Around Town: Forbes names UC Irvine best value among nation’s public universities

Forbes magazine has named UC Irvine No. 1 for value among public universities nationwide.

The university ranked third overall — behind private universities Brigham Young and Princeton — in the Forbes 2019 Best Value Colleges survey, which ranked about 300 schools based on their quality, net price, net debt, alumni earnings, timely graduation and access for lower-income students.

“I am delighted that Forbes has reaffirmed our mission of educating California’s brightest students, regardless of their circumstances or background,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a statement. “We feel privileged to enable and empower our students to pursue their own American dream of a productive and satisfying life.”

More than 70,000 in-state students applied to attend UCI this fall.

Wayne Osborne retires from Municipal Water District board

Fountain Valley resident Wayne Osborne has retired from his seat on the board of directors of the Municipal Water District of Orange County.

“My time serving on this board has been the highlight of my career,” Osborne said at the board’s April 17 meeting.

His professional career included 33 years as city engineer and director of public works for the city of Fountain Valley. He has represented the water district’s Division 3 — which covers Fountain Valley, Cypress, Los Alamitos, Stanton, Westminster, parts of Garden Grove and some unincorporated areas — since 2012.

“It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve with Wayne,” board President Brett Barbre said in a statement this week. “Throughout his career, he has always demonstrated the highest level of integrity in decision-making and in his commitment to service the Orange County water community. His presence and leadership on the board will be truly missed.”

Osborne’s former seat will be filled by appointment. Anyone interested in applying must be a registered voter and live within the Division 3 boundaries. For more information, visit mwdoc.com//MWDOCDirectorDivision3Vacancy or contact board secretary Maribeth Goldsby at (714) 593-5006 or mgoldsby@mwdoc.com.

Local districts receive award for highlighting groundwater system

The Fountain Valley-based Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District recently received a Silver Mercury Award for their Groundwater Replenishment System bottled water campaign, according to a news release.

The international awards competition “honors the best in public relations, public affairs and corporate communications,” the release stated.

The districts’ year-long campaign — which included a California bottled water tour, an anniversary celebration and setting a Guinness world record for the most wastewater recycled to drinking water in 24 hours — spotlighted the water purification system that launched in 2008.

The effort “drew tens of thousands of people’s attention to state and local water needs and provided knowledge about water reuse as a viable new source of drinking water,” Orange County Water District President Vicente Sarmiento said in a statement.

“Educating people that wastewater is a resource is critical to the success of water reuse projects,” said Orange County Sanitation District board Chairman David Shawver. “This project has helped Orange County create a reliable water supply and we look forward to the project’s final expansion in 2023, which will bring total water production to 130 million gallons a day — enough water for 1 million people.”

For more information about the replenishment system, visit ocwd.com/gwrs.

Costa Mesa councilwoman awarded Walking College Fellowship

Costa Mesa Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds has been granted a Walking College Fellowship from America Walks, a nonprofit that advocates creating safe and accessible walking conditions.

The award, announced Monday, enables Reynolds and other officials nationwide to participate in a five-month training program aimed at strengthening community walkability efforts.

Reynolds said she looks forward “to learning from experts and others about strategies and opportunities to improve walkability and quality of life in Costa Mesa.”

“Our residents are asking for safer streets for walking, and we know that increased pedestrian activity boosts both community health and the local economy,” she said in a statement.

Costa Mesa councilman named ambassador for Tour de OC bike-a-thon

Costa Mesa Councilman Allan Mansoor has been selected as ambassador for this year’s edition of Tour de OC.

The annual cycling event — which will take off Saturday from Vanguard University at 55 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa — raises money to aid neglected and abused children in Orange County.

“It is my honor and pleasure to be the ambassador for this event,” Mansoor said in a statement this week. “As a father, I know how important it is for children to have a loving and stable household, and I am grateful to the Tour de OC volunteers and participants who do so much for the many foster children in need of our help.”

For more information about the event, visit TourdeOC.org.

Compost giveaway and clothing donation event set in Costa Mesa

A compost giveaway and clothing donation event is scheduled for Saturday in Costa Mesa.

The event, presented by the Costa Mesa Sanitary District, will run from 9 a.m. to noon at the Orange Coast College Recycling Center on Adams Avenue between Harbor Boulevard and Fairview Road.

For more information, visit cmsdca.gov.

Edison High School senior raises $24,400 for Michael J. Fox Foundation

Jack Forman, a senior at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, presented a charity golf tournament at SeaCliff Country Club to raise funds for research of Parkinson’s disease in honor of his grandfather John Penhollow, 74, as part of the campus’s four-year Center for International Business and Communications Studies program that requires seniors to “undertake a project of considerable significance.”

Forman and his grandfather presented a check Tuesday for $24,400 to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research on behalf of the tournament and the Edison High School CIBACS Foundation.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement and often includes tremors, stiffness and difficulty with walking. The Michael J. Fox Foundation was founded in 2000, shortly after the actor retired until his eventual return in 2012. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991.

Mesa Water District to hold water efficiency workshop

The Mesa Water District is inviting residents to attend a free water efficiency workshop on May 4.

The event — which will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the district headquarters at 1965 Placentia Ave. in Costa Mesa — will cover turf-removal methods, garden design and maintenance, efficient irrigation systems and native plants.

For more information or to register to attend, visit MesaWater.org/save-water.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.