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. PAT’S PERSPECTIVE

2. BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

3. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

4. AIRPORT ARRIVALS

5. LIBRARY LESSONS AND SESSIONS

6. HEALTH HERALD

7. SAFETY SENTRY

8. CRITTER CHRONICLES

9. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

10. HARBOR HAPPENINGS

11. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT

12. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR

13. 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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Patriot Day: September 11, 2010

Saturday, September 11, is Patriot Day. Patriot Day is dedicated to the memory of the 2,993 killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In addition to remembering the innocent lives lost that day, it is also important to honor the brave men and women who continue the fight to prevent future attacks.

In the nine years since that tragic day, we have seen the best of our country make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms and way of life. Our soldiers have been enormously successful in their efforts, but we must realize their task is not any less dangerous or difficult than it was when they began.

With the passage of time, some may forget why we fight and what we are fighting for. As President Bush said shortly after that fateful day, “It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines, and that is good. Even grief recedes with time and grace, but our resolve must not pass.”

Life has more or less returned to normal, and the resolve of our service men and women has certainly not passed. However, for those not directly impacted by our country’s efforts in the War on Terror, we must be aware of the risk of a weakened resolve and remember we still have soldiers risking their lives overseas.

Our freedom remains fragile, so long as the perpetuators of totalitarianism and religious extremism remain committed to their cause. As Americans, we must remain strongly committed to support those who struggle each day to keep us safe and free. This September 11, please take a moment to remember the lives lost and pledge your support to those who sacrifice daily to prevent future loss of life.

To learn how you can help support our troops, please visit www.ourmilitary.mil.

No Board Meeting This Week

There was no regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week.

Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, September 14. 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.

TCA Toll Operations Study

The Transportation Corridor Agencies’ (TCA) toll roads have been governed and operated with tolling and customer service technologies and policies since 1993, when the first toll road segment opened in Orange County. When compared to emerging developments in the electronic toll collection industry, TCA’s toll architecture is no longer state-of-the-art. To that end, TCA has embarked on a Strategic and Policy Planning Study to provide a foundation for a strategic direction for future toll operations.

This week, the Boards of the Foothill/Eastern and the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agencies received a presentation on the status of the study and approved funding for additional study. The tolling method options being examined include improving the current system (FasTrak and Cash options), an In-Line Card Reader system (FasTrak & Pre-payment Card options), as well as an all-electronic tolling system (FasTrak & License Plate Reader options).

As TCA continues to analyze each option, I will provide updates on any potential changes affecting toll road users.

Transportation Officials Discuss High-Speed Rail

My office recently joined Southern California transportation officials and business leaders at Brandman University in Irvine for a day long workshop discussion regarding the proposed California High-Speed Rail Project, a modern 800-mile system between San Francisco and Southern California.

According to a new UCI report released by Brandman’s Center for Urban Infrastructure, the California High-Speed Rail Project would generate $700 million in wages for workers, creating 57,000 new full-time construction jobs for one year. The report, “Thinking Ahead: High-Speed Rail in Southern California,” also estimates that by 2035, high-speed trains would prevent approximately half a billion pounds of emissions from greenhouse gases, as people increasingly use rail instead of driving their cars.

The discussion incorporated many of the challenges high-speed rail faces as development of the proposed project segments move forward. These include project financing, alignment impacts, right-of-way acquisition and mixed-use tracking. Other challenges include ridership, operating costs and long-term environmental benefits, all of which will be the focus of the California High-Speed Rail Commission as it continues its work to develop this mode of transportation for our state.

To view the Center for Urban Infrastructure report, please click here.

JWA Celebrates 20 years in Thomas F. Riley Terminal

On Thursday, September 16, John Wayne Airport (JWA) will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Thomas F. Riley Terminal. Since 1990, more than 150 million leisure and business travelers have passed through the Riley Terminal to get to and from dozens of destinations.

In recognition of this milestone, JWA staff will be in the Riley Terminal on September 16, greeting passengers and handing out small commemorative items, including a 20th Anniversary luggage tag. For more information, please click here.

JWA Seeks Public Artwork for New Terminal

John Wayne Airport (JWA) is inviting artists to submit their qualifications for an opportunity to design an original piece of 3-dimensional artwork that will be suspended from the ceiling of the baggage claim area of the new Terminal C, currently under construction.

The goal is to provide passengers and visitors with public artwork that will offer a positive and memorable travel experience of Orange County. The theme of the artwork should incorporate aspects of air travel, local aviation history, celestial observation, global travel, Orange County history and/or other appropriate concepts related to travel and aviation.

The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process currently underway will establish a pool of artists/artist teams that will further receive a Request for Proposal (RFP). Response packages to the RFQ are due no later than Thursday, October 14, 2010 to John Wayne Airport.

Subject to successful contract negotiation, the contract will be awarded to the selected finalist on or about May 16, 2011. The artist/artist team ultimately selected through the RFP process will be compensated for the finished artwork, which will be installed prior to the scheduled opening of Terminal C in November 2011.

More comprehensive information can be found in the Request for Qualifications. To view the RFQ, please click here. For additional information about the RFQ, please contact Tammy Killingsworth at (949) 252-6074 or TKillingsworth@ocair.com.

Career Transitions

Looking for a job or thinking about changing careers? Try Gale Career Transitions, a FREE online career guidance center that walks you through the job-search process from beginning to end. This service is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered in California by the State Librarian. For more information, please click here.

Orange County Reports Season’s First Influenza Case

The Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) last week confirmed the County’s first case of influenza, signaling the coming influenza season. While flu season in Orange County usually peaks at the end of December or beginning of January, it is not unusual to begin seeing influenza cases reported early in the season and it is not too early to get vaccinated. For more information, please click here.

SONGS Emergency Planning and Response

The community is invited to a FREE public presentation and discussion about San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS) emergency planning and response on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Laguna Niguel City Hall. Refreshments will be provided.

To RSVP or for more information, please call Paul Russell at 949-362-4312. For more information about this and other Team Laguna Niguel Responds emergency preparedness events, please click here and here.

Protect your Pets using AlertOC

An emergency can strike while you are at work and your pets are at home. The County’s mass notification system – AlertOC – is a lifeline to immediately learn of any required actions so that you may have a better chance to pick up your best friends if conditions permit. As September is officially National Disaster Preparedness Month, now is the best time to register with Alert OC to help protect your furry family members. For more information, please click here.

Just as is the case for humans, displacement can be very distressing for pets. Create emergency kits for your animals with food, treats, medicine and a comforting play toy. Please visit ReadyOC.org for assistance with creating emergency kits, as well as other essential preparedness information.

CATOPIA success!

On August 28, OC Animal Care sent the purrfect love home, as 30 cats and kittens were adopted during Catopia, the agency’s third annual event to promote shelter cats. New adopters received a free spay or neuter for their new feline friend and pet care supplies.

A bake sale benefitting shelter animals was also a huge success. OC Animal Care staff and volunteers celebrated, as the dreams of 30 cats and kittens came true in finding their forever homes! To view photos of the event, please click here.

Caspers Wilderness Park: Volunteer Orientation

If you are interested in volunteering at Caspers Wilderness Park, please join us Saturday, September 18, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Volunteer opportunities include: backcountry volunteer, weed warriors, backcountry trail crew, nature center volunteers and volunteer naturalists.

For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Supervising Park Ranger Jacky Velasquez at 949-923-2211 or jacky.velasquez@ocparks.com. For more information about this and other Caspers Wilderness Park events and programs, please click here.

Dana Point Harbor Quarterly Report

OC Dana Point Harbor has released the September 2010 issue of the Dana Point Harbor Quarterly Report. To view the Quarterly Report, please click here.

Don Hansen: Dedicated to Conservation

Don Hansen, a resident of San Clemente, was honored last month as the recipient of the 2010 Bill Ray Memorial Conservation Award from the United Anglers of Southern California (UASC). The award is the organization’s highest conservation honor and recognizes a person who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in the service of conservation and recreational fishing over the previous year.

Don Hansen leads a life dedicated to giving back to the community, the industry and the ocean environment. He serves on the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC), was its chairman from 2003 to 2009 and is the special assistant to the director. He is currently Commissioner for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, a special appointment he recently received from the governor. Hansen is also the National Inter-America Tropical Tuna Commissioner.

In recognition of his hard work and dedication over the years, Hansen received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries “Sustainable Fisheries Award” in 2007. He was honored for improving management programs for West Coast marine fisheries, which he accomplished by fostering open dialogue and understanding between fishery scientists, resource managers and the fishing community.

For more information, please click here.

26th Annual Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point

The Ocean Institute, located in beautiful Dana Point Harbor, is celebrating its 26th year hosting the Toshiba Tall Ships Festival. Come and explore the majesty and wonder of tall ships through the smells, sounds and sights of real working tall ships. Interactive living-history encampments, including blacksmiths, scrimshaw artists, and the infamous Port Royal Privateers are sure to entertain and amaze guests of all ages.

Inside the Ocean Institute, explore the work to protect our local watersheds through hands-on labs and art activities; and visit with some of the ocean’s most amazing sea creatures, too! New this year, your child can participate in the Friendly Pirate School. Watch as your child learns to talk like a pirate, walk like a pirate, and sing like a pirate!

These are just some of the fun and exciting activities that will be a part of this year’s spectacular Tall Ships Festival, taking place September 10 – 12. For more information, please click here.

Rancho Santa Margarita: 9/11 Patriot Day Commemoration

The designation of Patriot Day occurred October 25, 2001 in memory of the 2,993 who were killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Initially, the day was called “Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attack on September 11, 2001.”

To that end, the City of Rancho Santa Margarita welcomes the Second Battalion, Fifth Marines to City Hall on September 11, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, to commemorate Patriot Day. For more information on this FREE family event, please click here and here.

Laguna Niguel: September 11 Remembrance Event

Please join the City of Laguna Niguel for a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, were injured or suffered loss of family and friends in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Please bring a blanket or low chair to sit on a grassy hill Saturday, September 11 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Crown Valley Community Park Amphitheater. For more information, please click here.

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

• Met with the Deputy CEO to discuss how the State Budget will impact the County’s provision of Social Services.
• Attended a special session of the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Board of Directors to discuss the Orange County Reserve Firefighter Program.
• Met with Mission Viejo Mayor Trish Kelly to discuss a proposed City dog park.