Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez, Assistant City Manager Cecilia Gallardo Daly, Deputy City Manager Alma Reyes and City staff attended the 27th annual Estrella Awards, hosted by the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (OCHCC).

This special event brings together leaders and representatives from across Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego counties to support the Chamber’s mission to advance and celebrate the Hispanic community.

The Estrella Awards honor outstanding contributions across several key categories, including Small Business, International Business, Education, Community Service, the Viola Myre OC Volunteer of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

This year’s celebration highlighted the impactful work being done across sectors and reaffirmed the community’s collective commitment to growth, diversity and excellence.

The City of Costa Mesa's Earth Day and Arbor Day events are almost here. 

Come join us for a day of education and fun FREE activities at Costa Mesa City Hall lawn on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be giveaways, games, food, raffle prizes, and fun for the entire family.

In addition on Earth Day, the City is partnering with OC Waste & Recycling to offer Costa Mesa residents a free drive-through Compost Giveaway

Pick up your prefilled bags of STA Certified compost starting at 10 a.m. until supplies last.

Limit of three bags per household, please bring proof of residency.

Finally, we will be celebrating Arbor Day on April 26 as well and we will be planting trees in Balearic Park from 10 a.m. to 12 noon as Costa Mesa continues its reputation as a Tree City USA.

Join us for another Community Preparedness Town Hall on Tuesday, April 29 at the Estancia High School Library at 5:30 p.m.

Learn key strategies to keep you and your family safe, and hear from our Emergency Services Manager, Delcie Hynes, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue, Costa Mesa Police Department, and Mesa Water.

This is a great opportunity to learn how to stay prepared as a community.

The City is accepting written comments on the proposed Consolidated Plan for future housing during the public review period (April 18, 2025 through May 20, 2025) and also at the public hearing on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

The Consolidated Plan includes a strategic plan for addressing housing and community development needs of the City, which are intended to guide the City’s use of CDBG and HOME funds over a five-year period. The Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plans are required for the City to continue receiving these federal funds.

The City began its consolidated planning process in September 2024 by soliciting feedback from residents at the Senior Center Knowledge and Health Fair Expo, holding two community meetings, one stakeholder meeting, and launching a survey to learn how residents would like to spend future grant funds for housing and community development.

The draft plan will help determine the use of U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Act (HOME) funds based on the required needs assessment and market analysis and feedback received through the public participation process. 

For more information, please visit our website here.

The 5.2 magnitude earthquake that hit in San Diego on Monday April 14 is a reminder to check in and make sure you are your family are ready and prepared for the next one. Here are some tips:

• Practice earthquake safety: Drop, Cover, and Hold On—with your family, coworkers, or neighbors.
• Secure your home: Bolt it to the foundation, and anchor heavy furniture/appliances.
• Plan ahead: Create a family communication plan that includes an out-of-state contact and a meeting spot if separated.
• Build your kit: Stock up on food, water and essentials for everyone (including pets) for several days.

Stay informed by registering at AlertOC.com or text your ZIP code to 888-777 to sign up for Nixle alerts.

On Friday night, April 11, at the Costa Mesa Police Department’s (CMPD) DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Harbor Boulevard south of Sunflower Avenue, a total of 469 drivers were contacted and yielded 13 field evaluations for impairment, four DUI arrests, 32 citations issued for driver’s license related violations, and 15 vehicles were impounded.

We thank all those who drove through and were patient, a total of 938 vehicles passed through this checkpoint.

Checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by distributing educational information and by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.

CMPD is committed to reducing injuries and fatalities on the road due to impairment. Help us keep the streets safe for everyone, don’t drive under the influence and obey all traffic laws.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This week was National Telecommunicator’s Appreciation Week.

The dispatchers that answer calls for Costa Mesa handle both Police and Fire & Rescue calls as well as City Administration.

Watch this video of the team in action.

In 2024, they received 169,332 emergency and non-emergency calls.

They are a busy team and the Costa Mesa Police Department is so thankful for them.

Dispatchers are the first first-responders and heroes behind the scenes. They answer our most urgent call and immediately dispatch help 24/7, year round.

Ready to answer the call? Now is the time to step up and join our team as a dispatcher. Hiring incentives up to $15,000. We

offer competitive pay and an excellent benefits package (including health, dental, vision, and life insurance).

We provide paid training to ensure you have the skills and knowledge to succeed in this vital role. We are seeking detail-oriented individuals who are skilled at multitasking in a fast-paced environment to fill the role of Senior Public Safety Dispatcher/Public Safety Dispatcher.

Apply today at costamesaca.gov/jobs.

This week was National Animal Control Officers Appreciation Week.

The Costa Mesa Police Department’s Animal Control Officers are dedicated professionals with a soft spot for animals.

They are honored to serve their community humans and furry friends alike.

Thank you to Animal Services Unit Supervisor Cattouse, and Animal Control Officers Evans, Reeker, and Taylor. Your hard work makes a difference, and we appreciate you all.

Congratulations to Senior Officer Aaron Thomas Jr. on his well-deserved retirement.

After 41 years of service, he’ll be remembered for an outstanding legacy in Patrol, Field Training, Traffic Bureau, Detective Bureau and the South Coast Plaza Detail.

Officer Osborne was recognized on Wednesday, April 16, as a 2024 Officer of the Year for his exceptional efforts leading to the recovery of stolen vehicles and the arrest of vehicle theft suspects

He received the award at the 35th annual Orange County Auto Theft Advisory Committee (ATAC) Banquet.

Congratulations to Officer Osborne, who continues to do outstanding work daily. His focus and dedication to serving the community helps keep Costa Mesa safe.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue recently placed our four newest ambulances into service, enhancing emergency medical response and transport for the citizens of Costa Mesa.

These modern units represent a significant step forward in our continued effort to provide the highest level of care and service to our community.

Bringing these ambulances online was no small task—it was a collective effort, led by Assistant Fire Chief of Operations Jason Pyle and our CMFR Apparatus Committee and our Ambulance Build and Outfitting Teams.

The effort was led by Captains Brent Turner and Steve Cathey, and key involvement from Firefighter/Paramedics Kyle Brosamer, Jimmy Grovom, and Craig Bates, along with Captains Travis Johnson & Captain Justin Horner, Engineers Luke Anderson & Harrison Schwab, Firefighter/Paramedic Mark Martinez, and Firefighter Dylan Unger among others. 

In addition, there a number of inter-departmental partners who played instrumental roles, namely City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, the City Fleet Services Department (Evan Rodriguez, Jake Mangus, Carlos Henriquez, Ruben Salas, Mike Tucker, and Rob Ryan), Finance (Carol Molina and Cathleen Serrano), Telecommunications/Emergency Communications Center (Tommy Thompson and Rick Alvarado), and numerous dedicated individuals across various departments.

“Providing the necessary and appropriate emergency infrastructure, resources, and tools for our professional firefighters is absolutely essential in providing the highest level of emergency care and service for the community,” shared Fire Chief Dan Stefano, “We are grateful beyond words for our internal leadership, hard work, and expertise, in addition to our highly collaborative inter-departmental partnerships who all played key roles in bringing our newest apparatus into service! In addition, I share our gratitude with our City Council, who continue to consistently demonstrate placing a highest priority on public safety in Costa Mesa!” 

These ambulances are now deployed in four of our six fire stations. Stations 1, 3, and 5 are staffed with two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), while Rescue Ambulance 84, operating out of Fire Station 4, is staffed with two Firefighter/Paramedics.

This past week, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue hosted students from the Costa Mesa Downtown Aquatic Center for an educational tour and experience of Fire Station No. 3.

The tour was led by the talented crew of Fire Captain Mike Hurd, Engineer Scott Purcell, Firefighter/Paramedics Morgan Cain and Taylor Scavo, along with Firefighter/Paramedic (candidate) Jeffrey Guzman, who provided an engaging backstage tour of our Park Avenue Fire Station.

In addition to CMFR Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors was also in attendance to support the event. 

The tour, which featured over 25 students and city staff from the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department, was part of the first “Camp Splashdown” event for the aquatic center.

The tour highlighted Costa Mesa Lion’s Park neighborhood fire station, fire apparatus, and firefighters, who shared and answered a range of questions regarding the career and life of a firefighter

Recently, Costa Mesa CERT, along with Newport Beach CERT and Huntington Beach CERT, participated in an annual Earthquake and Tsunami disaster drill, which rotates between host agency/city each year.

This year, the drill was hosted and developed by the Newport Beach CERT team, led by coordinator David Gibson, with assistance from Huntington Beach CERT (coordinator Carol Burtis) and Costa Mesa (CMFR Fire Protection Specialist/CERT coordinator Ryan Meadors). 

CMFR had strong representation from our Costa Mesa community volunteers, and supported with participation by CMFR Fire Protection Specialist Ben Castillo, and CMFR Code Enforcement Officer Luke Senger, who assisted with this event. 

This year, the drill took place at Newport Beach Fire Station #7, which also serves as their primary training facility. 

The drill was one of the largest exercises to date with these three cities, and included more than 100 CERT volunteers, lifeguards, and fire and rescue personnel from across three agencies.

This drill featured fire extinguisher and utilities training, trailer/field communication training, light search and rescue training, and disaster medical triage training which was designed to enhance the skills of all volunteers.

Volunteers across all agencies had the chance to participate in every module, which sharpened their skills and enhanced their ability to perform the essential tasks of a CERT volunteer.

This past weekend, the Orange County Fairgrounds hosted the annual Imaginology Event, with this year’s theme, “Step into the World of Steam,” which highlighted various science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics careers. 

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue had an impressive presence, providing a range of personnel to support the event which included all of CMFR’s newest Probationary Firefighters (Jake Molinaro, Kaikea Roe, Josh De Bono, Sean Bauer, Ridge Durling, Zach Phipps, Joey Pillon, and Kyle McCarty).

These new firefighters supported the lead efforts of CMFR’s Community Risk Reduction Team (Fire Protection Specialist Ryan Meadors, Fire Protection Specialist Ben Castillo, Code Enforcement Officer Luke Senger). 

The event hosted just shy of 20,000 attendees and included hundreds of organizations with the shared goal of displaying a wide range of future career pathways to the kids and attendees.

Congratulations to David Smith, an extraordinary volunteer and passionate community gardener, who was honored with the California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) District 10 Volunteer Merit Award.

Smith’s dedication goes beyond his own garden plot—he’s been a source of inspiration, sharing innovative ideas and encouraging gardeners of all levels.

Thanks to his hard work, our community garden is a vibrant, thriving space where neighbors come together, learn, and grow as one.

A big congratulations to David for this well-deserved recognition.

In celebration of World Art Day, Costa Mesa’s Art Specialist Laurette Garner and Multimedia Specialist/Social Media Coordinator Mat Vido created a reel to highlight Costa Mesa’s free Art Walk audio tour.

Explore one-of-a-kind art creations you can only find here in Costa Mesa and learn about the world-renowned artists behind them. With so many Instagram-worthy sights, this tour is the perfect backdrop for your next photo op.

Come experience Costa Mesa’s Art Walk and see why we’re known as the City of the Arts! To learn more visit travelcostamesa.com and click “Tour our Art Walk."

To watch the reel click here.

Get free tickets to amazing shows at the Segerstrom Center Campus, today.

The City of Costa Mesa offers free tickets, to select shows, as part of our Arts and Culture Master Plan initiative: Free at Segerstrom Center Campus program.

We have four more shows to give tickets to, for this year. Check our website to access the link to register individually for each show.

Click here to learn more.

Spring swim lessons make sure that it will be a splash-tastic summer.

Whether you or your little one are just starting out or looking to refine your skills, we’ve got the perfect class for you. From building water confidence to mastering technique, our lessons make learning fun, safe, and exciting for all ages.

Looking for a fitness class instead? Sign up for our Adult Aqua Aerobics classes for a low-impact, high-energy workout that helps to build strength, improve cardiovascular health, and increase flexibility.

Limited spots available, grab yours at www.cmclassesonline.com or in-person at 1860 Anaheim Ave, Costa Mesa.

Unsure what level is the right fit for your swimmer? Call (714) 327-7564 to schedule a free and quick Level Placement Test.

From April 7–11, the Downtown Aquatic Center hosted the inaugural Camp Splashdown— a weeklong, action-packed program that gave 24 children from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living the chance to dive into life-saving swim and water safety lessons.

Offered at no cost during NMUSD’s spring break, Camp Splashdown is part of the Aquatics Program’s new Swim Safe Initiative and was made possible through a dynamic partnership with Hoag Hospital’s Project Wipeout and the Ben Carlson Foundation.

In addition to their daily swimming and water safety lessons, campers participated in an interactive sunscreen demo hosted by the Hoag Family Cancer Institute.

They also had an exciting beach and ocean safety presentation led by the Newport Beach Lifeguards, and a field trip to Fire Station #3, where the Costa Mesa Fire Department showed them how firefighters and EMS teams spring into action during emergencies.

The week wrapped up with a celebratory splash down an inflatable slide, followed by a recognition ceremony where each camper received a certificate of accomplishment, a goodie bag (courtesy of Hoag), and a personalized success card highlighting the water safety skills they mastered.

Bring your swimsuit and sunscreen to the Downtown Aquatic Center on Saturday, May 17 for a free, family-friendly event focused on keeping everyone safe in and around the water.

Whether you're a seasoned swimmer or just dipping your toes in, the first-ever Safe Splash Bash offers something for everyone—kids, parents, and caregivers alike.

Enjoy interactive safety demonstrations, mini lessons, hands-only CPR basics, lifeguard meet-and-greets, and fun activities for all ages. Drop-ins will be welcome as space allows but advanced registration is highly recommended to secure your spot.

Let’s work together to build a safer, smarter, and more confident Costa Mesa community around water. Don’t miss the splash. 

Costa Mesa Senior Center staff facilitated a fun, hands on DIY push pin cushion class where students learned to make their own functional and stylish push pin cushion.

This easy-to-make project was perfect for those who wanted a cute and practical solution to store push pins while adding a personal touch to their workspace.

The Costa Mesa Senior Center had a rootin’-tootin’ good time at our Western-themed Volunteer Appreciation Lunch.

Our incredible volunteers were treated to a day full of hearty cowboy grub, boot-scootin’ line dancing, and all the wild west vibes you could ask for—bandanas, boots, and big smiles all around.

It was a hoedown packed with laughter, gratitude, and plenty of cheers for the folks who help make our center feel like home. We couldn’t do it without y’all—thank you for everything you do!

Marsha is a 1-year-old, female, Cattle Dog, Australian (Red Heeler) / Mixed Breed, known as a bundle of energy and joy!

Ms. Marsha is described as a playful, spunky pup who loves to run, jump, and explore her surroundings, making every moment with her an adventure.

Her friendly and outgoing personality means she’s quick to make new friends—both human and furry.

Marsha is up to date on her vaccines and is spayed. Marsha is located at The Orphanage Costa Mesa Adoption Center 1536 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Tues.-Fri. 12pm-7pm and Sat.-Sun. 12pm-5pm.

For other adoptable pets, visit, pricelesspetrescue.org.