With residents reporting a recent increase in the number of coyote sightings in Costa Mesa, we want to again share some tips on what to do to if a resident has a coyote encounter and how to make your home or backyard less inviting to these predators.

The public should keep in mind that historically, coyote attacks upon humans are extremely rare. In a study presented at the 2004 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, there were only 56 reported coyote-versus-human attacks resulting in injuries in Southern California in the previous 25 years.

This figure is extremely small when compared to an average 4.5 million people who are bitten by dogs nationally each year. While not normally a danger to humans, coyotes will display defensive behaviors if threatened or cornered. Therefore, it is important to leave a comfortable distance between you and a coyote.

Small pets can easily become coyote prey. Cats and small dogs should not be allowed outside alone, even in a fenced yard. It is highly recommended that small pets always be accompanied by their owner. Though coyotes generally hunt between sunset and sunrise, they can be observed at all hours of the day and will not pass up the opportunity for an easy meal. A dog or cat left in a backyard can be taken in a matter of moments.

Many steps can be taken to protect you and your property from nuisance animals like coyotes and other wildlife:

• Fence off animal enclosures (fully enclose if possible).
• Keep cats and small dogs indoors or in the close presence of an adult.
• Feed pets indoors.
• Store trash in covered heavy-duty containers.
• Keep yards free from potential shelter such as thick brush and weeds.
• Enclose the bottoms of porches and decks.
• Eliminate potential food and water sources, such as fallen fruit and standing water.
• Eradication and/or relocation of the urban coyote is not effective. These programs actually provide a vacuum in nature, causing these animals to have even larger litters, ultimately increasing the coyote population.
• Practicing these measures will help minimize the nuisances and losses caused by urban coyotes.
• If you locate an injured or potentially dangerous coyote in Costa Mesa, call CMPD Dispatch at 714-754-5252, or for general inquiries leave a message with Costa Mesa Animal Control Services at 714-754-5311.

For even more information, we encourage residents to watch the following Public Service Announcement regarding coyotes and ways to discourage them.

Rea Elementary will be the first school in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District to convert to an AVID Elementary and Technology School.

Beginning in the 2016/17 school year, Rea Elementary with the adoption of the AVID program will better prepare its students for college and career success in a global society.

Advancement Via Individual Determination is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing all students for college and other postsecondary options.  AVID brings research-based strategies and curriculum to educational institutions that develop students’ critical thinking, literacy and math skills across all content areas throughout the entire campus.

Key components of AVID include: student success skills, organizational skills and partnerships. Areas of focus include communication, note-taking strategies, critical thinking, time management and goal setting.

To prepare for the AVID implementation and refinement, Rea Elementary teachers will participate in various training courses and continue to collaborate weekly throughout the academic year.

Specifically they will address content areas in reading, writing and math and the alignment to WICOR (writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading) lessons with a strong emphasis on formative data collection to ensure students are meeting their individual goals.

Along with implementing the core AVID components into lesson plans, Rea Elementary will continue to focus on enrichment opportunities in Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art and Math (STREAM), Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) and Leadership, aligning all learning opportunities to preparing Rea students for college and career readiness.

For more information, please contact Rea Elementary Principal, Dr. Kalim Rayburn, at 949-515-6905 or krayburn@nmusd.us.

With the arrival of the Asian tiger mosquito or Aedes species in the county, the Orange County Vector Control District has issued an alert and is urging residents to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites. Aside from being itchy and annoying, the bite of an infected female tiger mosquito can spread dengue, chikungunya, or Zika virus.

The district advises residents to use mosquito repellent and mosquito-proof homes by dumping standing water both inside and outside, discarding water-holding containers not being used, and making sure all window and door screens are in good repair.

Click here for more information, including an interactive map to locate infested areas. Also, literature about this health advisory is available at City Hall.

Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger, Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Righeimer and Council Member Gary Monahan are partnering with churches and local groups to help revive local neighborhoods throughout the city at the upcoming Neighbors Helping Neighbors event on Saturday April 23, 2016.

Volunteers have identified a number of properties in need of repair and and have begun the prep work for painting. But organizers are looking for at least one more property to help revive.

Also, more funding and additional volunteers are needed. If you know of a property in need of TLC or would like to help out out just email cm.cool@costamesaca.gov or call 714-754-5156.

Students at Mariners Christian School in Costa Mesa joined millions of their peers across the country to celebrate the 16th annual National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America Day on Wednesday, March 2, 2016.

NEA’s Read Across America Day, which celebrates Dr. Seuss’s birthday and the joys of reading, typically attracts more than 45 million readers, both young and old, to pick up a book and read.

To celebrate the fun and value of reading, MCS teachers in grades TK-5th organized a lineup of guest readers throughout the day to inspire students.

Teachers, administrators, office workers, specialists, and even the school nurse brought in their favorite books to share with children.

Elementary students participated in a Power Reading Hour with Character Dress.

Dressed as their favorite fiction or non-fiction character, they will spend dedicated time reading in a relaxed environment with pillows, blankets, or their favorite reading friend.

Several classes joined Discovery for Education and FableVision for an online livestream read aloud of the book Going Places from award-winning authors and illustrators Peter H. and Paul A. Reynolds.

This year in concert with Read Across America Day, MCS launched several school-wide initiatives to expand its literacy programs, including the formal adoption of a new Balanced Literacy program based on The Units of Study in Reading.

This program is designed by internationally recognized literacy expert Lucy Calkins and her colleagues at The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP).

Additionally, MCS held a massive used book drive and also solicited monetary donations earlier this year to establish robust classroom libraries in each grade.

For more information NEA’s Read Across America, visit www.nea.org/readacross 

Costa Mesa High School leaders each month produce the Mesa Minute, a newsletter chock full of news, announcements and events related to Costa Mesa High School.

To read the Mesa Minute click here.

City planners are unveiling the draft General Plan and draft General Plan EIR today, which required an enormous amount of work effort that required technical acumen at the highest level from a wide range of disciplines, as well as exceptional writing and time management skills.

Producing quality documents was made possible by a dynamic team comprised of city planners, planning consultants, attorneys, engineers, and GIS/graphic specialists (and more).  While planning staff anticipates many comments on these drafts as this work effort continues, it expresses  appreciation for all the professional excellence and dedication to this project up to this critical milestone.

Click here to see an infographic that details how the city has gotten to this point.

As part of its 2015-2016 Family Series, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts is presenting a series of sensory-friendly performances with the hope that everyone in the community will have the opportunity to experience the joy of attending a live performance.

Showing in the month of March are “Big Bad Wolf” and “Egg,” both performances specially designed for sensory sensitivity.

These shows are designed specifically for patrons on the autism spectrum, and others with sensory sensitivity, to enjoy with their families; this is the perfect opportunity to introduce young children to live theater.

Sensory-friendly precautions are taken to help patrons enjoy their theater experience:

In advance of each performance, families will receive a social story—a visual introduction for the child of everything he or she will encounter so nothing is a surprise. From a picture of the parking areas to ticket takers and the inside of the theater, everything will look familiar when they arrive.

They will also receive information about the show itself so they know what to expect from the performance.

Various components are highly considered and alterations are made in areas such as: lighting, sound, seat configuration, staff training and being relaxed when it comes to movement and speaking during a performance.

For more information about the Center’s sensory-friendly performances, visit their website at www.SCFTA.org/sensoryfriendly, or email Access@SCFTA.org.

The Orange County Transportation Authority has been engaged in an outreach effort for the 2016 Draft Bus Service Plan (Plan) that can have an effect on Costa Mesa ridership.

In an effort to respond to feedback, OCTA staff has formulated a Revised Plan, which included eliminated some routes, eliminating Saturday service only and implementing new routes.

The plan was presented and approved by the Transit Committee on Feb. 11, 2016 and presented to the full OCTA Board of Directors and approved on Feb. 22, 2016 at OCTA Headquarters in Orange.

The changes will take place over the course of 2016.

Click here for details on the revised plan. Residents who have specific questions about the Revised Plan, or need clarification can contact Andrea West in Government Relations. She can be reached at (714) 560-5611 or awest@octa.net.

Last year provided many milestones and successes for the city. City department heads compiled a list of the major goals achieved throughout 2015. The CEO department staff created an infographic chart to highlight those achievements. Click here to see the chart.

Longtime Costa Mesa resident Gordon Bowley was presented the Mayor’s Award on Tuesday March 1 as a way to honor and thank him for his years of service to the community, especially in the areas of youth and high school sports.

Bowley has been actively involved in a number of different community groups and organizations, including the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, the Hoag Hospital Foundation, St. Andrews Church and the YMCA to name a few.

But it has been his work with Costa Mesa United and the Costa Mesa Youth Sports Council where his impact has been felt the most, Mayor Steve Mensinger said as he presented Bowley with the award, which included a key to the city.

Bowley served as both the president of Costa Mesa United and as Chairman of the Youth Sports Council, and he has been an instrumental figure in the growth and success of the Mesa Verde Classic Golf Tournament, which is the largest fund raising event for youth sports in Costa Mesa. This year’s event raised more than $90,000.

“For your years of service to this community, and your outstanding leadership, it is my honor and privilege to present you with the Mayor’s Award,” Mensinger said.

Every school day at Adams Elementary is filled with services to help students learn and grow.

This year thanks to the extraordinary coordination efforts of school community facilitators, Adams has added another service for its school community to expand its wrap around services.

The Second Harvest food bank is a monthly program where families come to the school and participate in a farmers’ market style food pantry.

There is no cost for the program, and families leave with more fresh fruits and vegetables than they can carry.

Additionally, representatives from The California Champions for Change provide families with healthy recipes and training on reading nutrition facts on food labels.

Each month, the food bank becomes a gathering place for families to meet each other, connect with their children’s school and develop healthy habits that will last them a lifetime.

The food bank is run by volunteers from within the Second Harvest organization and parents from Adams Elementary School.

To find out more about Second Harvest at Adams, please contact Ilse Taborga in the Adams front office.