Victoria

COSTA MESA — The College Park Cougars did not like the taste of defeat in their mouths after losing their first-round game, and a 9-1 win over Victoria Thursday afternoon had a sweet flavor to it at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex. The game started slowly for each team, but as the afternoon sun warmed, so did the Cougars in the boys' third- and fourth-grade gold division game of the Daily Pilot Cup. There is a one-point penalty for a winning margin of five goals or more, according to the Pilot Cup rules, but College Park was happy nevertheless.

BOYS   5-6 Gold: Rea Final: Rea 6, Mariners 1   5-6 Silver: Lincoln Final: Lincoln 2, Andersen 1   5-6 Bronze: Killybrooke Final: Killybrooke 3, Wilson 2   3-4 Gold: Carden Hall Final: Carden Hall 7, Whittier 1   3-4 Silver: St. Joachim Final: St. Joachim 4, Mariners Christian 2   3-4 Bronze: Lincoln Final: Lincoln 5, Victoria 0 ...

In the ongoing debate over illegal immigration, it is often noted that the schools on the Westside of Costa Mesa are directly suffering from the influx of non-English-speaking children. Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials have long sought remedies to this ongoing educational challenge, but in the future they need only look to one of their own — Victoria Elementary School Principal Judy Laakso. Laakso, along with Kaiser Elementary Principal Stacy Holmes, was presented with the county's outstanding contribution to education award this year for her work improving the academics and test scores at that school.

Deirdre Newman Victoria Fry had to grow up fast. Taken away from her parents when she was 2 because of their problems with alcohol and drugs, Victoria, now 11, was raised by her grandmother in Newport Beach. Last year, her father succumbed to his heroin addiction, leaving Victoria with an indelible impression of the devastating effects of drug abuse. So when Victoria's sixth-grade class was asked to write essays about why they should lead drug-free lives as part of the DARE.

Bryce Alderton The opportunity to reach the quarterfinals of the Daily Pilot Cup's fifth- and sixth-grade girls Silver division fueled players such as Eastbluff's Hailey Senske. Heading into Eastbluff's game against Victoria Thursday at Costa Mesa High, Senske, competing in her third Daily Pilot Cup, had yet to play for a team that reached the quarterfinals with an opportunity to win a division championship. But Senske and Eastbluff teammates can rest assured following a 4-0 victory that clinched the pool and vaulted the team into Saturday's quarterfinals.

It is interesting to note that "preserving the quality of life of residential areas, schools and parks" is one of City Hall's stated major goals in removing the Gisler Avenue and 19th Street bridges from the County Master Plan of Highways ("Few steps have been taken in bridge battle," Saturday). Sounds good. One aspect of this is more ironic than interesting, as Victoria Street, which would undoubtedly be part of the "solution" to eliminating the bridges, is in fact more than 90% residential.

With the news about the $13.5 million in budget cuts slated for Newport-Mesa schools, there have been some bright spots on the academic landscape: The same two elementary schools once again have won the Title I Academic Achievement Award. Test scores of students in second through sixth grades at Victoria and Killybrooke elementary schools showed “consistent marked improvement” in reading and math, principals said Friday, acknowledging how proud they were of their teachers, students and parents.

COSTA MESA ? Alba Barrios is making the most out of a unique situation. A third-grader on the Adams Elementary girls fifth- and sixth-grade Silver Division team, Barrios is happy with her new surroundings. Barrios scored the first goal in Adams' 3-0 Daily Pilot Cup victory over Victoria at Costa Mesa High on Friday. "My favorite part was when my friends scored a goal and they were really happy," Barrios said. "I got to meet new friends and they start to get to know me, so I have new friends to play with at school."

Pat Neisser As our intrepid group of mushroom seekers slogged up the moss-covered slope, our cleated boots sank into the rich damp earth, and we breathed in the piney aroma of the forest surrounding us. We were guests at the charming English hotel the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Marina, in Victoria, Vancouver Island, and were led by our tour planner, mycologist Joel Bridle from the hotel. The search for edible mushrooms was an unusual experience. We found morels and learned about other edible and not-so-good mushrooms, as we climbed up to view an old lighthouse.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Vanguard 72, Victoria BC 62 LA MIRADA - Nicole Ballestero scored 20 points to help the undefeated Lions improve to 9-0 after the Biola Holiday Classic victory Saturday. Esther Timmermans scored 14 points, Maya Kennedy had 10 points and Maree Drennan grabbed 12 rebounds for Vanguard. Victoria BC is 6-6. * Ventura 74, Orange Coast 58 VENTURA - Michelle Angel had 18 points for the Pirates in the semifinal game of the Ventura tournament Saturday at Ventura College.

Piecemakers Village in Mesa Verde will soon serve the 225 congregants of Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church. The Unitarian Universalist Church is expected to leave its current home at 1259 Victoria St. and set up shop at 2845 E. Mesa Verde Drive in January, according to Katherine L. Martin, president of OCUUC. "It's really an exciting time for us," Martin said. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, the church will host a community open house at its new location, inviting community members to see their vision for the space, with blueprints available to view.

It looked like a small cup of light-orange goo. Most of the students seemed hesitant to try it. But not Erick Tadeo. The 8-year-old immediately took a heaping spoonful of pumpkin parfait, pronounced it was good and gave it two thumbs up. Jill Wooten's kindergarten and Tomi Scofield's mostly first-grade special day classes at Victoria Elementary School in Costa Mesa got cooking Wednesday morning as part of the Network for a Healthy California's mission...

Nearly 65 students on Wednesday celebrated the final day of Victoria Elementary School's first summer reading program. The six-week program, led by Principal Linda Tenno and the school's staff, urged students to continue reading over summer vacation to keep reading skills consistent from the end of one school year to the beginning of the next. According to Tenno, when students returned to school last year, their reading levels declined due to lack of reading over the summer. "We don't have the opportunity to send students to summer school," she said.

Sitting criss-cross on the floor, four kindergartners each placed a hand on the double bass towering over them to feel the vibrations as it was played. "Wow! How does that feel?" asked Pacific Symphony bassist Doug Basye. "Does it tickle?" Basye gave a lesson Thursday morning to a class of kindergartners at Victoria Elementary School on how the double bass works, the different sections of the orchestra and the works of American composer Aaron Copland. It was all part of Class Act, a partnership between the Costa Mesa-based Pacific Symphony and schools, to connect students with musicians and introduce them to a composer.

COSTA MESA - With big smiles and waving hands, Victoria Elementary School's fifth- and sixth-grade student council members welcomed a delegation of high school students from Australia. "I'm so excited," said Arielle Esparza,10, as she waited for the Aussies. "I might explode. " Victoria Elementary was one of the stops Monday morning for a group of seven students from Hoppers Crossing Secondary College in Wyndham, a Melbourne suburb, during their nearly monthlong visit as part of the Sister City Education Exchange program between Costa Mesa and Wyndham.

COSTA MESA - Newport Harbor High School students Samantha Small and Olivia Taddeo have always dreamed of meeting an "Angel. " The two fans got their chance Tuesday at the official debut of South Coast Plaza's remolded Victoria's Secret, which featured an appearance by Angel model Miranda Kerr. "We have watched the fashion show every year and even dreamed of being in the show one day," said Samantha, 17. "Everything they make is so beautiful. " As much as the two admire all the models, they agreed that Kerr is their favorite.

COSTA MESA — Jewels take center stage at South Coast Plaza this month with the reopening of Cartier and the modeling of the $2.5-million jewel-studded Fantasy bra at the newly remodeled Victoria's Secret, according to a news release. The expanded Cartier reopens Nov. 22. The boutique, on the second floor near Macy's, expanded from 2,831 square feet to 6,008 square feet, establishing the boutique, which specializes in watches and other upscale items, as the largest Cartier store in the nation.

COSTA MESA - Victoria Elementary School students were replaced Friday night with creatures of all kinds. Spiderman, a witch, policewoman, hula girls, Frankenstein and even Harry Potter came out to the campus for the school's annual Fall Festival. Families did festive crafts, played spooky games and bought Halloween-themed cakes, cupcakes and cookies. They also ate chili and corn bread, hot dogs, and tamales. Lots and lots of tamales. "The tamales are the best," said Principal Linda Tenno.

COSTA MESA — The College Park Cougars did not like the taste of defeat in their mouths after losing their first-round game, and a 9-1 win over Victoria Thursday afternoon had a sweet flavor to it at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex. The game started slowly for each team, but as the afternoon sun warmed, so did the Cougars in the boys' third- and fourth-grade gold division game of the Daily Pilot Cup. There is a one-point penalty for a winning margin of five goals or more, according to the Pilot Cup rules, but College Park was happy nevertheless.