Aliso Viejo

"The Renaissance of Aliso Viejo" 2011 State of the City is Oct. 26 at the Soka Performing Arts Center. The evening begins with a reception at 6 p.m. in Soka's Founders Hall. A speech and presentation from Mayor Carmen Cave will follow at 7 p.m. The talk will focus on the state of Aliso Viejo and the community's culture and arts scene. Local singers, dancers and musicians will perform. A documentary film will be shown in honor of the city's 10th anniversary. Also, the city's Citizen, Senior and Youth of the Year will be announced.

The Aliso Viejo Family Resource Center and Mission Viejo Animal Services Center are teaming up to host a low-cost pet and vet clinic Jan. 7 at the Iglesia Park Community Center. The cash-only clinic will offer vaccinations and microchipping at discounted rates along with dog licensing from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Vaccines for cats and dogs will range from $7 to $28. Dogs must be on leashes and cats in carriers. The Iglesia Park Community Center is at 24671 Via Iglesia, near Moulton Parkway and Calle Cortez.

Aliso Viejo was awarded more than $93,000 in waterway improvement funding on Aug. 8 from the Orange County Transportation Authority's Measure M2 environmental program. The program funds projects to protect county waterways and beaches from pollution generated by transportation. Aliso Viejo plans to match the funding with $40,000 of its own money. "As we continue to meet the transportation needs of our county, we have to remember how critical it is to protect and preserve our environment from the impacts of our projects," OCTA Chairwoman and the Fifth District county Supervisor Patricia Bates said in a statement.

Beach Pit BBQ, which started with six Orange County locations, is down to three after its most recent closure in Aliso Viejo. Beach Pit BBQ closed its Laguna Niguel and Huntington Beach restaurants in the fall. Owner Tim DeCinces cited high rent costs and the mall setting that made the three locations fail. "BBQ isn't a staple for Southern Californians like tacos, burgers or pizza. It is more of an experience or novelty dining choice," DeCinces said in an email. "Going into strip mall lost the character of visiting our original three stores.

The following is from Wednesday's Aliso Viejo City Council meeting. * O.C. Human Relations reports on hate crime Judy Iannaccone of Orange County Human Relations gave an annual report to the council on its 2010 findings regarding hate crimes and race-related bullying in the area. Aliso Viejo had one hate crime reported in 2010, according to Iannaccone and the California attorney general's 2010 report. Orange County as a whole had 65 documented victims.

Prosecutors have charged a man with kidnapping a boy during a Saturday carjacking in Aliso Viejo. James Christopher Corr, 34, of Mission Viejo faces a slew of felony counts, including carjacking, kidnapping during the commission of a carjacking, first-degree robbery and hit-and-run with injury, according to the Orange County district attorney's office. Corr is first accused of breaking into a Honda Accord parked at an Aliso Viejo business and stealing a purse. Sometime after 8 a.m., Corr allegedly entered an open garage with a Volvo SUV inside, where a mother had left her 2-year-old son in the backseat as she went into her home to retrieve something.

ALISO VIEJO — The Falcons 7-8 H flag football team had a league record of 10-0 and a tournament finish of 3-0 to become the NFL Flag Football South Orange County champions Nov. 4. The team includes local third-graders and friends Ryan Rodas, Wyatt Gillespie, Tyler Wetmore, Joey Purcell, Jaden Eun, Christian Twellman, Lachlan Treiser, Blake Morales and Matthew Auriemma. "They had to play in a tournament, which brought out a lot of emotions and unbelievable sportsmanship from such young players," Phil Rodas said.

The Habit Burger Grill is holding "pre-opening" events at its new Aliso Viejo location Sunday and Monday, with proceeds benefiting three charities: Savannah's Organic Ranch, the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. and Share Our Strength. From noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, 100% of sales will go to Savannah's Organic Ranch. Known for its farm, the Aliso-Viejo based nonprofit also raises money for pediatric cancer research. Then, from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, dinner sales will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Assn., which spends 76 cents out of every dollar donated for research, services and education.

Aliso Viejo is welcoming its third charter school, the Community Roots Academy, which just started its first academic year. Founded by Jeremy Cavallaro and Eve Fein, the school uses interdisciplinary, six-week projects to not only meet state standards but also to teach students skills beyond the classroom. "We believe a project process shows a whole different set of skills that fosters problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, initiative and articulation of one's ideas," Executive Director of Education Cavallaro said.

Laguna Beach's AYSO Division 5 boys' All-Star team won an exciting Area 11-L tournament game last weekend when Sam Stinnett scored a late goal to lift the team to a 3-2 victory over host Aliso Viejo. With just a few minutes left in regulation play, Laguna set up a corner kick that went to Stinnett, who then smashed the ball into the net to give Laguna the victory. Laguna had taken an early 1-0 lead when mid-fielder Michael Dougher scored. Aliso Viejo came back to tie the match on a penalty kick goal.

A pickup truck hit and injured two pedestrians Thursday night in Laguna Beach, police said. The incident occurred at 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Street and South Coast Highway, Capt. Jason Kravetz wrote in an email. A 60-year-old Laguna Beach man in a Nissan was turning left from South Coast Highway toward Thalia Street on a green light when he hit a 52-year-old Laguna Beach man and a 53-year-old Aliso Viejo woman who were crossing the highway, Kravetz said. The man suffered broken bones while the woman sustained a head injury, but the injuries are not considered life-threatening, Kravetz said.

Decisions on development and mobility throughout Laguna Beach figure to tell much of the city's tale in 2014, which will also see three City Council seats become open and two trials take place, one for a 2009 homicide and the other stemming from two deaths in a head-on auto collision. * 10) Common Core rollout: This spring, California students in kindergarten through grade 12, including the Laguna Beach Unified School District, will take revamped practice tests that align with new standards that focus on critical thinking, writing and interpretation.

Laguna Blues, a girls' under-12 team in Laguna Beach AYSO soccer, turned in an outstanding regular season by improving each match and advancing to the semifinal round of the AYSO 11-L South Orange County Tournament of Champions. The team, which received a wild-card berth to the tournament, nearly reached the division's championship match but had its title hopes ended in a close, 1-0 loss to Mission Viejo. The 11-L tournament started Dec. 7-8 and concluded Sunday (Dec. 15) at the San Juan Capistrano Sportspark.

The 2013 Little League season certainly was one to remember for Laguna Beach. Following an unparalleled, two division championships performance last month for Laguna Beach at the District 55 Tournament of Champions, two of the league's All-Star teams, the 11-year-old and 9/10 teams, played to the final weekend of the district's All-Star tournament. Both teams came up just shy of winning district titles with the 9/10 team playing for a division championship on Sunday. The 11-year-old All-Stars lost a semifinal game to eventual division champion Aliso Viejo also on Sunday.

Laguna Beach Little League, still basking in the glowing aftermath of winning two division championships for the first time at the District 55 Tournament of Champions, heads into the final stage of district play: the All-Star Tournament. Four Laguna teams, Little League, 10-11-year-old, 9/10, and 8/9 Superstars, will send teams into All-Star play. The league's Junior All-Star team will not compete in the district tournament. Opening game schedules for Laguna teams are as follows: Little League All-Stars: vs. Laguna Niguel, 9 a.m., Saturday, Woodfield Park (Field 4)

Laguna Beach Little League has announced the players who will represent the league on five All-Star teams for the upcoming Little League District 55 Tournament of Champions. Laguna Beach teams will open the district tournament on the following dates: Little League All-Stars: 9 a.m., June 29, Woodfield Park (Field 4), Aliso Viejo. 11-year-old All-Stars: 6:30 p.m., June 28, Lincoln Field, Newport Beach. 9/10 All-Stars: 9 a.m., June 29, Crown Valley Field, Laguna Niguel.

Area 1 High Drive: A Newport Coast man was arrested on suspicion of DUI near Myrtle Street at 1:13 a.m. Wednesday. North Coast Highway: A vehicle burglary was reported in the 600 block at 7:46 p.m. Tuesday. The loss was estimated at $3,000 and included a computer, camera and music equipment. Cliff Drive: A Corona del Mar man was arrested on suspicion of DUI in the 200 block at 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Cliff Drive: A Newport Beach man was arrested on suspicion of DUI in the 200 block at 1:14 a.m. Saturday.

The Laguna Beach Little League Major Division All-Star team is moving on in the District 55 All-Star Tournament. Laguna has played three games since Saturday, has won two straight and posted a 2-1 record. It's latest game Tuesday resulted in a 10-1 victory over Rancho Niguel at Woodfield Park in Aliso Viejo that kept the team alive in the double-elimination tournament. Laguna Beach will attempt to again fend off elimination when it takes on Laguna Niguel at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Woodfield Park (Field 4)

Four teams from Laguna Beach Little League will compete next week at the District 55 All-Star Tournament. The double-elimination event starts June 30. Laguna will have All-Star teams competing in the Little League Majors, 10/11, 9/10, and Junior divisions. First-round games for Laguna teams are as follows: •Majors All-Stars: vs. Laguna Niguel, 4 p.m., June 30, Woodfield Park (Field 4), Aliso Viejo. •10/11 All-Stars: vs. Laguna Niguel, 11 a.m., June 30, Hicks Canyon Park (Field 2)