March 8, 2024 Edition

This is your last chance to register for Spring Citizens Academy! Join Irvine residents for this free six-session program to understand how City departments work together to form an effective government. You’ll meet with the City management team, tour City facilities, and learn how decisions are made and how tax dollars are collected and spent. 

• Engage with City departments and learn how they provide local government services to over 310,000 residents.

• Get a behind-the-scenes tour of City Hall, the Police Department, Great Park, the Animal Care Center, the Emergency Operations Center, the Traffic Control Center, and more.

• Learn where City tax dollars come from and how they are managed and spent in the community.

• Ask questions and learn about current City issues, including proposed facilities and amenities.

• Participate in important discussions about City policy.

To register for Citizens Academy, click here.

Support our local animal shelter by donating supplies during the annual Foster Donation Drive from now until March 31. The drive supports puppies, kittens, and recuperating animals in the Center’s Foster Care program. The program provides food, veterinary care, and a safe environment for animals too young to be adopted, those with behavior needs, and those recovering from medical procedures. Donations can be made in-person at the Foster Donation Celebration on Saturday, March 9, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Participants will receive an exclusive supporter sticker. Donations can also be made at any time online through their Amazon or Chewy wish lists, where orders are sent directly to the animal shelter. For more information and to view the Irvine Animal Care Center’s complete wish list, click here.

I had the pleasure of exploring the soon-to-be Gateway Preserve with Irvine Ranch Nature Conservancy President, Mike O’Connell. Formerly the site of the All American Asphalt Plant, these 700 acres will become accessible open space and residential housing. By listening to our residents and proactively addressing their concerns, we have been able to eliminate a public nuisance, while creating a hub for hiking, biking, and enjoyment of the outdoors. The Gateway Preserve will be a conservation area with habitat restoration, visitor facilities, and an additional nine miles of trails. Stay tuned as this thrilling project unfolds. To see my recent tour of the Gateway Preserve, click here.

We are thrilled to welcome these historic aircraft as part of the Great Park’s Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. The former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, which is now the Great Park, relocated the museum to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in 1999. The museum at El Toro was originally established in 1989 to serve as a tribute to the history and legacy of Marine Corps aviation. As part of the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation’s plan to relocate the museum back to Irvine, the process of delivering over 40 retired aircraft and artifacts has begun. This is the only museum in the world dedicated to sharing the stories of Marine Corps aviation. We are forever thankful to our veterans and active duty service members for their selfless sacrifice and bravery. For more information about the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum coming to Irvine, click here.

Thank you for reading this edition of my Community Update. Hope you enjoyed it. 

Mike Carroll