A city contractor, Geosyntec Consultants, will test 50 randomly selected homes near the burnt north hangar site. Testing will see if there’s any lead or asbestos in the soil, dust and interior air of homes. The results will be compared to 30 randomly selected residences in Santa Ana and Irvine.

Health officials have said the hangar fire put the community at minimal risk of exposure to harmful contaminants, but city officials say they are moving forward with the study to address residents’ lingering concerns.

Brian Hitchens, who works for Geosyntec Consultants, said in a webinar that the primary goals of the study are to determine if the fire spread lead and asbestos into people’s homes, and if those concentrations are above screening levels.

The city, this week, began sending mailers for interested residents to sign up, according to a news release.

Neighborhoods in the study’s area include Columbus Square and Tustin Meadows, and some apartment complexes included are the Amalfi Apartments, Anton Legacy Apartments and Westchester Park Apartments. Residents have until Feb. 14 to sign up for the volunteer pool and, if selected, will receive the results of their home’s sampling at no cost.

To complete the study, technicians will take the top inch of soil from a few areas in people’s yards and combine them to make a soil sample. They will also take dust samples from three locations and two air samples through a filter inside homes.

Residents can expect the sampling to take about three hours total, with most of that time for allowing an air pump to run. Technicians will be inside homes for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

The Environmental Protection Agency, the Southern California Air Quality Management District and the Orange County Health Care Agency approved the study and will review its results, which are expected to be released by April.

After In-N-Out Burger opened California’s first drive-thru in 1948, Alta Dena Dairy followed suit with a similar concept, opening express shops throughout the region.

Built in the early 1950s, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it store in Tustin — situated between DK’s Donuts and a Walgreens between Old Irvine Road and Irvine Boulevard — was once one of many Alta Dena Dairy drive-throughs in Southern California. In addition to milk, cheese and other Alta Dena-related fare, customers could purchase sundry items like flour, eggs, meats and paper goods inside the store without having to leave their vehicles.

As Nancy Keefe, daughter of Alta Dena Dairy’s co-founder/owner Harold Stueve, told the Los Angeles Times in her father’s 2006 obituary, “My dad saw that in California, cars were becoming more and more important. He thought it would be a good service to give people a place to get their basics without having to get out of their cars.” For better and for worse, such business savvy helped further cement Southern California’s automobile-driven reputation.

The Alta Dena Express turned into an unofficial landmark over the following decades, one that denizens cherished as much for its diminutive charm as they did for its convenience. Tustin artist Daniel Thomas captured the drive-through’s weathered appeal in his carefully crafted miniature. His small-scale replica paid homage to the shop, which closed in 2021, featuring the same rough-hewn yellow facade and lilliputian reach-in refrigerators with tiny cans of Mello Yello, cartons of milk and cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon. “It’s interesting to get the urban decay and some of the stuff that people just walk past,” Thomas told the Orange County Register in 2018. “I just like the building.”

In 2021, the building achieved official status after it was identified as a historic resource in the city’s 2021 Historic Resource Survey “as a rare example of an important automobile-oriented historic property type,” explained Stephanie Najera, communications manager for the city of Tustin.

SEE ALSO: 15 Southern California coffee shops with creative, quirky themes

While most the the Alta Dena Express’s later-era embellishment, like the slightly rusted metal sign reading “ALTA DENA MILK 2 GAL SPECIAL” bolted to the side of the building or its butter-yellow facade, will no longer be seen, the Googie-style structure will still sport the same design flair as it did when it first opened. “The existing drive-thru building … is of the Googie architectural style born in Southern California,” said Najera. “The style was a modern architectural style that began in the 1950s and was frequently used for coffee shops, gas stations along with other types of buildings.”

When Starbucks came knocking to open shop in the historic space, the city of Tustin required the coffee chain to keep some, if not most, of its original architectural elements. Such adaptive reuse ordinance allows for preservation of older buildings that, due to historic significance or utter beauty, deserve to survive the wrecking ball. “The city asked us to keep the barn sign and the wall-in cooler door, and to leave the wings intact,” said Ed Carlson, superintendent of KDC Construction, the team behind the renovation.

The towering barn sign, noted for its shingled ornamentation and A-frame peak, a design used at several other Southern California Alta Dena drive-throughs, was spruced up with little more than a new Starbucks logo. Midcentury-modern touches, like the two wings that spread from each side of the building (i.e., cantilevered) will remain as-is. And the zig-zag metal rods that hold up the wings, now decked out in a minty hue, keep the midcentury vibe going. The wall-in cooler doors will also stay put.

SEE ALSO: Blue Scoop Creamery, Southern-style ice cream shop, opens second OC location

Although the former convenience store did have space for customers to breeze in and out, the new Starbucks is drive-thru only, with the same menu found at most of its stand-alone stores. The coffee chain’s employees will take orders and prepare drinks from inside the cozy space, handing them off to drivers idling outside. The parking lot area has been configured to handle the flow and circulation of traffic. Drivers may enter and exit via Old Irvine Boulevard.

Find it: 1062 Irvine Blvd., Tustin

On Thursday, a week after Newsom told reporters he would not issue a state of emergency proclamation for the fire that destroyed the massive World War II-era blimp hangar, Republican Rep. Young Kim and Democratic Rep. Lou Correa asked Newsom in a letter to reconsider, arguing that a proclamation would allow Tustin to “access critical federal funds for remediation efforts.”

“We share our constituents’ concerns regarding the fire’s impact on public health and the environment, as well as the city’s fiscal position after investing millions of dollars into toxic debris cleanup,” the lawmakers wrote. “To date, the city has spent $54.2 million for disaster response and debris cleanup, and costs continue to grow unsustainably. While the Navy delivered $11 million to the city, outstanding remediation costs are a key concern.”

The now shuttered Tustin Marine Corps Air Station’s northern blimp hangar caught on fire on Nov. 7,  and burned for weeks, prompting a cleanup in the surrounding community of debris that had fallen on schools, parks and homes.

Residents have asked for additional testing for lead or asbestos in their homes, remediation and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses related to the fire, the lawmakers wrote in their letter. Some residents have spent thousands on testing their homes for hazardous contaminants or to rent hotel rooms to get away from the fire that wasn’t extinguished until Dec. 1.

City and county officials have been lobbying the governor to issue an emergency proclamation, and in turn request President Joe Biden to issue a presidential declaration of emergency, saying it would allow agencies to give money to the city and residents to get reimbursed for costs associated with the fire.

But Newsom, while in Orange County last week for a housing event in Costa Mesa, said because the emergency is over, a state of emergency proclamation “won’t have any effectiveness in terms of reimbursement.”

“Disaster declaration has to reach a certain threshold. A major disaster (declaration), actually has a numeric legal threshold of about $73 million. As it relates to this specific issue, it doesn’t reach those thresholds,” he said.

Kim and Correa questioned that threshold, asking Newsom to clarify why that would disqualify Tustin from receiving the “much-needed relief it is requesting.”

Mayor Austin Lumbard responded to Newsom’s comments then by saying it was the first time city officials had heard about a monetary threshold for emergency proclamations. Lumbard criticized Newsom’s response and said city officials have done their due diligence to understand the laws on the issue.

Navy officials have long said the service is committed to “fully pay for remediation efforts.” The Navy has faced criticism from local leaders for being too slow to commit more money to Tustin. The city has floated estimates of their total costs from the fire reaching more than $100 million.

MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide

Name: Scotty Peotter

Current Job Title: Architect and small businessman

Political Party Affiliation: Republican

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: Newport Beach City Councilmember

City where you reside: Irvine

Campaign website or social media: www.taxfighter.com

Gov. Newsom has been front and center lately in global affairs, from a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing climate action to a trip to Israel where he met with victims of the Hamas attack. Aside from the governor’s trips, what do you see as the role California should play when it comes to foreign affairs?

China: Gov. Gavin Newsom has gone out of his way to clean up San Francisco for Xi Jinping. The first question I have is if Newsom can clean up San Francisco for that, why can’t he do it for us?

Hamas: While supporting Israel, he is also using state resources to help Hamas by delivering medical and other aid with California taxpayer-funded supplies. He also has raised over $10 million for the Tides Foundation which is funding pro-Palestinian protests throughout the state.

Buying masks from China during COVID-19: The governor should encourage less dependency on Communist China. As we saw during the COVID scare, Newsom had to purchase billions of dollars worth of personal protection equipment, like masks, from Communist China at greatly inflated prices. He should give tax breaks to businesses that bring these industries back to California.

There have been recent efforts at the local level to change voting requirements — from a proposed voter ID requirement in Huntington Beach to an effort to open up voting to noncitizens in Santa Ana. What changes, if any, should be made to California’s voting laws?

We should make the voting system easier to vote and more difficult to cheat. Without an honest and fair voting system, our republic is in danger of collapse. After all, who cares about voting if their vote doesn’t count because it is overcome by cheating and fraudulent voting?

Solutions:- Limiting ballots that are mailed out to only those who absolutely need them and requiring a witness to sign.- Opening voting centers before Election Day so that everyone has a chance to vote.- Establishing a voter ID system that makes it easy to vote but very hard to cheat.- Cleaning up voter rolls so that only actual voters are on the list.

Cheating: We have tax fraud. We have bank fraud. Of course, we have voter fraud. But we can minimize voter fraud by making it more difficult to cheat and easier to catch evil-doers.

The latest state budget projections show California’s deficit has swelled to a record $68 billion, leading to calls for spending cuts. Give us two specific ways California could address the deficit.

It seems that every year the California Legislature spends more than it receives, even though it violates the California Constitution. You have heard it said that the state has a spending problem; not a revenue problem.

Kill the bullet train: This is wasting taxpayer money that doesn’t help Californians and should be an easy decision. It is an example of government waste at its best. Billions of dollars for a train that goes nowhere fast.

Stop giving free medical care to “illegal aliens”: This would save billions on day one. Stop providing no-cost medical coverage to 286,000 “illegal aliens” over 50. Kill Gov. Gavin Newsom’s expansion of this program that adds more than 700,000 additional illegal aliens ages 26-49 which went into effect Jan. 1.

Speaking of the budget, what are your top three budget priorities?

We need to provide immediate relief to taxpayers from Biden-flation.

We can make California golden again by exciting economic activity by cutting spending and allowing people to keep more of their hard-earned income.

– Cut the gas tax effective immediately. Californians pay at least $1 more per gallon than the rest of the country and the second-highest gas tax in the country. With inflation stealing the budgets of the typical California family, this would provide immediate relief.- Cut the income tax across the board. This would create additional economic activity and slow the exodus of the middle class from our state.- Initiate an immediate spending freeze, followed by an across-the-board 10% budget cut in every department.

The legislature garnered national headlines when an effort to increase penalties for child sex trafficking initially stalled. How would you, in the legislature, balance criminal justice reform with public safety concerns?

Keep criminals in prison.

California retailers are leaving the state because the governor is letting criminals out of prison and not arresting those who commit crimes that the governor deems not worthy of prosecution. Criminal justice reform should not be to release criminals and not arrest others because we don’t have room to incarcerate them. Criminals should know that in California, if you do the crime, you will do the time. Let’s make California safe again and bring retailers back to our neighborhoods.

Sex trafficking originates at the border.

The state decided to increase penalties for sex traffickers after initially defeating the legislation but relented and passed the bill after public pressure. But the increase in sex trafficking is a direct result of our open border policies. This governor should end our “sanctuary” state policy and call out the National Guard to secure our border.

Homelessness continues to be a concern for Californians. While there is no simple solution, what is one proposal you have that could reduce homelessness in our communities?

California has 10% of the population and 30% of the nation’s homeless.

Can’t beat the weather. If I was homeless, I would choose California, too. And the politicians seem to hand out benefits like Halloween candy. Now the politicians have this ridiculous policy that if you just put them in housing, you can then address the other issues. This is called housing first. This is very expensive, slow and it doesn’t work.

Most homeless want to remain homeless because they have drug and/or alcohol addictions, and they do not want to give them up. Since they are fed and taken care of by the public, they do not have to get clean.

Christian organizations have been successful. While there is no easy or simple solution, many faith-based organizations have had amazing success rates with homelessness. These organizations that have proven success rates should be supported and encouraged to expand.

The governor recently signed a law that set a first-in-the-nation minimum wage standard for healthcare workers. Should minimum wage standards vary by industry? Why or why not?

Why not $50 per hour? Why not $100 per hour? Because that goes too far … why? The logic to support $25 per hour is the same that you use for $100 per hour: “They deserve it.” Where do you stop?

Freedom is going away: The entire concept of “free” enterprise is: I am willing to do a job for a certain amount of pay. Freedom. I can choose to work for that amount or not. If the employer cannot find anyone willing to work for what he can afford to pay, either he offers more or goes out of business.

No cell phones: When the government gets involved, the government picks winners and losers, not the market. If the government were in charge, we would still have VHS tapes, CDs and no personal computers or cell phones.

What is one environment or climate policy you’d champion if elected?

I am a champion of low-cost, abundant and reliable energy. After all, we have more and more things that need to be plugged in, not less. We should be as efficient as possible with our use of electricity.

California should not import electricity. We used to lead the nation in energy production. As a result, industry and individuals prospered. Now, we pay more and get less reliable electricity. We have more fires and other environmental disasters.

I believe that the only way to achieve environmentally friendly, low-cost, abundant, reliable energy is with nuclear power. Many countries have successfully implemented nuclear programs compared to the U.S. antiquated nuclear facilities that have not been updated since the ‘70s. Modern nuclear power has no so-called “greenhouse gases,” is inexpensive, reliable and very limited nuclear waste.

What is one capital improvement project you’d like to see financed and completed in your district?

This question is asking what I want to state to do for us by building something. Instead, I want to keep the state out.

We all would be better off if the state stayed out of our district by:- Cleaning up the asbestos mess at the former Tustin Marine Base (this is a federal issue as well).- Giving the OC Fairgrounds to the county.- Stop telling cities to build more housing; instead, reform CEQA to remove bureaucracy from the building process. Let the city councils determine what is best for their citizens.- Giving the Fairview Developmental Center to the city of Costa Mesa. Don’t develop housing as the state; let Costa Mesa do it.

We can take care of ourselves, thank you very much.

The state recently began rolling out the CARE Court program in some counties, the state-funded effort that allows first responders, family and other designated people to petition a court to have someone with untreated severe psychotic disorders receive treatment and services. What other ways can the state prioritize mental health care for its residents, including those with less severe disorders?

Do you trust Dr. Anthony Fauci? Would you trust Fauci for anything again since we now know he lied to manipulate us to do what he wanted, not for our best benefit?

We cannot trust the government to keep proven guilty bad guys in prison. Now are we going to make it easier for government to lock up people who have not broken any laws because they are afraid that they might break laws in the future? Can you imagine the local “Karen” deciding whether you should be locked up because you were “crazy”?

To put it in terms that President Joe Biden has used, would you say that the local neighbor who wears that MAGA hat should be locked up? Biden has shown how he can use the power of government against his political enemies. I think that the potential abuse of any system that is trying to make us “safe” by locking up people they think are “crazy” is asking for trouble.

Protections already exist: Family members can seek the court’s help in “protecting” themselves by locking up relatives. Let’s not make it easier for the government to lock people up who have not broken any laws.

Describe your political philosophy in 10 words or less.

Government should protect our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

What is your go-to campaign trail snack or drink?

Beef jerky.

MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide

Name: Hengameh “Henny” Abraham

Current Job Title: Educator

Political Party Affiliation: Republican

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: Iranian American Engagement Director of the OCGOP

City where you reside: Costa Mesa

Campaign website or social media: www.hennyabraham.com

Gov. Newsom has been front and center lately in global affairs, from a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing climate action to a trip to Israel where he met with victims of the Hamas attack. Aside from the governor’s trips, what do you see as the role California should play when it comes to foreign affairs?

California should focus on the state’s challenges and issues before playing any role in foreign affairs. Our state is suffering from legislation and bills that are crippling the economy. We are losing Californians to other states that put the well-being of the constituents ahead of political gains, and that is not acceptable anymore. At this point, unless we can focus on California’s issues and fix them, the California dream will forever be lost.

There have been recent efforts at the local level to change voting requirements — from a proposed voter ID requirement in Huntington Beach to an effort to open up voting to noncitizens in Santa Ana. What changes, if any, should be made to California’s voting laws?

A valid ID should be a requirement for voting. As an immigrant myself, I oppose any non-citizen voting in any election from local to federal level.

The latest state budget projections show California’s deficit has swelled to a record $68 billion, leading to calls for spending cuts. Give us two specific ways California could address the deficit.

Legislators could ease the deficit with one-time cuts such as reducing school funding or tapping into around $30 billion in reserves.

Speaking of the budget, what are your top three budget priorities?

My top 3 budget priorities include:- Making sure the law enforcement budget is met and increased if necessary.- Cutting the budget on public welfare that is currently at $3,870 per capita.- The revenue decline is a key issue on the budget deficit; focusing on investing in businesses that will bring revenue to our state is also a priority.

The legislature garnered national headlines when an effort to increase penalties for child sex trafficking initially stalled. How would you, in the legislature, balance criminal justice reform with public safety concerns?

Public safety should never suffer as a result of criminal justice reform; justice is for the victims, not the criminals. I am pro-public safety at all costs, and I believe criminal justice reform should focus on criminals being punished for the crimes that they commit, not have lesser sentences.

Homelessness continues to be a concern for Californians. While there is no simple solution, what is one proposal you have that could reduce homelessness in our communities?

Homelessness is a multi-branch issue with mental illness and drug addiction being the main causes. We need to focus on proactive mental health and addiction services that have long-lasting effects instead of throwing money away into housing.

The governor recently signed a law that set a first-in-the-nation minimum wage standard for healthcare workers. Should minimum wage standards vary by industry? Why or why not?

Yes, as a former healthcare worker, I can attest that certain jobs have more hardship than others. Healthcare workers and anyone in any industry that deals with life-and-death situations have higher stressors in their daily jobs.

What is one environment or climate policy you’d champion if elected?

Water supply and drought. California’s underground aquifers can hold vastly more water than its reservoirs, between 850 million and 1.3 billion acre-feet of capacity below ground compared to about 38.1 million acre-feet above ground, according to the Department of Water Resources. Recharging groundwater basins could help with water supply.

What is one capital improvement project you’d like to see financed and completed in your district?

A major capital improvement project in my district has to be the road improvement in our major freeways. The 5, 405 and 55 freeways all run through my district, and they need road and structure upgrades and improvements.

The state recently began rolling out the CARE Court program in some counties, the state-funded effort that allows first responders, family and other designated people to petition a court to have someone with untreated severe psychotic disorders receive treatment and services. What other ways can the state prioritize mental health care for its residents, including those with less severe disorders?

Mental health services should be provided to those in need, not only during a mental health crisis episode but afterward as well. Many programs fail because of a lack of follow-up care. I believe that mental health patients should have access to affordable care as long as they need it because that is one way to ensure they do not relapse and fall into an episode that could result in addiction, homelessness or even suicide.

Describe your political philosophy in 10 words or less.

The government should work for its people, not rule them.

What is your go-to campaign trail snack or drink?

Coffee and breakfast burritos.

MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide

Name: Cottie Petrie-Norris

Current Job Title: State Assemblymember

Political Party Affiliation: Democrat

Incumbent: Yes

Other political positions held: None

City where you reside: Irvine

Campaign website or social media: www.Cottie.com

Gov. Newsom has been front and center lately in global affairs, from a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing climate action to a trip to Israel where he met with victims of the Hamas attack. Aside from the governor’s trips, what do you see as the role California should play when it comes to foreign affairs?

While our primary focus should remain on improving the lives of California residents, there is no doubt that California is a leader on the global stage. California’s economy is the largest in the U.S. If California were a sovereign nation, we would be the fifth-largest economy in the world. Our diverse economy includes world-leading technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing sectors. California’s agriculture industry has the highest output of any state, growing more than half the country’s fruits and vegetables.

California has long been a global leader on climate issues, championing clean energy and innovation, and serving as a model for a cleaner, greener future. It’s critical that California continues to engage with world leaders to collectively address the climate crisis as well as issues of commerce and trade to ensure that we continue to build a world-leading economy with opportunity and prosperity for all Californians.

There have been recent efforts at the local level to change voting requirements — from a proposed voter ID requirement in Huntington Beach to an effort to open up voting to noncitizens in Santa Ana. What changes, if any, should be made to California’s voting laws?

Removing barriers to voting should be our priority. So-called “voter ID” laws are solutions in search of a problem. I strongly oppose the ballot measure in Huntington Beach. The best data available shows that impersonation voter fraud is so rare that a voter is substantially more likely to be struck by lightning than to submit a fraudulent ballot. California faces real challenges — we can’t afford to waste time solving made-up problems.

The latest state budget projections show California’s deficit has swelled to a record $68 billion, leading to calls for spending cuts. Give us two specific ways California could address the deficit.

California’s $68 billion budget deficit is a profound challenge. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic that we will be able to address this challenge while preserving core state services. To address the budget deficit, I am advocating that the legislature:

– Utilize reserves: In anticipation of a potential downturn, I have championed policies to increase California’s budget reserves and voted to put money in the state’s rainy day fund. California’s reserves are more than $30 billion, a record high. I believe that we should deploy half of these reserves to address the current budget problem and preserve the balance for anticipated shortfalls in future years.

– Reduce one-time spending: In recent budget years, when California had a record budget surplus, numerous new programs were created. In some cases, these programs have not yet been funded or implemented. We need to pause new one-time spending which could address an additional $10 billion.

Speaking of the budget, what are your top three budget priorities?

– Fund public education.- Strengthen oversight and accountability; ensure that our tax dollars are being used effectively- Stop new taxes; that’s the wrong way to address the budget challenge.

The legislature garnered national headlines when an effort to increase penalties for child sex trafficking initially stalled. How would you, in the legislature, balance criminal justice reform with public safety concerns?

First and foremost, as a proud joint author of the legislation to increase penalties for child sex trafficking, I was appalled when the bill initially stalled. Protecting our children from violent criminals and predators should be one of our top priorities. Public safety has always been and remains a top priority for me in the Assembly.

The key issues that I am focused on this year are the fentanyl crisis and retail theft. I’ve worked with local leaders and emergency responders to identify and address the obstacles they face while also recognizing the pitfalls of our criminal justice system. We need to take a balanced, common-sense approach that holds people accountable while prioritizing diversion and rehabilitation.

Homelessness continues to be a concern for Californians. While there is no simple solution, what is one proposal you have that could reduce homelessness in our communities?

Historic investments should yield historic results. Despite California’s enormous investments to address to homelessness crisis, the problem doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Local and county governments, non-profits and other state contractors need to be held accountable for their use of our tax dollars. We don’t spend enough time looking at implementation and evaluating what is working, and what is not. Where are we seeing the best results on the ground? Are those dollars doing what they’re supposed to do? And if not, what do we need to do differently?

I am enormously proud of the work that Orange County has done to fight homelessness — we were the only county to see a year-on-year decrease in homelessness between 2021 to 2022. I have supported initiatives like Welcome Home OC and Be Well OC because they work — they are getting real results and they are saving lives.

The governor recently signed a law that set a first-in-the-nation minimum wage standard for healthcare workers. Should minimum wage standards vary by industry? Why or why not?

No. That is a precarious strategy for California businesses, workers and our economy as a whole. Specific minimum wage standards are a complex function of industry, geography and the fundamental law of supply and demand. That is why wages and benefits are best negotiated at the bargaining table. Collective bargaining enables workers to maximize wages while also ensuring that businesses can survive, grow and continue to create more good jobs for more Californians.

What is one environment or climate policy you’d champion if elected?

I am proud of my longstanding commitment to advancing policies that will protect our planet for generations to come. I have authored laws to hold corporate polluters accountable for environmental crimes, to protect our marine ecosystem, to safeguard the California coast from sea-level rise and to ensure that state agencies are effectively utilizing taxpayer dollars to achieve our climate goals.

As chair of the Utilities and Energy Committee, I champion policies to build a clean energy future for California that is sustainable, reliable and affordable. One of my top priorities for 2024 is clean energy infrastructure. In order to deliver on our ambitious climate goals, California must accelerate the deployment of clean energy projects statewide and maximize federal funding to support these initiatives. Billions of federal dollars are on the table — this is a truly historic opportunity to create high-quality green jobs and power California’s clean energy future.

What is one capital improvement project you’d like to see financed and completed in your district?

ARCHES (the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems) is California’s initiative to accelerate the development and deployment of clean renewable hydrogen. ARCHES will cut pollution, improve energy security and build California’s clean energy economy.

ARCHES is a statewide public-private partnership that includes the University of California. UC Irvine has played an important leadership role in this $12 billion initiative, and an ARCHES office will be located at UCI’s research park.

ARCHES projects will- Cut up to 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions every year — equivalent to the pollution of 445,000 gasoline-powered cars annually.- Create over 200,000 green jobs in California.- Generate $2.95 billion per year in economic value by 2030.

The state recently began rolling out the CARE Court program in some counties, the state-funded effort that allows first responders, family and other designated people to petition a court to have someone with untreated severe psychotic disorders receive treatment and services. What other ways can the state prioritize mental health care for its residents, including those with less severe disorders?

It’s no secret that we have a mental healthcare crisis in California. Every day, we see the fallout in our emergency rooms, in our jails and on our city streets. That’s why mental health is a top priority for me. Locally, I have been a big supporter and advocate for Be Well OC. I’m proud to have secured $15 million to support a second Be Well OC mental health and wellness campus. I have also secured funding for mobile crisis units that are being deployed in cities across Orange County.

On the March 2024 ballot, California voters will have an opportunity to transform and modernize the state’s mental health system. Proposition 1 will modernize the Mental Health Services Act and fund a $6.38 billion bond to build new behavioral health housing and treatment facilities across the state. This will provide critical capacity and fill a critical care gap for Californians.

Describe your political philosophy in 10 words or less.

Solve problems, deliver results and always put residents first.

What is your go-to campaign trail snack or drink?

Burritos from Miguel’s Jr.

City and county officials have asked the governor to issue one, and in turn request President Joe Biden to issue a presidential declaration of emergency, saying it would allow agencies to give money to the city and residents to get reimbursed for costs associated with the fire.

“The emergency’s passed, so the emergency (declaration) won’t have any effectiveness in terms of reimbursement,” Newsom said Thursday, while in Orange County for a housing event in Costa Mesa. “Disaster declaration has to reach a certain threshold. A major disaster (declaration), actually has a numeric legal threshold of about $73 million. As it relates to this specific issue, it doesn’t reach those thresholds.”

Mayor Austin Lumbard was disappointed by the governor’s comments, saying the city has waited for months for a response. Lumbard said Thursday the city has done its due diligence on understanding state law and this is the first time they are hearing about a monetary threshold.

“It’s troubling that the governor of our state doesn’t realize that he could include in his declaration of an emergency a recommendation to the federal government to declare an emergency, which will give our residents access to FEMA individual assistance,” Lumbard said. “Just yesterday, news crews were in our neighborhoods interviewing residents who are out of pocket thousands of dollars without any way of accessing these FEMA funds for reimbursement. His declaration would certainly help get us closer to that needed relief.”

“Where has the governor been with his emergency declaration since he apparently believed we did indeed have an emergency? We have been asking since day one on Nov.7,” Lumbard added. “Based on the governor’s own comments, I’m not sure why he hasn’t already made an emergency declaration as the impacts to our region have clearly exceeded the supposed $73 million threshold he mentioned. Why after months are we hearing this now for the first time – and through the media, not in response to the city‘s and county’s repeated requests?”

Both Tustin and the OC Board of Supervisors, in January, re-upped their local emergency proclamations and their calls for the governor to issue one himself.

The Navy owns the hangar and the surrounding property and has said it will fund the costs associated with the fire. Newsom said the incident is a federal responsibility, and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is working with the county and feds “to make sure you get reimbursed.”

“It just doesn’t reach the thresholds under the state laws,” Newsom said. “I can fake it, but then I’m going to be in jail myself in front of the Supreme Court asking for forgiveness. It’s just not at that level of threshold that would trigger state resources.”

City officials have warned of Tustin’s precarious financial position due to the fire.

The Navy so far has committed to paying the city $11 million for costs associated with the fire. The city says it has already committed to spend $54 million, and expects that number to grow as residential testing for asbestos and lead begins.

The county-run shelter resumed daily public viewing hours starting on Wednesday, allowing people to roam unescorted among the kennels and possibly make a connection with a new furry friend. The kennels contain dogs and cats who are available for adoption and can be taken home the same day, officials said.

Out of the 169 dogs at the shelter Wednesday, 99 were available for adoption, along with 16 adoptable cats out of the 87 currently under the shelter’s care, according to Alexa Pratt, public information officer for OC Community Resources. Most of the unavailable pets were on stray hold, she said. In California, strays have to be held for four to seven days, leaving time to be reclaimed by their owners.

“It could be a number of reasons why an animal is not ready to go home today. For example, as a municipal shelter, we house dogs who maybe their owner passed away or is arrested, so obviously those aren’t ready to go home,” Pratt said. “We also have animals that might need surgery or medical, behavioral evaluations that aren’t quite ready, and also animals that don’t meet the stray hold quite yet.”

The shelter closed to public viewing with the onset of the pandemic, but didn’t resume access to the kennels even as most coronavirus precautions were lifted. Instead, potential adopters were tasked with choosing pets they were interested in from an online database and scheduling a meet-and-greet; shelter officials have said the new system reduces stress on the animals from overstimulation, helps prevent visitors from getting bitten and leads to more successful adoptions.

But activists have been lobbying for a return to the previous shelter operations. They argue the appointment system limits important access to the animals and results in fewer being adopted. A grand jury last year shared the same concern in a report about the shelter not improving the potential for animals to find a home.

Diana Simdorn and her family looked online for a new pet after having recently lost their dog. They found one, asked the shelter about it, but before they could meet the dog, it was adopted by the pet’s foster family. Simdorn, of Anaheim, walked through the kennels on Wednesday with her husband, Randy, and son, Jay Stilwell, where they came across a dog named Kendra.

A kennel attendant brought Kendra out to a grass area to meet the family and sparks instantly flew – soon, adoption paperwork was being signed.

Bobby, a kitten at the shelter, also left with his forever family Wednesday. Deanna Peterson and her mother, Ginger, both from Mission Viejo, were on the hunt for a kitten who could keep them and their dog company.

Deanna Peterson said she’s been keeping an eye on the shelter’s pet database, crossing her fingers there would be adoptable kittens to see when she finally had the time to visit in-person. Looking through the kennels, the duo met several cats before deciding to take Bobby home.

Over the summer, the shelter piloted limited walk-through hours. The success paved the way for the new, daily walk-in schedule, which Pratt said was supposed to debut Jan. 1, but had to be pushed back because of the nearby Tustin hangar fire. The shelter closed to the public for several days following the fire and animals had to be moved indoors for air quality concerns.

The fire didn’t necessarily cause an uptick in the number of pets at the shelter, but because outdoor time was limited, the shelter reached out to the community asking for more pet fosters, Pratt said. About 100 animals were placed in foster homes, 20% of which have been adopted by the families, she said.

The expansion of people’s access to the kennels is a step in the right direction, advocates say, but the shelter has more work to do. Michael Mavrovouniotis, a former volunteer who has tracked the shelter’s data, including euthanasia, biting and adoption rates, said he would still like to see more staffing.

“None of this can really work well without adequate staffing, because at the end of the day adopters will still need to interact with the animal care staff who will supervise the one-on-one visits, which are going to happen both under the new system and more happening under the old system,” he said. “There needs to be enough staff to provide good service and provide easy visits for the public.”

Pratt could not confirm if there are vacancies at the shelter, but said OC Animal Care currently staffs 137 employees and 200 volunteers.

“What I would like to see is for them to open up the way it was, the way the shelter was designed to be open,” Margot Boyer, another animal advocate, said. “You spend all this money, $35 million on a property, and the public is only allowed in three hours a day? Open it up the way it’s designed to be.”

The shelter will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for the scheduled adoption appointments – walk-in visitors will be offered the next open slot – and from 2 to 5 p.m. for walking through to peruse the external side of the dog kennels and the cat rooms. Kennel attendants will be stationed throughout the facility to answer questions and set up one-on-one meet and greets, officials said.

“In the beginning, I thought it was dire, right?” the county’s health officer, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, said. “I thought like, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s a large building that had a lot of different hazards in it,’ and I was thinking, of course, worst-case scenario, so that we can help protect individuals, or at least make sure that people would hopefully heed the guidance to minimize their exposure.”

Asbestos, lead and arsenic were detected in samples collected near the hangar the day it broke out, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The Orange County Health Care Agency began advising people to avoid touching any ash or debris from the fire.

Some Tustin residents left their homes for weeks out of concern, and schools near the hangar were closed. Asbestos debris from the fire was found throughout Tustin; a cleanup effort led by the city continues with more than 1,400 homes affected.

Now, health officials say the community was spared the worst case and the health risk from the hangar fire has been minimal. Despite their assurances, some residents continue to worry about possible ongoing exposure and say they hope the city will do more testing and cleaning.

Over time, Chinsio-Kwong said she’s been reassured by environmental health experts and the extensive testing that indicates a limited risk to residents near the hangar. Air sampling never detected asbestos, according to health officials. Dust samples collected at city-owned parks and facilities did detect some asbestos at higher-than-background levels, according to lab tests obtained via a records request, and city officials said they have been cleaned by its contractors.

“Time will tell with asbestos and exposures,” Chinsio-Kwong said. “Unfortunately, we don’t really know until about 20 to 30 years from now, but I am feeling a little bit more reassured with the experts and their guidance saying, ‘Again, it’s more of a chronic occupational exposure that really puts people at risk for lung issues long-term and not these one-times incidents.’”

Early concerns

The hangar fire broke out just before 1 a.m. on Nov. 7. Less than six hours later, the Orange County Fire Authority decided to let the fire burn itself out because of safety concerns if it were to collapse with firefighters nearby.

The Marine Corps Air Station’s two blimp hangars were constructed in 1942, and were two of the largest wooden structures ever built. Dubbed “Titans of History” by the city, they have been a beloved backdrop of life in Tustin for decades, even after the base closed in 1999. Future uses have long been debated for the historic hangar structures, which contained asbestos and lead, according to a 2020 Orange County Grand Jury report.

“This could be one of the large scale asbestos exposure incidents and there is concern for residents as well as anyone in the local area during the fire, and this immediate period following the fire,” Chinsio-Kwong wrote to a colleague on Nov. 8 in an email obtained by The Orange County Register. The county health officer said she would advocate closing parks and local schools “until I can get better answers on the magnitude of asbestos levels.”

The hangar fire spewed asbestos chunks into homes and parks. The county health agency told residents to not touch the debris and to wear protective gear if “there is a high risk of encountering asbestos.”

There were concerns if the hangar doors would hold up. A collapse could send more debris into nearby homes. Chinsio-Kwong asked Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Scott Wiedensohler in a text on Nov. 12 what the risk was.

“Confidence is pretty high that they won’t collapse,” he responded in a text back, adding steel beams hold the doors in place. “That said there’s always a chance. I’ve been playing that scenario through my mind all week.”

They didn’t collapse, and a contractor removed the door panels in December. Today, only four large concrete pillars remain from what was the north hangar. A contractor, over the weekend, sprayed additional tackifier to cover the debris remaining where the hangar once stood, “out of an abundance of caution in advance of potential future winter weather,” city officials said.

The fire smoldered for weeks after it began. Some residents moved away from their homes, staying at hotels or with friends or families. The Orange County Sheriff’s training academy closed for several weeks and the nearby OC Animal Care shelter kept the dogs and other animals inside, asking community members to step up and foster some to alleviate the crowding.

Air monitoring units were set up at more than 30 locations around the hangar, and no asbestos has been detected in more than 900 air samples, Christopher Kuhlman, a toxicologist and industrial hygienist at the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, said in December.

The highest concentration of fallout from the hangar is about a 1.4-mile radius around the hangar, Chinsio-Kwong said. City contractors for weeks have removed debris chunks from public rights-of-ways and the exteriors of people’s homes.

Results of testing the first week of the fire by the city’s contractor, Envirocheck, which haven’t been publicly posted, showed asbestos at higher than background levels at two city-owned facilities.

At Magnolia Tree Park, which is just under a mile northeast of the hangar, dust sampling taken on Nov. 11 detected asbestos fibers at above background levels inside the women’s restroom, on the floor and a changing table.

Testing also detected asbestos at above background levels on Nov. 12 at the Tustin Family & Youth Center – about two miles away from the hangar – on the preschool entry floor, a classroom west entry floor and a kitchen countertop.

Dr. Arthur Frank, who testifies in hundreds of legal cases a year related to asbestos and has advised officials in Tustin, said it’s unlikely that samples taken at those distances were from asbestos fibers released by the fire.

Kuhlman, who has been advising the city, also said you can’t know for sure if the asbestos in the dust samples came from the fire.

“The testing doesn’t distinguish between any specific source of asbestos, so you really can’t answer that question,” Kuhlman said.

The city closed parks on Nov. 8 and reopened them over the course of several weeks after contractors cleaned them.

Stephanie Najera, a spokesperson for the city said in an email that asbestos contractor ATI cleaned up city parks using industry-standard practices, including HEPA vacuuming and wet wiping of all horizontal surfaces and removing any potential asbestos debris. After cleanup, a certified asbestos consultant rechecked the locations before reopening.

The city of Irvine, which borders Tustin near the hangar,  said in a community update posted on Jan. 8 that all of its asbestos air and surface wipe sampling, except one, had no detectable levels of fibers present. The city said the one fiber found “is consistent with ambient, background levels of asbestos found in the environment.”

Residents still worry

The city, in its effort to get disaster aid from the state and federal governments, has told the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Service that the hangar fire has affected more than 12,000 people.

Those who live closest to the hangar say tests they have contracted for on their own continue to show the presence of asbestos and lead around their homes.

At a community meeting of concerned residents near the hangar last week, they spoke of their want for more testing, more extensive remediation of their homes than what’s been done, reimbursement for testing they paid for out of pocket and a plan to be shared for what will happen with the south hangar.

Acting City Manager Nicole Bernard, in a Dec. 29 letter to Cal OES, said emergency proclamations from the governor and president could lead to residents getting financial assistance for necessary expenses caused by the fire.

The city’s contractors have focused on picking up debris chunks around the exterior areas of homes. The city in December said it would start testing soil and the interiors of homes for asbestos and lead, but so far details for how residents can get their homes tested haven’t been released.

Susan Keefe, a resident near the hangar, said the contractors cleaning only the exteriors of people’s homes isn’t enough.

“They should be taking a top-down approach,” Keefe said. “They should be starting at people’s roofs and going down from there because otherwise, it’s just going to keep showing up again.”

If people heeded health advice, such as not touching fire debris, keeping windows closed and wearing masks and gloves, then their risk long term is minimal, Chinsio-Kwong said.

But she acknowledged the health guidance during the fire didn’t reach everyone. As the fire continued to burn, she saw people outside near the hangar not taking preventative measures.

“This is the learned lesson. We need to learn ways of really communicating in different ways to the community because not everybody listens to the news, not everybody listens to the radio, not everybody looks at the press releases,” Chinsio-Kwong said. “So, there’s got to be other mechanisms to get the word out.”

Frank said the hangar fire is not one people should spend the rest of their lives worrying about. At a late December community webinar, Frank said he considered being outside while the fire burned a “very low risk of exposure.”

If people should be worried, Frank, who is a professor at Drexel University, said he’d be the first one to go to bat for them in court.

“The likelihood,” he said, “of ever detecting asbestos disease from this (incident) is extraordinarily remote.”

The dedicated food week will feature deals and prix-fixe menus ranging from $15 to $25 for lunch, and $25 to $45 for dinner, a date-night lineup and even luxury menus offering a more tony experiences for $60 to $120.

New to this year’s lineup include Irvine’s Benny and Mary’s, Bloom Restaurant and Bar in San Juan Capistrano, Le Shrimp Noodle Bar in Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo’s Dizzy Bird and Oliver’s Trattoria in Irvine, to name a few.

This year’s week-long event will also highlight family-friendly dining, which is a great way at getting kids to learn about cuisine and dining out, and vegetarian dining, ideal for those who either eschew a carnivorous lifestyle or yearn for a more vegetable-forward menu.

The annual event is put on by the Orange County Restaurant Association. Diners can find participating restaurants’ menus and prices at www.OCRestaurantWeek.com.

This year’s restaurants are as follows:

1886 Brewing Company – Orange

399 Vietnamese Kitchen – Tustin

Anaheim White House – Anaheim

Angelina’s Pizzeria – Irvine

AnQi Bistro – Costa Mesa

Apola Greek Grill – Yorba Linda

Aria Kitchen – Irvine

AVEO Table + Bar – Dana Point

Avila’s El Ranchito – San Clemente, Santa Ana

Benchmark – Santa Ana

Benny and Mary’s – Irvine

Billy’s at the Beach – Newport Beach

Blaze Pizza – Newport Beach

Bloom, Restaurant + Bar – San Juan Capistrano

Bluegold – Huntington Beach

Bodega Laguna – Laguna Beach

Bottega Angelina – Laguna Niguel

Brio Italian Grille – Irvine

BRU Grill and Market – Lake Forest

Brunos Italian Kitchen – Brea

Cabo Wabo Beach Club – Huntington Beach

Cafe Sevilla Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar – Costa Mesa

Cambalache Grill – Fountain Valley

Cappy’s Cafe – Newport Beach

Casa Ramos – Santa Ana

Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen – Brea

Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen – Irvine

Chapter One: the modern local- Santa Ana

Chelas Mexican Kitchen – San Clemente

Churriño – Costa Mesa

Citrus City Grille – Orange

Citrus Fresh Grill – Aliso Viejo

City Cruises Anchored by Hornblower – Newport Beach

Congregation Ale House – Santa Ana

CUCINA enoteca – Irvine, Newport Beach

CUCINA enoteca – Newport Beach

Descanso – Costa Mesa

Dizzy Bird – Mission Viejo

Eureka! – Irvine

Falasophy – Irvine

Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens- Corona Del Mar

Fermentation Farm – Costa Mesa

Five Crowns – Corona Del Mar

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar – Newport Beach

Fly N Fish Oyster Bar and Grill – Newport Beach

Gracias Madre – Newport Beach

Great Maple – Anaheim

Great Maple – Newport Beach

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken – Santa Ana

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ – (Huntington Beach, Tustin)

Haagen-Dazs – Irvine

Habana – Costa Mesa, Irvine

Hammer Burger – Santa Ana

Harborside Restaurant – Newport Beach

Hatam Restaurant – Mission Viejo

Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar – Orange

Henry’s Coastal Cuisine – Huntington Beach

High Horse Saloon – Fullerton

HoléSmokes – Costa Mesa

Il Fornaio – Irvine

Il Sole La Nuova Cucina – RSM

Indigo | Modern Indian Bistro – Huntington Beach

Ironwood, Cellar. Craft. Cook. – Laguna Hills

Izakaya Osen – Irvine

JA Jiaozi Authentic Dumplings- Irvine

Jars Sweets & Things – Laguna Niguel

Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen- Fullerton

Le Shrimp Noodle Bar – Costa Mesa

Left Coast Brewing – Irvine

Lido Bottle Works – Newport Beach

Lighthouse Cafe – Newport Beach

Little Sister – Irvine

Lola Gaspar – Santa Ana

Luciana’s Ristorante – Dana Point

Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que- Brea, Lake Forest, Orange, Tustin)

Lumberyard Restaurant – Laguna Beach

Luna Rossa – Tustin

Maldon’s Bistro – Irvine

Market Broiler – Huntington Beach, Orange

Mayor’s Table at Lido House – Newport Beach

MESA – Costa Mesa

Mickey’s Irish Pub – Fullerton

Morton’s The Steakhouse – Santa Ana

Mozambique – Laguna Beach

Mr. D’s – Placentia

Muldoon’s Irish Pub – Newport Beach

Native Son – Santa Ana

Newport Landing – Newport Beach

NOVA Kitchen and Bar – Garden Grove

O Fine Japanese Cuisine – Irvine, Laguna Beach

O SEA – Orange

Oak – Laguna Beach

OC Fish Grill – Irvine

Offshore 9 Rooftop Lounge – Huntington Beach

Olea, Cellar. Craft. Cook. – Newport Beach

Oliver’s Osteria – Laguna Beach

Oliver’s Trattoria – Irvine

Pacific Catch – Tustin

Pacitas Modern Filipino Kitchen – Anaheim

Paradise Dynasty – Costa Mesa

Paul Martin’s American Grill– Irvine

Perla Mexican Cuisine – Santa Ana

Pieology The Market Place – Irvine

Pita Feast – Huntington Beach

Playa Mesa – Costa Mesa

Plums Cafe – Costa Mesa

Pressed – Newport Beach

Prime Cut Cafe – Orange

Pub Thirty-Two – Mission Viejo

Puesto – Anaheim

Puesto Los Olivos – Irvine

Puesto Park Place – Irvine

RA Sushi – Tustin

RAKKAN Ramen – Tustin

Rancho Capistrano Winery – SJC

Rangeen Kitchen – Laguna Niguel

Red O Restaurant – Newport Beach

Robata Wasa – Irvine

Rockin Baja Lobster – Newport Beach

Romano’s Macaroni Grill – Irvine

Rub Red’s BBQ – La Habra

Rumari – Laguna Beach

Sapphire, Cellar. Craft. Cook. – Laguna Beach

Scratch Bakery Cafe – Laguna Hills, Scratch Bakery Cafe

SideDoor – Corona Del Mar

Silver Trumpet Restaurant and Bar- Costa Mesa

Simply Fish – Costa Mesa

Skyloft – Laguna Beach

Starfish – Newport Beach, Laguna Beach

StillWater Spirits & Sounds- Dana Point

Summit House Restaurant – Fullerton

Sundried Tomato American Bistro & Catering – SJC

Sweetgreen – Irvine, Tustin

Taco Rosa – Irvine, Newport Beach

TACOMPADRE – Santa Ana

Tacos TJ Style – Santa Ana

Tangerine Room – Anaheim

Taste of Beauty – Fountain Valley

Tea Maru – Irvine, Santa Ana

The Bungalow Restaurant – Corona Del Mar

The Country Club – Costa Mesa

The Crack Shack – Costa Mesa

The Peel Craftbar & Kitchen – Orange

The Pizza Press – Santa Ana

The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar – Tustin

The Yellow Chilli Tustin – Tustin

Thirty Four Bar & Bistro – Irvine

Vacation Bar – Santa Ana

Villa Roma – Laguna Hills

Vine Restaurant & Bar – San Clemente

Whitestone Restaurant & Bar – Dana Point

Wild Goose Tavern – Costa Mesa

Woody’s Wharf – Newport Beach

Ysidora Restaurant and Lounge – SJC

Zabb Thai Cuisine – Newport Beach

ZOOD – Newport Beach