Corona del Mar Today: Giving thanks, A to Z (CdM-style)

A... Arthur Pescan. This Corona del Mar High School junior seems to do it all — cross country, the school musical, class president, mock trial, standing up to an angry crowd to support a new school sports complex. A school board trustee once said that Arthur will be president of the United States one day, and we wouldn’t count him out.

B... Ben Carlson. He died last summer while saving a man’s life, the only Newport Beach lifeguard to die in the line of duty. A junior guard said last summer that Carlson was a real hero, and that’s the best kind. We agree and give thanks.

C... Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce. Thanks for the Christmas Walk, the Scenic 5K and the Coastline Classic car show. We appreciate the work with the Business Improvement District to arrange holiday decorations and the monthly luncheons and networking events.

D... Dan, Andy and all the CdM postal workers. They make a trip to the post office a lot more pleasant even when there’s a long line.

E... Elections being over. Now we’ll see what our newly elected leaders will do.

F... Farmers market. Whether you go for the fresh bread, eggs, honey, flowers, popcorn, fruits, veggies or just to hang out with friends, we all should be thankful that we have a Saturday morning market right in the center of town.

G... Outgoing City Councilwoman Nancy Gardner. Thank you for all your work to help Corona del Mar and its residents during your terms in office.

H... Harbor View Elementary School on Goldenrod Avenue and Principal Todd Schmidt. We love attending events at the school and seeing the students, teachers and staff working together to create a positive place for kids to learn.

I... iPhone 6. We love our smart phone and have been known to use it to take photos and write and post stories for Corona del Mar Today while on the go.

J... Jim Mosher. The Newport Beach resident attends city meetings, some at 7:30 a.m. and others the same day after the sun goes down, reads agendas and staff reports, makes comments and shares his observations — all of which help make the city a better place and the government more transparent.

K... Dave Kiff, the Newport Beach city manager. Kiff has one of the hardest jobs we can think of but brings a sense of kindness and practicality to the issues of the day.

L... Loyal advertisers. Corona del Mar Today would not exist without them. Thank you to Bob Garrett of State Farm, B. Candy, Saritasa, Your Car, Our Driver, the Bungalow Restaurant, Brown and Stowell of Surterre Properties, Peter M. Rivas of Edward Jones, Strength Systems, Jabulani Yoga, Green LLP, Villa Real Estate, the Newport Beach Police Department and Mark Patterson Jewelry.

M... John Manly. This Corona del Mar resident and lawyer who specializes in representing young victims of sexual abuse will literally pound on the door and ring the phone incessantly when news is breaking, and he helped us with a legal issue this summer that could have been a giant pain.

N… No on Y. The grassroots campaign defeated a measure that would have increased development in Newport Center and probably clogged Corona del Mar’s streets with traffic.

O… Christopher Owens. The artist from Aliso Viejo turned Big Corona — Corona del Mar State Beach — into a work of art last February by carving large creations and other patterns in the sand.

P… Pirozzi Corona del Mar. Alessandro Pirozzi’s restaurant replaced the old KFC and created a fun new place to grab pizza and pasta. It’s now open for lunch on weekends — but when will it be open for lunch all week long?

Q… Our Lady Queen of Angels church. Thanks for letting PTA members park in the church lot near Corona del Mar High School. With new parking restrictions on some streets near the school, PTA members can relax about getting a ticket thanks to the church’s generosity. Parents also use the lot on special school nights.

R... Rainbows. We haven’t had much rain, but when he have, we also had amazing double rainbows. Definitely something to be grateful for.

S... Dan Sereno. The Newport Beach parks and trees superintendent helps make sure that diseased, old trees that get cut down are replaced appropriately. He’s helped Shore Cliffs this year with new coral trees.

T... Tidepools. At Little Corona, they never stop being amazing.

U... Unveiling new businesses. In the next few weeks and months, Corona del Mar will see the opening of Sweet Lady Jane Baker, PUR juice bar and El Cholo and more. Welcome!

V... Veterans programs in our local schools. From Veterans Day assemblies at Harbor View each year to the living history program that Corona del Mar High School sophomores participate in, our community shows respect to veterans.

W... Window painting for Halloween. Josette Patterson missed the Halloween window painting events every year in her New York neighborhood, so for the past several years she’s created a Corona del Mar version, inviting kids from 2 to 13 to decorate windows of East Coast Highway businesses. She supplies the paints and brushes and even cleans up. Thank you, Josette, for this new CdM tradition.

X... X-country coaches. The Corona del Mar High School cross country and track programs give all students a chance to join the team and go for personal bests. Thank you, Coach Bill Sumner and others for your dedication.

Y... Chris and Karen Yould. The owners of Corona del Mar Florist, one of the most beautiful shops in town, also are great tipsters and throw a wonderful Christmas Walk party.

Z... Zoning administrator Brenda Wisneski. The Newport Beach employee always helps Corona del Mar Today figure out what’s going on in town, whether it’s a new business seeking a permit or the latest on the fire rings debate.

Corona del Mar Today appears Sundays in the Daily Pilot. Read daily updates at coronadelmartoday.com.