No Board Meeting Held This Week

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, there was no regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week.

Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, September 9. For Agenda & Meeting Information, please click here.

Live Internet broadcasts of Board of Supervisors meetings are available and archived as video-on-demand. To view live and/or past Board meetings, please click here.

Public Hearing on 241 Toll Road Set for September 22

As a reminder, Federal officials will hold a public hearing Sept. 22 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds regarding the proposed completion of the 241 Toll Road. People wishing to speak must submit a written request by September 12 to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The public hearing will be held in O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, September 22 from 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM. Requests to speak should be sent to Thomas Street, Attorney Advisor, NOAA Office of General Counsel for Ocean Services, 1305 East-West Highway, Room 6111, Silver Spring, MD 20910. For more information regarding the speaker process for the public hearing, please click here.

Dana Point Harbor Public Information Meeting

As reported in my newsletter last week, OC Dana Point Harbor will hold a public information meeting to familiarize the harbor community with the upcoming routine maintenance dredging and beach nourishment project. The meeting will be held September 10 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM in the OC Sailing and Events Center, Dana Cove Room. For more information, please click here.

Health Industry Showcase

The Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce, Mission Hospital and the City of Mission Viejo have teamed up to bring a Health Industry Showcase to Mission Viejo on September 17 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center.

The event includes a wide variety of medical/dental/health related exhibitors, free workshops with guest speakers, free total cholesterol and blood glucose screening, and free food samples from local businesses. The Health Industry Showcase is open to the public and there is no charge to attend. For more information, please click here.

Emergency and Department Web Enhancements

Websites for the Emergency Management Bureau and OC Waste & Recycling are now available to enhance the community’s access to County services and time-sensitive information. For more information, please click here.

The Sheriff-Coroner’s Emergency Management Bureau website will provide critical updates in emergency situations about evacuation areas, extreme weather conditions, shelter locations and utility status. Residents are also encouraged to visit the site to learn how to best prepare for man-made and natural disasters.

OC Waste & Recycling’s website now features a city-by-city directory of refuse disposal services, instruction about the proper disposal of household hazardous waste and a database of local recycling services.

Ceremony Scheduled to Dedicate Marine Memorial

In 1998, Captain Dan McCoy of the Santa Ana Police Department formed the Orange County Marine Corps Memorial Foundation with the goal of creating a veteran’s memorial featuring an A-4 Skyhawk Aircraft. This type of plane was flown out of Orange County in wartime. In 1999, the Board of Supervisors directed the County Executive Office to work with the Foundation to make its dream a reality.

The dedication of the Orange County Marine Memorial, featuring an authentic A-4 Skyhawk Aircraft and music selections played by the Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band, will take place Tuesday, September 9 at 9 a.m. in the plaza behind the Hall of Administration. Captain McCoy passed away in 2002. However, through the dedication of the Foundation, his vision moved forward. For more information, please click here.

Five Drownings in the Month of August

The Orange County Fire Authority responded to two near drowning incidents over the recent Labor Day weekend. In the month of August, there were ten similar accidents in Orange County, with five resulting in fatalities.

This brings the year-to-date totals to twenty-one drowning fatalities and twenty-three near-drowning. These tragedies occurred in public and private pools, bathtubs, and local beaches. Although the end of summer is at hand, we cannot let our guard down and must continue to be vigilant in preventing such accidents. For more information, please click here.

State Report Ranks Orange County on Health Indicators

The 2008 County Health Status Profiles report from the California Department of Public Health and the California Conference of Local Health Officers shows Orange County has already met several of the national Healthy People 2010 objectives. For more information, please click here.

Healthy People 2010 is a comprehensive set of disease prevention and health promotion objectives for America. The national health objectives were designed to identify the most significant preventable threats to our health and to establish national goals to reduce those threats. For more information, please click here.

Angels for Animals

On September 13, the Angels of Anaheim will host their first Angels for Animals event at the ballpark! Join the Angels’ wives and the Orange County Animal Care Center in an effort to raise awareness for animal adoption and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Fans will also have the opportunity to visit the Orange County Animal Care booth and meet many of the animals currently available for adoption at the Center. All proceeds from the event will benefit local Orange County animal shelters. For more information, please click here.

Orange County Coastal Coalition

Orange County has 42 miles of coastline, extending from Seal Beach to San Clemente. The sandy beaches we enjoy are created through natural processes that bring sediment from the upper watershed and wash sand up from the ocean floor. However, this sand replenishment or beach nourishment doesn’t always occur in a manner that sustains our beaches. To that end, the Orange County Coastal Coalition heard presentations last week from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the City of San Clemente on shoreline erosion and sediment management.

Heather Schlosser, Acting Chief of the Coastal Studies Group for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, discussed the California Coastal Sediment Master Plan and the approach for developing Coastal Regional Sediment Management Plans. The regional plans are intended to help formulate consensus-driven sediment management and policy guidance appropriate for regional conditions. In support of this effort, federal and state agencies have formed a collaborative workgroup to address coastal erosion and look at the beneficial reuse of sediment resources. To view Heather’s presentation, please click here. To learn more about the State’s Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup, please click here.

Following on the Corps’ coastal sediment management program, Tom Bonigut, Environmental Programs Manager for the City of San Clemente, updated us on the City’s Shoreline Erosion Feasibility Study being prepared with the Corps. The study focuses on area near the San Clemente Pier that is experiencing erosion. The beach nourishment evaluation considers seven alternatives with beach widths ranging from 10 to 40 meters. The draft Public Review study is anticipated in early 2009. To view Tom’s presentation, please click here.

I am pleased to report that approximately 54,000 cubic yards of beach quality sand will be reused to nourish our local beaches. Baby Beach, within Dana Point Harbor, will receive approximately 6,000 cubic yards of sand and Capistrano Beach will receive approximately 48,000 cubic yards. Shoreline erosion and beach nourishment are challenging issues, and we appreciate these experts sharing their knowledge and insight with us.

Please join me at our next Coastal Coalition meeting on Thursday, September 25, at the Newport Beach Library. To be placed on the email distribution list for Coastal Coalition meetings, please send your email address to betty.martinez@rdmd.ocgov.com.

Nix Nature Center to Reopen September 6

The James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park will reopen Saturday, September 6. The center has been closed throughout the summer due to construction. The reopening will be celebrated with the "First Weekends at the Nix Nature Center” program, Daytime Astronomy, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The public is invited to join astronomers to view the sun through telescopes equipped with special solar filters. Search sunspots and solar flares. Have fun making your own sundial and ultraviolet-detecting bracelet! The program is free. Parking: $3. Registration required. Please call 949-923-2235. For more information, please click here.

24th Annual Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point

The Ocean Institute in Dana Point Harbor is celebrating its 24th year hosting the Toshiba Tall Ships Festival, the largest annual gathering of tall ships on the West Coast. Join us September 5 thru 7 for a weekend of fun and adventure as we celebrate our area’s rich maritime history!

The festival will feature a spectacular array of family-fun activities, including live music, art & craft shows, exciting living-history demonstrations, and a variety of tasty food. Enjoy nautical displays and presentations, Polynesian dancers, sea-chantey concerts, an interactive pirate encampment and dramatic sunset cannon battles. Additionally, you can explore the historic tall ships and listen to the crew share tales of adventure and life at sea. Last but not least, you are invited to explore the Ocean Institute and our local marine environment, enjoy live parrot shows, play pirate games, and participate in special interactive programs. For more information, please click here.