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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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Join Me on Sat., April 21, for an Irvine Town Hall at the Great Park (with Mandarin Translation)

Please join me for an Irvine Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, April 21, starting at 11:00 a.m., at the Great Park.

The meeting will be held inside historic Hangar 244 at the Orange County Great Park (near the Palm Court) and is being co-hosted by WeIrvine.

I will be answering questions from the community about the Orange County Great Park — of which I am the Vice Chair — and future development.

Mandarin translation will be available.

普通话翻译可用。

There will also be representatives from the Irvine Police Department‘s Mounted Unit available to answer any questions as well.

Light refreshments will be provided and families are welcome.

If you would like more information or to RSVP, please contact Allison Binder by email at abinder@cityofirvine.org or by phone at 949-724-6226.

See the Facebook event page here.

I hope to see you there!

来大公园参加市民大会，听尔湾市议员 Melissa Fox 介绍橙县大公园最新进展

4月21日星期六，尔湾市议员，同时担任大公园副主席的 Melissa Fox 将和大家见面，向大家介绍大公园的最新进展，并和大家一起讨论有关大公园的各种话题。有中文翻译现场为大家口译。

尔湾警局的骑警代表也将出席会议，对大家感兴趣的问题予以解答。

普通话翻译可用。

 

 

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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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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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What I’m Listening for in the Mayor’s 2018 State of the City Address

On Tuesday, February 27, Irvine Mayor Don Wagner will present his second “State of the City” address at the City Council chambers.

Mayor Wagner and I are members of different political parties and have very different views on many state and national issues. Yet in the year that we have served together on the Irvine City Council, we have been able to work in cooperation and with mutual respect to improve the lives of the residents of our City.

We have accomplished a lot in this past year. Since last year’s State of the City, Irvine has been rated:

• No. 1 Major American City in Fiscal Strength.
• No. 1 FBI’s Safest American City. Lowest rate of violent crime among cities with a population of 250,000 or more (12th consecutive year that City of Irvine has earned the Safest City accolade).
• No. 2 Safest Big City, based on categories that go beyond violent crime rates, including motor vehicle safety.
• No. 3 Most Prosperous City.
• No. 3 Happiest Residents.
• No. 6 Least Stressed American City
• No. 8 Best Public Parks.
• No. 8 Best City to Raise a Family, based on crime rate, vehicle safety, air quality, and educational attainment.
• No. 9 Healthiest Lifestyles.
• No. 15 Best Places to Buy a Forever Home.
• One of 20 Western Dream Towns.

While I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, much more remains to be done and problems remain to be solved. We have moved past the partisan bickering and gridlock that prevented progress for so many years, but we need to continue to work together to improve the lives of all of Irvine’s residents.

Here’s what I will be listening for in this year’s State of the City Address:

More plans to solve Irvine’s traffic and transportation problems.

Every person who ran for Mayor or City Council in 2016 – including myself and Mayor Wagner – promised to take bold and meaningful action to reduce traffic congestion.

In fact, in our first year, we have already accomplished a great deal:

• The City Council did not approve a single new entitlement for housing or offices in 2017.
• Reinstated Irvine Transportation/Traffic Commission (with my appointee, Ken Montgomery, as Chair).
• Created and filled new City of Irvine staff position of Director of Transportation.
• Curtailed traffic in and out of Concordia University.
• Approved $19 million plan to reduce traffic congestion throughout Irvine.
• Approved plan to widen University between MacArthur and Campus, adding a lane in each direction and upgrading traffic signals.
• Working with CalTrans to upgrade and improve timing on 40 traffic signals near freeway ramps.
• Moved forward the construction of a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Jamboree at Michelson.
• Defeated proposed 1,960-unit “Travel Land” apartment complex at the 5 and Sand Canyon, based on negative impact on traffic congestion.

But more needs to be done.

Irvine still needs to increase the safe, effective, and efficient transportation choices available in the City (including public transportation, bicycle routes, and active transportation) and will need to continue to hold developers accountable for resolving traffic issues before any entitlements and building permits are issued.

I look forward to hearing more detailed and concrete plans for resolving our traffic and transportation issues, and for increasing the transportation alternatives that are needed to reduce automobile congestion in our streets. In addition, I would like to hear about working with our school board to offer transportation to students to and from school to reduce congestion in the mornings and afternoon rush.

Building the Cultural Terrace at the Great Park.

For far too long, the residents of Irvine and Orange County were given nothing but empty promises about building our Great Park on the grounds of the old El Toro Marine Base.

This year we have finally succeeded in creating a Great Park that residents can enjoy.

• We opened the temporary 12,000-seat live music FivePoint Amphitheatre while planning the permanent Great Park Amphitheatre.
• We broke ground on and will soon open a new ice skating facility in the Great Park (largest public ice skating facility in the West).
• We opened our 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.
• Our Great Park Sports Complex was presented with the Orange County Business Council’s Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Award for Public-Private Partnership.
• The Great Park Championship Stadium opens its second season as the home of the Orange County Soccer Club, Orange County’s only professional soccer team.
• We reached an agreement with Wild Rivers for a new 30-acre water park in the Great Park.

This year, I will be listening for details of even more progress on the Great Park.

I will be listening for details of the opening this year of the “bosque” (tree-lined walking and biking trail area), as well as further development of the Great Park Sports Complex, including additional soccer and softball fields and a baseball stadium.

I want to hear about more specific plans and dates for the reopening of Wild Rivers. I will also be paying careful attention to the Mayor’s plans for the Cultural Terrace. I have advocated for the City Council to make commitments regarding placing museums, a library, and world-class botanical gardens so that we will have a truly Great Park.

Education and childcare.

It is time to squarely address the shortage of childcare for families in Irvine.

Nearly 2,500 Irvine families do not have adequate child care, with the most acute shortage for children under 2 years-old and children 6 to 12 years-old. Churches and other houses of worship traditionally provide a third of childcare. Our Irvine City Council and the Planning Commission must zone sufficient areas for churches and houses of worship, as well as take other steps, to meet our growing child care needs. I have been working with City staff, my Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson Norris, developers, childcare providers, and the business community to increase childcare through an overall city childcare development plan. I will be listening for the Mayor’s plans to help us in this important area.

Commitment to building the Veterans Cemetery and Memorial.

One of my proudest moments as an Irvine resident was when the City Council in 2014 voted unanimously to set aside 125 acres for an Orange County Veterans Cemetery. Since that time, we learned that the cost of building a veterans’ cemetery on the originally designated site would be more than $77 million – in other words, prohibitively expensive. For this reason, I support the land exchange according to which the Great Park developer will build the cemetery in another, close-by, location known as the “strawberry fields.”

This strawberry fields site, overwhelmingly preferred by veterans and all veterans’ groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, saves at a minimum $77.5 million in city, state, and national tax dollars, does not require the substantial remediation and decontamination of the original site, and reduces traffic through the City. The land exchange to build the veterans cemetery is also officially supported by the Democratic and the Republican parties.

Despite this near unanimous and bipartisan recognition that the strawberry field site is the better location and that land exchange is the only way to build the veterans’ cemetery, a deceptive and cynical campaign with paid signature gatherers placed the land exchange on the ballot on June 5.  If these nay-sayers prevail, there will never be a final resting place for veterans in Orange County, and certainly not in Irvine.  A “YES” vote on the cemetery referendum means there will be a veterans cemetery.  A “NO” means our promise to Orange County veterans will be broken.

I look forward to hearing the Mayor make a clear call to all who are grateful for our veterans’ service to vote YES on the referendum on June 5.

Affordable housing and county-wide help for the homeless.

Our state has a severe housing crisis that is getting worse. Our supply of housing has not kept pace with the growth of jobs and population.  As a result, housing prices continue to rise, and rents are skyrocketing. As housing costs rise, more people are being pushed into poverty and even homelessness.

Many students in Irvine’s public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. Too many of the jobs created in recent years do not pay a middle-class or even a living wage. We don’t have enough places to live, and too many people can’t afford the places that do exist.  Millennials and working families have a tough time finding places they can afford to live in our City.

Our lack of affordable and workforce housing has also been a significant cause of our traffic problems. As an economically  successful city and an expanding regional job center, Irvine is inundated by commuter traffic because so many people who work in Irvine cannot afford to live here.

I have advocated for more affordable housing and for additional municipal affordable housing requirements.  I would like to hear the Mayor say he agrees and will be offer proposals to increase affordable housing.

In addition, our local region has a severe homelessness crisis that our city, along with other cities and Orange County, must pitch in together to solve. I want to hear the Mayor commit to meaningful steps that Irvine can take now to help the homeless find both the shelter and the full range of services that they need to transition into permanent housing.

Innovative and Responsible Leadership.

I want to hear an inspiring vision for Irvine’s future as a world leader in education, smart planning, environmental awareness and responsibility and technological innovation.

This past year, Irvine has made tremendous progress in environmental awareness and responsibility. We have reinstated the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Commission, which I am honored to Chair.  We have received the Organic Landscape Leadership Award from Pepperdine Center for Sustainability for Irvine’s exclusive use of organic non-toxic materials in its gardens, parks, and grounds-keeping. We were named Sustainable Government of the Year for recycling and waste reduction from Sustain OC and received the 2017 Eco-Award from U.S. Green Building Council.

I want to hear the Mayor commit to continuing to ensure that all City of Irvine pest pressure is maintained organically, and that our public gardens and fields are not only beautiful, they are safe.

In addition, Irvine needs to move forward with state-of-the-art communications and smart transportation systems, as well as environmental protections for its residents and incentives for entrepreneurs and innovators.

Our great City of Irvine is blessed with the tools and resources needed to continue to be among the best cities in the world. I look forward to hearing Mayor Wagner’s vision for Irvine that continues our quest for being the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.

The event begins with a reception at 5:00 pm, followed by the Mayor’s address at 6:00 pm.

Both the “State of the City” address and the reception are open to the public. No RSVP is necessary to attend.

The Civic Center is located at 1 Civic Center Drive. Call 949-724-6077 for more information.

I hope to see you there!

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Join Me for “I-Ran Out of the Closet” — an Iranian coming out story and an important discussion about LGBTQ Iranians

I am proud to co-sponsor an important discussion in Irvine on Wednesday, February 21, on Iranian LGBTQ identity.

Hear the personal stories of LGBTQ Iranians and their families.

The goal of the conversation is create awareness of and increase exposure to LGBTQ Iranians, among fellow Iranians and the larger community.

Panelists include:

Mastaneh Moghadam, LCSW Executive Director CCE, Moderator

Ashkan Yekrangi, Esq. Lawyer / Activist

Kathy Tavakoli, Mother / Activist

Shervin Khorramian, Executive Director of Raha, Activist

Ali Vassigh, Activist / MC

Jessica Laed – Marriage and Family Therapist Intern / Lesbian

Hedyeh Rezaei – Master of Social Works Candidate / Activist

RAHA is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a safe space where the Persian LGBTQ community and its allies come together to embrace their shared experiences.  RAHA’s mission is to positively impact its members’ lives by connecting Persian LGBTQs through their cultural identity.

Reserve your free tickets here.

You can like RAHA on Facebook here and follow RAHA Instagram @rahaintl

I hope to see you there!

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Visit the California Fire Museum Exhibit

Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox, Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson-Norris and Dottie the Fire Dog atop a 1902 horse-drawn steam engine.

This past weekend, I paid a visit to the California Fire Museum‘s new exhibition of firefighting equipment and artifacts in Santa Ana.

The exhibit — entitled “Firefighting: Artifacts and Tools of the Trade” —  runs from February 3 to March 3, 2018, at the SAC Arts Gallery at the Santora Building, 207 North Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

This is a wonderful exhibit.  The success of this exhibit re-enforces my commitment to convince the Irvine City Council to agree to the Fire Museum’s request for help in preserving their collection from damage from vandalism and the elements by preserving the heritage of our California firefighters at the Great Park.

The California Fire Museum , Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization whose purpose is:

  • To preserve and protect the history and heritage of the fire service in general, with special emphasis on the California Fire Services.
  • To collect, restore, preserve and exhibit apparatus, equipment, art and artifacts of the firefighting profession.
    To provide life safety, fire safety and fire prevention education to the community.
  • To educate the public about firefighters, firefighting and emergency services.
  • We are dedicated to conservation, research, restoration, education and community service.

If you would like to become a member, sponsor, or have a donation of fire memorabilia, funds or services, please contact the California Fire Museum at (949) 916-5019.

As a Board Member of the Orange County Fire Authority and the mother of a firefighter, I urge everyone interested in preserving our California firefighter heritage to contact Irvine’s Mayor and the members of the City Council to tell them to provide the California Fire Museum space for the public display and storage of their irreplaceable collection.

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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!

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Irvine Wins Tennis Magazine’s Parks & Rec Agency of the Year!

“Tennis is mostly mental. Of course, you must have a lot of physical skill, but you can’t play tennis well and not be a good thinker. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.” — Venus Williams

“Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquillity.” — Billie Jean King

“Life is like a tennis game. You can’t win without serving.” — Arthur Ashe

I’m proud to announce that Tennis Industry Magazine has named Irvine’s Community Services Department as Park & Rec Agency of the Year for 2017.

In making the award, Tennis Industry Magazine explained:

“For the last 14 years, Steve Riggs has been the tennis director for the city of Irvine, Calif., overseeing one of the top city-run tennis programs in the country. Riggs is in charge of 91 public tennis courts (all with lights) at 19 facilities, including the brand-new, 25-court Orange County Great Park Sports Complex. On weekends, he also oversees 31 courts at four high schools.

‘At first, I wasn’t happy about having all these neighborhood parks,’ Riggs says. ‘But for customer service, it’s actually better. It’s easy for kids, for instance, to get to nearby courts.’

The courts are free to play on, but Riggs says programming brings in about $1.8 million from lessons, clinics, leagues and tournaments. ‘As a city-run program,’ he says, ‘we’re lucky to be in a strong tennis community.’

That’s why the city of Irvine’s Community Services Department is Tennis Industry’s 2017 Park & Rec Agency of the Year.

Riggs is quick to credit the 24 full-time teaching pros for the success. ‘Our program is built on our pros,’ he says. ‘If they don’t do a good job, then you don’t have a good program. I have a great staff—many have been here for many years — and they make it all go’.”

Thank you to Steve Riggs for your dedication to Irvine and to tennis.  As Southern California Tennis News wrote in 2016:

Steve Riggs

“When it comes to giving back to the Southern California junior tennis community, few can match Steve Riggs’ dedication and drive to make life better tennis players. Riggs, the Director of Programming and Tennis for the City of Irvine, has a passion to share his love of the sport with all. This year, the highlights include organizing two coaching education seminars (January and June) and a new four-tournament Grand Slam Round Robin series for novice level juniors.

Riggs is a certified teaching pro, tournament organizer, and community advocate. He has been a leader in the Southern California tennis world for the past 25 years, and based in Orange County since 2004. During that time he has run So Cal junior tournaments at every level from novice to national. Other past accomplishments include being a JTT Area League Coordinator, and a member of the SCTA Advocacy and Red-Orange-Green (ROG) Committees.

When the USTA introduced the 10-and-Under Tennis program, Riggs was one of the first to step up and offer Red-Orange-Green (ROG) Events for kids. He currently offers an innovative 4- tournament ROG Grand Slam Round Robin Circuit in 2016, which highlights the Australian, French, British and U.S. Opens respectively at each event.

Tennis education is also very important to Riggs. For the past eight years, he has offered a variety of seminars on various topics for adults and juniors.  ‘I’m happy to be in a position to give players, parents and coaches at all levels a taste of fun and competitive tennis as well as great information,’ Riggs said. ‘All it takes is a few good ideas and the time to plan them. I have an outstanding staff and together we make things happen’.”

The City of Irvine has 91 public tennis courts and offers beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate or advanced level tennis lessons, leagues and tournaments for youth, adults and seniors.

The new tennis courts at the Orange County Great Park Sports Park.

The newly opened Sports Complex at the Great Park has a new Tennis Center that includes a championship tennis court with seating for 132 spectators and an additional 24 lighted tennis courts.

It also includes a conference room, concession area, restrooms, and City athletics offices.

These new Great Park tennis courts offer space for kids camps and lessons, adult team workouts, recreational programs, and the Brymer Lewis Tennis Academy, as well as leagues, match play and championship tournaments.

Drop-in courts are also available daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information about tennis at the Great Park, call the Tennis Center at 949-724-6400 or email tennis@cityofirvine.org.

I am proud to serve on the City Council that is finally fulfilling the promise of a truly Great Park for the residents of Irvine and Orange County!

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Coffee with a Cop!

I’m extremely proud of the men and women of our Irvine Police Department and of our commitment to community policing.

As our Police Chief Mike Hamel has said, “One of the best things about Irvine is that we are dynamic and diverse. We are made up of people from cultures and countries all over the world, but this also means that various community groups may have specific and unique needs. We are here to do all we can to help address your needs.  It doesn’t matter where you come from, your lifestyle, what language you speak or what religion you practice, we are your police department and we are here for you.”

Join the Irvine Police Department for a cup of coffee and a chance to chat in a relaxed, one-on-one atmosphere.

Irvine Police Officers will be at Starbucks at Alton Square on Jan. 18  from 7 to 9 a.m.

WHAT: Coffee with a Cop!

WHERE: Starbucks, Alton Square (5365-B Alton Parkway, on the corner of Alton and Jeffrey).

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 18, 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. Join us at any time during this two-hour event.

WHO: This is a kid and family-friendly event. All ages are welcome!

COST: Free.

See the Facebook event page here.

 

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Welcome 2018!

Irvine 2017 by the Numbers:

  • No. 1 Major American City in Fiscal Strength.
  • No. 1 FBI’s Safest American City. Lowest rate of violent crime among cities with a population of 250,000 or more (12th consecutive year that City of Irvine has earned the Safest City accolade).
  • No. 2 Safest Big City, based on categories that go beyond violent crime rates, including motor vehicle safety.
  • No. 3 Most Prosperous City.
  • No. 3 Happiest Residents.
  • No. 6 Least Stressed American City
  • No. 8 Best Public Parks.
  • No. 8 Best City to Raise a Family, based on crime rate, vehicle safety, air quality, and educational attainment.
  • No. 9 Healthiest Lifestyles.
  • No. 15 Best Places to Buy a Forever Home.
  • Listed as one of 20 Western Dream Towns.
Great Park Progress:
  • Opened new 12,000-seat live music FivePoint Amphitheatre in in the Great Park. The inaugural concert in October 2017 was headlined by Irvine’s own “Young the Giant.”
  • Groundbreaking for new ice skating 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 becomes 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.
  • Reached agreement with Wild Rivers for a new 30-acre water park in the Great Park.
Traffic Progress:
  • City Council did not approve a single new entitlement for housing or offices in 2017.
  • Reinstated Irvine Transportation/Traffic Commission (with my appointee, Ken Montgomery, as Chair).
  • Created and filled new City of Irvine staff position of Director of Transportation.
  • Curtailed traffic in and out of Concordia University.
  • Approved $19 million plan to reduce traffic congestion throughout Irvine.
  • Approved plan to widen University between MacArthur and Campus, adding a lane in each direction and upgrading traffic signals.
  • Working with CalTrans to upgrade and improve timing on 40 traffic signals near freeway ramps.
  • Working on pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Jamboree at Michelson.
  • Defeated proposed 1,960-unit “Travel Land” apartment complex at the 5 and Sand Canyon, based on negative impact on traffic congestion.
Environmental Progress:
  • Reinstated the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Commission (with me as Chair and my appointee, Krishna Hammond, as Vice-Chair).
  • Organic Landscape Leadership Award from Pepperdine Center for Sustainability for Irvine’s exclusive use of organic non-toxic materials in its gardens, parks, and grounds-keeping.
  • 2017 Sustainable Government of the Year for recycling and waste reduction from Sustain OC.
  • 2017 Eco-Award from U.S. Green Building Council.
  • Continued working with Non-Toxic Irvine to ensure that all City of Irvine pest pressure is maintained organically, and that our public gardens and fields are not only beautiful, they are safe.
  • Worked with Irvine-based Wyland Foundation to provide education in water and ocean conservation.
 Civic, Educational, and Cultural Progress:
  • Expanded Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial.
  • Submitted bid for Amazon HQ2.
  • Opening of the new Charlie and Ling Zhang Musical Arts and Education Center, including Orange County Music and Dance, a non-profit school in Irvine, and headquarters for Arts OC and the Pacific Symphony.
  • All of Irvine’s high schools rated in the top 10% of the nation’s high schools.
  • Cadence Park School (K-8) opens in Great Park Neighborhoods.
  • Dedicated 125 acres of land from the former El Toro Marine Base for Orange County’s first veterans’ cemetery and held dedication ceremony attended by hundreds of veterans.
  • Opening of the Quail Hill Community Center.
  • UC Irvine breaks record with 116,192 undergraduate applications.
  • 16th Annual Global Village Festival.
  • 8th Annual Korean Festival.
  • 4th Annual Diwali Festival.
  • 4th Annual Persian New Year Nowruz Festival.
  • 3rd Annual Winter Wonderland Festival.
  • 12th Annual Orange County Fire Open House.
  • 3rd Annual Irvine Police Open House.
  • 1st Annual “Days of Remembrance” Proclamation, remembering the Holocaust and calling on all of us to be “vigilant against hatred, persecution, and tyranny.”
  • Deployed firefighters to Houston, saving thousands from flooding.
  • Deployed firefighters throughout California to fight worst fire season in California history.
  • Instituted first-ever Irvine Police Mounted Unit.
  • 12th Annual Super Pet Adoption at Irvine Animal Care Center.
  • 12th Annual Home for the Holidays Pet Adoption at Irvine Animal Center.
  • 4th Annual Spooktacular Fun Days at Great Park.
And some personal accomplishments:
  • “Best Politician” by the Orange County Weekly.
  •  “Taxpayer Watchdog Award” by Orange County Auditor-Controller.
  • “100 Most Influential” by Orange County Register.
  •  “Hero of Children Award”  by Child Abuse Prevention Network.
  • “Active Transportation Change Maker Award” by Alliance for a Healthy OC

Serving the residents of Irvine this year as a member of the Irvine City Council has been a great joy and privilege.

Together we can do even more in 2018!

Michael, Max, our entire team, and I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
The best is yet to come!
 
Melissa
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Orange County Fire Authority by the Numbers in 2017 (to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”)

I have had the honor of serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) this year.

The men and women who comprise Irvine’s firefighting, fire suppression, and emergency response force are some of the most dedicated and bravest people I’ve ever met.

They also have a great sense of humor.

Here is a short video that they made to the story of OCFA in 2017, based on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

I would like to share it with you.

Click to play: OCFA by the Numbers 2017.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to the brave men and women of OCFA!

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Happy Thanksgiving from the Fox Family!

We Americans have much for which we are deeply grateful.

We are grateful for this great nation, for our freedoms, and for those whose sacrifices, past and present, have made those freedoms endure for generations.

We are grateful for our families and friends, and for the love that makes life worthwhile.

We are grateful for our beautiful, diverse City of Irvine.

We are grateful for the blessings of our beautiful planet and our beautiful state of California.

We are grateful for the volunteers who comfort the sick, care for the young and the aged, share their knowledge and skills, and keep us moving forward.

We are also grateful that we are fortunate enough to be able to help others.

Our family, especially during the holidays, supports ClothingDonations.org, a service of Vietnam Veterans of America. ClothingDonations.org will pick up your used clothes and household goods at your convenience and use them to support programs that address the needs of all our veterans.

We also support Families Forward, an Irvine-based organization that assists Orange County families in financial crisis to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and helps these families to once again become independent, productive residents of the community. During the holidays,Families Forward also provides in-need families with festive food baskets and personalized holiday gifts.

Another worthy organization is the California Association of Food Banks, founded in 1995 to help hungry people throughout California, including our local Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and the Community Action Partnership of Orange County Food Bank.

Our City of Irvine proudly and gratefully supports the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee, which 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.

We also endorse giving to Socks for Heroes, which ships socks along with other essentials to United States Marine Corps combat infantry units, provides Marine children the ability to take advantage of swimming lessons, sports, and camps, and provides other programs for single Marines and Marine families during deployments.

We are grateful for our police and firefighters, our soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guardsmen and airmen.

We are grateful, too, for everyone in our community and our nation who protects us and serves those in need.

Our friend Michael Kinslow, who we lost three years ago, wrote a beautiful Prayer of Thanksgiving for those who protect and those who serve:

Thank you God for every woman and man who risks their life for my freedom and safety.

Please bless their families with peace.

Thank you God for every child, woman, and man who volunteers in my community. All of those who feed the hungry, provide shelter, and all who put their hearts, minds, and souls into building up others and caring for all of your creatures.

Please bless them in their own time of need.

Amen.

Melissa

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OC Weekly: Fox Trot

The OC Weekly just published another story about my continuing fight for a veterans cemetery in Irvine.

Here is the story:

FOX TROT

“Nine days after being named Best Politician in OC Weekly’s massive Best of 2017 issue, Irvine City Councilwoman Melissa Fox was hit by a dude. Coincidence? Yes and no. Raul Ricardo Rodriguez-Peltz of Westminster, Colorado, probably has never heard of your favorite infernal rag. However, the 28-year-old’s Oct. 29 booking into Irvine City Jail on misdemeanor assault does stem from the same stand Fox took that earned mad respect from OC Weekly’s Best of 2017 Board of Governors.

Here’s how we began what was published Oct. 20 about the county’s reigning best politico:

‘Having run a warped, money-hungry Irvine political machine that trampled the concept of public transparency and wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, Larry Agran wanted to maintain control over the city’s Democrats even after his forced retirement in the 2014 election. But this year, a fellow party member, first-term City Councilwoman Melissa Fox, let the 72-year-old former mayor know she isn’t one of his stooges, bucking him on his preferred location for a future veterans’ cemetery at the Orange County Great Park site.’

Fox was part of a City Council majority that approved placing the state-run memorial park in what are now strawberry fields but used to be part of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. In exchange, the current land owner gets property within the nearby Great Park that is currently contaminated [note: the property that the develop gets from the City, like the property that the City gets from the developer, is not within the borders of the Great Park; both properties are adjacent to the Great Park, and —  most importantly — both properties were part of the former El Toro Marine Base, which was closed in 1999].

Many in the audience cheered the council’s 3-2 vote for the land swap, prompting Vietnam War veteran and Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation leader Bill Cook to remark, “This is an historic day.”

But Agran is not one to lose a fight without going down in another fight. He and the infernal rag in his back pocket—not us, silly; the Irvine Community News and Views—continued to lobby for “The Great Pork” to host the vet cemetery, and a local “Save the Veterans Cemetery” campaign was soon launched. Backers had until our day of publication (Nov. 9) to submit around 12,000 valid signatures from registered voters in the city to get a referendum on the November 2018 ballot affirming or denying the council’s decision.

And so it was, nine days after we named Fox the best politician in the county, she was at Alton Square shopping center advising constituents against signing the petitions being spread by paid signature gatherers from out-of-town, including—you guessed it—Westminster, Colorado. (Rodriguez-Peltz told police he is a political consultant and paid petitioner.)

Fox says residents complained to her about signature gathers being aggressive, so she snapped photos of them (that you can see on melissafoxblog.com). She told police that led to a confrontation in which Rodriguez-Peltz grabbed a sign she had stating, “Do not sign the misleading veterans cemetery petition. Get the facts”; swung it at her; hit her leg with it; then tore it up and threw it in the trash.

When Fox called the cops, he scrammed but later surrendered. Shaken by the scary encounter, Fox vows to keep warning residents about Save the Veterans Cemetery. We expect no less from OC’s best politician.”

 

 

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Open Letter to Larry Agran: “You are Doing a Disservice to the Nation, the State, and the Community. Stop Your Petition Efforts.”

The following letter was written to Larry Agran and his followers about their petition regarding the veterans cemetery by former Irvine Company Executive Mike Padian. Padian worked for the Irvine Company between 1985 and 1996 and has first-hand knowledge of the politics and personalities involved in the current dispute. 

His views are well worth reading for anyone interested in the facts about the veterans cemetery.

Here is the letter in full:

Harvey, Ed, Frank, Larry,

Oh dear, where to begin.

I have read your numerous diatribes; I hope you will give me some courtesy by reading the below.

I am primarily responding to Harvey’s email of 11-2, and an accompanying ‘fact sheet’.  I will attempt to not repeat myself.

1) Yes, the entire ARDA site would be cleaned up with the land-clearing process. However, the ARDA site is significantly more polluted than the Freeway site, and the use of the ARDA site for commercial/industrial purposes would be less costly to develop and have less impact than a residential or a cemetery use.

To determine the potential risk of exposure from a hazardous site requires an analysis of the location, type, and concentration of the hazardous materials, the potential sensitive receptors (people), and the potential pathways between them. The ARDA site contains a ‘witches’ brew’ of above ground, surface, and below ground known and probably unknown chemicals, in known and probably unknown concentrations, quantities and locations. At the time of the Base’s closure, it was one of the larger federal Superfund sites.  As noted in CalVets June 2016 report, FOST 7,  a source of regional groundwater contamination, is located on the ARDA site.  FOST 8 (IRP 3), a former landfill dump site, is also located on the ARDA property. The June 2016 report also states that many of the 77 buildings on the site contain hazardous material such as asbestos and lead-based paint, numerous documented impacts on the site have been discovered, and very probably other impacts will be discovered during development.  Regardless of the ultimate land use, the buildings will have to be appropriately abated and abolished, but the extent of surface and subsurface mitigation is dependent on the ultimate use.

The 2016 report estimated $3.5 million for hazardous wastes, $2.5 million for the site demolition of the first 12.5 acres ($200,000 per acre), $6.2 million for the remaining 112.5 acres ($55,000 per acre, no reason is given for why the 112.5 acres costs less per acre than the initial 12.5 acres), and $18 million for building demolition, for a total of $30 million.  Note that the 2016 report repeatedly recommends additional soils surveys to identify any impacted soil, and to define its appropriate mitigation.  Also note the 2016 estimates do not include any costs for the remediation of contaminated soils, and assumes the State of California will pay for those costs.

Residents are one of the higher potential risk receptors on the site due to their potential rate of exposure, 14-24 hours every day, with an expectation that they could enjoy their outside yards, patios, and parks; their pathways could be reduced with the removal of substantial amounts of soil, and the capping of large areas with hard surfaces.  Cemetery workers would also be a higher risk group, as they would be directly exposed to the contaminated soils during excavation for interments; thus, the reason for the 2016 report’s recommendation to overex the entire site 8′ to 10′.  Commercial/Industrial development will require the least amount of soil remediation, and their employees and clients are the least potentially impacted receptors, because most will be inside an enclosed building for 8 hours a workday, on a site with significant hardscape and parking.

I am currently paying about $40/cy to export non-hazardous material to a local landfill or another construction site a maximum of 30 miles away utilizing a large 7cy bucket excavator and associated dozers, blades, and water trucks, and I am paying about $20/cy to import clean material, both via 14cy double-belly dumps.  If the materials are heavily contaminated the export rates would be significantly higher because they would have to be taken to a licensed hazardous material landfill in north LA County or Banning, using smaller capacity end-dumps.

Worst case, 10′ over 125 acres equals 2,000,000 cy of material. To accomplish the complete export of all 2,000,000cy  would require 575 one-way truck trips per day for a year (250 work days). Total export truck trips would result in 1,150 truck trips per day.  To match the export rate, the import rate would have to be equal to the 1,150 truck trips per day, for a total of 2,300 truck trips per day, or 280 truck trips per hour, or almost 5 trucks per minute for 250 days. The cost to export and import 2,000,000 cy would cost $120 million, and again definitely higher if it had to be exported to a licensed hi-hazard landfill. This is somewhat of a linear equation, that is, if only 1,000,000 cy of material had to be exported and imported, the total cost and total truck trips would be cut in half.  However, it is not a question of if the ARDA site has soil contamination, it is a question of how much. Regardless, I am sure the existing residents would not be agreeable to any large quantity of hazardous material hauling trucks rumbling along Sand Canyon and Portola.

(As an aside, I worked for The Irvine Company between 1985 and 1996.  One of my primary responsibilities was the development of the Irvine Spectrum.  I was the Company’s representative on the El Toro Base’s Cleanup and Reuse Committees.  I also managed the design and construction of infrastructure improvements, including local and regional flood control facilities, around, upstream, downstream and on the Base while it was still in operation.)

The Freeway site, on the other hand, has no buildings, is not the site of any groundwater or landfill contamination sources, and does not contain the ARDA site’s  ‘witches’ brew’.  Instead, the Freeway site has been exposed to only known, controlled amounts of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, which do not require extensive mitigation.

2) The proposed Freeway site was part of the Federally-owned El Toro Base, as an extension of the approach and take-off runways.  The Base, as you know, was used for training aircraft carrier pilots, among others.  One of their procedures was the Field Mirror Landing Practice, where they performed ‘touch and go’ landing/takeoff maneuvers.  Before the area was developed, the jets flew almost wherever they wanted.  Once the Irvine Company started developing the areas around the Base, the Company and the Marines agreed to land and air restrictions and easements.  The Freeway site was part of the runway extension.  It was not fenced off because it was not considered a security risk.  It was however, considered a ‘crash’ zone.

The reason the tall buildings in Irvine Spectrum, the Irvine Hospital, the low-profile buildings in Irvine Spectrums 3 & 5, and the old diagonal limit to the residential Northwood area to the west of Jeffrey are where they are, are due to these easements.  In essence, the Company agreed to not allow any residential in the FLMP flight path outside of the runway extension ‘crash’ zones owned by the government, and to limit commercial/industrial within the FLMP flight path outside of the ‘crash’ zones, in an effort to limit the Marines potential risk based on an assumption that a fueled aircraft crash would wipe out basically an acre.

3) Many people use the term “Great Park” to refer to the entire Base area, while others use it more restrictively to just the formal public recreational park.  In any event, the Great Park, both as a larger area, and as a public facility, has morphed significantly over the decades.  When it was originally acquired by Lennar, the master-plan included a potential location for a cemetery, but not specifically a Veterans Cemetery, and it was never part of the public recreational “Great Park.”

The ARDA is adjacent to, but was never part of a formal public “Great Park”.  No one has ever claimed that the Freeway site is part of the public recreational “Great Park”. The Freeway site is as much of  the overall Great Park development as the adjoining Broadcom property (which was part of the aforementioned FLMP zone).

4) The $30 million was never officially approved.  It was part of a proposed budget, but was withdrawn once the potential total costs, especially the extra costs for the pollution mitigation, of the ARDA were determined.  In addition, the federal government, in their review of the pre-grant application, would contribute only $10 million out of $30 million requested, leaving a significant funding shortfall.

On the other hand, the State has approved $500,000 for design, and $5 million for construction of the Freeway site.  Five Point has pledged an additional $10 million.  CalVet is proceeding with the Freeway site design, and is currently reviewing the qualifications of three design firms.

5) Admittedly, I do not know the President of the Chinese Cultural Association.  However, I know that he does not represent all of the residents in the City, nor all in the Great Park neighborhoods in particular.  One only has to look at the contentious public hearings (some theoretically only for Asian residents) and the statements of various City Council and Mayoral candidates to ascertain the depth of the residents’ concerns.

6) Yes, the ARDA site will have to be decontaminated.  However, because it is such a polluted site, the impact to the taxpaying public – national, state, and local –  would be significantly less if that substantial cost was incurred by a developer.  The general public will be better served by developing the less-polluted, less costly, Freeway site instead.

7) All of the major veteran cemeteries in Southern California – Los Angeles, Riverside, and Miramar – are adjacent to a freeway.  The Freeway site clearly presents visible exposure to more people than a cemetery hidden in the middle of a residential area.

8) Location, location, location.  Adjacency to a freeway significantly increases the value of a piece of property. as compared to parcels that are remote from a freeway.  Another major developer has purposely retained ownership of large swaths of freeway adjacent property because of its long-term value.

9) The City’s own traffic report, as approved by the Transportation Commission, concluded that the land swap has no impact to the City’s traffic.  I could go into why this is, but will summarize by saying the ‘cat was out of the bag’ decades ago when the entitlement for the entire City was approved.

For instance, the primary reason that the Airport area is seeing such an increase in traffic is due to a previous Mayor’s vision (Larry Agran) of converting the area from industrial to a more urban, high density commercial/residential community.  The buildout of the Airport area is not complete.  Unfortunately his dream of creating places for people to live walkably closer to their work for the most part has not materialized. The area is not highly urbanized like Chicago or New York City, there will not be a mass-transit system that will work for a long time, and the only solution, unfortunately, is wider roads to accommodate the continued demand for personal vehicular transportation, and more congested traffic.

10) Construction of a veterans cemetery has not been delayed.  The previous submittals and approvals are being revised for the Freeway site.  And as noted above, CalVet is proceeding with the design.  The Freeway site can be developed much quicker because it does not have to endure the lengthy hazardous material mitigation period.

11) Admittedly, the Freeway site would be a great commercial/industrial site.  However, after weighing all of the factors, the Freeway site would also be a great location for a Veteran’s Cemetery.

12) 21-gun salutes at the Freeway site may have some impact to the existing wildlife, who are used to living in a deteriorating agricultural ditch surrounded by roads and industrial development, but less than 21-gun salutes in a neighborhood full of residents and schools.  Also, the term ‘wildlife corridor” is not limited to birds and mammals; the intent is to provide habitat and connectivity for all types of living organisms, including plants, insects, amphibians, and reptiles.

In addition to the above, you have never mentioned the following facts.

1) The ARDA site has the support of only two local elected officials.  The Freeway site on the other hand has wide bi-partisan support of elected national, state, county, and local officials, including members of Congress, the Governor, members of the State legislature, County officials, the Mayor, and other Council members.

2) The SOVC [Larry Agran’s phoney “Save the Veterans Cemetery” group] is not a grass-roots organization.  There is no great out-pouring of concern from the residents.  Rather it is a trumped up, blatant attempt to thwart the efforts of the developer, by playing up a minority nimby ‘development is out-of-control’ sentiment. One of the primary SOVC proponents is the Irvine World News and Views, a political mailer, run by an owner who is not local. The issues being raised by the SOVC have nothing to do with a veterans cemetery, and they are using the veterans for political reasons.The primary reason there is substantial public Great Park elements at all – including the soccer stadium, concert venue, and streets – is due in large part to the developer’s funding and construction involvement. The SOVC has resorted to using paid predatory out-of-state non-veterans, who you admit have no stake in or knowledge of the issues, to collect signatures based on misleading and false representations.  Calling your signature gatherers ‘mercenaries’ is at least truthful.

3) The SOVC continues to violate state and federal laws by utilizing the logos of and implying it has the support of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  As far as I know, the SOVC has not responded to the American Legion’s ‘cease and desist’ request.

4) You also insinuate that Council member Fox and veteran Bill Cook will receive some massive return for their participation.  Such an insinuation is shameful and unfounded.

5) Last, labeling the groundbreaking as a sham is also shameful, and disrespectful of the hundreds of veterans, concerned citizens, and elected officials who attended the event.  No one has ever claimed the Freeway site is part of the public recreational Great Park, as opposed to the SOVC who claims the ARDA site is within the recreational public ‘Great Park’.

Bottom line, which is a more fitting site to honor those who sacrificed their time and lives to maintain your privilege to live in a free country – an unfunded, polluted, more expensive, hidden, and unapproved property, or one that is funded, not-polluted, less expensive, visible, and approved.  You are doing such a disservice to the nation, the state, and the local community.  Please stop wasting taxpayer time and money by stopping your petition efforts.

I would be glad to review the real facts, not your alternate ones, at any time.

Respectively,
Mike Padian

 

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Watch My Town Hall Meeting!

I held a public Town Hall Meeting at the Irvine Championship Stadium in the Great Park on Saturday, October 21, where we discussed traffic, childcare, the Southern California Veterans Cemetery, affordable housing, and other issues of interest to Irvine residents.

I was joined by several of my city commissioners, as well as by members of the Irvine Police Department, who were also there to answer questions.

Several dozen Irvine residents spoke and asked questions, and I thank everyone who attended.

Here are some photos from the event:

I really enjoyed the open, public dialogue with Irvine residents, and I intend to make these Town Hall Meetings a regular part of my work as an Irvine City Councilmember.

You can watch the complete October 21 Town Hall Meeting on my YouTube channel (Melissa Fox, Irvine City Council) here:

 

 

 

 

 

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

The Orange County Register published a powerful editorial this week entitled “Stop the Politics and Build the Veterans Cemetery Now.”

It condemns the deceptive “Save the Veterans Cemetery” petition.  It points out that the cemetery does not need saving (since it is already moving forward) and it condemns the aggressive and sometimes violent tactics of its paid out-of-town signature gatherers.

It urges Irvine voters not to be “fooled by the propaganda or petition gathers. They are simply attempting to mislead and deceive the community in an effort undo the approved veterans cemetery and move it.”

Here is the editorial in full:

“Politicians will exploit anything to gain political power. That’s exactly what is happening over the veterans cemetery in Irvine. It’s despicable to use veterans as pawns and our entire community should be outraged and informed.

A misleading petition drive has been launched in the city to “Save the Veterans Cemetery.” But the cemetery doesn’t need saving; it’s just a veiled effort to derail the current cemetery plans. There is already a great space approved, the veteran community supports it and the city had a dedication for the land last Friday.

But this is all about politics and trying to win next year’s city election. Sadly, this is par for the course in Irvine where creating a political wedge issue and riding it to the election seems torn right out of the pages of former Irvine Mayor and Councilman Larry Agran’s playbook. It should come as no surprise that the pro-Agran Irvine Community News and Views publication supports the referendum. Agran even wrote a column in its pages supporting it.

Don’t be fooled by the propaganda or petition gathers. They are simply attempting to mislead and deceive the community in an effort undo the approved veterans cemetery and move it.

To make matters worse, one of the petition gathers seeking to block the approved veterans cemetery allegedly assaulted Councilwoman Melissa Fox over the weekend. Fox has been an incredible advocate for veterans and the cemetery in Irvine. While demonstrating against the misleading signature gathers, one of them, a paid political consultant from Colorado, allegedly took her sign and hit her with it, according to the Register.

It’s disgusting to see how some of the political forces in the community behave. Even more despicable perhaps was the response from Councilman Jeff Lalloway who insinuated that Fox shouldn’t have tried to inform people signing petitions against the cemetery.

Lalloway has been a disappointment on the council, opposing the current plan for the veterans cemetery and bringing utter nastiness to city politics. Don’t be fooled by the bogus antics of some in Irvine trying to undo the veterans cemetery location. The creation of a veterans cemetery shouldn’t be a political football. It should be a proud moment for the city and the county.”

For more information about the Veterans Cemetery, see my blog posts:

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

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

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!

If you signed the petition because you mistakenly believed that it would support the veterans cemetery, please contact me at melissa@melissafoxlaw.com and I will see that you get a form to revoke your signature.

Thanks!

 

 

 

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

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Do not be deceived by a petition that pretends to “Save the Veterans Cemetery.”

The truth is that our veterans cemetery does not need saving — except from these out-of-town mercenaries who want you to sign their fraudulent petition!

They pretend that they support our veterans when the truth is that if their petition succeeds, the veterans cemetery will be (at best) delayed and likely destroyed.

They pretend to have grassroots support, but the truth is that they are paid out-of-town mercenaries, while the current “Strawberry Fields” location of the veterans cemetery is supported by every veterans’ organization and a formidable bipartisan array of local officials from across the political spectrum.

They will lie and tell you that they want the veterans cemetery to be in the Great Park, when the truth is that the original (and highly contaminated) was never in the Great Park.

They will not tell you that the current “Strawberry Fields” location was once part of the former El Toro Marine Base, which was the last American soil that many Marines stood on before they left for World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam, never to return.

They will not tell you that creating the veterans cemetery in their preferred location would cost the taxpayers $80 million in decontamination and demolition before the cemetery could even start to be built.

The truth is that the land exchange that the petition seeks to stop will ensure that the Veterans Cemetery is build faster and with approximately $80 million in savings for state and local taxpayers.

They use stolen valor when they claim to be supported by veterans organizations.  The truth is that the American Legion has ordered them to stop using their organization’s symbol, but they’ve refused:

Now they’ve brought in hundreds of out-of-town paid signature gatherers from Los Angles, San Bernardino and Oakland and put them up in hotels.

And they are violent.

This weekend, other anti-petition volunteers and I were threatened and menaced multiple times by these out-of-town paid signature gatherers.

One of these paid mercenaries threatened me and then grabbed my sign, hit me with it and tore it up.  He ran away when I called the police, but was caught when pointed out by several witnesses.  He later told the police he was a “political consultant” who lived in Colorado.

Another volunteer reports that she was “spat at, called some of most horrible names you could call a woman, physically intimidated and shouted at by paid signature gatherers who came from out-of-town to get $3 per signature to lie about ‘saving the cemetery’. They are angry that we are so effective and let the public know they are lying. Please don’t sign their petitions!”

Here is a rogues gallery of these paid out-of-town signature gatherers:

 

After I was assaulted, I went back home, shaken.   A Vietnam War Marine veteran who was also volunteering said to me “at least they were not shooting at you.”

I got a cup of coffee, took a shower, and went back out.

I will not be silenced.  I will continue to fight for those who fight and have fought for America.

It is an honor to do so.

I hope you will join me.

If you can help us defeat these mercenaries who have invaded Irvine and their malicious petition, please contact me at melissa@melissafoxlaw.com.

If you’ve signed one of these petitions because you mistakenly believed it would “save the veterans cemetery,” you can easily revoke your signature by filling out a simple form.  Please contact me at melissa@melissafoxlaw.com and I will get this form to you.

As the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, and the cousin of a Marine who was killed in action, I strongly support this land exchange that will greatly facilitate making an Orange County veterans cemetery a reality. I am tremendously 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 contact me to help.

Let’s do this together.

Melissa

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Melissa Fox Named “Best Politician” by OC Weekly!

I am happy to report that I have been named “Best Politician” by the OC Weekly.

The announcement was made in the OC Weekly’s “Best of 2017” issue.

Here is a link to the OC Weekly “Best of 2017” issue.

You can read the article below:

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Don’t Be Deceived by the Fraudulent “Save the Veterans Cemetery” Petition!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Do not be deceived by a petition that pretends to “Save the Veterans Cemetery.”

The truth is that the Veterans Cemetery in Irvine is now moving forward at full steam and we will soon have a groundbreaking ceremony.

For me, coming to support the land exchange was a process that involved carefully studying all the facts. I needed to be convinced that it would be the quickest way to create the veterans cemetery.

As I investigated the land exchange proposal, I came to see that it was not only the quickest and least expensive path to a veterans cemetery, it was really the only path because of the great cost of decontamination and demolition that would be required on the original site.

The new site is also located on land that was part of the former Marine Base.

The land exchange facilitating the creation of the veterans cemetery is supported by every local veterans’ organization, as well as a formidable and bipartisan array of Orange County elected officials, including Congressman Lou Correa (Democrat), State Senator Josh Newman (Democrat), Assemblymember Steven Choi (Republican), and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silver (Democrat) – the author of the original Southern California Veterans Cemetery legislation, who attended the City Council meeting and urged the Council to approve the land exchange as the best way to establish a veterans cemetery in Orange County.

In sharp contrast, opposition to the land exchange is based entirely on hostility to the developer and not at all on what is best for veterans or the residents of Irvine. Their petition intentionally misstates the facts and would prevent the veterans cemetery from being built.

My blog posts – linked below – reflect my careful study of the issues and are supported by links to underlying facts and documents.

Please read and share them so that others won’t be deceived:

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!

If you have already signed the petition based on its false claims of saving the veterans cemetery, you can revoke your signature.  Contact me and I will help you.

As the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, and the cousin of a Marine who was killed in action, I strongly support this land exchange that will greatly facilitate making an Orange County veterans cemetery a reality. I am tremendously 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.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Melissa

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Join Me at a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, October 21!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I will be having a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, October 21 at 11:00 am – 12:00 pm to discuss and answer questions about issues and events in Irvine.

Among the topics will be transportation and traffic, child care, the Southern California Veterans Cemetery, and affordable housing.

The location is the VIP Room of the Orange County Great Park Championship Stadium, 6950 Marine Way,  Irvine,  CA  92618.

To see our Facebook event page, click here.

Everyone is welcome!

For more information and to rsvp, contact Allison Binder at 949-724-6226 or abinder@ci.irvine.ca.us.

I hope to see you there!

Melissa

UPDATE:  Watch the Town Hall Meeting here.

 

 

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Thank Your Firefighters! Join Me at OCFA’s Fire Station Open House in Irvine on Sat., Oct. 14!

Come meet your local firefighters!

Designated Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Fire Stations will be hosting Open Houses for the public from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

OCFA’s station Open Houses will give visitors an opportunity to meet and greet their neighborhood firefighters, tour their local fire stations, and hear about ways they can stay fire safe.

It will also be a great opportunity to thank your firefighters for their everyday heroism and tell them that you appreciate their bravery and professionalism in containing the recent Canyon Fires!

In Irvine, the fire stations that will be open to the public are:

Station 4

2 California Avenue, Irvine CA 92612

Station 26

4691 Walnut Avenue, Irvine CA 92604

Station 27

12400 Portola Springs Road, Irvine CA 92618

Station 36

301 E. Yale Loop, Irvine CA 92604

As Irvine’s representative on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Fire Authority, my goal is to visit each of the Irvine fire stations on Saturday and thank each of the firefighters!

I hope to see you there!

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Take a Sneak Peek at Irvine’s New Amphitheatre!

I had the opportunity to visit the nearly completed FivePoint Amphitheatre about a week before its Grand Opening on Thursday, October 5.

Wow!

When I visited, dozens of workers were still putting finishing touches on the stage and the berm that will serve as a barrier protecting the homes near the Great Park from the sounds coming from the amphitheatre.

It was already clear that the new FivePoint Amphitheatre will be a magnificent addition to our city.

The new live music venue will contain 12,000 seats (6,500 fold-down seats including the 280 seats within VIP boxes; 5,500 people can comfortably fit in the grassy front-of-stage area.

The amphitheater will include both standing and seating areas, including features such as: 116,000 square feet of festival grounds, 38,000 square feet of bleacher seating, 29,000 square feet of turf seating, 3,000 square feet of box seating, and 23,500 square feet for a VIP area and hospitality zone.

The venue is also beautiful. Comfortable red seats face the stage. Between the stage and the seats is an expanse of grass-covered open space.

In March, I was delighted to vote with my colleagues on the Irvine City Council to approve the construction of the new temporary amphitheatre located on FivePoint’s property adjacent to the Orange County Great Park.

The annual revenue generated to the city is estimated to be at least $20,000 to $30,000, from onsite sales tax. Costs of service for Irvine Police Department personnel, both onsite and offsite, are covered by the operators of the amphitheater.

Now I am excited to see – and hear – the great performances that will take place in Irvine!

The FivePoint Amphitheatre opens on October 5, 2017, with performances by Young the Giant, Cold War Kids, and Sir Sly.

For more information about the Young the Giant concert and upcoming shows, call 800-745-3000 or go to Livenation.com or FivePointAmphitheatre.com.

I’m also looking forward to building a new and permanent amphitheater at the Great Park!

Can’t wait for live music to return to Irvine!

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Irvine Should Provide Storage for the Irreplaceable Collection of the California Fire Museum 

I was recently unable to convince a majority of my colleagues on the Great Park Board of Directors (i.e., the Irvine City Council) to provide a safe and secure place for the temporary storage of the irreplaceable collection of fire engines, trucks, and other priceless artifacts of the non-profit California Fire Museum.

I had proposed that an unoccupied and uninhabitable hanger be leased to the California Fire Museum for $1.00 a year.

Only Boardmember/Councilmember Christina Shea joined me in approving the Fire Museum’s request for help in preserving their collection from damage from vandalism and the elements, instead deciding that a potential income of $16,000 from the rental of an unoccupied hangar at the Great Park by a for-profit car company was more important than preserving the heritage of our California firefighters.

Here is the comment posted on Facebook by Don Forsyth, President of the California Fire Museum and former Battalion Chief at the Orange County Fire Authority (and one of the heroes of the recent shootings in Las Vegas):

“Another disappointing day at the Orange County Great Park Board Meeting! We had our hopes dashed once again!

After attendance and speaking at almost every single Board Meeting for the last 13 years, and after voicing at these meeting at least 10+ times over the last 5 years, our request to be able to use a building that has sat vacant for over 10+ years for temporary storage, we finally had this request placed on the agenda for today’s Board Meeting, by one of the Directors, Melissa Fox! Everyone was excited as this is the very first step in the last 13 years showing us via action, that the OC Great Park Board really wishes to help us build our California Fire Museum and Safety Learning Center (CFM-SLC) within their Great Park.

However, after further discussion, again, the OC Great Park Board voted 3-2 against directing City Staff to negotiate a lease with CFM-SLC for use of Hangar 295 to be able to finally get a location where we can store our 40+ vintage fire apparatus indoors, instead of where they are now stored, outdoors, and constantly being vandalized and deteriorating in the outdoor harsh weather!

We are at a loss for words, and wonder if these are any indications that we should move on, and begin looking elsewhere to build our world-class Public Safety Learning Center and Fire Museum where all of our hard work will be appreciated.”

I, too, am greatly disappointed by the Great Park Board’s decision.

I urge everyone interested in preserving our California firefighter heritage to contact Irvine’s Mayor and the members of the City Council to tell them to provide the California Fire Museum with use of the hangar for storage of their irreplaceable collection.

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Irvine Takes Historic Step Forward for Southern California Veterans Cemetery at Former El Toro Marine Base

Wearing yellow Veterans Cemetery groundbreaking caps, dozens of veterans and supporters of the land exchange with FivePoint Communities — in which the City of Irvine will exchange 125 acres north of the Great Park, currently occupied by more than 70 contaminated buildings remaining from the Marine base, with FivePoint’s property just north of the Bake Parkway interchange, currently used as strawberry fields — attended the Irvine City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 26.

For me, coming to support the land exchange was a process that involved carefully studying all the facts.  I needed to be convinced that it would be the quickest way to create the veterans cemetery.  As I investigated the land exchange proposal, I came to see that it was not only the quickest and least expensive path to a veterans cemetery, it was really the only path because of the great cost of decontamination and demolition that would be required on the original ARDA site. I also came to see that opposition to the land exchange was based entirely on hostility to the developer FivePoint, and not at all on what would be best for veterans.

The need for an Orange County Veterans Cemetery is great. Orange County has a long and proud military tradition. Currently, more than two million veterans live in California — more than in any other state. This military tradition continues into the present, as nearly 7,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars live in Orange County.  Yet there is no Orange County military cemetery for the estimated 133,000 Orange County veterans and their families. Those in Orange County who want to visit a veteran’s grave in a cemetery must travel to Riverside, San Diego or Los Angeles counties. The national cemetery in Los Angeles is at capacity and the one in Riverside requires a lengthy wait.

The land exchange came about as a means to overcome the enormous cost of building the cemetery at the originally designed site north of the Great Park.

Although the City of Irvine had offered land, no money was provided to demolish and decontaminate the existing buildings and built the cemetery.

This problem became more acute when the City learned that the Federal Veterans Administration had ranked the Southern California Veterans Cemetery at a mere 74 out of 101 proposed state veteran cemetery projects; that the project was eligible for only $10 million from the federal government; and that the projected the cost of building phase 1 of veterans cemetery was a startling $77,372,000.

Most of this enormous cost involved the decontamination and demolition of 77 buildings remaining on the site, since many of these remaining buildings and facilities “contain hazardous building materials such as asbestos-containing building materials (ACM) and lead-based paint (LBP).”

It appeared that the Southern California Veterans Cemetery that so many of us had fought for so long was not going to get built.

FivePoint Communities,  the developer of the Great Park and the Great Park Neighborhoods, then made the City an offer to exchange 125 acres of land that it owns just south of the Great Park, which it was now using as a field to grow strawberries, for the originally designated cemetery land.  No costly decontamination or demolition would be necessary to begin construction.

In addition, FivePoint offered to pay for the cost of building phase 1 of the veterans cemetery, thus saving the public nearly $80 million as compared to attempting to build the cemetery on the original site.

Like the original site, the strawberry fields site once formed part of the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.

A recent impartial outside appraisal of the two properties valued the strawberry fields site at $68,000,000, while valuing the original site at only $4,000,000.

The land exchange proposed by FivePoint was supported in letters to the City Council by a formidable and bipartisan array of Orange County elected officials, including Congresswoman Mimi Walters (Republican), Congressman Lou Correa (Democrat), State Senator Josh Newman (Democrat), Assemblymember Steven Choi (Republican), and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silver (Democrat) — the author of the original Southern California Veterans Cemetery legislation, who also attended the City Council meeting and urged the Council to approve the land exchange as the best way to establish a Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Orange County.

After several hours of public comments, followed by debate by the Irvine City Council, the vote was 3-2 in favor of the land exchange.  Mayor Donald Wagner, Councilmember Christina Shea, and I voted in favor. Councilmembers Jeffrey Lalloway and Lynn Schott voted against.

The vote was met with cheers from most of the crowd, and especially from members of the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, which has been advocating for a veterans cemetery in Orange County for many years.

“This is an historic day,” said Bill Cook, a Vietnam War veteran and a leader of the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation. ” We see now that we are going to move forward. It is going to be a very monumental site.”

Irvine will immediately donate the land to California so the state can start building the cemetery, which will be the only permitted use. Groundbreaking for the veterans cemetery is expected soon.

As the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, and the cousin of a Marine who was killed in action, I strongly support this land exchange that will greatly facilitate making an Orange County veterans cemetery a reality.

I am tremendously 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.

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Tell the Irvine City Council No Back Room Deals! Keep Your Promises to Our Veterans!

Once again, we must fight to ensure that a Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Irvine becomes a reality.

All of us must tell the Irvine City Council, “No back room deals! Keep your promises to our veterans!”

Here are the facts:

Ever since the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro (MCAS El Toro) in Irvine was decommissioned in 1999, a growing number of veterans dreamed of locating a veteran’s cemetery and memorial on a portion of the closed base, where an estimated 2 million men and women served this nation in peace and war, and from which too many of them departed to foreign lands never to return.

These veterans formed the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation to advocate for an Orange County veterans cemetery.

Proud to stand with my dad, Korean War combat veteran Stan Kay, and Vietnam veteran and Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation leader Bill Cook.

The need is great. Orange County has a long and proud military tradition. Currently, more than two million veterans live in California – more than in any other state.  This military tradition continues into the present, as nearly 7,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars live in Orange County.

Yet there is no Orange County military cemetery for the estimated 133,000 Orange County veterans and their families.  Those in Orange County who want to visit a veteran’s grave in a cemetery must travel to Riverside, San Diego or Los Angeles counties.  The national cemetery in Los Angeles is at capacity and the one in Riverside requires a lengthy wait.

In 2014, Assembly Bill 1453 (AB 1453) was introduced by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva in the California legislature to establish a Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Orange County.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Assemblymember Donald Wagner representing the City of Irvine, was approved by the state legislature as of August 25, and signed by Governor Brown on September 27, 2014.

On July 22, 2014, after several months of debate and hearings, and appeals from numerous veterans and veterans’ organizations, the Irvine City Council adopted a resolution expressing its intent to convey the Amended and Restated Development Agreement (ARDA) site, just north of the Great Park and on land that was formally part of former MCAS El Toro, consisting of 125 acres, to the state for the purposes of creating the Southern California Veterans Memorial Park and Cemetery.

Speaking to the Irvine City Council in 2014 in support of an Orange County Veterans Cemetery located on the grounds of the old Marine base in Irvine.

I had spoken at City Council meetings numerous times in favor of this resolution, as had my father, a Korean War combat veteran.

We were thrilled that the City Council had approved providing 125 acres of City-owned land for the veterans cemetery.  While we knew that the City Council had not approved spending any money for the cemetery, our expectation, as well as that of the Irvine City Council, was that once the land was provided, sufficient funds to build and maintain the cemetery would come from the federal government and the State of California.

Over the next year and a half or so, very little was done to move the project forward, as both the state and federal government considered the matter.

Then in June 2016, the City received a disheartening report from California Department of General Services that projected the cost of Phase 1 of building the veterans cemetery at the ARDA site to be a startling $77,372,000.

Most of this enormous cost involved the decontamination and demolition of 77 buildings remaining on the site.  The report noted that many of these remaining buildings and facilities “contain hazardous building materials such as asbestos-containing building materials (ACM) and lead-based paint (LBP).”

More bad news followed.

On July 25, 2016, the City learned that the Federal Veterans Administration had ranked the Southern California Veterans Cemetery at a mere 74 out of 101 proposed state veteran cemetery projects, and that the project was eligible for only $10 million from the federal government.

In other words, we learned that there was a $67,372,000 shortfall between what the cemetery would cost and what the federal government was willing to contribute. Moreover, no state funding was promised.

It appeared that the Southern California Veterans Cemetery that so many of us had long fought for was not going to get built.

During this time, FivePoint, the developer of the Great Park and the Great Park Neighborhoods, made the City an offer to exchange 125 acres of land that it owns just south of the Great Park, which it was now using as a field to grow strawberries, for the ARDA land.

The City could then provide this Strawberry Fields land to the State of California for a veterans cemetery, rather than the ARDA site.

No costly decontamination or demolition would be necessary to begin construction.

Speaking with California Governor Jerry Brown after his tour of the two proposed sites for an Orange County veterans cemetery in Irvine.

Like the ARDA site, the Strawberry Fields site had once been part of the El Toro Marine base.

In addition, FivePoint offered to pay for the cost of building Phase 1 of the veterans cemetery, thus saving the public nearly $80 million as compared to attempting to build the cemetery on the original ARDA site.

Still, there remained some uncertainty about the details of FivePoint’s offer.

Based on these financial facts and FivePoint’s offer, the City Council voted on April 4, 2017, to adopt my motion to pursue a dual track option of telling the Governor’s office, CalVet, and the State Legislature, that the City would guarantee local funding of up to $40 million, and, simultaneously, to direct staff to clarify and nail down the details of FivePoint’s land exchange, which could expedite the creation of the cemetery and save the City millions of taxpayer dollars that could then be used for other purposes, including construction of the Cultural Terrace and other amenities at the Great Park.

On May 12, 2017, Governor Brown toured both of the sites proposed for a veterans cemetery on the former El Toro Marine base. After his tour, Brown said either site was acceptable to the state. He also indicated that he preferred the Strawberry Fields site offered by FivePoint:  “It’s absolutely certain that Orange County will get the veterans cemetery that it deserves and the veterans deserve,” Brown said.  He later added, “Obviously, I like [the] strawberry patch — ‘Strawberry Fields Forever.’ Remember that song?”

Following the Governor’s visit, the land exchange proposed by FivePoint was supported in letters to the City Council by a formidable and bipartisan array of Orange County elected officials, including Congresswoman Mimi Walters (Republican), Congressman Lou Correa (Democrat), State Senator Josh Newman (Democrat), Assemblymember Steven Choi (Republican), and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silver (Democrat) — the author of the original Southern California Veterans Cemetery legislation.

In addition, the land exchange was strongly supported by the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, the non-partisan veterans’ group that had tirelessly and heroically pressed for an Orange County veterans cemetery for many years.

On June 6, 2017, the Irvine City Council voted 3-2 to change the site originally designated for a veterans’ cemetery and to proceed with the land exchange (125 acres of the ARDA for 125 acres of the Strawberry Fields) with FivePoint.

Mayor Don Wagner, Councilmember Christina Shea, and I voted in favor of this land exchange.  Councilmembers Jeff Lalloway and Lynn Schott voted against.

The State legislature then adopted two budget trailer bills related to the Southern California Veterans Cemetery. These bills authorized CalVet to acquire, study, design, develop, construct, and equip a state-owned and state-operated Southern California Veterans Cemetery at the new Strawberry Fields sites; provided $500,000 for a new CalVet study; authorized CalVet to submit a request for Federal Cemetery Grant funds; and provided $5 million to the Southern California Veterans Cemetery Master Development Fund.

Over the next few months, further approvals of the land exchange were then made by the Irvine Transportation Commission, which found that the land exchange would not have any significant impact on Irvine’s traffic, and by the Irvine Planning Commission, which urged approval necessary zoning changes.

Proud to wear a Southern California Veterans Cemetery cap with Vietnam War veteran Bill Sandlin, after receiving a commemorative cup on the 241st anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps.

It now seemed that the Southern California Veterans Cemetery was finally on track and was smoothly moving forward at last.  All that remained was final approval of the land exchange agreement by the City Council at the City Council meeting on September 26, 2017.

But just when it seemed that the veterans cemetery was soon to be launched with a jubilant official groundbreaking ceremony, suddenly everything was thrown up in the air once again.

I heard from Bill Cook, a leader of the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation and a Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran, that the City Manager was now insisting on providing only 25 acres for a veterans cemetery.  According to the scheme concocted by the City Manager, the remaining 100 acres would then be available for more houses, apartments, and hotels.

Next, I read in Voice of OC that the Irvine City Council is rumored to have “scheduled a closed session discussion of the veterans cemetery during its Sept. 26 meeting. The discussion reportedly will include using 100 acres of the veterans cemetery land for hotels, homes or other commercial purposes until the land is needed to bury veterans.”

Apparently, the City Manager had taken it upon himself to push this new 25 acre scheme for several weeks in staff negotiations with FivePoint, without direction from — or even informing — the City Council.

This action by the City Manager is outrageous.

Let me be clear:

Failing to provide the full 125 acres as promised will kill the veterans cemetery.  CalVet has made it clear to the City that “The USDVA requires that the entire 125 acres be transferred to the state in whole in order for the state to receive a grant to begin Phase I construction. Additionally, the CA Public Works Board requires the same. Anything short of a 125 acre transfer to the state puts the entire project in jeopardy. Once the state takes possession of the land and construction begins, the land can only be used according to the SCVC Master Plan. No additional use leases, etc. will be authorized.”

The City Council never authorized or even discussed this outrageous betrayal of our commitment to provide 125 acres for a veterans cemetery. This was undertaken by the City Manager without my knowledge or, as far as I know, the knowledge of any other member of the City Council.

I will not participate in any secret session or back room deals. There are no terms in the land exchange agreement that cannot be shared with the public in open session. 

I will fight to ensure that Irvine provides the full 125 acres as approved and committed by the City Council.  Anything less would be a betrayal of our promise to our veterans, and I will vehemently fight against it.

What you can do:

Send emails to the Mayor and City Council. Tell them to stick to their promise to provide the full 125 acres.  Tell your friends and neighbors, especially veterans, to do so as well.

Attend the City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 26, 2017.  Publicly tell the Council to keep its promise to our veterans.  The meeting will start at 4:00 pm and be held at the Irvine City Hall City Council Chamber, One Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606.

We’ve fought long and hard so that Orange County veterans have a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.

The fight isn’t over yet.

Let’s make sure Irvine keeps its promise to our veterans.

See you there!

Update:

I have seen the official appraisal of the two properties (the ARDA site and the Strawberry Fields site). The Strawberry Fields site, being given up by FivePoint, is by far the more valuable of the two properties.  It is the City of Irvine (not Fivepoint) that is getting the best of the land exchange for pennies on the dollar. ARDA Appraisal Report (1)

 

 

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Irvine’s Kids Need You! City of Irvine Seeks Applicants for Four Positions on Child Care Committee!

The Irvine Community Services Commission is accepting applications to fill two government, civic, or community agencies vacancies, and two child care provider vacancies on the Irvine Child Care Committee.

There is a serious child care crisis in Irvine.  At present, nearly 2,500 Irvine families do not have adequate child care. Irvine will need an additional 4,551 child care spaces by 2035, due to the increase in housing development and the concomitant increase in the number of families with young children moving to Irvine.

As a member of the Irvine City Council, I have made it a priority to increase childcare and early childhood education opportunities in Irvine. By volunteering to serve on the Irvine Child Care Committee, you can serve our community and help me and others work to alleviate our childcare crisis.

The Irvine Child Care Committee is a 15-member advisory body to the Irvine Community Services Commission, and works cooperatively with the Irvine Children, Youth, and Families Advisory Committee, Child Care Coordination staff, and Community Development to enhance the quality of childcare and school readiness in the City of Irvine.

Committee meetings  are held on the second Tuesday of January, March, May, September, October and November, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at Heritage Park Community Center, or other designated Irvine location.

Staff and committee members will interview candidates in October 2017.  Following interviews, recommendations will be presented to the Community Services Commission for appointment effective January 2018.

Applications are available here, or at the Irvine Civic Center (on the 2nd floor in the Community Services Department), and at the Irvine Child Resource Center.

If you would like more information, please contact my Lead Council Executive Assistant, Allison Binder, at abinder@ci.irvine.ca.us.

Thanks!

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Stay Cool!

Temperatures will reach triple digits this week in some parts of Orange County, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke for those who are sensitive to heat.

Stay hydrated, limit outdoor activities, and NEVER leave kids or pets in a parked car!

ALL City of Irvine facilities are designated cooling centers.  Click here for a list of facilities and open hours!

Here are some recommended precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses:

  • Drink plenty of water; don’t wait until you are thirsty.
  • Wear light, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Stay out of the sun if possible, and when in the sun wear a hat, preferably with a wide brim. Use sunscreen.
  • Avoid strenuous activities if you are outside or in buildings that aren’t air-conditioned. If you are working outdoors, take frequent rest and refreshment breaks in a shaded area.
  • Never leave children, older people or pets unattended in closed vehicles.
  • Ensure outdoor pets have access to shade and water.
  • Check on those who are at high risk to make sure they are staying cool – including seniors who live alone, people with heart or lung disease, and young children.
  • Stay cool indoors – if your home is not air-conditioned, visit public facilities such as shopping malls and libraries to stay cool.

Prolonged exposure to excessive temperatures may cause serious medical conditions and can even be fatal. Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache, nausea or vomiting, and dizziness. Warning signs of heat stroke may include an extremely high body temperature; unconsciousness; confusion; hot and dry skin (no sweating); a rapid, strong pulse; and a throbbing headache. If symptoms of heat stroke occur, immediately call for medical assistance. Assist those with signs of heat stroke to a shady area and begin cooling their body with water.

Let’s be cool — and make sure we all survive the heat!

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Irvine Should Move Forward with a Memorandum of Understanding for Pretend City Children’s Museum at the Great Park

Irvine Should Move Forward with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Pretend City Children’s Museum at the Cultural Terrace of the Great Park.

I am disappointed that at last Tuesday’s City Council meeting, only Councilmember Christina Shea joined with me in agreeing to an MOU with our great Irvine-based Pretend City Children’s Museum regarding a lease of property at the Cultural Terrace of the Great Park.  Mayor Don Wagner and Councilmember Lynn Schott voted against.  Councilmember Jeff Lalloway was absent.

Because of the City Council’s decision, Pretend City Children’s Museum is in danger of losing a seed money grant from the County for $5 million that depends on the MOU.

Pretend City Children’s Museum, which opened in Irvine in 2009, is an interactive children’s museum that builds better brains through whole body learning experiences, educational programs, and creative exhibits.  Designed as a small city, with a grocery store, construction site, art studio, house, café, bank, emergency services, health center and farm, Pretend City will be a familiar environment in which children infant through eight-years-old will have joyful opportunities to build problem solving and critical thinking skills, develop creativity and begin a life-long love of learning. It is dedicated to ensuring that each child is ready for school success by providing the ideal real-world learning experiences needed by children to develop their essential foundational learning skills.  This month, the Institute of Museum and Library Services announced that Pretend City is a finalist for the 2017 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Susan Bolton, the Executive Director of the Pretend Museum, has explained that the museum “seeks to move to the Great Park to expand its mission in serving the county’s children in providing early childhood education, developmental screenings, hands on play environment for children of ALL abilities and school readiness.”

The arguments against the MOU were that it would give Pretend City Children’s Museum an advantage over other possible occupants of the Cultural Terrace, and that the Cultural Terrace project should not be approved piecemeal. However, we already know the value and quality of Pretend City, which has operated in the city for many years, and the MOU would not commit the city to any final decision regarding the Cultural Terrace.

Moreover, we should be not be pitting the fine organizations that are seeking space in the Cultural Terrace against each other.  As Don Croucher – the leading advocate for a California Fire Museum at the Great Park – has pointed out, he and other supporters of the Fire Museum “are very much in favor of Pretend City getting their MOU so they do not lose the grant that is offered to them. We understand the need for them to move forward. It is NOT putting them ahead of any others at the Cultural Terrace, but rather a hand up to get the $5 million grant. We, in no way, want to hinder this important step for Pretend City.  We will support them in every step of the way to make sure they get this MOU ASAP.”

Irvine is a great city for families with young children, but we can and should make it even better.  We need more childcare and more pre-school programs for children under six-years-old, and I and my Commissioners are working to make this happen. We should also do everything we can to support the terrific work being done by the Pretend Museum for young children right here in Irvine.

As Councilmember Christina Shea has said, “If Pretend City loses their grant and we in turn lose a fantastic partner that supports our children and families, the community will lose and this isn’t what Irvine is about.”

I hope that we can move forward with the MOU soon and that the grant is not lost.

I recommend that those who are interested in this issue contact other members of the Irvine City Council.

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Join Me Saturday at the Grand Opening of the Orange County Great Park Sports Park!

Join me for a free Grand Opening and fun-filled day from 2-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, as the first phase of the Orange County Great Park’s Sports Park is unveiled.
No RSVP is needed. Click  here for the map for directions into the Great Park.
All fields will be activated at 2 p.m., then join the Mayor and City Council for an official ribbon-cutting at 3:30 p.m. inside the Soccer Stadium at the Great Park, followed by the first soccer match in the new stadium.
There will be exhibitions, and opportunities, on the six soccer fields, 25 tennis courts, and five sand volleyball courts that will be open on that day.
Bring the family to enjoy the new Children’s Play Area. Food trucks will available for guests to purchase food from 2-8 p.m.
A  special free family concert featuring The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi will begin inside the Soccer Stadium at 7:15 p.m.
Wear comfortable shoes to experience the first 53 acres of what will become the 194-acre Sports Park!
Here’s the schedule of events for the Sports Park Grand Opening on Aug. 5:

2:00-5:30 pm: Exhibitions, clinics, competition at tennis courts, soccer fields, & volleyball courts.

2:00-8:00 pm: Food/dessert trucks available on-site.

3:30 pm: Opening ceremonies – FivePoint/City of Irvine – at the Soccer Stadium.

4:00-5:30 pm: O.C. all-star soccer shoot out at the Soccer Stadium.

7:00-9:00 pm: Free community concert featuring The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd & Jim Belushi at the Soccer Stadium.

See you there!

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Irvine City Council Approves Agreement with Wild Rivers for New 30-Acre Water Park at Great Park!

Irvine, CA — In April, the Irvine City Council, acting as the Great Park Board of Directors, adopted the motion of Great Park Vice Chair and Irvine Councilmember Melissa Fox to approve construction of a new Wild Rivers Water Park on 30 acres at the Great Park in Irvine.
The old Wild Rivers Water Park closed in 2011 after 25 years in Irvine.

“I’m delighted to have made the motion on the City Council to bring Wild Rivers back to Irvine,” Councilmember Fox said.

“We have missed having a water park in Irvine,” Fox added.

Now the Great Park Board and the Irvine City Council have approved an agreement with the owners of Wild Rivers to to begin site planning and drafting the lease for the new 30-acre water park at the Orange County Great Park.

Wild Rivers CEO Mike Riedel first approached city officials about moving to the Great Park the year Wild Rivers closed. Last year, rather than granting Wild Rivers a no-bid contract, the council first decided to seek more proposals.  In April, the City Council approved a motion by Councilmember Melissa Fox to go forward with the Wild Rivers proposal.

“Wild Rivers has been an icon in the city of Irvine,” Councilmember Melissa Fox explained. “I was a kid sliding down the water slides at the old Wild Rivers, and I was a young mom taking my son there on hot summer days. We know that Wild Rivers provides fun and safe water parks, and they’ve always had a great relationship with the residents and the City of Irvine. We look forward to having them back in Irvine very soon.”

Wild Rivers will build a new water park with waterslides, an uphill water coaster, water play structures for children, a wave pool, a lazy river and Wild Rivers’ popular Congo River Rapids.

Councilmember Fox has also been working with Wild Rivers management to create an “all access” area, so that children and adults with disabilities can also enjoy a day at the water park.

Here is great video report from ABC News: Beloved SoCal Water Park Set to Make a Splash with its Reopening in 2019.

Here is a preliminary rendering of what the new Wild Rivers water park will look like:

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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 truly an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Irvine as one of their representatives 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 were 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 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 Tues, July 4th!

It’s our 33rd year for the 2017 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: 33rd Annual Irvine Police Association July 4th Fireworks and Concert

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

Date: Tues., July 4, 2017

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 and seniors. Advanced purchase of family passes (good for two adults and up to four children) is $50.  You may purchase tickets from May 1st, 2017 until July 3rd, 2017 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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Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson Asks Irvine Parents about Their Childcare Needs

Guest article by Lauren Johnson, Irvine Community Services Commissioner

Hello Irvine Moms and Dads!

What kind of waiting periods are you facing right now for childcare and preschool in Irvine?

What kinds of improvements do you want to see in the availability of childcare and preschool in Irvine?

As a Community Services Commissioner and Co-Chair of the Irvine Children, Youth and Families Committee, Lauren Johnson Norris has spoken with numerous parents who are experiencing significant waiting lists to access childcare.

Parents are being advised to apply for childcare and get on waiting lists while they are expecting a child and still report waiting several months to a year to secure a spot for their child. Infant care has been identified as the most challenging childcare to secure, especially considering the important low provider-to-child ratio mandated by state law. Some Irvine parents report putting their families on lists and simply never hearing of an opening.

The consequence of the Irvine childcare gap is that families are forced to make unanticipated career and financial decisions. Parents report having to make the sometimes difficult decision to have one parent stay home, even where the families was previously a dual-income family.

Statistically, it is increasingly difficult to return to the workforce the longer a worker is away.

In addition, the result is not only lost income while the child is infancy, but potentially for years to come. For a single parent, the situation is even worse — and may be untenable if family care or care outside the city is unavailable.

A critical part of any thriving community is safe, professional, reliable, and affordable preschool and child care. Preschool has been shown to positively affect children’s social skills and prepare them for the rigors of K-12. Children who miss the opportunity for preschool because of inadequate childcare in a community start kindergarten at a disadvantage. Ultimately, the negative effects unavailable or inadequate preschool or childcare extend beyond individual children and families to the community as a whole.

It is time to address the shortage of childcare for families in Irvine. Increased childcare through designated private sites as part of an overall city development plan, access to childcare in houses of worship, and the option of city early childhood education must be part of this plan. Too many families are waiting for these solutions.

What kind of waiting periods are you facing right now for childcare and preschool in Irvine?

What kinds of improvements do you want to see in the availability of childcare and preschool in Irvine?

Send your information to me at laurenjohnson78@gmail.com.

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Irvine Councilmember Melissa Fox Receives OC Taxpayer Watchdog Award for Fiscal Responsibility!

Irvine, CA – On June 8, 2017, Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox received the Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award from Orange County Auditor-Controller Eric H. Wollwery.

The Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award was for “demonstrating dedication to the protection of taxpayer funds and for the advocacy of government transparency and fiscal responsibility.”

Irvine City Councilmember Fox received the Award, along with Irvine Mayor Donald P, Wagner and Councilmember Christina Shea, for her successful efforts to designate agricultural land near the 5 and 405 freeways that was once part of the former Marine Air Station El Toro as a new Orange County Veterans Cemetery and Memorial in a land exchange with FivePoint Communities.

The land exchange with FivePoint Communities will ensure that the Veterans Cemetery is build faster and with approximately $80 million in savings for state and local taxpayers.

“I am honored to receive this award,” Councilmember Fox said.  “I ran on a platform of using my skills as a business attorney to safeguard every public dollar.  I also ran on the promise to build the Veterans Cemetery in Irvine at the old El Toro Marine base, and to build it as quickly as possible. I’m extremely happy that this land exchange has allowed me to fulfill both of these campaign promises.”