عضو شورای ملیسا فاکس

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Councilmember Melissa Fox Receives Award on Behalf of the Irvine Community Land Trust for Opening of New Permanent Affordable Housing in Irvine

Irvine, CA — Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox today received an award on behalf of the Irvine Community Land Trust for the opening of new permanent affordable housing in Irvine.

The new housing project is Parc Derian, an 80-unit,100% permanent affordable housing community.  Eight units (10%) are reserved for veterans, four units are reserved for “at risk” families through Families Forward, and four units are reserved for disabled individuals.

Councilmember Fox is the Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust.  She has made creating more affordable housing a priority.  In addition to her work on the Irvine City Council and the Irvine Community Land Trust, Councilmember Fox has made numerous trips to Sacramento to testify before legislative committees and to work with the state legislators, including State Senators John Moorlach, Jim Beall, Scott Wiener, and Janet Nguyen, and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva on solutions to the California housing crisis.

In addition to the Irvine Community Land Trust, other partners in the Parc Derian project included the City of Irvine, the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the National Equity Fund, the Bank of America, C & C Development, Lennar Corporation, Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO), Orange County and United Cerebal Palsy, Familes Forward, and Lighthouse Community Centers.

Parc Derian is located within the Irvine Business Complex (IBC).

At the opening ceremony, Councilmember Fox made the following remarks:

“Good afternoon and welcome. I’m delighted that you have come to enjoy the grand opening of our latest affordable housing project.

Many of you may wonder what is the Irvine Community Land Trust and why are we involved in this project.  The Irvine Community Land Trust was established by the City in 2006.  We were the City’s homegrown nonprofit created to hold land in perpetuity for affordable housing.

Three years ago, in partnership with the City and C&C Development, we started development of our second affordable housing project – Parc Derian.  Today you see the finished product.  But what you may not realize is that this property will always be affordable.  This is because the Irvine Community Land Trust, as a nonprofit, holds land for the community in perpetuity. This was and is the vision the City had when it created the Irvine Community Land Trust.

Today, the Irvine Community Land Trust remains committed to implementing the City’s vision of creating permanent affordable housing. It bears repeating that the City’s vision of housing for Irvine is that we have “a full spectrum of housing types to meet the needs of all income groups at all stages of life that will be permanently affordable.”

You have heard how Parc Derian serves families, special needs residents, and veterans.  You will hear from some of these residents shortly.  Remember, because of the Irvine Community Land Trust’s commitment to permanent affordable housing, these residents will never fear that they might be displaced from their homes because of market rate rent increases. These homes provide a high quality of life for today’s and tomorrow’s residents.

And we have made these homes wonderfully affordable to residents with rents as low as $570 per month. Parc Derian gives individuals and families a sense of community; it is not a coincidence that “community” is part of our name.

As we celebrate the successful completion of this project and the partnership we have with the City,  we also look forward to our next housing permanent affordable developments.  A new 80-unit rental project along Sand Canyon is in the design phase and should break ground this time next year.  And looking beyond that project, we are anticipating more land and funding from the City to the Land Trust to create more permanently affordable housing.

As the City’s nonprofit we will develop future properties and assure the community that they will never be lost or converted to market rate housing.

We call this commitment “stewardship” — and you have our solemn promise that we will always strive to meet the vision of creating and managing a full spectrum of housing opportunities for families, as the Irvine Community Land Trust continues to work with the City to create more permanent affordable housing for our residents.”

 

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Irvine’s Kids Need You: Parent/Guardian Volunteers Needed to Serve on Irvine Child Care Committee!

The City of Irvine is accepting applications for two volunteer positions (parent/guardian representatives) on the Irvine Child Care Committee.

The Irvine Child Care Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the Community Services Commission, providing input on the needs of the community pertaining to child care-related issues.

The Child Care Committee is an advisory body of the City of Irvine, reporting to the Community Services Commission, providing input on the needs of the community pertaining to child care related issues.

The Committee’s mission is to develop recommendations related to the availability of affordable quality child care and early education in Irvine.

The Committee works collaboratively with City departments and community organizations to enhance the provision of child care and early education services, providing outreach, and serving as a liaison to the community by informally sharing information learned at meetings, promoting City events for families and early childhood educators and sharing questions, concerns and ideas from the community with the Committee.

The full committee includes five City Council appointees; two center- or home-based child care providers; two parents/guardians; three representatives, one each from Irvine Unified School District, University of California, Irvine, and Irvine Valley College; and two community representatives.

Applicants must be the parent or guardian of a child younger than 12 at the time of application and be willing to commit to a two-year term of active service, from January 2019 through December 2020.

Irvine Child Care Committee meetings are held the second Tuesday of select months (at least six times a year) from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Heritage Park Community Center or other Irvine locations.

Applications are available now at the Irvine Child Resource Center and Irvine Civic Center, and online at cityofirvine.org/childcare.

As I’ve said before, Irvine needs more childcare.

We know that our great schools, beautiful parks, and safe environment attract many families with young children.  We also know that a critical part of any thriving community is safe, professional, reliable, and affordable preschool and childcare.  Irvine must become truly family friendly with no more waiting lists.

I strongly urge interested and dedicated parents or guardians to apply to serve on the Irvine Child Care Committee.

Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10.

Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to:

Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606

For additional information, contact Traci Stubbler at 949-724-6635 or tstubbler@cityofirvine.org.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Korean American Center – KAC 무료 시민권 신청 행사 Free Citizenship Application Assistance!

For the first time South Orange County, a free event will be held to help Korean immigrants with applications for U.S. citizenship on Saturday, August 25, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Northwood Community Park, located at 4531 Bryan Ave, Irvine, CA 92620.

The event will include about 10 immigration attorneys and more than 50 experienced Korean speaking volunteers, who will help complete your citizenship documents with one-on-one services.

You must make reservations by telephone at (714) 449-1125.

시민권 신청 서류 (N400) 의 작성및 법적인 검토/상담  

FREE Citizenship Application (N-400) Assistance and Legal Review

2018년 6월 23일 (토) Saturday, August 25th
오전 9시부터 오후 4시까지 9 am – 4 pm

Korean American Center 코리안 아메리칸 센터
& Korean Community Services  코리안 복지센터

Northwood Comunity Park/Center, 4531 Bryan Ave, Irvine, CA 92620.

예약 전화 번호
Call for Appointment: 714-449-1125.

Anyone needing citizenship assistance is welcomed. This event is not only for Koreans.

필수 서류 Documents to Bring:

1) ID: 운전 면허증 또는 기타 신분증 (여권), 사회 보장 번호, 영주권 카드. Idenification: Driver’s License/Personal I.D, Social Security Number, and Green Card.

2) 지난5년간 거주, 취업/학교 정보: 거주한 주소, 취업한 회사 이름과 주소/ 학교 이름과 주소. – 정확한 날자를 기억하지 못하는 경우 최선을 다해 대략의 날자를 제공해 주어야 합니다. Work, School, Residence History: Where have you lived and worked/attended school during the last 5 years. You may provide approximate dates, only if you cannot remember the exact date.

3) 지난 5년간 24시간 이상 체류한 해외 여행 기록: (년,월,일): 해외로 나간 모든 여행의 출국.입국 일자 (육로나 해상으로 멕시코나 캐나다 여행한 것도 포함) 정확한날자를 기억하지 못하는 경우 최선을 다해 대략의 날자를 제공해 주어야 합니다
Trips Outside of the United States for more than 24 hours in the last 5 years (Month, Day, Year): Dates of departure and arrival of all trips outside of the United States, including trips to Mexico or Canada by land or sea (you may provide approximate dates, only if you cannot remember the exact date).

4) 현재의 결혼 신분: 배우자의 이름, 생년월일, 현 주소, 출생 국가, 결혼 일자, 이민신분, 이혼 또는 재혼 이상인 경우 상기 정보외에 모든 전 배우자의 사망 일자 또는이혼 일자 배우자가 영주권자인 경우 영주권 번호, 귀화 시민권자인경우 시민권 선서식 장소와 날자.  Current Marriage: Name of your spouse, address, date of birth, date of marriage (civil marriage, social security number, if your spouse is a permanent resident: must provide its number, if he/she became a U.S. citizen: must provide date and location of the oath ceremony where the ceremony was held).

5) 자녀: 이름, 생년월일, 출생 국가, 현 주소, 영주권자인 경우 영주권 번호.
Children: Name, date of birth, country of birth, address where each children lives. Resident numbers if they are permanent residents.

6) 범죄 기록: 사법 기관, 경찰, 이민 세관국,또는 이민서비스국과 법적인 접촉이 있었던 경우, 구류, 체포 또는 유죄 판결관련 서류/기록을 가지고 와야합니다. 또한 운전중 티켓받은 기록도 모두 정리해서 가지고와야 합니다. Criminal History: If you have ever come into contact with law enforcement, police, ICE, or immigration services, you must bring all documents/records connected to any detention, arrest, or conviction.

Hosted By:
Korean Community Services 코리안 복지 센터
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – OC
Korean American Center 오렌지 카운티 한미 문화 센터

See the Facebook event page HERE.

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Irvine City Council Honors Illumination Foundation for Outstanding Service to Reduce Homelessness

At our most recent Irvine City Council meeting, we had the pleasure of presenting a Certificate of Commendation to the Illumination Foundation, which has been selected as 2018 California Nonprofit of the Year.

The Illumination Foundation, which has its headquarters in Irvine, provides “targeted, interdisciplinary services for the most vulnerable homeless clients in order to break the cycle of homelessness.”

As their website explains, “We’re here to break the cycle of homelessness. We assess clients to identify needs and provide immediate relief when necessary, followed by care that combines housing, case management, medical care, mental health and workforce services to decrease community dependency. We offer a low-entry threshold to access health and housing stability for the most vulnerable members of our community, with a focus on families and those with chronic health conditions.”

The Illumination Foundation pioneered an innovative and cost-effective solution to advance health and housing stability for the chronically homeless community.  Since its inception in 2008, the Illumination Foundation has assisted more than 41,000 people with housing and healthcare services, including more than 2,500 children.

The Irvine City Council congratulated and commended the Illumination Foundation “for its outstanding service to reduce homelessness in Orange County.”

You can learn more about how to get involved in helping the Illumination Foundation help others at their website HERE.

If you need help from the Illumination Foundation, call them at (714) 507-2459.

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Great Park Update: We’re Creating a Truly Great Park!

As anyone who has followed the history of the Orange County Great Park knows, its development has not always been smooth or something to be proud of.

In fact, for far too many years, the Great Park was a symbol of gross mismanagement and government gone very wrong, with allegations of corruption and massive waste, and with little to nothing to show for the expenditure of hundreds of millions of public dollars except a balloon, a carousel, and great expanses of dirt, dust, and debris.

However, since I have joined the Irvine City Council — and been appointed Vice Chair of the Orange County Great Park by my colleagues — we have succeeded in making a tremendous, positive turn-around in the Great Park’s development.  Real, substantial, and exciting progress has been made.

As the Orange County Register recently wrote, ” If you haven’t visited the Orange County Great Park – where you see that big orange balloon from Interstate 5 – in the past few years, you may be surprised by the amount of construction going on and how quickly things are getting built there.”

We are now fulfilling the promise of a truly Great Park that all of us can feel proud of and enjoy!

Here are some of things we’ve already accomplished:

  • Groundbreaking for new Anaheim Ducks’ 270,000 square-foot community ice skating and practice facility in the Great Park (largest public ice skating facility in the West).
  • Opened new 5,000-seat Championship Soccer Stadium and numerous other sports fields and facilities in the first phase of 194-acre Great Park Sports Park, the largest of its kind in Orange County — larger than Disneyland and Disney California Adventure combined.
  • Great Park Sports Complex presented with the Orange County Business Council’s Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Award for Public-Private Partnership.
  • Great Park Championship Stadium became home of Orange County Soccer Club, Orange County’s only professional soccer team and official affiliate partner of the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) of Major League Soccer (MLS). Orange County SC is a part of the United Soccer League (USL), the fastest growing Division II professional soccer league in the world comprised of 34 teams across the United States.
  • Begun construction of a 2.5 mile nature corridor at the eastern end of the park. It is intended to be a pathway for bobcats, coyotes, California gnatcatchers and other wildlife species to move safely between the Santa Ana Mountains and the coast. The corridor, accessible only to wildlife, is expected to open mid-2019.
  • 101 acres of Great Park Sports complex completed, including six new soccer/lacrosse fields; a natural turf flex field that can accommodate four additional soccer fields, four basketball courts available for drop-in use, and more.

At our last Irvine City Council meeting, the Great Park’s Interim Director, Pete Carmichael, presented us with the latest Great Park Progress Report, which  I want to share with you.

Construction Updates:

  • Sports Park Phases 3 and 4: expected turnover September, 2018.
  • Bee and Bosque Trail Areas: awaiting turnover by partner FivePoint.
  • Ice Complex: opening expected by end of 2018.
  • Western Sector Street Improvements: construction in progress; phase 1 completion expected Fall 2018.

Forward Planning Updates:

  • Cultural Terrace: FivePoint contracting for Phase 2 consultants.
  • Cultural Terrace: Preliminary tenant outreach.
  • Cultural Terrace: parking plan developed to include parking stalls, entrance plaza and landscaping.
  • Water Park: CEQA studies in progress.
  • Water Park: land appraisal underway.
  • Water Park: new lease terms coming to City Council next month (August).

Further Updates and News:

  • Championship Soccer Stadium has held 17 tournaments; played 112 games; hosted 75 teams; and has had attendance of 95,625.
  • Soccer Fields have held 18 tournaments; 11,750 practices; 4,818 games; hosted 6,330 teams, and has had attendance of 411,330.
  • Upcoming Soccer Events: GSAC Conference Championships; NAIA National Championships.
  • Tennis Center has held 884 tournaments; 722 league matches, and given 1,745 lessons.
  • Movies on the Lawn Series: more than 9,000 visitors.
  • OC Steam Fest: 5,000 visitors.
  • UCI Anti-Cancer Walk: 3,500 visitors.

Up Next:

  • Opening of Baseball and Softball facilities.

Of course, there is still more to do.  As I have said, while I am proud of all that we’ve recently accomplished at the Great Park, the time has come to focus on creating what should be the real jewel of the Great Park: The Cultural Terrace.  I have long been a strong advocate for botanical gardens and museums in the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace.

You can positively impact the next phase of development by the Great Park Cultural Terrace by becoming involved in the grass-roots organizations that are working toward a Great Park botanical garden and a natural history museum:

Great Park Garden Coalition
Website: http://redryder200.com/GreatGardensCoalition/
Facebook: Click here.

California Cultural Resources Preservation Alliance (CCRPA)
Website: http://www.ccrpa.com/
Facebook: Click here.

You can also help by signing this petition to urge the creation of a natural history museum in the Great Park.

In addition, I remain strongly committed to the creation of veterans cemetery in Irvine.  Councilmember Christina Shea and I have proposed to build a veterans cemetery in the Great Park on land now designated for a golf course. 

This proposal would be both cost-saving and time-saving, and locates the veterans cemetery squarely within the Great Park and the former Marine Air Base, yet not next to neighborhoods and schools.

The proposal does not involve a land exchange, and the location of the cemetery would not open other areas to potential commercial development, add additional homes, or cause any increase in traffic.

Click HERE to read the proposal.

As you can see, we’ve accomplished a lot.  I am very proud of our residents, our city staff, and our community partners for all we’ve done so far, and I look forward to continuing to fulfill the promise of a truly Great Great Park!

Be sure to check out the Great Park Calendar of Events so you can keep up-to-date on what’s coming up next!

 

 

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Bring Your Child and a Favorite Stuffed Animal Friend to Pajama Storytime and Stuffed Animal Sleepover at Irvine University Park Library!

On Wednesday evening, July 25, 2018, bring your child and a favorite stuffed animal friend to Pajama Storytime and the 5th Annual Stuffed Animal Sleepover at Irvine University Park Library.

Libraries across the globe have been hosting “Stuffed Animal Sleepovers” to encourage an early love of reading.

Here’s how it works:

In the early evening, children in pajamas bring their favorite stuffed friend to the library (researchers say it’s best if they choose one they’re especially attached to). Then librarians usually lead the kids in a story time circle with their favorite stuffed animals.

After that, it’s time for the kids to say goodbye and goodnight — but they leave their little buddies behind for their own overnight library party.

Once the doors are shut, the library staff gets to work posing the stuffed animals living it up — and reading — at the library all night long, and snapping photos as they go.

When the children come back the next day to pick up their little loved ones, they get to look through photos of all the fun their stuffed animal friends had at their library sleepover.

Doesn’t that sound absolutely adorable!

Experts say that the whole experience is magical and really encourages children to read.

Storytime starts at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, and stuffed animal pickup will be Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Irvine University Park Library is located at 4512 Sandburg Way, Irvine, CA 92612.

For more information, call 949-786-4001.

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Join Me at the City Council Meeting on August 28 to Hear City of Irvine Staff Present Results of the Second Public Outreach Survey on the General Plan Update

Please join me to hear City of Irvine staff present results of the Second Public Outreach Survey on the General Plan Update.

The City of Irvine staff presents the results of the second public outreach survey to the City Council and the public at the Irvine City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018.

Please note, this meeting was rescheduled from a previous date.

The City Council meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Conference and Training Center at Irvine City Hall located at 1 Civic Center Plaza (at Harvard Avenue and Alton Parkway).

What is the General Plan Update?

The City of Irvine is updating its General Plan, a state-required document representing the long-range vision of the City.

The purpose of the update is to build upon longstanding objectives that define Irvine and for the City Council to consider changes as needed. The update will serve as the City’s policy blueprint for the future. It will update community goals and public policy direction to ensure Irvine’s high quality of life is preserved and enhanced as the City builds out and matures.

The City conducted extensive public outreach to establish the preliminary General Plan Planning Framework and to identify major goals and topics for consideration in the update. City staff presented the results of the second  outreach survey and Planning Framework developed for the General Plan Comprehensive Update project to City Commissions throughout Spring 2018.

No changes to existing land uses or allowable development intensities are proposed.

This update will also incorporate changes required by state law.

Visit irvine2035.org for more information regarding the General Plan Update project.

You can find more information about Irvine City Council meetings HERE.

 

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Irvine History Happy Hour: Show and Tell!

Turtle-Rock-Sign

Everyone has a story to tell . . . especially about the place where they live!

This month’s history get-together will focus on your personal artifacts and treasures.

Do you have some old pictures of the way things used to be?

Your house when it was first built? Family heirlooms from the Irvine Ranch in days gone by?

Join the Irvine Historical Society on Sunday, July 22, for this month’s “Let’s Talk History” Happy Hour for an Irvine History Show and Tell.

We will meet at the Irvine Historical Museum from 3:00 p.m. –  5:00 pm.

Clean out the closet, open the trunk of photos in the attic, and dust of Grandma’s treasures. We’d love to hear your story!

Light refreshments will be served. A $5 donation is requested.

The Irvine Historical Society is located in the San Joaquin Ranch House, commissioned by James Irvine in 1868 and considered the oldest standing structure within the original boundaries of Irvine Ranch.

Standard hours of operation are Tuesday and Sunday from 1 to 4; closed holidays. Members are free; a $1.00 donation per non-member is appreciated.

One-hour walking tours of Old Town Irvine are available on the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Free for members; $5 for non-members.

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Irvine City Councilmembers Christina Shea and Melissa Fox Seek Relocation of the Veterans Cemetery to Area Currently Planned for a Golf Course in the Great Park

The following is a press release that was sent out on July 13, 2018.

July 13, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Daniel Robertson 949-874-3442

IRVINE CITY COUNCILMEMBERS CHRISTINA SHEA AND MELISSA FOX SEEK POTENTIAL RELOCATION OF VETERANS CEMETERY TO AREA CURRENTLY PLANNED FOR A GOLF COURSE IN THE GREAT PARK.

IRVINE, CA – Based on the voters rejection of Measure B, Irvine City Councilmembers Christina Shea and Melissa Fox have sent a memo to Acting City Manager Grace Leung directing the City’s planning staff to consider the potential relocation of the Orange County Veterans Cemetery to the area currently planned for a golf course in the Great Park.

The memo is as follows:

As we continue to seek a site for the Veterans Cemetery, it has occurred to us and others, as mentioned July 10th at our council meeting, that the area within the Great Park planned for a golf course offers several benefits as a potential location. The golf course site has ample space, at about 195 acres; it is within the Great Park and in the heart of the former MCAS El Toro, honoring those who served there; it is not located adjacent to neighborhoods or schools, and it could provide multiple points of access for future visitation and processions. If up to 125 acres were to be dedicated to the Veterans Cemetery, 70 plus acres would still be available for a smaller golf-related use, other recreational uses and a potential for the expansion of the Organic Circle Farm, helping with annual revenues for the Great Park.

The golf course site wouldn’t require the 40 million dollars demolition and remediation costs that the ARDA site requires. The golf course site has also gone thru the CEQA process. Additionally, by creating a veteran’s cemetery in the heart of the Great Park, not outside the Great Park where the ARDA site is located, our Veterans would realize a true resting place inside the Great Park, where so many citizens have requested the cemetery to be developed. In lieu of a full length golf course, there may be financial savings that can be used for cemetery construction.

For the reasons outlined above, we believe this is worthy of our planning staff to add this second site to their present review and due diligence study for the City’s review process of the ARDA site. This will allow staff to review this concept along with any other alternatives we may deem of value for our Veterans Cemetery.”

Councilmember Christina Shea stated that “We are listening to our voters and we want to find what works best to create a veterans cemetery and to bring peace and civility back to our city.  We are determined to find a positive solution to provide a veterans cemetery in our city and ensure that our residents’ voices are heard.”

Councilmember Melissa Fox stated that “The voters have spoken. We are listening. We need to find a location for the veterans cemetery that responds to the voters’ concerns. I have been a strong and consistent supporter of a veterans cemetery within the hallowed grounds of the former Marine Air Station El Toro, where so many brave men and women flew to Vietnam and other war zones, some never to come back. The Great Park is an altogether fitting and proper location for this veterans cemetery, where it would also be a lasting memorial to the Great Park’s military heritage.”

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Note:

Anyone who wishes to express support for this proposal — to consider the potential relocation of the Orange County Veterans Cemetery to the area currently planned for a golf course in the Great Park — can contact the Irvine City Council here.

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Join the Irvine Police Department at the Annual National Night Out Celebration!

Join your Irvine neighbors and the Irvine Police Department at the annual National Night Out Celebration. Once again, the Irvine Police Department will host festivities at three locations throughout the City.

This free event features police vehicles, appearances by the Mounted and K-9 Units, crime prevention tips, and bounce houses and other activities for kids.

Grab a bite on a warm summer night from food trucks that will have items available for purchase.  Plus, kids get a free IPD light-up bouncy ball while supplies last!

Join us at these locations:

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.

It also provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Note: Attendees who bring a canned food item to benefit Families Forward will be entered in an opportunity drawing.

Join us to say Hello and Thank You to the men and women who make Irvine America’s Safest City!

See the Facebook event page here.

I hope to see you there!

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Press Release: Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox Refers Email Threat to Orange County District Attorney

July 9, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jason Mills (714) 576-4303

IRVINE CITY COUNCILMEMBER MELISSA FOX REFERS EMAIL THREAT TO ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

IRVINE, CA – Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox referred an email communication from Harvey Liss to the Orange County District Attorney’s office today.

In his email to Councilmember Fox, Liss directed her to vote for a motion regarding the veterans’ cemetery to be presented by Councilmember Jeff Lalloway at the July 10, 2018, City Council meeting or face an end to her participation on the Irvine City Council.

Liss’s email to Councilmember Fox may constitute a violation of several California criminal code sections designed to protect public officials from being extorted for their votes.

Liss is a close ally of Larry Agran and Ed Pope of the “Save the Veterans Cemetery” campaign committee, and an editor of the Irvine Community News & Views, which was one of the major donors to the campaign urging a “No” vote on Measure B, lending over $300,000 to the campaign, without transparency as to where its money came from.

Liss’s communication to Councilmember Fox via her private email account may also violate the City of Irvine’s Ethics and Lobbying Ordinance, since Liss is demanding that Councilmember Fox take a position on a municipal question on which Irvine Community News & Views has spent money far over the threshold reporting amount without reporting or registering as a city lobbyist and without reporting the lobbying activities that he and other agents of Irvine Community News & Views have undertaken.

In response to the email, Councilmember Fox said, “Liss’s threat is a misuse of the political system.  It is to the people of Irvine that I owe my best efforts, my best judgment, my faithfulness, and my sole allegiance.  I will not be bullied, threatened, or extorted into voting against what I believe to be the best interests of the City of Irvine.”

 

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Fulfilling the Great Park Promise: The Cultural Terrace Needs Botanical Gardens and a Natural History Museum

I was delighted to speak this weekend to the Cultural and Natural History Museum and Botanical Gardens Workshop in Irvine.  This is what our City and our Great Park need now to fulfill the Great Park promise.

While I am proud of all that we’ve recently accomplished at the Great Park – from a new 12,000-seat live music amphitheatre to the new ice skating facility to a new 5,000-seat Championship Soccer Stadium and numerous other sports fields and facilities in the first phase of 194-acre Great Park Sports Park – the time has come to focus on creating what should be the real jewel of the Great Park: The Cultural Terrace.

Supporters of a botanical garden at the 233-acre Cultural Terrace of the Orange County Great Park in Irvine hold signs and flowers during the Irvine City Council meeting Oct. 24, 2017. (Tomoya Shimura, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Cultural Terrace is a 223-acre portion of Orange County Great Park, envisioned as including a variety of culturally oriented amenities, such as gardens, art galleries, and museums.

I have long been a strong advocate for botanical gardens and museums in the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace.

Every survey we’ve done has shown that gardens are among amenities that people most want in the Great Park.

I agree with the Great Park Garden Coalition that “We need places where children can experience nature and explore, where all can find refuge from the ever-increasing urban density and traffic, where people of all ages and abilities can experience beautiful outdoor spaces. All great urban parks have great garden spaces: Golden Gate Park, Central Park, Balboa Park.”

I also agree with what Joyce Mann wrote in the Voice of OC: “Gardens are an inclusive, a-political opportunity to bring community together for generations. They are a public benefit that becomes a lasting legacy. Besides being beautiful to look at, education is fundamental to the mission of botanical gardens. Through them, we have an opportunity to teach students of all ages about developing environmental awareness and to learn about plant science, gardening and the ecology of our local forests, rivers and wetlands. Botanical gardens become a living plant museum that will inform visitors about the importance and often-irreplaceable value of plants to the wellbeing of humans and to the earth’s fragile ecosystems. Isn’t that the very definition of a legacy?”

The Great Park Botanical Gardens would also benefit the monarch butterfly, a beautiful species that is undergoing significant challenges and stress in our area. In the past decade, the monarch butterfly population has plummeted due to habitat loss and poisonous insecticides. The Great Park Botanic Gardens would be the ideal site to become a future Monarch Waystation. Monarch Waystations are essentially road stops on the Monarchs’ migration path which are stocked with their favorite foods and places to rest. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have such a road stop for monarch butterflies right in our own backyard?

The Great Park should also include a world-class natural history museum.

Orange County is the only county in Southern California that does not have a Natural History Museum.

The County has millions of fossils, and thousands of artifacts, in storage and they are not available to the public.  This rich history of fossils and artifacts, perhaps one of the most important fossil-bearing areas in North America, if not the world, needs to be curated and displayed.  Additionally, the stories and history of the Juaneno/Acjachemen and Gabrielino/Tongva — our County’s indigenous people — needs to be told!

In fact, Orange County is already home to a fabulous collection of fossils and artifacts in the Dr. John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, now located in several warehouses in Santa Ana.

The rocks of Orange County contain the fossilized remains of plants and animals from every major time period since the Jurassic – over 180 million years of prehistory! At this point, only a small fraction of the collection has been inventoried – about 20,000 specimens out of an estimated 3,000,000 or more from over 1,000 localities. Notable collections include: Eocene terrestrial mammals; late Oligocene-early Miocene terrestrial mammals; and Miocene-Pliocene marine mammals.

The Cooper Center’s archaeological holdings range in age from at least 12,000 years ago until historic times, including materials from all areas and environmental zones throughout the County including the coast, major and minor rivers, and foothill zones. Sites from these various areas include, but are not limited to, villages, fishing, milling activities associated with acorn and hard seed processing, and stone tool manufacture. Some of the artifact types recovered from these sites include cogstones, metates and manos, mortars and pestles, shell beads, hammerstones, projectile points, scrapers, incised stone and pottery sherds. Historical artifacts from the last century include glass bottles and toys. The artifacts held by the Cooper Center are the most extensive collection of Orange County history and prehistory anywhere and they provide archaeologists with a comprehensive view of what life was like in Orange County.

Unfortunately, this fabulous collection is not now open to the public. Although a county ordinance and federal preservation laws require that fossils, mostly uncovered by construction, be saved and kept in the county they were found, for the “benefit and inspiration of the public”.  our county’s rich store of fossils and artifacts cannot now be displayed, and are warehoused out of sight of the public. This collection ought to be open to all in a magnificent museum – a new Orange County Natural History Museum in the Great Park.

You can positively impact the next phase of development by the Great Park Cultural Terrace by becoming involved in the grass-roots organizations that are working toward a Great Park botanical garden and a natural history museum:

Great Park Garden Coalition
Website: http://redryder200.com/GreatGardensCoalition/
Facebook: Click here.

California Cultural Resources Preservation Alliance (CCRPA)
Website: http://www.ccrpa.com/
Facebook: Click here.

You can also help by signing this petition to urge the creation of a natural history museum in the Great Park.

Thanks!

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The Veterans Cemetery: What Should Irvine Do Now?

Current view of the original (ARDA) site for a veterans cemetery.

The voters in Irvine recently rejected Measure B. The issues now are what, in rejecting Measure B, did the voters really decide, and what should the Irvine City Council do in response to the voters’ decision.

Some argue that the rejection of Measure B means that the voters said that the proposed veterans cemetery should be located at the ARDA site that was originally selected by the City Council in July 2014, and that the City Council should begin immediately to build a veterans cemetery at that location.

But the actual language of Measure B said nothing about the original ARDA site, except that the development previously zoned for the strawberry fields site would be moved there.

Looking at the specific language of Measure B, what the voters said No to was “allowing the previously planned development for the Bake Parkway Site to be relocated to the intersection of Pusan and Irvine Blvd and allowing the development of a veterans cemetery near the intersection of I-5 and Bake Parkway.”

Thus, by its express language, the no vote on Measure B rejects that zoning decision, but does not authorize the city to place a veterans cemetery on the ARDA site.

Sign used by Measure B opponents warning of thousands more cars on Irvine roads if Measure B passed.

In addition, the City Council’s approval of the ARDA site in 2014 was based on the belief that the City would provide the land for the veterans cemetery, but the costs of construction and subsequent maintenance of the cemetery would be wholly paid by state and federal government.

Crucially, the City Council’s approval of the ARDA site also came several years before we learned that construction of the veterans cemetery at the ARDA site would cost nearly $80 million, mostly due to the need for decontamination of the soil and the decontamination and removal of numerous existing structures, and that in addition to providing the land, the City would have to bear a significant portion of these construction costs.

In particular, Measure B said nothing at all about approving the spending of tens of millions of dollars that are now earmarked for creating the features of the Great Park that residents have said they want – such as museums, botanical gardens, a new Wild Rivers Water Park, and a permanent amphitheatre for live music – and, instead, using that money for a veterans cemetery.

My belief is that the rejection of Measure B means that the voters did not want a zoning change that, as the No on B campaign said, would have allowed “massive development projects” at the ARDA site, add “812,000 square feet of development,” and “bring 10,000 more cars and trucks to Irvine streets and neighborhoods every day.”

For me, the lesson of Measure B is that the voters did not want to risk the possibility that the land exchange would lead to more development and more traffic congestion, as well as the voters believing that it was too favorable a deal for the developer.

In other words, I see the rejection of Measure B as a vote against more development and traffic congestion, and not a vote in favor of spending $40 – $80 million dollars on a veterans cemetery rather than building other popular features of the Great Park.

In a survey of Irvine voters I conducted from my blog and through email, the great majority said that they voted against Measure B because they did not want more development and traffic.

Even more significantly, 64% said that Irvine should not spend $40 to $80 million dollars for a veterans cemetery, compared to only 13.5% in favor.

Current view of the original (ARDA) site for a veterans cemetery.

In a new and promising twist to the veterans cemetery saga, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has now agreed to have its staff study and advise whether county-owned open space outside Irvine might be a feasible location for an Orange County veterans cemetery. The approximately 234-acre site is in the city of Anaheim, near the 91 and 241, adjacent to Gypsum Canyon.

This site would provide a larger veterans cemetery for Orange County veterans, at no cost to Irvine, and be free from the divisive politics that has characterized the veterans cemetery debate in Irvine.

In fact, many of the veterans who initiated the fight for a veterans cemetery now favor this site, because, as Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran Nick Berardino has said, it appears that “veterans are removed from the political equation, and are now heading in a practical, reasonable direction to give all the brave men and women a final resting place.”

If the Irvine City Council approves Jeff Lalloway’s motion to spend $40 to $80 million dollars to clean up the original site for a cemetery, it will deplete the Great Park budget for at least a decade.

As the Irvine City News noted, “It sounds noble when [Jeff] Lalloway, [Larry] Agran and their followers hold up the service of our veterans. But when you understand that the veterans still can’t get what they were promised without taking away the gardens, the museums, the music, the culture and the future of the Great Park, it puts Lalloway’s political power move in perspective.”

I have been a strong and consistent supporter of a veterans cemetery in Irvine.  But I have also been a strong supporter of fulfilling the promises that the City made to residents when it created the Great Park, and I am not in favor of giving up on those promises.

I believe the Great Park should have great gardens and a great museum, as well as other features for the enjoyment of all residents, and I do not believe that the City can afford to spend $40 to $80 million on a cemetery and continue with these other projects.

What do you think?  

Do you favor spending $40 to $80 million dollars to clean up the original site for a cemetery or should that money go to create other features for the Great Park?

The City Council will decide on Tues, July whether to approve Lalloway’s motion or whether some other course is more sensible and also responsive to the will of the voters and the needs of the community.

As always, the public is invited to attend and speak on these issues at the City Council meeting.

I also urge interested residents to contact the Mayor and the City Council by email and tell us in writing what you think we ought to do.

Here is how to contact the Mayor and the City Council:

Irvine City Council
949-724-6233 or irvinecitycouncil@cityofirvine.org

Mayor Wagner: donaldwagner@cityofirvine.org
Mayor Pro Tem Christina Shea: christinashea@cityofirvine.org
Councilmember Jeff Lalloway: jeffreylalloway@cityofirvine.org
Councilmember Lynn Schott: lynnschott@cityofirvine.org
Councilmember Melissa Fox: melissafox@cityofirvine.org

Thank you.

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Join Me to Watch the World Cup Final Live at the Championship Soccer Stadium in the Great Park!

Irvine residents are invited to attend a free viewing of the World Cup Final of France versus Croatia streaming live from Moscow on the Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium’s giant scoreboard beginning at 7 a.m. on Sunday, July 15, courtesy of our Orange County Soccer Club!

No tickets or RSVP are needed.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Free World Cup Final broadcast live on the Championship Soccer Stadium video board.
  • Watch the broadcast from the pitch, and bring blankets for seating (no chairs, tents or umbrellas will be allowed on the pitch).
  • Watch the broadcast from stadium seating sections 1-3 and 11-13.
  • Pre-kickoff entertainment with Orange County SC player and technical staff interviews as well as game analysis.
  • Half-time raffles for Orange County SC prizes.
  • Interactive Fan Zone: Lawn games, face painting, inflatables , sponsor  booths and exhibits and more!
  • Orange County SC player autograph and photo opportunities.
  • Orange County SC merchandise will be available for purchase.
  • Breakfast foods and beverages options will be available for purchase.
  • Free parking at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine.

Schedule:

7:00 a.m. Gates open
7:30 a.m. Pre-kickoff entertainment
8:00 a.m. Kickoff

See you there!

About the Orange County Soccer Club:

Orange County Soccer Club is Orange County’s only professional soccer team and an official affiliate partner of the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) of Major League Soccer (MLS).

Orange County SC is a part of the United Soccer League (USL), the fastest growing Division II professional soccer league in the world, composed of 34 teams across the United States.

The team plays their home games at the Orange County Great Park’s Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine.

Nestled right in the heart of the Great Park, the Championship Soccer Stadium has a capacity of over 5,000 for Orange County SC matches.

For more information, visit their website at orangecountysoccer.com.

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We Hold These Truths . . .

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident

that all Men are created equal

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights

that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men

deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.“

— The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Irvine as an elected representative on the Irvine City Council.

It is to the people of Irvine that I owe my best efforts, my best judgment, my faithfulness, and my sole allegiance.

I am keenly aware that our enjoyment of the unalienable rights spoken of in our Declaration of Independence are hard-won by the blood, sweat, and tears of those who have served and sacrificed for this nation.  It is them that I owe my freedom, my citizenship in this great nation, and my ability to serve the people of Irvine.

On this July 4th, I celebrate our City, our State, and our Nation, and those who have served and sacrificed to keep us free.

Happy Independence Day!

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Join Me for Irvine’s Free Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts!

The City of Irvine’s annual summer tradition returns on Sunday, July 8, when the Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts kick off at Mike Ward Community Park in Woodbridge.

The community is invited to a series of six free family-friendly concerts out in the park covering a variety of musical tastes — from modern country and classic rock to classical symphony and ’80s new wave. Festivities include a children’s play area and gourmet food trucks.

2018 Sizzlin’ Summer Concert Series

  • Sunday, July 8, 5:30 p.m.: Smith Band (Modern Country)
    Smith Band is a six-piece group that will rock your favorite country and Top 40 hits. Grab your boots and be ready to bust a move.
  • Sunday, July 15, 5:30 p.m.: The Reflexx (’80s New Wave)
    The Reflexx performs the greatest hits of ’80s alternative and new wave. Get ready for a flashback to the ’80s classics we know and love.
  • Sunday, July 22, 5:30 p.m.: Tijuana Dogs (Dance Party Rock)
    The Tijuana Dogs are a popular Orange County band. This high-energy party rock band will have you up and dancing the entire time. At 6:30 p.m., enjoy an intermission performance by Sara Peyton King, the Irvine High School Youth Action Team Akustikoff winner.
  • Sunday, July 29: Pacific Symphony in the Cities
    • 5:30 p.m.: Musical Playground for Children
    • 7 p.m. Pacific Symphony Concert
      Enjoy a must-do summer tradition: a free outdoor concert by Pacific Symphony, led by Music Director Carl St.Clair.
  • Sunday, Aug. 5, 5:30 p.m.: Undercover Live (Pop Variety)
    This dynamic and energetic band will be sure to fill the park while they perform the best of pop, funk, R&B and Top 40.
  • Sunday, Aug. 12, 5:30 p.m.: The Emperors (Classic Rock)
    The Emperors have performed together for more than 20 years playing classic rock music from legendary artists.

Guests should bring chairs and blankets; layered clothing is recommended.

Mike Ward Community Park – Woodbridge is located at 20 Lake Road, Irvine.

Note: You’ll also be able to adopt/sponsor a Marine for the United States Marine Corps Birthday Ball. You get to personally meet your Marine and have your photo taken with them.  Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference in the life of a Marine.  Here’s all you have to do: Find the red Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee tent, donate $75, draw a Marine name, meet the Marine, have your photo taken with your adopted Marine & walk away with one our new “I Adopted a Marine” stickers. Cash, check and credit cards will be accepted and your donation is tax-deductible. Come on out, enjoy free music, food trucks, dancing, fun, and “Adopt a Marine” while you’re there!

For more information, call 949-724-6606.

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Join Me and the Irvine Police Association for Fireworks and Music on July 4th!

Join me and the Irvine Police Association for fireworks, music, and more on Weds., July 4th!

It’s our 34th year for the 2018 July 4th Concert on the Green and Fireworks Festival at the Irvine High School football stadium, and this year’s celebration is going to be the best ever!

This year we will be featuring:

  • Live music by the Derek Bordeaux Group.
  • A Pyro Musical sky concert & Fireworks extravaganza by Pyro Spectaculars.
  • Professional Field Entertainers with Field Games and Activities.
  • Bounce Houses.
  • Raffles with Prizes.
  • Gourmet Food Trucks.

What: 34th Annual Irvine Police Association July 4th Fireworks and Concert

Where: Irvine High School Stadium, 4321 Walnut Ave. Irvine CA, 92604

Date: Weds., July 4, 2018

Time: Gates open at 3:00 p.m.  Fireworks start at 9:00 p.m.

Tickets: Admission at the door is $15 for ages 14 and older, $10 for children age 13 and younger and for seniors age 60 and older.  Advanced purchase of family passes (good for two adults and up to four children) is $50.  You may purchase tickets at City Hall, 2nd Floor, Community Services. Family tickets are pre-sale only, and will be available until July 3rd.  You may also purchase adult, children or senior tickets from the Irvine High School stadium box office on the 4th of July.

Special Notes: The Irvine H.S. football field is available for picnics (blankets and chairs recommended).  Bleacher seating will be available on a first come first served basis. EZ-Ups will be permitted, but no stakes or any objects may penetrate the turf!  No pet, barbecues, bikes or personal fireworks. No Smoking (except for in designated smoking areas).

Thank you to the Irvine Police Association for putting on this event, and for your continued dedication and professionalism in service to the residents of Irvine.

For more information, click here or call 949-724-0488.

I hope to see you there!

 

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Make Your Pet a Star! Enter the 2019 Irvine Pet Calendar Contest!

Is your dog, cat or rabbit ready for their close-up?

The Irvine Animal Care Center is seeking photo entries for its 2019 Make Your Pet a Star Calendar Contest.

Support animals in need by submitting a photo by Aug 31.

All pictures that meet entry guidelines will be included in the calendar, and each entrant will receive a print calendar.

Important Dates:

Entry submission deadline: Aug. 31.

Winner will be notified by: Sept. 30.

Calendar sales start: November 1.

Entry Fee is $25 per photo, or $100 for five photos.

Learn more and submit your photo at cityofirvine.org/petcalendar.

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Irvine History Happy Hour: Bommer Canyon Memories

Since Bommer Canyon is slated for a renovation and restoration project this year, the Irvine Historical Society thought it would be the perfect time to share the memories that make this iconic Irvine Ranch location so special.

Want to learn about the Irvine Ranch cowboys? Want to share your own stories of beloved Irvine Company family picnics? Do you love this natural site in the middle of our city, but don’t know much about it’s history?

Join the Irvine Historical Society on Sunday, June 24th for this month’s “Let’s Talk History” Happy Hour.

We will meet at the Irvine Historical Museum from 3:00 – 5:0 pm and share the history of Bommer Canyon, home of the former Irvine Ranch cattle operation.

Light refreshments will be served. A $5 donation is requested.

The Irvine Historical Society is located in the San Joaquin Ranch House, commissioned by James Irvine in 1868 and considered the oldest standing structure within the original boundaries of Irvine Ranch.

Built for $1,300, the home was the first wooden house to be erected between Anaheim and San Diego. A research library and extensive photo collection of local historic information are available.

Standard hours of operation are Tuesday and Sunday from 1 to 4; closed holidays. Members are free; a $1.00 donation per non-member is appreciated.

One-hour walking tours of Old Town Irvine are available on the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Free for members; $5 for non-members.

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Join Us on Friday, June 22, for Irvine’s Super Swim Lesson!

Kick off summer in the pool with the Irvine Super Swim Lesson on Friday, June 22, at William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center!

Adults and children of all swimming abilities are invited to participate in the Super Swim Lesson, a worldwide effort to raise awareness for drowning prevention.

Arrive at 5:30 p.m. to sign up; on-site lesson starts at 6 p.m. Then, stay for a recreation swim that includes a water slide, giant inflatable slide and diving boards.

At dusk, watch the movie Despicable Me 3 on the big screen.

All activities are free!

Lifeguards will be on duty. Ages 3 and older; children age 6 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Learning to swim is important.  Drowning is the leading cause of accidental injury and death in children under the age of five and the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 14. More than 80 percent of these drownings occur in residential backyard pools or spas, but drownings can occur anywhere there is water. These deaths are preventable!

Swimming is fun and healthy, and we’re blessed here in Irvine with terrific weather for swimming much of the year.  Now let’s do everything we can to protect our children and enjoy swimming safely.

If you can’t attend our Super Swim Lesson, or want more instruction, the City of Irvine’s Learn-To-Swim Program offers lessons for all ages and swimming abilities. Classes are available for infants through adults.

Let’s make Irvine America’s Safe Swimming Capitol!

 

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The Best Summer Camps for Your Kids This School Break!

The City of Irvine offers hundreds of summer camps for children of all ages during summer break, now through Aug. 24.

Sign up at yourirvine.org.

Not sure which camp is best for your child? Here are our top five recommendations for this summer:

PLAY-WELL TEK

Children will take on real-life engineering challenges that explore physics, architecture, and mechanical and structural engineering. Themes include Jedi Robotics, Girl-Powered STEM Challenge and more.

Ages 5-12.

Register Here.

Browse all Educational camps here.

CS DANCE FACTORY

Watch your child’s self-confidence boom while performing onstage. Different workshops cater to beginners learning basic acting techniques and those looking to expand their stage presence and dance moves.

Ages 4-12.

Register Here.

Browse all Dance, Music & Drama camps here.

EDUTAINMENT ARTS

Classic crafts, games and activities are enveloped in worlds of fantasy, role-playing and fun. Each camp features a different theme, including sewing, Star Wars, cooking, Harry Potter, Project Runway and more.

Ages 7-12.

Register Here.

Browse all Crafts & Art camps here.

GREAT PARK CAMPS

The Orange County Great Park is now offering summer camps. Whether your child is interested in learning chess strategies, engineering a virtual world or playing tennis, there is a camp perfect for them.

Ages vary by camp.

Register Here.

Browse all Great Park camps here.

TRIFYTT SPORTS

Introduce your child to sports in a fun, safe environment. Young athletes develop basic skills while learning sportsmanship and teamwork. Sports include tee ball, soccer, basketball and flag football.

Ages 4-12.

Register Here.

Browse all Sports camps here.

Browse all Irvine summer camps in the summer issue of Inside Irvine, or at yourirvine.org.

Make sure to fill out a Participant Emergency Form for each child before signing them up for camps.

For questions, call 949-724-6610.

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Join Me at the Irish Fair and Music Fest June 9th and 10th at the Great Park in Irvine!

Céad míle fáilte!

A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!

Last March, I was named a 2018 Irish Honoree by the City of Los Angeles. The award came as a result of my help in bringing the annual Irish Fair and Music Festival to the Great Park in Irvine.

The Irish Fair and Music Festival will be held on June 9 and 10, 2018, at the Great Park in Irvine. It is dedicated to preserving and promoting Irish and Irish-American culture in the Southern California area by presenting Irish music, dance, theatre, language, sports and all other aspects of the Irish heritage.

Now in its 43rd year, the Irish Fair has become a landmark for Irish and Irish American culture and family entertainment. Over 30,000 people attend the event annually.

It has been described as the happiest and most fun filled event in all of Southern California!

Among the many artists appearing at the Festival at the Great Park this year are The Fenians , The Humble Hooligans, Craic in the Stone , Sligo Rags, Cillian’s Bridge, Rory Makem and Dónal Clancy .

The Irish Fair also features Irish Step Dancing, Irish, Scottish and British import shops and arts & craft vendors.

The entrance for the Irish Fair and Music Fest is 6950 Marine Way, Irvine, California 92618.

You can find more information, and tickets, online at BIG Irish Fair and Music Festival!

See you there!

Slán go fóill

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Join Me for Irvine’s 12th Annual Super Pet Adoption Event on Sun., June 3!

Join me for Irvine’s 12th Annual Super Pet Adoption Event on Sunday, June 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  More than 40 pet rescue groups and animal shelters will bring some 600 homeless dogs, cats, rabbits and small animals for adoption.

The Super Pet Adoption Event features dozens of vendors, gourmet food trucks, a silent auction, low-cost microchipping and an opportunity drawing.  Each animal available for adoption is spayed or neutered, microchipped and evaluated by a veterinarian.  Cats and dogs are vaccinated appropriate to age.

The suggested donation for the event is $2 per person or $5 per family.  Parking is free.  Event proceeds benefit the Irvine Animal Care Center in its efforts to provide care and support to thousands of homeless, neglected and abused animals each year.

What: Irvine’s 12th annual Super Pet Adoption Event

Where: 6443 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618

When: Sunday, June 3, 2018. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For more information, call 949-724-7740.

Seniors Helping Seniors

There will be lots of adorable animals who need forever homes at the Super Pet Adoption Event, but the best pet for you, especially if you are a senior, is a senior animal.

One of the best programs of the Irvine Animal Care Center is “Seniors Helping Seniors.”  In order to help both the senior people and the homeless senior pets of our community, the Irvine Animal Care Center has implemented a new program that will allow individuals age 62 and older to adopt a senior pet at no charge.  Many of our senior pets came from a nice home environment and were relinquished because their owners could no longer care for them.

The stress of shelter life is often quite difficult for senior animals and so the quicker they can find a good new home, the better. These animals are often already housebroken, so they make great companions for senior citizens.

Adoption hours at the Irvine Animal Care Center are noon to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Center is closed on Tuesdays and holidays.

Please allow yourself at least one hour to visit with adoptable animals.  Look for the green “senior” stamp on the kennel cards to identify adoptable seniors.

For more information, call 949-724-7740.

Bunnies are Best in Bunches

Dogs and cats are not the only animals looking for forever homes at the Irvine Animal Care Center.  The Center also has many super cute bunnies for adoption.

Rabbits make wonderful pets for the right people.  According to the website Petfinder, “Rabbits have strikingly distinctive personalities. They can be as playful and silly as puppies or kittens, as independent and fascinating as cats, or as loyal and openly affectionate as dogs. And long-time rabbit owners claim that domestic rabbits are, in their own way, every bit as smart as cats and dogs. . .  If you want a fascinating, funny, warm and wonderful companion animal, try a rabbit.”

Many of the bunnies at the Center are litter-mates who are bonded to each other.  For that reason, if you can, it might be a great idea to adopt two or three bonded siblings.

Whatever animal you adopt, or whether you just come visit the animals and support the Irvine Animal Care Center, I’m sure you’ll have a great time at the Super Pet Adoption Event.

I hope to see you there!

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Message from General Robin Umberg: Vote Yes on Measure B!

Here is a message I recently received from my friend Brig. Gen. (ret) Robin Umberg urging us to vote Yes on Measure B.

I want to share it with you:

“Dear Melissa,

As a soldier for 36 years and an Army Brigadier General (ret), I know that the women and men I have served with are the bravest and most devoted people I have ever met. They were all willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country and deserve to be honored and remembered within a sacred military cemetery.

Passing Measure B is the only way that veterans will get the cemetery in Orange County that they deserve. That’s why I’m writing to you today — to make sure that you and your friends are prepared to vote Yes on Measure B.

Here are the facts: It has been endorsed by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and both Republican and Democratic Parties of Orange County. Think about that. A Yes on Measure B will cost citizens less, achieve the mission of constructing the cemetery in the quickest time frame, and this change of site will not increase Orange County’s traffic. It will ensure the establishment of a gorgeous cemetery that will be visible from two highways.

We are closer than we have ever been to providing this much-needed space for remembering our veterans. We can’t let them down now — please vote Yes on Measure B by J‌une 5‌th.

Thank you for honoring our veterans.

Brigadier General (ret) Robin Umberg.”

[Please note: The use of military rank or photos does not imply endorsement by the Department or Defense or the Army.]

For more information about the veterans cemetery, please see:

Setting the Record Straight on the OC Veterans Cemetery

Putting Politics Aside to Honor Veterans with a Final Resting Place

Stop Playing Political Games with Veterans Cemetery

Stop the Politics and Build the Veterans Cemetery Now

Distinguished Environmental Group Laguna Greenbelt Endorses YES on Measure B for Veterans Cemetery!

Irvine Takes Historic Step Forward for a Veterans Cemetery at the Former El Toro Marine Base

Tell the Irvine City Council to Keep Your Promises to Our Veterans

The Strawberry Fields Site is the Best Location for the Veterans Cemetery. Now Let’s Get it Done!

Don’t Be Deceived By The “Save The Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

OC Register Slams Agran, Lalloway, and “Despicable,” “Misleading” Veterans Cemetery Petition

Help Us Defeat the Paid Mercenaries who have Invaded Irvine and their Fraudulent “Save the Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

As the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, I am proud to have participated in making sure that Orange County’s veterans – who have sacrificed so much for us – will at last have a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.

Please help by voting YES on Measure B.

Thank you.

Melissa

 

 

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Join Me at the Car Wash in Irvine to Support our 2/11 Marines on Sat., June 2

Please join me on Saturday, June 2, 2018, for the Annual Car Wash fundraiser in support of Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee to directly benefit the 2/11 Marines.

The car wash will take place from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at Lakeview Senior Center in Mike Ward Community Park in Woodbridge.

Irvine is proud of its military heritage, especially its close connection to the United States Marine Corps.

From 1943 to 1999, Irvine was the home of Marine Air Station El Toro, which was once the largest Marine air station on the West Coast.  Thousands of Marines served here, and thousands more flew from here to battles in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Many never returned.

Irvine’s commitment to its military heritage continues into the present, as the Irvine City Council has now dedicated 125 acres of the former El Toro Marine Base to serve as an Orange County Veterans Cemetery, providing a final resting place for those served, close to their families and loved ones.

On September 15, 2007, the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division (2/11) from Camp Pendleton, was officially “adopted” by the City of Irvine.  The City of Irvine and the 2/11 Marines made a pledge to encourage mutually beneficial interactions between the community and the battalion.

The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest and most decorated division in the United States Marine Corps. The 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines (2/11) is a 155mm howitzer battalion based at Camp Pendleton, California. Its primary mission is to provide artillery support to the 5th Marine Regiment in time of conflict. At any time, the command has roughly 750 Marines and Sailors assigned to it.

The battalion’s exemplary service ranges from France in World War I to the Battles of Guadalcanal and Okinawa in the Pacific in World War II to Inchon and the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War (where my cousin USMC Pvt. Irwin Handler was killed in action), to Hue and Phu Bai in Vietnam to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Gulf War to Operation Enduring Freedom in Kuwait to the more recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides charitable and educational activities and support for the benefit and welfare of the United States Marines and their families assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, with special emphasis on the Marines and families of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines (“2/11 Marines”). Additionally, the Committee seeks to educate and inform the community regarding the 2/11’s activities and responsibilities.  The Committee accomplishes its goal by soliciting private and public donations of cash, food, beverages, and new and used material goods to help underwrite the cost of sponsoring 2/11 Marines and their families.

The Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee welcomes the Irvine community to support our adopted battalion by participating and donating to a variety of activities. These activities include holiday and pre-deployment events, care packages, toy drives and more.

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Animals for Armed Forces Special Adoption Event!

In honor of Memorial Day, Irvine Animal Care Center is waiving adoption fees for veterans Friday, May 25, through Sunday, May 27.

The program is made possible through the Animals for Armed Forces Foundation, which is covering adoption fees for the veterans.

The adoption discount applies to active duty, reserve and veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard, and their immediate family members.

2889fd0babeec81fb068cda2be897ed1--red-white-blue-yellowThe discount does not apply to licensing or puppy wellness fees.

In order to qualify for the discount, the potential adopter needs to bring their photo ID and one of the following:

  • Military ID
  • Dependent ID
  • Veterans ID
  • DD-214
  • NGB Form 22

The Irvine Animal Care Center is at 6443 Oak Canyon Road.

The center is open weekdays noon-7 p.m., weekends 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and is closed Tuesdays and holidays.

The center will be closed Monday, May 28, in observance of Memorial Day.

For more information, call 949-724-7740.

Animals for Armed Forces Foundation is dedicated to providing our US Armed Forces families with free pet adoptions.

Its mission is to save shelter animals by finding them safe and loving homes and thank the heroes of the US Armed Forces and their families with free pet adoptions

Animals for Armed Forces Foundation started in 2010 when Matt MacFarland and Amanda Han, drove by a local animal shelter during Veteran’s Day Weekend and came up with an idea. That following spring, Matt and Amanda had their first event on Memorial Day at the Orange County Animal Shelter.

In just one day, they had 37 adoptions, and in February 2012, Matt and Amanda officially began their lifelong mission of uniting our service men and women with a loving furry companion.

Since that time, Animals for Armed Forces has helped 1,300 adoptions happen.  To Matt and Amanda, one of the biggest rewards is meeting veterans and military families, hearing their stories, and seeing them leave alongside a new pet with a smile on their face.

Currently, the organization is partnering with 29 shelters throughout Southern California and Utah for their annual Memorial Day Weekend adoption event. 

With more awareness and volunteers, Animals for Armed Forces will be able to bring a smile to our heroes’ faces and give shelter animals a second chance at a loving forever home.

You can contact Animals for Armed Forces at animalsforarmedforces@gmail.com or (714) 509-5823.

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Celebrate Armed Forces Day — Vote YES on Measure B!

Armed-Forces-Day-683x1024

Today, May 19, 2018, is Armed Forces Day.  First observed in May 1950, the day was created to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military services in the U.S. Department of Defense.  To all active duty, reserve and veteran members of the U.S. armed forces – thank you for your service to our nation!

099550e8635598e306c4b09874a0272fOrange County has a long and proud military tradition. Currently, more than two million veterans live in California – more than in any other state.  Orange County has over 130,000 veterans — one of the highest populations in the United States – including more than 7,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Yet Orange County veterans do not have their own dedicated military cemetery.  Those in Orange County who want to visit a veteran’s grave in a military cemetery must travel several hours to Riverside, San Diego, or Los Angeles counties.

Please join me in showing your support for Orange County’s military veterans by voting YES on Measure B to facilitate the creation of a veterans cemetery on the grounds of the former El Toro Marine Base.

Orange County veterans – who have sacrificed so much for us – deserve a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.

For more information about the veterans cemetery, please see:

Putting Politics Aside to Honor Veterans with a Final Resting Place

Stop Playing Political Games with Veterans Cemetery

Stop the Politics and Build the Veterans Cemetery Now

Distinguished Environmental Group Laguna Greenbelt Endorses YES on Measure B for Veterans Cemetery!

Irvine Takes Historic Step Forward for a Veterans Cemetery at the Former El Toro Marine Base

Tell the Irvine City Council to Keep Your Promises to Our Veterans

The Strawberry Fields Site is the Best Location for the Veterans Cemetery. Now Let’s Get it Done!

Don’t Be Deceived By The “Save The Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

OC Register Slams Agran, Lalloway, and “Despicable,” “Misleading” Veterans Cemetery Petition

Help Us Defeat the Paid Mercenaries who have Invaded Irvine and their Fraudulent “Save the Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

As the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, I am proud to have participated in making sure that Orange County’s veterans – who have sacrificed so much for us – will at last have a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.

Please help by voting YES on Measure B.

Thank you.

Melissa

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Distinguished Environmental Group Laguna Greenbelt Endorses YES on Measure B for Veterans Cemetery!

The leaders of the distinguished environmental group Laguna Greenbelt recently issued a strong statement urging voters to support Yes on Irvine’s Measure B in order to facilitate the creation of a veterans cemetery on the site known as the strawberry fields.

Laguna Greenbelt is a grassroots organization that has worked ceaselessly to protect wildlife habitat in Orange County since 1968. Over the last fifty years, it has led efforts to preserve a coastal wilderness area that is now 22,000 beautiful acres. Today Laguna Greenbelt continues to defend this iconic landscape for the sake of its wild inhabitants and the people who love it.

The Measure B Strawberry Fields Veterans Cemetery site is bisected by the lower part of the “Central Reach” of the Nature Greenbelt, which is crucial to preserving our environmental heritage.

One of Laguna Greenbelt’s major projects has been the creation of an essential nature corridor across Irvine to connect the coastal wildlife habitat west of the I-5, to the much larger open space of the Santa Ana Mountains, including the Cleveland National Forest.

Last March, I had the opportunity to join Laguna Greenbelt President Elisabeth Brown, Ph.D, along with Irvine Mayor Donald P. Wagner and Councilwoman Christina Shea at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Orange County Great Park Wildlife Corridor.

As envisioned by Laguna Greenbelt, this nature corridor will link our coastal wilderness with the Santa Ana Mountains/Cleveland National Forest and will ensure the health and future of wildlife and their habitat in our region’s 22,000 acres of coastal parks.

As the leaders of Laguna Greenbelt noted, “A cemetery built on the strawberry-growing site [i.e., the Yes on Measure B site] would be bisected by the wildlife corridor, greatly increasing the amount of green space available to the animals. The lush greenery of the cemetery would help support wildlife to feed and mingle before moving on.  In contrast, the original cemetery site on Irvine Blvd is not near the wildlife corridor, and would have no benefits for wildlife movement or encouraging genetic mixing. Animals moving downslope from the mountains that found their way to the cemetery across busy Irvine Blvd would be blocked from moving safely inland or seaward. Surrounded by urban development and Irvine Blvd on all sides, the cemetery would be just another isolated fragment of open space”

For this reason, they “urge Irvine voters to approve the land swap in June, and vote yes on Measure B.”

Here is their statement:

“Last September, the City of Irvine agreed to a land swap with developer Five Point Communities. This moved the cemetery site to land near the Spectrum V development and the I-5/I-405 interchange. The gently sloping new site is currently being used as agricultural land to grow strawberries. In exchange, the city deeded over the parcel along Irvine Blvd, where the cemetery was originally planned. After the land swap was completed, the City deeded the new site to the State of California, which is responsible for building the cemetery.

There is now controversy over whether the land swap is in the best interest of the City of Irvine. Political squabbles aside, Laguna Greenbelt, Inc., would like the public to consider the land swap’s merits through the lens of land use principles, open space preservation, and wildlife movement.

Representatives of Laguna Greenbelt, FivePoint, and the City of Irvine at the groudbreaking for the Great Park Nature Corridor in March 2018.

Our grassroots organization has been working with the City of Irvine since before 2000, and since 2012 also with the developer Five Point Communities, to design and complete an essential wildlife corridor across Irvine to connect coastal wildlife habitat west of the I-5, to the much larger open space of the Santa Ana Mountains (including Cleveland National Forest). This wildlife corridor, that we have come to call the Coast to Cleveland Wildlife Corridor, is currently taking shape on the only possible route that will ensure that the coastal wild lands, including Shady and Bommer Canyons, and several other parks and preserves, will not wither and die over time (ecologically speaking), throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars that the community has invested over the many decades it took to set aside and manage our parks and preserves.

In mid-March, as a community, we celebrated the groundbreaking of the last stretch of the wildlife corridor between the Santa Ana Mountains and the coastal open space. In short, it’s a dating corridor for wildlife, at a time when they are increasingly isolated from one another by multi-lane roadways and urban development.

The event was important; the corridor is about 6 miles long, and the stretch under construction will be almost half of that, as it crosses Irvine between Irvine Blvd and the I-5. The so-called Great Park stretch will be entirely on the former Base, but not near the park. Instead, it will be adjacent to future urban development around the park on the East side, and, depending on the June fifth vote, it might meet the Veterans Cemetery.

When considering land uses that will be neighbors of habitat and wildlife corridors, it’s clear that some are better than others. Animals exploring for food, cover, and water are spooked and avoid moving towards noisy areas with human activity, lights, cars, unfamiliar smells, and domestic pets. Land uses that are quiet at night and minimize human activity near a wildlife corridor are favorable for animals moving through the area, allowing them to continue on their journeys.

In general, a cemetery is one of the best complementary land uses for natural areas and wildlife; a dark and quiet place at night, when many animals are active. However, in real estate, it’s all about the location, and one of the sites proposed for the Veterans Cemetery is much better than the other for animals traveling along the corridor.

A cemetery built on the strawberry-growing site would be bisected by the wildlife corridor, greatly increasing the amount of green space available to the animals. The lush greenery of the cemetery would help support wildlife to feed and mingle before moving on.

In contrast, the original cemetery site on Irvine Blvd is not near the wildlife corridor, and would have no benefits for wildlife movement or encouraging genetic mixing. Animals moving downslope from the mountains that found their way to the cemetery across busy Irvine Blvd would be blocked from moving safely inland or seaward. Surrounded by urban development and Irvine Blvd on all sides, the cemetery would be just another isolated fragment of open space.

The health and future of wildlife and their habitat in 22,000 acres of coastal parks rides on the success of the wildlife corridor. The land swap supports the bottom line, too: In sheer dollars, so much has been invested in our public lands, don’t we want to protect our investment? We urge Irvine voters to approve the land swap in June, and vote yes on Measure B.”

Learn more about the Coast to Cleveland Corridor here.

You can watch a video on the Great Park Nature Corridor here.

Elisabeth M. Brown, PhD is a biologist and the president of Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. She has resided in Orange County for 51 years. Elisabeth’s involvement in managing local wildlands has included founding roles in the Nature Reserve of OC and the Coastal Greenbelt Authority.

Gabriela Worrel is the outreach coordinator at Laguna Greenbelt, Inc and a freelance writer. She is a Southern California native currently living in Los Angeles, and holds degrees in biology (Westmont College) and urban planning (UC Irvine).

To learn more about why it is so important to Vote YES on Measure B, please see:

Vote YES on Measure B on June 5 for an OC Veterans Cemetery!

Putting Politics Aside to Honor Veterans with a Final Resting Place

Stop Playing Political Games with Veterans Cemetery

Stop the Politics and Build the Veterans Cemetery Now

Irvine Takes Historic Step Forward for a Veterans Cemetery at the Former El Toro Marine Base

Tell the Irvine City Council to Keep Your Promises to Our Veterans

The Strawberry Fields Site is the Best Location for the Veterans Cemetery. Now Let’s Get it Done!

Don’t Be Deceived By The “Save The Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

OC Register Slams Agran, Lalloway, and “Despicable,” “Misleading” Veterans Cemetery Petition

Help Us Defeat the Paid Mercenaries who have Invaded Irvine and their Fraudulent “Save the Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

As the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, I am proud to have participated in making sure that Orange County’s veterans – who have sacrificed so much for us – will at last have a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.

Please help by voting YES on Measure B!

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Join Me on the Ride of Silence on Weds., May 16, to Honor Bicyclists Killed or Injured and Promote Sharing the Road

Join us on Wednesday, May 16, for the annual Ride of Silence, as we meet once again at the Irvine Civic Center to remember and honor bicyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways.

We will begin gathering at 6:00 p.m., assemble at 6:30, and start the ride at 7:00 p.m.

We ride to promote sharing the road and provide awareness of the rights and safety of bicyclists.  Our silent ride also commemorates those who have been killed or injured doing what each of us has a right to do – a right that, far too often, motorists fail to recognize, sometimes with deadly consequences.

Irvine is a wonderful city for biking, whether for commuting, exercising, or just enjoying the outdoors. We have more than 300 miles of on-street bike lanes and more than 50 miles of off-street bikeways.  Our bicycle trails are some of the most beautiful, and peaceful, places in Irvine.

Yet in Irvine, as everywhere else, motorists must learn to better share the road safely with bicyclists; that bicyclists have the same rights to the road as motorists; and that bicyclists are the most vulnerable users of the roadways.

Eight people were killed in Orange County in 2017 while riding their bikes. This year so far, six cyclists have been killed. These individuals were fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, co-workers, as well as bicyclists.

Irvine’s Ride of Silence is part of a larger, international movement to commemorate bicyclists killed or injured while riding on public roads and to raise awareness among motorists of the dangers they pose to vicyclists.

As a bicyclist myself, the mother of a bicyclist, an Irvine resident and an Irvine City Councilmember, and as an advocate for more active transportation as a way to cut pollution and our reliance on fossil fuels, I support the Ride of Silence as a way to honor bicyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways and to urge the public (and local governments) to do more to protect bicyclists’ safety.

The Ride of Silence asks its bicyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph, follow the rules of the road, and remain silent during the ride.  Helmets are mandatory. There are no  registration fees. The ride aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that bicyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for and honor the lives of those who have been killed or injured.

As the organizers of the Ride of Silence have said: “A pack of single file – silent riders – pacing out for 8 to 10 miles. We will share this hour with each other, and know that thousands across the planet will also have marked the hour in their own time zone; but also raise awareness among the many local motorists who will be witnesses of our sombre parade.”

We must remember that bicyclists have legal rights to the road as do motorists and bicyclists are the most vulnerable users of the roadways.

We ride to show respect for and honor the lives of those who have been killed or injured.

We ride to promote public awareness of bicycling safety.

We ride so that no bicyclist is ever again killed or injured because of a motorist’s failure to share the road.

What: Ride of Silence

Where: Irvine Civic Center Plaza

When: Wednesday, May 16, 2018.  Gather at 6:00 p.m., assemble at 6:30 p.m., and start the ride at 7:00 p.m.

Route: Flat 10 mile loop around Irvine; on-street bike lanes and off street bike way.  Route map: click here.

Note: Helmets and lights required!

IMPORTANT UPDATE!!

The Irvine Ride of Silence has been cancelled.

Please join with riders in Orange (Civic Center; 300 E Chapman) or Fullerton (Fullerton Downtown Plaza; Fullerton Museum Center Plaza).

For more information, please see: Ride of Silence OC.

 

 

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Join Me at Irvine’s Korean Cultural Festival on Sat., May 12!

Join me at the Irvine Korean Cultural Festival on Saturday, May 13th, at the Irvine Civic Center.

2018 marks the 9th anniversary of the Irvine Korean Cultural Festival, an event designed to celebrate and share Korean cultural heritage and artistic traditions with the broader Irvine community and Orange County.

The Festival is a culture-filled extravaganza full of fine Korean food, games, art, music and entertainment.

The Irvine Korean Cultural Festival is committed to making the festival an educational opportunity for children and the community of Irvine. Enjoy dynamic cultural performances while sampling delicious cuisine from Irvine’s premier restaurants.

As the daughter of a Korean War combat veteran, the cousin of a United States Marine who was killed in action in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, and as a resident of Irvine, I feel a deep connection to Korea and a deep appreciation for the vital contributions that Korean Americans have made to our city, our state, and our nation.

I am proud to live and serve on the City Council in a city that celebrates and treasures our Korean American community and I join my Korean American friends and neighbors in celebrating Korean American contributions to our shared American heritage and way of life.

Along with the Irvine Korean Festival founders, sponsors, and dedicated volunteers, I strongly believe that the festival experience will help bring about mutual understanding and appreciation of different cultures, which will result in the promotion of peace and harmony among all people in the Irvine community and beyond.

Please join me!

What: Irvine Korean Cultural Festival

When: Sat., May 12, 2018. 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Where: Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606

Free Admission. Free On-site parking and Off-Site parking with Shuttle.

Shuttle info: 3377 Michelson Drive, Irvine, CA 92612.  Ride the shuttle and get a Free Raffle Ticket!

For more information, visit the Irvine Korean Festival website here.

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Don’t Miss Irvine Police Department’s D. A. R. E. Movie and Carnival Night (Disney’s “Coco”) on Sat., May 12!

Join Irvine Police Department D.A.R.E. Officers for an evening of film, fun, food, and games at the D.A.R.E. Carnival and Movie Night at Heritage Park on Saturday, May 12, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Don’t forget to bring your lounge chair to enjoy the outdoor movie — Disney’s hit animated Pixar film “Coco” — that begins at dusk on the lawn near the tennis courts.

The event features:

The Irvine Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education Unit (D.A.R.E.) focuses on  preventing the use of controlled substances, membership in gangs, and violent behavior.  The program is delivered by highly trained and dedicated sworn police officers who teach at elementary school sites throughout Irvine.

TeamKids is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization that provides youth-led, school- and community-based service programs, where  participants learn about leadership, teamwork, empathy and making healthy choices for themselves and others in real-world situations.  Team Kids programs focus on building positive assets for youth, and also protects against harmful behaviors, such as substance use, gang involvement, and delinquent activity.  TeamKids encourages youth’s positive efforts and empowers our children to change the world.

What: D.A.R.E. Carnival and Movie Night (Disney’s “Coco”)

Where: Heritage Park, 14301 Yale Ave, Irvine, California 92604

When: Saturday, May 12, 2018, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Cost: Free!

You can see the event’s Facebook page here.

For more information about Saturday’s event, call 949-724-7186.

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Join Me as Irvine Honors Our Fallen Heroes

A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” — President John F. Kennedy

Please join me on Memorial Day weekend as Irvine honors the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and pays special tribute to our local service members and veterans.

Irvine has a long and proud military tradition. From 1942 to 1999, Irvine was home to Marine Air Station El Toro, the largest Marine Corps Air Station on the West Coast. During World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War, thousands of United States Marines, as well as airmen, sailors and soldiers, departed for war from MCAS El Toro.

Many never returned.

Irvine has now dedicated 125 acres of the former El Toro Marine Base to serve as an Orange County Veterans Cemetery, providing a final resting place for those served, close to their families and loved ones.

As the daughter of a combat veteran, as the cousin of a Marine who was killed in action, and as an Irvine City Councilmember, I am proud of Irvine’s firm commitment to our veterans.

Irvine will honor our fallen heroes in two ceremonies this Memorial Day Weekend:

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Candle Lighting Ceremony: Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial 

4531 Bryan Avenue, Irvine CA 92620

4:00 p.m.

The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial, dedicated in 2010, is the nation’s first and only memorial dedicated exclusively to listing the names of all the fallen American service members in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The names of every service member who has died in Afghanistan and Iraq are engraved in granite in a permanent memorial, to assure that future generations of Americans will remember and honor them with gratitude as we do today.

The ceremony will honor our fallen heroes from all generations, with special tribute to those fallen heroes of the recent and ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The candle lighting ceremony will include presentations from and honor Gold Star families.

Please bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Memorial Day Ceremony: Col. Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park

4 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine CA 92606

10:00 a.m.

Col. Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, located next to City Hall, is named in honor of Korean War Medal of Honor recipient and Irvine resident Marine Corps Colonel William E. Barber (1919-2002).

Attendees will have the opportunity to memorialize our troops’ sacrifice by writing a brief remembrance to be posted on a memory board.

As I have done in past years, I will be filling out a memorial card for my cousin, PFC Irwin Handler, USMC, who was killed in Korea, and for the son of family friends, LCPL Donald J. Hogan, USMC, Navy Cross, who was killed in Afghanistan.

Cards will also be available for well-wishers to send a message of appreciation and support to Irvine’s adopted 211/Marine Battalion.

Click here to download a pre-made remembrance card.

As stated so beautifully and appropriately by the Veterans of Foreign Wars:

Pausing to remember and honor America’s fallen service members is a practice dating back more than 100 years. Since the days of the Civil War, humble Americans have gathered together on Memorial Day to remember and pay tribute to all who have fought and selflessly surrendered the precious gift of life, so that other could live free.

Again we gather this Memorial Day, as a nation solemnly united in remembrance of the fallen defenders of our great nation. Freedom is not free. It has come at great cost, paid for with the lives of our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, friends and comrades.

Every American owes a great debt to the courageous men and women who have selflessly given their all to defend and protect our way of life. And while giving back to the extent they deserve is impossible, celebrating their memory and honoring their most selfless deeds offers a start.

This Memorial Day, pause to reflect on the absolute selflessness of the 1.3 million members of our nation’s military who paid the price needed to ensure our way of life endures, and let us not forget the families whose pain will never go away, but may lessen with our thanks and prayers.

God Bless our fallen, their families, and our men and women in uniform all over the world.

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Help Hayden Raise Funds for Fisher House on his D-Day Remembrance Walk!

My friend Hayden Blumenfeld is making a pilgrimage this month to the D-Day beaches of Normandy, France, in order to honor the Americans, Canadians, and British who participated in the great invasion that lead to the liberation of Europe.

He is also walking the D-Day beaches to raise funds for Fisher House, which provides a network of homes where families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment.  These homes are located at major U.S. military and VA medical centers nationwide, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Since inception, the program has saved military and veteran families an estimated $200 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Hayden is a resident of Irvine, a graduate of UC Berkeley, an Army veteran, and currently serves as an infantry officer in the United States Army Reserve.  Here is how he explains his project:

Normandy D-Day Remembrance Walk

Hayden Blumenfeld

“On June 6th, 1944, more than 160,000 American, Canadian, and British soldiers landed on five beaches (Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah), located on the Coast of Normandy, France. Up against a heavily fortified Nazi German Army, the Allies’ mission was to secure a foothold in Europe. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers would be killed or wounded along the 50 miles of Normandy Coast that fateful day. The success of the mission ultimately led to the Allies’ victory in Europe on May 8th, 1945.

In honor of those who have served, I will walk from the Museum of the Atlantic Wall to the Utah Beach Landing Museum. On my way, I will stop at the five landing beaches as well as the Normandy American Cemetery. I will set out on May 16th, 2018 and complete the walk by May 18th, traveling roughly 55 miles.

I am an Army veteran and Army reservist. On this pilgrimage to remember those who sacrificed so much in the invasion of Normandy, I will also be working to raise awareness of, and contributions for, an organization that works to support our veterans and their families.

I am a believer in Fisher House’s mission to help families stay connected while loved ones receive treatment at nearby VA facilities. Your donation can help military and veterans’ families feel that glimmer of hope when they need it the most, at a time of a medical crisis. 100% of all donations will go to Fisher House.

Donate with confidence: Fisher House has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator 14 years in a row and an A+ rating from CharityWatch/American Institute of Philanthropy.

Thank you in advance for your support!”

Hayden Blumenfeld is an an outstanding young man and his cause is tremendously deserving.

Please help him if you can.

You can find his Fisher House Donation Page here.

You can continue to follow Hayden’s Remembrance Walk his own site here.

Thanks.

 

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Vote YES on Measure B on June 5 for an OC Veterans Cemetery!

YES on Measure B is endorsed by an amazing bi-partisan coalition of political leaders and organizations, veterans organizations, environmentalists, labor union leaders, and editorial pages, including:

  • The Orange County Democratic Party
  • The Orange County Republican Party
  • The Orange County Register
  • Congressman Lou Correa 
  • Congresswoman Mimi Walters 
  • Congressman Alan Lowenthal
  • Congressman Dana Rohrabacher 
  • Governor Jerry Brown 
  • California Board of Equalization Member Fiona Ma
  • State Senator Josh Newman 
  • State Senator Janet Nguyen 
  • Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva 
  • Assemblymember Steven Choi 
  • Assemblymember Matt Harper 
  • Assemblymember Tom Umberg (ret.)
  • Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer 
  • Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel 
  • Irvine Mayor Donald Wagner 
  • Irvine Mayor Pro Tem Christina Shea 
  • Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox 
  • Irvine United School District Board Member Paul W. Bokota
  • Irvine United School District Board Member Lauren Brooks
  • Irvine United School District Board Member Ira Glasky
  • Irvine Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson-Norris
  • Irvine Planning Commissioner Anthony Kuo
  • Irvine Finance Commissioner Roger Sievers
  • The American Legion
  • The American Legion Riders
  • The American Legion Auxiliary
  • The Veterans of Foreign Wars
  • The Marine Corps League
  • The American G.I. Forum
  • The Vietnam Veterans of America
  • The 40 & 8
  • The Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation
  • Veterans Alliance of Orange County
  • The League of United Latin American Citizens
  • Nick Berardino, President, Heroes Hall Veterans Foundation
  • Jennifer Muir Beuthin, General Manager, Orange County Employees Association
  • Bobby McDonald, President/Executive Director, Black Chamber of Orange County
  • Brig. General (ret.) Robin Umberg, Undersecretary, California Dept of Veteran Affairs
  • Irvine Chamber of Commerce
  • Orange County Business Council
  • Los Amigos of Orange County
  • Irvine City News
  • Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.
  • UCI Law Professor Katie Porter
  • UCI Ecology Professor Kathleen K. Treseder

My family has a long history of service. My father sacrificed his hearing flying combat missions over North Korea as a bombardier and crew chief.  We lost his cousin in combat at Inchon.  All of my uncles served in the Marine Corps.  My grandfathers and my father-in-law served in WWII in the Navy.  There are many more.  I respect and honor our military tradition and I serve the residents of Irvine.

I was one of the earliest and strongest advocates for a Veterans Cemetery located at the old El Toro Marine Air Station.  I attended and spoke at every Irvine City Council meeting where the Veterans Cemetery was discussed.

My strong commitment to an Orange County Veterans Cemetery located on the grounds of the old El Toro Marine base in Irvine has never wavered.

My goal always was, and remains, to establish this cemetery as expeditiously as possible.

The choice is now yours.

A “YES” vote on Measure B means there will be a veterans cemetery. 

By voting YES on Measure B on June 5th, we can break ground on the Orange County veterans cemetery immediately — a location that has already been approved by local, state, and federal governments.

A “no” vote means the promise will be broken.

The necessary decontamination of the original site is far too expensive (more than $77 million) for the state or city to undertake.

Moreover, if Measure B fails, the original site will not remain as a contaminated junk yard, but instead will no doubt be sold or leased to a developer willing to invest in the extreme costs of a massive cleanup.

Both sites will then end up being used for more commercial buildings and residential development.

I campaigned on the promises to ensure a veterans cemetery on the old El Toro Marine Base and to safeguard taxpayers’ dollars, as well as to reign in runaway development. The land exchange — Measure B — allows me to keep each of these promises.

The June 5 vote is NOT an “either/or” vote on the location of a veterans cemetery, but rather a “yes/no” vote on whether there will ever be a veterans cemetery at the former El Toro Marine Base.

This is not  – and should not be  – a partisan or divisive issue.  It is a commonsense matter that we can all get behind to respect and honor our veterans.

I campaigned on the promises to ensure a veterans cemetery on the old El Toro Marine Base, reduce traffic congestion, and safeguard taxpayers’ dollars,  The land exchange — Measure B — allows me to keep each of these promises.

Let’s do what’s best for veterans and for the residents of Irvine.

Vote YES on Measure B on June 5!

Note: For more information about the veterans cemetery, please see:

Putting Politics Aside to Honor Veterans with a Final Resting Place

Stop Playing Political Games with Veterans Cemetery

Stop the Politics and Build the Veterans Cemetery Now

Distinguished Environmental Group Laguna Greenbelt Endorses YES on Measure B for Veterans Cemetery!

Irvine Takes Historic Step Forward for a Veterans Cemetery at the Former El Toro Marine Base

Tell the Irvine City Council to Keep Your Promises to Our Veterans

The Strawberry Fields Site is the Best Location for the Veterans Cemetery. Now Let’s Get it Done!

Don’t Be Deceived By The “Save The Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

OC Register Slams Agran, Lalloway, and “Despicable,” “Misleading” Veterans Cemetery Petition

Help Us Defeat the Paid Mercenaries who have Invaded Irvine and their Fraudulent “Save the Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

As the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, I am proud to have participated in making sure that Orange County’s veterans – who have sacrificed so much for us – will at last have a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.

Please help by voting YES on Measure B.

Thank you.

Melissa

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Celebrating Earth Day 2018: Preserving Irvine’s Earth-Friendly Tradition

Today, Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day.

Irvine’s San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo by Geoff Fox.

Nearly 50 years ago, on April 22, 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development.  In the US and around the world, smog was becoming deadly and evidence was growing that pollution led to developmental delays in children. Biodiversity was in decline as a result of the heavy use of pesticides and other pollutants.

The global ecological awareness was growing, and the US Congress and President Nixon responded quickly.  In July of the same year, they created the Environmental Protection Agency, and robust environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, among many.

Earth Day is now a global event each year, and more than 1 billion people in 193 countries now take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world.

The City of Irvine has long been a leader in earth-friendly environmental policies, green technology, and environmental awareness.  Irvine’s environmental programs have been on the leading edge of advances in green building and construction, environmental education, recycling, water conservation, waste disposal, and energy saving.

Irvine’s Open Spaces

One of the best — and most distinctive — qualities of Irvine is our commitment to preserving open space. The City of Irvine has more than 16,000 acres of permanently preserved parkland and open space – remarkable for a city of our size.

The Limestone Sinks. Irvine Ranch Conservancy Open Space.

In 1974, early in our city’s history, voters approved multi-million dollar measures to fund public parks and recreational facilities, and for the acquisition and development of bicycle trail and hiking trail improvements.

In 1989, the City negotiated an historic agreement with the Irvine Company that set aside more than 9,500 acres as permanent open space marshlands, bike trails, parks, nature conservancies and agricultural areas, protecting fully one-third of the city from development.

In addition, in 2006, nearly 37,000 acres of the Irvine Ranch were selected as a National Natural Landmark, a designation which reflects the outstanding condition, rarity, diversity, and value to science and education of the natural resources on the land.

As our Irvine Open Space Preserve website explains, “Since its incorporation in 1971, Irvine has had a strong desire to balance the built and natural environment. As this incredible master-planned community has grown, each phase of development has been accompanied by the preservation and enhancement of natural open spaces, creating the network of parks, trails, and wildlands that residents and visitors may enjoy today and for generations to come.”

The Green Ribbon Environmental Committee

Irvine Ranch Open Space.

Irvine’s Green Ribbon Environmental Committee seeks to increase public participation in energy conservation and sustainable practices, helping the City serve the community through advancing environmental policy initiatives and programs. The Committee is supported by the Public Works Department. Comprised of 10 members, the committee is an advisory body to the City Council and provides advice on sustainability policies related to energy, recycling and waste management, mobility, open space and water issues.

For some time, Irvine’s Green Ribbon Committee was dormant because there were not sufficient members to constitute a quorum.  One of my goals in joining the Irvine City Council was to get this important committee going again.  Working with Irvine’s mayor, Donald Wagner, I was  able to bring the Committee back to full functioning strength.

Irvine’s Green Ribbon Environmental Committee seeks to increase public participation in energy conservation and sustainable practices, helping the City serve the community through advancing environmental policy initiatives and programs. The Committee is supported by the Public Works Department. Comprised of 10 members, the committee is an advisory body to the City Council and provides advice on sustainability policies related to energy, recycling and waste management, mobility, open space and water issues. In addition, we have subcommittees relating to Active Transportation, Energy Development, and Green Infrastructure.

We have a lot of exciting things moving along  the pipeline, including a Request For Proposals for developing a feasibility study and technical assessment of Community Choice Energy, a means of allowing the city to purchase clean energy at a 3-7% savings on average.

If you’d like to get involved and share your ideas related to these policy areas, please consider joining us at the next Green Ribbon Environmental Committee meeting!

Mayor’s Water Challenge

This year, Irvine Mayor Donald P. Wagner is joining other mayors across the country in asking residents to make a commitment to conserve water and protect this vital resource by taking part in the 7th annual Wyland Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation.

City Council Member Melissa Fox and the artist Wyland at his Irvine studio.

“This annual challenge to conserve water, sponsored by the Wyland Foundation here in Irvine, reminds us of our precious resource,” said Mayor Wagner. “I am hopeful that what is a short-term challenge for our residents becomes a long-term practice of conservation.”

 Last year, residents from over 4,100 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by 1.9 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 42 million pounds, and prevent more than 87,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds. The challenge goes beyond recent drought issues and looks at the ways water use will affect the future of our communities.

To participate, enter online at  mywaterpledge.com , and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of the City of Irvine.

One winning city will be determined from five population categories. The city with the most pledges in each population category will win.

Residents from the winning cities who take the online pledge will be entered to win hundreds of environmentally friendly prizes, including $5,000 for home utilities, water-saving fixtures and home improvement gift cards.

I am thrilled that our mayor has decided to join in the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. Thank you to Irvine-based Wyland Foundation for your commitment to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways, and marine life. All of us in Irvine are proud that this wonderful artist and conservationist is located in our city!

For more information, visit cityofirvine.org .

Keeping Our Commitment

From its beginnings as a visionary master-planned community developed from the Irvine Ranch, the City of Irvine has striven to be simultaneously people-friendly, business-friendly, and earth-friendly.

That success can continue into the future, as long as we insist that each phase of our City’s development be accompanied by careful planning and the preservation and enhancement of our environment.

 

 

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Irvine Needs Your Input on Bommer Canyon Cattle Camp Renovation!

The City of Irvine invites the community to share input on the renovation of Bommer Canyon Cattle Camp at a public workshop Wednesday, April 25, 6-7:30 p.m., at the Las Lomas Community Center.

bommercyn.01The Bommer Canyon Community Park Rehabilitation Project focuses on refreshing the former Cattle Camp, originally built in 1967.  The 15-acre rustic site is a popular setting for parties, company picnics, weddings, family reunions and camp-outs.

The public workshop seeks to gather community input on desired features and ideas for the renovated site.  Input gathered will be used to enhance a draft park design for City review this summer.

For those unable to attend the workshop, project information and an online survey will be available at cityofirvine.org after the workshop.  Las Lomas Community Center is located at 10 Federation Way, Irvine 92603.

The workshop and parking are free.

Nestled in the heart of Bommer Canyon is part of the old Irvine Ranch Cattle Camp.  Several of the original structures exist today, adding to the rustic feel of the Canyon. Bommer Canyon Community Park is also an important preservation area for many local plants and wildlife, including several endangered species.  The cattle camp area is available for rental.  View a map and directions here.

Trails are open for hiking, mountain biking and horse-back riding. Please note that only some trails are open to the public for self-guided daily access while others are restricted to docent-led activities due to sensitive habitat. Dogs are not permitted on trails in Bommer Canyon, but they are permitted on the Quail Hill Loop Trail.  Please see trail map here.

For more information, call Darlene Nicandro, Project Development Administrator at 949-724-7462.

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Families Forward and Irvine Valley College Host Free Community Resource Fair on Sat., April 28

Join Irvine-based Families Forward at the 10th Annual Community Resource Fair on Saturday, April 28th at Irvine Valley College.

This fun, family friendly event will include over 70 local organizations that will be providing free services and resources.

• Free Mobile Medical Clinic
• Free Dental Clinic
• Free Consultations: Career, Financial, Legal, Housing, Medical, Social Services, Parenting Advice
• Free Health Screenings: Blood Pressure, BMI Testing, Dental Screening, Disaster Preparedness, Glucose Testing
• Free Haircuts for All (while available)
• Free Groceries (while supplies Last)
• Food Stamps & Health Insurance Enrollment (Medi-Cal, Covered California).

For Social Service enrollments, please bring driver’s license, social security card, verification of all income, property & citizenship.

The Resource Fair will feature a fun children’s activities and play area.

Free lunch will be available.

Participating agencies in 2018 include:

Career and Education

  • Child Abuse Prevention Center – School Readiness Program
  • Irvine Unified School District – Early Childhood Learning Center
  • Irvine Valley College EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs Program
  • Orange County Department of Education – HOPES Collaborative
  • Orange County One-Stop Center
  • Santiago Community College – Division of Continuing Education
  • School on Wheels
  • Taller San Jose Hope Builders
  • THINK Together
  • WHW

Financial and Legal

  • Abrazar Inc.
  • Legal Aid Society of Orange County
  • Orange County Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service
  • Orange County District Attorney’s Office

Health and Safety

  • Alzheimer’s Orange County
  • CalOptima
  • Camino Health Center WIC Program
  • Central City Community Health Center
  • Child Guidance Center – Family Mealtime Coaching Program
  • Children’s Dental Group
  • Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers
  • Council on Aging of Southern California
  • County of Orange – Health Care Agency – Behavioral Health Services
  • County of Orange Health Care Agency – Immunization
  • Greater Orange County CHADD on ADHD
  • Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County
  • Hurtt Family Health Clinic
  • Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC)
  • Southland Health Center
  • University of California, Irvine – Department of Pediatrics

Housing

  • Affordable Housing Clearinghouse
  • Fair Housing Council of Orange County
  • Fair Housing Foundation
  • Families Forward
  • Family Promise of Orange County
  • HIS House
  • Mercy House
  • Project Hope Alliance

Resources

  • 2-1-1 Orange County
  • Access California Services
  • Assistance League of Irvine
  • Child Behavior Pathways
  • Child Development Centers
  • City of Irvine
  • CSS/Independent Living Skills Program
  • Families and Communities Together (FaCT)
  • Family Support Network
  • Kids’ Potential
  • Laura’s House
  • Lutheran Social Services
  • OMID Multicultural Institute for Development
  • Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)
  • Orange County Department of Child Support Services
  • Orange County Social Services Agency
  • Pathways of Hope
  • Rainbow Rising
  • Rehabilitation Institute of Southern California
  • Safe Families for Children
  • Serving People in Need (SPIN)
  • Share Our Selves (SOS)
  • South County Outreach
  • South Orange County Family Resource Center
  • StandUp For Kids
  • Strong Families Strong Children
  • Western Youth Services
  • WTLC

About Families Forward:

Families Forward assists families in financial crisis to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. We do not just provide support; we supply the tools for families to once again become independent, productive residents of the community.

Families Forward holds strong to our commitment to the values of dignity, empowerment, accountability, community spirit, and hope.

  • Dignity – Honor each individual through an atmosphere of respect, trust, and confidentiality.
  • Empowerment – Inspire self-sufficiency through the development of courage, confidence, and pride.
  • Accountability – Accept responsibility for commitments and accomplishing our goals.
  • Community Spirit – Realize our vision through teamwork, cooperation, and collaboration.
  • Hope – Share a belief in new beginnings and allowing dreams of the future to emerge.

Housing Program: Placing homeless children and families into stable housing. Families Forward works with homeless families to find realistic solutions for sustainable housing and build individualized plans to return each family to self-sufficiency. By stabilizing these families and giving them tools to build a future, we create a stronger community for all of us. A key factor for success is Families Forward’s commitment to collaborate with many organizations to end family homelessness in Orange County, including Orange County United Way, the Commission to End Homelessness, the Children and Families Commission and many other partner agencies and foundations. Only together will we be able to end homelessness in Orange County. Visit the Housing Program page for more information.

Community Services: Providing supportive services to improve lives. Families Forward also reaches out to low-income families to help reduce the pressures that can cause homelessness and help them maintain their stability. Through various safety-net services, those at-risk are given access to assistance such as our on-site food pantry, counseling, career coaching, and financial and life skills education. The goal of the program is to help families recover from a financial crisis so they can maintain their self-sufficiency. Visit the services page for more information.

At one time or another, any family may find itself in need of some form of support. Call (949) 552-2727 or read information on this website to find out more. Families Forward helps homeless and low income families find and maintain stable housing and achieve self-sufficiency.Contact Families Forward at (949) 552-2727 or  info@families-forward.org.

Visit the Families Forward Website here.

Families Forward is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

You can donate to Families Forward here.

 

 

 

 

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Irvine History Happy Hour: Secrets of the Irvine Ranch

Please join the Irvine Historical Society on Sunday, April 22 for a new “Let’s Talk History” happy hour from 3:00 -5:00 pm.

We’ll be talking about how the ‘Secrets of the Irvine Ranch” with Gail Daniels, longtime Irvine Historical Society leader and Irvine’s beloved “History Lady.”

The presentation begins at 3:00 pm and will be held at the Irvine Historical Society  located at 5 San Joaquin, Irvine, CA 92612

Stay afterwards for light refreshments and a chance to meet fellow local history lovers!

Admission is free but a donation of $5 per person is suggested.

You can find the Irvine Historical Society on Facebook here.

Irvine Ranch workers with a hay press circa 1885

The Irvine Historical Society is located in the San Joaquin Ranch House, commissioned by James Irvine in 1868 and considered the oldest standing structure within the original boundaries of Irvine Ranch.

Built for $1,300, the home was the first wooden house to be erected between Anaheim and San Diego. A research library and extensive photo collection of local historic information are available.

Standard hours of operation are Tuesday and Sunday from 1 to 4; closed holidays. Members are free; a $1.00 donation per non-member is appreciated. One-hour walking tours of Old Town Irvine are available on the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Free for members; $5 for non-members.

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Join Me for Irvine’s Breakfast and Hike Open Space Celebration!

Please join me as the City of Irvine invites the community to attend a 30th Anniversary Open Space Celebration Breakfast and Hike on Saturday, April 14 at the Quail Hill Trailhead.

This free public event will begin at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast, followed by a welcome at 9:15 a.m. and a 1.8-mile hike hosted by Irvine Ranch Conservancy.  Please wear comfortable shoes.

Please park at the Quail Hill Community Center.  Parking is not available at the Quail Hill Trailhead.

No RSVP needed. For more information, call 949-724-6077.

One of the best — and most distinctive — things about Irvine is our commitment to preserving open space.

The City of Irvine has more than 16,000 acres of permanently preserved parkland and open space – remarkable for a city of our size.

The Irvine Open Space Preserve features trails for hiking, mountain biking and, for part of the year, horseback riding.

In 1974, early in our city’s history, voters approved multi-million dollar measures to fund public parks and recreational facilities, and for the acquisition and development of bicycle trail and hiking trail improvements.

In 1989, the City negotiated an historic agreement with the Irvine Company that set aside more than 9,500 acres as permanent open space marshlands, bike trails, parks, nature conservancies and agricultural areas, protecting fully one-third of the city from development. It features wetlands, oak stands, grasslands and coastal sage scrub, and has been designated by the state and federal governments as a natural landmark.

In addition, in 2006, nearly 37,000 acres of the Irvine Ranch were selected as a National Natural Landmark, a designation which reflects the outstanding condition, rarity, diversity, and value to science and education of the natural resources on the land.

What: Irvine 30th Anniversary Open Space Celebration

When: Saturday, April 14, 2018. 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Where: Quail Hill Trailhead, 34 Shady Canyon Drive, Irvine, California 92603

Cost: Free

You can see the Facebook event page here.

See you there!

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Help Them Home: A Giving Day for OC’s Homeless on Weds., April 25

Help children find their way home!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 is Families Forward’s Help Them Home Giving Day.

Mark your calendars!

On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, you can help homeless families have a place to sleep tonight – and every night. Every donation on  “Help Them Home” Giving Day will be matched dollar for dollar!  Gifts of any size will make a difference to help us reach our goal of $50,000.

Your donation helps a child have a safe place to sleep tonight!

Who are the children we meet every day at Families Forward?

They are hopeful, innocent children who don’t always understand why their parents have lost their home. They just feel fear and uncertainty because they are moving from place to place, with no bed of their own and no place to have a normal life. Their parents are mostly facing an unexpected crisis that turned their lives upside down – whether it’s a job loss, medical issues or fracturing of a family.

How can you help them?

With your support, Families Forward can move hundreds of children into immediate shelter, whether it’s a motel stay, locating an emergency shelter, or moving into one of our available homes for a short-term stay. Give now and you can make all these options possible for a local, homeless child today.

A Giving Day for OC’s Homeless: 24 Hours. 16 Organizations. 1 Cause. April 25, 2018.

Can you imagine a future in which everyone in Orange County has a safe place to sleep every night?

We can. But we need your help.

That’s why Irvine-based Families Forward and 15 other homeless service providers in Orange County are coming together for a day of giving on April 25, 2018 to restore dignity and hope to homeless men, women and children.

At one time or another, any family may find itself in need of some form of support.

Visit the Families Forward Website here.

Families Forward is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

You can donate to Families Forward here.

UPDATE: Success! The Orange County Register reports that “The first themed Giving Day in Orange County – benefiting 16 nonprofits that provide services to homeless people – surpassed a $500,000 overall goal by attracting $743,700 in donations. More than 1,100 donors responded to the 24-hour “Help Them Home” online fundraising campaign that began at midnight Wednesday, April 25. . . . Here are the results of the Help Them Home campaign, as of Friday, April 30: Families Forward, $128,975; Grandma’s House of Hope, $85,160; Casa Theresa, $87,947.”

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Support Irvine’s Global Village Festival as a 2018 Festival Sponsor!

The City of Irvine’s Global Village Festival is my favorite Irvine cultural event of the year!

I am particularly excited for this year’s Festival, because it will be the first to be held at the Orange County Great Park!

The Global Village Festival is now taking applications for sponsors for its 2018 event, which is Saturday, Sept. 22.

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2018 Irvine Global Village Festival.

The all-day event features more than 100 performances representing cultures from around the world; international cuisine; kids’ crafts and activities; cultural and religious exhibits; and an international marketplace.

Founded in 1998 by a group of Irvine residents to help promote understanding and build harmony within Irvine’s many diverse cultures, the Global Village Festival is now Irvine’s signature event, featuring more than 100 performances representing the cultures of dozens of countries; international cuisine and food from more than 50 restaurants; an international marketplace filled with unique crafts and textiles; interactive, educational and entertaining cultural displays, demonstrations, and performances; and an international village just for kids.

Festival admission is free.

The Global Village Festival is one of Orange County’s fastest-growing multicultural events. With more than 25,000 people in attendance, the Festival’s highly diverse audience makes it an ideal partner for businesses and organizations looking for increased visibility.

Applications for entertainment are also now open.

Applications for vendors, restaurants and exhibitors – including nonpolitical, nonprofit and governmental organizations looking to support the festival as a community partner – will open in late April.

You can find a Sponsorship Application online here.

You can find an Entertainment Application online here.

For more information and to apply, visit irvinefestival.org or call 949-724-6730.

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I’m Proud to Honor Irvine and Anaheim Police Officers for Rescue of Missing 80-Year-Old Irvine Resident

It was recently my pleasure to present a Commendation from the Irvine City Council honoring the members of the Irvine Police Department and the Anaheim Police Department who went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue a missing 80-year-old Irvine resident.

On February 28, 2018, hundreds of Irvine police personnel from the Patrol Division, Detective Bureau, Community Response Team (CERT), and the Irvine Disaster Emergency Communications (IDEC) responded to the call of a missing 80-year-old Irvine resident who had walked away from a local market.

In collaboration with Anaheim Police Department, Police Officers Eric Grisotti and Jay Poland assisted in their police helicopter “Angel” searching for a heat source near where the missing elderly man was last seen.

The helicopter search was successful, and the Irvine resident was rescued 32 hours after the initial report was taken.

Irvine Police personnel and Orange County Fire Authority personnel provided medical attention to the elderly man who suffered minor injuries.

The Commendation from the Irvine City Council reads:

WHEREAS, on February 18, 2018, members of the Irvine Police Department’s Patrol Division, Detective Bureau, Community Emergency Response Team, CERT, and Irvine Disaster Communications (IDEC) responded to a search for an 8O-year-old missing Irvine resident with dementia, who walked away from a local grocery store; and

WHEREAS, working collaboratively to search neighborhoods, parks, and shopping centers, police personnel located video footage of the missing individual walking in a specific direction; and with the assistance of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), several hours of bus video was also reviewed, the search to the area in and around Tustin Station; and

WHEREAS, upon discovery of the missing individual’s shopping cart with groceries at 2:00 a.m. near the edge of a ravine, Irvine Police Department requested helicopter assistance through the Anaheim Police Department; and using Forward-Looking Infrared technology, Anaheim Police Officers Eric Grisotti and JayPoland scanned the dark ravine searching for a heat source; and

WHEREAS, and on the verge of hypothermia, the missing individual was located 32 hours after the initial report, rendered first aid by Irvine Police and Orange County Fire Authority personnel, and transported to the hospital with only minor injuries.

NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Irvine DOES HEREBY COMMEND all the participating first responders for their dedication to duty, professionalism, and lifesaving efforts that resulted in the successful reunification of the missing Irvine resident with his family.

Thank you to our outstanding public safety team!

 

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Join Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel for a Community Safety Meeting at the Irvine Chinese School on April 15

Join Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel and members of  the Irvine Police Department who speak Mandarin as they answer questions regarding public safety in Irvine.

What: Community Safety Meeting at Irvine Chinese School

Date: Sunday, April 15, 2018

Time: 9:45 am – 11:45 am

Location: South Coast Chinese Cultural Center / Irvine Chinese School, 9 Truman St, Irvine, California 92620

This is a free event and is open to everyone.

To submit a question, go to the Irvine Chinese School’s WeChat account or email info@sccca.org by April 7.

Irvine Police Department Mission:

Working in partnership with the community, we will preserve the peace, uphold the law with fairness and provide quality service.”

Irvine Police Department Vision:

We will engage with our community through exemplary service and unparalleled professionalism, while employing a staff that reflects the growth and diversity of our community.

We will commit to implementing the latest technology and best practices to meet the demands of modern policing.

We will invest in the success of the men and women of the Irvine Police Department by providing unrivaled opportunities for training, advancement and personal growth.

Irvine Police Department Values:

Integrity – Recognizing right from wrong and the willingness to do what is right, no matter the consequences. Set the example.

Quality Service – Providing the highest level of service to our community.

Accountability – Accepting responsibility for our decisions and actions.

Respect – Valuing human life, having considerate and courteous regard for all persons. We follow, honor and defend the constitution of this country.

Contact Irvine Police Department:

Irvine Police Department, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606-5207

Phone: 949-724-7000

For emergencies or to report a crime in action, call 911.

 

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Join Me for Irvine’s Persian New Year (Nowruz) Celebration!

In Irvine, we love to celebrate our many heritages.  Irvine is home to more than 80 different churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship, serving Irvine’s wonderful cultural and religious diversity.

One of our biggest cultural celebrations is the annual Persian New Year (Nowruz) Festival, taking place this year on Sunday, March 25, 2018, from 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm at Irvine’s Bill Barber Community Park, sponsored by the Iranian-American Community Group Orange County.

Enjoy Live Performances of Persian Music and Dancing, Persian Food, Tea & Cookies, Backgammon, and Children Activities!

What: Fifth Annual Nowruz (Persian New Year) Festival

When: Sunday, March 25, 2018, 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Where: Bill Barber Community Park, 4 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA. 92606

Cost: Free!

You can learn more about the Nowruz Festival here.

نوروز مبارک

Nowruz Mubarak!

See you there!

“I don’t know anyone who has had Persian food and didn’t like it. Seriously.” ― Rick Steves, Guidebook Author and TV host.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I’m Celebrating a Special St. Patrick’s Day!

This Saturday, March 17, is very special St. Patrick’s Day for me!

Last week,  I was named a 2018 Irish Honoree by the City of Los Angeles.  The award came as a result of my help in bringing the annual Irish Fair and Music Festival to the Great Park in Irvine.

I am tremendously honored to be named an Irish Honoree.  Irish Americans have contributed enormously to our nation, and I am proud to help share and celebrate Irish culture in our Great Park.

The Irish Fair and Music Festival will be held on June 9 and 10, 2018, at the Great Park in Irvine.   It is dedicated to preserving and promoting Irish and  Irish-American culture in the Southern California area by presenting Irish music, dance, theatre, language, sports and all other aspects of the Irish heritage.

Now in its 43rd year, the Irish Fair has become a landmark for Irish and Irish American culture and family entertainment. Over 30,000 people attend the event annually. It has been described as the happiest and most fun filled event in all of Southern California.

Among the many artists appearing at the Festival at the Great Park this year are The Fenians,  The Humble Hooligans,   Craic in the Stone,  Sligo Rags,  Cillian’s Bridge,  Rory Makem, and Dónal Clancy.

The Irish Fair also features Irish Step Dancing, Irish, Scottish and British import shops and arts & craft vendors.

You can find more information, and tickets, online at BIG Irish Fair and Music Festival.

See you there!

Slán go fóill

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My Trip to Sacramento to Advocate for OC Cities and Affordable Housing

I recently joined other Orange County elected officials on the annual Local Government Advocacy Trip to Sacramento with the Association of California Cities — Orange County (ACC-OC), meeting with state elected officials, department directors, and executive staff to advocate for positions on bills, discuss  Orange County’s regional priorities, and represent the voice of Orange County cities.

Among the issues we discussed were building more affordable housing, increased regulation and better supervision of sober living homes, solutions for homelessness, and reforms of the sales tax.

Among the state officials and legislators that I met with were California State Controller Betty T. Yee, Board of Estimate Member Fiona Ma, Senator Jim Beall (Chair, Senate Housing Committee), Senator John Moorlach (37th Senate District, which includes portions of Orange County), Senator Steve Glazier (Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Development), Senator Scott Weiner (Senate Housing Committee), Assemblymember David Chiu (Assembly Housing Committee), and Susan Bransen (Executive Director, California Transportation Commission).

Melissa Fox with Dirissy Doan (Orange County Assn of Realtors) and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D- AD 65) in Sacramento.

Following the ACC-OC trip, I remained in Sacramento to attend the Housing California Annual Conference and to meet with legislators on behalf of the Irvine Community Land Trust, of which I am the Vice Chair.

The Irvine Community Land Trust (ICTL) was created by the City of Irvine to provide secure, high-quality affordable housing through the operation of a non-profit community land trust, securing and retaining title to land on which permanently affordable rental, ownership and special needs housing will be constructed and maintained for the benefit of income-eligible families.

The vision of the ICLT is that by the year 2025, the ICLT will have created approximately 5,000 units of permanently affordable housing in the City of Irvine, contributing more than 50 percent of the City’s 2025 goal of 9,700 affordable units. In addition, the ICLT will conduct a monitoring program and provide stewardship for these units, insuring high-quality construction, design, sustainability, maintenance and permanent affordability. ICLT will achieve self-sufficiency by ensuring that fees and other earned income are sufficient to support the organization’s ongoing operating costs.

On behalf of the Irvine Community Land Trust, I meet with Senator Janet Nguyen, Senator Ricardo Lara, Senator John Moorlach, Senator Jim Beall, Senator Bob Hertzberg, Assembly Member Steven Choi, Assembly Member Matt Harper, and Assembly Member Sharon Quirk-Silva about legislation to make it easier to build more affordable housing.

I believe we are making significant progress in creating a more supportive legislative environment for building affordable housing.  Everyone I spoke to in Sacramento — on both sides of the aisle — is keenly aware of California’s severe housing shortage and our state’s growing housing insecurity and homelessness crisis.

I was happy to work with my colleagues in both the ACC-OC and the Irvine Community Land Trust to advocate for legislative reforms that will make it easier to build affordable housing in California, and specifically in Orange County.

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City of Irvine Wins Awards in Financial Reporting, Budget Reporting and Operational Budget

Congratulations to the City of Irvine’s Administrative Services Department, which this week received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).

This is the nation’s highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Irvine also received two other prestigious awards: The GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award representing the City’s commitment in meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting, and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Award for Excellence in Operational Budget.

In January, Irvine was rated the #1 city in the nation in regard to fiscal health, according to a recent report by Truth in Accounting, an organization that promotes clarity in public financial records.

I’m extremely proud of Irvine’s number one financial rating in the nation and its national recognition for its financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association.

I am also proud to have received the Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award for “demonstrating dedication to the protection of taxpayer funds and for the advocacy of government transparency and fiscal responsibility.”

I ran for City Council on a platform of using my skills as a business attorney to safeguard every public dollar, and I intend to keep that promise by making sure that Irvine is financially transparent and doesn’t spend more than it can afford.

These awards reflect the firm commitment that my colleagues on the Irvine City Council, our Finance Commission, our professional City staff, and I have to the taxpayers and residents of Irvine, and to the principles of government transparency and fiscal responsibility.

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Join Irvine Animal Care Center’s Foster Donation Drive and Kitten & Puppy Shower!

The Irvine Animal Care Center invites the community to support its Foster Donation Drive, March 1-31.

Support puppies, kittens and young rabbits at the center by donating supplies such as formula, blankets and toys. View a complete wish list on the Irvine Animal Care Center’s Gift Registry at irvineanimals.org.

Animal-lovers can also enjoy an afternoon on the lawn “showering” the center’s new puppy and kittens with much-needed supplies at the Kitten & Puppy Shower on March 10, noon-2 p.m. Event and parking are free; donation suggested.

The Irvine Animal Care Center Foster Care Program provides shelter, supplies, food and veterinary care for animals too young to be spayed/neutered, or those recovering from medical procedures.

Foster parents provide temporary care for kittens, puppies, and baby rabbits, or animals recovering from a medical procedure, in their own homes. This includes time, energy and a quiet secure space away from any pets you may otherwise have. The Irvine Animal Care Center will provide the training, supplies, food and veterinary care. Fostering can last from a few days to several weeks.

The success of programs like Third Chance for Pets, which brings animals in from other Southern California shelters where their chances for survival are limited, relies heavily on the number of fosters the center has available. The more fosters supporting the center, the more animals it can help.

Those interested in becoming a foster pet parent can attend a Foster Volunteer Workshop on April 8, 1-4 p.m.

Registration required at yourirvine.org by Wednesday, March 28.

Click here to learn more about the Center’s adoption program and to see the dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals that are currently looking for new forever homes.

We are so fortunate to have the Irvine Animal Center in our community!  Please consider contributing and/or volunteering.  Making donations to the Irvine Animal Care Center is easy and available online.

Irvine Animal Care Center’s Hours of Operation:

Weekdays: Noon to 7:00 PM

Weekends: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Closed Tuesdays and Holidays.

Adoptions stop one hour prior to closing.

The Irvine Animal Care Center is located at 6443 Oak Canyon Road.

For more information, visit irvineanimals.org or call 949-724-7740.

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Irvine Police Department Adds Safe E-Commerce Exchange Zone

 

The Irvine Police Department (IPD) has added an E-Commerce Exchange Zone in an effort to provide a more secure location for those conducting e-commerce transactions.

The E-Commerce Exchange Zone is located in the parking lot adjacent to the Police Department at 1 Civic Center Plaza.

The area is clearly marked and is equipped with high-definition cameras that record activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The video feed from the cameras can be seen in IPD’s Communications Center.

Increasingly, residents are choosing to buy and sell items online.  The Irvine Police Department offers the E-Commerce Exchange Zone as a public service to community members looking for a more secure location to exchange items in these types of transactions.  No reservation is necessary, and there is no fee to use the E-Commerce Exchange Zone.

If you have questions, call the IPD front desk at 949-724-7000.

Thanks to our professional and caring law enforcement team, Irvine is consistently named the safest city in the nation among cities with populations of over 100,000.

To learn more about Irvine Police Department programs and services, visit irvinepd.org or follow IPD on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Hike to OC’s Grand Canyon with Irvine Councilmember Melissa Fox!

Join me and naturalists from the Irvine Ranch Conservancy on Friday, January 26, on a hike up Agua Chinon Wash to The Sinks, with a visit to one of Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s large riparian habitat restoration projects.

This spectacular hike takes you alongside a dry creek bed in Agua Chinon Wash, the headwaters of San Diego Creek, which meanders through Irvine before eventually flowing into Newport Bay.

It begins with a flat and sometimes sandy walk through lush riparian, or creek side, habitat with periods of shady, oak woodlands. Elderberry and mulefat shrubs abound in the creek bed while the hillsides of the canyon are covered in native sage scrub.

After a couple of miles, the trail begins to climb relatively steeply out of the canyon and away from the creek bed, leading to extraordinary views of the iconic geological formation known as The Sinks.

It is sometimes called “OC’s mini-Grand Canyon.”

A rich diversity of plants and animals is found in this canyon, which is currently undergoing habitat restoration.

The hike to the Sinks involves multiple steep climbs and descents and is 6 miles round trip with a 1300′ total elevation change and a challenging hill climb on a dirt ranch road.

This hike will be done at a moderate pace of approximately 3 mph with rest breaks as needed.

Please bring plenty of water as well as everything you need to keep healthy on the trail (sun protection, medications, snacks) and please wear sturdy closed-toe shoes.

This activity originates in the City of Irvine and travels into OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve. This hike is moderate to strenuous (level 3) in nature.

Pre-registration is not required in order to attend, however a waiver will be provided at the activity for you to complete at this special event.

What: Hike to OC’s Grand Canyon with Irvine Councilmember Melissa Fox!

Date: Friday, January 26, 2018

Time: 8:00 am – 11:00 am

Duration:  About 3 hours

Type: Hiking & Fitness

Organization: City of Irvine

Area: Irvine Open Space Preserve

Staging Area: Portola Staging Area (Take Portola Pkwy past Portola Springs all the way to the toll road – go across the toll road and make a left down the access road and the staging area is right there.)

Difficulty: 3

Distance: 6 miles

Elevation Change: 1300 feet

Minimum Age: 18

You can see more details about the hike (and register) on the Irvine Ranch “Let’s Go Outside” website here.

You can also see information about the hike on the Facebook event page here.

For more information, contact Allison Binder at 949-724-6226.

The Sinks is a magnificent sight to see and is located right in our own backyard!  It is accessible only via guided hikes through the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.

I hope you’ll join me!