“ For Locals , by Locals ”
NEWPORTBEACHINDY . COM JULY 19 , 2024 | VOLUME XVI , ISSUE 14
Sherman Library & Gardens Launches Grow the Gardens Campaign
Grace Leung , Newport Beach City Manager
Newport Beach City Manager Update
By Christopher Trela | NB Indy
Gardens are meant to grow and flourish , especially if they are carefully cultivated with a little water and a lot of love .
Sherman Library & Gardens , a nonprofit organization and destination in Corona del Mar that serves as an educational and cultural center ( including a premier botanical garden and outstanding research library ) has been nourishing visitors for nearly 60 years . It too is ready to grow and flourish .
Last month , Sherman Library & Gardens launched its Grow the Gardens campaign , which seeks to raise at least $ 13 million to reconfigure , renovate and reimagine the property . To date , more than half of the total estimated funding for the campaign has been raised .
According to information from Sherman Library & Gardens , the Grow the Gardens campaign will support improvements designed to create more opportunities for the community , including :
• A new education space and programs that will enhance the community ’ s encounter with the botanical and historical wonder of the Pacific Southwest .
• The tropical conservatory and the shade
Times Media Group Acquires Newport Beach Independent , Firebrand Media
By NB Indy Staff
Arizona-based Times Media Group ( TMG ) has acquired Firebrand Media as of July 1 , 2024 .
Firebrand Media is the publisher of Newport Beach Independent , Laguna Beach Independent , and the Coastal Real Estate Guide , as well as regional publications Laguna Beach Magazine and Newport Beach Magazine .
“ I couldn ’ t be more thrilled to add the Firebrand team and its great products to Times Media Group ,” said Steve Strickbine , TMG ’ s founder and president , in a TMG release . “ Firebrand ’ s commitment to excellence and good journalism makes them a perfect fit for partnering and moving
Rendering of the new Sherman Library & Gardens bell tower entrance along Pacific Coast Highway in Corona del Mar .
forward with our overall growth plans . Add to that the custom publishing arm of their business , and Firebrand introduces a whole new set of opportunities for us to bring value to our advertisers and readers .”
Steve Zepezauer , the founder and general partner of Firebrand Media , will join TMG as its director of custom publishing . Zepezauer has lived in Orange County for more than 20 years , launched Laguna Beach Magazine in 2007 and acquired the Laguna Beach Independent in 2009 . Shortly after , he launched the Newport Beach Independent , the Coastal Real Estate Guide and other custom publishing projects .
“ Hyper-local journalism and targeted , branded content is at the core of everything house , both used extensively in the education programs , will be renovated to protect the health of the valuable plant collections such as Orchids .
• These improvements will make Sherman Library & Gardens the most accessible and walkable botanical garden in Southern California , enabling its visitors to see a vast array of global beauty on a calm and relaxing stroll .
• The 3,000 member households and 8,000 individual members of the Sherman Library & Gardens will greatly benefit
LIBRARY Page 3 we do ,” Zepezauer said .
Times Media Group , based in Tempe , Ariz ., owns more than 35 weekly publications in Arizona and California . In August of 2023 , it acquired Picket Fence Media , home of the Dana Point Times , San Clemente Times and Capistrano Dispatch .
“ Every week , more than a million readers in communities large and small turn to our pages and websites for the news and happenings in the neighborhood they call home ,” Strickbine said . “ Ten years ago , I never would have imagined we ’ d grow to have such a large footprint and so many loyal readers . We are honored to be the stewards of that trust as a true source for news in a rapidly changing media environment .”
By Grace Leung , Newport Beach City Manager
Last week the City Council approved a $ 1.4 million , five-year contract for 69 Flock cameras that will be installed throughout Newport Beach -- the first of several planned public safety technology enhancements to improve crime prevention and investigations .
The Flock cameras ( also known as ALPR , or automatic license plate readers ) will be placed at all Newport Beach inbound and outbound gateways .
The cameras scan license plates and vehicle characteristics as vehicles pass through their field of view on public roadways . The images captured by the ALPRs are then processed , encrypted and uploaded to a secure database where they can only be accessed by the Newport Beach Police Department ( NBPD ). The database allows police officers and investigators to search by date , time , location , direction of travel , and vehicle description to identify vehicles used in crimes .
The system includes access to nationwide data and flags “ hotlisted ” vehicles that have been used in crimes . The NBPD will receive alerts on stolen vehicles , Amber Alerts , missing and endangered persons , and more .
With respect to privacy
CITY MANAGER Page 10
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