Around Town: Meeting offers chance to chat with Newport officials about JWA

Newport Beach is starting an informal discussion group on issues related to John Wayne Airport.

The first meeting will be from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday at the City Council chamber at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive. It will be led by City Manager Dave Kiff and Councilman Jeff Herdman, who is chairman of the city Aviation Committee.

Guests are welcome to ask questions.

South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island to light holiday trees

Orange County’s most well-known shopping destinations, South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island, welcome the holiday season this week with their traditional tree lighting ceremonies.

South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa will present its 36th annual lighting festivities at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Town Center Park at 686 Anton Blvd., across from the mall next to the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel.

A 96-foot white fir has been decorated with more than 94,000 multicolored LED and strobe lights to shine through the holidays.

Thursday’s ceremony will feature a visit from Santa Claus, plus complimentary seasonal drinks and sweets and holiday entertainment including a live band and carolers.

At Fashion Island in Newport Beach, a 90-foot white fir decorated with about 20,000 lights and ornaments will be lighted in two ceremonies scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Bloomingdale’s-Neiman Marcus Courtyard.

The events, hosted by actor and TV personality Mario Lopez and KOST/103.5 FM radio personality Ellen K, will feature Santa Claus, “snow” and a musical show by the Young Americans.

Corona del Mar Residents Assn. hosts code enforcement supervisor

The Corona del Mar Residents Assn. board of directors’ monthly meeting Thursday morning will feature guest speaker Matt Cosylion, Newport Beach code enforcement supervisor.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. in Room 5 at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar.

For more information, call (949) 478-2454.

Free document shredding set in Newport Beach

Free document shredding services will be offered to CR&R Inc.’s Newport Beach customers from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the parking lot of Mariners Elementary School, 2100 Mariners Drive, Newport Beach.

Bank, credit card and other financial statements, junk mail and old tax forms, checks, bills and credit cards will be accepted and can be bound with staples or paper clips.

For more information, call (949) 625-6735.

Free women’s self-defense classes Saturday in Newport

Fodada, an apparel brand, will hold its sixth annual International Women’s Self Defense Day on Saturday at locations around the world, including two in Newport Beach.

Free self-defense classes will be offered to women at 1 p.m. at Harbor View Elementary School, 900 Goldenrod Ave., and 2:15 p.m. at Orange Theory Fitness, 1040 Irvine Ave.

Registration is open at fodada.com/2017-international-womens-self-defense-day.

Downtown H.B. to host Miracle on Main Street

Downtown Huntington Beach will host the annual Miracle on Main Street holiday celebration from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday in the 200 block of Main Street.

It will include tuba performances, free hot cocoa and photos with Santa Claus. Pets are welcome. A tree lighting is scheduled for 6 p.m.

For more information, visit hbdowntown.com.

O.C. Community Foundation reaches $302 million in assets

The Newport Beach-based Orange County Community Foundation’s assets reached $302 million during the fiscal year ending June 30, the group’s president, Shelley Hoss, announced at its annual meeting Nov. 8 at Hotel Irvine.

That amount is more than double the $144 million in assets in 2012, Hoss said.

“During the same five-year period, OCCF also granted more than a quarter of a billion dollars to philanthropic causes in Orange County, across the nation and around the world,” Hoss said.

The foundation said its grants and scholarships reached an all-time high of nearly $60 million.

Huntington Beach Turkey Wobble returns for Turkey Day

Huntington Beach will celebrate Thanksgiving Day with the annual Turkey Wobble 5K and 10K and kids’ 1K at Huntington City Beach.

The event will run from 7 to 11 a.m. Nov. 23 beginning at Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway.

Registration for adults is $40 in advance and $45 the day of the event. The price for the kids’ run is $20 for children 12 and younger.

Funds raised through the event will go to Causelife, an organization that helps provide clean water to needy people in developing countries.

To register or donate, visit hbturkeywobble.com.

9.7 tons of food collected during Veterans Day event

Guests at a community event to mark Veterans Day at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa donated 9.7 tons of food and $1,000 that will go to assist veterans, according to a news release.

Food donated during Saturday’s Salute to Veterans will benefit the Disabled American Veterans charity.