Help Shape the Future of Heritage Community Park

Issue # 0484

Author

Joshua Tjia
11 Sep

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🍝 🍕 Spectrum Center’s Most Popular Restaurants Are Still Serving Crowds After 30 Years

🏞️🛝 Help Shape the Future of Heritage Community Park

📝📱 Irvine High Senior Launches Free Productivity App Used by 1,000+ Students

🎧🎶 Join CanJam SoCal 2025: Celebrating 10 Years of Audio Innovation

📖 Join 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and Start Your Child’s Reading Journey

🌎✈️ Schedule Travel Health Consultations Before Your Next Trip

🐦‍⬛ Spot Nesting Birds at Irvine Regional Park – Free Walk Sept. 17

🕯️⏰ Join the Woodbridge Swap Meet – Sept. 27 at Lakeview Senior Center

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐈🐈‍⬛ Low-Cost Pet Vaccines & Microchipping in Irvine – Sept. 14

🏃🏻‍♀️ Liana Lee Named Anteater of the Week After Record 5K Win

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

⚽️ IVC Men’s Soccer Grabs First Win of Season

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚔 Vehicle Burglary Suspect Arrested After Bommer Canyon Theft

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

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

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

What happens when it rains cats and dogs?

You have to be careful not to step in a poodle.

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

Spectrum Center’s Most Popular Restaurants Are Still Serving Crowds After 30 Years

As Irvine Spectrum Center celebrates its 30th anniversary, three longtime restaurants continue to stand out for innovation and enduring appeal.

  • California Pizza Kitchen (opened 2004): Known for creative pizzas and pasta dishes, including kung pao spaghetti and jambalaya linguini.

  • Yard House (opened 2001): Features an extensive beer selection and globally inspired menu items such as poke nachos.

  • The Cheesecake Factory (opened 1998): Offers a 250-item menu updated quarterly, with options ranging from burgers to 30 varieties of cheesecake.

These restaurants continue to attract visitors with a mix of familiar favorites and evolving menu innovations.

Help Shape the Future of Heritage Community Park

The City of Irvine invites the community to the final Heritage Community Park Master Plan workshop on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 7–8:30 p.m. at the Heritage Park Community Center.

  • This session will review community feedback collected throughout the process and present early design concepts for the park’s future.

  • Residents are encouraged to attend, share input, and help shape the vision for one of Irvine’s most treasured public spaces.

  • Learn more and register at cityofirvine.org/heritageparkplan.

Irvine High Senior Launches Free Productivity App Used by 1,000+ Students

Irvine High School senior Manu Gurudath created Dysperse, a free productivity app now on Apple, Android, and Windows.

  • What started as a pantry tracker for his mom during the pandemic has grown into a tool used by over 1,000 students in Irvine.

  • Designed to feel like a web browser, it lets users create tabs, organize tasks, and personalize themes while syncing with apps like Google Calendar.

  • Dysperse is approved for IUSD networks, has a Chrome extension, and stays free thanks to sponsors like Cloudflare, Vercel, and Neon.

Join CanJam SoCal 2025: Celebrating 10 Years of Audio Innovation

Join CanJam SoCal 2025 as it marks its 10th anniversary at the Irvine Marriott.

  • The event will showcase leading brands with the latest in headphones, in-ear monitors, and personal audio technology.

  • Open to both seasoned audiophiles and newcomers, it offers an opportunity to explore innovations and experience music in new ways.

Join 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and Start Your Child’s Reading Journey

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program invites families with children ages 0–6 to embark on a shared reading adventure: read 1,000 books together before your child starts school.

  • Every book counts—including audiobooks, repeats, and stories in any language—helping foster early literacy through classics and favorites like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, or Green Eggs and Ham.

  • Families can track their progress, earn rewards, and most importantly, enjoy the benefits of building a lifelong love of reading.

Schedule Travel Health Consultations Before Your Next Trip

For those planning international travel, Family Care Centers in Irvine provides travel medicine services designed to support health and safety while abroad. Services include pre-travel consultations, vaccinations, and medical guidance.

  • Appointments: Should be scheduled 2–6 weeks before travel

  • Vaccines available on-site: flu, hepatitis A & B, typhoid, MMR, meningitis, polio, and others

  • During the visit: health assessment, required vaccinations, safety advice, updates on outbreaks, and travel certificates if needed

Spot Nesting Birds at Irvine Regional Park – Free Walk Sept. 17

Join OC Parks for a free Summer Birdwatching walk at Irvine Regional Park on Wednesday, September 17, from 7:30–9:30 a.m. 

  • Stroll with an experienced volunteer to spot nesting birds in trees and shrubs.

  • Bring binoculars, sun protection, and comfortable shoes.

Join the Woodbridge Swap Meet – Sept. 27 at Lakeview Senior Center


Join the Woodbridge Swap Meet on Saturday, September 27, from 7–11 a.m. at the Lakeview Senior Center parking lo. This giant community event features 30+ booths with treasures, finds, and everything imaginable—don’t miss it!

We will resume with the high school music calendar events when the schedule is available for the fall semester.

Low-Cost Pet Vaccines & Microchipping in Irvine – Sept. 14

The Irvine Animal Care Center is teaming up with Vet Care Vaccination Services to offer low-cost vaccines and microchipping for dogs and cats on Sunday, September 14, from 9–11 a.m. in the center’s parking lot at 6443 Oak Canyon.

  • Services are first come, first served, and all pets checked in by 11 a.m. will be seen.

  • This affordable clinic helps keep pets safe and healthy without the stress.

  • Learn more at cityofirvine.org/animals.

Liana Lee Named Anteater of the Week After Record 5K Win

UC Irvine’s Liana Lee earned Anteater of the Week after winning her first collegiate race at the Vanguard Invitational 5K with a record time of 17:43.4. Her victory led the women’s cross country team to a perfect score and a season-opening win. The Anteaters next compete at the UC Riverside Invitational on Sept. 27.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Women’s Soccer

  • Thu, Sep 11 – vs Santa Clara, 6:00 PM

  • Sun, Sep 14 – vs Washington State, 1:00 PM

Men’s Soccer

  • Fri, Sep 12 – vs Yale, 6:00 PM

Men’s Water Polo

  • Sat, Sep 13 – vs USC, 1:00 PM

IVC Men’s Soccer Grabs First Win of Season

Irvine Valley men’s soccer earned its first win of 2025 with a 2-1 comeback at Southwestern.

  • Armin Tehrani tied the game in the 72nd minute, and freshman Michael Baumgaertel scored the winning free kick in the 84th.

  • IVC now hosts San Diego Mesa on Friday at 2 p.m. before visiting Rio Hondo on Sept. 19.

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Men’s Soccer

  • Fri, Sep 12 – vs San Diego Mesa, 2:00 PM

  • Tue, Sep 23 – vs Cuyamaca, 4:00 PM

  • Tue, Sep 30 – vs Orange Coast, 3:00 PM

Women’s Volleyball

  • Fri, Sep 26 – vs Orange Coast, 6:00 PM

Women’s Soccer

  • Fri, Sep 26 – vs East Los Angeles, 1:00 PM

High School Athletics Calendar

** Updated With September Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

September 2025

Thursday, September 11

  • Football (11 person) – 7:00 PM vs. Laguna Hills at Irvine High School Stadium

Tuesday, September 16

  • Girls’ Tennis (VR) – 3:30 PM vs. Northwood at Heritage Park

  • Boys’ Water Polo (VR) – 4:30 PM vs. Tesoro at Woolett Pool

Thursday, September 18

  • Girls’ Tennis (VR) – 3:30 PM vs. Sage Hill at Heritage Park

  • Girls’ Golf (VR) – 4:00 PM vs. Woodbridge at Oak Creek Golf Course

Vehicle Burglary Suspect Arrested After Bommer Canyon Theft

Irvine Police arrested 21-year-old Sebastian Monkada of Van Nuys after a vehicle burglary at Bommer Canyon on Aug. 28.

  • Stolen credit cards and cash were used at Fashion Island stores, with surveillance footage helping ID the suspect.

  • Thanks to the Real Time Crime Center, officers tracked the suspect vehicle near Bonita Canyon and Turtle Ridge the next day, leading to Monkada’s arrest for burglary and credit card theft.

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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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