In celebration of the city, we’re asking some of the top businesses in Irvine to give us to answer to, “Why Irvine?” What is it specifically about this city that makes it such a beautiful place to run a company?

Check out our first company profile below. If you have a company you feel should be profiled, contact us at IrvineWeekly.com.

Edwards Lifesciences

The history of Edwards Lifesciences dates back to 1958 when its founder Miles “Lowell” Edwards set out to create the first artificial heart. Within a couple of years, Edwards and partner Dr. Albert Starr had developed the first Starr-Edwards mitral valve, an artificial heart valve, and soon after, Edwards Laboratories was born. Initially located in Santa Ana, the Edwards name saw many forms and transformations over the next several decades, being a part of other major companies throughout the years, including American Hospital Supply Corporation and Baxter International Inc. The company became an independent, publicly-held corporation in early 2000.

Nowadays, Edwards Lifesciences has over 13,000 employees worldwide, with a presence in over 100 countries across the globe. Never forgetting their home in Orange County, the company has maintained its global headquarters in Irvine for many years now. Its Irvine offices are not only home to the company’s administrative core, but also house key elements of the corporation’s manufacturing, research and development branches. To this day, over 60 years after its creation, the company remains dedicated to “Edwards’ original vision to help clinicians, patients, and their families work together as a united community fighting cardiovascular disease and critical illnesses.”

Edwards Lifesciences is one of the largest employers in Irvine, behind only the University of California, Irvine, and the Irvine Unified School District, employing about 3,000 Irvine residents, according to the Irvine Comprehensive Annual Financial Report in 2016.

Edwards’ chairman and CEO, Mike Mussallem, says, “Edwards Lifesciences has had a long-term presence in Irvine and appreciates the many benefits that the city and county has to offer for our employees and partners. The combination of a strong business infrastructure that is attractive for both small and large businesses, a strong talent engine supported by local colleges and universities and a diverse and engaged workforce, as well as the backdrop of a beautiful place to work and live, has made this an ideal home for our company as we celebrate more than 60 years of creating life-saving therapies for patients all around the world.”

(Courtesy of Edwards Lifesciences)

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The post Why Irvine? For Edwards Lifesciences, It’s the City’s Comprehensive Business Ecosystem appeared first on Irvine Weekly.

Broken Rice’s menu is based in fragments of rice grains, with customers given the choice to build their meals how they want from there. The company’s new, fixed location has also allowed them to expand their selections of proteins from their traditional chicken, beef and tofu to include crispy glazed salmon and cajun shrimp. And of course, they bring with them their classic handcrafted sauces, like their sriracha BBQ and cilantro lime.

For those outside the Irvine area, have no fear, Broken Rice will still be continuing their food truck service throughout their usual areas. And now, with their physical location, the restaurant is able to expand their services in both catering and take-out. Broken Rice at TRADE Food Hall is open Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Check out their website for more info at eatbrokenrice.com.

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Episode 1: Striking Vipers

Old college friends Danny (Anthony Mackie) and Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) reconnect via a virtual reality version of their favorite old video game (with their virtual avatars played by Ludi Lin and Pom Klementieff). When their fighting gets more physical, things get weird.

While the premise of this episode sounds like solid Black Mirror gold, the plot burns out somewhere within its second act. Most of the exciting action takes place within the first 20 minutes of the episode, and from there it stagnates, resulting in a rather textbook third act that leaves its audience missing that daring or unexpected twist that one has come to expect from the series. A fascinating subject that unfortunately fails to reach its full potential of peak Black Mirror glory. While the performances by the episode’s skilled actors are strong (Nikki Beharie in particular as Danny’s college sweetheart and wife), it is not a solid start to the show’s return. Still, you shouldn’t let this episode stop you from continuing your binge, as it’s only uphill from here.

(Courtesy of Netflix)

Episode 2: Smithereens

A rideshare driver in London (Andrew Scott) creates an international affair when he kidnaps an employee (Damson Idris) of a popular social media site with a striking resemblance to Facebook. When his plan goes wrong, he must improvise to get what he wants.

Do not let the beginning of this episode fool you. Despite its rather slow first 25 minutes, the plot picks up surprisingly and will keep you on edge until the very last second, albeit with absolutely no relief (you’ll see what we mean). A more down-to-earth example of a Black Mirror episode, its honesty and accuracy to the current tech climate may make this episode more haunting than the show’s more fanciful or futuristic chapters, as this is a scenario that could happen right here, right now. While the episode’s moralistic intentions feel a little heavy-handed up front, it is appreciated by the close, and therefore forgivable. Topher Grace’s late entry into the episode as the Mark Zuckerberg-type social media guru is also a great reason to see this episode through.

(Courtesy of Netflix)

Episode 3: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too

A lonely teenager (Angourie Rice) becomes obsessed with the Alexa-esque doll version of her pop star idol, Ashley O (Miley Cyrus). Simultaneously, superstar Ashley herself discovers her life is quickly falling apart.

This episode represents peak Black Mirror insanity. Set in a time period that seems as close as tomorrow, with just enough suspension of disbelief for an audience to buy it, it is a solid example of what we have come to expect from the series. It may not be as flashy or twisty as some of the show’s previous episodes, but in this shortened season, it is certainly a stand-out. Miley Cyrus playing a role that seems hauntingly familiar to her days as Hannah Montana makes the story hit even closer to home, and also reminds us that Cyrus is a wonderful actress, with more depth than pop culture tends to give her credit for.

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The following interview has been edited for clarity and length

Let’s start at the very beginning: How did you two meet?

Eddie: Ryan and I and Samee Junio, our third producer, were all interns at NerdMelt Theater — It was in the back of Meltdown Comics, and a part of The Nerdist podcast. Chris Hardwick had made this dedicated theater so he could perform there, and they recorded podcasts upstairs.

Ryan: Months into it, we had been interning there for a while now, and we kind of got a feel for the shows they were putting up. It was essentially Chris Hardwick’s comedy cellar. It was like this place comedians could put something up — not only go up and try new stuff out but also try new shows. The formats were very different.

Eddie: The two most popular shows that were there were The Meltdown with Jonah [Ray] and Kumail [Nanjiani] — that was every Wednesday night, and that got turned into the Comedy Central series where they did three or four seasons. They also had Dan Harmon’s HarmonTown, and those were the two staples. So every Sunday and every Wednesday, you’re talking about 150 people fitting into this tiny theater in the back of MeltDown.

One of the first shows I saw there was called Babytalk with Dan Levy, where they would get a child actor to come and talk to a panel of guests like Bo Burnham. They turned it into a web series. It was kind of like Kids Say the Darndest Things, but a different spin on it, with a panel of guests.

They had all these alternate format shows which were fun and quirky. Julia Prescott was running the Sequels show, where they had fake movie sequels.

Ryan: They had Simpsons trivia nights, they would show B-movies where the audience could heckle — people would get rewards for the best heckles. There were a lot of great shows going on there that you would just never see anywhere else.

Eddie: But they were all alternate format — a way to present comedy and present stand-up comedy that was not simply a line-up full of comedians doing their individual sets, because there’s a lot of places and a lot of clubs that you can see that in town. This was like, let’s bring it outside of that.

So how did the idea for this show come about?

Eddie: There was one night, I had the night off, we were going to see Justin Willman, the magician, who is a good friend of ours. He was prepping Sleight of Mouth. Eventually that show turned into Magic for Humans which is on Netflix now, which is an amazing show.

One of the other interns called out sick and they needed help turning the room over, so they asked if I could help out.

Ryan: And like so many moments in my life, Eddie just kind of showed up out of nowhere, and started helping with things.

Eddie: And then, out of nowhere, I can’t even tell you why I started this conversation. We were by the back bar, and one of the calendars was on the bulletin board, and I looked at it, and I looked at Ryan and I asked, “What’s missing from this schedule? What isn’t being done here that could be done?”

Ryan: There were no roasts. There weren’t any roasts going on. But then I thought, there was no one to roast that we could book, that would draw an audience. Even for comedians like Chris Hardwick or Jonah and Kumail, as interns we wouldn’t have been able to get them for a roast, and the only people we knew wouldn’t have been headlining acts.

Eddie: Ryan from the first moment was also always worried that if a person was alive, they would sue you. So when I asked “Well who would we roast?” he said, “Well they can’t sue us if they’re dead.” Even though that’s never how roasts have ever been…

Ryan: Before I moved to Hollywood, the worst thing I assumed could happen to you is you get sued. I don’t know why — to this day I’m still like “I just hope I don’t get sued,” walking across the street…

Eddie: So I said “If they’re not alive, you mean like historical figures then?”

Ryan: In my mind I was immediately thinking “well how would we do that?” and of course, Eddie says “We dress up our friends like historical figures and we have them roast each other!”

Ryan: And we figured it would be a great way to not only just have fun learning, but you can have fun with comedians dressing up and learning and roasting with all this new information that we never knew.

Eddie: To me it was a very clear idea once we spelled it out — it’s a Dean Martin, celebrity-style, Friars Club, Comedy Central Roast — but instead of Bruce Willis, it’s Abe Lincoln.

Talk me through these original shows.

Eddie: Immediately we knew we needed to bring a third person to produce, which is when we brought on Sammee Junio. Ryan and I knew we were going to host it.

Ryan: When we first pitched to NerdMelt, they said “You know, the shows we have right now have been going for a while and they have some credit. With you guys, this is just an idea.”

Eddie: We had never produced a show, we didn’t have any major credits, we had no track record with the theater, no proof that we could put a show on, even though the concept looked good.

So the idea they gave us was, “You guys take this to the Nerdist Improv School,” which was adjacent in the building next door. It was a smaller space. And the idea was, just pilot it. If we could do three of these, if we could get comedians who draw, we can do proof-of-concept and get this thing running, then we could be brought over to the main room and give it a shot on the big stage.

Essentially, Nerdist gave us a no. But in no way were Ryan and I discouraged, we just sat down and thought, “Challenge accepted, let’s do this. Let’s just go all out, they’re giving us a chance, and we believed in the idea enough that we figured let’s give it a shot.”

We did five shows at the Nerdist School. I always romanticize them as these mythical, original five. We were booked month to month, we had no idea what the show was even going to be or what it would look like, if we’d get another date, if people were going to like it, every single one was just like this magical thing. The first one drew about 30-35 people, then the next one drew about 40, then 50, then 60. There was one show where people were literally outside the theater watching through the door because there wasn’t enough room.

Ryan: People were standing in the aisles.

Eddie: We felt so satisfied with having taken the idea and done it that way.

Ryan: The person over at NerdMelt finally told us we could come over to the main stage. And that was the big dream, because we were just interns. It was like “Wow, can it get any better than this?”

Eddie: And it’s interesting, because so much of what we did in those first five shows wound up in the Netflix show…It was more than just jokes as a roast, it was [the] bits, and it was sketches. And all those bits and all those things all started in the first five shows. We brought in improv people, we brought in sketch people. It was stand-up at its core, but we had people from all walks of life.

Ryan: It’s important to mention, these comedians doing the show, they research and write these roast jokes for these dead famous people. They just go on Wikipedia, look up the people, write their jokes. They’re all total pros. And a lot of them are like our heroes, really fantastic comedians. Don’t say comedians are lazy, because they’re definitely not.

Eddie: We basically ask them to write a book report, but also to make sure that it’s funny.

And where is the live show now?

Ryan: We’re still doing it, we just did a roast of Mother Teresa last week. We perform at The Comedy Store, and then we also do Dynasty Typewriter [at the Hayworth Theater]. We started at The Comedy Store about two and a half years ago.

And when did you start pursuing a television version?

Eddie: About a year into the live show was when we started working with AJ Tesler on pitching it for television. Ryan and I figured it would take about two years before we started pursuing it for TV, but ahead of schedule, AJ actually approached us after a show. So we figured why not just start.

And about a year into that process was when OBB Pictures and Michael Ratner signed on, and said they wanted to make it for television. And then it was two years ago in May when Jeff Ross started to become involved in it. In first talks with him he had said, “Absolutely, this is up my alley, I’d love to be apart of it.”

That has to be an awesome feeling.

Ryan: Yeah. When you’re doing a roast show, you want Jeff Ross.

How was working with Jeff on a show like this?

Eddie: Jeff worked very closely with us to understand what the show was, and what made it unique, and what made it special when we were doing it. And he did an amazing job of making sure that translated and honoring what we did and bringing us into the process and then making the show a version of that show. It’s not like he came in and rewrote the format — he paid attention to everything we said made our show different.

And then last year he took us out for pitches, brought us around town, and then we wound up at Netflix.

That all just sounds like the Hollywood Dream.

Ryan: Absolutely. When I first moved here, my goal was to be in a writers room by the time I was 28, five years after I moved here. I didn’t think it would be the writers room of a show I created! That was not part of the plan.

It’s one of those idea where you just think, damn, why didn’t I think of that?

Eddie: I’ve said this from day one. When we came to this idea, I was shocked no one had done it yet. I used to joke, Steve Martin should have done [this] 30 years ago, I’m not sure why he didn’t. I’ve always just felt we were fortunate to be the ones to put the pieces together.

It sounds like you guys had a lot of say in how the show was transitioned to Netflix.

Eddie: My experience from day one has been, everybody from our production company to Jeff Ross to Netflix has only been supportive. We were included, what we did mattered, we were valued, we were a part of the process the entire time and that is full credit to our production company, OBB, Michael Ratner and especially Jeff Ross, for including us.

Ryan: And everyone who worked on it was super excited for the premise and the idea. Everyone from wardrobe, to make-up, to hair, they were all so excited to recreate these people.

Eddie: We were spoiled with this show. How it came together, how much everyone loved to work on it. There were no issues, we never ran late, everyone was on their shit.

Ryan: We somehow dressed up the entire audience each show in period-specific wardrobe.

That may be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in a show.

Eddie: Roger Forker was our costume designer, he worked with Erica Schwartz in costuming, I always give them so much credit — on top of wardrobing six different period costumes for the actors, they then costumed the entire studio audience as they came in — which, as far as I can tell, has never been done in the history of television. We’re talking over 100 costumes, sight unseen, no sizing charts, Roger would find costumes for people as they walked in. And we started taping on time for every show.

What would you say were some of the best moments of making the show?

Ryan: Being in the writers room was amazing. We had to refigure out the format, going from an hour-and-a-half live show down to half-hour episodes. Then figuring out who we were roasting, who would be on the dais. And then the really fun part was writing the jokes, because all of the writers we had were extremely intelligent and quick.

Eddie: And some of them were our best friends. Over half of the writing staff on our show had done the live show, some of them multiple times.

Ryan: And then Bob Saget would come in, or Jaleel White, and hear our pitches and read the script and bring in their own thoughts. I mean when you’re talking about the Hollywood Dream, going from the back of a comic book shop, to hanging out with Bob Saget and John Stamos.

It’s great how educational and informed the writing on the show is.

Eddie: And we hope completely palatable. We wanted to ride that fine line between being too educational and being a show that’s just about jokes. That’s why there are Hitler ball[s] jokes. There is silliness, and we didn’t want to take anything too seriously, but at the same time, we hope our audience learns something.

So what’s next?

Eddie: The live show is something we want to continue to grow. And this is sort of a whole rebirth for us, we’re hoping the Netflix show draws a whole new audience to the live show. We’re four and half years and 70 roasts in, and we still have historical figures we want to roast. We would also love to take the show on the road and tour the country, take it to Canada, take it to the U.K., to Australia, anywhere that would have us. Obviously season 2 is the big thing on our minds, so we will see.

Ryan: We also have Fictional Roasts, where we roast characters from Star Wars or Back to the Future or Harry Potter. That’s another live show we currently have going that we hope to grow further as well that people should definitely check out.

Check out Historical Roasts with Jeff Ross on Netflix, and stop by the Historial Roasts live show at The Comedy Store on June 19, July 17, or August 14 at 10:30 p.m., or at Dynasty Typewriter August 6 at 8 p.m. You can also check out Fictional Roast at Dynasty Typewriter on July 9 at 8 p.m.

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X-Men: Dark Phoenix follows the rise and fall of Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), a powerful mutant with telepathic and telekinetic abilities, who was taken in by Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and his school for gifted children as a young girl. After being struck by a solar flare on a rescue mission in space, Grey’s powers grow out of control, endangering those she loves and the reputation of mutants worldwide. Welcoming back Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, and Alexandra Shipp as Storm, plus Jessica Chastain as the evil alien Vuk, the cast of strong actors is held back only by the film’s shoddy construction and lazy writing.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Fox)

Per usual, this addition to the X-Men series provides audiences with indelibly impressive action sequences and special effects. A train sequence toward the end of the film ranks in the franchise’s top fight sequences for its epic scale and creative combat. Its action scenes may not be as grand as those seen in this year’s Avengers: Endgame, but given the disparity of budget and resources, X-Men holds its ground, perhaps in a way that comes across even more grounded in reality onscreen.

Coming off of Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner manages to prove once again her ability to seize the screen as a powerful queen, and it is refreshing and exciting to see her take some power into her own hands (literally), being able to jump into the action on the battlefield, without the restraints of the feminine duties of Westeros. Still, the British actress’s American accent can use some work, with many of her lines coming across as muddled and faintly incoherent, pulling away from her performance as the most powerful mutant on Earth.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Fox)

Above and beyond all other faults, the film’s greatest sin is its lack of cohesiveness to the franchise’s original trilogy from the early 2000s. With the current trio of “X-Men: Beginnings” films supposed to play out as a prequel series for the original movies, as demonstrated by the crossover of old and new in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dark Phoenix makes decisions that, frankly, make no sense.

The film’s decision to kill off an inconic character makes sense in the microcosm of this installment, providing several of the other characters a motive for vengeance and increasing the film’s emotional resonance with an audience that has come to love her in that role; but seeing as her character plays a prominent role in the original trilogy, the choice makes no sense in the overall timeline. And given her prominent role in the original trilogy, this cinematic sin is repeated with Jean Grey’s ambiguous fate at the end of the film.

Perhaps there is some superhero/time travel/multiverse explanation provided somewhere in the X-Men franchise to explain away the film’s poor plot choices. Maybe the avid fans of the series have a way to look past the movie’s lazy writing. But for the casual viewer, X-Men: Dark Phoenix is a confusing mess and perhaps better left unseen for those hoping to keep the franchise in a positive place in their hearts and minds.

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UCI Applied Innovation was created in 2014 by Chancellor Howard Gillman to bring “campus-based inventions and entrepreneurship together with Orange County’s vibrant business community to support job creation and economic growth.” It intends to accelerate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Irvine and surrounding cities.

Donald Beall is chairman of The Beall Family Foundation and a principal in Dartbrook Partners LLC. After a 30-year career at Rockwell International — 20 of which he served as either chairman/CEO or president/COO — Mr. Beall retired in 1998. Mr. Beall sits on the advisory boards and executive committees of several schools and units across UCI, and his wife, Joan, sits on the advisory board of the Beall Center for Art + Technology.

“The impact the Bealls have on furthering the mission of UCI is remarkable,” Chancellor Gillman stated in a quote. “From the arts to business to innovation, their generosity is felt throughout the campus, and we are grateful for their support.”

“UCI Beall Applied Innovation understands that bringing great innovation to market requires a very intentional approach to industry engagement, and no one knows that better than Donald Beall,” said Richard Sudek, Ph.D., executive director of UCI Beall Applied Innovation and UCI’s chief innovation officer. “His generosity of leadership and acute business acumen are tremendous skills he brings to our board. His legacy of supporting innovation and technology translation will ensure that Orange County remains responsive to developing industries and economic opportunities. And this is at the heart of UCI Beall Applied Innovation.”

Mr. Beall’s son, Kenneth Beall, is a successful real estate entrepreneur and has also been highly involved at UCI. He was on the task force that initially created UCI Applied Innovation, and has also previously served as chairman of the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business. He succeeded his father as chairman of the entrepreneurial hub in 2018. In addition, he also helped to create and launch a master’s program in innovation and entrepreneurship, the only one of its kind in the UC system, which will begin its first year this fall.

UCI Beall Applied Innovation and the Beall Family Foundation have also begun a new endeavor, in collaboration, entitled University Lab Partners. It is set to be the first nonprofit wet lab incubator/accelerator in Orange County. University Lab Partners will open in September and will provide 17,000 square feet of specialized labs and equipment. Its primary focus is on life sciences and medical technology. NXT Biomedical, led by Stan Rowe, the former chief scientific officer at Edwards Lifesciences, will be one of the new program’s initial residents.

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Courtesy of Irvine Animal Care Center

The event is in conjunction with over 35 animal shelters and pet rescue groups, who are expected to offer up for adoption more than 500 homeless dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals.

In addition to the adoptions, the day will consist of food trucks, a bake sale, low-cost microchipping and dozens of pet-related vendors, making it an equally viable day for those who are already pet owners, or those simply looking to support their local animal community.

All animals up for adoption are already spayed/neutered and microchipped. They have also been evaluated by a veterinarian and vaccinated appropriately up to their age.

The Irvine Animal Care Center is “committed to providing a safe, clean, enriching and caring environment focused on increasing animal adoption into responsible homes while promoting healthy human and animal relationships.” It also runs on a policy of no allowing owner-requested euthanasia of any pets that are determined to be healthy, treatable and adoptable.

Irvine Animal Care Center, 6443 Oak Canyon, Irvine; Sun., June 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; suggested donation $2/person or $5/family. (949) 724-7740, irvineanimals.org.

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The post Looking for a New Best Friend? appeared first on Irvine Weekly.

Here’s a list of some of the top new shows set to air this summer, as well as some hit shows that are returning for another season, so start binging and catch up!

Historical Roasts – Photo courtesy of Netflix

Historical Roasts (Netflix – May 25)

It’s like all those roasts you see of celebrities on Comedy Central, only the people getting roasted are dead historical figures. Hosted by “Roastmaster General” Jeff Ross and a wide array of celebrities and comedians in the roles of your favorite (and least favorite) historical figures, what could possibly go wrong?

Good Omens (Amazon – May 31)

Based on the book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, this new 6-episode mini-series takes us through the birth of the Antichrist – and the angel and demon who manage to lose him. Starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant, with appearances by Frances McDormand as the voice of God, Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of Satan, and Jon Hamm as the Archangel Gabriel. What better group to mess up Armageddon?

Black Mirror (Netflix – June 5)

The critically-acclaimed sci-fi Twilight Zone for our time is back with a 5^th season. New episodes include appearances by Miley Cyrus, Anthony Mackie, Andrew Scott and Topher Grace.

The Handmaid’s Tale – Photo courtesy of Hulu

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu – June 5)

The Golden Globe and Emmy-winning, dystopian tale returns for a third season of gut-wrenching drama and disturbing sexism, set in a world that unfortunately feels not so far in the future. Starring Elizabeth Moss.

Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City (Netflix – June 7)

Mary Ann Singleton returns to San Francisco and reunites with a community of characters. Featuring all the quirkiness to be expected out of ‘Frisco. Staring Laura Linney and Ellen Page.

Pose (FX – June 11)

The groundbreaking show that explores the world of ball culture in 1980’s New York returns for its second season. And with the looks star Billy Porter has been serving on this year’s real life red carpets and runways, you can be sure this season is going to dazzle.

Big Little Lies – Photo courtesy of HBO

Big Little Lies (HBO – June 14)

What was supposed to be a one-season mini-series is BACK. Just when you thought the drama couldn’t get more intense, and the cast more perfect? Enter: Meryl freaking Streep. Streep, Witherspoon, Kidman, Woodley, Kravitz, Dern, what more of a reason do you need to watch this show?

Los Espookys (HBO – June 14)

Set in a fantastical dreamworld version of modern-day Mexico City, this new show follows a group of friends who are obsessed with horror films and monster makeup. Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live and Portlandia fame stars.

All That (Nickelodeon – June 15)

Alright, is this a kid’s show? Absolutely. But for those of you who grew up in the ‘90s, this is a gut punch right in the nostalgia. The sketch show that brought you the likes of Amanda Bynes, Nick Cannon and Kenan Thompson returns with a fresh group of funny faces.

Euphoria – Photo courtesy of HBO

Euphoria (HBO – June 16)

A look at the life of a group of high school students as they deal with the issues of drugs, sex and violence. Starring Zendaya in one of her most adult roles to date.

The Hills: New Beginnings (MTV – June 24)

The Hills is back!! The classic reality show, spun off from its predecessor Laguna Hills: The Real Orange County, has returned, with many of its original cast members coming along with it, including Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt.

What Just Happened??! With Fred Savage (FOX – June 30)

It’s a real aftershow (like Talking Dead) about a fake TV show, hosted by Fred Savage, who plays himself. How exactly is all of this going to work? No one is really sure yet, but whatever happens is probably going to be a good time.

Stranger Things – Photo courtesy of Netflix

Stranger Things (Netflix – July 4)

Season three of Netflix’s ’80’s monster epic returns for what is expected to be something just as riveting as the first two. Featuring the return of all your favorite world-saving kiddos.

The Boys (Amazon – July 26)

It’s another superhero show, but it’s totally different. A group of vigilantes team up to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their powers and, based on the trailer, are just a bunch of straight-up jerks.

Veronica Mars (Hulu – July 26)

Yet another classic TV show returning for a new season. America’s sweetheart Kristin Bell returns to her role as the titular super sleuth, as she returns to her hometown of Neptune, California, to save the city and her ex-boyfriend, Logan.

Pennyworth – Photo courtesy of Epix

Pennyworth (Epix – July 28)

Fans of Gotham sad to see the show go may be consoled by the arrival of this new prequal show, focused on the backstory of Batman’s infamous butler Alfred Pennyworth, and his newfound employment with Thomas Wayne.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (Hulu – July 31)

Who better to make a television version of the classic romantic comedy than self-proclaimed rom-com fanatic Mindy Kaling herself? This new limited series version is set to feature a much more diverse cast, and it is sure to be a fun reinterpretation.

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With the longstanding spirit of respect for the military found within residents of Orange County and the city of Irvine, it should be no surprise, then, that Irvine is home to one of the most important and unique war memorials in the country. In honor of Memorial Day, we remember the importance and history of the

The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial can be found on the corner of Bryan Avenue and Yale Avenue, connected to Northwood Community Park in the center of the community of Northwood Village on the northeast side of Irvine. What is now a permanent fixture of the city, however, was once a temporary passion project of a few dedicated Irvine community members.

The origins of the Northwood Memorial stem back to 2003, shortly after the war in Iraq had begun, and American casualties were beginning to be reported. One man, Northwood resident Asher Milgrom, felt something needed to be done to recognize the American troops dying in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. So, Milgrom bought some lumber and built wooden crosses out of his garage. He built one cross for every service member that had been killed within a week of the war’s initial invasion. He and his family brought the crosses to Northwood Community Park and drove them into the ground, with no guarantee the city wouldn’t notice and remove them.

Courtesy of city of Irvine

The city did not touch the makeshift memorial. In fact, it quickly grew in popularity, with members of the community joining in, bringing yellow ribbons and flowers to decorate the groupings of crosses. The temporary display would become an annual tradition. Every year, the crosses were erected in the park around Memorial Day, and stood standing through the Fourth of July. Volunteers built and added more and more crosses as the war waged on and American casualties grew.

Despite some initial pushback from the city, it was clear this community-led memorial tradition was not going away, with residents from all across Southern California joining it year after year. Within a few years, memorial volunteers began the push to have a more permanent memorial be installed at the Northwood Community Park.

As the proposal for the memorial moved higher up the ladder, more and more opinions arose. Some city leaders wanted to move the memorial to Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, while others wanted to reduce the memorial in size to a single, generalized plaque. But the memorial’s volunteers and champions pushed back to ensure that every individual sole got the recognition they deserved, not in some generic or reduced way.

In 2009, the city and the citizens of Irvine finally came to a consensus, and the city approved the plans for the memorial we see now. Five sentinels, with four panels each, carrying the engraved names of the fallen, along with another monument dedicated to the hard work of the community that came together to make the memorial happen. Near the towering blocks of stone, a flagpole, with the words sacrifice, honor, courage and valor inscribed at its base.

Courtesy of city of Irvine

The memorial was built and officially dedicated on November 14, 2010. To this day, as far as can be seen, it is the only memorial in the country dedicated to honoring, by name, the American Fallen Heroes, exclusively from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Over 6,800 names appear on the walls of the memorial’s sentinels.

Steve Wolford, a longtime resident of Irvine, wrote a poem for the memorial that is now inscribed on one of the monuments. You can read his words below:

At Bryan and Yale where the marigolds grow, wooden signs at attention, row after row, stand guard in the park bearing thousands of faces, and here and there in the twilight amid silent embraces, the faithful appear to give voice to these brave and to honor the fallen who yet speak from the grave.

As I stroll through the rows I’m overcome by this loss, and overwhelmed by the numbers I am tempted to gloss over each name and the words that explain, date, rank and cause of the loss and the pain. These too-few-words on a mother’s heart weigh, I need to read slowly at this sacrificial display.

‘Extraordinary heroism’ and ‘uncommon valor’ are here, ‘Ultimate selfless act of bravery’, I read on with a tear. ‘Redeployed to heaven’, ‘in total disregard for his own life’, ‘Mom and Dad don’t forget me’, the words cut like a knife. You are not forgotten, Jake, so much loss is my gain, and I want to say Thank You, you’ve not died in vain.

Overwhelmed by my selfishness amid flicker of flames, I’m not worthy tonight to call out these names: Daily, Martinez, Probst, Taylor, Santee. These are our heroes; they gave all for me, And as I lifted my head the flags danced in the breeze. I felt convicted inside – how I walk away with such ease.

I am the reason you paid the ultimate price, and as I stand with my freedom, words hardly suffice.

Thank you sons and daughters, and fathers and mothers. Thank you families all, and you sisters and brothers. You give us your all, you give us your best, I want to say thank you, because of you we are blessed.

We stand with our freedom here at Bryan and Yale, 6,829 heroes; oh, may we not fail to give thanks for the price each one of them paid, and to celebrate their lives and the sacrifice made. And as bugle horn penetrates our free evening sky, as we stand in these rows, this we know…God is nigh.

A special candle lighting ceremony will be held at the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial on Sunday, May 26, at 4 p.m.; Northwood Community Park, 4531 Bryan Ave., Irvine.

Courtesy of city of Irvine

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Saturday, May 25

Kick Off Summer at the Irvine Spectrum

Bring your family and friends for cool vibes and a fun kickoff to celebrate the start of summer.

From 12 p.m. – 7 p.m., entertainment and activities throughout the Center will include:

• Interactive DJs with games and prizes in Palm & Giant Wheel courtyards
• DJs and live music by the Carousel, H&M, Yard House & Edwards courtyard
• Food stations (popcorn, lemonade, cotton candy, shaved ice)
• Kids activities
• Special offers from select stores and restaurants
• End the night in Giant Wheel Court with a musical performance by Hiatus (starting at 7 p.m.)

Irvine Spectrum Center, 670 Spectrum Center Dr., Irvine, CA 92618

Sunday, May 26

Northwood Memorial Candle Lighting Ceremony

At 4 p.m., a special candle lighting ceremony will be held at the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial at Northwood Community Park. To honor our military fallen, attendees will hear from guest speaker Rudy Reyes, a Force Recon Marine who served our nation as a member of lead combat forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the 1st Recon Battalion. The ceremony is held in partnership with the Northwood Memorial Committee. Please bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.

Northwood Community Park, 4531 Bryan Ave., Irvine.

Monday, May 27

Memorial Day Ceremony

At 10 a.m., the city of Irvine will host its annual Memorial Day Ceremony in the Formal Garden at Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park. A Commanding Officer from Irvine’s adopted 2/11 Marine Battalion will speak to pay tribute to our military fallen. Guests will have the opportunity to honor family and friends, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, by posting a brief remembrance on a memory board at the event. Cards will be available for well-wishers to send a message of appreciation and support to members of Irvine’s adopted 2/11 Marine Battalion.

Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, 4 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine.

For better access to the event, please enter the parking lot located on Harvard Avenue at San Juan.

Memorial Day Celebration at Pretend City Children’s Museum

Join Pretend City on Memorial Day to honor the fallen heroes of our military. They will host a morning Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence to pay respects. Pretend City will be open a full for families to learn and play.

Pretend City Children’s Museum, 29 Hubble, Irvine, California 92618, East Irvine, United States.

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