The County of Orange has declared a local emergency and a local health emergency to prepare for COVID-19, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

The declaration of both a local emergency and local health emergency assists the County of Orange to better leverage resources in order to prepare to our staffing needs and greater agency coordination all while allowing for future reimbursement for County activities by state and federal governments in the event of an COVID-19 outbreak in Orange County.

While there has been only one confirmed case in Orange County and that individual has recovered, the OC Health Care Agency continues to engage and monitor the rapidly changing worldwide response to COVID-19.

Should more COVID-19 cases occur in Orange County, the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) would share that information with community members and medical providers, and colleagues at the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

County of Orange residents are encouraged to visit www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus, call the OC Health Care Agency’s Health Referral Line from Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1 (800) 564-8448, and monitor social media channels to ensure they have the most accurate and up to date information related to COVID-19.

Orange County residents need to take the proper precautions to ensure their health and welfare are
protected at all times, The best way to receive the most up to date information on how to stay healthy and safe locally is to follow our OC Health Care Agency on
Twitter and Facebook.

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Learn about the benefits of Orange County’s transition to Vote Centers, such as being able to register to vote, cast an in-person ballot, obtain replacement ballots and more. 

They key benefits of the transition to Vote Centers include:

• There will now be 188 fully staffed Vote Centers. Voters can choose to vote in-person at any location starting February 22, 2020.
• Election Day now lasts 11 days. Voters voting in the March Presidential Primary election will be able to vote at any Orange County Vote Center anytime between February 22 and March 3, 2020 
• Every voter will now receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Voters will be able to save time and vote at home with multiple options for returning their ballot. Ballots began mailing on February 3.
• There will be 110 secure ballot drop box locations throughout Orange County. Voters will be able to deposit their ballot into a secure drop box between February 3 and March 3, 2020.

Click here for more information. To view a recent TV interview with myself and Orange County Registrar of Voter Neal Kelly, discussing Orange County’s transition to Vote Centers on Village Television in Laguna Woods, click here or on the image below.

Click the image above to view the TV interview.

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Click the image above to view the TV interview.

I had the pleasure last week of appearing on Village Television in Laguna Woods with Andrea Swayne (Dana Point Festival of Whales Foundation) and Ken Goldenberg, host of the TV talk show THIS DAY, to discuss the new format for the 2020 Dana Point Festival of Whales. To view the TV interview, Click here or on the image above.

For more information about the upcoming Dana Point Festival of Whales, click here or on the image below.

Click the image above for more info.

OC residents are some of many people across the country impacted by the recent closure of California beverage container recycling centers. The largest beverage container recycling company in California, a company called RePlanet, closed all 281 of its locations in August 2019, leaving fewer redemption centers for OC residents.

The beverage container Recycling Program is a state program run by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). For more details about these closures, please visit their website. 

The good news is, residents looking for California Redemption Value, can check the following two links for the most up-to-date redemption locations from CalRecycle:

• Certified Recycling Centers - there are still more than 1,200 certified recycling centers statewide including 65 in Orange County alone
• Obligated beverage retailers - in areas where there are no recycling centers, obligated beverage retailers may redeem your empty California Refund Value beverage containers in-store.  Additionally,

Additionally, Earth911.com  has a searchable list of recycling centers as well as other environmentally friendly tips. Or, check with your local city recycling coordinator your city’s waste hauler to see if either offers any type of mobile redemption or pick up/drop off services.

As always, residents can still recycle beverage containers by placing them into curbside bins or dwelling complex carts to ensure these products stay out of the landfills and preserve the environment. To contact CalRecycle directly, please visit their contact page.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is conducting a Transportation Needs Assessment (TNA) to gain insight into the mobility needs of persons living and/or working in Orange County. The purpose of the TNA is to develop service and program recommendations that OCTA can utilize to guide future planning decisions and engagement activities.

OCTA wants to hear from YOU! Take our community survey today at www.OCTASurvey.com to provide input/feedback about transit in Orange County and your mobility needs. This survey is available for all Orange County residents (current transit riders as well as non-riders). All respondents will be given the opportunity to enter into a random drawing to win one of several $100 VISA gift cards!

Today, nearly 360,000 motorists travel I-5 daily between SR-73 and El Toro Road. Transportation planners expect traffic volumes to grow 25 percent by 2045. To address this travel demand, OCTA and Caltrans are working together to implement the I-5 Widening project from SR-73 to El Toro Road. Construction will be done in three segments. Crews began work on the first segment from Oso Parkway to Alicia Parkway in 2019.

In March, construction will begin on the second segment, a 2.1-mile stretch between SR-73 and Oso Parkway that borders Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Niguel.

Improvements include adding one general purpose lane to increase capacity and reconstructing Avery Parkway to expand it from four to six lanes, increase bike lane width, install sidewalks on both sides of the street, and construct monument walls under the bridge featuring a pastoral ranch theme.

Other project improvements include new and improved merging lanes and the conversion of carpool lanes to continuous access to make it easier to enter and exit. For more information about the I-5 Widening Project, please visit here.

In terms of mileage, traveling to Los Angeles should be a breeze. Our county to the north is simply not that far away. Yet with traffic and parking hassles, getting there by car is often annoying and time-consuming. Many avoid the trek despite all the wonders the City of Angels has to offer.

Fortunately, there’s Metrolink. A Metrolink journey removes the pesky problems of traffic, driving, and parking and costs only $10 per person for unlimited travel all day Saturday or Sunday. Children five and under ride free (3 with each fare-paying adult). Find out more about the Metrolink Weekend Day Pass here.

Through March, you have the opportunity to win a Metrolink Daycation getaway to LA that includes four Metrolink tickets and $100 gift certificates to Philippe’s the Original and San Antonio Winery. That’s right. A $100 gift cert to each place.

An easy walk from LA Union Station, Philippe’s is the home of the original and delicious French Dip sandwich. An LA icon, it’s a delicious place for breakfast and lunch.

San Antonio Winery is LA’s original urban winery. This hidden gem and historical landmark still operates in the same community where it was founded in 1917. Stop for wine tastings, winery tours or a meal at onsite Maddalena Restaurant.

Enter today for a chance to win an LA Daycation for four. Learn more about Metrolink here.

OCTA’s signal synchronization program provides competitive funding to cities and the county to time traffic lights on long stretches of streets to improve traffic throughout the county.

Since 2008, OCTA has funded 79 projects that have synchronized more than 2,700 intersections across 705 miles. The projects have improved travel times, reduced congestion and increased the number of continuous green lights drivers see during their daily commutes. The program has also helped Orange County drivers save money, consume less fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

OCTA is currently allocating $50.3 million to fund an additional 29 signal synchronization projects that are either planned or underway. Once completed, these projects will synchronize an additional 1,000 traffic signals along 250 miles of roadway.

The Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Program is part of OC Go (also known as Measure M), Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.

Traveling through John Wayne Airport just became a lot less “ruff” and a lot more “PAWS-itive.” Thanks to the Orange County Board of Supervisors and Orange County Animal Allies (OC Animal Allies), your next trip to John Wayne Airport may include an encounter with a certified animal ambassador.

Research shows that therapy dogs can provide physical and mental health benefits. For example, interacting with a therapy dog can reduce anxiety, provide comfort, diminish pain, aid in relaxation, and lower blood pressure. Approximately 60 airports in the United States have a similar program. 

OC Animal Allies is comprised of human and dog ambassadors, dedicated to providing these benefits to the public while educating about responsible pet ownership, and advocating against animal cruelty. Formerly known as the OCSPCA, OC Animal Allies brings smiles to senior citizens at care facilities, with children affected by autism spectrum disorder, child victims of crimes at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and much more. 

With the decades of experience behind OC Animal Allies, and the support of the County, we know this program will take flight and continue to make traveling through John Wayne Airport even more “PAWS-ome!”

Chairwoman Steel enjoying JWA's AirPAWS Therapy Dog Program

Online applications are now being accepted for the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) 2020 Governing Board Summer Internship Program.

Open to high school and currently enrolled college students (both undergraduate and graduate level), this paid summer internship will allow students to work up to 28 hours per week side by side with air quality and other professionals who are dedicated to improving the air quality in our region. 

There are numerous internships available throughout the SCAQMD divisions, such as Legislative & Public Affairs/Media, Finance, Science & Technology Advancement (including the state-of-the-art air quality laboratory), Engineering & Permitting, Human Resources, Planning, Rule Development, and much more. 

For more information on how to submit your online application, click here. 

Celebrate the City of San Clemente's 92nd Anniversary at the 3rd Annual Youth Fishing Derby on Saturday, February 29 from 9 AM to 12 PM, when the community is invited to celebrate the history of the San Clemente Municipal Pier and its fishing legacy. Registration is now open for ages 6-13 years to participate in FREE fishing, face painting, crafts, photo opportunity with special guests, and more! Click here for more information.

On Saturday, March 7 at 11 AM, a hundred marching units will assemble in Laguna Beach to step off in the annual Laguna Beach Patriot's Day Parade. For over fifty years, Orange County has enjoyed the parade and its entrants, the celebrities and music, and the community spirit of this charming city by the sea.

Entries in the popular event range from civic and veterans organizations to school bands, floats, vintage automobiles, and light-hearted novelty groups. The parade also honors citizens who have served the community and those who have served the nation in time of war or national emergency. For more information, click here.

It’s time for snakes to start emerging from their winter brumation! Visit the Nix Nature Center March 7 from 1 PM to 4 PM to see live snakes that, if you are lucky and observant, you might find out on the trail! Steve Bledsoe of Southwestern Field Herping Association will be available to share his knowledge about local reptiles.

Enjoy events and crafts. Children must be accompanied by and adult. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center (west side of Laguna Canyon Road/SR-133, approximately 3.5 miles south of I-5/405). If parking is full, enjoy a one-mile hike from the Dilley Preserve Staging Area. For questions call: 949-497-8324 Mon-Fri or 949-923-2235 Sat/Sun. Parking: $3/vehicle. Click here for more information.

• Participated in the OCTA Board of Directors meeting.
• Participated in the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting.
• Participated in the NACO Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.

• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of the ribbon cutting ceremony for Restore Hyper Wellness + Cryotherapy in Laguna Niguel.
• Attended the Tri-Chamber Mixer with Mission Viejo, Lake Forest & Rancho Santa Margarita Chambers of Commerce.
• Presented a Retirement Proclamation to Dr. Elisabeth Brown in honor of her 30+ years as President of Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.
• Attended the South Orange County Economic Coalition meeting.

My Community Relations Advisor, Segio Prince, presents a Retirement Proclamation to Dr. Elisabeth Brown in honor of her 30+ years as President of Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.

With Mission Viejo Mayor Brian Goodell and Chamber Member Cindy Powalski the Tri-Chamber Mixer.
(Photo courtesy of Takata Photo & Design)

With Mission Viejo Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Trish Kelley at the Tri-Chamber Mixer.
(Photo courtesy of Takata Photo & Design)

At the ribbon cutting for Restore Hyper Wellness + Cryotherapy in Laguna Niguel.

At the South Orange County Economic Coalition meeting.