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Inside Great Park Ice: The Irvine Facility Shaping Olympians and Future Champions

Issue # 0581

Author

Joshua Tjia
04 Mar

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

⛸️🏆❄️ Inside Great Park Ice: The Irvine Facility Shaping Olympians and Future Champions

🏡🏗️ New Senior Living Community “The James” Planned Near The District at Tustin Legacy

🍓🍵🍓 Sip Into Spring: Lagu Cafe Introduces Three Sweet Strawberry Drinks

🚒🧯 Meet Your Local Firefighters at OCFA’s Free Open House in Irvine on March 14

🚌🩺 IUSD Students Earn CNA Certification Through Coastline ROP Training Program

🌸🌼🌸 Celebrate Spring on a Wildflower Hike at Peters Canyon Regional Park, Mar. 14

🎨📖 Turn Scraps Into Art: Join a Teen Creative Junk Journaling Workshop, Mar. 17

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐕🦴 Dog Food 101: : Raw, Freeze-Dried or Kibble?

🎾 UC Irvine Men’s Tennis Sweeps Villanova 7–0

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

⚽️ University Boys Soccer Advances with 4–2 Win Over Animo in CIF SoCal Regionals

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚔🛍️Irvine PD Arrests Los Angeles Woman in $5,000 Lululemon Theft at Spectrum

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

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

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

How do cats bake cakes?

From scratch.

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

Inside Great Park Ice: The Irvine Facility Shaping Olympians and Future Champions

Since opening in 2019, Great Park Ice in Irvine has grown into one of the West Coast’s premier training centers for elite figure skating, helping develop Olympians, world champions and rising international competitors.

  • The nearly 300,000-square-foot facility serves as both a training hub for top athletes and the practice home of the Anaheim Ducks.

  • Renowned coaches and choreographers, including Rafael Arutyunyan and Shae-Lynn Bourne, have helped build a culture of excellence that attracts skaters from across the country.

  • Olympic champion Nathan Chen and top U.S. finishers Ilia Malinin and Andrew Torgashev are among the facility’s notable alumni.

  • Young athletes like 17-year-old Kirk Haugeto say training alongside elite skaters provides powerful motivation and the belief that they, too, could one day compete on the Olympic stage.

New Senior Living Community “The James” Planned Near The District at Tustin Legacy

The City of Irvine will soon welcome The James, a planned senior living community located at Barranca Parkway and Millikan Avenue, across from The District at Tustin Legacy. The eight-story development is expected to offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care services for older adults. The project is currently in development and is anticipated to open in summer 2027.

Additional information is available at thejamesseniorliving.com.

Sip Into Spring: Lagu Cafe Introduces Three Sweet Strawberry Drinks

Lagu Cafe is welcoming spring with a limited-time lineup of strawberry-inspired drinks available through June. The seasonal menu features three sweet and refreshing options:

  • Strawberry Black Tea made with Assam tea, strawberry purée, and strawberry syrup

  • Strawberry Matcha with strawberry syrup, strawberry foam, and fresh strawberry

  • Strawberry Banana Café Latte topped with banana foam and made with strawberry syrup and condensed milk

Located inside John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Lagu Cafe is known for its creative specialty drinks and cozy café vibe—making it a fun stop for travelers and locals looking for unique seasonal beverages.

Meet Your Local Firefighters at OCFA’s Free Open House in Irvine on March 14

The Orange County Fire Authority will host its 2026 OCFA Open House on Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Irvine. This free, family-friendly event offers a chance to meet local firefighters, watch live demonstrations, explore fire apparatus, learn about fire safety, and even try putting out pretend fires.

IUSD Students Earn CNA Certification Through Coastline ROP Training Program

Ten students from University, Portola, and Woodbridge high schools were honored at the Coastline ROP California Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Pinning Ceremony.

  • They completed an 8-week program that included 216 hours of hands-on training, an internship at a skilled nursing facility, and passed two state exams to earn CNA certification.

  • The program prepares students with essential healthcare skills such as basic nursing care, emergency procedures, communication, and teamwork.

  • It is part of IUSD’s partnership with Coastline ROP to provide career technical education opportunities like CNA, Robotics, and Retail Sales with real-world internships.

Celebrate Spring on a Wildflower Hike at Peters Canyon Regional Park, Mar. 14

Celebrate spring on the Wonderful Wildflowers Hike at Peters Canyon Regional Park on Saturday, March 14 from 2–4 p.m. This free, naturalist-led program from OC Parks features a moderate, slow-paced 2-mile hike along the North Loop Trail, where participants can enjoy scenic views of Peters Canyon Reservoir while spotting seasonal California wildflowers and year-round native plants.

Turn Scraps Into Art: Join a Teen Creative Junk Journaling Workshop, Mar. 17

Teens ages 13–17 are invited to get creative at the Teen Creative Junk Journaling program on Tuesday, March 17 from 5–6:30 p.m. at Heritage Park Library. Participants can create their own “junk journal” — a mix of diary, scrapbook, and art journal — using provided supplies or materials from home such as old magazines, fabric, paper, and other found objects.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. March 4, 7:00 - 8:30 PM: Spring Orchestra Festival Concert, NHS Theater

  2. March 5, 7:00 - 8:30 PM: Spring Band Festival Concert, NHS Theater

  3. March 7, 12:00 - 8:00 PM: CSUF Wind Ensemble Festival, CSU Fullerton

  4. March 11, 7:00 - 8:30 PM: Spring Vocal Music Concert, NHS Theater

  5. March 13: Night of the Arts – Jazz Ensemble I, Wind Symphony, Philharmonic, NHS Theater

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

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. March 12: Orchestra Music Festival Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

  2. March 13: Band Music Festival Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

  3. March 16: Wind Ensemble & Philharmonic Festival, IHS Performing Arts Center

  4. March 20: WHS Carnival

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

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

  1. March 20, 7:00 PM: Spring Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

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

Upcoming Irvine High Choral’s Music Calendar

  1. March 5: Performing Arts Assembly, IHS PAC

  2. March 13: Spring Rally

  3. March 15, 3:00 PM: Plotkin Foundation Performance, Plotkin Art Gallery

  4. March 17, 7:00 PM: Spring Concert, Irvine High PAC

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.ihschoralmusic.org/calendar.html 

Upcoming Portola High School Music’s Calendar

No further events scheduled for this month.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.phsmusicbooster.org/buy-ticket

Dog Food 101: : Raw, Freeze-Dried or Kibble?

With so many dog food options available today, it can be hard for pet owners to understand the differences. Raw, freeze-dried and kibble diets each offer unique benefits and considerations, and the best choice often depends on your dog’s needs and your lifestyle.

Types of Dog Food

Raw Food

  • Uncooked meat, bones and vegetables

  • Mimics a natural canine diet

  • May support energy, dental health and skin/coat condition

  • Requires careful handling due to bacteria and parasite risks

Freeze-Dried Food

  • Raw food with moisture removed

  • Retains nutrients and is shelf-stable

  • Easier to serve than fresh raw food

  • Bacteria can still remain dormant

Kibble

  • Fully cooked, processed dry food

  • Must meet AAFCO nutritional standards

  • Convenient, portable and cost-effective

  • Lower risk of bacteria due to cooking

UC Irvine Men’s Tennis Sweeps Villanova 7–0

UC Irvine men’s tennis earned a dominant 7–0 sweep over Villanova on Tuesday for their third consecutive victory. The Anteaters improve to 3–4 on the season and will return to action Saturday, March 7 against LMU.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Women's Tennis

  • Wed, Mar 4 – vs Oakland, 2:00 PM

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Seton Hill, 1:00 PM

Men's Basketball

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Cal Poly, 7:00 PM

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Men’s Volleyball

  • Wed, Mar 4 – vs San Diego Miramar, 6:00 PM

Men’s Tennis

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Bakersfield, 1:00 PM

  • Fri, Mar 6 – vs Mt. San Antonio, 12:00 PM

Baseball

  • Thu, Mar 5 – vs Cypress, 2:00 PM

  • Tue, Mar 10 – vs Riverside, 2:00 PM

Women's Flag Football

  • Wed, Mar 4 – vs Ventura, 4:00 PM

Women’s Basketball

  • Sat, Mar 7 – vs Fullerton, 3C2A Southern California Regional - Round 3, 7:00 PM

University Boys Soccer Advances with 4–2 Win Over Animo in CIF SoCal Regionals

Top-seeded University High School defeated Animo 4–2 in the first round of the CIF Division IV SoCal Boys Soccer Championships. The Trojans built a 4–0 halftime lead and held off a second-half rally, advancing to the regional semifinals where they will host Chatsworth at 5 p.m. Thursday.

High School Athletics Calendar

**

Updated With March Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

March 2026

Wednesday, March 4

  • Beach Volleyball, Girls - 3:30 PM vs Tarbut V Torah

Thursday, March 5

  • Track & Field, Boys - 2:30 PM vs Woodbridge

  • Track & Field, Girls - 2:30 PM vs Woodbridge

Friday, March 6

  • Volleyball, Boys - 5:15 PM vs University

Saturday, March 7

  • Baseball - 12:00 PM vs Costa Mesa

Irvine PD Arrests Los Angeles Woman in $5,000 Lululemon Theft at Spectrum

Irvine Police arrested 27-year-old Kyleigh Marie Shoemaker of Los Angeles after she allegedly stole more than $5,000 worth of leggings from Lululemon at the Irvine Spectrum. Spectrum officers located her while she was waiting for a rideshare and recovered the stolen merchandise. She was arrested for burglary and booked into the Orange County Jail.

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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