Flight plan soars

For inspiring design, look no further than O.C.'s Great Park.
By Christopher Hawthorne
Times Staff Writer

October 17, 2005

AT a time when Renzo Piano is at work on Wilshire Boulevard, Frank Gehry and Thom Mayne among the high-rises of downtown Los Angeles and Rem Koolhaas on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, perhaps the single most promising design project in Southern California is slated for a very different kind of location: an expanse of cracked-asphalt runways and peeling military barracks in the geographical center of Orange County.

There, on the site of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, the city of Irvine and the Miami-based developer Lennar Corp. are moving ahead with ambitious plans to turn nearly 4,000 acres of land into the Orange County Great Park. The federal government shuttered El Toro in 1999; it was on track to become a huge new international airport before Irvine voters finally killed the idea in 2002 in favor of open space.

The new park will have commercial development along its periphery and will include meadows, trails, wetlands, wildlife corridors, sports fields and a cluster of cultural buildings. Its first phase is scheduled to open in 2008.

Last month, an impressive list of seven competing teams — led mostly by landscape design firms but also stuffed with architects, artists, engineers and environmental consultants — was trimmed to three finalists. There is a group headed by Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey of Mill Valley, in Northern California; another by Ken Smith Landscape Architect, a firm in New York; and a third by Barcelona-based EMBT Arquitectes, founded by the late Catalan architect Enric Miralles.

A final decision had been expected this month. But the board of directors of the Orange County Great Park Corp., set up by the city of Irvine to administer the competition and run park operations, decided last week to delay the announcement until January. The board, which includes the five members of the Irvine City Council and four independent directors, is getting ready for a series of trips to visit recent work by the finalists in the Bay Area, New York and Spain.

They shouldn't bother. The proposal by Smith's team — a high-powered group that includes the Mexican architect Enrique Norten, artist Mary Miss and Los Angeles landscape designer Mia Lehrer — outshines the other two plans in both imagination and rigor. The board should acknowledge the obvious and get on with the business of building Smith's promising design, which alone among the finalists combines a fully contemporary aesthetic with respect for the military and agricultural history of the site.

The Great Park project will include 1,316 acres of parkland ringed by a 2,400-acre band of commercial development. The budget for the park section alone, pegged initially at roughly $500 million, will certainly go higher and may ultimately approach $1 billion. The park will be funded by Lennar — in an arrangement similar to the one Related Cos. has struck to develop for-profit parcels and a civic park along Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles — and by property taxes paid by owners of new residential development at the site, which will include 3,400 houses.

Rivals Griffith Park's size

Orange County residents may wish the ratio of developed to open land were less generous to Lennar. But at more than 1,300 acres — a figure that doesn't include nearly 1,000 open acres that will stay in federal hands — the park will be bigger than San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and will rank second in size in Southern California only to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The park may even manage to give culture mavens in L.A. a reason to envy their neighbors to the south.

The envy should grow more intense if the team led by Ken Smith prevails. Although his oversized black-framed glasses immediately mark him as a member of the design intelligentsia, he has a surprisingly down-to-earth, even folksy manner. That quality comes through in his work, which is spare, with Modernist and classical roots, but also brightly colored and approachable.

His current projects include landscaping for the area around Skidmore, Owings and Merrill's 7 World Trade Center tower just north of the ground zero site in Manhattan and, with the architects Richard Rogers and SHOP/Sharples Holden Pasquarelli, a design for the East River waterfront.

At the heart of his proposal for Orange County is a canyon snaking through the center of the park. It would be formed by scooping earth from the center of the canyon and piling it on either side in tall berms, creating a valley that would be 2 miles long and more than 60 feet high at certain points.

Near the center of the park, Smith's canyon would widen significantly to accommodate a lake, a lodge and an amphitheater, which Smith says would be modeled in part on the outdoor theater at Swarthmore College, where the seats are shaded by thick foliage. Indeed, Smith talks fluently about combining in Orange County the kind of park that is designed for finding isolation in the middle of nature, such as Yosemite, with the kind that accommodates culture, such as Stern Grove in San Francisco. Smith's plan would also include an outdoor military museum of sorts on the old El Toro runways, arranging 50 vintage aircraft in a long row.

The canyon has the dramatic scale of an earthwork. But it would have practical benefits as well: The planted canyon would stay several degrees cooler on summer days, Smith predicts, than the rest of the park.

Most of the park buildings would be built into these new canyon walls, keeping them naturally ventilated and cooled and lessening their visual impact on the open space. That basic plan is bound to be enlivened by the touch of architect Norten, 51, who has emerged in the last three years or so as one of the most promising talents of his generation. Now based at the University of Pennsylvania, Norten and his firm TEN Arquitectos are working on the Brooklyn Public Library for the Visual and Performing Arts and a proposed new Guggenheim Museum in Guadalajara.

Key player was absent

His absence at the design presentations late last month in Irvine, though, couldn't have been encouraging to park officials. His team will have to make a point of clarifying his level of involvement.

There are some problems with Smith's design, which like the others is very much a work in progress. It seems to promise all things to all people, from fellow wearers of cool glasses to World War II veterans, which in and of itself ought to be considered a red flag. But sometimes flaws in a preliminary design can be heartening: They suggest that a team is stretching for innovative solutions.

The scheme by Royston Hanamoto, by contrast, feels tidily worked out to the point of conservatism. It would salvage more of the existing El Toro runway forms — which now dominate the site in a large cruciform shape — than Smith or EMBT, turning some sections into huge reflecting pools lined with tree-shaded promenades. And it proposes transforming two of the airplane hangars that dot the site into greenhouses of a sort.

The plan is driven by sophisticated ideas about sustainable energy and has the advantage, which shouldn't be discounted, of a California pedigree. But it remains too slavishly dedicated to the axes created by the runways, while Smith's plan suggests an interplay between those geometric forms and the flowing shapes of the canyon. And overall, the Royston design lacks the spark of real invention that should be a prerequisite for a project of this scope and ambition.

Underwhelming

At the heart of EMBT's plan is a lake with thin fingers of water pushing out into the parkland and a raised boardwalk, planted with palm trees, that would carry pedestrians through the center of the park. But the scheme remains too much of a sketch to inspire real confidence. And the way the EMBT designers describe the heart of their plan — an abstract notion about folding the shapes of the old runways into crumpled new planes of space — didn't seem to have much impact on the park board when the scheme was presented in Irvine.

It didn't help that EMBT principal (and Miralles' widow) Benedetta Tagliabue, kept out of the country by a visa problem, didn't make it to Irvine, or that the team's model didn't show up in time either.

For all the attractions it promises to provide nearby residents, the Great Park is also part of a larger open-space planning effort in Orange County. When it's finished around 2011 or 2012, the park will connect the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park with the Cleveland National Forest to the east, creating what park officials call the largest contiguous band of open space in any U.S. metropolitan area.

And if the border between the Laguna parkland and the new Great Park seems uncomfortably urban — hikers passing from one to the other will have to cross over or under Interstate 5 — well, that only seems to make the project more at home in Southern California. What's a walk in the woods in the land of the automobile, after all, without the chance for a SigAlert?

For more information go to http://www.ocgp.org/

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 06:49 am:

Baggage screening project [at ONT] grounded

10/17/2005

Ontario airport delays cause longer lines
Mason Stockstill, Staff Writer
San Bernardino County Sun

ONTARIO -- Redesigns and other delays have kept a new baggage-screening system from being installed at Ontario International Airport, despite the availability of federal grant money for the project.

The Department of Homeland Security announced a $250 million grant in September 2003 to install permanent explosives-detection systems at Ontario and Los Angeles International airports.

The project for Ontario is part of the same contract to install a similar screening system at LAX. Ontario's portion of the project will cost $53 million.

The plan was to move the screening of checked baggage behind the ticketing counters, rather than leaving them in terminal lobbies where the bulky, slow-moving machines cause long lines for passengers.

At the time, it was expected the projects would be completed by now. But unanticipated design concerns have kept construction work from even beginning.

"Basically, there was a redesign on the system," said Ontario International spokeswoman Maria Tesoro-Fermin.

Officials now expect to start construction on the project in April and finish in August 2008.

The delay means travelers will continue to face crowding in the terminal lobbies, and the airport will incur higher security costs.

Because screening checked baggage in the lobby requires more security staff, installing a fully automated screening system can save airports millions of dollars annually, said Theresa Coutu of InVision Technologies, a firm that makes explosives-detection systems.

"Payback on the infrastructure investment required to provide inline systems to small hub-sized airports would be less than one year," Coutu testified at a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing last year.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress mandated that all checked baggage be screened for explosives by airports.

As a result, many airports installed detection and screening systems in terminal lobbies in order to meet the deadline of Dec. 31, 2002, for full screening.

Those machines prompted concerns about increased wait times and crowding, which can pose a security risk by cramming people into a small area. In 2003, the Department of Homeland Security announced numerous grants to install systems at U.S. airports where baggage would be automatically screened as it moves along conveyor belts behind terminal counters.

Projects have already been completed at Denver International Airport, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Boston Logan International, Dallas-Fort Worth and Tampa International Airport.

Although Ontario International is behind the curve on installing those systems, travelers did not seem concerned about the delay.

Cory Williams, who was flying to Las Vegas, said the line at the Southwest terminal wasn't as long as the ones he'd seen at other airports.

"It doesn't bother me," he said before dropping off his bags. "With all the stuff that happened on 9/11, they've got to be conscious of security."

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 07:14 am:

Irvine ramrods rail plan - OCR letter 10/17/05

Irvine plans to ask the state for funds for a Great Park rail system ["Irvine seeks Great Park rail," Local, Oct. 13]. No way.

The independent socialist state of Irvine wanted this Great Park for its residents instead of an economic engine like an airport that would benefit all of Orange County and Southern California.

So if Irvine wants a rail system for its Great Park, Irvine should pay for it.

Not one dime in state or federal funds should go toward anything in this Great Money Pit. It has zero benefit to the rest of Orange County and the state as a whole. Larry Agran promised a park that would rival New York's Central Park. The last time I was there I didn't see any rail system. People got around the old-fashioned way: they walked.

Jon Thomas
Huntington Beach

By Nellie (66.81.179.91 - 66.81.179.91) on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 11:55 am:

I have notified the Readers' Rep at the Times of the error in
the second paragraph of Christopher Hawthorne's architectural
review.

Specifically, I've asked the Times to note for the record that
the airport was killed, not by "Irvine voters," but by Orange
County voters. Indeed, even excluding the Irvine vote,
Orange County voted to kill the airport. The pro-W vote in
Irvine was about 25,000 votes, but Measure W passed
county-wide by 81,000 votes. I provided links to
appropriate pages on this site for documentation.

By Nellie (66.81.179.91 - 66.81.179.91) on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 12:20 pm:

Oops. I should have said the Pro-W margin in Irvine was
about 25,000 votes. The Pro-W vote in Irvine was over
29,000 votes. In any event, Measure W would have passed
handily even excluding Irvine's vote.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 03:58 pm:

DHL opens new cargo hub

Monday, October 17, 2005

By KIMBERLY TRONE / The Press-Enterprise

Express delivery giant DHL opened its sprawling red-and-yellow cargo center at March Air Reserve Base on Monday, making the German-based company the first commercial air cargo carrier to share a joint-use U.S. military airfield.

Flights and full-scale operations are expected to begin Friday. Gleaming new rollers and conveyer belts stand poised to move tens of thousands of packages and letters a day from the Inland region to points across the western United States.

The cargo distribution center at March is part of DHL's $1.2 billion expansion into the North American market.

Local business and elected leaders heralded its arrival as a catalyst for economic development along the I-215 corridor. They said the company would directly generate about $9 million a year in jobs, taxes and landing fees.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, said the 262,000-square foot cargo center would revitalize an economy that was hard hit when March was downsized from a full-scale military base in 1996 to a reserve base.

"It's a bright day in the sense that things are going well at March Air Reserve Base," Calvert said to dozens of local government and business leaders at Monday's invitation-only ribbon cutting.

Col. Wes Taylor, vice commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March said DHL's presence would help offset the military's cost of maintaining the airfield.

The reuse agency tasked with redevelopment of surplus military property at March will pay a proportional fee for the airfield once DHL flights are operating at 10 planes a day for 90 days, said Phil Rizzo, director of the March Joint Powers Authority.

Rizzo was not able to say how much that would cost the authority, which is made up of Riverside County and the cities of Moreno Valley, Perris and Riverside.

DHL flights are scheduled to start amid questions about the JPA's public display of a map that was used last year to convince residents of Orangecrest and Mission Grove that commercial planes would not be flying over their homes.

The standard departure route for the base is over those two Riverside neighborhoods, where hundreds of homeowners last year opposed plans for commercial cargo flights at March.

Riverside Councilman Frank Schiavone, who represents his city on the March Joint Powers Commission, sent a letter to DHL and private developer GlobalPort on September 28, saying they "misled" elected officials.

He asked them to delay flights until questions are answered about the map.

DHL and GlobalPort representatives said today they had not received Schiavone's letter. Schiavone said he found their claims hard to believe, given the recent public attention surrounding the map.

The councilman also said he has mailed copies of his letter to about 8,000 constituents. "You'd think if they did not get it they'd pick up the phone and say so," Schiavone said.

Reach Kimberly Trone at (951) 368-9456 or ktrone@pe.com

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 07:34 am:

"El Toro Takes Off – How It Happened and Where Will It Land?": Luncheon sponsored by Commercial Real Estate Women of Orange County. Keynote speaker Beth Krom, Irvine mayor. Today, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — Pacific Club, 4110 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. Members, $50; guests, $65. Information: (949) 475-7600.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 07:38 am:

DHL opens at March

10/18/05

West Coast hub employees 300
By Jim Steinberg, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

The long yellow building stands out in the gloom of rainy weather.

The building is narrow, with 114 doors for loading and unloading trucks.

Ground operations have already begun for DHL's West Coast hub. In fact, seven aircraft will be operating there by Friday, part of a 262,000 square-foot facility that employs more than 300 and will add $9 million to the Riverside County economy.

Last year, DHL spent months considering San Bernardino International Airport, Ontario International Airport and March Air Reserve Base near Riverside as potentials for its West Coast hub.

In the end, it chose March due to financial considerations, ease of access to transportation, proximity to customers and existing roads and operating airport facilities, a spokesman said.

San Bernardino International Airport officials said DHL's decision boiled down to a choice between here and March.

The new Riverside facility is part of a $1.2 million investment program launched by DHL in June 2004, and it will pay huge dividends for growth in the Moreno Valley/Riverside area, said John Husing, a Redlands-based economist who studies the Inland Empire.

Husing said that DHL will play a similar role to the one UPS did when it selected Ontario for its West Coast air operations.

Although development would have eventually occurred in the area around March, DHL has accelerated the pace, he said.

Already 18 structures are either proposed or under construction at the nearby 1,000-acre Meridian business park, Daryl Busch, chairman of the March Joint Powers Commission, said Monday at a formal dedication of this facility.

"In the last 10 years, this area has had explosive growth, primarily residential growth," said Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Riverside. "Today, we need to sustain this growth with a balance of jobs to maintain the high quality of lifestyle that people expect with this region," said Calvert, also a speaker at the dedication event.

"I'm confident that this is just the kind of business we should bring to this region," he said.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 07:44 am:

Airports to get security boost

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

New airport director will adopt RAND Corp.'s plan to move crowds out of lobbies to secure areas more quickly.
By Doug Irving
Daily Breeze

The new director of Los Angeles airports indicated Monday that she was taking steps to implement a series of security measures designed to thwart future terrorist attacks.

The RAND Corp., a research organization, proposed the measures last year, describing them as relatively inexpensive but effective. It called for moving passengers out of crowded lobbies and into secure areas more quickly.

Lydia Kennard, the executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, said Monday she had begun negotiating with the organization "to fully advise us on the appropriate safety measures." She said she hoped to reach an agreement in the next few weeks.

The RAND report focused on Los Angeles International Airport. It noted that passengers congregating in the airport lobbies were vulnerable to a suitcase bomb.

It called for increased staffing and more screening checkpoints, as well as vehicle checkpoints at all public entrances.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said shortly after his election that he would move quickly to implement the company's recommendations.

Those recommendations were seen by some as a counterpoint to a much more expensive remake of LAX designed in part to increase its security.

On Monday, Kennard also said she would freeze the airport department's nonessential contracts -- especially those associated with the LAX plan. That will give her time to review the contracts and decide how best to proceed.

The move will put a temporary hold on any increases to the contracts, but does not invalidate them.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 07:55 am:

LAX Plans for Bird Flu Quarantines

With the airport a major entry point from Asia, officials are considering how to sequester a jet's passengers to prevent the spread of disease.
By Jennifer Oldham
Times Staff Writer

October 18, 2005

Officials at Los Angeles International Airport are racing to devise plans to quarantine hundreds of passengers on the airfield for days to prevent the spread of bird flu.

Federal officials could order travelers on a flight confined, if they suspect that one of them is infected with the deadly disease.

In the last week, airport executives have stepped up planning for the virus, meeting with health agencies to discuss how to handle a potential outbreak. As the nation's No. 1 gateway for Asian travelers, LAX could be a hot spot if the bird flu were to turn into a form than could pass between humans.

"This is a logistics nightmare," said Michael DiGirolamo, a deputy executive director for Los Angeles World Airports, who briefed the city's Airport Commission on Monday.

Twenty-six flights arrive at LAX each day from Asia — more than twice as many as at any other U.S. airport. Every day, up to 10,000 passengers disembark from those aircraft. Aviation officials worry that the bird flu could mimic severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which journeyed to five countries in 24 hours after emerging in rural China in spring 2003.

The H5N1 strain, which is spread by migrating waterfowl, first appeared in Southeast Asia two years ago. Last week, it was found in birds in Turkey and Romania. Scientists fear that the virus could mutate into a form that could be passed among people, leading to a flu pandemic. So far, it has killed about 60 people who have had direct contact with infected birds.

Airport officials are preparing plans to quarantine up to 1,600 passengers in four locations. They are wrestling with how to shelter and feed them and with how many toilets are needed, as well as whether to use force to keep travelers from leaving. They also are studying who would pay for the costly operation.

"Let's say we go with inflatable buildings," said Paul Haney, an airport spokesman. "You can't just stick them on the ground. There's got to be a foundation. You have to have electrical out there. You have to get water out there."

The efforts by the city's airport agency followed criticism earlier this month from health authorities that California was strikingly under-prepared for a global influenza outbreak.

LAX is no stranger to crisis planning. In spring 2003, health workers at the airport screened scores of people on flights from Asia for SARS symptoms. Ultimately, no individuals with SARS came through LAX and only a single Southwest jetliner was isolated on the tarmac for an hour in April 2003 after a passenger told a flight attendant that he might be infected — a claim later proven false.

But SARS did cause overseas travel and concession revenues at LAX to fall dramatically after carriers canceled dozens of flights from Asia in early 2003.

The fallout prompted officials to establish more detailed plans for health emergencies.

As with all matters at LAX, planning for bird flu involves cooperation among myriad local, state and federal agencies. Passengers, pilots, health authorities and airport operations personnel would have to keep tabs on the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control has advised flight crews to isolate ill passengers on airplanes, provide them with masks, and urge them to practice "cough etiquette" by covering their mouths and disposing of tissues in designated bags.

The pilot is supposed to notify the CDC that a sick traveler is in transit and health officials are supposed to board the plane once it lands.

At LAX, such an aircraft probably would be sent to the remote gates on the western end near the sand dunes.

The ill passenger would be taken to a hospital, while the CDC — which doubled its staff at LAX this year to eight — decided whether to quarantine the rest of the passengers for 48 hours. The city's airport agency would feed and house travelers, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the airport would enforce the quarantine.

In a severe case, passengers could be quarantined for seven days or more.

If there were a quarantine, health officials would provide antibiotics to passengers who were seated nearest to the infected traveler and would monitor others for fever or other symptoms.

"We've looked at taking these people off airport, but who's going to want them driving through their community to the Forum?" DiGirolamo said, referring to the arena in Inglewood.

Airport officials expect to have a plan within the month.

The airport also is considering purchasing hand-wash dispensers filled with alcohol-based cleaner and placing them in the U.S. Customs areas in the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The city's airport agency has also checked its stocks of masks and gloves should security screeners require them to handle travelers' baggage.

"It could happen in six months, or three years," DiGirolamo told commissioners. "This is going to be a major effort on our part, but we will be prepared to help the CDC."

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 08:03 am:

Agran could learn from B.C. park - OCR letter 10/17/05

Larry Agran, the behind the scenes 'socialist magician' of Irvine's Great Park, should study visitor transportation in the 1,000-acre Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is probably the finest park in the world. It uses a one-way road with single car and bicycle lanes around the park, with parking areas near attractions like ponds, gardens, game fields, etc. and occasional pull-offs for car breakdowns. It does not have a huge, centralized parking area for visitors that come from near and far and very far. The low speed limit is rigidly enforced with large fines for speeders.

Of course, our money spenders in Sacramento will agree with Agran and fund an expensive rail system in this Money Honey Pot as they always know what's best for all in California and love to spend "their" money (our taxes).

Leslie R. Nash
Anaheim

By Nellie (66.81.203.148 - 66.81.203.148) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 09:29 am:

FOR THE RECORD -- Los Angeles Times -- Oct. 18, 2005

Orange County Great Park. An architecture review in
Monday's Calendar section of the designs for the Orange
County Great Park stated that Irvine voters derailed plans
for an airport at the site of the former El Toro Marine base.
In fact, Orange County voters were the ones who rejected
the ballot measure.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-
a2-correx18.5oct18,1,6628672,print.story

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 10:14 am:

Good for you, Nellie.

By EDITOR (68.5.105.217 - 68.5.105.217) on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 10:37 am:

Bravo!

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 08:43 am:

Voters awash in flood control district options

Antelope Valley Press
Monday, October 17, 2005.

By ALISHA SEMCHUCK
Valley Press Staff Writer

Ten years after Antelope Valley voters washed their hands of the chance to create a flood control district, the issue has resurfaced.

This time, when voters go to the polls on Nov. 8 they will be asked to vote yea or nay on two advisory measures intended to gauge their interest in taking a proactive stance to stop the flooding.

Measure J recommends forming an Antelope Valley Flood Control District, which would take at least three years to set in place. Measure K gives residents the option of joining the existing Los Angeles County Flood Control District, which also take about three years to evolve.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on July 26 unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose 5th District includes the Antelope Valley, to place the advisory measures on the ballot because of torrential rains that have wreaked havoc in the Antelope Valley.

"This past storm season, there was severe damage to roads and private properties, highlighting the (enduring) need for a coordinated regional means of providing flood protection," Antonovich said. "A flood control agency could serve to coordinate, fund, build, operate and maintain a drainage system to meet flood protection needs."

Antonovich further broached the subject Wednesday when he appeared as keynote speaker at the Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce luncheon, where he sought support from business leaders.

The supervisor said he, Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford and Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts support having the measures on the ballot. Furthermore, he noted, they support either choice - measures J or K.

"We urge a 'yes' vote … which at this time merely indicates your interest and support for the county to begin the research associated with the potential formation of a new Antelope Valley Flood Control District," according to the ballot statement on the measures. "Our Valley has long endured regional drainage inadequacies and localized flood damages because we lack a coordinated regional flood control agency. These issues persist and will likely worsen as the population and development increase in our Valley.

"Should this advisory measure pass, the county would complete an engineer's report that would identify proposed flood control facilities, drainage benefits to each parcel and the annual assessment to each property owner, currently estimated to be an average of $150 to $200 per lot" annually for an independent Antelope Valley Flood Control District and between $125 and $175 per lot each year to annex to the county district.

That report would take about three years to complete and result in Proposition 218, the Right to Vote on Taxes Act, being put before Valley voters in a future election to form a flood control district.

There are roughly 300,000 parcels in the Antelope Valley that would share in the cost, said Paul Novak, Antonovich's planning deputy. However, he added, the engineer's report would examine every parcel in the Valley and determine the value each property would derive. That, in turn, would establish the individual cost.

In addition to the measures on the November ballot, Antonovich talked about mail-in ballots that were sent out to roughly 1,700 property owners in Quartz Hill in September. Their replies, due back Nov. 1, are regarding whether they want to form a separate assessment district to resolve severe flooding problems that happen practically every year. If a simple majority votes yes, the assessment district would be formed in the west Valley town.

Without a backbone system to control flooding, residents in much of the Antelope Valley became immobilized.

"The result was the flooding on Avenue P" that closed off the entrance to the Palmdale Regional Airport, said Norm Hickling, field representative to Antonovich.

Antonovich said there's a great push to proceed with plans to create a full-service Palmdale airport in order to ease congestion at LAX and the traffic on surrounding thoroughfares.

Novak said the L.A. County Flood Control District formed sometime around the 1920s and handles everything from Avenue S south to the ocean.

"The flood control system in L.A. County worked very well" this past winter, Novak said. "We had a couple of sink holes, but, for the most part, nothing like what was going on here. There are some challenges here. There's no outlet to an ocean."

Also, construction costs are more expensive now than they were years ago, he noted.

Measure J would be "slightly more expensive" to implement than Measure K.

Approval of Measure K, annexation to L.A. County, has the advantage of a management system that's already in place, Hickling said. And the county already has equipment, which would have to be purchased if voters decide on Measure J instead. However, with Measure K, Valley residents wouldn't maintain local control.

The cost to design and build the drainage system is about the same in either case, Novak said.

If one or both of the measures pass, Hickling said a Flood Control Advisory Committee would be formed, made up of community residents and county representatives who will evaluate local needs.

It will be "very much a collaborative effort, not just a technical document," Hickling said. "There will be a lot of work in those three years - community meetings, workshops, feedback. The vote on Nov. 8 is critically important."

"Whatever money is collected in the Antelope Valley stays in the Antelope Valley," Novak said, no matter which measure is approved.

asemchuck@avpress.com

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 09:06 am:

Sounding Board: The Airport/Funding Priorities

Mon Oct 17, 6:43 PM ET

[San Diego] Daily Transcript Question: The strategic planning committee of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority announced that the expansion of Lindbergh Field is not an option. Given that finding, the airport will likely need to be relocated. Assuming the airport could be moved to any appropriate site in the county -- such as existing civilian or military airport sites or available open space -- where would you recommend the airport be relocated and why?

The most desirable location for a new airport with the least residential uproar, with the least cost to provide access is the 22,000-acre Rancho Guejito mesa east of the Wild Animal Park. It's convenient and a location that will have the least impact on existing homes.

Second choice would be Borrego for two reasons.

The first is that it could become a 21st century "wayport" for international flights served by commuter airports at Lindbergh Field, Montgomery Field, Gillespie Field, Brown Field, Ream Field, Oceanside Municipal and Palomar Airport, which would serve respectively the areas of downtown, central San Diego, South Bay, East County and North County. Once upon a time Lindbergh Field was considered "way out" when Reuben Fleet offered to buy it for $1 million before moving Consolidated Aircraft from Buffalo to San Diego. Seventy-five years from now Borrego will no longer be "way out."

When considering military installations, North Island could be an adjunct to Lindbergh Field. Adm. William S. Guest, when in charge of 15 Navy airbases, conducted a feasibility study showing that the carriers and air wings at North Island could be serviced by repair facilities at Brown Field and joint military/civilian use of North Island was feasible. I suspect however, that with more retired flag officers living in Coronado than in any other city in the world, they might pull rank on this location.

That leaves nearly everyone's favorite -- centrally located Miramar. The biggest obstacle to obtaining Miramar is not what everyone thinks, according to Adm. Guest, now deceased. Every time civilians want a military installation they want it for free. The Navy cannot get reimbursed by Congress for the billion-plus dollars it would lose by handing over Miramar. If the city of San Diego would offer to buy Miramar the Navy might take an altogether different tact and support the sale of Miramar. Now there's a new idea: Buy Miramar, don't try to steal it.

The second reason Borrego is a possible option is that an airport could be built there by San Diego and traded for Miramar prior to the installation of civilian carrier facilities. (A trade of Brown Field, though possibly far too small, might also work, considering there is a thousand undeveloped acres adjacent and the mountains would not inhibit the Marine's helicopter operations now at Miramar).

Given military budget constraints for military infrastructure the Navy is increasingly receptive to property exchanges in lieu of outright gifts of military properties to civilian authorities.

The Marine's do not need an airbase to be in the center of the city of San Diego. And if the Navy brings back the Tomcats, as I once timed it, a carrier flight is only two minutes longer from Miramar to Borrego.

-- Fred Schnaubelt
Former San Diego City Councilman

Have Your Voice Heard!

The Daily Transcript introduces Sounding Board, a regular opinion page feature focusing on current issues. Send your responses to soundingboard@sddt.com.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 07:44 am:

Q: I notice they are grinding up an old building on the former Tustin Marine base along Jamboree. When did they start grinding up old buildings and what do they do with them?

Grinding up concrete from demolished buildings has been around at least for several decades, according to Richard Wayper of Northwest Demolition and Dismantling. Typically concrete chunks are hauled from the demolition site to places that grind it up and sift it to create aggregate that can be used in a variety of ways, especially as road bases.
When the created aggregate can be used for new construction on the demolition site it has become less expensive to bring a grinder to the site, like the building on the former Tustin Marine base. The material is generally used to level a site, fill utility trenches and under asphalt and concrete parking lots.
The practice of reusing demolition materials is an old one, especially salvaging of wood and metals. Concrete used to be dumped in landfills but with laws that require reduction of landfill waste it is now usually recycled. The recycling can save significantly in rebuilding costs. Doing the grinding onsite not only provides the material but also saves the cost of trucking and gasoline to haul it away to be ground.

From IWN "Ask us Anything" 9/20/05

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 07:46 am:

Oops, above is from 10/20/05

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 07:47 am:

Writers wise in JWA warnings - DP letter 10/20/05

Richard Taylor warns us that a growing John Wayne Airport is like a fire that will "scorch this community to the bare ground," ("Call to action is late," Saturday). He mentions individuals and groups lecturing us on "what needs to be done to control John Wayne Airport." He criticizes Byron de Arakal for saying the settlement agreement, which keeps John Wayne Airport small, "does not override the county's Airport System Master Plan, the long-range planning scheme for the eventual build-out of John Wayne Airport that was ratified by the Board of Supervisors in October of 2001." ("Keeping JWA on the radar," Oct. 9).

Both of these writers speak wisely about the threat of a growing John Wayne Airport, but neither mentions that Irvine, the big city surrounding John Wayne Airport on two sides, may be more against growth than traditional victims Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. This is because the airspace around El Toro is now open for all the airlines. Pilots, learning to turn, may be flying over Irvine instead of using circuitous routes that were mandated by the Marines.

DONALD NYRE
Newport Beach

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 07:51 am:

Fair's equestrian manager wants out

Disputes with tenants 'seemingly irresolvable,' says man whose business was hired to run center in 2004.
By Alicia Robinson
Daily Pilot
10/20/05

The equestrian center at the Orange County Fairgrounds could eventually be replaced with a recreational vehicle campground or a large pond, and the fair board may consider the options sooner than expected.

Rick Hanson, whose family firm Equestrian Services II was hired to manage the equestrian center in 2004, told the fair board's buildings and grounds committee Wednesday he wants out of the firm's five-year contract.

In August, horse trainers and riders complained to the fair board that the Hanson family had raised its fees without notice and were not fulfilling its obligation to keep riding facilities safe and clean.

The board was advised that it legally can't do anything about the fee increases, but board members said they'd keep an eye on conditions at the equestrian center.


"Basically our management and our management style was called into question and has resulted in ongoing, seemingly irresolvable disagreements, and we basically feel that the charges that they have leveled against us have no merit," Rick Hanson said Wednesday.

As of late last month, the center's management and tenants seemed to have smoothed their difficulties, so the resignation request was a surprise to Kathy Hobstetter, a trainer who runs her business from the center.

"We were having good conversations" with Rick Hanson, she said.

Fair officials, however, were prepared for the question of what will happen next.

The Hansons first told fair officials a few weeks ago they wanted to end their contract, fair Chief Executive Becky Bailey-Findley said. The Hansons took over feeding and cleaning services at the center around 1994, but until 2004, the fair had always managed the center itself, she said.

The board and the Hansons will have to negotiate ending their contract, which didn't include anything about termination.

At upcoming meetings, the fair board will hear about three options: resuming in-house management of the equestrian center, hiring another firm to manage it, or using the 7.5-acre equestrian center site for something else.

One possibility is to make the area a campground for RVs. They now park on a 5-acre grassy area along Arlington Avenue, but long-term plans show that as a festival grounds, Bailey-Findley said.

The equestrian center also could be used as a parking lot, a staging area for big events or future fairgrounds construction projects, or even a filtration pond that would help clean runoff from the entire rest of the fairgrounds.

Fair officials already have been looking into where they might relocate equestrian services -- for example, the Great Park in Irvine -- which would allow them to expand programs.

"This is just preliminary analysis of what do we need to do," fair board member Ruben Smith said.

Smith expects it to take at least two months before the issue is brought back to the full fair board for discussion.

Hobstetter said she's worried about losing yet another equestrian facility, after 14 such operations around Orange County have closed in the last two years.

"Land has just gotten so expensive that they've closed down for various reasons," she said.

Lately, her riding programs have been full and so has the equestrian center, she said.

"I am gravely concerned that the administration of the fairgrounds will seize the opportunity to make more concrete available for cars," she said.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 07:53 am:

Bob Hope Airport summer passenger numbers take off

By Jason Kandel, Staff Writer
LA Daily News
10/20/05

BURBANK - Record numbers of travelers flew in and out of the Bob Hope Airport this summer, brought by an improved economy and more flights by two new carriers, JetBlue and Delta Air Lines.

Nearly 1.5 million passengers traveled through the Burbank airport between June and August, compared with 1.3 million in the same months last year, records show.

August travel set a record: 521,217 travelers, up from 457,894 in August 2004 and even 16 percent more than August 2001, the month before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks slashed air travel.

"We're glad to see the traveling public back in force," said airport spokesman Victor Gill. "Our challenge is to keep giving them the airport convenience that they have come to expect over time. This is definitely above and beyond what we had going on prior to 9-11."

While Bob Hope's numbers jumped, LAX's numbers remained flat. Some 17.4 million travelers used LAX this summer and last summer, statistics show.

"International traffic came in over forecast, but domestic traffic was flat because the airlines were trimming their schedules because of much higher fuel prices and the precarious financial condition of the so-called legacy carriers," said Tom Winfrey, a spokesman at LAX. "We think traffic will increase next year."

More jets as well as more people used Bob Hope this summer.

In August, the airport had more than 5,700 flights among 10 carriers, compared with 5,320 in August 2004.

JetBlue, which on May 24 began offering three daily nonstop flights between Burbank and New York, carried 97,116 passengers through Aug. 31, according to airport statistics.

"JetBlue is pleased to the response from its customers," said carrier spokeswoman Jenny Dervin.

Delta Air Lines began offering a daily nonstop flight to Atlanta and flights to Salt Lake City through SkyWest in January. Its planes carried 29,658 passengers through Bob Hope Airport in June, July and August, statistics show.

Southwest Airlines is the biggest user of Bob Hope Airport and usually accounts for more than 65 percent of passenger traffic, airport officials said. In June, July and August it carried 919,733 passengers in and out of Burbank.

The Burbank airport's all-time high was 4.9 million travelers in 1995. The airport had 4.7 million in 2003 and was just below the 1995 record in 2004.

Jack Kyser, the chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. said the summer travel season was good to Southern California. But, he said, questions remain over whether the trend can survive rising fuel prices worsened by the Gulf Coast hurricanes.

"The fuel market is a major concern," he said. "It's very volatile."

Jason Kandel, (818) 546-3306 jason.kandel@dailynews.com

By EDITOR (68.5.105.217 - 68.5.105.217) on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 07:41 am:

Southwest Airlines Offers $39 One-Way Airfares Between Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Southern California Cities
Friday October 21, 10:00 am ET
It's Not Hocus Pocus! Southwest Airlines Puts Halloween Spell on Fares


DALLAS, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV - News) has super treats for Customers booking travel this fall and winter season. To share in the Halloween spirit, Southwest Airlines is offering $39 one-way airfares with a 14-day advance purchase, available for a limited time on southwest.com, for travel between Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Southern California cities. To book these frighteningly low Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Southern California airfares available only at southwest.com, go to: http://www.southwest.com/jp/luvhome.shtml?src=PR_GoldenSale_102105
"This Halloween, Southwest Airlines is offering spook-tacular fares that won't scare your wallet," said Joyce Rogge, Southwest's Senior Vice President of Marketing. "But Customers must book their travel by midnight on Halloween to take advantage of these great deals!"

Customers can take advantage of the $39 one-way fares between the following cities:


* Between Burbank and Las Vegas or Phoenix.
* Between Los Angeles and Las Vegas or Phoenix.
* Between Ontario and Las Vegas or Phoenix.
* Between San Diego and Las Vegas or Phoenix.
* Between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Fare Rules
The fares are available for purchase today through Oct. 31, 2005, and are valid for travel from Nov. 4, 2005, through the end of Southwest Airlines' published schedule (currently Feb. 3, 2006). Tickets must be purchased at least 14 days before departure. Fares are available one-way and are combinable with all other fares. When combining fares, all ticketing restrictions apply. Seats are limited. Fares may vary by destination and day of travel and will not be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times. Fares do not include a $3.20 federal segment tax per takeoff and landing. Fares do not include airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9 one-way and U.S. government-imposed September 11th Security Fees of up to $5 one-way. Fares are subject to change until ticketed. Tickets are nonrefundable but may be applied toward the purchase of future travel on Southwest Airlines. Fares are valid on Southwest-operated published, scheduled service only and are not available through the Group Desk. Any change in itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Fares are not necessarily common rated in the Los Angeles Basin. Orange County's John Wayne Airport is not included in this sale.

Customers who book their travel via southwest.com can subscribe to Southwest Airline's Click 'n Save email updates as well as Southwest Airline's newest technological innovation -- DING! DING! delivers Southwest Airlines' hottest deals directly to Customers' desktops allowing Customers to get a jump on the latest southwest.com sales! For more information, visit http://www.southwest.com/ding/.

By EDITOR (68.5.105.217 - 68.5.105.217) on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 07:42 am:

Fake grenade causes evacuations, flight delays at Southern California airport

Associated Press, October 21, 2005

ONTARIO, Calif. A fake grenade ended up being a major inconvenience for some travelers at California's Ontario International Airport.

Security screeners spotted the device packed in a suitcase yesterday morning. The owner told officers it was a car gear shift knob. But as a precaution, officials evacuated part of the terminal and called in the bomb squad to detonate it.

Eleven flights were delayed.

Some passengers missed flights and had to rebook. Travelers who had the chance to make later flights were whisked to the front of long security lines when the terminal reopened.

By EDITOR (68.5.105.217 - 68.5.105.217) on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 07:58 am:

ONT evacuated over grenade-shaped auto accessory
Melissa Pinion-Whitt and L.C. Greene
The San Bernardino (CA) Sun
October 21, 2005

ONTARIO - To Ontario International Airport security, it had all the
characteristics of a World War II-style hand grenade.
The small chrome, pineapple-shaped device with a release pin looked so
realistic, it was immediately red-flagged while going through airport
screening.

As a result, travelers in Terminal 2 were evacuated and 11 flights delayed
Thursday.

The grenade, it turned out, was a knob for a car gear shifter.

"Unfortunately, we'd like to trust people, but at that point, we had to
treat it as a real grenade until we could have our bomb technicians look at
it and see that it wasn't a real device," said Ontario fire Investigator
Frank Huddleston.

Ontario firefighters came to the terminal after airport security spotted the
knob in checked baggage about 6 a.m.

Airport personnel evacuated the first floor of the terminal and contacted
the owner of the package, Huddleston said.

The passenger told officials the item was harmless, but as a precaution,
officials said it still was not allowed on the plane. Sometime after 8 a.m.,
the bomb squad sent in a robot to detonate the faux grenade.

Passengers were allowed back in the terminal around 9 a.m. People on early
flights missed their boarding and had to reschedule.

Passengers on later flights who had a chance to make it on the plane were
pushed to the front of the long lines.

About 11 flights were delayed, said Ontario International spokeswoman Maria
Tesoro-Fermin.

Nancy Parker, 40, of Oceanside and her friend, Mary Kay Saltgaver, 52, of
Ontario, arrived shortly before 6 a.m. to make a 7 a.m. flight to San
Francisco. They were there when the evacuation order came. They weren't told
why, but outside, they quickly figured out what was going on.

"We saw the canine bomb unit," Saltgaver said.

They also saw the squad send in the robot.

"We heard a little explosion," Parker said.

The women missed their flight and weren't sure if they would be able to fly
out at all Thursday.

Saltgaver's husband, who works at San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland,
said the hospital was alerted to stand by in case of casualties.

Upland resident Nancy Jensen arrived at the airport shortly after the
evacuation and had to wait outside for nearly three hours with hundreds of
other passengers.

The other passengers were "for the most part, patient," she said.

Over the past several decades, the Fire Department's bomb squad has examined
abandoned luggage and even packaged food that appeared suspicious at the
airport. Huddleston said the squad came to the airport once when a
suspicious box containing a cactus was found.

But some of the suspicious packages the airport has found over the years
contained actual explosive devices that the owners believed were not live,
Huddleston said.

In this case, the package contained product samples for an auto parts
manufacturer, fire officials said.

The parts, which included the gear shift knob, were being taken to a car
show possibly in Memphis. Similar knobs advertised on other auto accessory
Web sites are made out of authentic military grenades which do not contain
explosive material.

But this knob was not originally a grenade, Huddleston said.

Though passengers were inconvenienced, it was better to err on the side of
caution, Huddleston said.

"We'd rather find 20 fake gear shift knobs than one real grenade," he said.

By EDITOR (68.5.105.217 - 68.5.105.217) on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 08:44 am:

The park's path to progress
OC Register letters
October 21, 2005

Selecting the master designer of the Orange County Great Park is one of the most important decisions the Orange County Great Park Board of Directors will make ["Great Park holds off designer decision," Local, Oct. 11]. Investing the time and money to do thorough research before the designer is selected makes good business sense.

The Great Park board will participate in site visits accompanied by technical experts. Viewing actual parks and other projects that the competing designers have created and understanding the associated operational and maintenance needs is a critical component of the evaluation and selection process.

I commend the Register on its thorough and accurate reporting on the designer selection process.

Wally Kreutzen
Irvine
chief executive officer
Orange County Great Park Corp.

By EDITOR (68.5.105.217 - 68.5.105.217) on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 08:45 am:

Press Release Source: The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine

Orange County Infrastructure Improving, Though Not Acceptable, New Report from UC Irvine Civil and Environmental Engineering Affiliates Finds

Friday October 21, 1:30 pm ET

Annual Investment of $4.8 Billion Necessary to Improve County Infrastructure over Next 10 Years

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 2005--UC Irvine's Civil and Environmental Engineering Affiliates, in partnership with the Orange County branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, today released its 2005 Orange County Infrastructure Report Card, assigning a cumulative grade of "C+" for the county's infrastructure. The grade reflects a slight increase since the county was assessed in 2002.

The 2005 Orange County Report Card evaluated the same eight infrastructure categories as in 2002:

Aviation - B
Parks/Recreation/Environment - C
School Facilities - C+
Solid Waste - B+
Transportation - C+
Urban Runoff/Flood Control - C-
Water - B
Wastewater - C+

The study was conducted by eight committees of more than 100 volunteers, primarily civil engineers, architects and planners from the public sector, the private sector, and academia. The committees collected data from numerous public agencies through phone interviews and surveys, as well as reviewing existing reports and assigning letter grades to each of the categories based upon four factors: condition, capacity, operations, and security. Complete details, including background, case studies, and methodology can be found at: http://www.eng.uci.edu/ocreportcard.

"We are pleased to see that measurable improvements have been made since we issued our 2002 report card, rating the county's overall infrastructure a 'C'," said Yazdan Emrani, P.E., co-chair of the OC Report Card Executive Committee and president of the UC Irvine CEE Affiliates. "However, both above ground and below, Orange County's aging infrastructure is struggling to meet population demands, threatening to adversely impact our quality of life. Action must be taken now to ensure the continued funding of necessary infrastructure elements."

"It's clear that improvements already in effect through the funding of successful bond measures, such as Measure M, have made notable progress in Orange County's infrastructure," said Jan Scherfig, Ph.D., co-chair of the OC Report Card Executive Committee and professor emeritus within the department of Civil and Environment Engineering at UC Irvine. "Nevertheless, our work is not done - our schools need to be retrofitted, urban run-off remains a problem, sewers are at risk of overload, and county parks are degrading at a rapid pace.

"Given current population growth estimates of approximately 25,000 people moving to Orange County every year, annual funding expenditures must increase to $4.8B in order to reach an acceptable level or a grade of 'B'," Scherfig concluded.

Grading Our Public Works

Aviation - The aviation demand in Orange County will grow to about 37 million passengers by 2025. With conversion of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station to non-aviation facilities, the legal capacity limit for John Wayne Airport will stay at 10.8 million passengers. Therefore, our challenge is to utilize other multi-modal solutions such as high-speed rail transportation to other regional airports.

Parks/Recreation/Environment - The growing population is placing increasing demands on our parks, natural forests, and beaches. Inadequate funding has resulted in significant degradation of parks and facilities. This makes funding the number one challenge to PR&E when there is a competitive rivalry for dollars and resources with other mandated functions of government.

School Facilities - School facilities are beginning to reflect the positive effects of the recent bond issues. The increases in enrollment appear to be leveling off, somewhat easing the capacity crunch. Deferred maintenance and upgrading of older schools continue to be a major problem.

Solid Waste - The system is operated by a combination of private (collection and transfer) and county (landfills). Modern recycling is resulting in a 50 percent reduction in solid waste delivered to its landfills. Advanced planning is underway to extend landfill capacity through 2045.

Transportation - Orange County has achieved high standards for transportation system maintenance and improvements through Measure M. Additional progress will require high levels of investment. To continue maintaining and improving our transportation system, we need the reauthorization of Measure M.

Urban Runoff/Flood Control - A regional, watershed-based integrated planning and funding effort continues to be the policy direction that is needed to improve our flood control management, water quality, and ecosystem goals. A dedicated funding source for watershed-based programs is critical.

Water - Orange County's 7,900 miles of water mains and 300 potable water storage tanks will deteriorate and fail at an increasing rate. Water agencies should continue to address proactive maintenance and repairs, including corrosion prevention and seismic upgrades.

Wastewater - In 2005, more cities are using special districts' enterprise funding models and many more now have revenues dedicated to the single purpose of funding their sewer collection systems. Continued and consistent investments are required to meet the standards required by federal and state regulations.

The CEE Affiliates, a group of approximately 30 public and private entities, supports research on civil infrastructure systems conducted by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine. Members include the California Department of Transportation, Irvine Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District, among others. For a complete list of members, please visit: www.eng.uci.edu/cee/affiliates.

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine is one of the nation's fastest-growing engineering schools, attracting talented engineering faculty and students from across the nation and abroad. The School consists of five departments: biomedical engineering, chemical engineering and materials science, civil and environmental engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, and mechanical and aerospace engineering. The school is home to numerous research centers, including the Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, the National Fuel Cell Research Center, the Center for Embedded Computer System, and the Center for Pervasive Communications and Computing. Additionally, it is a major participant in the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, Calit2. Further, more than a third of the School's 102 faculty members are fellows in professional societies and seven have been elected into the National Academy of Engineering. For more information, please visit www.eng.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine: Celebrating 40 years of innovation, the University of California, Irvine, is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

UCI maintains an online directory of faculty available as experts to the media. To access, visit www.today.uci.edu/experts.

By DB (68.96.93.72 - 68.96.93.72) on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 05:22 pm:

"utilize other multi-modal solutions such as high-speed rail transportation to other regional airports."

Ah. How sweet that sounds. No reference to ET.

But 37 MAP? On what planet is that realistic? How about 100 MAP?

However, I am reluctant to bad mouth a school named after the owner of the Ducks!

Quack.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 10:19 pm:

Best Scandal Great Park, brought to you by Larry Agran. When Irvine’s token liberal politician first proposed replacing the old El Toro Marine Corps Air Station with a park to rival New York’s Central Park, it seemed the perfect response to what the county had in mind: the nation’s fifth-largest airport. And so came much ado about rolling hills, meadows, tree-lined walks, the Bronx Zoo—except now it’s becoming increasingly obvious we’ll actually get less park and more great housing and shopping. And Agran’s friends will likely have a disproportionately great role in its construction. The Weekly has revealed three people with Agran ties who have started five businesses geared specifically to capitalize on the Great Park—and critics caught Agran’s top adviser, Ed Dornan, promising to comp a partisan poll in the 2004 mayoral election. How the mighty have fallen . . . Great Park Conservancy, 1100 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, (714) 544-5410.

OC Weekly 10/21/05

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 10:28 pm:

Structures still need extensive, expensive upgrades

Report rates O.C. facilities as requiring billions in improvements.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

By PAT BRENNAN
The Orange County Register

Orange County needs $4.8 billion worth of improvements each year to public facilities ranging from airports to schools, a group of engineers said Friday, giving the county an overall grade of C-plus for the condition of buildings, parks, roads, water, sewer systems and other structures.

The report, from the Orange County branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the UC Irvine Civil and Environmental Engineering Affiliates, is a follow-up to a similar report three years ago, when the county got a C.

So this year's showed a slight improvement. Still, the county's overall rating was "not acceptable," the engineers said.

There was good news, said Yazdan Emrani, an engineering consultant who was a co-chairman of the report-card effort.

Transportation improved from a C to C-plus, he said, in part because the Measure M half-cent sales tax has helped fund new projects.

Schools went from a D-plus to a C-plus.

"A lot of folks looked in depth, and the conclusion was the bonds that have been passed are working," Emrani said.

Emrani warned, however, that improvements are needed in water and wastewater systems.

Such systems, he said, "will be good for the next few years; after that, there's going to be a crash landing."

Wastewater systems especially need steadier funding in many communities, he said.

More than 100 volunteer engineers, architects, planners and academics spent nearly a year reviewing reports and data and conducting interviews by phone and questionnaire. They did not conduct any on-site inspections this time around, and they received no pay.

After their analysis, they assigned letter grades based on a variety of criteria.

They said schools must be retrofitted for earthquake protection, parks are deteriorating and sewers are at risk of overload.

The report also says the number of airplane passengers will be far above the capacity of John Wayne Airport by 2025.

That will mean a need for high-speed rail or other transportation to other airports.

Control of contaminated urban water runoff into the ocean should be improved, and water-delivery systems will fail if not maintained properly, the group said.

But water-delivery systems received a B because of efforts by Orange County cities to replace or improve aging pipes and other structures in recent years.

"It's been a pretty significant effort," said Matt Stone, associate general manager of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, who helped assess water systems for the report.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 10:32 pm:

[LGB] Late Night Landings Under Fire

By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor
gazettes.com

10/20/05

Airport issues are taking off again at City Council, with debate Tuesday about fines for late night flight violations and how the city administers the “bridge time” between 10 and 11 p.m.

Under the city’s current noise ordinance, flights are allowed between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Landings or takeoffs outside that time frame are subject to fines.

However, the ordinance allows a bridge time between 10 and 11 p.m. when, if the excuse is adequate, late operations are forgiven.

“The ordinance is pretty clear,” said Sharon Diggs-Jackson, public affairs manager at the Long Beach Airport. “We enforce it to a ‘T.’ There can be excuses, and when there are excuses, it isn’t a violation.”

Those excuses include mechanical problems, weather delays or delays at the originating airport. Diggs-Jackson said the vast majority of late-night activity is between 10 and 11 p.m. as airlines try to get passengers to their destination without overnight delays.

But complaints continue from residents, and the three council members who have been most vocal about a proposed terminal expansion project — Fourth District Councilman Patrick O’Donnell, Seventh District Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga and Eighth District Councilwoman Rae Gabelich — said they want a review of the policy.

“We’re seeking a clarification of the ordinance, particularly in regards to the bridge time,” O’Donnell said. “Our neighborhoods are experiencing a lot more flights in that time.Š We know the golden rule is not to violate our noise ordinance, but we need clarification.”

The curfew issue got more complicated in mid-2003, when City Prosecutor Tom Reeves reached an agreement with JetBlue Airlines and other commercial carriers regarding fines charged for violations. While the city ordinance calls for a maximum fine per violation of $1,000, Reeves convinced JetBlue and others to pay $3,000 per violation for the first six in each quarter. If there are seven or more violations in three months, the fine doubles to $6,000 per incident.

Since the deal was struck in June 2003, $366,000 in fine revenue has been recorded. That money goes directly to the city’s library materials fund (a deal council members criticized Reeves for at the time).

“Essentially, every violation is a conviction now,” Reeves said before the meeting. “We don’t have to prosecute it. And the ordinance is pretty clear.”

In addition to the misdemeanor fine, there are administrative fines for curfew violations, but those are comparatively small — $100 to $300. The council has no control over the amount charged for misdemeanors, Reeves said.

“Communication is particularly valuable now,” Uranga said. “We’re saying things like you heard a noise, but it wasn’t an official noise. We’re losing credibility.”

The larger issue of how and how much to improve the airport terminal will be back before the council and public soon, as well. Enlarging passenger waiting lounges, security areas and other facilities has been discussed virtually since the day JetBlue began using Long Beach as its West Coast hub. Since 2003, Alaska Airlines has joined the mix along with American Airlines, America West and JetBlue.

More than three million passengers a year are now using Long Beach Airport; the terminal is rated to accommodate 500,000. The city’s noise ordinance limits commercial jet flights to 41 a day — a limit already reached — but it also allows up to 25 regional jet (75,000 pounds or less) flights a day. Those commercial slots also are spoken for, although only America West is using three now.

A draft Environmental Impact Report about the proposed improvements should be ready for review in the first part of November, Diggs-Jackson said. There will be a public meeting about the EIR in the first part of December, with a hearing on the final EIR expected some time next spring. To have the final hearing before the municipal election, it would have to take place in March.

Council members already have limited the scope of the EIR to a total terminal space of 103,000 square feet, the smallest of three alternatives considered by the Airport Advisory Commission. The council also will be the body required to approve or reject the EIR as well as final financing and building plans.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 10:35 pm:

International aspirations

Ontario International Airport hits snags in getting foreign flights

10/23/05

By PAUL HERRERA / The Press-Enterprise

Ontario International Airport has lived up to its middle name in only a narrow sense.

The airport hopes to obtain a more significant international role but several obstacles remain, including the strength of the market and customs service.

No scheduled flights leaving Ontario are destined to land outside of North America. A handful of flights each week, all run by Mexican air carriers, head south of the border to Mexico, landing in Mexico City, Cabo San Lucas and, soon, Guadalajara.

Mark Thorpe, director of air-service marketing for the Ontario International Airport, said airport managers are in early discussions with airlines that would establish service to Europe, more of Latin America and Canada.

European service could come from a carrier that would relocate from LAX to the Inland airport, Thorpe said. He declined to name the carrier, saying talks are premature.

Alan Bender, an airline industry expert and professor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said an airport with Ontario International's profile will struggle to make any significant international connections.

Unlike virtually every airport with connections abroad, Ontario doesn't serve as a hub for connecting passengers. Bender said most passengers arriving in LAX from overseas are connecting to another destination.

"Ontario is a dead end," Bender said. "They lose a significant number of potential passengers right there."

Observers say the Inland Empire's demographic profile could support a healthy array of flights to Latin America, particularly Mexico, by low-cost operations. This week Lineas Aereas Azteca, a 4-year-old Mexican carrier that flies to Mexico City, will add a weekly connection to Los Cabos, Mexico.

Patricia Schwebel, vice president of sales in the U.S. for the airline, said Guadalajara, Mexico, offers a natural fit given that many Mexican Americans in the Inland Empire have family living near that city.

Lineas Aereas Aztecas will fly 136-passenger Boeing 737s on the route.

Meanwhile, AeroMexico may cut back service between Ontario and Mexico. Harrison Liu, a spokesman for the airline, said AeroMexico is considering eliminating a flight to Guadalajara.

Thorpe said Los Angeles World Airports, the city of Los Angeles agency that owns and operates Ontario International Airport as well as LAX and airports in Palmdale and Van Nuys, hopes to extend the operation of a federal inspection station at the airport to allow more international flights to land.

The station, run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, processes international arrivals during limited hours.

Even with the added flight by Lineas Aereas Aztecas, the inspection station won't have to handle more than about 400 passengers aday.

A spokesman for the federal agency said there are no plans to add resources at Ontario.

Thorpe said the center's limited hours add a roadblock to efforts to recruit airlines to Ontario.

While the Inland Empire's population compares favorably with some international gateways, such as Phoenix, Ontario would also have to buck conventional wisdom that there's rarely need for more than one significant international airport in one area.

"The conventional wisdom is that it doesn't work except perhaps with charters or some limited low-price flights," Bender said of secondary airports.

Reach Paul Herrera at (909) 806-3074 or pherrera@pe.com.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 08:43 am:

'Town hall' meeting set to discuss airport search

Sunday, October 23, 2005

By: North County Times

NORTH COUNTY ---- A town hall meeting on the San
Diego County Regional Airport Authority's search for a new
regional airport is set for 6 p.m. Monday at Westview High
School in Rancho Penasquitos.

The program includes a presentation on the site-selection
program by authority board Chairman Joe Craver and
authority President Thella Bowens.

A question-and-answer session will take place following
their presentations.

San Diego International Airport's Lindbergh Field is forecast
to be out of room to handle expected growth within about
15 years. The airport is the busiest single-runway air field
in the nation and saw more than 16 million passengers
pass through it in 2004.

The authority will issue a site recommendation to voters
next year in advance of a countywide vote in November.

Monday's two-hour meeting takes place in Westview's
Performing Arts Center.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 08:47 am:

Central: Contract rules for Great Park - OCR

Sunday, October 23, 2005

THEN: July 2005

Controversy simmers over research and public relations
work the Great Park Corporation secured from Forde and
Mollrich, a company based in Newport Beach.

Now

A committee report suggests adopting a procurement
policy consistent with the city's.

WHAT'S NEXT

At its Thursday meeting, the Great Park Corporation is
scheduled to approve a resolution setting a procurement
policy that, among other mandates, sets policies for
entering into no-bid contracts.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 09:01 am:

Focus on the subway - LAT letter

October 21, 2005

Re "Experts Dig Into Subway Project," Oct. 15

I had been a regular Red Line subway rider and loved it
until my job moved to the Westside. Now my commute on
Interstate 10 is horrible. It is bad and getting worse. I
dream of those wonderful subway days.

Los Angeles needs the Red Line extended to the ocean so
badly Ñ it should be the No. 1 priority.

Forget expanding LAX, Grand Avenue and L.A. Live. Let's
work on the problems that really need solving and create a
true rapid transit system that everyone can use.

ERIC TOOLEY
Los Angeles

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 11:40 am:

Forum focuses on working together to meet transit needs
[in north LA County]

Antelope Valley Press
Saturday, October 22, 2005.

By LISA WAHLA HOWARD
Valley Press Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - North county leaders, both those elected
to office and those running businesses, must work together
to ensure the region's transportation needs are met as the
area continues to grow.

That was the message Friday from a transportation forum
sponsored at the Hyatt Valencia by the Golden State
Gateway Coalition, a nonprofit organization with more than
50 members.

"Traditional public revenue alone won't be able to finance
our transportation needs," said state Sen. George Runner,
R-Lancaster. "There are billions of dollars available in the
private market É and there are more needs than we have
(public) dollars available."

Runner has sponsored several bills in Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's Go California transportation plan,
including one to allow broad use of public-private
partnerships and one to institute the time-saving design-
build process.

Public-private partnerships mean more than toll roads,
Runner said. Government can also work with the private
sector to acquire rights-of-way and should work with the
trucking industry to possibly help pay for dedicated truck
lanes.

Expanding the truck lanes in the north county is a major
goal of the Gateway Coalition, especially through the
Newhall Pass on Interstate 5 between Freeway 14 and state
highway 126.

"I truly believe in two to three years we won't be talking
about getting the project off the ground, we'll be talking
about building it," said coalition chairman Tom DiPrima,
who is president of the Los Angeles/Ventura division of KB
Home.

To that end, the coalition is working on a feasibility study
and plans to work on an environmental study next, DiPrima
said.

Runner suggested the coalition incorporate into the current
study discussions with the trucking industry on how much
the industry would be willing to contribute for dedicated
lanes.

"If we find it does make sense and legislation allows for
public-private partnerships, we could put together a deal
that will not involve waiting for Sacramento to write a
check," Runner said.

Bob Haueter, aide to Los Angeles County Supervisor
Michael D. Antonovich, said the region "must continue to
unify our efforts," and that federal, state and local
leadership must work together on common priorities.

The governor should be given the power to fast-track
transportation projects because traffic movement in L.A.
County is a crisis, just as it was after the 1994 Northridge
earthquake, Haueter said.

[Antonovich aide] Haueter also emphasized the
importance of further developing Palmdale Airport to
relieve congestion near LAX and relieve north county air
travelers of the hassle of using the busy airport.

Caltrans District 7 Director Doug Failing also noted the
$850 million project in the pipeline to widen Freeway 14
from Sand Canyon to Avenue P, which would relieve
congestion and help passengers reach the airport.

Bart Reed, executive director of the Transit Coalition,
encouraged support for a $180 million project to improve
the Metrolink rail lines linking Santa Clarita and the
Antelope Valley. The project, which includes straightening
the track, could shorten the trip between the valleys by 30
minutes and make it competitive with automobile travel.

A $2 million to $3 million investment could add cars and
expand service on Sundays and into the evenings, so that
AV residents could take the train to sports and cultural
events in the L.A. basin.

A $450 million investment could extend Metrolink tracks
from Union Station to LAX, allowing north county residents
to take the train to the airport, Reed said.

Working together was the theme reiterated at the forum,
which drew Valley leaders including Lancaster Mayor Frank
Roberts, who serves on the MTA board of directors;
Lancaster Vice Mayor Henry Hearns; AV Board of Trade
executive director Cathy Hart; and Gretchen Gutierrez, head
of the AV chapter of the Building Industry Association.

"This community sends many, many dollars to Washington
and Sacramento," said Gary Cusumano, the coalition's
founding chairman and chairman of Santa Clarita developer
Newhall Land and Farming Co.

"By joining together the public and private sector, (we) will
be able to bring back our fair share of the dollars we've
been sending out for so many years," he said.

lhoward@avpress.com

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 11:47 am:

[Palmdale] Candidates go on airwaves to reach voters

TAntelope Valley Press
Sunday, October 23, 2005.

By MARISSA WIDDISON
Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Mayoral and City Council hopefuls trouped
before the public again Saturday morning - this time via
the airwaves of Clear Channel radio station 1430 AM - to
tout their office-worthiness in a candidate forum.

Mayor Jim Ledford and challenger Desmond Kester were on
hand, as well as council contenders Jeanette Buteyn,
Stephen Knight, Tom Lackey, John Mayfield, Kathleen
Morgan, Patricia Shaw, Craig Tappa, Mark Walters and
Marta Williamson-Kester.

With moderator Craig Mitchell tossing out questions, each
candidate's platform took sharper definition.

Shaw repeatedly stressed the need for development on the
east side of Palmdale.

"I think somebody needs to be an effective salesperson for
the east side of our city. There's huge opportunities over
there for growth and restaurants and stores, and those
people need to have someplace to eat," she said.

Shaw also said east Palmdale needs a library.

Mayfield, a member of the city's Planning Commission,
argued with Kester about the presence of windmills in
Palmdale and underscored the needs of the city's east side.

"Two-thirds of the population lives in east side," Mayfield
said, urging the council to move forward with constructing
not only a library but also a hospital on the east side of
town.

Marta Williamson-Kester's recurring theme was clean water,
which she said was needed for improving the quality of life,
along with after-school programs. She concluded her
remarks by returning to the need for clean water,
highlighting the need for improved sanitation.

"Quality of life starts with clean water, which we don't
have," Williamson-Kester said.

Her comments often echoed those of her husband, mayoral
challenger Desmond Kester, who said Palmdale needs to
improve its infrastructure. Kester said he disagreed with
Palmdale's Redevelopment Agency taking money from
areas like education and law enforcement.

Craig Tappa cited firework awareness as one of his pet
projects. He also referred to his Web site in nearly all of his
comments.

Lackey shifted the focus of the conversation from business
topics to family support.

"I think one of the things we really need to focus on is
supporting families," Lackey said, following a string of
comments from other candidates about the need for an
airport in Palmdale.

Jeannette Buteyn continued on this tack, discussing the
need for programs geared toward at-risk youth.

"I'll agree with Tom Lackey on this," Buteyn said. "It's
important we support our law enforcement by supporting
our families and our youth before they have a run-in with
law enforcement."

Kathleen Morgan offered input about veteran's services as
well as anecdotes from her experience as a nurse and
peace officer. She described a prison stabbing that she said
illustrated the need for mental-health contracts in Valley
hospitals.

Ledford seemed content to let other candidates take the
lead on many discussions, but he jumped in periodically to
correct statistics and comment on Palmdale-Lancaster
relations. In his closing comments he praised the
candidates for running an "issue-based" campaign but
denounced Richard Loa for "promoting personal attacks."

Two major projects - the need for hospitals in Palmdale
and Palmdale's proposed airport - were at the center of
Saturday's conversation.

Knight returned again and again to the two issues. After
saying the Palmdale Airport would improve the local quality
of life, he said his first priority in office would be "pushing
forward with the hospital" scheduled to be built at the
southeast corner of Tierra Subida Avenue and Palmdale
Boulevard on the city's near west side.

Walters also focused on these two big projects - but he was
not wholly in favor of both. He said he supported the
airport project despite its slow progress, comparing it to
eating an elephant "one bite at a time."

"You just gotta keep on bringing the airport closer and
closer to us," he said.

Walters was less optimistic about hospital construction in
Palmdale, calling the current contract with Universal Health
Services - which was approved in 2001 and calls for a 250-
bed facility - "fatally flawed" because it allowed the
Pennsylvania health-care conglomerate to "cherry pick"
customers who could pay while neglecting lower-income
residents.

"We need to alter the contract to serve all of Palmdale," he
said.

Although the tone of the forum stayed light, some political
ribbing took place.

Knight proudly pointed to magnets bearing his home phone
number that he mailed to voters, then challenged the other
candidates to also make their numbers available.

"I received one of your magnets. I thought it was pretty
cool," Walters replied as other candidates laughed. "I
immediately thought: 'I wish I had some $5,000 donors so I
could send out a magnet like that.' "

By the end, there was unanimous agreement among the
candidates on but one issue: Nobody favored merging
Palmdale and Lancaster, the Valley's largest and historically
most competitive communities.

mwiddison@avpress.com

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 11:51 am:

Concrete Residue Drips Onto Vehicles at Airport FlyAway

Leaks caused by recent rains are the latest problem at the
Van Nuys facility. Builder calls the damage 'trivial.'
By Jennifer Oldham
Times Staff Writer

October 22, 2005

Some travelers who parked in the new garage at the Van
Nuys FlyAway returned this week to find their vehicles
splattered with concrete residue that had spilled out of the
ceiling during recent heavy rains.

The leaching concrete dripped onto dozens of vehicles and
prompted the Los Angeles airport agency to briefly shut
down the garage after receiving complaints from irate
owners.

The leaks are the latest in a series of problems to plague
the park-and-ride expansion project.

The airport agency attributed the whitish fluid that spotted
vehicles to "some minor nonstructural cracks." Airport
officials said they had asked the builder, Sylmar-based
Tutor-Saliba Corp., to make necessary repairs.

The company's president, Ronald N. Tutor, said Friday that
he wasn't aware of the problem but added that such
leakage isn't unusual in garages because of the porous
nature of concrete.

"I defy you to go out into any parking structure you can find
and not find a series of nonstructural cracks," he said.
Tutor called the problem "trivial" and said his company will
investigate whether it should reimburse vehicle owners.

The cracks in the garage, which was fully opened for
travelers in February, are the latest development in an
ongoing dispute between the airport agency and Tutor
about the severity of several alleged construction defects.

The disagreement has taken on added urgency recently
because Tutor-Saliba submitted the lowest bid Ñ at $241.7
million Ñ to rebuild the southernmost runway at Los
Angeles International Airport. The Airport Commission is
scheduled to award a contract for the runway Dec. 5.
Because it will use federal grants to help pay for the
runway, the commission is required to accept the lowest
bid.

Last year, airport officials threatened to remove Tutor-
Saliba from the $34-million FlyAway project, next to Van
Nuys Airport, saying the firm had not fixed a series of
construction flaws in the garage. City building inspectors
found that concrete columns were not properly aligned and
that the concrete used in several columns, some flooring
and a ramp was substandard, among other issues.

Tutor-Saliba later demolished and removed several
concrete columns, reinforced some concrete beams and
replaced substandard concrete. The company's president
has called the defects "minor" and said none of them
threatened the garage's structural integrity.

The airport agency hopes that the expanded park-and-
ride, which includes a new bus terminal, will increase the
FlyAway's popularity. About 750,000 people parked at the
30-year-old facility last year and boarded buses for LAX.

On Friday, the five-level parking garage reopened after
about 20 hours, as maintenance workers blocked off
spaces where cracks in the ceiling need to be patched.
About one-fifth of the structure's 2,063 spaces appeared to
be affected.

In the meantime, many filthy cars and trucks remained in
the garage, awaiting the return of their unsuspecting
owners.

A bronze Silverado pickup had white, filmy residue
splashed over its cab.

A few rows over, a black Honda was blotched with
hardened liquid on the passenger-side window and door.

A white BMW had splotches caked on its hood. And a white
Toyota Corolla had similar blemishes on its front end.

Airport officials declined to discuss the matter, but released
a statement saying that "in most cases, the residue can be
washed off without damage to the vehicle's paint."

But a structural engineer said the problem might not be so
easy to fix for vehicles that remain unwashed for days.

"Cement is acidic. When it leaches through, it tends to
corrode Ñ especially metallic substances," said Professor
Hank Koffman, director of the Construction, Engineering
and Management Program at USC. "If it's been sitting there
eating up the paint, they would have to sandblast it and get
a new paint job."

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Monday, October 24, 2005 - 07:39 am:

Monday - 7 p.m.: Great Park Corp.: Will consider new procurement policies and whether board members should be paid $720 a month each. Irvine council chambers, Harvard and Alton.

from This Week in O.C. - OCR 10/23/05

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Monday, October 24, 2005 - 07:42 pm:

[Palmdale] Airport receives upfront look

Commissioner says visit is 'fun'
Daily News
LA Daily News
10/19/05

PALMDALE - A lot of people talk about Palmdale Regional Airport being an alternative for travelers who have traditionally used Los Angeles International Airport, but new Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioner Valeria Velasco decided to check it out for herself.

Velasco met last weekend with Palmdale Mayor James Ledford and received a comprehensive tour of the 17,000-acre airport by Los Angeles World Airports officials before boarding a Scenic Airlines flight to Las Vegas.

"We had so much fun," Velasco said after the flight. "There's 17,000 acres out there, and you just don't know how big that really is unless you go see it for yourself. You could put five LAXs out at Palmdale."

Velasco said she hopes the Palmdale airport could soon be the home of many passenger flights - a move that would relieve congestion at LAX, the world's fifth busiest airport. Velasco said Palmdale could be a key component in dealing with Southern California's air traffic crunch.

Los Angeles World Airports is a Los Angeles department that oversees operations at LAX and Palmdale, as well as airports in Ontario and Van Nuys.

Palmdale Regional Airport uses Air Force Plant 42 runways, and passengers depart out of a terminal on land leased from the Air Force. Los Angeles World Airports also owns more than 17,000 acres of desert and farmland east of Plant 42.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said his goals are to increase the safety of air operations under the control of LAWA, decrease reliance on LAX, and develop a regional plan so no one area bears the full weight of meeting Southern California's air-passenger needs.

Paul Haney, LAWA's deputy executive director for public and community affairs, called Velasco's use of Palmdale Regional Airport "symbolic."

He added, "It is demonstrating in a tangible way a commitment to a regional solution to overcrowding at LAX."

Scenic Airlines, based in Las Vegas, operates one flight a day from Palmdale to North Las Vegas Airport.

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Monday, October 24, 2005 - 07:48 pm:

O.C. park - LBPT letter 10/21/05

Plans for an Orange County Great Park seem to be on track for a Ken Smith of New York design, but a delay until January gives some time for reflection. The most disquieting thing about this park is that the city of Irvine could open El Toro airport as soon as the Irvine Company and Lennar Corp. finish building houses on surrounding property.

Irvine is threatened by an expanding John Wayne Airport nearby, which wasn't clear to voters when they approved a Great Park.

Donald Nyre
Newport Beach

By Media Watcher (66.41.251.40 - 66.41.251.40) on Monday, October 24, 2005 - 07:51 pm:

L.B.: Late flights get look

By Jason Gewirtz, Staff writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
10/20/05

Late-night and early-morning commercial flights to and from Long Beach Airport will be the focus of an upcoming report to the City Council.

"It's time to re-educate the community on what we have to live with and why we have to live with it," Councilwoman Rae Gabelich said.

Gabelich requested a 12-month history of night and morning violations. The report is due back in 45 days.

Under the city's noise ordinance, airlines are fined if they send or land their planes after 10 p.m. or before 7 a.m. Airlines may be exempt from the fine between 10 and 11 p.m., or 6 and 7 a.m. if they can prove the violation was the result of weather, mechanical, security or other uncontrollable factors.

Several residents urged the council Tuesday to investigate recent late-night violations, although airport officials said there has been no recent spike in such flights.

Meanwhile, an anticipated environmental impact report on improvements to the Long Beach Airport terminal will be released in November, Vice Mayor Jackie Kell said Tuesday.

Airport info

Want to hear more about the airport?

The city's Neighborhood Resource Center will host an informational workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the center, 425 Atlantic Ave.

Among the topics to be discussed: Long Beach's aviation history, the airport's Internet flight tracking system, general airport updates, volunteer opportunities and the availability of free tours.

Spanish and Khmer translation will be available and light refreshments will be served.

To RSVP or to obtain more information, call JoAnn Rojas, neighborhood training coordinator, at (562) 570-1010