Christmas Party

COSTA MESA — Alex Lopez didn't care what he would get for Christmas. He just wanted something — a gift from Santa under his tree to open on Christmas day. Before this year, when a group of nonprofit organizations along with South Coast Plaza collaborated to throw a Christmas party for 400 homeless and motel children, the 13-year-old, who lives at a shelter with his brothers and mother in Garden Grove, would have nothing for Christmas....

Students at Vanguard University will host their annual children's Christmas party for low-income families in the community from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. This year, the party is expected to draw between 150 to 200 children to the school's campus in Costa Mesa, where they will make crafts and cookies and sing carols. The annual Christmas party is presented by Vanguard students and the College Park Elementary School's after-school program. The party will culminate with a visit from Santa Claus, who will pass out gifts for children 3 to 11. Anyone wishing to donate gifts -- such as books, puzzles, or toys ranging in price from $8 to $12 -- should call Tim Bohnert, director of Vanguard's outreach ministry, at (714)

It's a busy time of the year for all of us, but especially for service club members as they do extra outreach programs and help decorate their organizations' Rose Parade floats. Led by Eric Burton, members of the Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club are serving as volunteers at Share Our Selves weekday mornings, helping with food distribution. To raise funds, Joel Carlson has club members selling entertainment books and See's Candy certificates. And they enjoyed an early Christmas party on Dec. 3 at the home of Nancy Bell while planning for a Jan. 15 tour of the Getty Museum.

DECEMBER Saturday: Balboa Bay Republican Women Federated & Corona del Mar Republican Assembly hold their Christmas Party at the Newport Harbor Boat Parade Festival of Lights. The party will begin at 6 p.m. at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. (949) 721-0744 or (949) 644-7425 JANUARY 20: Republican Party of Orange County Central Committee general meeting at 7 p.m. at the South Coast Plaza Westin Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. Admission is free, and all Republicans are welcome.

DECEMBER 21: Balboa Bay Republican Women Federated & Corona del Mar Republican Assembly hold their Christmas Party at the Newport Harbor Boat Parade Festival of Lights. The party begins at 6 p.m. at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. (949) 721-0744 or (949) 644-7425 JANUARY 20: Republican Party of Orange County Central Committee general meeting at 7 p.m. at the South Coast Plaza Westin Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. Admission is free, and all Republicans are welcome.

Chris Yemma If it is written that a soccer team can score at will, it's usually not a literal meaning. If a team needed a goal within two minutes or it would lose, it's more likely the team wouldn't get that goal. Unless, that is, if the team has an offensive weapon that is itching to end the game so she can go home. During the Corona del Mar High girls soccer team's Dec. 22 game against Marina for third place in the Irvine tournament, junior Kelly Morgan wasn't expecting the game to go into overtime.

DECEMBER 11: Orange County Young Republicans holds its general meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel. (949) 475-5559 21: Balboa Bay Republican Women Federated & Corona del Mar Republican Assembly hold their Christmas Party at the Newport Harbor Boat Parade Festival of Lights. The party begins at 6 p.m. at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. (949) 721-0744 or (949) 644-7425 JANUARY 20: Republican Party of Orange County Central Committee general meeting at 7 p.m. at the South Coast Plaza Westin Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd.

We've been through a lot of them, no? We've seen lots of Christmases and the stories that go with them on these pages over the years, and in just a few days, another one will be upon us. Happens every year just about this time and every year, I try to come up with something inspiring for you, something uplifting, one of those stories that makes you teary-eyed and reminds you of why we are here and what the real meaning of Christmas is. I couldn't...

About 200 volunteers gathered at a Costa Mesa car dealership on Saturday to wrap Christmas presents for needy children and stuff backpacks full of goodies like magnifying glasses and pill boxes for senior citizens. “It feels good to help people who aren’t as fortunate as the rest of Orange County this Christmas and let them know that they aren’t forgotten,” said Costa Mesa Resident Gena Van Horne, who volunteered her time on Saturday to wrap toy cars and Barbie dolls for local children.

Each Christmas Eve, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore joins what he calls “a quiet brotherhood” of men out shopping at the last minute for their wives. “They kind of give each other the secret knowing glance,” DeVore said. “It’s that brotherhood of procrastination.” Hectic holiday shopping isn’t the only holiday tradition in the DeVore household. The assemblyman said family has made it a yearly Thanksgiving and Christmas custom to invite friends who don’t have anywhere else to go during the holidays over for a late lunch.

It was almost the end of August, almost the end of summer. The tourists were all heading home. There was a good chance the national park would close in the next week until the following May. Snow was on its way. Summer's end was near. But for the park staff, it was a party. Maybe it should have been a goodbye party. Most of the staff would not see each other for nine months. They jokingly called it their city deployment. Or their pregnancy leave. So it should have been a time of tears and farewells, blended with vague promises to see you next season.

Santa Claus celebrates his 60th birthday in our household this holiday season. I speak not of Father Christmas, who's more like 400 years old and dates back to 17th century Britain, or St. Nick, who was birthed in New York some time in the 19th century. I'm talking about a little 6-inch-tall, cotton-ball Santa who joined my family in December 1951. He's been perched atop the loftiest branches of our Christmas tree - next to the angel - every year since. That's 61 Christmases this year.

We've been through a lot of them, no? We've seen lots of Christmases and the stories that go with them on these pages over the years, and in just a few days, another one will be upon us. Happens every year just about this time and every year, I try to come up with something inspiring for you, something uplifting, one of those stories that makes you teary-eyed and reminds you of why we are here and what the real meaning of Christmas is. I couldn't...

COSTA MESA — Alex Lopez didn't care what he would get for Christmas. He just wanted something — a gift from Santa under his tree to open on Christmas day. Before this year, when a group of nonprofit organizations along with South Coast Plaza collaborated to throw a Christmas party for 400 homeless and motel children, the 13-year-old, who lives at a shelter with his brothers and mother in Garden Grove, would have nothing for Christmas....

About 200 volunteers gathered at a Costa Mesa car dealership on Saturday to wrap Christmas presents for needy children and stuff backpacks full of goodies like magnifying glasses and pill boxes for senior citizens. “It feels good to help people who aren’t as fortunate as the rest of Orange County this Christmas and let them know that they aren’t forgotten,” said Costa Mesa Resident Gena Van Horne, who volunteered her time on Saturday to wrap toy cars and Barbie dolls for local children.

Residents at Costa Nuporté Elegant Senior Living, a retirement home in Costa Mesa, celebrated Christmas in old-fashioned Victorian style. On Friday, the home held its fourth annual Christmas Tea Party. It was a once-a-year opportunity for the senior residents to socialize and drink tea from antique cups and pots as they enjoyed homemade pastries. Celebrating Christmas with a tea party was Vicki Gibbons’ idea. The activities director wanted to start a tradition of an elegant but simple yuletide celebration.

You know what Thursday is? It’s Christmas. No, seriously, it is. Every so often, I’m asked to repeat a column someone really liked, which makes sense, or they wouldn’t ask me to repeat it. That is always the case at Christmas time, and in particular, a column from December 2000 about how my mother got here from Italy, which also explains in part how I got here, and I apologize for that. My mom passed away in 2004, but the requests for that column have been stacking up for a few years so here it is, once again.

Each Christmas Eve, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore joins what he calls “a quiet brotherhood” of men out shopping at the last minute for their wives. “They kind of give each other the secret knowing glance,” DeVore said. “It’s that brotherhood of procrastination.” Hectic holiday shopping isn’t the only holiday tradition in the DeVore household. The assemblyman said family has made it a yearly Thanksgiving and Christmas custom to invite friends who don’t have anywhere else to go during the holidays over for a late lunch.

Jeanne Butherus excitedly waited her turn to sit on Santa's lap Friday, counting down the days until Christmas. But she didn't come to ask for a new toy or inquire about Rudolph. The 82-year-old was simply looking for a fun time during the holiday season — and a warm cup of eggnog. Butherus was one of 170 guests at the Costa Mesa Senior Center on Friday morning celebrating its annual Breakfast with Santa. Organizers and volunteers served French toast, sausage and fresh fruit to the attendees, all of whom left with a holiday gift and a photo with Santa.