With the KSBR Birthday Bash gearing up to entertain jazz enthusiasts with some of the top jazz performers on the planet May 27, a new component of the bash will cater to foodies of all types.

The “Taste of the Bash” will showcase more than 25 top restaurants throughout Orange County like California Pizza Kitchen and Delizie; celebrate OC’s best chefs; and demonstrate why the KSBR Birthday Bash is the crown jewel of jazz concerts.

Saddleback College radio station KSBR (88.5 FM) is partnering with the City of Mission Viejo to host the 2012 Birthday Bash celebration on Sunday, May 27 on the Village Green at Oso Viejo Community Park, 24932 Veterans Way.

The festival, a signature fundraising event for KSBR-FM, is a 4-hour concert featuring talented contemporary jazz artists in a freewheeling jam session. This year’s bash will feature jazz greats Hiroshima; Greg Adams (Tower of Power founder); Paul Brown; Jackiem Joyner; Tony Guerrero and others.

Doors open at 3 p.m., and the Taste of the Bash runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The concert begins promptly at 5 p.m. Tickets for the Bash, which includes the Taste of the Bash, are $45 in advance and $50 at the door.  To purchase tickets and for more information, visit wwwksbr.net or call 949-582-4714. Tickets are also available at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way, during normal business hours.

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer will visit Mission Viejo June 26 for the launch of their co-written tween/YA book “Between the Lines.”

The two will appear in the popular Writers Present program at 7 p.m. in the Sycamore Room at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

Jodi Picoult is the bestselling author of 19 novels, four of which have been made into TV movies and one, “My Sister’s Keeper” is a major motion picture. Samantha Van Leer, a high school junior, conceived of the idea for “Between the Lines” and pitched it to her mother. The intriguing story focuses on what happens when happily ever after … isn’t.

Tickets for this special event are $22 and include a hard-cover copy of “Between the Lines.” The authors will also sign their new book. Tickets can be purchased from A Whale of a Tale Bookshoppe in Irvine or in person at the Mission Viejo Library, 100 Civic Center.

Seating is limited for this beloved program. For more information, contact the Mission Viejo Library Reference Desk at 949-830-7100, ext. 5105 or libreference@cityofmissionviejo.org.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library and A Whale of a Tale Bookshoppe located at 4199 Campus Drive in Irvine. To reach A Whale of a Tale, call 949-854-8288.

The public is invited to commemorate Memorial Day with a special ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May 28 at the Mission Viejo Civic Center, 200 Civic Center.

The poignant ceremony will include keynote speaker Lt. Colonel Thomas Savage of the City’s adopted Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division. 

The Civic Center courtyard will feature the American Heroes Tribute banner display from May 21-30 to honor and remember military personnel who lost their lives serving our country.  The American Heroes Tribute banners are possible through the efforts of the nonprofit American Heroes Tribute, and each sponsored banner provides a long-lasting tribute to the members of the Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Memorial Day ceremony will include a color guard and buglers; a rifle salute from Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 6024; and a performance by Dawn Wright.

Volunteers from the Mission Viejo Marine Adoption Committee will have shirts, hats and coins available (for a donation) to support the Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and poppies will be available from the members of the Veterans of Foreign War Ladies Auxiliary. 

The patriotic spirit will continue later that week with a special 7 p.m. screening of “Dreadnaughts at War, Their Stories” May 31 at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way. The fascinating history documentary focuses on four men who served as tankers during the Vietnam War. A live interview will follow with the film’s creator, Paul Higgins, and Vietnam veteran Pat Forster. The free event is presented by MVTV channel 30. 

For more information, call 949-470-3061.

Mia Ross sketched a tree with brightly-colored leaves and a pale blue sky. The colorful design led the Ladera Ranch Middle School student to be crowned as first-place winner of the Mission Viejo Library card design contest during the Arts Alive Festival on Saturday.

She was awarded a Farrell’s ice cream party for 10 along with 2nd and 3rd-place winners Nathan Farlow of Melinda Heights Elementary School, Alaina Klaes of Castille Elementary School and teen library card winners Lindsey Dobrowolski; Lauren Bauer; and Julia Moynihan of Newhart Middle School. Animation great Bob Singer selected the winners from among 185 entries in the contest to design the library’s children and teen cards. The library cards will be issued to new patrons over the next two years.

Along with creative awards, this first day of the weekend Arts Alive Festival at Oso Viejo Park and the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center was a bountiful blend of art, activities, music and just tons of fun.

Inside the community center, festival-goers savored the music and animation of the ‘50s and learned to draw with Bob Singer of “Scooby Doo” and “The Flintstones” fame. Eyes were glued to Steve Hickner, Dreamworks producer of animated films  like “ANTZ”; “Shark Tale”; and many more, who shared the inside secrets to creating an animated film.

Outside the community center, talented street painters dazzled the crowd as they transformed the pavement into a magical canvas of incredible art.  Active workshops gave children and adults the chance to create their own chalk art and participate in a large community art project, ceramics, printmaking, paint by numbers and many other art forms.  Festival-goers also enjoyed the six demonstration gardens on display. The gardens use California-friendly plants to create both beautiful and practical spaces and include themes such as vertical, kitchen and moon garden. The festival also boasted a plethora of hand-crafted jewelry, home decor and more from talented artists whose work was displayed “On the Avenue.”

Embracing the environmental component of Arts Alive, the City hosted a Sustainable Art Competition for local high school students whose work is on display in a special Sustainable Art Studio this weekend. El Toro High School student Angelli Barrientos won first prize for her “Wasting Away” sculpture; Erica Perez of Trabuco Hills High took second place for her painting titled “Get the Idea?  We Need to Recycle”; and Trabuco Hills High School student Delaney Shelton captured third place for her sculpture titled “Mannequin.”

Later in the day, Bob Singer was delighted and surprised by a special tribute for his incredible contribution to the world of animation. Bob is a character designer, layout and background artist and storyboard director of animated television programs. In addition to “The Flintstones” and “Scooby Doo,” he was responsible for “Jonny Quest”; “Yogi Bear”; “Droopy”; “Tom and Jerry”; “The Jetsons”; “The Smurfs”; “Superfriends”; and the “Harlem Globe Trotters” cartoons. Mayor Frank Ury presided over the surprise tribute that included Kevin Fagan, a nationally syndicated cartoonist of Drabble; Art Leonardi, who created the Pink Panther; Willie Ito, animator for “Josie & the Pussycats” and “Bugs Bunny”; and Iraj Paran, animator for the “Chipmunks” and the “Smurfs.”

The fun-filled day ended with the first-time “Under the Stars” concert starring the Amazing Platters and Dazzling Drifters tribute bands.  Folks enjoyed strolling the grounds, sampling fare from local eateries and savoring the festival’s unique ambiance.

For more information and a detailed schedule of events for Sunday, visit cityofmissionviejo.org/artsalivefestival.

Local moms are invited to a special Open House and Kids Fair hosted by the MOMS Club Chapters of Mission Viejo on Wednesday, May 9.

The fun-filled event will give moms the chance to meet the two chapters of MOMS Club of Mission Viejo and see what they do to support one another, build friendships and have fun. Kids will enjoy face painting, balloon twists and crafts and activities. The Open House includes a bake sale, raffle prizes and kids’ safety ID cards from Mission Viejo Police Services.

The Open House and Kids Fair is from 10 a.m. to noon in the Sycamore room at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way. 

For more information, visit ohinfo@momsclubmissionviejow.org.

The City is gearing up for its fun-filled two-day Arts Alive Festival this weekend. The spectacular annual spring event takes place from noon to 8:30 p.m. May 5 and from noon to 5 p.m. May 6 at Oso Viejo Park and the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

The event complements and celebrates the City’s investment in the arts, economy, environment, education and a healthy civic life. This sixth annual event will focus on the arts relevant to the 1950s and will showcase printmaking, photography, painting, ceramics, and sustainable environmental art.

Along with a host of time-honored creative activities and events, this year’s festival will feature a “Special Tribute to Animation” and an appearance by Steve Hickner of DreamWorks Studios.

Festival-goers will enjoy live entertainment, fabulous fare and arts & crafts vendors galore.  A community art project will cater to all ages and entails covering ceramic bears in mosaic tiles. The bears will be placed along Marguerite Parkway near the Oso Creek trailhead. Folks can also try their hand at ceramics on a potter’s wheel; create a collage with college students; or color the ceramic mural, which will be displayed on the Village Green.

This year, people will enjoy strolling through street paintings “On the Avenue” and shopping at the nearly 40 local artisans booths offering an array of original artwork, jewelry and mixed media.

Tasty fare from Baja Fresh; The Tailgate Truck; Farrell’s Mission Viejo; California Kettle Korn; Just Chillin; T.J.’s Woodfired Pizza; Jersey Mike’s; Seabirds Truck; and Baskin Robbins will be available throughout the weekend, and the California Wine & Beer Garden will serve drinks from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Throughout the 2-day festival, the ambiance of arts will be enhanced with the sound of music. “Art under the Stars” will include the Amazing Platters and Dazzling Drifters tribute bands on Saturday night. Earlier in the day, the Rockits, Philip Bardowell and the Phat Cats and Hot Rod Trio will entertain the masses.  In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Mariachi For All will delight visitors of all ages, and a special performance by Laguna Dance Theatre will inspire people to move their feet to the beat. On Sunday, Elvis joins the mix along with the “musicians’ musician” Frank Hechavarria and amazing storyteller Debra Weller.

A special tribute to animation on Saturday will feature famous animators from the golden age of animation – Scooby Doo, Flintstones, Pink Panther, Josie and the Pussycats and Bugs Bunny – who will be on hand for a special celebration on the Buddy Holly Stage at 6:15 p.m.

Free shuttle service from the Mission Viejo Civic Center will run from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information and a detailed schedule of events for both days, visit cityofmissionviejo.org/artsalivefestival. To see a sneak peek of the color, excitement and fun on tap for this year’s Arts Alive, visit Arts Alive 2012 Preview.

More than 700 third-grade students and teachers from seven schools took part in the City’s Environmental Fair Friday that was hosted by the Public Works Department.

The eager and excited students came from Bathgate, Carl Hankey, Castille, Del Cerro, Del Lago, De Portola, Montevideo, and Philip Reilly elementary schools to the grand event held at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center.

The annual event, which is designed to educate, entertain and inform students, included a presentation by the Discovery Science Center dubbed “Get Your Mind into the Gutter” and “The Magic of Recycling” show.

Several government agencies and non-profit organizations hosted booths and provided interactive activities with an environmental theme. After the kids made their way through the vast booths, they enjoyed lunch served by City staff on the Village Green.

This was the first time the fair was held at the community center and it attracted the largest crowd to date. The City continues to receive positive feedback on the fair from teachers and students alike.

The world of animation will come to life during a special “Animation Alive” celebration on Saturday, May 5.

Animation Alive is part of the two-day Arts Alive Festival that takes place from noon to 8 p.m. May 5 and from noon to 4 p.m. May 6 at Oso Viejo Park and the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

Animation is the art of motion and “art in motion.” From beloved films like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Toy Story” to classic cartoons like “Scooby-Doo” and “The Flintstones,” animation has touched endless lives.  Animation Alive will celebrate the great animators of the 20th century.

On Saturday, May 5, festival-goers will be treated to a special drawing demonstration by animation legend Bob Singer. Bob is a character designer, layout and background artist and storyboard director of animated television programs, most memorably of several Hanna Barbara productions such as “The Flintstones”; “Jonny Quest”; “Scooby-Doo”; “Yogi Bear”; “Droopy”; “Tom and Jerry”; “The Jetsons”; “The Smurfs”; “Superfriends”; and the “Harlem Globe Trotters” cartoons. In Mission Viejo, Bob has donated his time inspiring children on the art of drawing at the City’s Readers’ Festival and he’s mentored local animators. From 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. inside the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, Bob will show kids how to draw Scooby Doo and other popular characters he has brought to life during his illustrious career.  Bob will also announce the winner of the Mission Viejo Library Card contest.

Just after that, Steven Hickner, DreamWorks animation director, will take center stage at 3:30 p.m. Steve has spent the past 30 years working at some of the most fabled studios in animation including Disney, Amblimation, Aardman, Hanna-Barbera and Filmation.  He has worked on both the production and artistic sides, serving as producer on films like “American Tail II: Fievel Goes West”; “We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story”; and “Balto.” His director credits include “Bee Movie” and “The Prince of Egypt.” He has also contributed to films such as “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”; “Antz”; “Shark Tale”; “Madagascar”; and others.

Along with Steven and Bob, other famous animators will be on hand including Kevin Fagan, a nationally syndicated cartoonist of Drabble; Art Leonardi, who created the Pink Panther; Willie Ito, animator for Josie & the Pussycats and Bugs Bunny; and Iraj Paran, animator for the Chipmunks and the Smurfs.

The animation celebration will close at 6:30 p.m. on the Buddy Holly stage on the Village Green with a special surprise presentation by Mayor Frank Ury.

In addition, the Arts Alive Festival weekend will include a plethora of cultural, artistic and environmental activities along with top-notch entertainment.  The fun-filled festival, which celebrates the arts relevant to the 1950s, will feature music, fabulous food and so much more for people of all ages.  Exciting volunteer opportunities are also available. For information about volunteer opportunities, e-mail vsullivan@cityofmissionviejo.org or call 949-830-7100 ext. 5128. 

For more information about the event, e-mail artsalive@cityofmissionviejo.org or visit cityofmissionviejo.org/artsalivefestival/. To see a sneak peek of the color, excitement and fun on tap for this year’s Arts Alive, visit Arts Alive 2012 Preview.

The City will host a free compost giveaway starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 in the parking lot of Oso Viejo Park and the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

The compost giveaway is part of Mission Viejo’s Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration that runs until noon at Oso Viejo Park. The event also includes a “Green Expo” featuring a free home composting workshop; earth-friendly crafts; and environmental exhibits providing tips on topics such as water conservation, pollution prevention, recycling, and much more. 

The compost, which will be handed out while supplies last, is being donated by the City’s trash hauler, Waste Management of Orange County, and the City’s green waste processor, Tierra Verde Industries.

Composting is the recycling of organic materials back into a useful soil product that can be used in gardens or on potted plants.  It can save you money and time and can reduce your garden’s watering and weeding needs.  It also benefits the environment by recycling valuable organic resources and extending the life of our landfills.  This compost is a rich, organic soil amendment that consists of composted, recycled green waste collected as part of the City’s residential recycling program.

The compost giveaway is a self-service program, so please bring a shovel and container.  Quantities are limited and each resident is permitted up to 36 gallons of compost.  Waste Management staff will be on site to monitor the program and quantity allotment.

The Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration is part of the City’s ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable environment for the community to enjoy for generations to come. Folks who attend the celebration will also have an opportunity to participate in a creek clean-up along Oso Creek as well as Arbor Day volunteer planting opportunities.

For more information, visit www.cityofmissionviejo.org/green.

Several local residents are expected to join Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire at the 2nd Annual Walk For Wishes presented by The Grainger Foundation on Saturday, April 21. The festivities take place at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Make-A-Wish Orange County’s goal is to raise more than $200,000 at this year’s charity walk event.

Last year, Orange County’s Walk For Wishes attracted roughly 1,100 participants and raised approximately $115,000 – enough funds to help grant more than 17 wishes for local children. It was the most successful inaugural Walk For Wishes event to date for any Make-A-Wish chapter in the nation. This year, the goal for Orange County’s walk is to double participants, funds raised and wishes granted.

The charity walk event includes a 2-mile walk for teams and individuals and a “World of Wishes” festival. The festival includes booths for each of the different kinds of wish experiences: I wish to have, I wish to be, I wish to go, and I wish to meet. The world of wishes festival will also give the public a chance to meet with wish kids and families to learn about their experiences.

For more information and to register, visit www.walkforwishesocie.kintera.org.