Toys

Andrew Glazer TECATE, Mexico -- He used to covertly run heroine, cocaine and marijuana into the United States across this same border. He carried a bottle of tequila in his hand, which he took slugs of to help numb his nerves as he scurried through the hills, ducking behind boulders and scrub, avoiding border patrol. But that was more than 20 years ago. On Wednesday, Pastor Jose Ramon Coronado of Costa Mesa's La Vina Church -- joined by seven volunteers -- carried a stash of more than 4,000 stuffed monkeys, lions and chickens, as well as blankets, sneakers and packets of cereal, back to Tecate.

Amara Aguilar Bright red futuristic robots and tiny army-green toy soldiers stand ready for battle on a bed of sand in Chris Burden's "A Tale of Two Cities," a new installation on exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach. The installation, which runs through Feb. 11, features a miniature reconstruction of two cities using more than 5,000 toys from America, Europe and Japan. It depicts the 25th century the way Burden imagines it will be--a world returned to a system of feudal states.

Paul Saitowitz Joel Rubenstein has never been much for following conventions. Tell him he can't do something and that'll drive him even harder. Tell him there's not enough time and he'll just laugh. After being told he'd never walk following a polio diagnosis as a child, he went to therapy and eventually beat the odds. He's been involved with more committees, boards and volunteer groups than seems possible and not even non-Hodgkins Lymphoma can break his spirit.

Alicia Robinson With the holiday shopping season underway, Newport-Mesa's retail stores are seeing firsthand that consumer confidence is on the rise. Shoppers are looking for a variety of gifts at a wide range of prices, but retailers said one popular area this year has been luxury items. "When there's troubled times, people like to buy something to make them feel good," said Jay Smith, store manager at Dooney & Bourke, which sells designer handbags and accessories.

Santas here, Santas there, Santa Clauses everywhere. But then, 'tis the season, no? On Thursday, Santa was sighted rumbling past Newport Beach City Hall in a California National Guard Humvee. Not to worry. Santa hasn't been drafted. He's way too old and even with his glasses, he can barely see a reindeer's butt in front of his nose, which it often is. This particular Santa happened to be our very own Newport Beach Mayor Don Webb, who was waving and smiling and "ho-ho-ho-ing" as part of Operation Christmas for Our Troops -- an annual toy drive for local military families.

Lolita Harper Anthony Blake misses the snow. Once the ground was covered, it was time to go Christmas tree shopping, decorate the house and head to the malls to buy the kids presents. "The snow always puts me in the Christmas spirit," said Blake, the father of two young boys. But snow is not the only thing missing this year. Blake's young family has no home to decorate and no money to buy presents. Instead of planning the usual yuletide feast, they are wondering where their next meal will come from.

SUNDAY '10 or Less Festival' at OCC Orange Coast College's Student Repertory Theatre will stage short plays directed by students. Shows will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12. A 2:30 p.m. show will be performed on Nov. 13. The shows are in the Drama Lab Studio Theatre at OCC, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. For more information, call (714) 432-5880 or go to http://www.occtickets.com. Hope Gala Boys Hope Girls Hope of Southern California celebrates its 14th annual Evening of HOPE starting at 4 p.m. with cocktails.

Send AROUND TOWN items to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (949) 646-4170; or by calling (949) 574-4268. Include the time, date and location of the event, as well as a contact phone number. A complete listing is available at o7 http://www.dailypilot.comf7 . TODAY The Costa Mesa Senior Center will host a Health Expo from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, 695 W. 19th St. Participants can receive service including pneumonia shots, health screenings and speak with HMO representatives.

Andrew Edwards The name is a tongue twister. The store is like a giant toy box. Gary and Diane Naumann opened the fourth branch of Toy Boat Toy Boat Toy Boat last Tuesday at Fashion Island. The store is filled with tricycles, dolls, trucks and pirate ships. "We carry just about everything -- we have Mattel; we have Hasbro; but we have a lot of specialty toys," Gary Naumann said. Some favorite toys at the store, the Naumanns said, are the bright plastic Bruder trucks that are stacked near the doorway.