Newport Aquatic Center Welcomes Beyond Blindness for an Inclusive Summer Camp Outrigger Outing
By Guest Contributor Jasmine Jenkins – August 11, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/newport-aquatic-center-welcomes-beyond-blindness-for-an-inclusive-summer-camp-outrigger-outing/
On August 1, the Newport Aquatic Center welcomed Beyond Blindness, a nonprofit in Santa Ana providing support for visually impaired children and their families, to their facility as part of Beyond Blindness’ inclusive summer camp, taking the campers on outriggers in the Back Bay.
This six-year partnership through the NAC’s Makapo program provides the opportunity for the children to play in the water with the proper accommodation.
Makapo is the name of the NAC’s outrigger paddling program for those with disabilities, named for the Hawaiian words maka (eye) and po (night).
Kristin McKay and her son, Charlie, aboard the outrigger canoe. Photo by Chris Trela
The project began in 2006 when a group of five blind men, under coach Billy Whitford, became the first all-blind team to complete the Queen Liliu’okalani Outrigger Canoe race in Hawaii. Whitford, now the executive director of the NAC, continues to support disabled athletes and community members through his work.
He asserted that Makapo is “absolutely one of our top programs because of what the place was built for: to give back to the community.”
“It’s unbelievably humbling,” said Whitford about the Beyond Blindness partnership. “It’s rewarding, yes, but it’s just so humbling to be able to help the kids and to show them that there’s so many opportunities out there for special needs kids. All you gotta do is look at their faces, look at the parents. Everybody is so happy. The vibe is so cool when these programs are down here.”
The inclusive summer camp is only one of many services Beyond Blindness offers for visually impaired children. Between infant/toddler classrooms, a preschool program, various therapies, and even a teen social group, Beyond Blindness offers comprehensive care for people with a wide range of disabilities.
According to Jacob Garcia, family support associate and teacher of the visually impaired at Beyond Blindness, “The Beyond Blindness inclusive summer camp provides children with a unique opportunity to participate in activities they might not typically engage in. They are also able to participate in a safe and inclusive environment that promotes their confidence and independence.”
Ashley Yee, MSW, director of family support at Beyond Blindness, said the inclusive Summer Camp has a positive impact on children with visual impairments and their families.
“The camp provides a space for families to send their kids to enjoy a typical camp experience with inclusive and accessible activities,” said Yee. “The kids can also interact with other peers who share similar challenges and opportunities. The camp helps them develop confidence and social skills in a fun and supportive environment. We design our activities with tactile and sensory elements that enable the participation of campers with different degrees of visual impairment and blindness.”
Kristin McKay, a Beyond Blindness board member and parent, spoke on her family’s experiences and how Beyond Blindness changed her son Charlie’s life. Charlie has a genetic disorder called Hunter syndrome along with cerebral palsy and cortical vision impairment, which is blindness caused by damage to the parts of the brain that process vision.
Kristin McKay, a Beyond Blindness board member and parent of Charlie, being interviewed about her family’s experiences. Photo by Chris Trela
When the McKays lived in Orange County, Charlie attended the Beyond Blindness daycare program. However, at that time, the preschool program was shut down due to COVID. The McKays moved to Los Angeles County, and just a month later, the preschool reopened.
“I was trying to go back to work, finally, and I had called around to all these places, all these daycares, preschools, everywhere, no one could take him,” explained Kristin. “Beyond Blindness was the only place that not only could take him but took care of him well and loved him.”
Kristin McKay helping her son, Charlie, get ready for his outrigger experience. Photo by Chris Trela
“A lot of–well really, all–preschools or daycares…they don’t have the staffing, they don’t have the knowledge, they don’t have the equipment, so they just say no” to children with more complex disabilities such as Charlie.
Left with nearly no other childcare options, Kristin drove 40 miles each way four times every day so that Charlie could attend the preschool in Santa Ana and receive the support he needed to thrive.
McKay shared how Charlie grew leaps and bounds from before they found Beyond Blindness to now. In the past, Charlie’s conditions prevented him from interacting with other people, but now “he loves being around other kids. He can interact with people in a different way than he used to be able to.”
She acknowledged that the Beyond Blindness staff also taught her to “challenge him and let him explore new things,” particularly in the way that they adapt activities to include all abilities.
She continued, “the world can accommodate my son, and he shouldn’t ever have to hear the word ‘no’ just because he has disabilities.”
About the Newport Aquatic Center, she was relieved that “they’ve done this before, they love making those accommodations, and they’re ready to go. They’re all set for all the kids because they’ve seen them before.”
For more information, visit https://newportaquaticcenter.com and https://www.beyondblindness.org.
By Guest Contributor Jasmine Jenkins – August 11, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/newport-aquatic-center-welcomes-beyond-blindness-for-an-inclusive-summer-camp-outrigger-outing/
By Laylan Connelly – Orange County Register
Officials have secured $8.3 million to dredge Newport Harbor in the $14 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but sand replenishment projects for two stretches of Orange County coastline were not included.
U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel said dredging of Newport Beach’s harbor is long overdue in her announcement Wednesday, Jan. 19, about the federal funding, but also stressed the need for added sand along the coastline. Funding for the Surfside-Sunset Replenishment Project, which would seed beaches through Huntington Beach south to Newport Beach will have to hope for final approval from another Congressional appropriations bill, the timeline of which has been unclear.
So is the San Clemente Shoreline Project, which would replenish beaches in the southern city, including improving the buffer of shoreline along a key coastal rail line.
Both projects have been stalled for years, awaiting funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do the replenishments that help create a beach buffer that would protect roads, homes and infrastructure from ocean flooding, as well as keep beaches – one of the region’s major tourism draws – from disappearing.
In 1962, Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act, which required the Army Corps of Engineers to address the impacts of the constructed flood control structures on the sand deposits that should be happening naturally along shorelines.
The $23 million Surfside-Sunset project – $15.5 million in federal money and $7.63 from local agencies – would add 1.75 million cubic yards of sand to Surfside, which would then be pushed down the coast by ocean currents and waves, spreading it 12 miles south to Newport Beach.
The last time sand was added was 2010 – previously the replenishment happened every five to seven years.
“There is more work to do, and I will continue to demand action from the administration and the Army Corps to fully fund the Surfside-Sunset Replenishment Project because we are one natural disaster away from devastation,” Steel said in a statement.
San Clemente has been waiting about two decades for its big replenishment project. The city two years ago received a boost in the amount of $500,000 in federal funding for the design phase.
With no beach left, a wave crashes against the rocks and stairs just below the railroad tracks at North Beach in San Clemente on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The project would add 251,000 cubic yards of sand from Linda Lane beach to T-Street beach south of the pier. The sand has shrunk so much there in recent years, city leaders have discussed the possibly of moving San Clemente’s Marine Safety Headquarters off the beach. When big surf hits, the surf laps onto the railroad tracks.
About $9.3 million was requested in the bipartisan infrastructure bill by U.S. Rep. Mike Levin for the San Clemente Shoreline Project.
Levin helped secure $30.5 million in federal funding for the Encinitas-Solana Beach Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project and $1.8 million for the Oceanside Special Shoreline Study, his office announced Wednesday.
The Encinitas-Solana Beach project involves placing 700,000 cubic yards of sand along 7,200 feet of beach in Solana Beach and 340,000 cubic yards of sand along 7,800 feet of beach in Encinitas.
The Oceanside shoreline study will create a plan to mitigate erosion and other effects from the construction of Camp Pendleton Harbor and will restore beach conditions along the affected shores to the conditions that existed before its development.
Levin’s office said he is also “continuing to fight to finalize federal funding for the San Clemente Shoreline Project.”
Paul BlankBy Amy Senk
Corona del Mar resident Paul Blank was named Newport Beach Harbormaster last spring, a grand achievement to cap off an on-the-water lifestyle that began at age 10 with a two-week sailing class offered through the city’s recreation department. The harbormaster’s job is typically described as being a lead ambassador for Newport Harbor, one of the largest recreational harbors in the country, and includes overseeing a dozen or so employees and an annual budget of $1 million-plus. But like most things in the past year or so, the first several months have been filled with surprises. I caught up with him to learn more.
Q: What role did you play as harbormaster in the days after the oil spill, and what stands out in your mind now as the most notable thing that happened?
A: The response to the Amplify Energy Oil spill in early October was swift and multifaceted. My specific roles included surveying the harbor beaches for oil contamination, monitoring the harbor entrance for potential intrusion or contamination and participation in the City of Newport Beach Emergency Operations Center, which integrated with the Unified Command Response managed by the U.S. Coast Guard. A huge amount of my time was spent communicating my findings to others in the EOC and the UCR as well as with Harbor constituents and my patrol team in the Harbor Department. When the decision was made to close the harbor entrance, I was there to witness it and then established a patrol presence to advise mariners in a firm but friendly way of the closure and alternatives while they were unable to get in or out of the harbor. As the situation evolved, my role shifted into advising mariners, local businesses and residents where they could go for support or to file claims for loss or damage sustained as a result of the spill. I also spent considerable time and effort supporting the vessel decontamination site that was established at Marina Park. I am thankful that through the duration of the crisis, we were not forced to close or curtail activities on the harbor. Sailing classes, races, rowing, paddle boarding and casual harbor cruising all continued even though the entrance was closed. While not everyone could engage in all the activities they may have wished to while the entrance was closed, the harbor remained clean, safe and well enjoyed.
Q: We keep seeing mega yachts off the coast of Newport Beach. Have they caused any problems?
A: Newport Harbor has become a more popular port of call for mega yachts this year. Some vessels choose to enjoy anchorage off Big Corona Beach for their visits. Others have stopped there while waiting for a favorable tide to enter and transit the harbor. I am pleased to have made the process of reserving and making use of the Large Vessel Anchorage easier for the yacht managers. I am also pleased with the tenor and tone of the dialogue that continues with nearby residents and businesses. Concerns remain about traffic and congestion in that part of the harbor, but no negative impacts have been observed or reported to me. Newport Harbor is a “no-discharge harbor,” meaning no waste or refuse may go overboard. All vessels mooring or anchoring in Newport Harbor, including these mega yachts with dozens of paid, professional crews, are subject to dye-tab testing of their marine sanitation systems. This is the method we use to test the integrity of the vessel’s plumbing and waste holding tank. One vessel was tested upon arrival recently and didn’t pass. We allowed the crew an opportunity to check the settings on all their pumps and valves. A little less than an hour later we returned to re-test and the vessel passed. No pollution or waste was discharged into the bay in that first test, so no citation was issued, and the vessel was welcome to stay in the harbor. If any vessel is subsequently witnessed discharging into the bay, citations are written which come with a financial penalty and the vessel may be asked to leave the harbor. Thankfully it doesn’t happen very often.
Q: What is the Take Back Our Harbor movement, and what are your thoughts about it?
A: Take Back Our Harbor is the tagline for the newly formed Newport Harbor Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit group with a mission similar to the Newport Bay Conservancy. While the Newport Bay Conservancy is focused exclusively on improving Upper Newport Bay –essentially everything north of the PCH Bridge – the Newport Harbor Foundation is focused on preserving and improving the lower Newport Harbor. While I am not directly involved with the group, I am supportive of their mission. The group’s efforts align nicely with the Harbor Department’s goal of keeping the harbor clean, safe and well enjoyed.
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