On Thursday, I joined Chairman Doug Chaffee, Vice Chairman Don Wagner, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, Veterans and other elected officials for the signing of AB1595. This bill paves the way for establishing a veterans cemetery here in Orange County. Orange County veterans advocated for almost a decade to build a State Veterans Cemetery in Orange County. This year, the Board sponsored AB 1595, a bill carried by Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva proposing to allow the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) to study, acquire, design, develop, and construct a state-operated veterans cemetery in Orange County.   

It passed in the State Legislature, and Governor Newsom signed it into law. Because of AB 1595’s urgency clause, the bill immediately became law.   

Then, I attended the quarterly meeting of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council. We reviewed the budget for future SB 823 funds, received and filed the 2022 Strategic Financial Plan projections, and reconvened the ad hoc committee to review Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) program requirements, plan and metrics. I strongly support the action to review existing funding to ensure that we are spending dollars based on performance metrics to ensure that we maximize outcomes and save taxpayer dollars. I look forward to continued work on the important work of supporting the most vulnerable in our juvenile justice system and advancing public safety. 

Today, I happily attended Habitat for Humanity’s Framing Day! It was inspiring to hear the different accounts shared this morning to emphasize the importance of affordable housing. A place to call home transforms lives, and I am committed to doing everything I can as Supervisor to support opportunities for more families to find housing.  

Finally, on Friday, I joined many community members for the Grand Opening of the Korean Community Services Health Center in Irvine! The organization provides crucial services for new Korean immigrants such as social services, counseling, food bank, legal assistance and education materials. This new center will be Irvine’s first federally qualified health center and will provide Irvine residents with culturally inclusive expert care.

On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, I’m distributing $100 gas cards to my constituents facing economic hardship as a result of high cost of gasoline and rising inflation. This program is made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).   

The drive-thru distribution will take place at Orange Coast College (2701 Fairview Rd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626) off Fairview near the Orange Coast College Wendell Pickens Baseball Field.  

Registration is required, and the deadline is Monday, October 31, 2022 at 12:00 PM.

More information is available on the flyer below and you can register on the form here: https://d2.ocgov.com/form/gas-card

At the request of Vice Chair Wagner and I, the County Board of Supervisors advocated for the State of California to suspend the gas tax, but Sacramento did not listen. At the same time, large oil companies are seeing record profits. I remain committed to directly helping residents by returning your taxpayer dollars back into your pocket.     

Meeting Highlights of October 27, 2022 Housing and Community Development Commission

1. Findings AB361 – Reconsider state of emergency and make findings that HCD has reconsidered state of Covid emergency and the County will continue hybrid meetings.  

1. Michelle Zdeba, Housing Development Manager - County brought forward two projects for update for PAC meeting last week.  Motel 6 Costa Mesa will get total of 2.5 million. This is a Community Development Partners/Mercy House project.   Riviera Motel in Stanton, a Jamboree Housing project, was originally slated to receive over 2 million.  This project will now receive an additional 1 million for a total amount not to exceed $3,032,983. 

1. 6 million in American Rescue funds were given to the Housing Authority. A portion is being used for landlord incentive programs.  Incentives include signing bonuses, security deposit, funding which complements existing housing choice voucher recipients.  OCHA is developing training procedures for this project for November, 2023.  Additional new housing development set side is 27 million for NOFA housing development projects. Several million per year will be used to fill gaps in current housing development projects.  Remainder will go to NOFA to be released later this year. 

As of October 27, 2022, there are 269 total cases of Monkeypox and 5.2(%) hospitalizations in Orange County.   

Cases across the state are slowing down. San Francisco announced that it is ending its Monkeypox State of Emergency on October 31st, and we hope that we will see that happen at the state level as cases and the spread decline.    

Testing and vaccines are available across the County. To learn more about monkeypox and vaccinations, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/monkeypox.   

COVID-19 

It is increasingly important to remain safe and healthy and it is a top priority of mine to keep community members updated with the most recent guidelines. To find more information on the latest guidelines issued by the HCA, visit occovid19.ochealthinfo.com.  

As you celebrate summer activities and plan vacations, protect yourself and loved ones from COVID-19 by following safe travel guidelines issued by the CDPH.

See the latest guidance: Here

Many concerned citizens reached out to my office about the state of OC Animal Care’s adoption system. In response, I sent an anonymous staffer unannounced to walk in to the shelter and report back what an everyday resident may experience as a walk in adopter. I’m pleased to report they were accommodated within minutes and were able to view multiple animals (& our office almost got a new fuzzy team member)! 

There are some fundamental truths we must start with: 

• Too many pets are living in our shelters who need a loving home.  

• Our shelters are understaffed and we must vigorously recruit and retain new staff members. 

• The OCAC shelter is open for walk ins. Appointments are recommended for a quicker adoption process, but not necessary. Every customer receives a fully personalized adoption experience.  

To solve our most pressing concerns, my office sponsored adoptions through the month of September. I’m pleased to share we found homes for 182 dogs, 296 cats, 20 rabbits, 8 guinea pigs, and one tortoise! 

To read my official response to frequently asked questions, please click here.

Dylan is a 4-year-old Blue Nosed Pit Bull who is full of sugar, spice, and everything nice! This sweet boy is as loyal as can be and just wants to be with you all day long, getting lots of love and attention! Dylan is incredibly smart and knows sit, shake, and lay down, and he takes treats very lightly, like a true gentleman. Since Dylan’s arrival as a stray in August, we’ve been working to help him gain some healthy weight so he can look and feel his best! Dylan enjoys the outdoors and is a pro at walking nicely on the leash, stopping to smell the flowers along the way of course! Dylan will do best in a home where he can be the only pet since he loves hogging all of the human attention. People are his absolute favorite! 

Interested in adopting Dylan? Call (714) 935-6848 to schedule an adoption appointment today! Walk-ins are welcome! * 

Animal ID#: A1780612 

*Walk-ins are on a first-come, first-served basis as staffing allows. 

Join us at the movies on Wednesday, November 2 for a free screening of "Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down," a 2022 documentary film that follows gun violence prevention hero and advocate Gabrielle Giffords as she recovers from the 2011 shooting.  

Hosted by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, Giffords, Moms Demand Action – CA, and my office, this event will begin at 6:00 pm at the Regal Edwards Metro Pointe Theater in Costa Mesa. The screening will commence at 6:30 pm, followed by a conversation on gun violence prevention. 

Please register for the event, as seating is limited. I look forward to seeing you there! 

Please join us for the Veterans Cemetary Flag-Raising Ceremony 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH, 2022  

PROGRAM STARTS AT 10 AM 

Parking is first come, first serve.  

Please come at 9:15 AM for the shuttle service as you will need to be transported to the top of the hill. 

The American flag is a grand 60'x30' to be raised on a 100-foot flag pole to mark the site. 

Directions to the Gypsum Canyon site:  

From East on 91 Freeway: Exit Gypsum Canyon Road, then turn right at the end of the off-ramp. The event entrance is straight ahead. (Do NOT take the exit to Route 241.)  From North on 241 Toll Road: Head west on Route 91, take the Weir Canyon Road exit, turn left at end of off ramp, take Route 91 East on ramp, head east on Route 91. Exit Gypsum Canyon Road, then turn right at the end of the off-ramp. The event entrance is straight ahead. (Do NOT take the exit to Route 241.) 

At the end of September, Metrolink suspended the service lines between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside, and Amtrak suspended service for their Pacific Surfliner trains between Irvine and San Diego due to coastal erosion impacting the train tracks along the San Clemente area. Freight travel will continue with monitoring and slow speeds.   

The Orange County Transportation Authority finalized a contract with a geotechnical firm to begin emergency work next week to stabilize the railroad track in San Clemente.  

The current plan is to complete the work in one phase over approximately 90 days. Project engineers and geotechnical experts will continually monitor the slope next to the track during construction. In partnership with all rail agencies, a decision will be made when to safely resume passenger rail service. Restoration of passenger rail service could happen in as soon as 60 days, in mid-December, or when the construction is expected to finish in mid-January, in 90 days.     

Metrolink released their adjusted schedule in response to the line closure, but at this time offer no alternate routes. Amtrak provides alternate bus routes for some of the trains impacted by the closure while other trains are temporarily suspended with no alternate routes.   

Student Debt Relief

MARIANGELES SOTO-DIAZ 

GENTLE PROWESS DELIBERATIONS 

through January 12, 2023 

Part of Mariangeles Soto-Diaz’s ongoing artist residency, Gentle Prowess Deliberations is the third project in a series in which the artist incorporate judo principles and elements into art objects, installations, performances and social practice with her judo community. This project focuses on ju, or gentle, one of the core concepts of judo.  The work also grapples with the ongoing reality of violence, including the violence that has led to over six million people leaving the artists native country of Venezuela in recent years. How does one practice ju in a world shaped by oppressive violence? 

While growing up in Venezuela, Soto-Diaz’s judo teachers were intent on transmitting judo’s international sensibility as intertwined with its pacifist ethos, a key principle articulated by judo founder Jigoro Kano. Through these early experiences, Mariangeles was able to begin the philosophical and rhetorical quest into what this might mean as one confronts a powerful opponent, institution, or system. 

For this project the artist approaches ju in several ways. She asked judo colleagues and teachers from two different dojos, Bunasawakai and Sawtelle, to characterize ju in their own words, and then incorporated their answers into aspects of the performance and installation. She weaves into the performance movements from a choreographed judo form that centers around ju, called ju-no-kata, performed here by US National champions Lee Pasteris and Frederick Dagdagan. Soto-Diaz incorporates judo movements performed by two of her sensei, grand master Sensei Nori Bunasawa and Sensei Goya. In addition to these four highly ranked master judokas, the artist is collaborating in the performance with dancer, choreographer and UCI professor Charlotte Griffin and art performer Christina Segovia. The evening will include field recordings from judo competitions at the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo as well as the US, with live and processed sound in collaboration with musician Michael Dessen. 

Learn more. 

Bowers Museum will once again welcome international couture powerhouse Guo Pei as she transforms the galleries into a world of fantasy this fall.  

The exhibition Guo Pei: Art of Couture premiers with a fresh take on the artist’s finest and most personal pieces, including gowns hand selected by Guo Pei herself. Hot on the heels of her success at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, Bowers’ entirely new exhibition opens to the public on November 12, 2022. 

Guo Pei: Art of Couture will feature over 40 works of couture art curated for exhibit by the world-renowned designer. Among the bespoke selection is Guo Pei’s Chinese Bride collection, which makes its North American debut at the Bowers.