Diversity

Live music, martial arts demonstrations and a magician helped attract more than 13,000 visitors to Bill Barber Park on Saturday for ninth annual Irvine Global Village Festival. A Korean choir and Scottish bagpipes were heard among the five stages at the event, which wasn't hindered by the touch of tropical storms overhead. Visitors watched demonstrations of karate, taekwondo, judo, Brazilian jiu jitsu, each presented by the country of origin. Strolling street performers and entertainers meandered through the crowd, drawing laughter and joyous applause.

Corona del Mar High School has been named a distinguished school in Orange County thanks to its program unifying the campus’ diverse groups. Orange County Human Relations bestowed the honor upon three schools in Orange County. Corona del Mar High School showed exceptional contributions in promoting, nurturing, protecting and cultivating a campus that is safe, welcoming and equitable, county officials said. The school was recognized for its campaign to bring diverse campus groups together through the message of “Ubuntu,” or the “Spirit of Community.

Jennifer Kho COSTA MESA -- Ethnic diversity is apparent in many ways throughout the community -- in its food, art, language, ideas and, of course, its people. Costa Mesa residents have backgrounds from the far reaches of the globe -- Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific Islands -- as well as from Latin America, the ancestral home to about 44% of the community, according to a 1997 survey. And while most residents say they generally live in harmony with their neighbors, the election in November of a controversial city councilman has some worried that his policies and ideas could hurt the town's ethnically diverse image.

Various slices of Orange County?s diverse neighborhoods and people will be brought together for a day at Sage Hill High School. The school will celebrate its seventh Annual Multicultural Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 5 on its campus, with music, food and religious organizations. About 25 international food booths will feature favorites from all over the world. Joining the booths will be performances from Christ Our Redeemer Church?s Gospel Chorale, Mayan/Aztec flute performances, a Native American drum ceremony, the school?

Deepa Bharath Sage Hill School's quadrangle came alive Saturday afternoon with vibrant colors, riveting music and delectable aromas. The Newport Coast private school was celebrating its first Multicultural Community Fair -- a collage of music, dance and cuisine from different parts of the world. The fair is not only a fun experience, but something "that is central to the school's mission," said Principal Clint Wilkins. "This fair is reflective of what is very important to us -- diversity," he said.

Gay Geiser-Sandoval Currently, the Academic Performance Index scores for California schools are based upon the school's SAT-9 test scores and the number of teachers without full credentials. A lot of learning comes from the experience and background of the student population; that isn't reflected in the index. Before you flood the district offices with requests for transfers to the schools with the highest indexes, consider these excerpts from an essay of a district student: "Looking back at my great-grandfathers, the only things they all had in common was the fact that none of them made it past the third grade, and they were all wild men. One immigrated from Germany, where his first job was riding shotgun on a stagecoach in Yellowstone.

Deirdre Newman A new flag unfurled as city officials kicked off Costa Mesa's 50th anniversary Monday by turning the spotlight on the volunteers who have helped the city run for half a century. While the exact anniversary of Costa Mesa's incorporation was Sunday, Monday kick-started a year full of festivities that will culminate with a celebratory dinner in June 2004. As city officials reflected on 50 years of history, they emphasized how important volunteers are to keeping the city running smoothly.

Jessica Garrison NEWPORT-MESA -- Jaime Castellanos is so excited about heading up the district's secondary education department, he's willing to drive more than 150 miles every day just to get to and from work. To do this, the district's new assistant superintendent for secondary education leaves his Ventura residence before 5 each morning, and returns in the evening, after the traffic has lightened up. Sometimes, if he's done with his work, he'll play a round of golf before hopping back on the freeway.

Spring has finally arrived. The sun is shining, and here in Southern California that means gorgeous wildflower blooms. Our state is home to an amazing array of plant diversity, ranging from redwoods to palms, pines to succulents. California is one of the most botanically rich regions in the world. With this amazing diversity comes threats to our native plants, especially through urbanization. As more homes are built, more lawns need to be cared for. More boxwoods, camellias, petunias and geraniums mean less poppies, sages, lupines and oaks.

When Alan Arkin signed on to "In Security," he wanted to play only one role. A motorcycle cop. "He wanted the boots, helmet, glasses and leather jacket - he wanted to look good," said Evan Beamer, who co-directed the movie along with his older brother, Adam. After the Beamers granted his wish and filming was underway, Arkin turned to them and said, "You realize this is completely ridiculous, right? There's no such thing as a 75-year-old motorcycle cop. " Adam recalled working with the senior Arkin for three or four hours, after which the assistant director called a wrap.

"He who is different from me does not impoverish me - he enriches me. Our unity is constituted in something higher than ourselves - in Man ... For no man seeks to hear his own echo, or to find his reflection in the glass. " - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry * An annual event will seek once again to promote understanding between cultures in a festive, family-friendly atmosphere Saturday. The Irvine Global Village Festival, the city's flagship event, saw more than 20,000 attendees last year.

Four up-and-coming choreographers will debut new works Saturday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre as part of the National Choreographers Initiative, now in its ninth year. The project allows audiences to get in on the ground floor to see the works of up-and-coming choreographers, which are developed over the course of three weeks in a supportive environment in which they can feel free to experiment, Artistic Director Molly Lynch said. As is the case each year, four choreographers were selected to debut new works in this year's showcase: Wendy Seyb, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Thang Dao and Melissa Barak.

Hand-colored flags lined the walls and cut-outs of people of different nationalities decorated the stage for a performance celebrating the community's diverse dance and musical heritage. Paularino Elementary School hosted its annual Multicultural Night on Friday with homemade food, and student and professional performances that crossed a spectrum of the world. "We want each child to be proud and understand their unique background," said interim Principal Bonnie Swann. "Paularino is a salad bowl.

He loved lists, so let's make one in his honor. The late John Leonard was brilliant, witty, earnest, brave, erudite, stubborn, poetic and totally smitten by literature. I never met him, but I can swear to the foregoing because I read his work for many years and — as I now know — his work reflected his soul. I know that because "Reading for My Life: Writings, 1958-2008" (Viking), a forthcoming collection of Leonard's superb essays and book reviews, includes a portrait of the writer.

IRVINE - The first photo book cataloging the historic Irvine Ranch captures a "sense of freedom," Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren said at a book-release party last week. The 208-page book, "Southern California Coastal Mountains to the Sea: A Celebration of Open Space Land on the Historic Irvine Ranch," by American West photographer David R. Stoecklein was published by the Irvine Co. as part of the Newport Beach-based developer's effort to preserve 50,000 acres of the 93,000-acre Irvine Ranch.

IRVINE - Resting on his bicycle between two fellow riders, Newport Beach resident Jeff Yeargain waited and watched with apparent contempt as more than 500 people marched across his path toward a major Irvine intersection. Stopped with his two friends, a businessman from Costa Mesa and a retired attorney from Irvine, Yeargain waited at Alton Parkway on the canal's riding path for the Occupy Wall Street movement's latest crop to pass by. "They just want something for nothing," Yeargain said.

Get those tastebuds ready - the Taste of Newport is back in town. Now in its 23rd year, the annual food, beverage and music fest features more than 30 participating restaurants and 15 wineries. Live entertainment is included in the admission fee. Headlining this year are Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, the Barenaked Ladies, Taylor Dayne and ABBA: The Concert. The event uses an innovative system where patrons can put any dollar value on a eScrip card and purchase tastes with it, which range in price from $1 to $7. Any unused value at the end of the event can be refunded at an eScrip booth prior to departure.

COSTA MESA - Southern California residents flocked to the Orange County Fair in record-breaking numbers and ate their way through a heart-stopping number of deep-fried delights this summer. The fair attracted an unprecedented 1,400,280 visitors, shattering the attendance record set last year. "My belief is the 2011 edition of the fair establishes that the O.C. Fair has perfected the formula for staging a successful fair," O.C. Fair & Event Center Chief Executive and President Steven Beazley said in a statement.

Spring has finally arrived. The sun is shining, and here in Southern California that means gorgeous wildflower blooms. Our state is home to an amazing array of plant diversity, ranging from redwoods to palms, pines to succulents. California is one of the most botanically rich regions in the world. With this amazing diversity comes threats to our native plants, especially through urbanization. As more homes are built, more lawns need to be cared for. More boxwoods, camellias, petunias and geraniums mean less poppies, sages, lupines and oaks.