irvine city news 4.2016

Business Education Life Sports Community FeatureCity Opinion

From Costco to Trader Joe’s, everyone has a go-to store to buy gro-ceries. Irvine residents

can now add Whole Foods Market to the list of options within the city limits. Fans of the brand have had to brave the parking challenges of The District in Tustin or travel to Fashion Island in Newport Beach to shop at the store. Now, they need only visit the Irvine Spectrum area, where Whole Foods Irvine serves as the anchor tenant at the newly

Portola High School is scheduled to open in August 2016, joining a stellar lineup of Irvine

public schools that draw resi-dents to the city from around the world. In recent months, digital and print accounts regarding the testing of soils at the school site

have been used as a wedge issue in the community.

At a meeting March 22, the five-member Irvine Uni-fied School District board voted unanimously to expand the number of locations to re-test soil samples at the Portola High School site from the state

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES AT IRVINE’S NEW PORTOLA HIGH SCHOOL. COURTESY OF IUSD.

Soil retesting set

A WHOLE LOT OF WHOLE FOODS!THE GOURMET AND ORGANIC GROCER DEBUTS IN IRVINE

STATE TO RECONFIRM THE SAFETY OF SOILS AT PORTOLA HIGH SCHOOL SITE

by Staff

by Staff

recommended 10 to as many as 20 test locations. Dot Loftstrom, Department of Toxic Substance Control Division Chief and Act-ing Deputy Director, said that soil sampling and testing could begin as early as the last week in March, with final results expect-ed sometime in early May.

In recent weeks, IUSD Su-perintendent Terry Walker has written and posted letters about soils testing at the Portola High School site, past and present:

March 17, 2016: newsflash.iusd.org/2016/03/portola-high-school-update-and-public-meet-ing-notice

March 25, 2016: newsflash.iusd.org/2016/03/iusd-board-hosted-17th-public-meeting-to-ensure-highest-standards-for-portola-high-site/

Perhaps most informative of all the many stories, online posts and documents written about testing of soil safety at the school is one posted at IUSD.org titled: “Fact Check: Portola High School.”

Excerpts are included below.

Fact Check: Portola High SchoolThis August, the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) will open Portola High School, Irvine’s fifth comprehensive high school. We share the community’s excitement about the opening of our new state-of-the-art school that will serve generations of Irvine students and their families for years to come.

FEATURE

FEATURE

APRIL 2016

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 >> CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 >>

Bond on the ballot to update Irvine’s oldest schoolspage 5

EDUCATION

HOT DOG! FROM FOOD TRUCKS TO IRVINE FAVESpage 7

Cycling success in the city is gearing up

BUSINESS

page 4

COURTESY WHOLE FOODS

IrvineCityNewsWHAT REALLY MATTERS

PREMIERE ISSUE

irvinecitynews.com

APRIL 2016

2 irvinecitynews.comIrvineCityNews

Publisher’s Note

GREAT NEWS FOR A GREAT CITY

My name is Jacob Levy. I am the editor and publisher of the new publication from Ir-

vine that you hold in your hands.I live in Irvine. My wife and I

were married in Irvine. Our two children were in born Irvine. I at-tend synagogue in Irvine. I walk in Irvine. I see friends in Irvine. I shop in Irvine. I love Irvine.

Irvine is a city of roughly 250,000 people: smart, hard-working, family- and community-oriented people, people doing well and people striving to do well.

Irvine has amazing stories to tell. In many ways, Irvine is a model, modern, American and world city.

Friends of mine and I were frustrated with the reduced news coverage of this great city and irritated by the clearly bi-ased and purely political mailer- masquerading as a newspaper, no less- that tried to fill that gap. We got together a group of residents and put together the

Irvine City News. We have real community writers. We have real community advertisers. We are based right here in the commu-nity of Irvine.

To stay informed about the issues impacting Irvine, to read inspiring stories about Irvine residents, to get a preview of upcoming community events or to simple enjoy coverage of what Irvine has to offer, look for your copy of the Irvine City News each month. We are a work in progress—aren’t we all!—but we hope you like what you see in this inaugural issue.

Visit IrvineCityNews.com often for more stories, videos and photographs that capture life in Irvine. Connect with us to receive breaking Irvine news alerts in your inbox. Com-municate directly with us on Facebook and Twitter to tell us what you’re thinking. Send us your thoughts. Send us topics you’d like to see covered. Engage with us. Together, we can cover WHAT REALLY MATTERS. n

opened Los Olivos Marketplace.Irvine City News made several

visits to the new store during its first few days of operation. The much-anticipated new Whole Foods Irvine did not disappoint, with the exception of a few quibbles.

The almost 43,000-square-foot store that the company calls a “retail destination” and a “culi-nary wonderland” is stocked with wonderful goodies from local purveyors and growers, includ-ing organic produce from Irvine’s own Manassero Farms.

The meat and seafood coun-ters are impressive, as always, with a wide selection of sustain-ably sourced fish, and we’re excit-ed about the made-to-order poke bowls, with fresh fish, rice and a variety of inspiring ingredients. There is the usual wide selection of meats, including grass-fed, organic and smoked.

One disappointment is the lack of a grill with seating near the meat counter, such as seen at The District, where a cook will prepare meat or fish to eat in or take home. It’s a favorite trick of paleo diet fans. Though it’s a bit more hassle, staff did confirm

that one may take your purchased grass-fed bison or beef patty across the store to the pizza and sandwich prep side, where they will grill it up for you, just like at the Newport Beach store.

Do take advantage of the butcher’s and fishmonger’s skill and expertise. They’re happy to cut and prepare what you purchase to your specifications, or to fit that new recipe you’re trying out.

The Irvine store’s in-house bar and restaurant, called The Irv (yikes!), does not have the same cool gastropub vibe as found at Back Bay Tavern in the Fashion Island store. Still, it has a nice selection of craft beers on tap, and we’re looking forward to trying the Chupracabra Tears cocktail, a spicy green Bloody Mary made with Mezcal and Kale juice, at brunch.

For those who do imbibe, the store has 1,000 wines and an impressive array of craft beers along 56 feet of coolers. There’s also a smoothie and juice bar, a coffee bar with an Italian-crafted espresso machine, a bakery with bread made on-site, next to which is a display case filled with colorful macarons.

One highlight of the new

Whole Foods Irvine is the kids and baby section. It delivers a variety of natural health and wellness products, eco-friendly toys, organic cotton baby clothes, and much more. Each product adheres to Whole Foods’ commit-ment to providing only top qual-ity materials and sources that are gentle on the planet and harm-less to the body. Our top picks include California Baby’s line of organic bath products, Klean Kanteen’s food-grade stainless steel sippy cups, and Green Toys 100 percent-recycled curios.

The Los Olivos Marketplace features a mix of retail, service and dining options, including known brands (Starbucks and Wells Far-go) and ones new to Irvine (Puesto and Burger Lounge restaurants). Many are open now, with more coming through summer.

Los Olivos Marketplace is one of several new and remod-elled centers we’ll be looking at in coming months and years, including the stores replacing Macy’s at Irvine Spectrum, the remodelling of the Wood-bridge Village Center, and the retail and commercial offer-ings planned in the Great Park Neighborhoods. n

Jacob LevyEDITOR AND PUBLISHER

Editor and PublisherJacob Levy • [email protected]

5319 University Drive Suite #440

Irvine, CA 92612

[email protected] • 949.296.8338

Irvine City News is a monthly publication serving the city of Irvine, CA. Irvine City News distributes 60,000 copies

monthly via direct delivery and at news racks in select locations throughout Irvine.

WHOLE FOODS FROM PAGE 1

COURTESY WHOLE FOODS

IrvineCityNews

APRIL 2016

3irvinecitynews.com IrvineCityNews

However, the District is concerned about the continued and deliberate dissemination of information that mischaracter-izes IUSD’s actions to ensure the safety of the school site. IUSD’s Fact Check provides thorough factual information and correc-tions to set the record straight.

The District’s priority is to “ensure the safety of our stu-dents, their families, our staff and anyone on our school sites.” Our job and promise is to provide the highest quality educational ex-perience we can envision and that includes ensuring our students and school sites are safe. > The following agencies and experts have studied, tested and approved the land for the Portola High School site and determined it is safe for children, staff and the community:

n California Dept. of Education n California Environmental Protection Agency Dept. of Toxic Substances Control n Department of the Navy n U.S. Environmental Protection Agency n California Environmental Protection Agency State Water Resources Control Board n Nationally respected IUSD consultants, including soil scien-tists, geologists, toxicologists, en-gineers, environmental scientists and construction experts > The testing process at the Portola High School site has been independent, transparent and professional since the commence-ment of the project. IUSD’s consultant geologists and soil scientists collected the samples under DTSC oversight. The samples were then sent to a state certified accredited laboratory,

which conducted the testing. IUSD’s consultant and the labo-ratory documented the chain of custody for sample handling as outlined in DTSC guidelines and regulations. Testing results from the laboratory were sent to DTSC and IUSD’s consultant for review. > All testing of the site has been done under DTSC oversight and in accordance with DTSC guide-lines and state law. This indepen-dent process is the same for every school district in California. > Toxic soil has never been found on the school site. Small amounts of non-hazardous stained soil, which did not originate on the school site, were found on the northern edge of the property. The soil was tested and determined to be non-hazardous by two independent testing labs. Although IUSD was not required to do so, the district

removed the stained soil out of an abundance of caution. >According to geotechnical soil and testing experts working on the school site, no unknown materials have been found on the site. These experts have observed all grading, excavation and backfill opera-tions site wide. This is particularly significant given that there have been more than 300 deep exca-vations throughout the entire site, with some excavations as deep as 30-40 feet. The extensive work on the site further supports the comprehensive testing and historical use reports conducted by IUSD consultants and numerous federal, state and local agencies. > The land was leased to farm-ers for agricultural purposes from the 1950s through 2013. For many of those years, the site was used for organic farming. In addition, to the north of the site,

was extensive military housing, in which families lived and children were raised for decades. > Under the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Cali-fornia Department of Toxic Sub-stances Control (DTSC) oversight and in accordance with stringent California law, IUSD’s consultants have conducted more than 200 tests throughout the school site. Based on the results of the tests, the DTSC documented no threat to public health or the environment. Subsequently, in April 2014, both CDE and DTSC gave IUSD final approvals to build Portola High School. The requirements IUSD followed to ensure the safety of the school site are more rigorous than those required for residential developments. www.iusd.org/dis-trict_services/facilities_planning_and_construction/documents/PHS-FactCheck021.pdf n

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APRIL 2016


Irvine is consistently rated as one of the best places to live for an active outdoor lifestyle, with much of that acclaim due to the opportunities for bicycle riding in

the city. What is perhaps less well known is that a business segment that serves

The business of bikesby Staff

BUSINESS cyclists is based here. It includes retail, repair, design and manufacture, as well as nonprofits, clubs and other organiza-tions dedicated to education, outreach and group rides.

Design and ManufactureThe U.S. headquarters for global brand Shimano is in Irvine. The manufacturer of bicycle parts and components has long been a supporter of bike trails in Irvine.

bonus that the design of the bikes is influ-enced by OC’s cool surf apparel industry.

Felt Bicycles designs and manufactures a broad range of bikes, from beach cruis-ers and mountain bikes to racers seen in world-class events, such as the Olympics. The company also makes the orange bikes given away gratis to every new homeowner in the Great Park Neighborhoods.

Retail and RepairARB Cyclery • arbcyclery.comBike Religion • bikereligion.comIrvine Bicycles • irvinebicycles.comJax Bicycle Center • jaxbicycles.comRock N’ Road Cyclery rocknroadcyclery.netTrails End Cycling Center trailsendcc.com

Clubs and OrganizationsBicycle Club of IrvineThis recreational group’s membership spans all levels and ages, and includes weekend rides leaving Deerfield Commu-nity Park. bikeirvine.org

Orange County Rebel RidersThe group’s rides, which include different lengths and difficulties, start at Windrow Community Park. ocrebelriders.com

Irvine Bicycle Trails CommitteeThe group was an early advocate for Irvine’s bicycle trail infrastructure, backed bond issues and influenced the city and developers to support the grade separated trail system citizens enjoy today. Last year part of the Quail Hill Trail was renamed for Juanita Moe, a key leader of the com-mittee’s efforts. n

Local entrepreneurs started SureStop after being inspired to make bicycle brakes safer and easier to use. Their solution was simple: one hand lever instead of two, which stops bikes faster and makes going over the handlebars (kids call it an “endo”) much less likely. The company expanded some four months ago to include a bike brand dedicated to kids, the Guardian Bi-cycle Company. Its mission is “to build the world’s safest kids bikes,” with the added

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In recent weeks, parents, real es-tate sales professionals, residents of the Great Park Neighbor-hoods and interested locals have

seen a preview presentation of what the new Beacon Park School will offer incoming students when it opens in August. Incorporating state-of-the-art design and tech-nology, optimal architecture for education and a refreshing dash of fun and whimsy, the new school looks to be a fine addition to the Irvine Unified School District.

But the school’s innova-tions also serve to highlight the fact that the oldest schools in Irvine are not up to the stan-dard being set in Great Park Neighborhoods schools, as well as more recent Irvine school construction. More than half of the IUSD’s 38 schools are more than 30 years old and in need of

Bond to bridge gap

by Staff

EDUCATION

BALLOT MEASURE WILL RAISE FUNDS TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE OF IRVINE SCHOOLS

repair, school officials say.The IUSD Board of Educa-

tion has a plan to help alleviate that divide. In early March, the board voted unanimously to place a bond measure on the June 7, 2016 ballot. Designed to raise from $251 million to $319 mil-lion, the funds would go toward infrastructure improvements such as roof replacements and upgraded heating and cooling, as well as new science labs, new and/or improved art and music classrooms, and equipment and technology for improved student learning in core subjects like reading and science, technology, engineering and math.

None of the money can go toward salaries or benefits for teachers, administrators or staff, district officials confirm.

“IUSD is proud that our students continue to perform among the best in Orange County and in the state,” said IUSD Superintendent Terry Walker in a letter to the com-munity posted at IUSD.org. “We are fortunate to have outstand-ing teachers, challenging and innovative academic programs

and a community that supports Irvine students and schools. These are all essential elements of maintaining the top qual-ity education for which Irvine is known. If passed, a School Facilities Improvement Measure would help support outstanding student achievement by ensur-ing students have equal access to facilities that support 21st-century education and career opportunities.”

Not all Irvine residents will see the measure on their June ballots. The IUSD adopted a School Facilities Improvement District at the March meeting that includes 10-mile strip be-tween Northwood High School and Bonita Canyon Elementary School in Turtle Rock.

Only registered voters within the facilities improvement dis-trict will vote on the measure. If passed by at least 55 percent of those voters, property owners in the zone would pay $29 per $100,000 of their property’s as-sessed value per year for 30 years.

Property owners in newer neighborhoods, such as Beacon Park and Portola Springs, aren’t included in the improvement district, as they already pay a tax to build schools in those areas. That tax is more than what own-ers in the improvement district will pay, according to IUSD. For a complete list of schools affected, go to newsflash.iusd.org.

How will long-time owners in older neighborhoods view the issue, especially those whose own children no longer attend IUSD? Voting to tax one’s self for the greater good of other people’s children may be a challenge for some. In future issues, we will feature opinions and voices of people on both sides of the bond issue. Email us at [email protected] with your comments. n

The spring sports sea-sons are well underway at Irvine’s high schools, with local student

athletes working hard to claim titles for their teams, as well as to impress college scouts who frequent games.

Irvine athletes have con-sistently ranked high among schools in the region in a variety of spring sports. Here’s an mid-season overview.

Golf is a strong sport for lo-cal youth, with young men from Woodbridge (Hide Yoshihara and Joseph Chun), Beckman (Everton Hawkins) and North-wood (Spencer Wing, Derek Kim, Kevin Chen and Peter Navarro) named in OCVar-sity.com’s early season ranking, which saw the Woodbridge golf team ranked No. 1. The Warriors still held the top OC ranking

MID-SEASON SPORTS REPORT

SPORTS into mid-March, remaining undefeated.

The Woodbridge High School girls basketball team finished the season ranked at No. 10 by OCVarsity.com, with reporter Kenny Connolly noting that “Sierra Vaglica graduates, but the Warriors will have four starters returning next season.”

In boys baseball, Beckman is tied with Corona del Mar at the top of the Pacific Coast League standings at press time, with both teams undefeated, while Northwood and Woodbridge remain in the hunt a few games back as Pacific Coast League games got underway on March 18.

Local high school swimmers are prominent on the leader boards, with Pacific Coast League preliminary and finals scheduled for Irvine Woollett Aquatic Cen-ter May 3 and May 6.

For more information, results and schedules, go to the high schools’ websites. n

Parents, coaches and school officials may send results to: [email protected] City News is looking for freelance and student sports reporters. Submit writing sample and contact info to: [email protected]

APRIL 2016


Irvine, Orange County and greater SoCal all owe a great debt to the U.S. service men and women who helped build and transform the region, while also defend-

ing its citizens and countless others in this country and around the globe.

The Marine Corps Air Station was established in 1942 and 1943, and though named after the nearby town of El Toro, the land is in the heart of Irvine. During World War II, the base was the center of aircraft squadron formation and unit

The state of the city of Irvine in one word is…excep-tional. Safe streets, strong schools, lots of entertainment, dining, and com-

munity events in which to par-ticipate, Irvine has it all. Because of this, many people don’t closely monitor what is going on in our city. Similarly, political candidates usually create issues designed to appeal to large numbers of people in hopes of getting attention.

You can see this in play every two years during the elections in Irvine. Two years ago, many of the people who approved the major-ity of the recent developments in the city did a complete 180 and tried to convince the voters of Irvine that there is now too much

development and that they would stop it.

There was even a pledge of a moratorium by several candidates who themselves had approved thousands of housing units which were protected by agreements with the city, rendering a mora-torium next to useless. BUT, it got headlines and it fed into a simple message that voters could understand.

No one votes for more traffic, yet people want economic devel-opment, opportunities for growth, and the continued high levels of service the city provides.

In a city like Irvine, where ev-erything is so good, during each election, our mailboxes fill with glossy political mailers trying to reduce the vote for city leadership to simple-to-grasp personal at-tacks on the other candidates. All of the candidates are in favor of safety, schools, and high levels of

service, so the campaigns resort to using fear tactics like over-development or alleged toxic contamination or other issues designed to move voters.

The fact is that our city has had two very different factions running it over the years and the end result for Irvine residents has been largely good. The difference is in the minutiae and margins.

Do we believe that the Great Park is a toxic contamination site? We don’t. But, if we do, then we must also believe that the group warning all of us of this was asleep at the switch for the eight years that they controlled the path of the park’s design and development.

We hear concerns about the health and safety of the park, but the scare tactic will backfire because the people who were in charge of safety and were respon-sible to do something about it are the very same people now using

Honoring the fallen

The state of the city. The state of news. How to help.

by Staff

by Jacob LevyEDITOR AND PUBLISHER

COMMUNITY

the issue to try to wrestle back control of the city council.

This is just one example of how city politics play out, but there are many.

Irvine’s new city council majority voted to end the Living Wage ordinance that was enacted by the previous council. That ordinance required city contrac-tors who held contracts over $100,000 to pay their employees a wage over the minimum wage anywhere they do business.

Faced with a new bid for the city’s janitorial contractor, the council realized that removing this requirement could save the city several hundred thousand dollars per year and open the bid up to contractors who did not want to have one city’s policy gov-ern everywhere they worked.

Immediately after ending this “living wage” ordinance, the cur-rent city council was painted as being opposed to the minimum wage by the former council and their supporters.

Obviously, the minimum wage was never at stake here since the city of Irvine could never reduce the requirement below federal or state minimums.

Notwithstanding this, the political mail piece masquerading

as a newspaper made its May 31, 2015 headline: “City Council Votes To Cut Irvine Minimum Wage.” This is yet another ex-ample of how they are twisting issues to manipulate the citizens of Irvine.

So the state of the city, no matter what anyone may tell you, is good.

What can you do to help?1. Read the Irvine City News

and tell your friends and neigh-bors about Irvine’s newest inde-pendent publication.

2. Follow us on Facebook.3. Sign up for our e-alerts.4. Advertise with us and

support the advertisers who do. With new technologies, it isn’t as expensive as it once was to produce a publication like this, but it still costs money and we need your support to continue to provide Irvine readers with unbiased articles.

5. Research the issues and don’t take any publication’s version of the facts as the truth without verifying.

6. Get involved in all of the wonderful things that the city of Irvine has to offer (for some suggestions, see the Calendar section, 10 Things to Do in Irvine this month). n

training prior to combat in the Pacific. MCAS El Toro continued serving the country as a training facility in peacetime and a staging area for support of overseas military missions in times of conflict.

Decommissioned in 1999 after 57 years of service, it’s now the Orange County Great Park. Nearby, what would become Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, better known today as the Blimp Hangars, was established at the same time. The base played an important role in naval aviation for 50 years, first housing blimps, then helicopters for the Pacific region.

John Wayne Airport and the OC CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 >>

Opinion

APRIL 2016


LAST ACTS AT VENUE

BURNTZILLA OFFERS COMFORT FOOD, IRVINE-STYLE

Most locals know that this is the last season of concerts at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. Since it opened in 1981 with the first concert featuring The Charlie Daniels Band with David Lindley & El Rayo X, the outdoor music venue has been a big part of culture in Orange County.

Many remember seeing iconic acts there, ranging from the first

Irvine’s restaurant scene has changed significantly in recent years. Chain restaurants are closing, replaced by chef-driven spots, often featuring intriguing Asian and fusion flavors. Many bemoan the loss of old favorites like Denny’s and Marie Callen-der’s, while others are excited by the evolving culinary options.

Those who want both the comfort of the familiar and a touch of culinary creativity should try

Burntzilla. Born out of the suc-cess of two OC food trucks, The Burnt Truck and Dogzilla, the fast casual restaurant debuted in early 2015 offering mini hot dogs and hamburgers.

Located at Culver and Walnut, the small spot’s menu is innovative, and affordable. Sliders and Zillas are only $3 each. Order a simple hot dog, or try the Yaki Dog, which includes a spicy Cajun pork link topped with yakisoba noodles.

Next up from the Burntzilla team is Burnt Crumbs, a café offer-ing their take on classic sandwiches. It’s coming in June to Los Olivos Marketplace. burntzilla.com n

Fairgrounds are on land that was part of the huge Santa Ana Army Airbase, which saw some 150,000 pilots and other servicemen and women pass through during the war, and was where some 80,000 veterans were posted as they de-parted the service after the war.

Many of the veterans who had spent time training or based in Orange County during wartime returned. Aerospace and defense industries grew, fueling the growth of the local economy and the need for more housing. The city of Irvine was planned and grew, in part, to respond to that postwar growth.

Today’s high tech and com-puter industries evolved out of the aerospace and defense industries, and the great former bases in Irvine and Tustin are destined to continue as the cen-ter of life in Orange County for generations to come.

At the Great Park, propos-als for a veteran’s cemetery are being negotiated. FivePoint, the master developer of the Great Park, recently offered to trade land with the city of Irvine to fa-cilitate establishing the cemetery on the south side of the park rather than the north — a site which has been opposed by some nearby residents. The Irvine City Council will likely address the offer this month.

Irvine residents needn’t wait for the cemetery issue to be resolved. We can honor those who gave their lives serving their country by visiting the Gratitude and Honor Memorial at North-wood Community Park, which commemorates those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since 2003 the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memo-rial has been the nation’s only memorial dedicated exclu-sively to honoring by name all of America’s Fallen from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The names of all those killed between Oc-tober 2001 and December 2014

are engraved in the memorial’s granite panels.

The memorial started in-formally, when Irvine resident Asher Milgrom began building wooden crosses for each service member killed as the Iraq war began in 2003. Milgrom and his family placed the memorials at Northwood Community Park, and soon the candlelit commem-oration grew as the community supported and embraced it. As the overseas conflicts continued, more individual memorials were added. Soon, a groundswell grew to make the memorial permanent. Spearheaded by Irvine resident Andy Zelinko, the movement for a permanent memorial grew with commu-nity donations in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a $150,000 contribution from the city of Irvine.

The permanent memorial was dedicated in August 2013, honor-ing by name each American who died in Afghanistan and Iraq, ac-cording to official casualty lists. The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial is described in an OC Register story at the time as including “five sentinels with four panels on each that included the engraved, sandblasted names of the fallen. The sentinels, along with a monument near a flag-pole, would become lit at night. The ground underneath the flagpole would have four words inscribed: Sacrifice. Honor. Courage. Valor.”

Memorial Day is May 30, and is a particularly apropos time to visit the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial. But while at the park for recreation or play, or even when passing by on Bryan Ave. or Yale on the way to work, give some thought to those who fell overseas in all the coun-try’s conflicts. n

The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial Northwood Community Park 4531 Bryan Ave., Irvinenorthwoodmemorial.com

Lollapalooza festival tour in 1991 to Michael Jackson’s Bad World tour in 1988. Whether one’s taste ran to the classical Pacific Symphony Summer Programs or to The Grateful Dead, everyone has a memory.

In March the last season opened. Up next is Journey with the Doobie Brothers (May 12) and the final concert on Oct. 8 features Florida Georgia Line.

When the last note sounds, Irvine Meadows will join the list of other iconic music venues such as the Rendezvous Ballroom, the Golden Bear, Safari Sam’s and the Tomorrowland Terrace at Disneyland. n JOURNEY. COURTESY LIVENATION

A WALK IN THE PARKS

Irvine is a paradise for those who love the outdoors. While many residents access the net-work of bike and hiking trails within and adjacent to the city, there are other trails in beauti-ful wilderness areas that are only open for scheduled activi-ties or docent-led programs.

The Irvine Ranch Conser-vancy is a nonprofit organiza-tion created to help care for the 50,000 acres of permanently protected wildlands and parks

in and surrounding Irvine. Because the Conservancy’s mission includes balancing recreation and conser-vation, many areas within Irvine Ranch Open Space can be experi-enced only via guided hikes. This includes some incredible trails in

Bommer Canyon and above Quail Hill and Shady Canyon in the La-guna Wilderness Park.

For those who prefer to explore on their own, each month the Conservancy opens trail networks in certain protected areas to hikers, runners and mountain bikers dur-ing Wilderness Access Days.

Upcoming access days include trails in and around Bommer Canyon (April 16, May 21 and June 18). Wilderness Access Days in Irvine Ranch National Landmarks outside the city include Black Star Canyon (May 7) and Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve (April 2 and June 4). letsgooutside.org. n

RECREATION

ENTERTAINMENT

DINING

MEMORIAL FROM PAGE 6

APRIL 2016


Through 4.2Alan Dugard Softball ClassicHeld in Woodbridge at Bill Barber Park, be sure and catch the final weekend of the girls high school softball tournament.

Through 4.3OdysseoThere are only a few more shows of the equine extravaganza under the big white tent in Quail Hill.cavalia.net

Through 4.10Anthology: Mike StilkeyHurry over to Great Park Gallery for a last look at this exhibit featuring the artist’s installations made out of books.

Things To Do in April Top

Thursday-SundayOrange County Great Parkocgp.org/visit/palm-court-arts-complex/

Through 6.16The Nature of WaterAn exhibit at the Irvine Museum featuring California Impressionism paintings focused on water. Tues.-Thurs. 11AM-5PMirvinemuseum.org

4.10Bubble RunRun through waves of bubbles during this non-competitive 5K, or just watch and enjoy the post-race festival – or volunteer. It’s a

fundraiser for Team Kids.Irvine Meadows AmpitheatreBubblerun.com

4.16Walk For WishesJoin Make-a-Wish OC and Inland Empire for the annual walk and festival to benefit the granting of wishes for kids with life-threatening medical conditions.7:30AMOrange County Great Parkocie.wish.org

4.17Children’s Garden WorkshopKids ages 3-8 can explore engineering in a fun outdoor

environment at Farm + Food Lab. The free workshops are held each month, with a different theme.9-11AMOrange County Great Parkocgp.org/events/childrens-garden-workshop-7/

4.17Dana Carvey An election year is a great time to go see the comedian and SNL alum, who brings his impersonation skills to Irvine Improv.7PM • Irvine Spectrumirvine.improv.com

4.18California Modern, Irvine StyleLearn about the architecture of Irvine and UCI as part of the Academic Symposium Series celebrating UCI’s 50th anniversary.Pacific Ballroom, UCI Student Centersites.uci.edu/pereira

4.20OC Blues Irvine’s team in the professional United Soccer League takes on the Portland Timbers at Anteater Stadium. The Blues roster includes CdM’s Grady Howe. 7:30PM • UCIOcbluesfc.com

BUBBLE RUN. COURTESY BUBBLE RUNODYSSEO. COURTESY CAVALIA

irvine city news 4.2016

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