By Grace Leung, City Manager of Newport Beach
I would like to thank and express my appreciation to our residents who participated in this year’s Summer Reading Program and to our Library Services staff for delivering another outstanding series. The numbers for Summer 2024 were impressive:
Participation and attendance at the seven-week program increased by more than 17 percent compared to the previous year. 4,418 adults, teenagers and children took part in the reading challenge or attended performances and children’s craft programs.
Participants logged 577,985 minutes of reading – more than half a million minutes – an increase of almost 14 percent over the previous year’s reading figures.
This summer, 74 youth volunteers helped the library, putting in 983 hours of volunteer work. Keep it up, youth!
This summer, the Newport Beach Central Library also celebrated its 30th anniversary. Library staff hosted a fun open house with children’s activities, staff-led tours, a scavenger hunt with prizes, refreshments and giveaways that was enjoyed by more than 650 patrons.
The City is proud to share this milestone with the community and we look forward to many more years of service.
Pedestrian bridge over Superior Avenue almost finished
Construction of the pedestrian bridge and parking lot at Superior Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway is almost complete.
Bridge lighting was completed in early August and bridge railings are scheduled to be installed next week. Trees are being planted in the parking lot and in front of the retaining walls. Temporary lane closures and barriers have been removed and road markings have been installed on Superior Avenue.
Work crews are currently installing parking lot lighting. The last major task will be completing the landscaping.
The city is on schedule to complete the project in September.
Firefighters return after regional operations
All Newport Beach Fire Department personnel who deployed across the state this summer have returned home safely.
However, the fight against California’s wildfires continues. This week, the Park Fire is still raging, having burned 429,401 acres of land and is 57 percent contained. Our thoughts are with the affected communities and the firefighters and rescue workers who are still on the front lines, working tirelessly to bring this massive fire under control.
Underwater cleanup in Newport Harbor seeks volunteers
Organizers of Newport Harbor’s annual underwater cleanup are seeking volunteers for this year’s event, which will be held Saturday, September 21, at Marina Park, 1600 Balboa Blvd.
Certified divers are invited to participate in the underwater cleanup efforts and remove trash from the harbor floor. Volunteers are needed on land to help with registration, sorting collected items and assisting divers.
The underwater cleanup will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by an International Coastal Cleanup Day celebration from 12:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The celebration will feature live music, food trucks and exhibitors, a welcome from Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill, and the presentation of responsible port stewardship awards to participating marine environmental organizations.
During the last underwater cleanup operation in Newport Harbor, approximately 2.3 tons of debris were removed.
Visit the Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup initiative website to register and learn more about this important community event that helps maintain the beauty and health of our local marine ecosystem. https://www.newportharborunderwatercleanup.com.
Marian Bergeson Memorial Bridge dedication ceremony scheduled for September 13
On Friday, September 13, Rep. Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) will honor former Rep. and Sen. Marian Bergeson by dedicating the Upper Newport Bay Bridge to her memory.
The dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. is open to the public at the Balboa Marina Public Pier, 151 E. Coast Highway.
Bergeson (1925–2016) was the first woman to serve in both the California State Assembly and the California State Senate. She served in the State Legislature from 1978 to 1995, on the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 1995 to 1996, and as California Secretary of Education from 1996 to 1999.
She served two terms on the California Transportation Commission from 2004 to 2012. She began her political career with her election to the school board of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District in 1964, where she served for twelve years.
If you would like to attend the dedication ceremony, please call Representative Dixon’s office at (949) 798-7221.
OASIS completes the Olympic Fitness Challenge this summer
The OASIS Fitness Center hosted a “Summer Olympic Challenge” for its members this month, encouraging them to try new physical activities around the city. Participants could choose from five disciplines – athletics, weightlifting and gymnastics, aquatics, racket and ball, and cycling – to compete and win prizes.
The next competition begins this fall, when gym members compete in a four-week pedometer competition.
The OASIS Fitness Center is open seven days a week and offers strength and cardio equipment, free weights, resistance bands and yoga mats. Annual membership is available for those ages 50 and older at a rate of $137 for residents and $192 for nonresidents. Membership registration and orientation is by appointment only and can be arranged by calling (949) 718-1818.
Registration for fall leisure activities now open
Registration for the City of Newport Beach fall recreation activities is now open.
Newport Beach residents receive the latest edition of the Newport Navigator in their mailboxes with a complete list of camps, classes, programs and activities.
You can register at this link: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/cnbreg/activity/search.
Be Well Mobile Response
Be Well’s Mobile Crisis Response Team operates 12 hours a day, 7 days a week in Newport Beach to respond to mental health and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and works closely with the city’s police and fire departments.
This week the Be Well team has:
- One person was transported to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
- Two people transported to homeless services.
- One person transported to Be Well Sobering Station for treatment.
- Working with the county crisis assessment team to place an individual in a treatment facility.
The mobile crisis team will be dispatched through the Newport Beach Police Department. To request assistance, dial 911 or call the police non-emergency number at (949) 644-3717.
Update on homelessness
This week, the City’s Homeless Assistance and Response Teams did the following:
- Two people registered for the services.
- Provided a person with motel accommodations to prepare for job interviews and apartment viewings.
- Continued shelter for people: 25 people who were homeless in Newport Beach were housed in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
