The trees are coming again

Continuing a 33-year tradition, members of the Rotary Club of

Newport-Balboa will distribute more than 2,400 seedlings to

third-graders attending public and private schools in Costa Mesa and

Newport Beach on March 10 to celebrate Arbor Day.

The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska in 1872 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 is generally 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 81,000 seedlings to generations of third-graders, who are

provided with planting and care tips so that 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, Rotarians will spend

today at Hines Nursery in Irvine, trimming and pruning the seedlings

to make them ready for planting.

One other tradition that continues is the dedication of large

specimen trees to school campuses. One was planted Friday at Newport

Heights Elementary School, with Rotarians and school officials

present.

To quote J. Sterling Morton, editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper,

and leading advocate of Arbor Day, “Other holidays repose upon the

past. Arbor Day proposes for the future.”

PRINT YOUR CAT

Computer Friends of Oasis meets Wednesday at the Oasis Senior

Center in Corona del Mar for its monthly computer club program. Don

Baker of Klassic Specialities will present a unique and wonderful

program, “Can I Print On My Cat?”

Baker is an expert on printing, working with inks and using unique

papers and materials such as silk and lexan. He will discuss cleaning

and maintaining your printer and will demonstrate how to take a $99

printer and scanner and turn out a professional quality picture. This

program is appropriate for seniors and helpful to everyone who uses a

printer, regardless of skill level.

The program begins at 1p.m.; Baker will begin speaking at about

1:30 p.m. A $3 guest fee is charged for visitors who are not members

of Computer Friends. The Oasis Senior Center is at 800 Marguerite

Ave. (at the corner of 5th Street) in Corona del Mar. E-mail

[email protected] for more information, or call (949) 759-4921.

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE

The 10th annual Newport Harbor High School Navigator Benefit, a

rocking night of dining, dancing and action-packed live and silent

auctions will be held on March 15 at the Grand Newport Plaza, Newport

and 19th Streets, Costa Mesa. Funds raised will be used for academic

programs and school improvements, said Debbie Newmeyer, event

co-chair. Tickets, at $100 each, can be obtained by calling (949)

515-6365.

CRUISING TO ENSENADA

The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club will host a program from 7 to 9

p.m. Wednesday on “Ensenada the Easy Way.”

This seminar will cover cruising down to Ensenada instead of

racing. The high points will be routes to take, stopovers in Dana

Point and San Diego, missing the kelp beds, high security protocol in

San Diego -- because it is a naval harbor, more caution has to be

taken -- and documentation and papers to have, including insurance,

and where to get them. It’s free to the public.

WORTH REPEATING:

From “Thought for the Day” provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “Both optimists and pessimists

contribute to the society. The optimist invents the aero plane, the

pessimist the parachute.” -- George Bernard Shaw

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS

THIS COMING WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 40-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns to hear City Councilman Tod Ridgeway discuss a

“Vision of Newport Beach’s Future.”

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

the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 20-member South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet

at the Center Club (www.southcoastmetro rotary.org); and the Newport

Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the University Athletic Club.

Noon: The 40-member Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

6 p.m.: The 60-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

THURSDAY

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

Club will meet at Mimi’s.

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

Holiday Inn; the 50-member Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club

will meet at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Joe

Rubio, CEO of the Wine Club (www.kiwanis.org/club/ costamesa); the

80-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet at the Newport

Harbor Nautical Museum for a program by Newport Beach Police Officer

Rachel Hall on the D.A.R.E. program; and the 100-member

Newport-Irvine Rotary Club will meet at the Atrium Hotel for Teacher

Awards Luncheon (www.nirotary.org).

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

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949)

660-8667; e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol,

Suite 201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.