City of Irvine – Irvine Unofficial Guide

IRVINE, Calif. — Media company Freedom Communications, which emerged from bankruptcy protection last month, said Tuesday it has named Mitchell Stern as president and CEO.

Stern, 54, currently a board member at Freedom, earlier served as the CEO of DirecTV’s U.S. division and as chairman and CEO of Fox Television Stations Group.

He replaces Burl Osborne, a newspaper industry veteran who became interim CEO last June and will stay on as a director.

Freedom, based in Irvine, owns The Orange County Register and dozens of other newspapers, along with television stations and news and entertainment websites. The privately held company filed for bankruptcy protection last September amid steep advertising declines. It emerged last month, after creditors led by JPMorgan Chase cut its debt by nearly 60 percent to $325 million in return for control of the company.

The gift from Irvine Ranch developer Donald Bren, 78, completes the transfer of 50,000 acres into public hands for parks, greenways, and a recreational and wilderness preserve.

Amtrak and Metrolink rail traffic will be shut down north of Oceanside this weekend because of a construction project, and bus service will be provided for passengers on more than 50 trains, SANDAG announced Friday night.

Amtrak will bus passengers traveling between Oceanside and Irvine, making stops at San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel. Metrolink will provide a bus bridge for passengers between Oceanside and San Clemente.

The shutdown will occur from 10:30 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday. A schedule of changes is on the websites for Amtrak and Metrolink. Coaster service will not be affected.

The disruption is due to work on the Santa Margarita Bridge construction project. Crews are installing a turnout on the rail line north of the Oceanside Transit Center. The work is part of a $39 million rail project scheduled to be completed by December 2011. There will be three more shutdowns that will occur after Labor Day, SANDAG said.

Colleen Windsor, a SANDAG spokeswoman, said Friday night that the agency received late notice from the contractor that the work would be done this weekend.

Article: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/25/rail-lines-between-oceanside-and-irvine-shut/

The University of California at Irvine has suspended its Muslim Student Union for one year and placed it on disciplinary probation for an additional year after 12 of its members called Israel’s ambassador to the United States a “killer” during a speech on Campus in February.

	Israel’s U.S. ambassador Michael Oren.
	Photo by: Bau Bau

California police arrested the 12 members after Michael Oren’s Irvine speech descended into chaos. The hecklers interrupted his lecture more than 10 times, shouting “killers” and “how many Palestinians did you kill?”

Oren took a 20-minute break after the fourth protest, only to be interrupted again by young men yelling at him every few minutes.

“We commend the University for its judicious decision in support of free speech and civil discourse,” said Shalom Elcott, President and CEO of Jewish Federation Orange County.

“The University’s disciplinary action regarding the MSU establishes an important and appropriate precedent and sends a powerful message to other universities across the nation,” he added. ‬

According to the university’s decision, the MSU membership is also required to collectively complete 50 hours of community service, as a result of which it will not be allowed to conduct organized campus events until at least the fall of 2011.

Article: http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/california-university-suspends-muslim-union-for-heckling-israel-envoy-as-killer-1.296147