May 28, 2021 | Edition 22

Welcome to the Community Link Newsletter

Our weekly newsletter aims to keep residents and businesses connected to us and all that is going on in and throughout the City. You can connect with us and learn more by visiting our website at cityofirvine.org, and following us on our social media channels, listed at the bottom of this email. We look forward to connecting with you. 

COVID-19 Testing Site at Orange County Great Park Closes 

The COVID-19 testing site at the Orange County Great Park is now closed. Thank you to all community members who have used this site as a means to keep our City safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. Since its implementation in July 2020, City staff and lab-partners Curogram and Pangea have provided nearly 40,000 COVID-19 tests. We are proud of our staff and their dedication to serving our community, and to you, for stopping the spread by being tested. Ongoing testing opportunities are available at many City facilities through City partner 360 Clinic, and vaccine clinics are available at the Orange County Great Park and various City sites. Learn more at cityofirvine.org/360clinic and cityofirvine.org/vaccine. 

Our Parks are Top 10!

Hey Irvine, our park system has been ranked 7^th in the nation by the Trust for Public Land annual ParkScore Index, which ranks the nation’s 100 largest cities based on factors including park access, acreage, investment, and amenities. Irvine is the second-ranked city in California, and this is the sixth consecutive year the City’s parks have ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Irvine earned a perfect score in parkland percent of city area, the number of basketball hoops per 10,000 residents, and the number of recreation/senior centers per 20,000 residents. The index also notes that 89% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, an increase from the 2020 ranking of 82%. To view the full ParkScore index visit tpl.org/parkscore. Learn more about  our parks at cityofirvine.org/parks. 

Earth Month Impressions

A healthy planet is not just an option — it's a necessity. Irvine residents and community members joined together this past Earth Month and performed earth-friendly acts like partaking in litter cleanup and a tree planting event, and completing nearly 1,000 hours of environmentally-focused community service to conserve our valuable resources, reduce pollution, and educate themselves on cleaner resources in our environment. Way to go, Irvine! Keep up the good work every month with these actions! Visit cityofirvine.org/conserveirvine to learn more about the City's sustainability efforts and how you can contribute. 

Introducing Sunset Point 

The Chaparral Park hill, located in the Turtle Rock community, has been officially named Sunset Point after the City sought to rename the hill to reflect the area's rich Native American heritage. Thank you to all community members who took the public survey and joined our community meeting to provide input. You can visit the park and hike up the trail, located at the corner of Turtle Rock Drive and Sundance. 

Studio Arts Festival 

The Irvine Fine Arts Center invites the community to its 27th annual Studio Arts Festival Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The juried festival will showcase more than 50 Southern California artists and their handmade, original works of art for purchase including hand-blown glass, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, painting, photography, printmaking, woodworking, clothing, and more.

This year's festival will be held entirely outdoors in Heritage Community Park to better provide a safe, socially distanced environment for the public. Advance registration will be required. Admission and parking are free. Support local artists and enjoy a day at the park! Visit the City's website to book your tickets. 

Fun Fact for 50 Years of Incorporation 

Did you know an Irvine business played an important role in the 2019 film Ford vs. Ferrari? Superformance, a distributor of replica and continuation race cars of the 1960s, sent 28 cars to Hollywood for the filming of the movie including 20 Shelby Cobras and three GT40s. Most were used as background on set, but seven cars were raced in the film and one of them belongs to Rich MacDonald, a longtime Irvine resident who oversees sales and promotions at Superformance. His car is a mirror image of the Shelby Cobra his father, Dave MacDonald, drove when he captured Cobra’s first ever victory in 1963. Rich also landed a cameo spot as a Porsche driver in Ford vs. Ferrari.

You can learn more about Superformance in the most recent Chat with the Mayor video. 

Upcoming Meetings & Events 

View the City Calendar