Newport Beach Declared “Superstar Beach”
The National Resource Defense Council named Newport Beach one of 35 “superstar” beaches in the United States, earning the only title in the entire state of California.
The NRDC (nrdc.org) issues an Annual Beach Report Card called “Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,” revealing the cleanest and most contaminated vacation beaches and lakes in America.
This year, the report found 35 superstar beaches out of the 3,500 destination water samples collected.
Each beach met national water quality benchmarking 98 percent of the time over the past five years.
The report recognizes only two beaches on the west coast of America, including Newport Beach. The specific beach recognized is located on Balboa Peninsula at 38th Street.
“A day at the beach should be a fun time in the sun leaving visitors feeling relaxed and rejuvenated,” said Ruby Gualberto, vice president of marketing development, Newport Beach & Company, the city’s destination marketing organization. “We are pleased that visitors have the opportunity to have a great time at our beautiful beaches without fear of contamination or pollution.”
Charity League Awards Scholarships
The Newport Chapter of the National Charity League has awarded a total of $22,900 in scholarship money to 18 NMUSD graduating senior girls.
Each student submitted an application along with a personal essay. Minimum GPA requirements were to be met, must be a U.S. citizen, could not be a daughter of an NCL member, must be a senior in the NMUSD attending in the district all four years, and attending a four year college in the fall.
The scholarship committee considered academics, extra-curricular activities, recommendations from teachers and counselors, and volunteer hours along with the students’ plans for their future.
Each student is unique—some participated in sports, have taken AP classes, are school leaders, work outside of school, have spent significant amounts of time volunteering in the community or are working to overcome personal challenges.
This year’s recipients from Newport Beach include Michelle Stanila of Back Bay High School, Lauren Dean of Corona del Mar High School, and Ashley Batres, Katelynne Dangl, Maria Gaytan, Cristi Hernandez, Ashley Ima, Erin Jacobs, Elizabeth Kremer, Marissa Robertson, Jocelyn Rodriguez, and Jessica Rosales of Newport Harbor High School.
