Surfrider Foundation

There’s more than one way to help the environment, and this Sunday, beers, bikinis and music will come together to do just that. In what could make for a marathon day of fun, the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation is joining up with popular clothing and sports companies and the Chronic Cantina to host a fundraiser to help the nonprofit keep our oceans clean. “The owners, we love doing these events,” said Keith Scheinberg, co-owner of the Chronic Cantina in Costa Mesa’s Triangle Square.

. FOR THE RECORD: Monday?s article, ?Not a typical fundraiser,? misidentified the U.S. secretary of commerce as a state agency. . . . . . . . . Music blasted, fashion models walked the runway, and grown men and women sat in a kiddie pool at a Surfrider Foundation fundraiser at Triangle Square on Sunday. Chronic Cantina restaurant and bar took over the entire second story courtyard of Triangle Square, cordoning it off so they could set up couches, umbrellas and tents for surf industry sponsors and food vendors.

Kiehl’s, a cosmetics shop, will host a benefit tonight for the Newport Beach chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. The Blue Party is co-sponsored by Ocean Magazine and will feature an appearance by members of the Billabong Pro Surf Team, a fashion show and raffles. The event is from 6 to 8 p.m. at the store, on the second floor of South Coast Plaza between Macy’s and the Carousel Court. All Kiehl’s products will sell at a 10% discount, while the store will donate 10% of all net sales from the evening to the charity.

June Casagrande The Surfrider Foundation has found a way to turn vice into virtue. People who come to Margaritaville on Saturday for the concoctions will get to take part in a second guilty pleasure: "Casino Night." It's more innocent than it seems. The players of the Vegas-style games will compete for donated prizes instead of cash. At the same time, they will be helping one of Newport-Mesa's favorite causes. "It's all to help benefit water quality in the area," said Ray Halowski , a Surfrider Foundation spokesman, who concocted the event with Margaritaville general manager Steve Pickford.

COSTA MESA — The Living Room Salon and Art Gallery will turn into a red-carpet hotspot tonight with a host of A-list celebrities coming to support the Surfrider Foundation. The salon's third annual Evening Extravaganza,  which goes from 6 to 10 p.m., will host celebrities Paris Hilton, Jillian Barberie, Molly Sims, Kevin and Christine Costner — personal friends of salon owner Lacey Cammarata — and the cast of "Laguna Beach," among others, and feature a celebrity poker tournament, a fashion show and live entertainment, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Surfrider Foundation.

GETTING INVOLVED runs periodically in the Daily Pilot on a rotating basis. For information on adding your organization to this list, call (949) 574-4298. SPEAK UP NEWPORT A nonprofit organization that promotes the social welfare by educating the public and improving local government in Newport Beach holds monthly meetings the second Wednesday of each month at the Newport Beach Yacht Club, 1099 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m., and meetings begin at 6 p.m. Free.

Andrew Edwards A judge on Wednesday ruled that the owner of a popular Mariner's Mile restaurant that closed in January could stay on the property despite his landlord's efforts to evict him. The case was heard in Judge Michael Brenner's Santa Ana courtroom Monday and Wednesday. James Bellino, owner of Margaritaville Mexican Cantina, declined to comment after the ruling and said he would release a written statement today. Bellino's attorney, Michael York, could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

Andrew Edwards It was a small start, but it was also a fun ride, with hopefully many more miles to go. The Margaritaville Mexican Cantina on Coast Highway was transformed into a biker bar Sunday when 20 motorcycle riders rolled their chrome-plated beasts into the parking lot at the end of the inaugural Ride for Waves fundraiser -- a ride through Orange County to collect money for the Newport Beach and Laguna chapters...

It was in his own backyard, but he knew nothing about it. When filmmaker Rich Reid spoke with his engineering buddy and Surfrider Foundation member Paul Jenkin, together they realized that the Ventura River was the lifeblood of their county and their neighbors, and few understand its importance. So the two set out make a film about the river and its watershed, and how important it is to residents. “Watershed Revolution” will appear this weekend at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

On the Orange County coast there are only a few rugged spots left — where the cliff falls into the Pacific or the beach is buffered by sage, not homes. One of those spots is Lower Trestles. This beach and surf break near San Clemente is even more special than the rest because of its world-class waves and its exotic (for Orange County) trek to the beach. It’s down a dirt path, across live railroad tracks and through the marshlands. Now, some locals fear that their special experience at Lowers will be ruined by conservationists, environmentalists and architects who want to build a new trail and to make the railroad crossing safe.

Last week I read a Orange County Local News Network article about Trestles. The gist was that the estimated 300,000 people that visit Trestles each year have to make a risky railroad track crossing and a coalition had been formed to construct a safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. Now I’ve never heard of surfers asking for anything to be made safer so was immediately skeptical and figured there had to be more to it. The “coalition” was identified as the Open Architecture Network, the San Onofre Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation, and they had opened a competition for architectural designs of the crossing structure.

Despite the great waves in Newport, Huntington and other Orange Coast spots, many surfers head south on big days to a famed break, Trestles. Part of the lure of surfing Trestles, which is near San Clemente and San Onofre State Beach, is its path to the beach. Surfers and beachgoers wind through marshlands and undeveloped coastal beauty for at least 10 minutes. Some trails are paved, others are not. Ultimately, they meet the coastal railroad tracks that give the break its name.

Braving soggy weather and toting metal trash pickers and plastic bags, more than 50 volunteers slogged through the streets of Newport Beach on Saturday to pick up trash out of gutters and on local beaches. The effort was part of the group ZeroTrash Newport’s fourth monthly First Saturday beach and street cleanup. “It’s pretty simple. We’re trying to promote personal responsibility,” said Eric Chevalier, one of the organizers of the Saturday cleanup effort.

There’s more than one way to help the environment, and this Sunday, beers, bikinis and music will come together to do just that. In what could make for a marathon day of fun, the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation is joining up with popular clothing and sports companies and the Chronic Cantina to host a fundraiser to help the nonprofit keep our oceans clean. “The owners, we love doing these events,” said Keith Scheinberg, co-owner of the Chronic Cantina in Costa Mesa’s Triangle Square.

Banning Ranch anti-development activist and Costa Mesa small businessman Chris Bunyan, and Planning Commissioner and Daily Pilot columnist Jim Righeimer announced Tuesday that they will run for Costa Mesa’s City Council, three days before the filing deadline. With their declarations, the men became the eighth and ninth candidates to challenge for the three vacant seats on the council. Also, Bill Sneen, business executive and husband of former Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board member Linda Sneen, became the first candidate to file his nomination papers.

NEWPORT BEACH Boaters and Harbor Patrol discuss racing permits A plan aimed at easing tensions between sailboat enthusiasts and the Newport Beach Harbor Patrol by issuing permits for boat races is gaining momentum. The permits would allow boaters to exceed speed limits in the harbor during races. The Newport Beach Harbor Commission voted last week to support the plan. Harbormaster Deana Bergquist said she wants more information before forming an opinion on the proposal.