Around Town: AQMD meeting about Hixon Metal is Thursday in Newport
The South Coast Air Quality Management District will hold a community meeting Thursday evening in Newport Beach to discuss the latest measures taken by Newport-based Hixon Metal Finishing to reduce toxic pollutants.
In May, the AQMD demanded that the company reduce toxic emissions alleged to have been caused by its operation and that it notify residents of potential health risks. During Thursday’s meeting, officials will provide an update on their efforts.
The meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., will be at the Hoag Hospital Conference Center, 3900 W. Coast Hwy.
*
Ex-NFL quarterback to discuss risks for young athletes
Former NFL quarterback Eric Hipple will speak Thursday in Costa Mesa about serious mental health risks that student-athletes face.
Hipple’s 15-year-old son committed suicide in 2000 because of depression. Hipple began to explore his own struggles with depression and wrote “Real Men Do Cry.” He now works for the University of Michigan’s Center for Depression, which he helped create.
During his free presentation Thursday, Hipple will focus on the warning signs of depression, stress and anxiety and will discuss performance-enhancing drugs, substance abuse and binge drinking.
The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Simple Recovery, a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center at 1901 Newport Blvd. Hipple will speak from about noon to 1 p.m.
For more information, call (714) 831-8060.
*
Mariners Christian teacher named one of O.C.’s top 25
Kristin Knecht, a fourth-grade teacher at Mariners Christian School in Costa Mesa, was selected as one of the top 25 teachers in Orange County for 2016 by Parenting OC magazine.
Knecht, who has more than 20 years’ teaching experience, has been at Mariners for four years.
“Mrs. Knecht is dedicated to the idea of fostering creativity, imagination and finding ways to apply content to the real world to motivate her students,” Mariners Principal Reggie Biancalani said in a statement.
Knecht’s contributions at Mariners include serving on the accreditation steering committee and admissions committee and helping to lead a group of 130 parents and students to Sacramento and San Francisco for a class trip each spring.
Teachers in Parenting OC’s top 25 are chosen for going above and beyond to advance students’ academic success, according to a news release.
This year’s top 25 will be featured in the magazine’s March issue.
*
Simon Youth Foundation opens applications for scholarships
Students who are graduating from high school this year and live within 50 miles of the Brea Mall or The Shops at Mission Viejo are eligible to apply for the Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarship program.
The scholarships are awarded yearly in every community nationwide that is home to Simon, Mills or Premium Outlets malls.
The application period ends March 1.
To apply, visit syf.org/scholarships.
*
Newport art collectors donate works to Pacifica Christian
Newport Beach art collectors Janet and Mark Hilbert donated 17 framed prints of paintings to Pacifica Christian High School in Newport Beach.
The works were installed throughout the campus last week.
The Hilberts’ collection consists of more than 1,000 paintings, a majority of which are watercolors and oils from the 1930s through the 1970s.
“Displaying these beautiful paintings on our campus is a privilege for Pacifica, and we are very grateful,” Head of School David O’Neil said in a statement. “The paintings are inspired by moments of everyday life and capture Pacifica’s desire to appreciate beauty and to teach our students to live well, wherever God puts us.”
*
Environmental Nature Center to hold hummingbird walks, plant sale
The Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach will host hummingbird walks and a native plant sale Saturday.
A walk for adults will begin at 11 a.m. and one for families will start at 1 p.m.
The center’s museum collection manager, Leslie Helliwell, will lead guests on the walks through the facility’s grounds to find hummingbirds, their nests and the plants that depend on them for pollination.
The plant sale will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the center, 1601 E. 16th St.
—From staff reports