Longtime local news veteran Tom Johnson, the President of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce and publisher of StuNewsNewport, will be awarded the Sky Dunlap Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and community service by the Orange County Press Club.

“I’m very pleased and excited that the club will be honoring Tom Johnson for his decades of service to journalism and the Newport-Costa Mesa community,” said Roger Bloom, the Press Club’s president. “Tom is a great man who embodies the spirit of professionalism and service, and countless people’s lives are better because of his efforts.”

The award will be presented to Johnson at the Press Club’s annual Awards Gala on Monday, May 15, at the Balboa Bay Resort. At the event, the club will also present awards to the winners of its annual Best in Journalism Contest and honor high school and college scholarship recipients. Tickets are available at ocpressclub.com.

StuNewsNewport is a twice-weekly online news source that launched in September 2016 to keep the local community informed and engaged. Johnson also currently serves as president of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he is an on-air radio personality on KOCI radio, hosting StuNewsNewport Sunday.

As the long-time publisher of the Daily Pilot from 1991-2008, Johnson oversaw the Los Angeles Times/Times Community News group that included eight community newspapers. During his tenure, the Daily Pilot won numerous awards, including General Excellence, the highest award presented by the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

He also has consulted with clients including Newport Beach Television, the Orange County Register and Firebrand Media/Newport Beach Independent.

Johnson’s involvement in the community has been extensive: Two-time chairman of Hoag Hospital’s 552 Club; Past president of Orange County Youth Sports Foundation;  Past president and long-time board member of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce; Past skipper of the Newport Beach Commodores Club; Past board member and two-time chairman of Visit Newport Beach; Past board member, president and founder of CM 900; Past board member of Costa Mesa United, Newport Harbor Area Boys and Girls Club, Choose Nursing/Choose Hoag, Irrelevant Week and San Diego State University’s Orange County Council.

He was named Newport Beach Citizen of the Year, 2011; Costa Mesa Man of the Year, 1998; Newport Beach Commodore of the Year, 1999; and received the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Silver Anchor Award in 2006, Hoag Hospital’s Presidents Circle Award in 2007 and Visit Newport Beach’s Partners in Progress Award for 2009-10.

Johnson resides in Newport Beach. He has two grown daughters, Ashley and Victoria, and a 6-month-old granddaughter, Kate. In his leisure time, he enjoys golf, reading, and following University of Arizona sports.

Highlighting the City of Costa Mesa’s ties to art and action sports, the Action Arts in the Park exhibition returns this year to TeWinkle Park and will feature the work of four muralists, a skateboard competition, a dance demonstration and interactive public art projects at TeWinkle Park.

The second annual event, scheduled this Saturday April 29 from 12 noon to 4 p.m., was the brainchild of the city’s Cultural Arts Committee.

“Costa Mesa is such a fun, diverse, interesting place to live and we wanted to put on a high-energy event that reflected some of the best elements of this City – the artists, the action sports and the opportunities for families to spend the day in the park,” said Cultural Arts Committee Chair Andrea Marr.

For the city’s Parks & Community Services Department the event presents another avenue to promote Costa Mesa as the City of the Arts and share the City’s unique vibe and melting pot dynamic, Recreation Manager Justin Martin said.

“The Action Arts in the Park event is a really unique event that serves to highlight Costa Mesa’s vibrant arts scene in conjunction with the City’s edgy and ever-growing action sports scene,” Martin said.  “The goal is to have community members of all ages come together in one of the City’s most beautiful parks to enjoy an afternoon that is artistic, athletic, adventurous, energetic and family oriented.”

Four muralists, Josh Madrid, Maxx Gramajo, Ben Brough and Janelle Hinshaw, will paint a new mural from scratch onto a plywood canvas. In addition there will be a skate competition; live music by Cali Conscious and Sturgeon Rock; a dance performance from West Coast School of the Arts; and interactive art stations where patrons can paint a car, design a skateboard and spin art.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District high school students will be demonstrating their clay throwing skills and there will also be a Kids Zone with an Extreme Jumper and a Mechanical Surfboard

On the culinary side, Inspired Art & Wine is offering a design your own bottle event and several food trucks will also be on hand including The Big Cheese Truck, Scooter’s Ice, and Burger Monster.

The title sponsor of the event is Segerstrom Center for the Arts and other sponsors include Vans, The Art Institute of California – OC, Inspired Art & Wine, Papa Murphy’s, Chuck Jones Center, Attic Skateshop, Raising Canes, Garcia Chiropractic and Urban Workshop.

The former Souplantation at 1555 Adams, in the Mesa Verde Shopping Center, will be demolished and replaced by a new, three to four restaurant tenant building.

The building will face the south and will be located at the end of a new walkway to connect this building with the rest of the shopping center as well as the Azulon Apartments.

As required by the California Environmental Quality Act, an Initial Study and Negative Declaration have been prepared for the project and is available for review and comment from through April 17, 2017 either online or at City Hall or the city’s two public libraries.

Please contact the Planning Division at 714-754-5245 if you need any information.

The Costa Mesa City Council gave unanimous approval Tuesday night March, 21 to enter into a 10-year use agreement with the Los Angeles Chargers to practice at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex during the NFL team’s training camp this summer.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that will benefit both the Chargers and the Costa Mesa community at large while addressing the concerns of the neighbors,” Mayor Pro tem Sandra Genis said. “Along with other fans, I’m looking forward to watching the Chargers in action on our fields.”

The Chargers announced in January that the team is moving from San Diego to Los Angeles and  also announced that it was moving its headquarters into the Hive office complex in Costa Mesa.

Chargers owner Dean Spanos spoke to the City Council and thanked City Manager Tom Hatch and the Costa Mesa staff for working hard to make this agreement happen. Spanos invited the community to come to the camp to meet the football players.

“We are very proud and very honored to be a part of Costa Mesa and call this our home,” Spanos said. “This camp is an opportunity for everyone in Costa Mesa to come out and see what it’s all about. I hope the whole city comes out.”

Because the Jack Hammett Sports Complex fields are refurbished during the summer months, no youth sports teams will be displaced during the time the team will use the fields. Starting around mid-July, the team will hold its camp on fields No. 3 and 4 and bring the turf on those fields up to NFL standards. Training camp will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will finish about mid August.

As part of this training camp agreement, the team will provide Costa Mesa with $150,000 a year to use the site for a potential $1.5 million over 10 years.

In addition, the Chargers will give the city $50,000 to be used for a recently approved Mobile Recreation Program. Also, because field refurbishments need to happen as early as April, the Chargers have agreed to give the AYSO soccer organization a one-time payment of $10,000 to assist with finding field space.

The city and the Chargers plan to work closely together to ensure there are minimal disruptions to the nearby homes and neighborhoods. Because the training camp will coincide with the annual OC Fair, the city and the team will also develop a comprehensive plan for managing parking and traffic in the area.

Nicollete La Piana,  a Community Relations Specialist from OCTA, discussed the details of the upcoming Interstate 405 Improvement Project at the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly Breakfast Boost on Thursday March 16.

Click here to see her presentation.

Of particular interest to Costa Mesa residents is the reconstruction of the Fairview Road overcrossing at the 405 Freeway, which will take place mid to late 2018. That work will result in the closure of some lanes in both directions as well as closures to freeway onramps. Costa Mesa Public Services will be working closely with OCTA to address those issues.

OCTA in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is widening the San Diego Freeway (I-405) between State Route 73 (SR-73) and Interstate 605 (I-605). The project will improve 16 miles of I-405 between the SR-73 freeway in Costa Mesa and I-605 near the L.A. County line.

The project includes adding one regular lane in each direction from Euclid Street to I-605 and making improvements to freeway entrances, exits, and bridges. It also will construct 405 Express Lanes, two lanes in each direction from SR-73 to I-605.

The new express lanes – incorporating the existing carpool lanes and connectors that opened in 2014 – will give solo drives the choice to speed up their commute for a toll, and carpoolers may ride in the lanes for free.  Transportation improvements to freeways keep commuters and goods moving within Orange County and to destinations beyond.

With Orange County’s population projected to increase dramatically by 2040, change is needed today to ensure tomorrow’s mobility. Currently, the 405 Improvement Project is one of OCTA’s premiere projects.

As a part of the project, OCTA is conducting a robust community outreach program which includes sending email alerts, offering civic and community presentations and posting information on our website and social media platforms.

The OCTA team has also developed an extensive business outreach program.

As the project moves into the construction phase in late 2017, OCTA wants to partner with businesses and employers within the project corridor.

The agency is continuously looking for opportunities to expand its efforts to those who are interested in receiving project updates.

OCTA offers one-on-one or brown-bag briefings/presentations, and can tailor  materials for internal newsletters or other useful communication mediums.

The OCTA team does whatever it can to minimize the impacts to residents, businesses, as well as motorists. Please contact OCTA if you have any questions or special requests by emailing 405project@octa.net or calling 888.400.8994.

Website: www.octa.net/405Improvement

Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/405Improvement

Follow on Twitter: @405Improvement

The Los Angeles Chargers invited civic and business leaders to a welcome luncheon Monday Feb. 13 at the Center Club, where team Owner Dean Spanos, General Manager Tom Telesco and Head Coach Anthony Lynn spoke glowingly about the team’s future new home in Costa Mesa.

“There are two things that we put a priority on,” Spanos said. “The first is to put a winning team on the field, and the second, equally, is to be a part of the community.”

That message resonated well with Costa Mesa leaders who welcomed the team with open arms and presented Spanos with a key to the city and a Costa Mesa baseball cap in the color of the team’s iconic light blue jerseys.

In addition to members of the Chargers front office staff, two players from the team were also in attendance, running back Branden Oliver and fullback Derek Watt.

“I’m a football mom and I know what football brings to families,” Mayor Katrina Foley said. “We are here to support you and make you feel at home. We are so thrilled to have the Charger family join our Costa Mesa family.”

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Joining Mayor Foley at the luncheon were Mayor Pro Tem Sandy Genis and Council Members John Stephens, Jim Righeimer, City Manager Tom Hatch and Several members of the city staff.

The Chargers’ new headquarters will be a leased building in the Hive office complex in north Costa Mesa on Susan Street. The team also plans to create a training facility on a 3.2 acre property next to the site.

General Manager Telesco said the team and the team’s front office employees will become integral parts of the Costa Mesa community, getting involved with city events and even having family members take part in youth sports.

“Every day but game day, we’ll be in Costa Mesa,” Telesco said.

And Lynn, who was recently named head coach, echoed that.

“I believe in being part of the community,” Lynn said.

Charger announcer Josh Lewin, the emcee of the event, said it was no mistake that the team made Costa Mesa its new home.

“They didn’t just leave and happen to land in Costa Mesa,” he said. “They scouted Costa Mesa, they met with Costa Mesa city leaders and it was only then that they decided to call this town home.”

Costa Mesa Finance Department staffers are celebrating the news that they have won two awards for their work on the Fiscal Year 2016-17 Operating Budget.

The Government Finance Officer’s Associations recently announced that the City of Costa Mesa has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the second year in a row.

In a statement from the GFOA, the award represents a significant achievement for the City of Costa Mesa’s Finance Department and is the greatest form of recognition in governmental budgeting an organization can earn.

In addition to this prestigious honor, the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2016-17 earned the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Certificate of Excellence Award.

The award is recognition of meeting the program’s required criteria and established professional standards in financial reporting and is a true testament to the hard work being applied.

A big congratulations to the Finance Department staff for their continued dedication and ability to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation and their excellence in financial reporting.

The Fire & Rescue staff has happily reported that 16 community members recently graduated from the CERT training hosted by Greenleaf Mobile Home Park.

Participants learned skills in preparedness, fire safety and utility control, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue techniques, homeland security awareness and disaster emotional first aid.

Members of the instructional team included Fire Capt. Fred McDowell and Costa Mesa Police Lt. Vic Bakkila as well as volunteer instructors, Georgette Quinn, Cindy Brenneman, Dee Chester and program manager Brenda Emrick.

The next CERT class will be offered in March.

On Tuesday Jan. 18, City Manager Tom Hatch gave a presentation to the Mesa Verde Community Inc. to update the group on several city initiatives.

Hatch brought them up to speed on the Fire Station No. 1 replacement efforts and noted that the groundbreaking for the new station will take place on March 11, 2017 with completion scheduled for the following spring of 2018.

He also told the group what was going on with the Lions Park improvements which includes a new library and community center. Hatch also gave updates on the new City Council, the Mesa Verde medians, city staffing, the homeless and the news that the Chargers are moving the team headquarters here.

“On behalf of the Costa Mesa City Council and our entire community, we are elated that the Chargers organization has selected Costa Mesa, the City of the Arts, as their new home if the LA stadium option is exercised. Costa Mesa is uniquely eclectic with wonderful neighborhoods, world-class shopping, exceptional performing arts venues and fairgrounds, the best restaurants in Southern California, and a thriving tourism industry. Costa Mesa is also known for an edgy, trend-setting apparel industry, quality educational institutions, beautiful open spaces and recreational options, and it is full of friendly and creative people. The City understands that this is a difficult and significant decision for Mr. Dean Spanos but Costa Mesa is prepared to graciously welcome his organization and his family of employees as they make us their home for their new headquarters, practice and training facility. Welcome to Costa Mesa.”

In a push to position Costa Mesa as a desired tourist and conference destination spot, Council Member Katrina Foley was successful in getting a Maryland-based nonprofit that advocates for children and adults with attention-deficit disorder to hold its annual conference in Costa Mesa for the first time in its existence.

One of three Keynote Speaker of the CHADD conference, which takes place Nov. 10 through Nov. 12 at the Orange County Hilton in Costa Mesa, will be renowned sports agent and high-profile Orange County leader Leigh Steinberg.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to speak to this prestigious group of professionals and parents searching for solution and treatment for the ADHD diagnosis,” Steinberg said. “ADHD diagnosed individuals can be among the most productive and impactful members of our society.”

The nonprofit conference is the annual get together of the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or CHADD, which was founded in 1987 to help parents who have children with the disorder. The group claims up to 12,000 members nationwide.

“Organizations who choose to host conferences in Costa Mesa provide a significant impact to our city,” said Paulette Lombardi-Fries, President of Travel Costa Mesa. “Not only are they spending time in our hotels, they dine, shop and enjoy various arts and entertainment attractions only Costa Mesa offers, all of which enhances the economy and boosts tourism.”

Other keynote speakers are Luis Rohde, a Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and Sue Smalley, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at UCLA.

In addition, the attendees of the  conference will hear from some of the leaders in attention deficit disorder research, including UC Irvine Professor Jim Swanson.

“CHADD brings several experts to Costa Mesa, which provides an extraordinary opportunity to get an update this week at the 2016 Annual Meeting,” Swanson said. “In the Keynote Presentations, Research Symposia, and Workshops, some of the most credible local, national and international experts in the field will be discussing current controversies about ADHD.”

Swanson also said five groups from UC Irvine and Orange County will discuss local programs focused on a number of cutting-edge topics for innovative new treatment of ADHD.

According to the CHADD website ADHD is medically and legally recognized as a treatable yet potentially serious disorder, affecting up to nine percent of all children, and approximately four percent of adults.

On Monday Oct. 17, Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger presented longtime Westside business owner John Hawley with the Mayor’s Award.

Hawley founded Railmakers in 1969, which specializes in the fabrication and polishing of round tube and flat-plate products.

Originally founded to serve the large ship building industry on the Westside, Railmakers has evolved over the years to create multiple products, including industrial projects at South Coast Plaza.

Railmakers even created the iconic Bell that Costa Mesa and Estancia high school football teams battle for each year.

“Through the years John has been a leader for the Westside business community,” Mayor Mensinger said. “For nearly 20 years, John has been actively involved in fostering a cohesive relationship between the business and residential communities. He’s the quintessential Costa Mesan. He lives in our city and creates jobs in our city.”

Hawley thanked the mayor for the honor and is grateful to be in Costa Mesa like many Westside business owners.