Banquet

While many high school seniors are spending their final months of school preparing for the future, students, parents, faculty and community members took the time to reflect on strides the students have made over the last four years at the 29th Costa Mesa Les Miller Awards banquet Friday morning. “I just think about how much I have changed, my friends have changed,” said 17-year-old Estancia High School student Meagan Kunert. Kunert was honored as one of the four members from her school to receive a Les Miller Award, complete with a plaque, honors from local legislators, and a $200 stipend.

NEWPORT BEACH — An inflatable goal post stood on every table, where some thought about flicking pieces of food through the uprights. Out of respect for Ryan Succop, they behaved Wednesday night. Leave it to the man of the hour for accuracy. Succop is a kicker trying to make it in the NFL, but everyone got a kick out of him. The last player selected in April’s NFL Draft was the butt of practically every joke at the All-Star Lowsman Banquet at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. The agent negotiating Succop’s three-year, $1.2 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs failed to back up Succop Wednesday.

USC junior quarterback Matt Barkley, a Newport Beach resident who set USC season records for touchdown passes and completion percentage, was named the team's Most Valuable Player at the annual awards banquet Monday. Barkley, a three-year starter, also set four USC game records this past season: completions (35 vs. UCLA), pass yardage (468 vs. Arizona), touchdown passes (six vs. Colorado and UCLA) and total offense (470 vs. Arizona). Barkley was also named to the All-Pac 12 second team.

NEWPORT BEACH — Dressed in a royal blue collared shirt, navy blue slacks and brown shoes, a 25-year-old with long hair walked into the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa looking like a mixture of Tarzan and Carrot Top. No, that's just Tim Toone, who does not look like your prototypical football player. Toone was the guy with the blond dreadlocks escorted to the lobby and through a walkway formed, not by police officers, but by cheerleaders from Costa Mesa High. The girls cheered louder for Toone than the athletes from their own school.

LOS ANGELES — Three members of the staff who produce the Daily Pilot, Huntington Beach Independent and Coastline Pilot won Los Angeles Times Editorial Awards banquet Thursday night. Times Community News (TCN) South employees Mona Shadia, Barry Faulkner and Joanna Clay received recognition at the annual internal competition that recognizes the best work produced by the Los Angeles Times as well as its community and Spanish-language divisions. Shadia received the top prize for TCN South, the editor's award for her series of columns on the Muslim-American experience in Orange County.

Paul Salata, the founder of Irrelevant Week, hesitated a bit before naming the biggest celebrity coming to Wednesday's All-Star Lowsman Banquet. As he thought, his daughter, Melanie Salata-Fitch said, "Oh, here it comes. " Salata, acted cool, as he said, "Clay Matthews Sr. " Matthews' son, Clay Jr., the former ironman linebacker of the Cleveland Browns, has also been confirmed for attendance to roast and toast Mr. Irrelevant Cheta Ozougwu of the Houston Texans. It will be a family affair at the banquet at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. Clay Jr.'s son, Casey Matthews, the Oregon product who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles, is also coming to the party.

Daily Pilot reporter Mike Reicher has placed first and second in the investigative reporting category in a statewide journalism contest for his work on a politician who did not live in a legislative district he sought to represent and a legal flap involving cell phone towers. The California Newspaper Publishers Assn. (CNPA) notified winners of the 2010 Better Newspapers Contest by mail this week. The Daily Pilot received two notifications for first and second place in the category for Investigative or Enterprising Reporting in its circulation division.

For the past nine seasons, John Ireland has been the Los Angeles Lakers' sideline reporter for KCAL 9 television. But that has changed because the Corona del Mar High alumnus will now be calling the action. Ireland, a 1981 graduate of CdM, will be the play-by-play announcer on 710 ESPN radio alongside commentator and former Laker Mychal Thompson, it was announced Tuesday. Ireland, 47, who has been with KCAL since 1995, replaces Spero Dedes, now with the New York Knicks. Corona del Mar High must be proud of its alumni.

NEWPORT BEACH - A special moment took place at The Pacific Club Thursday during the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list luncheon. Lott opened an envelope that revealed the recipient of a $5,000 check that put the IMPACT Foundation over the $1 million barrier for money raised for scholarships and donations. Lott, the Hall of Famer and former NFL star safety, smiled as he made the announcement that his alma mater, Rialto Eisenhower High School, would receive the money. Lott stood and smiled, along with a big check, standing with Eisenhower football coach Vinny Fazio and the school's Athletic Director Steven Johnson.

The American Legion recognized Costa Mesa and Newport Beach public safety employees at its 46th annual Law and Order Awards Banquet on Thursday. Newport-Mesa city workers and community leaders nominate employees worthy of acclaim each year, and American Legion Post 291 of Newport Beach treats them to a banquet with family and friends. Honorees included Newport Beach firefighter Ryan Popovich as firefighter of the year, Lifeguard Captain Brian O'Rourke as marine safety officer of the year, and Randy Lempert as seasonal lifeguard of the year.