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November 18, 2011
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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. AIRPORT ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
4. HARBOR HAPPENINGS
5. COLLECTOR COLLECTIBLES
6. COUNTY CONNECTIONS
7. ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS
8. LIBRARY LAUREATE
9. CRITTER CHRONICLES
10. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR
11. 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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| BOARD BULLETIN BOARD |
No Board Meeting This Week
There was not a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week. To view the Board meeting schedule for 2011, please click here.
Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, November 22. For Agenda & Meeting Information, please click here.
Live Internet broadcasts of Board of Supervisors meetings can be viewed online and are archived as video-on-demand. To view live and/or past Board meetings, please click here.
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| TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION |
Ortega Highway Widening Project Recognized
I’m pleased to announce OC Public Works’ Ortega Highway Widening Project was selected winner of the Partnership Award by the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) for the organization’s inaugural “Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Awards.”
At its reception this week, OCBC recognized six outstanding public agencies that are proactively cutting through the red tape and opening doors for business. OCBC honored the County, among other agencies, for laying out the “red carpet” to business and private sector jobs creation through innovative projects, cutting regulations, reducing fees and streamlining processes.
For more information, please click here.
Revolving Door Policy
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors this week adopted a new policy intended to prevent Public Board Members from lobbying the OCTA Board on behalf of private clients within one year of their term ending on the Board, a practice known as the "revolving door."
As OCTA Chair, I requested this item when it came to my attention that the policy for elected Board members did not also apply to the Public Members. State law prohibits elected officials from contacting former colleagues for one year on behalf of a business or group that works with an agency.
With this Board policy now in place at the local level, OCTA may also seek a legislative fix so the loophole is also closed in state law as well.
High Speed Rail Business Plan
The High Speed Rail Business Plan was a topic of discussion for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board at our meeting on Monday. The Business Plan’s optimistic forecast for finances and ridership was heavily criticized.
To that end, I directed a more formal review of the Business Plan be brought before two OCTA committees and the full Board for more deliberative vetting over the next month.
The OCTA Board will consider sending a letter to the California High-Speed Rail Authority expressing our local concerns.
Catch a Ride on Metrolink
To watch the "Catch a Ride on Metrolink" music video and see how easy it is to ride Metrolink trains around Orange County with the $7 OCLINK pass, please click here. For more information, please click here.
Metrolink Holiday Toy Express
Santa Claus is coming to town and he will be arriving in style on a Metrolink train as part of the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express.
The specially decorated train will make its first four stops of the season this Saturday. The 450-ton train is decorated with holiday displays, a musical performance and 50,000 twinkling lights.
Residents also are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to any of the stations as part of the ABC7 / Spark of Love Toy Drive, collecting toys to ensure a brighter holiday season for less fortunate children.
The train will make its first stop at Anaheim station at 5:00 PM, followed by Santa Ana at 6:15 PM, Tustin at 7:00 PM, and will make its final stop in Orange at 7:45 PM.
Please visit Metrolink’s website to see the complete schedule of all the stops throughout the system.
Youth Bus Riding
Hey kids! Are you looking to go to the movies or the mall but you’re too young to drive? Please click here to watch a video the Orange county Transportation Authority has prepared to teach kids how to ride the bus.
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| AIRPORT ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES |
John Wayne Airport Celebrates Grand Opening of Terminal C
John Wayne Airport (JWA) celebrated the grand opening of its new Terminal C on Monday, November 14. Passengers can now enjoy new services and facilities, including:
- Parking Structure C with its new space count and easy payment systems
- A second Valet Parking option near Terminal C
- Self-serve kiosks for passenger check-in and printing of boarding passes (with a valid boarding pass and no checked baggage, passengers may proceed directly through security to their gate)
- New Security screening lanes in Terminal C
- New Gates 16 through 21 in Terminal C
For more information, please click here and here. To view photos, please click here.
Effective Sunday, November 20, Frontier and Southwest Airlines will be fully operational in the new Terminal C and will no longer serve passengers in Terminal B. Passengers flying on these airlines should use Terminal C to check bags, access security screening and claim bags at Baggage Carousel 5, 6 or 7.
For more information, please click here.
John Wayne Airport Travel Tips for the Thanksgiving Holiday
In anticipation of the nation’s most heavily traveled holiday period, John Wayne Airport (JWA) offers travel tips to help passengers prepare for a safe and enjoyable holiday air travel experience.
Passengers traveling through JWA between Friday, November 18 and Monday, November 28, will experience higher-than-normal passenger traffic due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The busiest travel days are expected to be Wednesday, November 23 and Sunday, November 27.
For more information and to view JWA’s travel tips for the Thanksgiving holiday, please click here.
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| HARBOR HAPPENINGS |
2011 Turkey Trot Road Closure Advisory
Dana Point Police Services will be implementing various road closures in and around Dana Point Harbor for the annual Turkey Trot 5k & 10k races on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24.
Anyone planning to visit Dana Point Harbor on Thanksgiving Day between 6:30 AM and 12:00 noon should plan their trip accordingly and allow extra time to arrive at their destination.
For more information, please click here.
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| COLLECTOR COLLECTIBLES |
Top Ten Property Tax Payers for 2011
The Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector has announced the Top Ten Property Tax Payers for 2011 in the secured and unsecured categories in the County of Orange.
The Irvine Company remains the top secured taxpayer from 2010. Cox Communications, based in the Fifth District, overtook the Boeing Company as the top unsecured taxpayer in 2011.
For more information, please click here.
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| COUNTY CONNECTIONS |
OCHNA’s Stone Soup Gazette: Holiday Issue
The Orange County Health Needs Assessment (OCHNA) is a community based, not-for-profit collaborative effort serving the residents Orange County. To that end, OCHNA is the primary source for health data needs, providing the largest health assessment of its kind at the county level in the state.
OCHNA is delighted to share its holiday issue of the Stone Soup Gazette. In the November/December OCHNA newsletter, you will find many wonderful ways you can give back this holiday season.
To view the holiday edition of Stone Soup Gazette, please click here. For information on OCHNA, please click here.
Orange County Fire Authority Foundation Logo Contest
The Orange County Fire Authority Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that provides the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) with the additional resources needed to provide an enhanced level of fire prevention, suppression, and emergency medical services to the citizens of Orange County.
The OCFA Foundation is hosting a contest giving participants the opportunity to design its official logo. The winner will receive a $150 cash prize and two T-shirts with their winning logo. The deadline for entry submission to the Foundation’s Logo Contest is Thursday, January 5, 2012.
For more information about the Foundation’s Logo Design Contest and/or to download the Official Entry Form, please click here.
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| ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS |
Orange County Coastal Coalition
Please join me Thursday December 1 for the regular bi-monthly meeting of the Orange County Coastal Coalition, which I am pleased to Chair. The meeting will take place 9:00 AM at Newport Beach Public Library.
Presenting will be Patricia Pendleton, Project Manager with California State University Northridge – Center for Geographical Studies; and Pamela Berstler, Co-Founder of G3 (The Green Gardens Group), along with Paul Herzog, Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens National Program Coordinator.
The presentations will be followed by a question and answer session. For more information, please click here.
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| LIBRARY LAUREATE |
Library eBooks for the Kindle
You can now borrow eBooks from home for your Kindle through OC Public Libraries (OCPL). OCPL partners with Overdrive, Inc. to provide a customized collection of books for library cardholders.
About 1,700 titles are compatible with any generation Kindle reader (including the just-released Fire), the free Kindle app, or your browser with Kindle Cloud Reader. You will need a valid OC Public Libraries’ card and an amazon.com account to borrow a Kindle book.
In the short time Kindle books have been available to library patrons, they have proved very popular, as more titles will be added soon. Although there are slight differences in the process depending on your device, the overall steps are outlined below:
- From your home computer or laptop, go to http://ocpl.lib.overdrive.com
- Look in the left column and select “Click on Library eBooks for Kindle”
- Add the titles you want to read to your eCart (if all copies are checked out, you can add an eHold)
- Check titles out for 7 or 14 days by signing into your library account
- Then click the “Get for Kindle” button to go to amazon.com
- Sign into your amazon.com account and transfer the title to your reading device
If you have questions, check the eHelp pages or contact your local branch library.
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| CRITTER CHRONICLES |
Photo with Santa!
Bring your pet to OC Animal Care the first four Saturdays in December from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for a photo with Santa! All participants will receive a festive holiday frame with their pet’s photo along with a digital copy to share with friends and family. All donations will benefit the animals at OC Animal Care.
For more information, please click here.
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| SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR |
Laguna Beach: 21st Annual Winter Fantasy
The 2011 Winter Fantasy in Laguna Beach will feature the fine art and craft of over 170 exhibitors four weekends from November 19 through December 11 on the Sawdust Art Festival grounds. For more information, please click here.
Dana Point: 34th Annual Turkey Trot
Don’t miss the 34th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot on Thursday, November 24! Named one of America’s best Thanksgiving Day runs, the 2011 Turkey Trot is expected to be the biggest and best race to date! For more information, please click here and here.
San Clemente: Puttin’ on the Glitz
The City of San Clemente invites you to bring the whole family to Puttin’ on the Glitz for an evening of holiday cheer and enchantment on Saturday, November 26 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. For more information, please click here.
Lake Forest: 30th Annual Victorian Christmas
The public is cordially invited to attend the 30th annual Victorian Christmas at Heritage Hill Historical Park in the City of Lake Forest on Saturday, December 3 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For more information, please click here.
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| FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP |
In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:
- Attended the John Wayne Airport Terminal C and Parking Structure C dedication ceremony.
- Delivered a County Update at the Niguel Shores Men’s Club Breakfast meeting in Monarch Beach.
- Presented a certificate of recognition at the San Clemente Fire Station 60 dedication ceremony.
- Met with the Children and Families Commission of Orange County for a review of planning for next year’s South County Children and Youth Summit.
- Met with the OC Dana Point Harbor Director to receive an update on Harbor programs and activities.
My office also:
- Attended Illumination Foundation’s second annual Sun Fair Health & Fitness Expo at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in San Clemente.
- Provided a proclamation in honor of Elisabeth Brown of Laguna Beach for her 20 years of outstanding service on the Coastal Greenbelt Authority.
- Provided a certificate of recognition in honor of the ribbon cutting ceremony for Costco Wholesale in San Juan Capistrano.
My staff and I look forward to continually providing you updated information in our Fifth District Newsletter and website.
Please feel free to contact my office with your concerns, comments or questions at (714) 834-3550. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your Supervisor for Orange County's Fabulous Fifth District.
For an ADA version of our newsletter, click here.
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