8 newportbeachindy . com MARCH 31 , 2023
LOCAL FOCUS
Brewcades and Cruisers Pizza in Balboa Fun Zone Host Thursday Eve Pinball Tournaments
By Christopher Trela | NB Indy
“ He ’ s a pinball wizard , there has to be a twist . A pinball wizard ’ s got such a supple wrist .”
Those familiar lyrics to “ Pinball Wizard ” by The Who are on full display at Cruisers Pizza Bar & Grill in the Balboa Fun Zone .
Every Thursday , Brewcades – a company started by Laguna Beach pinball enthusiasts Tom and Jessica Walker along with partner and technician Pete Cooley – hosts International Flippered Pinball Association tournaments at Cruisers on nine new and classic pinball machines .
Cruisers is one of three locations where Brewcades hosts events ( the other two are in Long Beach and Huntington Beach ). The location makes sense , since the Balboa Fun Zone has a rich history of pinball and arcades . Many locals – including Tom and Jessica – have memories of playing pinball in the Bay Arcade , which closed in 2017 after more than 60 years of providing kids of all ages with everything from pinball to skeeball . There has been a resurgence in popularity of pinball , although some would argue there have always been pinball wizards who seek out game venues and opportunities to plop a quarter in a machine and manipulate the flippers into coaxing the metal balls into the bumpers and on to higher and higher scores .
Brewcades has installed nine games at Cruisers :
• Atlantis ( 1974 )
• Fathom ( 1981 )
• Terminator 2 ( 1991 )
• Addams Family ( 1992 )
• Twilight Zone ( 1993 )
• Monster Bash ( 1998 )
• Iron Maiden ( 2018 )
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pro
( 2020 )
• Godzilla Premium ( 2021 )
Here ’ s how the weekly tournaments work : Each tournament is a five Fair Strikes Knockout Tournament format with the winners being determined by “ last player standing .” Each standalone tourney prize pool includes cash for the top two players , and prizes for 3rd and 4th place .
Entry fee is $ 9 plus $ 1 IFPA fee plus
Be Well and City Net Address Mental Health in Newport Beach
By Richard Simon | NB Indy
There are two definitions for the term “ Be Well ,” plus more than 80 verbs that can express the same , each with its own nuance .
Definition one : To develop or progress rapidly and successfully . Definition two : To recover or improve , especially from an injury or illness .
There now also exists a new , and very impactful proper noun called “ Be Well .”
That is the name ( and wish ) emblazoned on the side of a seemingly omnipresent , blue- and-white van of a one-year-old social service contracted to Newport Beach that can respond to the “ immediate mental health care needs ” of all citizens in the community .
This is accomplished regardless of income or insurance status , be they “ the unhoused ” spotted throughout the city , students at school who may be experiencing a mental crisis , or aged residents possibly threatening suicide .
Headquartered in the city of Orange , Be Well ’ s Mobile Response Program currently operates in five OC cities and employs close to 60 full-time staff , with eight assigned to Newport Beach .
Newport ’ s mobile response team has a small office at the Newport
Beach Police station and serves 12- hour shifts ( 7 a . m . to 7 p . m .) seven days a week . Two to three specially trained Crisis Intervention Specialists are on duty at any one time , plus a Client Liaison person to follow-up on any calls Monday through Friday , explained Alyssa Guerrero , MS , LMFT , Supervisor of the Newport Beach HOPE team .
Be Well works closely with Newport ’ s other contracted social service nonprofit called City Net , both of which work closely with the police department , said Natalie Basmaciyan , the city ’ s Homeless Coordinator . City Net aids the homeless with social , health and housing needs — everything other than calls for mental health assistance .
Both City Net and Be Well respond to directions transmitted by the PD ’ s Dispatch Department , who determines through interviews with callers if a situation is safe for the social services to respond — a huge responsibility . These assessments most often free up officers who otherwise would have to be on-scene to do what they need within law enforcement mandates .
Be Well is consistently active within their communities , always making their presence known as they drive , as well as in their daily connections
coin-drop . Tournament sign-in opens at 7 p . m . Tournament starts at 7:30 p . m . This is a MatchPlay tournament using MatchPlay events . In each round each group will play a single game on a randomly selected machine .
Cruisers Pizza Bar Grill is at 801 E . Balboa Blvd . Minimum of one purchase at the bar is recommended .
Visit Brewcades . com for more information .
Be Well van
to businesses and clients , Guerrero apprised .
In addition to outreach , Be Well actually is in the “ education ” business , informing the public who they are whenever and wherever possible , such as at the bi-monthly “ get-to-know-us ” Mobile Cafe public gathering sites throughout the city hosted by the Newport Beach police department . Coffee and donuts are offered to citizens , some of whom occasionally are the unhoused , who feel okay approaching and asking for the snacks .
“ Creating relationships and building trust is one of the important things we do ,” Guerrero said . “ We ’ ve been getting positive feedback from
MENTAL HEALTH Page 11
Thursday night pinball tournament at Cruisers / Photo by Chris Trela
Newport Beach Scholarship Applications Due May 1
The City of Newport Beach is accepting scholarship applications from college-bound seniors and transfer students to earn up to $ 700 for educational expenses .
Applications for the scholarship are due by Monday , May 1 at 5 p . m .
The City of Newport Beach Ackerman Scholarship Program was established to assist qualified students in obtaining a higher education . Funds for the program are provided through an endowment from the Ackerman Trust . Scholarships may be used for tuition , books , laboratory and / or academic fees .
This year there will be seven $ 700 scholarships awarded .
For eligibility , you must meet both criteria ( A ) and ( B ) to apply :
A . Be a child residing in Newport Beach
OR be a child of a regular , full-time Newport Beach City Employee . B . Graduate from a high school in 2023 and accepted to attend an accredited twoyear community college or four-year college or university OR transferring froma twoyear community college to an accredited four- year college or university in
Fall 2023 , and have maintained a cumulative G . P . A . of 3.0 or better .
The criteria used for selection includes financial need , scholastic standing , school or community leadership , school and / or extracurricular activities , and career and life plans .
Apply for the scholarship here : newportbeachca . gov / government / departments / human-resources / 2023-scholarship-program .