Briefly In Neighbors

Stolen items include residents’ personal information

Laguna Niguel’s Recreation Department Registration Office was burglarized last week, according to a letter the city sent customers of the department.

Among the items taken were registration forms and credit card transaction slips with personal information on them — like names, addresses, phone numbers, account numbers and expiration dates — according to the letter. The break-in occurred sometime between Dec. 25 and 27.

The notice informed residents who may have registered for classes or programs in the office, by fax or by mail that their information is at risk. Those who registered online did not have their information compromised, officials said.

Residents who received the letter were warned to close their credit card accounts to avoid possible identity theft.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident. Those who suspect fraudulent use of their credit cards are urged to report it to Investigator Aubrey Carroll at (949) 425-1900.

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Support the troops with care packages

The Laguna Niguel Military Support Committee is hosting its second annual care package drive to support its adopted Marines on Jan. 14.

The public is invited to drop off items at two Albertsons locations: 30241 Golden Lantern in the Marine Hills Shopping Center, and at 29941 Alicia Parkway.

Committee volunteers will be on hand to collect the goods. The items most requested by Marines are hygiene products, batteries, DVDs, playing cards, protein bars, beef jerky and hard candy.

The committee will sort the items into care packages and send them to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, which is currently deployed overseas.

Residents can also drop off goods at City Hall, 30111 Crown Valley Parkway, through Jan. 14. For more information, call Dave Mellon at (949) 489-8378.

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Speakers Series comes to St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s School in Aliso Viejo has announced its lineup for the 2012 Speakers Series.

The series includes three nights of discussion on topics like education and parenting. Each session will conclude with a question-and-answer session.

First up is “Taming Temper Tantrums” with Derek Carroll, a licensed marriage and family therapist and child behavior specialist. He will speak at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26. He will discuss how best to promote more self-control and communication in children.

Next is “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee” with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Wendy Mogel. She will speak at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16. She will talk about raising kids in a world where entitlement and competition are common. She has appeared as a guest expert on “The Today Show” and has a New York Times best-selling book.

Finally, Patrick F. Bassett, president of the National Assn. of Independent Schools, will speak at 6:30 p.m. March 28. NAIS is a “leader in educational leadership, research and trend analysis for independent K-12 college-prep education,” according to a news release. Bassett will discuss “Schools of the Future” and how to be better prepared for the 21st century.

The 2012 Speakers Series is sponsored by Irvine Technology Corporation. All discussions will be held in the school’s gymnasium, 7 Pursuit, Aliso Viejo.

The series is free and open to the public. Register to attend at https://www.smaa.org.

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Spring into the youth volleyball season

Sign-ups are on for the United States Youth Volleyball League’s spring 2012 season.

The eight-week league will run from April to June, and includes Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and San Clemente.

Kids and parents are welcome to enjoy volleyball practices and games that will help build self-esteem and confidence, according to a news release from the league.

The USYVL is also looking for volunteers to be coaches and instructors for the season.

For more information on registration or the volunteer positions, visit https://www.USYVL.org or call 1 (888) 988-7985.

—Kelly Parker