Last week, I joined County Supervisors from across the country at the annual National Association of Counties (NACo) Conference in Adams County, Colorado. The annual conference provides an opportunity for counties to come together and discuss many key issues common among counties nationwide, including public safety, health policy, criminal justice reform, the American Rescue Plan Act, and land-use policy.
As a member of the NACo Board of Directors, Orange County is assured of having a seat at the table when it comes to shaping Federal policy and legislation.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) plays an instrumental role in our nation’s intergovernmental partnership among federal, state, local and tribal government officials. The organization focuses on harnessing the collective powers, knowledge and innovations of county officials to address issues affecting America’s counties, ultimately helping people and places to thrive.
I am truly honored to be your voice at the table for the National Association of Counties!
South County Multimodal Transportation Study
In addition to serving you on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, I'm also honored to serve you on the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors.
As such, I'm pleased to report the South Orange County Multimodal Transportation Study looks at a range of transportation needs and solutions over the next 25 years, including improvements to streets, bus and other transit options, highways and bikeways.
Since the study’s launch in 2020, OCTA has remained engaged with the public, key stakeholders and partner agencies to develop long-term strategies for continuing to improve transportation for South Orange County. Potential solutions that are being analyzed include:
Improvements to streets, including traffic signal synchronization and upgraded technologies to accommodate for connected and autonomous vehicles
Continuing to fund programs for cities and communities to operate shuttle services
Enhancing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
OCTA will continue working with stakeholders and partner agencies over the next few months to develop a locally preferred strategy. The study is scheduled to be completed in August. For more information, click here.
Groundbreaking for SR-55 Improvement Project
This week, I was pleased to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the SR-55 Improvement Project. Led by OCTA in partnership with Caltrans, the Project will help improve travel in central Orange County along one of the most heavily congested freeways in Southern California by adding one regular lane and one carpool lane in each direction of SR-55 between I-5 near Santa Ana/Tustin and I-405 near Irvine/Costa Mesa.
Antonio Parkway Road Grinding and Resurfacing
Fun & Affordable Family Getaways on Metrolink
Between the high cost of gas and inflation, some families are foregoing their summer vacation. But why stay home when world-class destinations are an affordable train ride away?
A Metrolink train trip can put your vacation back on track; and right now, there’s a chance to win four round-trip tickets and a $100 gift card. Enter for a chance to win here!
On weekends, a family of four with two kids 17 and under can travel all day Saturday or Sunday for only $20. And the travel itself is part of the fun! Metrolink train cars are cool, safe and comfortable for a relaxing journey with no traffic and time to focus on family.
Metrolink fans give these destinations two thumbs up for families:
San Juan Capistrano - Within an easy walk from the station, there’s a lovely area called the Los Rios District, the oldest neighborhood in California. Walk the shady lane and visit one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops, and a petting zoo. Also in town is the famous Mission, featuring many programs for kids.
San Clemente - Some of California’s best stretches of wide sandy beaches are within steps of the Metrolink station. Bring your boards and bikes. it’s easy on the train! The train stops at the beach and restaurants are nearby.
Los Angeles - The City of Angels is packed with fun places to visits like Chinatown, historic Olvera Street, museums and amazing restaurants.
Buena Park - Summer isn’t complete without a visit to Knotts Berry Farm and its very cool roller coasters. For jousting and knights in armor, check out Medieval Times.
Check out other family-friendly ideas here. For inspiration about places to go and great deals at restaurants and more, stop by the Metrolink Daycations website.
On weekends, adults ride throughout the Metrolink system for only $10 Saturday or Sunday and kids 17 and under ride free. On any one weekday, the adult fare for unlimited rides throughout the Metrolink system is only $15. Check out 42 trip ideas from 14 stations and enter to win today.
Connect to Fun with Car-Free, Carefree Shuttles
With help from OCTA, Orange County cities in the 5th District are offering summer shuttle services. Many began Memorial Day weekend. Funded in part by OC Go, the shuttles cost little or nothing to ride and provide convenient car-free service to popular destinations including festivals, the beach and shopping. OC Go, also known as Measure M, is the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.
Many summer shuttles connect to one another, as well as to OC Bus and Metrolink stops, making it easier to travel to popular destinations without a car. Shuttle services allow residents to avoid driving and parking hassles while enjoying what Orange County has to offer. And with the high cost of gas, low-cost transportation options should be more welcome than ever. All the shuttles are free on weekends.
Check out these fun, convenient summer fun travel options in the 5th District!
Shuttles are operated by local jurisdictions. OCTA continues to work closely with cities in monitoring ridership and evaluating costs. For more information, click here.
Water Wheel to Clean-Up Newport Beach Waters
As previously reported, Newport Beach is drifting closer to operating a solar-powered, trash-snaring vessel known as a water wheel to clean up its bay, following recent approval from the California Coastal Commission.
The water wheel is expected to look like a snail with a paddle wheel or a conch shell crossed with a steamboat, mirroring its cousins in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, where the first of two was installed in 2014.
As proposed, two booms would span the width of San Diego Creek and funnel trash toward the stationary barge, which would be mounted with a 17-foot-tall water wheel. Any debris would land on a conveyer belt, then travel into two dumpsters mounted on a fixed rail system. The dumpsters would be conveyed to land, where a garbage truck would access them and dispose of the trash.
Discussions to place the device in San Diego Creek date back to 2017, when estimates for the project ranged from $750,000 to $1 million. City spokesman John Pope said Monday the current cost estimate for the barge is not yet confirmed, as the drawings have not been finalized.
The City has about $2.2 million available in grants between the Ocean Protection Council and the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Measure M, according to city staff.
San Diego Creek, according to a staff report for the Coastal Commission, “introduces hundreds of tons of trash from surrounding urban development into downstream waterways each year.”
Through the use of the water wheel, the city would also be able to quantify the kinds of trash flowing into the bay, which could help provide data for possible future ordinances.
Coastal Commission staff noted in their report that while the barge will be an “effective” method of trash capture, it would not resolve the issue at its source. The city could further reduce the amount of trash entering community waterways by restricting single-use plastics and Styrofoam products in Newport Beach, the staff report said.
Commissioners agreed, saying city officials should consider the implementation of a single-use plastics ban, but they did not require it as one of their conditions for approval.
The City still must acquire permits and approvals from other agencies such as the state Water Resources Control Board, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Orange County Flood Control District and the Irvine Co., which owns the property, but groundbreaking could start as early as 2023.
Construction is expected to take at least a year, taking into consideration nesting season of bird species in the surrounding area. For more information, visit the Daily Pilot.
Vikki Vargas Celebrates 40 Years w/NBC4 News
At last week's meeting of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, I had the great pleasure of presenting a Board Resolution to my dear and longtime friend, Vikki Vargas, who is celebrating forty years with the NBC4 News team.
Based in Orange County and a resident of the 5th District, Vikki Vargas is the Bureau Chief, responsible for gathering and covering the region’s major stories for NBC4 News. Vikki has long been highly regarded by her peers for her outstanding versatility and journalistic integrity, as she has expertly covered countless important national and international news stories while at NBC4, in addition to numerous prominent local news stories in Orange County.
During her distinguished career, Vikki Vargas has deservedly received numerous honors and awards for her professional achievements and community involvement, including the Sky Dunlap Award, Orange County Press Club’s highest honor for career achievement and community service; a Golden Mike, a State Bar Association Award for Outstanding Reporting; the Orange County Press Club Award for Best News Reporting; and was part of the excellent team that won a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for Best Newscast in 2008.
Additionally, Vikki Vargas received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition; Avance Award from the Hispanic Americans for Fairness in Media: was named Latina of the Year by the National Latino Peace Officers Association in 2006; and recognized by her alma mater, California State University, Fullerton, with the Vision & Visionaries Award, the highest tribute given by the school to alumni.
Passionate about giving back, she established the NBC4-Vikki Vargas Scholarship in partnership with the station, which is granted annually to a Cal State Fullerton journalism student; and she was honored by Orangewood Children’s Foundation with the General William Lyon Crystal Vision Philanthropy Award for her admirable work with foster youth in the region.
Please join me in congratulating Vikki Vargas for her 40 years with the NBC4 News team! To see the NBC4 News clip of the Board Resolution presentation, click here.
Hate Happens Here: OC’s Call to Action
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of providing the welcoming remarks at the Hate Happens Here: OC’s Call to Action Town Hall, presented by the OC Human Relations Council and hosted by Soka University in Aliso Viejo.
The meeting comes on the heels of the tragic shooting at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, which claimed the life of Dr. John Cheng and seriously injured five others. What was initially thought to be a horrific act of violence was later identified for what it truly was - a crime motivated by hate. This recent cowardly act not only highlights the prevalence of hate crimes in Orange County, but also emphasizes the urgent need for us to come together as a community to address these issues and take action.
The meeting was well attended with representation from a diverse cross-section of the community. The Town Hall provided an opportunity to share ideas and recommendations for developing a people and community-centered strategy to eliminate bias-motivated hate in Orange County.
Hate and discrimination of any kind, against anyone, have no place here in Orange County, and I want to thank the OC Human Relations Council for their work to prevent any further hate related incidents and hate crimes in Orange County. To read the booklet provided to attendees at the Town Hall, click here or on the image below.
OC Summit on Antisemitism and Hate - Aug. 30
Join Camp Do Good: Give Blood - August 29
$10 Million for Children's Mental Health Services
Emerald Fire Caused by Power Lines
Sign Up for Alert OC Today!
AlertOC is a County System managed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department capable of notifying thousands of subscribers by phone, email, text message during an emergency incident.
Each AlertOC account can have multiple addresses registered to it, so you can be notified of potential disasters impacting your home, work, child’s school, or other important locations.
Notifications via AlertOC are sent based on the subscriber's address and proximity to an emergency or disaster. If you did not receive any notifications or would like to check or update your contact information, visit AlertOC.com or click on the image below.
Laguna Niguel Hit-and-Run Suspect Arrested
HCA: Ocean Recreational Water Update
OCPL Digital Newsletter: Author Connection
OC Microbusiness Grant Awards Re-Launch
5th DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT
LA Chargers Training Camp in Costa Mesa
This week, I had the pleasure of attending the LA Chargers Training Camp, which was held at Costa Mesa High School. I enjoyed seeing all the players, coaches and fans at the camp. Please join me in wishing the LA Chargers a most successful NFL season!
City of Hope Lennar Foundation Cancer Center
This week, my office was pleased to present a proclamation in honor of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the spectacular new City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in Irvine. The proclamation was presented to Annette Walker, President, City of Hope Orange County.
City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, is opening its visionary comprehensive cancer center in Orange County, creating a national model for delivering breakthrough research and pioneering treatments, ushering in a new era of hope for people with cancer.
City of Hope is fulfilling a 2018 promise to invest more than $1 Billion to develop and support a comprehensive cancer campus of the future in Orange County that will change the way cancer care is delivered, as City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center will be seamlessly connected to OC’s only specialty cancer hospital exclusively focused on treating and curing cancer, opening in 2025.
In opening the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center, City of Hope brings its renowned care and research to Orange County’s 3.2 million people, as patients will receive fully integrated, multidisciplinary cancer care, from prevention to survivorship, all in one convenient location.
The Lennar Foundation Cancer Center will serve as a powerhouse of the nation’s most acclaimed physicians and scientists with expertise in lung, breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, genitourinary, blood cancers and more lead next-level cancer treatment and research, featuring the most sophisticated technology.
The City of Hope Orange County Cancer Care Network currently includes four regional sites – two in Newport Beach, one in Huntington Beach and one in Irvine – as the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center, regional sites and planned hospital will create OC’s largest network dedicated solely to cancer treatment and cures.
My office was pleased to present a commendation in honor of Performance Vision Therapy in Newport Beach, where the Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony this week. Patients will definitely benefit from their use of Vision Therapy to treat a multitude of disorders, as well as improving an athlete's visual processing to a more elite level. Please join me in welcoming Performance Vision Therapy to the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce!
SKIN AND CANCER INSTITUTE in San Clemente
My office was pleased to present a certificate of recognition to Skin and Cancer Institute in San Clemente, where the Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony this week. Orange County patients will undoubtedly benefit from the wide array of excellent cosmetic, plastic and skin care treatments available at Skin and Cancer Institute. Please join me in welcoming Skin and Cancer Institute to the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce!
Welcome my New Policy Advisor, Jesse Guillen!
I'm pleased to welcome Jesse Guillen as our newest Policy Advisor! Jesse comes to us from Social Services Agency (SSA), where he served the County for 7 years in a variety of roles. These included community outreach and Mobile Response Vehicle deployments that provided SSA services to thousands of Orange County’s homeless, annual holiday donation drives for Operation Santa Claus and Senior Santa & Friends charity programs for foster youth and vulnerable seniors, and a variety of other administrative functions including Volunteer & Intern Programs.
Prior to SSA, Jesse served 21 years with OC Child Support Services in various case management capacities, marketing & communications and public information office. Jesse holds a BA in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in leadership and is currently pursuing his Master of Arts degree in Public Administration with anticipated completion of March 2023. Please welcome my newest policy Advisor, Jesse Guillen!
COUNTY OF ORANGE COVID-19 UPDATE
COVID-19 Orange County Case Counts by Cities
The OC Health Care Agency continues to release daily COVID-19 case counts in Orange County. As of today, HCA is reporting 637,013 positive cumulative cases and 7,203 deaths to date, as well as 338 currently hospitalized with 49 in ICU.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: HCA has transitioned to publicly reporting COVID-19 data to two days a week following the change in reporting by CDPH. Specifically data on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, ICU numbers and bed availability, and deaths will be reported on our dashboards Tuesdays and Fridays. Other data (e.g. testing positivity, variants, vaccinations) will continue to be updated on a weekly basis.
COVID-19 Messages from Health Care Agency
OC Moves to HIGH COVID-19 Transmission Rate
Preparing for COVID-19 Vax for Young Children
HCA: Why Is It so Important to Get Vaccinated?
Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, County Health Officer at the OC Health Care Agency (HCA), has a video message to help explain why it's important to get vaccinated. To view the video, click here or on the image below.
For informational town hall events and more educational videos related to COVID-19 vaccination, visit the OC COVID-19 homepage.
HCA Update on Boosters and Additional Doses
The CDC has updated its guidance on COVID-19 booster shots and additional doses for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, including recommendations for people who received the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, as well as updated time intervals between doses.
The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) has an infographic to help you understand all of the information about boosters and additional doses. Click here or on the image below to download the information.
CRITTER CHRONICLES
OC Animal Care is NOW OPEN for Appointments!
OC Animal Care Pet of the Week: Meet Mina!
Aliso Viejo: Furry Friends Pet Fair - August 6
Drive-Thru Pet Food Pantry at OC Animal Care
The Importance of Licensing your Pet
Lost and Found Community Pet Information
Let's Paws: Coyote Awareness
OUT & ABOUT SAFELY IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT
Ladera Ranch: Concerts in the Park - July 29
Bring a blanket and lawn chairs, pick up dinner and treats from local restaurants, and enjoy an evening of music in the park this summer in Ladera Ranch. See below for a list of upcoming concerts and more information:
Music in the Park is a free public concert series held Sunday evenings July 10 - August 21 at Bluebird Park in Laguna Beach. Concerts start at 5:00 p.m. See a list of upcoming concerts below. For more information, click here.
Performers:
7/31 - Upstream (Reggae/Soca)
8/7 - ABBA LA
8/14 - Los Pinguos (Argentinian Latin)
8/21 - LA Sound Machine (Gloria Estefan)
Ladera Ranch Farmers Market is Every Sunday!
Aliso Viejo: Shakespeare Under the Stars - 8/4
Laguna Niguel: Summer Concerts - August 5
Festival of Butterflies in San Juan - August 6
Dana Point: FREE Concerts in the Park - 8/7
Laguna Hills Chamber Car Show - August 7
Aliso Viejo: Summer Movies in the Park - 8/12
Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) is again hosting their Summer Movie Nights at Grand Park/Town Center Amphitheater! Movies begin at sundown. Pre-Movie activities begin at 6:00 PM. See below for upcoming movies, dates and more information:
Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) is again hosting their Summer Concert Series a at Grand Park/Town Center Amphitheater in Aliso Viejo! Concerts are from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. See below for upcoming concerts, dates, and more information:
The City of Newport Beach presents its annual Summer Concerts Series on the Green, featuring an array of performers for your entertainment. Unless otherwise noted, all concerts are held on the Newport Beach Civic Center Green (100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach). Admission and parking are free, on a first come, first served basis. See the list below for upcoming concerts. For more information, click here.
August 21 - Young Guns (Country Cover Band)
September 18 - Britain’s Finest (Beatles Tribute)
October 2 - Stone Soul (At Marina Park)
Dana Point: Classic Car Show - August 28
Laguna Beach: Festival of Arts 90th Anniversary
55th Annual Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna
Laguna Art-A-Fair Fine Art Festival 2022
Nestled in beautiful Laguna Canyon, the Laguna Art-A-Fair is one of the premier fine arts summer destinations in Southern California and has been for more than 55 years. Our artists invite you to Celebrate Art with a full spectrum of original creations, affordable reproductions, art demonstrations, workshops, live music and excellent cuisine. For more information, click here.
Taste of Laguna Food & Music Festival - 10/13
OC Public Libraries: Services, Events & Activities
FOOD RESOURCES IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
Check Out The Fifth District Dispatch Archives!
For those of you who may have missed any of my previous Fifth District Dispatch newsletters, featuring up-to-date COVID-19 facts and other information pertinent to South County, click here.
Thank you so much for your outstanding and continuing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Orange County, as we're all in this together!
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