Community & Clubs: Newport welcomes 37th Mr. Irrelevant
Mr. Irrelevant XXXVII, Chandler Harnish, quarterback from Northern Illinois University, who was the 253rd and last pick in this year’s NFL draft (the Indianapolis Colts drafted him), was welcomed to Newport Beach Monday night at the Ultimate Tailgate Arrival Party at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. Harnish was accompanied by his parents, Ron and Leann, who were celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary on Monday, and his brother Piercen and sister Carlee.
Monday night’s arrival party found people coming in business suits and dresses, shorts and sandals, enjoying chili hot dogs prepared by the Newport Beach Fire Department, pizza, Granma Fitch’s chicken legs and a variety of homemade cookies.
Steve Fryer, sports columnist with the Orange Country Register, served as master of ceremonies while Ho Daddy’s provided some great music. Thirty some Costa Mesa High School cheer leaders provided support to Paul Salata, Irrelevant Week founder, during the presentation of some 150 gifts donated by businesses and sports teams, including a beautiful TAG Heuer watch donated by Lulu Halfacre of Traditional Jewelers.
Proclamations were presented from the cities of Newport Beach, Indianapolis, and his home town, Bluffton, Ind.
On Wednesday, Harnish and his family will be on a yacht in the Newport Beach American Legion Post 291 Old Glory Boat Parade, starting at 1 p.m. Look for the Mr. Irrelevant banner and wave a welcome to Harnish and his family. For more information on the American Legion boat parade, visit https://www.al291.org.
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2012 Wendell Fish student exchange
On Thursday, six students from Ensign Intermediate School and Corona del Mar Middle School will travel to Okazaki, Japan — one of Newport Beach’s foreign sister cities — for 10 days.
The students are Jennifer Conde, Candace McKeag, Vita Muccia, Thomas Robertson, Rayna Schonwit and Lauren Stevens. They will be accompanied by Dr. Vecchiarelli, assistant principal at Ensign Intermediate, and Tory Hughes, who teaches Spanish at Corona del Mar High School.
The youth exchange is sponsored by city of Newport Beach, Rotary Club of Newport Balboa and the Newport Beach Sister City Assn.
The students and advisors will be staying in a Japanese home hosted by a Japanese student. They will go to school together and be immersed in the Japanese culture. Before returning to Newport Beach, they will visit Kyoto.
The Okazaki students will visit Newport Beach and attend school with our students the end of September. Their visit will end with the now “Famous Pumpkin Carving BBQ” hosted by the Rotary Club of Newport Balboa.
This is the 29th year for this student exchange between the sisters. It was first started by a Newport Beach business man and Rotarian, Wendell Fish, and an Okazaki business man and Rotarian, Masao Kato..
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SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK
You are invited to attend a service club meeting this coming week to learn more about opportunities for service. Most clubs will buy your first meal for you as you get acquainted with them.
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THURSDAY
7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Café, Newport and Harbor boulevards, Costa Mesa.
Noon: The 45-member Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar. For more information, visit https://www.newportbeachkiwanis.org.
The 95-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the BCYC for a business meeting. For more information, visit https://www.nhexchange.org.
The Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club, 1701 Golf Course Drive, Costa Mesa. For more information, visit https://www.costamesakiwanis.org.
The 55-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at the University Club, 801 E. Peltason Drive, Irvine. For more information, visit https://www.ni-rotary.org.
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TUESDAY
7:15 a.m.: The 58-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets at Five Crowns, 3801 E. Coast Hwy., CdM, for a program by Dr. Edward Wong, Blindness and Brain Recovery after Strokes. For more information, visit https://www.newportbeachsunriserotary.org.
COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published twice monthly on Wednesdays. Send your service club’s meeting information by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com.