Welcome to this edition of the Fifth District Report, an electronic newsletter keeping you updated about the events taking place in Orange County and in the Fifth District. It is my hope that you find this distribution informative and I would encourage you to contact me regarding any thoughts, comments, or concerns you may have.

PatBates@ocgov.com

IN THIS ISSUE...

1. BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

2. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

3. COUNTY CONNECTIONS

4. ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS

5. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT

6. CRITTER CHRONICLES

7. AIRPORT ARRIVALS

8. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

9. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR

10. FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP

OUR STAFF...

Don Hughes:
Chief of Staff

Kristen Thornton:
Deputy Chief of Staff

Ray Grangoff:
Deputy Chief of Staff

Sergio Prince:
Policy Advisor

Sabrina Ross:
Policy Advisor

Brian Probolsky:
Policy Advisor

Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager

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No Board Meeting This Week

Due to the Fourth of July holiday, there was no regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week.

Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, July 20. 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.

CTC Allocates Funding for Orange County Projects

Last week, the California Transportation Commission allocated $897 million to 170 transportation projects statewide, including $24 million for projects in Orange County. In the Fifth District, I’m pleased to announce that two long awaited soundwalls along the I-5 freeway in San Clemente are among the projects to be funded.

The proposed soundwalls at El Camino Real along the southbound I-5 and at Avenida Vaquero along the northbound I-5 are important projects that have great support in the City of San Clemente and the surrounding region. Noise studies conducted by the Orange County Transportation Authority have ranked these soundwalls highest in terms of priority for soundwall projects throughout Orange County. Additionally, the El Camino Real project addresses both sound and safety issues, as there is a history of cars running off the freeway into local neighborhoods at that location.

The Avenida Vaquero soundwall received $2.1 million and the El Camino soundwall received $3.55 million. Other Orange County projects that received funding include:

• $8 million for Sand Canyon Grade Separation
• $5.9 million for I-5 and Jamboree Road
• $1.42 million for transportation enhancements projects (bike paths, landscaping and sidewalks)
• $3.215 million for various planning, programming and monitoring projects throughout Orange County

Clerk Recorder’s South County Branch Reaches Milestone

Over 100,000 people have used the South County branch of the Orange County Clerk-Recorder department since it opened four years ago. The branch office is located in the Laguna Hills Civic Center at 24031 El Toro Road. Previously, customers had to drive to downtown Santa Ana for copies of birth and death certificates, marriage licenses and to record property documents. The convenient Laguna Hills location has saved South County customers over 3.4 million driving miles by offering an alternative to the department’s main office in the Orange County Civic Center.

Providing services closer to home has proved popular! More than 5,000 couples have been married at the South County office, which has issued more than 15,000 marriage licenses and more than 111,000 copies of birth, death and marriage records. Other services available at the South County office include recording and issuing copies of real property documents, filing environmental impact reports and filing fictitious business name statements. For more information, please visit the Clerk-Recorder website at www.ocrecorder.com.

Eco-Friendly County Programs Commended by Grand Jury

Three County of Orange departments were lauded by the Grand Jury for their commitment to protecting natural resources and employing environmentally conscious practices. In a report titled “Orange County Goes Green,” the Grand Jury described the OC Waste & Recycling department as “one of the most cost-conscious agencies in the County – and one of the most respected in the nation.”

In addition to OC Waste & Recycling, the report praised the County Executive Office’s Procurement Department for the development of the OC Green Fair, inspired by the Board of Supervisors’ adoption of an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy. John Wayne Airport’s environmental stewardship efforts were also commended, including the early implementation of water conservation, pollution prevention, energy efficiency, air quality, noise abatement and recycling practices.

For more information, please click here. To read the Grand Jury Report, please click here.

Mission Viejo Students Win Water Conservation Contest

Henry Liu, Dana Sinclair and Will Hauscarriague, all of Mission Viejo, were chosen as winners in the 2010 Water Education Poster and Slogan Contest held by the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC). The three students were among 15 poster winners and 12 slogan winners chosen from more than 1,600 entries countywide.

Henry Liu, a second-grade student at Del Lago Elementary, and Dana Sinclair and Will Hauscarriague, sixth-grade students at De Portola Elementary, were recognized by the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) at its June 23 Board meeting; and their submissions will be displayed in the SMWD office through July. The contest winners were also recognized by MWDOC at an awards reception at the Discovery Science Center.

Congratulations to Henry, Dana and Will for their outstanding efforts to promote water conservation education! For more information, please click here.

Forever Friends for FREE!

Community members are invited to attend "Forever Friends for Free," an event sponsored by the Angels Baseball Foundation, where hundreds of adorable animals will be available for adoption July 17 from 10 am - 2 pm. The free adoption does not include the cost of the dog license or microchip. There is a limit of two animals per household. For more information, please click here.

Commemorative Tiles Help Fund Shelter Expansion

The Pet Project Foundation has partnered with the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter to build new kitty-friendly quarters for homeless cats. Commemorative Wall Tiles are available for purchase to help fund the cost of building the new cat room addition. For more information, please click here or call the Pet Project Foundation at (949) 595-8899.

Hot Weather Tips for Pet Owners

The “Dog Days” of summer are upon us, and now is a very appropriate time to review some safety tips that will keep your pet healthy and happy in the coming months. California law requires that we, as pet owners, take extra care and precautions for our animals during the hot summer months. There may be serious consequences for those who leave their pets unattended in a hot car or with little to no relief from the sun while they are outdoors.

Cracking the window open and parking in the shade provides little protection, as overheating can quickly cause fatal damage to our furry companions. For example, on an 80 degree day, temperatures inside a parked car, with the windows partially open, can exceed 100 degrees in 5 minutes, and over 120 degrees in just 10 minutes! For important and helpful hot weather tips to help protect our pets this summer, please click here.

2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

John Wayne Airport is pleased to welcome Major League Baseball players and fans to Orange County! The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be hosted at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on July 13. We also would like to congratulate Anaheim Angels outfielder Torii Hunter on his fourth All-Star Game Selection! For more information on Baseball’s Midsummer Classic, please click here.

Mars and Stars with JPL at Caspers Wilderness Park

OC Parks welcomes back NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and OC Astronomers for a new series of educational public programs showcasing various missions to Mars. The launch event of the series will be held at Caspers Wilderness Park in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, July 17 at 7:00 PM.

JPL will showcase the Phoenix Mars Lander Mission, which was responsible for confirming the presence of ice beneath the Martian terrain. A JPL engineer will discuss mission highlights and display actual images captured on Mars. A 1/3 scale Phoenix model, depicting the solar arrays and robotic arms, will also be on display. RSVP required: (949) 923-2210. For more information, please click here.

Enjoy Summer Events and Programs at OC Parks

To see a list of events and programs being offered in the month of July at OC Parks throughout the 5th District and Orange County, please click here.

Free Movie and Concert in the Park

The Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) will host a ‘Movie in the Park’ on Friday, July 9, featuring the PG-rated "Monsters vs. Aliens." The fun at Grand Park in Aliso Viejo Town Center starts at 7:30 PM, with the movie beginning at dusk.

On Sunday, July 11, make plans to return to Grand Park for a Summer Concert, featuring live entertainment and fun for the whole family. Whiplash, a band made up of local youth ages 8 to 13, will delight the masses from 4:45 PM to 5:15 PM; and popular South County entertainers Common Sense will follow with surf/reggae music from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. The fun-filled summer concert will also feature complimentary face painting and an opportunity drawing. For more information, please visit AVCA's website at www.avca.net or call (949) 243-7747.

Free Summer Kids Movies at Laguna Hills Mall

Kids and parents can take advantage of free movie screenings on Wednesday mornings this summer at the Laguna Hills Mall Cinema. As a part of the fourth annual Free Summer Kids Movie Program, the theater will show a free movie every Wednesday at 10:00 AM through September 8. All ages and parents are welcome. Doors open at 9:30 AM. For more information or to find out what’s playing, please call (949) 768-6611.

San Clemente Ocean Festival 2010

The annual San Clemente Ocean Festival, widely known as “The Greatest Show on Surf,” will take place July 17 and 18. The Ocean Festival is dedicated to the promotion and support of ocean safety, the environment and community by providing a quality athletic venue and an enjoyable family event. Some of the much anticipated events this year include a fishing derby, 5K beach run, and sand sculpting competitions. For more information, please click here.

2010 Pageant of the Masters: “Eat, Drink and be Merry!”

World famous for its tableaux vivant or "living pictures”, the Pageant of the Masters is an annual event held by the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. The Pageant’s theme this year is Eat, Drink and be Merry! Purchase a Pageant of the Masters ticket and receive unlimited admission into the Festival of Arts this summer through August 31! For more information about the Pageant of the Masters, please click here.

Festival of Arts: Smooth Jazz Summer Concert Series

The Laguna Beach Festival of Arts is also presenting an astounding line up of jazz musicians this summer at its Smooth Jazz Concert Series on select Saturdays from 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM. Admission is free to the Smooth Jazz Series with the purchase of a Festival of Arts ticket. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the music and ambiance of the new & improved Festival grounds this summer! For more information about this and other Festival of Arts events, please click here.

In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:

• Chaired the M2 Environmental Oversight Committee.
• Met with representatives of AT&T for an update on their County projects.