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From Turtle Rock to Woodbury: The Hidden Design Elements Bringing Irvine to Life

Issue # 0311

Author

Joshua Tjia
17 Dec

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh Of The Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🌳⛲️🌳 From Turtle Rock to Woodbury: The Hidden Design Elements Bringing Irvine to Life

🎁🌴 Celebrate the Holidays at Great Park with Festive Lights, Art, and Family Fun Through December 29

🎄♻️ Recycle Your Old Christmas Lights at Local Hazardous Waste Centers

🍱🍣 Taiko Japanese Restaurant Offers 15% Off Holiday Gift Cards – Perfect for Sharing Joy

📖✏️ Free In-Person Homework Help for K-8 Students at Heritage Park Library

🥗🥟 10 Must-Try Healthy Holiday Recipes for a Stress-Free Season

🌿🌱 Festive Plants for the Season: Gifts That Thrive Indoors and Out

🖼️🎨“Plume” by Cody Jimenez Opens at John Wayne Airport, Showcasing Art Inspired by Nature and Society

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐈🐕 21 Pets Find Forever Homes: Weekly Adoption Update from Irvine Animal Center

🎾 UC Irvine Women’s Tennis Announces 2025 Schedule; Season Begins January 17

🏀🏐🎾⚾ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏃🏽🏆 Beckman Boys Cross Country Makes History with CIF and State Championships

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚔🏡 Irvine Police Respond to Rise in Professional Home Burglaries with Enhanced Patrols and Technology

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

🌟🏪🎉Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

What does Santa spend his hard-earned salary on?

Jingle bills.

We hope this joke brings some laughter to your day! 😁

From Turtle Rock to Woodbury: The Hidden Design Elements Bringing Irvine to Life

Irvine’s Master Plan demonstrates how thoughtful urban planning shapes communities with distinct identities and functional design. Each village, such as Woodbridge, Turtle Rock, and Woodbury, features unique visual elements like custom benches, gateways, and landscapes that reflect its character. The plan also prioritizes safety by separating pedestrians and cyclists from traffic, seen in features like the Turtle Rock Trail tunnel. These details bring the Master Plan’s vision to life, enhancing Irvine’s daily environment.

Celebrate the Holidays at Great Park with Festive Lights, Art, and Family Fun Through December 29

Celebrate the season at the Great Park in Irvine with festive lights, art, and music through December 29.

  • Enjoy the Palm Court Light Display, featuring holiday decor, a tribute to the park's military heritage, and a playful Grinch twist, open daily from dusk to 9 p.m.

  • Stop by the Holidayz Pop-Up at Great Park Studios for winter-themed photo backdrops, perfect for family photos, available Fridays (5–9 p.m.) and weekends (1–8 p.m.).

The Great Park is located at 8000 Great Park Blvd. Visit cityofirvine.org/holidayz or call 949-724-6247 for details.

Recycle Your Old Christmas Lights at Local Hazardous Waste Centers

Don’t toss old or broken Christmas lights! Recycle them at a Household Hazardous Waste Center to protect the environment and give them a second life. Centers are open 9 AM–3 PM; find a location near you at oclandfills.com/hazardous-waste.

Taiko Japanese Restaurant Offers 15% Off Holiday Gift Cards – Perfect for Sharing Joy

Taiko Japanese Restaurant, a local Irvine favorite known for its authentic Japanese cuisine and warm dining experience, is spreading holiday cheer with a special gift card offer. Customers can enjoy 15% OFF when they purchase $50 or more in physical or digital gift cards. Use promo code GC2024 before December 25, to share the joy of delicious flavors with family, friends, or yourself. Gift cards are available at 14775 Jeffrey Rd or online at TaikoOC.com.

Free In-Person Homework Help for K-8 Students at Heritage Park Library

Free in-person homework help for students in grades K-8 will be available today, December 17, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM at Irvine Heritage Park Library. Volunteer teen homework helpers will assist with assignments, and students are encouraged to bring all necessary supplies and materials. This event is open to kids ages 6-12.

10 Must-Try Healthy Holiday Recipes for a Stress-Free Season

Keep holiday stress low and energy high with these nutritious, crowd-pleasing recipes that balance flavor and health. Perfect for potlucks or family gatherings, these dishes offer tasty alternatives to traditional calorie-heavy fare.

  • Mexican Corn Deviled Eggs: A spicy, protein-packed twist on the classic deviled egg.

  • Pear & Quinoa Salad: A light, fiber-filled salad with a sweet, refreshing touch.

  • Mushroom Lentil Paté: A savory starter full of fiber, protein, and essential nutrients.

  • Salmon Spread: Lightened up with cucumbers and cherry tomatoes for crunch.

  • Vegetarian Dumplings: A healthy take on Lunar New Year dumplings, symbolizing prosperity.

  • Roasted Green Beans with Almonds: A lighter, flavorful alternative to the classic casserole.

  • Roasted Garlic Ratatouille: A vibrant, aromatic vegetarian dish packed with nutrients.

  • Sweet Potato & Kale Stir-Fry: A colorful superfood combo full of antioxidants and vitamins.

  • Artichoke & Spinach Polenta: A creamy, nutrient-dense casserole topped with Gruyère cheese.

  • Dark Chocolate Quinoa Bark: A healthy, irresistible sweet treat perfect for any holiday table.

Find the recipes here

Festive Plants for the Season: Gifts That Thrive Indoors and Out

Celebrate the season with these festive plants that thrive indoors and outdoors while making wonderful gifts:

  • Dwarf citrus and fig trees: Perfect for pots or the ground, they remain small in height but produce full-sized fruits, offering visual and culinary enjoyment year-round.

  • Christmas cactus: A holiday favorite that blooms vibrant fuchsia flowers during winter when days are short and nights are cool.

  • Spanish lavender: A beautiful, low-water shrub that looks great on tables or as vase cuttings. Plant it in the new year to kickstart your pollinator garden.

  • Sage: A symbol of hope and purity, celebrated for its fragrance and flowers. It’s another pollinator-friendly plant to add to your yard after the holidays.

Learn more in Pipelines, IRWD's monthly newsletter, at IRWD.com/pipelines.

“Plume” by Cody Jimenez Opens at John Wayne Airport, Showcasing Art Inspired by Nature and Society

John Wayne Airport (JWA) presents Plume, a new art exhibition by Cody Jimenez, on view through April 8, 2025, in Terminals A and B's baggage areas. Jimenez, an MFA graduate from Laguna College of Art and Design, explores Southern California’s ecology, modern societal pressures, and mental health through vivid, imaginative realism. His works juxtapose local flora and fauna with surreal smoke plumes, creating powerful narratives of beauty and environmental fragility. A passionate advocate for wildlife conservation, Jimenez will donate 30% of art sales to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. Follow him at @codyjimenezart or visit codyjimenez.com for more details.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

No further events scheduled for December.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://timbmusic.org/events/

Upcoming University High School's Choirs Calendar

No further events scheduled for December.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.uhschoirs.org/2024-25-season.html

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

No further events scheduled for December.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.whs-music.org/

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

No further events scheduled for December.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://woodbridgechoirs.weebly.com/calendar.html

Upcoming Irvine High School's Music Calendar

  1. Wed, December 18, 6:00-10:00 PM: IM Winter Concert

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.vimb.info/calendar

21 Pets Find Forever Homes: Weekly Adoption Update from Irvine Animal Center

From December 9–15, 8 dogs (Arlo, Benson, Gingerbread, Josie, Jovie, Koda, Lucas, Pim) and 13 cats (Alani, Candy, Celsius, Dumpling, Fizz, Julius, Keuri, Kid, Kit Kat, Mambo, Oahu, Tinsel, Tyga) were adopted—congratulations to all!

Additionally, 2 dogs (Lala and Rachel) and 2 cats (Echo and Meeko) were sent to rescue, and 1 dog and 2 cats were reunited with their owners. For adoption info and hours, visit irvineanimals.org/adopt.

UC Irvine Women’s Tennis Announces 2025 Schedule; Season Begins January 17

UC Irvine women’s tennis kicks off their 2025 season on Jan. 17 at USC and hosts their home opener against Idaho on Jan. 25. The schedule includes a mix of home matches, including contests against Caltech, Santa Clara, and UC Davis, and road trips to UC Riverside, Occidental, New Mexico State, and UTEP. UCI hosts non-conference matches in March before heading into key Big West matchups against CSUN, UC San Diego, Cal State Fullerton, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal Poly. The regular season concludes at home against Long Beach State (Apr. 18) and Hawaii (Apr. 19) before the Big West Championships in San Diego from April 24-27.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

No further upcoming home games for December

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Men’s Basketball

  1. Fri, Dec 20: vs Cypress, 7:00 PM

  2. Mon, Dec 30: vs Alumni, 6:00 PM

Beckman Boys Cross Country Makes History with CIF and State Championships

Beckman High School’s boys cross country team made history by winning their first CIF Division 1 title and the school’s first state championship. Guided by Coach Corey Schuld, the team’s hard work and consistency paid off as they won the CIF finals on Nov. 23 with standout performances from seniors Anthony Barrera (13th), Nathan Horrocks (14th), and Aaron Feaster (17th).

A week later, Beckman captured the Division 1 State title at Woodward Park, overtaking Redondo in the final mile to win with 139 points. Horrocks (17th) and Barrera (18th) led the way, earning all-state honors, while Feaster (22nd) and the rest of the team delivered crucial performances to secure the historic victory.

High School Athletics Calendar

** Updated With December Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

December 2024  

Tuesday, December 17

  • 05:00 PM: Water Polo, Girls VR vs. Edison at Woolett Pool

  • 05:00 PM: Soccer, Boys VR vs. University at Irvine High School Stadium

  • 05:30 PM: Basketball, Girls VR vs. Cajon at Irvine High School Game Gym

Irvine Police Respond to Rise in Professional Home Burglaries with Enhanced Patrols and Technology


The Irvine Police Department reports an increase in residential burglaries by transnational theft groups targeting homes backing up to open spaces, often accessing through back areas or second stories and disabling cameras. In response, extra officers, undercover operations, and advanced technology, including drones and real-time surveillance, are being deployed. Residents are urged to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity.

Key safety tips:

  • use monitored alarms

  • install cameras in high and inaccessible places, so they are not easily disabled or tampered with

  • ensure good lighting

  • lock all doors/windows (including second-story)

  • keep garage doors closed

Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

We know our community is brimming with businesses that have fascinating stories and big hearts. If you’re a local business owner making waves, crafting unique experiences, or simply putting a smile on our faces, we want to chat with you! “Irvine Insider” is eager to shine a light on the unsung heroes of our city. Let’s collaborate and let the community know what makes your business special.

Click the link below and fill out the Local Business Spotlight Application Form to be featured and let’s celebrate the spirit of Irvine together!

Irvine Insider is sent to a local audience of Irvine residence Monday through Friday with 50% - 60% open rate. Our newsletter is a great way to reach Irvine residents.

  • Kaiser Permanente Irvine Farmers Market

  • Saturday Farmers Market at Mariners Church Irvine

    • When: Saturday, 8 AM - 12 PM

    • Where: 5428 Bonita Canyon Dr, Irvine, CA 92603

  • Great Park Certified Farmers Market

  • Manassero Farmers

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 4:30 PM

    • Where: 33 Irvine Valley, Irvine, CA 92604

  • Tanaka Farms

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

    • Where: 5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine, CA 92612

    • More Info:Tanaka Farms

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