By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
The City celebrated two significant milestones in Newport Harbor on Tuesday, August 27: opening a new public dock and welcoming the first electric patrol vessel in the Harbor Department fleet.
The new VITA Seal electric boat is also the first all-electric work vessel delivered to any public agency in the United States.
Newport Beach City Council members and harbor commissioners performed a ceremonial ribbon cutting on the 29th Street Public Pier, at 29th Street and Lafayette Avenue, before christening the new electric vessel.
The 29th Street Public Pier brings the total number of public piers in Newport Harbor to 15, following the dedication of the Balboa Marina Public Pier in March. Use of the pier is free for up to three hours during the day.
The 29th Street dock, near the terminus of the Rhine Channel, can accommodate up to four 20-ft. boats or two larger vessels. It is part of an ongoing expansion of public docks, owned and managed by the City, to provide greater access for boaters throughout Newport Harbor.
The new electric boat can be utilized throughout a typical 10-hour shift for the Harbor Department without the need to recharge. With a top speed of 30 knots, the boat will generally carry a crew of two staff members and can accommodate up to eight people. In addition, at Marina Park, the City is developing what will be the first publicly accessible vessel charging station in Southern California.
City Concludes Successful Summer Programs
The City of Newport Beach completed another successful summer of swim lessons, sailing programs and more than 450 different summer camps attended by 6,500 participants over 10 weeks.
This summer:
- The City partnered with more than 30 contract instructors to provide a variety of weekly camps for 4,700 participants. The most popular offerings were beach and bay activities, including surfing, boogie boarding and volleyball, which accounted for one-third of the total summer enrollment.
- The City’s day camp program served 1,100 children who enjoyed visits to the beach and weekly excursions to attractions such as Knott’s Berry Farm and Wild Rivers.
- Swim lessons were more popular than ever at Newport Harbor High School and Marian Bergeson Aquatic Center. Between the two sites, aquatics staff taught water safety and swimming techniques to 1,207 participants over eight weeks.
- The Marina Park Sailing Center enjoyed another busy summer with more than 1,100 residents and visitors taking advantage of the convenient on-site kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Sailing classes and camps continued to be a local favorite, with more than 400 participants.
- Pint Size Campers, our staff-run preschool program, held nine weeks of camp serving a total of 128 campers. Students enjoyed games and activities, special visits from the Newport Beach Fire Department, reptile demonstrations, bubble parties, and more.
Free Concert at Marina Park with Knyght Ryder Sept. 8
Join us for a free concert featuring: Knyght Ryder, a favorite 80’s tribute band on Sunday, September 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Marina Park, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd.
Bring a beach chair & blanket, and we’ll provide a beautiful bay view. Enjoy an afternoon of fun with ROCK, R&B, and POP sounds!
Parking is limited. Food available for purchase from TK Burgers. For more information, call (949) 270-8150.
‘Wonka’ Movie Screening at Buffalo Hills Park Sept. 13
Bring your family and friends to Buffalo Hills Park, 1891 Port Provence Place, and enjoy a screening of the movie “Wonka” on Friday, September 13. The event begins at 6 p.m.; showtime is at sunset.
There will be fun activities, free popcorn, and food available for purchase. Remember to bring a chair and blanket for comfortable seating during the movie.
Join us for the Final Summer ‘Concert on the Green’ Sept. 22
Join us for the last Summer Concert on the Green! AbSOULute (R&B, funk, soul and classic rock tribute band) will be performing on Sunday, September 22 at the Newport Beach Civic Center, 100 Civic Center Dr. Concert will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Bring blankets, low-slung beach chairs, and a picnic dinner, or purchase from food trucks on-site. Admission and parking are free; alcohol is not permitted.
Click here for more information: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/library-services/cultural-arts/concerts-on-the-green.
Get Your Library Card During Sign-Up Month
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and the Newport Beach Public Library invites residents to discover the incredible resources and opportunities available at our libraries by signing up for a free card.
Whether you are upgrading your skills, scouting for knowledge and information, or connecting with other heroic readers, a library card is your key to an arsenal of resources.
Sign up for a library card at any Newport Beach Public Library location in September and receive a free NBPL vinyl sticker!
Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup Effort Sept. 21 Seeks Volunteers
Organizers of the annual Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup are seeking volunteers for this year’s event, which will be on Saturday, September 21 at Marina Park, 1600 Balboa Blvd.
Certified scuba divers are invited to join the underwater cleanup efforts and remove trash from the harbor floor. On-shore volunteers are needed to assist with registration, sorting collected items, and supporting the divers.
The underwater cleanup will be from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by an International Coastal Cleanup Day Celebration from 12:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. The celebration event will feature live music, food trucks and exhibitors, a welcome from Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill, and a presentation of harbor stewardship awards to the participating marine environmental organizations.
The last harbor underwater cleanup event removed about 5,000 pounds of debris from Newport Harbor.
Visit the Newport Harbor Underwater Cleanup website to sign up and learn more about this important community event to help maintain the beauty and health of our local marine ecosystem: https://www.newportharborunderwatercleanup.com.
Marian Bergeson Memorial Bridge Dedication Ceremony Set for Sept. 13
On Friday, September 13, Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) will honor former Assemblymember and Senator Marian Bergeson by dedicating the Upper Newport Bay Bridge in her memory.
The 10 a.m. dedication ceremony will be 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 California State Senate. She served in the State Legislature from 1978 to 1995, was a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 1995 to 1996, and was the California State 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 when she was elected to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education in 1964, where she served for 12 years.
If you would like to attend the dedication ceremony, please RSVP by calling Assemblymember Dixon’s office at (949) 798-7221.
Get Prepared: Enroll Today for Fall CERT Classes
As recent events have shown, natural disasters such as wildfires and earthquakes can strike at any time. Preparedness is key, and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is here to help. This program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills, including fire safety, light search and rescue, and medical operations.
The Newport Beach Fire Department will be offering two CERT program courses this fall, in September and October. This is a great opportunity to learn how to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community in times of crisis.
For more information and to register, please visit our CERT webpage. Stay safe, stay prepared, and join us in celebrating the dedication of our team and community.
Homelessness Outreach
This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Placed an older disabled adult into assisted living after a brief stay at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Enrolled three people into services.
- Sheltered a person in a motel to prepare for job interviews and housing appointments.
- Continued to shelter people: 25 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the City’s homeless response: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
Click here for information on the City’s Good Giving program: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help.
