Category: Family Fun

Moving right along, so to speak!

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Candidate Forum, City Council, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Fire Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Family Fun, Home beautification, Mayor's Race, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership, Newport Mesa Unified School District, Parks & Recreation Commission, Parkway Trees, Safety & Security, School Board

Greetings, Mesa Verde!

To say that we’ve just gone through a year of hell would be an understatement! Which is why I haven’t posted as often as I otherwise would have. But here we are…March 11th marked the 1-year anniversary of the Coronavirus Pandemic. It has NOT been pleasant and many folks that I know – including Laurie and I – were infected. The good news is that nearly all of us made it through that gauntlet and we’re witnessing a huge uptick in vaccines getting into the arms of our citizens. And happily, the ‘powers that be’ have seen fit to move us into the more relaxed “Red” status where we can start returning to “normal.” And THAT is good news, indeed!

From time to time, I and many of our board members are asked, What IS Mesa Verde Community, Inc., and what do you do? These questions have been answered, but with so many moving into the neighborhood recently, and to serve as a refresher for some of our “legacy” residents, I thought I’d share a few of the things we do.

  • Host City Council/Mayor Candidate forums every other year
  • Conduct Annual Meetings featuring presenters of interest to our neighborhood
  • Advocacy
    • One Metro West
    • Bikeway & Walkability Committee’s initiatives (Tanager Drive bike trail, Canary Drive bike ramp to Fairview Park)
    • Tanager Park pool initiative
    • Small Cell tower initiative
    • Various issues with CMPD (speeders through the neighborhoods)
    • Parkway (easement) tree program (under Beautification)
  • Ongoing interaction with CMPD, CMFD and NMUSD
  • Supporter of Mesa Verde Living magazine, distributed monthly to 3,000 households in Mesa Verde
  • Manage, restore and replace Mesa Verde community signs in a timely manner
  • Redesigned community website
  • Created social media presence (Facebook, Nextdoor)
  • Community newsletters, email blasts and surveys
  • Several “Info Nights”
  • Community picnic in 2018 and 2019
  • …and so much more!

As was mentioned earlier, the pandemic created a huge distraction and one of the things that may have “fallen through the cracks” is membership in MVCI. Membership has always been voluntary, and this includes the MVCI Board of Directors. Membership dues are the lifeblood of the organization and without them, none of the activities would be possible. Dues are only $20 a year…less than a few trips to Starbucks, and we need your help so that MVCI can continue its 50+ year record of service to the community. Please join or renew today! The membership app is on this website and PayPal is available. Also, feel free to share your input with us at admin@mesaverdecommunity.org.

MVCI is continually looking for “new blood” to participate, including joining the Board of Directors and we encourage residents to get involved. I will be stepping down at the end of March, as is “President Emeritus” Bob Juneman. We haven’t been able to hold an Annual Meeting for two consecutive years due to the pandemic, but the remaining board members have agreed to remain in place until elections can be conducted. The board has also unanimously selected Robin Leffler as President.

Although I am stepping out of my role as MVCI President, I will be staying on as the organization’s technical advisor. To that end, I want to express my gratitude for all the kind words and graciousness that have been sent my way.

See you around the neighborhood! ~Terry

 

President’s Corner — July, 2019

Posted on by Terry Wall in Candidate Forum, City Council, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Fire Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Family Fun, Home beautification, Mayor's Race, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership, Neighborhood Survey, Newport Mesa Unified School District, NMUSD, Parks & Recreation Commission, Parkway Trees, Retail Shopping, Safety & Security, School Board, School District, Tanager Park

 

Hello Mesa Verde, welcome to the dog days of summer. Every year about this time I wonder why we haven’t installed air conditioning in our home. Then, about the time I get ready to make the call, the beautiful Fall weather arrives, and another year goes by.

On occasion I am asked, “what exactly is Mesa  Verde?”  Our Board of Directors defines Mesa Verde as bounded by the River on the west, the 405 Freeway to the north, Harbor Blvd on the east, and the north edge of Fairview Park and the public golf course on the south, including Mesa Verde Collection, 27 Seventy Five, Longwood Greens, and Azulon. More importantly, it is our home, a wonderful community in which to enjoy our lives in comfort and harmony. A treasure to be protected and cherished. We hope you agree.

As I mentioned last month, Karla Stagman, has joined us as our Beautification Chair. Karla and her husband bought their home on Alabama Circle in 2000, and love life in our beautiful community. “I believe that with neighbors working together, Mesa Verde will continue to be one of the top neighborhoods in our area.”  Karla sees her role as an opportunity to collaborate with all of our members to bring a voice to all of Mesa Verde. As a local realtor, Karla sees the “power of true community to enhance the beauty and value of our properties.“ If we raise consciousness about community appearance, it will keep Mesa Verde economically viable and “Beautification will become a fun project.”

There is a new order of things in Costa Mesa. Last November brought a “sea change” to   how our city is governed. Our City Council increased from five to seven members. We changed from an “at large” to a six-district voting system, with an “at large” Mayor. We are finding that the costs of running a growing city are increasing faster that the revenue to pay for it, exacerbated  by the exploding unfunded pension liability, now close to $300,000,000. To quote from the 2019-2020 budget message, “The past six years have marked unparalleled prosperity for Costa Mesa and the recovery from the Great Recession has continued, becoming the longest period of economic growth in history. During that time, the City has also been faced with challenges such as addressing homeless issues and defending itself in lawsuits filed by sober living facilities.”  What this all means is that we need to be prepared for tougher times ahead and be patient.

5G technology is coming, and with it some new concerns. Our Board member and Treasurer, Carri Lang, has been “Bird dogging” this issue for us…click here to see her update and to see the actual letter sent to the City Council under my signature, click here.

Finally, as my term as President expires soon, this is my final President’s Corner. At our August Board meeting we will elect a new leader. Looking back over the past several years, the first thing that comes to mind is how fast time flies! What has our Board of Directors accomplished and how has our association grown? Let’s take a look:

~ We increased our Board from 9 to 11 members.
~ Established the position of Data Manager
~ Initiated videotaping of our annual meetings, viewable on our website HERE
~ Sponsored our traditional Candidate Forum in 2018
~ Initiated our Annual Neighborhood Picnic in 2018, continued in 2019
~ Held first public information meeting jointly with the Newport Mesa School Board and local school principals.
~ Replaced or reconditioned our Mesa Verde gateway signs
~ Advocated in support of the Tanager Drive neighbors to help arrive at an equitable solution to the proposed bike trail
~ Established a Mesa Verde Bulletin Board on our website for the use of our residents
~ Established a close working relationship with our police department to reduce speeding and traffic violations in Mesa Verde.
~ Completed several neighborhood surveys and reported results
~ Enhanced our website and broadened our social media coverage to include Facebook (check here) and Nextdoor (go here).
~ Published four newsletters, mailed to over 3000 Mesa Verde residents
~ Established our “Lifetime Membership.”
~ Initiated our Mesa Verde Volunteer Group (If you have a little extra time to devote, please consider volunteering)
~ Created our first self-guided “Water Wise Garden Tour”

Alas, my biggest disappointment is that we have not significantly increased our membership. We’ve added several new members, including seven lifetimes, but quite a few old members have not renewed. Why not? That’s a question we need to address. And, we will!

As I trust you can know, most of this costs money, and your membership dues and donations are our only source of revenue. Can you guess what I’m asking you to do? Click here and go directly to the membership app.

My thanks to our Board of Directors for  granting me the honor and privilege of serving as your President these two years, and to all of you for your support and encouraging words. A special “well done” to the tremendous help from our volunteer group.

I know that you will accord our new President your continued support.

Respectfully,
Bob

President’s Corner — May, 2019

Posted on by Terry Wall in Civic Activity, Community Action, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Fire Department, Family Fun, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership

We are pleased to welcome Charles “Rus” Purcell to our Board of Directors. Rus is a retired Geologist and has lived in Mesa Verde since 1975. Over the years he has been involved with City activities, including revamping the Mesa Verde Homeowners Association in the 1980’s. He was a participant in the TRIP Committee for Costa Mesa dealing with the Harbor Boulevard of Cars, and served on the Parks and Recreation Commission in the 90’s. Rus has been an active member of our MVCI Volunteer Group, and we look forward to putting his many talents to work for our Association.

As we approach Memorial Day, it is appropriate to remember how it all began. On May 30, 1868, General John Logan gave a Special Order to decorate the graves of their fallen comrades. Thus, Decoration Day was established, later re-named Memorial Day and declared a Federal holiday in 1971. I’m told that Harbor Lawn-Mt.Olive Memorial Park in conjunction with the Freedom Committee of Orange County always puts on a good show. This year it will be on May 27th, from 11:00-1:00. As we celebrate the day, let us thank the many service men and women who have given their lives to preserve our freedom.

Our MVCI second annual picnic is in the rearview mirror. Those who attended were treated to master BBQer Terry Wall’s burgers and dogs, the best in town. The kids were delighted when Captain Darren De Fruiter, CMFD, and his crew with their “Big Red” Fire Truck came by for a visit. With eyes big as saucers they listened to the fire fighters explain the equipment and will probably have some good stories to tell their friends who missed it. A huge thank you to Captain De Fruiter and his crew, to Brenda Emrick who arranged the visit, and to Chief Dan Stefano and the CMFD for their graciousness.

 

Those who define the seasons tell us that Summer begins on June 21st, astronomically, and June 1st, meteorologically. To me, Summer begins when the sun comes out in the morning and the days and evenings are warm. So, take your pick. Whatever, I’m ready. Ready for the beach, boating on Big Bear Lake, and maybe a little travel. How ‘bout you?

Bits and pieces from City Hall: Our newly hired City Manager, Lori Ann Farrell Harrison,
will report for duty o/a July 1st. Ms. Harrison is currently the Assistant City Manager of Huntington Beach. Also, the proposed budget for Costa Mesa for FY 2019-2020, can be viewed on the City’s website. Total budget is $173+ million, with the General fund budget at $149 million. We will be dipping into reserves for several mil next year, as unusually high costs for litigation and the new homeless shelter have strained our financial resources. Let’s hope we can get back to balancing revenues with expenses before the next downturn arrives!

I’ll wind it up here. Thank you to all our members who have paid your dues this year. We appreciate your support; it is our sole source of revenue. If you have not yet joined for this MVCI year, April 2019 – March 2020, please consider doing so now. (https://wp.me/P6Zz7F-1o)

Thanks for spending this time with us.

‘til June,
Bob.

President’s Corner — April, 2019

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, City Council, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Costa Mesa, Family Fun, Holiday Wishes, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership

I hope you all had a Happy Easter and that the Bunny was good to you. Now, as we move on into Spring, let’s talk a bit about what’s going on in Mesa Verde.

First, at our Annual Meeting in March, we elected and welcomed our newest Board member, Geri Hidalgo, as our Data Manager. And, thanks again to Bill Burke for his exciting narrative and video of his mountain climbing exploits. We gained 31 new MVCI members last fiscal year ending March 31st; 15 regular, 12 platinum, and 4 lifetime.
Our membership dues are our lifeblood, our only source of revenue, so we again solicit your support in your own membership and recruiting your friends and neighbors.

Things are moving along at “The Shops at Mesa Verde”. Carmen Twork at C. J. Segerstrom and Sons reports that Dylan Blue Nail Spa has officially opened next to the Broken Yolk Cafe. Dylan Blue is offering 30% off all their services for a limited time according to Carmen, so check,’em out.

Descanso Mexican Restaurant was just named one of Orange Coast Magazine’s Best New Restaurants. I’ve been there- it’s nice.

Negotiations are underway for the space next to Descanso’s for a new restaurant, to be announced in the coming months. Stay tuned.

Donna Stapleton presented to the MVCI board an overview of a unique musical instrument project being installed at the Mesa Verde branch of the Public Library, under the auspices of the “Friends of the Costa Mesa Library.” “Freenotes” instruments were developed by Grammy winner musician Richard Cooke in 1995 to help people of all ages experience the freedom of playing music instinctively without worrying about wrong notes. Besides being aurally pleasing, the four instruments are visually pleasing. They will be available daily and year-round. Playing music in the library/park setting will be a community-building opportunity that encourages creativity, self-confidence, stress release, curiosity, and joy. The instruments are finely tuned with carefully chosen notes that invite easy improvisation with little musical skill. To get a short sample of what this will sound like, you can watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coukN9bWh2o

“Freenotes” are being subsidized by local public and private funding and anyone interested in supporting this endeavor should contact Donna at stapleton4@sbcglobal.net.

Our Costa Mesa Fire Department sponsors the Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.), designed to aid our first responders in emergencies, and also to serve our community in a variety of other ways. This team consists of citizen volunteers, and led by the exceptionally capable and effervescent Brenda Emrick, CMFD’s Fire Protection Specialist and Community Education expert.  I had the distinct honor of serving on this team for six years, under Brenda’s leadership, and it was an exceptional and educational experience. I encourage you to check out their website www.costamesacert.org. The next class is scheduled for May 17-19. C.E.R.T. will be a hosting “Preparedness in the Park” series in the Fall and are looking for neighbors to share preparedness skills and activities. Brenda can be reached at brendaemrick@costamesaca.gov.

One Metro West is a proposed mixed commercial/residential project destined for the NW section of Costa Mesa, north of the 405 freeway and east of Harbor Blvd. The City Council has approved going forward with further study and review, and because of the size of this project, would require approval of voters at an upcoming election. At this juncture, MVCI has taken no position, pro or con, but we urge you to become familiar with this proposed project, and the effects it could have on Mesa Verde, both positive and negative. You can see a digital brochure for the development here: http://onemetrowestcm.com/ and the synopsis presented to City Council here: http://ftp.costamesaca.gov/costamesaca/council/agenda/2019/2019-03-05/NB-1-Attach-1.pdf

**SAVE THE DATE** MVCI’s second annual neighborhood picnic has now been set! The date is Saturday, May 18th and will again be on the lawn in front of the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Details will follow, so keep an eye on this website for more information.

You are always encouraged to communicate with us via our website

www.mesaverdecommunity.org, or e-mail me, bob@juneman.com.

Let us hear from you!

Best,
Bob

PRESIDENT’S CORNER — JULY 2018

Posted on by Terry Wall in Civic Activity, Community Action, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Police Department, Family Fun, Home beautification, Mesa Verde, Safety & Security

Many of you were kind enough to complete our recent survey, so I thought I would summarize the most common themes, in response to the last survey question, “What would you like to see most from MVCI?”

1. Provide information on what is going on in town, especially Mesa Verde.

2. What is being done about the homeless and the sober living facilities?

3. Organize more community activities, I.e. town halls, etc.

4. Remind residents to keep their property presentable.

5. Stop the speeding in our neighborhoods.

6. Keep us informed as to what the city council is up to.

7. Do not engage in politics.

8. What are the benefits of membership in MVCI?

9. Why is crime increasing?

10. You’re doing fine-just keep it up.

Of course, we wish all responses were #10, but then, we wouldn’t have anything left to do. Let’s look at some of these themes. #1: we will step up the pace. Please check our website, as we try to keep it fresh. www.mesaverdecommunity.org. Also, visit our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1083641171668836/), and sign up for our e-mail blast at admin@mesaverdecommunity.org. Our next semi-annual newsletter is scheduled for publication in late September. #3: we’re working on several town hall events during the Winter. We will be holding a candidate’s forum in October, our annual meeting in March, and our picnic in May.  #5: Would love to. We will notify CMPD of the concern in our community.  #7: We don’t. We are a non-political. Non-partisan association. #8: Great question! Please visit our website as to who we are and what we do.

We will work on a more persuasive statement, but keep in mind our mission statement “Inform, Protect and Beautify” Mesa Verde. These are the ends to which we strive, in our advocacy for Mesa Verde residents. Finally, #9, CMPD statistics indicate crime to actually be decreasing, but, if it happens in your neighborhood, ….. well, that’s different. We might suggest you consider forming a Neighborhood Watch group, sponsored by our Police Dept. We can help you with that.

We appreciate your participation in our survey, and we will be doing these periodically. If you have a specific problem, please contact us through our website. We will do our best to help you. We will release other survey findings in subsequent posts.

Thanks for tuning in.

Bob Juneman
President

President’s Corner — June 2018

Posted on by Terry Wall in Civic Activity, Community Action, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Fire Department, Family Fun, Mesa Verde, MVCI membership, Retail Shopping, Volunteers

Hello again, time for my June commentary.

First, thank you to our newest Lifetime Members:

                      Chris and Tracy Clevidence and David and Nancy Walden

Our Lifetime Club is growing. Please refer to the MEMBERSHIP LIST posting as of June 1st. There was a considerable drop off from the 2017 membership year, so If you haven’t tendered your dues for this year (Apr 1- Mar 31), now is a good time to do so. We are working on setting up “auto renew” to make it simpler for our members, so bear with us. PayPal sign ups are also being refined and will include the auto-renew feature. Stay tuned for more on this.

For the past few months you have likely noticed new construction in the center at Harbor and Adams. So, what’s going on?  This past Friday, we posted a update, courtesy of the Segerstrom Co.,  owners and operators of the center, with information on the new section of “The Shops at Mesa Verde,” as well as  what’s happening at the old Acapulco.

Bet you’ve seen some coyotes running around the community. The California Fish and Wildlife Department is very concerned that a big part of the problem is us. (We have met the enemy and he is us! – POGO)  If you want to know why and what we can do about it, click here.  Really good stuff!

Looks like the new fire station at Adams and Royal Palm will now open in September, ….. or maybe October? Stay tuned for news on a grand opening and guided tours, courtesy of CMFD and MVCI. Our patience will be rewarded, I’m sure.

Our cadre of MVCI volunteers is growing, now numbering seven. This is a great opportunity for you to serve your community without an obligation to time commitment. We will call on you from time to time for special projects. My goal is to reach 20 by March 31st. Will you help me? Contact me at bob@juneman.com for more info or to enlist.

Stay connected to MVCI via our website. New postings often.

and…..

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!

Thank you,  ‘til July,

Bob

President’s Corner — May, 2018

Posted on by Terry Wall in Civic Activity, Community Action, Costa Mesa, Family Fun, Mesa Verde

Hope you are all noticing the gorgeous May flowers that the April showers brought. It’s looking real nice around the community.

Our first picnic, held Saturday, May 19th, is in the books. Twenty or so families participated; the weather was decent, the kids played games, prizes were awarded, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. You can see a few pictures below. So, I think it was a reasonable success for our first try, and we’ll do another next Spring, only a little bigger and a little better. Thanks to the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church for allowing us to use their facilities.

Congratulations and thanks to Kyle Byron and Lisa Gonzalez for becoming our newest lifetime members.  Who will be next?

Have you noticed our newly refurbished MVCI gateway signs?  They’re on Adams at the corners of Mesa Verde West and Shantar. A new sign will soon appear on the northeast corner of Adams and Mesa Verde West. Your membership dues at work.

We still have a supply of “No Solicitation” yard signs available. Price is $5 each, including mounting bracket. You may purchase through our website,  or contact me at bob@juneman.com.

Finally, we are putting together a robust volunteer group. If you would like to help us on special projects from time to time, please let us know. Just send me an e-mail (Bob@Juneman.com) with your contact info, including phone number.

Thanks for tuning in. I’ll talk to you again in June.

Bob

 

    

  

President’s Corner — April, 2018

Posted on by Terry Wall in Civic Activity, Costa Mesa, Family Fun, Mesa Verde

Spring iz sprung, the grass iz riz; I wonder where the dazies iz? How long since you heard that corny rhyme?  Suddenly, Spring is all around us. The daisies are here, and the azaleas, the hawthorn, the roses and all the other gorgeous blooms in Mesa Verde.

Wow! What a great place to live. Our motto is “To Inform, Protect, and Beautify Mesa Verde”. What are we all doing to “Beautify” our community? If you see things that need to be done on public property, let the City hear about it, and maybe we could use a little introspection on our own properties.

What’s coming up? Look for a notice of a Mesa Verde picnic, to be held May 19th. This will be a first for us, so it will be an experiment. But, we hope you will come out and join us. Be adventurous. Remember those pioneers?  They were the ones with the arrows in their backs?

Been watching the progress of our new Fire Station One, corner of Adams and Royal Palm?  Forecast to open in May/June. My guess is July. We will, hopefully, be able to arrange tours. Kids and fire trucks. Americana at it’s nostalgic best!  Stay tuned.

Look for refurbished MESA VERDE signs at our various entryways, and a brand new one at Adams and Mesa Verde West. Should be all in place by the beginning of summer. All part of our various beautification efforts.

For those of you who missed our annual meeting March 28th, it can be viewed in it’s entirety on our website here: https://wp.me/p6Zz7F-5S. Great tips on crime prevention and disaster preparation and control, presented by Roxi Fyad of CMPD and Brenda Emrick of CMFD.

Our new fiscal year began April 1st, so time to renew your membership for the new year. Or, maybe join us for the first time. Please find the membership application and instructions on our website.

Finally, we want to hear from you! And for those members who may have new families living nearby, please reach out and let them know about MVCI. This is your association, so please join us in making Mesa Verde an even better home. You may comment through our website, drop us a note at P.O. Box 4102, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-4102, or e-mail me at bob@juneman.com.

Thanks for tuning in,
Bob Juneman
President