BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

Sage Hill girl honored for service

Blanca Valdovinos, a senior at Sage Hill School, was among five Orange County high school students honored Thursday in Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative program.

On Thursday at the Diamond Club in Angel Stadium, Bank of America executives announced the winners of its second annual countywide competition, which rewards people and institutions who have done philanthropic work in their neighborhoods. Blanca, 17, won the award for her tutoring work as a Sage Hill student.

Along with the four other recipients, she will participate in an eight-week summer internship with a community organization and undergo leadership training with Bank of America executives.

“Blanca has a desire to reach for bigger and better things,” said Kate Whitcomb, a spokeswoman for the Bank of America program, in a release. “She works hard, pushes her abilities by taking advanced classes, and achieves high grades in school.”

Protecting children from sexual predators

Erin Runnion, the mother of a 5-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in Stanton in 2002, will speak at “Family Safety Night” on Nov. 29 at Killybrooke Elementary School, 3155 Killybrooke Lane, Costa Mesa.

The informational meeting, from 6 to 8 p.m., is hosted by the Halecrest and Hall of Fame Homeowners Assn. and the school’s PTA.

Runnion, founder of the Joyful Child Foundation created in memory of her daughter Samantha Runnion, will give a presentation on how to protect children from sexual predators.

The meeting is free to the public. Pizza and coloring books for children will be available.

For information, call the foundation at (866) 756-9385.

Annual holiday snow hill in Costa Mesa

Santa Claus will be making a stop at the Sixth Annual Holiday Snow Hill from 9 a.m. to noon, Dec. 9 at the Balearic Community Center, 1975 Balearic Drive. He will be arriving by helicopter at 10:30 a.m.

Adults and children are encouraged to attend the event to frolic in 60 tons of snow or take a hay ride. The event is sponsored by the city and Torelli Realty.

For information, call the center at (714) 754-5158 or visit the city’s website at www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us.

U.S. Army soldiers in need of bedding

An Army unit in Iraq that the city of Costa Mesa adopted in September is requesting donations of twin sheet sets and blankets to replace worn bedding.

The unit, D Company, 2-25 Aviation Regiment, is stationed in Iraq and is made up of 104 soldiers.

A donation box has been placed in the lobby of Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. For a complete list of requested items or information on how to make a financial donation, visit the city website, www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us. For other information, call (714) 754-5327.

The city is requesting that the sheets and blankets are brought to City Hall by Nov. 30 to allow time to package them and mail them to the soldiers in time for the December holiday season.

The public, businesses, nonprofit groups, service clubs and faith-based organizations are all encouraged to become involved and support D Company.

Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley’s brother is part of the regiment.

Newport-Mesa students healthier than average

Students in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District are more physically fit than the state average, according to a report from the state Department of Education this week.

According to the 2005-06 California Physical Fitness Report, Newport-Mesa outscored the state in the fifth, seventh and ninth grades, the three levels tested for the study. Newport-Mesa’s fifth- and ninth-graders both outpaced the county, as well, although seventh-graders lagged behind.

During the last school year, 34.9% of Newport-Mesa fifth-graders achieved six of six fitness standards, compared to 31.8% of seventh-graders and 39.4% of ninth-graders. The state’s scores were 25.6%, 29.6% and 27.4%, respectively.

Students were marked in aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength, trunk extension strength, upper body strength and flexibility. Only 23 Newport-Mesa students failed to meet any of the standards at all.