When Harwood Garland first stepped onto the UC Irvine campus as a returning veteran, he never imagined that he would someday be recognized by the California Assembly as a Veteran of the Year. However, at a Nov. 4 ceremony hosted by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris at Irvine Valley College, he was one of three individuals honored for outstanding service to their country, community and fellow veterans.
Long-awaited plans to expand and improve Ketchum-Libolt Park on Costa Mesa’s west side are gaining ground, after city officials last week approved a contract with an Irvine-based contractor to complete the project by next summer.
Despite the pocket park’s diminutive stature, comprising just .34 acres at the corner of Victoria and Maple streets, its offer of shade, seating and playground equipment is significant to residents living in neighborhoods where recreational open space is scarce.
Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris represents California’s 73rd Assembly District, which includes the cities of Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Tustin. As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy, she has championed efforts to strengthen California’s infrastructure, protect natural resources, and make energy and water systems more affordable and sustainable. We invited Assemblymember Petrie-Norris to share her vision for addressing California’s water challenges including climate change, water resilience, and affordability.
State and local leaders are taking big steps this month in the redevelopment of a former state hospital campus in Costa Mesa.
The state broke ground last week on a new emergency operations facility using a portion of the sprawling Fairview Developmental Center property and on Tuesday, Oct. 21, the Costa Mesa City Council is preparing to review plans that would outline the construction of thousands of new homes on the remaining land.
Officials Wednesday broke ground on an office building that will be the first component of a 15-acre emergency operations center at Costa Mesa’s Fairview Developmental Center, signifying a new chapter for the historic state-owned site.
California has long prided itself as an environmental trailblazer. It was the first state to set its own vehicle emission rules and the first to outlaw plastic shopping bags.
In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, went so far as to seek a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Standing in front of several electric cars, he warned automakers against being on “the wrong side of history.”
The California legislature recently approved AB 825, a measure that will enhance grid reliability and enable the creation of a West-wide regional electricity market. It is now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
AB 825 will help California develop more renewable energy to sell to other states and expand market access for renewable energy across the Interior West, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
The passage of AB 825 caps a years-long push by many clean energy advocates to regionalize the Western energy markets and sets the stage for the creation of a regional transmission organization.
Dive Brief:
California state lawmakers on Sept. 13 approved a legislative package that includes the creation of an expanded Wildfire Fund and enabling the Pathways Initiative for a voluntary, west-wide regional electricity market.
The legislation was announced by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on Sept. 10.
The California Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday joined a broad coalition in supporting final amendments to a plan for the Golden State to participate in an expanded regional electricity market — thanking Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders for their leadership in crafting a bill with strong support from business, labor, and environmental groups.