- MORRIS ADLER

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

MONDAY

6:30 p.m.: Harbor Mesa Lions will have a bingo fundraiser at the

Costa Mesa Country Club. Following dinner, “Lucy and Ethyl’s Bingo

Parlor” will have members Arlene Schafer and Carol Van Holt

conducting the games, which will raise money to be donated to local

charities

TUESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 40-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns Restaurant (https://www.newportbeach

sunriserotary.org).

6:30 p.m.: The Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club will meet at

the Costa Mesa Country Club. (https://www.geocities.com/

cmnhlions/page5.html)

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 10-member South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet

at the Center Club and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at

the University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Mel Rogers, president of KOCE-TV,

discuss “KOCE -- It belongs to you.”

6 p.m.: The 50-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Newport Beach Mayor Tod

Ridgeway with an update on the State of the City.

(https://www.newportbalboa.org)

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus-member Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn for an Eagle Pride program coordinated by George Cote.

(https://www.kiwanis. org/club/costamesa); the 50-member Kiwanis Club

of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar will meet at the Bahia Corinthian

Yacht Club, the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet at the

Nautical Museum to hear Frank Harrill of the FBI discuss “Computer

Fraud and Identity Theft” (https://www.nhexchangeclub.com). The Rotary

Club of Newport Irvine will meet at the Atrium Hotel to hear of a

Rotary Club Centennial Project in cooperation with the Irvine Public

Schools Foundation’s Tim Shaw, chief executive, and Debbie Rugani,

director of community initiatives (https://www.nirotary.org).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655

or by e-mail to [email protected].