“We’re relying on the Navy’s resources to clean this up,” Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard said Wednesday. “I know the community doesn’t want to look at a half-burned remnant of what was the hangar and we owe it to the community to take it down as safely and quickly as possible.

“It needs to be cleaned up quickly for health reasons and general optics,” Lumbard said. “The city cares, and I think the Navy cares, too.”

What caused the fire to ignite early Tuesday morning will be investigated by Orange County Fire Authority and Navy officials; Wednesday morning firefighters continued to monitor the smoldering ruins while it was still unsafe for crews to get inside.

The north hangar, with its nearby southern twin, is still owned by the Department of the Navy, though the Tustin base was shuttered in 1999 and hundreds of its acres have since been developed with housing and other community uses. The two mostly wooden hangars – each 17 stories tall, 1,000 feet long and 300 feet wide – were built in 1942 to house blimps for patrolling the West Coast for Japanese submarines and later used by helicopter squadrons. They are listed on the Register of National Historic Places.

The south hangar, leased and maintained by the city of Tustin, remained untouched.

Officials from the Navy’s Base Realignment and Closure program said Wednesday their greatest priority remains the health and safety of the community and with city officials and local agencies they are evaluating any health risks from the materials used 80 years ago and since to preserve and make the wood fire resistant. Asbestos-cement board was also used as a structural material, Navy officials said, and many surfaces are known to have been finished using lead-based paint.

The  South Coast Air Quality Management District released Wednesday night that “samples of debris and ash were collected in public areas near the hangar, and results of laboratory testing show the presence of asbestos.” People are being encouraged to limit their exposure to smoke, ash and dust from the fire.

“There are just general concerns about the materials used 80 years ago and in the maintenance of that hangar throughout the decades,” Lumbard said.

His children attend schools nearby and he’s heard other concerns from parents and the community, he said. Late Wednesday night the Tustin Unified School District announced schools would be closed Thursday, Nov. 9.

Health officials did put out a local smoke advisory for Wednesday encouraging especially people who are sensitive to air quality issues to avoid the ash and smoke from the fire.

A clear timeline on when the clean-up will begin has not been established, Lumbard said, but the discussions with the OCFA and the Navy are expected to continue through the week.

Tustin hangar was largest surviving artifact of Marine aviation and a landmark for OC

Many in the community are mourning the loss of the hangar; the twin structures have been a landmark in the region for so long.

The city will ensure the south hangar remains safe, Lumbard said. Since leasing it, the city has provided regular maintenance and site security and the massive space has been used for filming moves and commercials, community events, celebrations and even as the site of a half marathon.

“With this disaster of this magnitude and unfortunate as it is, we’re evaluating if there are additional measures we can take to maintain its safety and make sure nothing like this happens to the south hangar,” Lumbard said. “With the loss of the north hangar, the sentiment of keeping the south hangar, for a number of reasons, has grown since yesterday.”

What happens in the future with the 85 acres that included the north hangar is the next big question. In the past, anything from a baseball stadium to a big concert or amphitheater venue has been bandied around. The property was once slated to become a regional park, but little movement ever happened in that direction.

“With the hangar now gone that opens up different possibilities,” Third District Supervisor Don Wagner said. “The footprint of the land may be different and maybe an amphitheater does work and maybe the county can do a park and fund it.”

Besides the now burned-out hulk of the hangar, there are at least 60 other buildings on the Navy property that also have been allowed to “lie fallow” and will need to be dealt with, the mayor said.

Lumbard is confident an agreement can be reached with the Navy.

“I think the Navy cares,” he said. “I think in recent years they just haven’t taken a proactive approach in managing the site. We will definitely be calling them to do so now.”

Navy officials said Wednesday since spending nearly $3 million in 2013 to fix part of the hangar’s roof damaged by wind, it has continued with regular maintenance and inspection. More recently, the city had performed a structural assessment on the north hangar, they said, and was working with the Navy to present alternatives for the hangar as part of its master plan.

“I don’t want folks asking, ‘Why is the city doing nothing?’ We want to move the ball forward,” Lumbard said. “I’m confident the Navy doesn’t want to keep it forever. They have no use for it.”

In recent years, the north hangar property has become the “hole of the donut,” as Lumbard put it, with the city developing around all sides of it.

“The regional park was first promised and the community deserves some green space,” he said. “Now, that the hangar has burned down, it would be important to commemorate what was there.”

Rick Nelson, vice president of the Tustin Area Historical Society, agrees with the idea of a park and a memorial dedicated to the base’s history, but he’d like to step that up a notch.

“It’s obvious there should be a museum there that commemorates the two hangars and what they did for our community,” he said. “It’s a new opportunity because we didn’t think the hangar would disappear.”

As funding, he sees a possibility of developer-in-lieu fees or even a goodwill gesture from the Navy.

“Maybe the Navy,” he said, “would want to help support the history as well.”

Staff Writer Nathan Percy contributed to this report.

Close your windows. Spray down patios, don’t sweep. Wash ash off pets.

Those were among health warnings Orange County’s newly activated Emergency Operations Center issued Thursday, after some smoke and debris from a still-smoldering fire that destroyed a massive World War II-era hangar in Tustin tested positive for the presence of asbestos, lead, arsenic and nickel. 

All Tustin schools and many city parks were closed Thursday — two days after a blaze tore through the U.S. Navy-owned north hangar at the shuttered Tustin Marine Corps Air Station. Schools were already going to be off Friday for the Veterans Day holiday.

The city of Tustin declared a local state of emergency and the Orange County Board of Supervisors declared a county-wide state of emergency Thursday afternoon due to the fire. And neighboring cities such as Santa Ana and Orange conveyed the health warnings to their residents, who still were seeing ash carried their way by the west-blowing winds.

“The city has contracted with certified asbestos contractors to further assess and remediate hazards to the public,” a city of Tustin announcement Thursday evening said. “The contractor will provide a report to the city and more information will be shared with the community, once complete.” 

A website, www.ocgov.com/tustin, was created Thursday where officials said the most up-to-date information will be provided, including future reports of South Coast Air Quality Management District testing.

“Residents are encouraged to exercise caution to reduce exposure during the clean-up of structural fire debris which may contain asbestos and heavy metal particles,” a county update released Thursday night said.

In a call Thursday afternoon, Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley said, “If you can smell it, then you probably shouldn’t breath it.” And if you can see debris, she said, “don’t touch it.” Instead, she directed residents to call a newly established hotline at 714-628-708 for guidance on what to do, with plans still in the works for dealing with the material.

Jeff Lawrence, who lives a few hundred feet from the hangar in the Columbus Square community, said neighbors have been experiencing shortness of breath since they were awakened by helicopters trying to douse the hangar’s flames around 1 a.m. Tuesday. He remains extremely concerned about potential long-term risks to his young daughter and others, he said, from exposure to known carcinogens such as asbestos.

Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard, who lives near the hangar himself, said Thursday morning he shared residents’ frustration — “frankly anger, at this point” — at a lack of timely communication on potential hazards and what residents should do to stay safe.

With such health concerns in mind, firefighters still hadn’t entered the burned-out hangar site as of Thursday morning, according to Brett Cowdell, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority. Instead, he said they had a team standing by in case ongoing Santa Ana winds whip flames up again.

“We always worry about winds and the fact that they can fan flames and that they can dry out fuels,” Cowdell said. But with a team at the ready, he said, “We anticipate that any kind of flare up will be addressed immediately and people won’t have any reason to worry.”

Since firefighters haven’t yet gone inside what’s left of the building, Cowdell said there was no information available on a potential cause of the blaze. 

Lumbard said he’s been told the Navy is now sending a team up to the site.

“The city is not in a position to advise on environmental cleanup,” he said. “We’re really relying on the Navy to get onsite, take control from OCFA and clean up what’s been left after the fire.”

While Foley said she was glad to hear the Navy is sending folks to Tustin, she said, “The Navy needs to step up.”

“We’ve got this heap of a building now that’s owned by the Navy, on Navy property, and the Navy is unwilling to take the lead on the response. And that to me is just unacceptable,” Foley said. “They’ve got the knowledge, the resources, the know-how in terms of the cleanup, and they should be more actively engaged.”

Orange County’s congressional delegation also is pressing the Navy for answers regarding the impacts of the fire.

“We are deeply concerned about the environmental impact of this fire and about the release of pollutants in Tustin and the surrounding areas that could impact our constituents’ health,” Reps. Lou Correa, Young Kim, Katie Porter, Linda Sanchez, Mike Levin and Michelle Steel said in a joint letter to Navy officials Thursday.

The members requested information from the Navy regarding the building materials used to construct the hangar, its plans for cleaning up the site and mitigating impact to the community and plans for the site once cleanup is finished.

Navy officials said Wednesday they were working with local officials on evaluating any health risks from the materials used to construct the hangar and preserve and make the wood fire resistant, including asbestos-cement board and lead-based paint in places.

“The cleanup approach and path forward will follow as soon as possible,” a spokesman for the Navy’s Base Realignment and Closure program said Thursday. “Right now, the Navy, the city of Tustin and Orange County Fire Authority are working to determine the cause of the fire while OCFA continues to contain the fire. This is our priority now.”

The 17-story hangar, along with its southern twin, was built in 1942 at the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin to house blimps and planes for patrolling the West Coast for Japanese submarines. After the base was shuttered in 1999, most of the land transferred to Tustin. Hundreds of those acres have since been developed with housing and other community uses. But the Navy still owns both hangars, which are on the Register of National Historic Places.

Tustin leases the south hangar from the Navy and maintains the historic building, with community events sometimes held inside.

The north hangar was supposed to be transferred to county control decades ago, but has been plagued by problems. Its roof collapsed in 2013, prompting a lawsuit from an airship company doing work there at the time. Then reports started flooding in about people trespassing on the site, with a teenager who’d scaled the roof needing to be airlifted out.

The Navy has tightened security around the site in recent years, with regular patrols. And Lumbard said Tustin got permission from the Navy to pay to install a fence, trim vegetation around the site and take other steps to reduce such problems.

Cowdell, who regularly works in the area, said he hasn’t noticed issues with unhoused people or trespassers around. However, when it comes to the cause of this week’s blaze, he said, “Nothing is being ruled out just yet.”

Given when the largely wooden structure was built, Michael Kleinman, an environmental health professor at UC Irvine who researches health risks from fires, said there’s a very good chance arsenic was used to treat the wood and that lead was used in its paint.

“As long as this thing smolders, it will continue to put out toxic material,” Kleinman said. And he said, “The plumes from something like this can travel for miles.”

Those particles can get into nearby homes even when windows are closed, he said. One positive is that most houses in the immediate area are newer, he noted, and so should be well sealed with solid ventilation systems.

Children and people with health conditions are most at risk from exposure, Kleinman said. But he advises anyone who can see or smell obvious exposure to stay with relatives or friends out of the area for a while if they can.

Lawrence said many of his neighbors are now doing just that, or even checking into hotels out of town.

“They just don’t trust that the area is safe,” he said.

But in the nearly two days between when the fire broke out and when official alerts about potential toxins in the debris went out, he said some residents were cleaning up the ash with their bare hands and throwing it in regular trash cans.

The air quality district is still waiting on results of additional testing from the site, per the county. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be helping to monitor any long-term air and ground contaminants, officials said.

Staff Writers Michael Slaten, Annika Bahnsen, Erika Ritchie and Hanna Kang contributed to this report.

The blaze that has destroyed the historic structure started early Tuesday morning and smoke was seen rising high into the air throughout the afternoon Tuesday.

Wednesday morning, officials with the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory because of the fire. It is set to be in effect through the end of the day. Officials with the agency said most of the impacts are localized for now, but stronger Santa Ana winds could push smoke toward the southwest.

“Air quality conditions may reach unhealthy for sensitive groups in nearby neighborhoods,” the advisory said.

Orange County Health Care Agency officials echoed the advisory, saying people who are “being impacted” by windblown smoke, dust or ash, should “try to limit your exposure by remaining indoors, with windows and doors closed or seek alternative shelter to reduce exposure to smoke and ash.”

“Everyone should be aware of the recommended precautions to reduce the health effects of smoke and ash from building fires,” Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the county’s health officer and director of public health services, said in a statement. “Extra measures may be needed for those with pre-existing medical conditions like heart or lung disease, those with disabilities, older adults, children, and those who may be working outdoors.”

Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard on Wednesday worried about the impacts on his community’s air quality following the blaze. While the fire still smolders at the base of the burned-out hangar, local agencies are monitoring the air for any health concerns, he said.

“There are concerns about materials used,” Lumbard said. “AQMD’s initial readings were unremarkable, but there is a general concern about materials used 80 years ago.”

“Oh geez, it’s awful, that’s unbelievable,” he said while on the phone watching part of history collapse. “Generations of Marine helicopter pilots trained and deployed from there.”

Read more: Fire destroys massive, historic north hangar at shuttered Tustin airfield

The north hangar, which with its twin to the south on the property was built in 1942, will have to be demolished, authorities said Tuesday even as flames continued to burn through the giant structure. The two mostly wooden hangars – 17 stories tall, 1,000 feet long and 300 feet wide – were quickly built at the base to house 12 blimps to patrol the West Coast against Japanese submarines. Their use evolved as military needs changed in the following decades but have been vacant for over 20 years.

Quilter’s father, Maj. Gen. Charles Quilter, was the commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing from 1966 to ’68 at the Tustin station and the younger Quilter said he still remembers being around the hangars as a kid in the 1950s.

“Orange County was extremely rural, none of the development you see now,” he said. “It was just wall-to-wall citrus and rural roads. All of a sudden, these things loomed out of the rural setting. These two structures just dominated the skyline.”

“You realize it is one of these structures that get built in times of national emergency, and now it’s gone,” Quilter, a military historian, added. “And with it, for the Marine Corps, the largest piece of Marine aviation history that survives. At least one survives to be the monument of historical memory.”

But Quilter, a longtime Laguna Beach resident, also noted the loss for the greater Orange County community, calling the hangars one of its “anchoring features” and recalling what they meant to pilots flying into John Wayne Airport.

“I’d fly by them as an airline pilot; they were a huge presence and part of the identity of Orange County,” he said.

The base was used for blimps until 1949, when it was decommissioned. It reopened in 1951 for the Korean War and was used by helicopters and, by 1990, had become the hub for Marine Corps helicopter aviation on the Pacific Coast.

William Titterud was a Marine helicopter pilot who trained at the base in the 1970s. Like many pilots, he returned to Tustin after deploying to Southeast Asia and Vietnam.

“The Marine Corps birthday is coming up on Nov. 10th and some of us will get together and will no doubt talk about our years at MCAS Tustin,” he said. “It’s a sad time for those of us, pilots and maintainers alike, to see such an iconic and historic structure go down like this – a funeral pyre in the end.”

The base was closed in July 1999.  About 1,366 acres of its approximate 1,600 acres were conveyed to the city of Tustin by the Navy and are being developed with homes, shopping and entertainment centers, public institutions and new parks. But the Department of the Navy still owns the hangars, which are listed on the Register of National Historic Places.

In 2013 a portion of the north hangar’s roof collapsed and the Navy spent about $3.2 million to stabilize the structure.

The city of Tustin has an operational agreement with the Navy and has used the south hangar for some events in recent years, it had remained in better shape than the north hangar. The hangars have also been seen in movies and commercials.

Retired Marine Col. Bill Hammerle, commanding officer of the air station from 1993 to 1996, was responsible for closing the base and turning its acres over to the city. During his tour of duty there, Hammerle said the hangars were not much of a concern and squadrons used a part for their offices. There were issues where planks of wood needed to be replaced and some bolts tightened down, but overall, there wasn’t much to worry about, he said.

“The reality is that if the base had never closed, the hangars would have come down,” he said. “We needed new spaces for the MV-22s (Osprey aircraft).”

But when the base was closed, there was an interest by all involved – the Navy, the state and the city of Tustin – to keep the hangars up because they were on the national registry, Hammerle said.

“The city has been great in dealing with their hangar,” he said, adding that the north hangar clearly appeared to be in “disrepair.”

“There were holes in the side and in the roof,” he said. “You wouldn’t have expected it to burn, but it was suffering from neglect. Anybody who saw it, saw it was in disrepair. It’s tragic it deteriorated like it did, but I don’t know what kind of life it had anymore. The lesson learned is we need to look at the other one. They’re identical twins.”

Throughout the day Tuesday, people gathered around the hangar to watch as the fire burned. Passerby on nearby roads and even the 55 Freeway craned their necks to see the destruction.

“There were 100 people on the surrounding streets with their cars,” said Mark Eliot, a longtime Tustin resident and retired Tustin Unified School District employee, who ran out to see firefighters battling the blaze early Tuesday morning. “People were out on Tustin Ranch Road; people were driving from other cities. It was just a sad and an unbelievable sight.”

Eliot said he attended the ceremony held in one of the hangars for the base closure and has been to them for other events over the years. He also met with military families when the base was in service, informing them about the Tustin schools. And, he recalled the recent race the Tustin Chamber of Commerce put on that went around and through one of the hangars.

“It’s been part of my life for my entire career,” he said. “It was like saying goodbye to an old friend. You heard the sound of the roof collapsing and firefighters couldn’t go inside it to save it and risk their lives.”

Around 3 a.m., a patrol officer witnessed a blue Camaro pass by driving at an estimated 90 miles per hour westbound on East First Street before slamming into a US Bank on the corner of Newport Avenue.

The front of the car then caught on fire, Lt. Ryan Coe said.

Firefighter paramedics responded and pronounced the two adults dead at the scene, said Capt. Thanh Nguyen of the Orange County Fire Authority.

It is unclear if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision. The identity of the two occupants had not been released, pending notification to the next of kin.

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  Bike riders of all ages participate in a 15K bike tour during the annual Dino Dash fundraiser at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday morning, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Hundreds of runners and walkers make their way along Tustin Ranch Road as they participate in a 5K at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Tustin middle school students begin a Cross Country 5K race at the annual Dino Dash fundraiser, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Runners participate in a 5K run at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Tustin Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Johnson thanks participants for their support as a group of hundreds of runners and walkers get ready to participate in a 5K at the annual Dino Dash at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Carla McAlister of San Clemente crosses the finish line, winning the women’s division of the 10K race, at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Evan Weitzman, an 8th grader at Corona del High School, nears the finish line while competing in the 10K race at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Gabby Cruz on Tustin and her son Gabriel Cruz, a 7th grader at Pioneer Middle School, take a selfie with their dinosaur hats before participating in a bike race at the annual Dino Dash in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Runners take off for the start of the 10K run at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Dino Dash participants and supporters visit various vendor and organization booths at the Dino Dash Expo in The Market Place in Tustin during the annual fundraiser for the Tustin Public Schools Foundation on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Dino Dash participants and supporters visit various vendor and organization booths at the Dino Dash Expo in The Market Place in Tustin during the annual fundraiser for the Tustin Public Schools Foundation on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Kieran Tan, a senior at Beckman High School, nears the finish line while competing in the 10K race at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Runners and walkers, a few in full, inflatable dinosaur costumes, participate in a 5K run at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Bike riders of all ages participate in a 15K bike tour during the annual Dino Dash fundraiser at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday morning, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Bike riders of all ages participate in a 15K bike tour during the annual Dino Dash fundraiser at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday morning, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Jordan Moe, a teacher at Legacy Magnet Academy, pushes his son, Warren Moe, 1, asleep in a double jogging stroller, while his daughter, Emmy Moe, 3, opts to run across the finish line on her own during the 5K race at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Runners and walkers, a few in full, inflatable dinosaur costumes, participate in a 5K run at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Faith Morris, left, of Laguna Niguel and Meg Dennis of Laguna Niguel check out a collection of ceramic dinosaurs created by students at Tustin High School and Hillview High School, which were turned into trophies for winners in various categories at the annual Tustin Public School’s Foundation’s Dinosaur Dash, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Roosevelt Cook of Hesperia crosses the finish line first to win the 10K race at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  A group of Foothill High School alumni, wearing matching dinosaur costumes, participate in a 5K run at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Christie Custeniero of Tustin congratulates her daughter, Caterina Custeniero, 6, a 1st grader at Tustin Memorial Academy, after they completed a 15K bike tour during the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public School’s Foundation, on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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  Runners take off for the start of the 5K run at the annual Dino Dash, benefiting the Tustin Public Schools Foundation, at The Market Place in Tustin on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

They ran, they biked, they wandered … hundreds participated on Sunday in the annual Dino Dash in Tustin.

The event, which features biking and run/walk events is a popular fundraiser for the Tustin Public Schools Foundation.

Notable this week: Undefeated Tustin breaks into the Top 10 for the first time this season after shutting out Pacifica 49-0. … San Clemente advances from No. 5 last week to No. 3. … Servite moves up to No. 4 after a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. … Los Alamitos climbs to No. 7 and will face No. 9 Edison this week for the Sunset League championship.

1. Mater Dei 8-1 (75 points)

The Monarchs shook off a shutout loss to St. John Bocsco with an impressive 55-13 win over Orange Lutheran in Trinity League play. Senior running back Ajon Bryant rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns and junior linebacker Nasir Wyatt had three sacks. Mater Dei is likely to be the No. 2 seed in Division 1 of the CIF-SS playoffs.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Orange Lutheran 5-4 (72)

The Lancers had the misfortune of being the team in Mater Dei’s way after the Monarchs lost to St. John Bosco. The Lancers, who play Bosco this week, are in third place in the Trinity League with a 2-2 league record.

Previous ranking: 2

3. San Clemente 8-1 (69)

The Tritons are 2-0 in the four-team South Coast League after last week’s 35-18 win over Capistrano Valley. Senior quarterback Dylan Mills turned in one of his better games, completing 16 of 19 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, both to junior Cole Herlean.

Previous ranking: 5

4. Servite 5-4 (66)

Junior quarterback Leo Hannan threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. Sophomore cornerback Tristin Ordaz had eight solo tackles and broke up two passes. Servite finishes the regular season facing JSerra at Cerritos College on Friday.

Previous ranking: 6

5. Santa Margarita 5-4 (62)

Sophomore Trent Mosley had 351 all-purpose yards, including 221 receiving yards, and made three solo tackles for the Eagles in their 50-42 loss to Servite. They play Mater Dei this week.

Previous ranking: 3

6. JSerra 4-5 (59)

The Lions lost to the No. 1 team in Calpreps’ state rankings, St. John Bosco, 42-20. JSerra is 1-3 in the Trinity League, with the victory against Orange Lutheran. The Lions probably need to beat Servite this week to get into the playoffs.

Previous ranking: 4

7. Los Alamitos 7-2 (57)

The Griffins scored 60 points for a school-record fourth time and for the third week in a row in a 63-13 league win over Huntington Beach. Los Alamitos plays Edison this week at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach to decide the Sunset League title. Both teams are 4-0 in the Sunset League.

Previous ranking: 8

8. Mission Viejo 6-3 (56)

Junior Dijon Lee Jr. scored a touchdown on an interception return and another TD on a pass reception in the Diablos’ 36-0 win over Tesoro in the South Coast League. Zachary Foeldi had two of Mission Viejo’s five interceptions.

Previous ranking: 7

9. Edison 6-3 (50)

The Chargers beat Fountain Valley 56-7 for their 19th consecutive win over the Barons. Junior Julius Gillick rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and freshman quarterback Sam Thomson threw three touchdown passes for the Chargers.

Previous ranking: 10

10. Tustin 9-0 (49)

The Tillers are the only undefeated team in Orange County. They beat Pacifica 49-0 last week to improve to 4-0 in the Empire League. Tustin rushed for 331 yards, led by Eimesse Essis, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. The Tillers are home Friday against Cypress in a game for the Empire League title.

Previous ranking: 11

11. San Juan Hills 8-1 (45)

Previous ranking: 9

12. Newport Harbor 4-5 (41)

Previous ranking: 12

13. Tesoro 5-4 (38)

Previous ranking: 13

14. Villa Park 8-1 (37)

Previous ranking: 16

15. Corona del Mar 4-5 (32)

Previous ranking: 14

16. Yorba Linda 6-3 (30)

Previous ranking: 15

17. Trabuco Hills 6-3 (29)

Previous ranking: 21

18. Cypress 6-3 (22)

Previous ranking: 17

19. Capistrano Valley 7-2 (20)

Previous ranking: 17

20. Western 8-1 (18)

Previous ranking: 19

21. Foothill 6-3 (14)

Previous ranking: 22

22. El Modena 5-4 (14)

Previous ranking: 20

23. El Dorado 4-5 (9)

Previous ranking: 22

24. La Habra 5-4 (6)

Previous ranking: 24

25. Laguna Beach 8-1 (4)

Previous ranking: 25

Also receiving votes: Crean Lutheran 6-3 (1)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.

The donation, celebrated Friday, Oct. 20, is the largest gift in UNI history and will go toward creating the David W. Wilson College of Business.

Locals are probably familiar with Wilson’s catchy tune that promises “You won’t get a lemon at Toyota of Orange.” The Orange County dealership marked the Iowa native’s first foray into ownership back in the early 1980s. From there, Wilson grew his company to 18 dealerships in the Southwest and Mexico with annual sales that top $3 billion. The group has at least 2,500 employees.

For Wilson, who grew up on a farm in Traer, Iowa, the gift to UNI is personal. The 1970 graduate learned as a child that when something was outside the family budget, he could work and pay for it himself.

The eldest of five children, he recounted for the Register in a 2012 interview how he mowed lawns as a fourth-grader to pay for his own baseball mitt. As a college student, he worked at a car dealership to pay his tuition. That strong work ethic has followed Wilson his entire life.

His business motto also is simple: “The truth is, you can only lead by example. If you’re having trouble in your company, look in the mirror.”

While his gift to UNI will stand out for its size, the 75-year-old is not new to giving back. He’s donated equipment to Orangewood Children’s Home in Orange and even paid off $16,000 in layaways at a department store back in 2011.

His pledge to UNI carries a few firsts for the university, beyond its sheer size. The school said once the donation is approved by its regents, the David W. Wilson College of Business will be the first “named” school at UNI. His contribution also will establish two endowments, including the Wilson Endowment for Integrity and Excellence.

Rescue Mission urgently needs food

The Orange County Rescue Mission has an “urgent need” for food donations through the end of the year.

Items the mission needs include canned tuna, meat, fruit, vegetables, spaghetti or marinara sauce, beans and soup. Packaged items include peanut butter, rice, cereal, snack bars, pasta and instant noodles.

Donations can be dropped at the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope at 1 Hope Drive in Tustin. Donations can also be ordered online and delivered to the nonprofit.

The donation warehouse is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, go to rescuemission.org/urgent-thanksgiving-food-needs.

Senior Expo is Nov. 2 in Mission Viejo

Providence Mission Hospital is sponsoring a free Medicare Senior Expo on Nov. 2 in Mission Viejo.

The event from 1-4 p.m. will include a variety of health talks including ways to lower drug costs, navigating healthcare and managing diabetes and other chronic conditions. Speakers will include Providence Mission Hospital doctors, specialists and care teams.

The expo is being held at the Norman P. Murray Community Center. Address: 24932 Veterans Way

For more information, go to providence.org/OCmedicareclasses.

On the move

Ronald Wolf is the new medical director of hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery at Hoag Family Cancer Institute. The board-certified surgical oncologist specializes in treating liver, bile duct and pancreatic cancers. Wolf comes to Hoag from concurrent posts at UC Irvine School of Medicine, where he served as professor of clinical surgery in the hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery/islet cell transplantation division.

Elizabeth Weldon has joined Haynes and Boone LLP as a litigation partner in the firm’s Costa Mesa office. She joins from Snell & Wilmer LLP where she spent 20 years in commercial and business litigation with a specialty in franchising. Weldon is a certified specialist in franchise and distribution law.

Ashley Rankin has joined the nonprofit Radiant Futures, formerly Women’s Transitional Living Center, as the development manager. Previously, she was the engagement and event coordinator at Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.

Appointments

Gov. Gavin Newsom reappointed Gloria Alvarado of Santa Ana to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2021. Alvarado has been executive director at the Orange County Labor Federation since 2019, where she has served in several positions since 2011, including organizing director and community organizer. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Alvarado is a Democrat.

Newsom also appointed Joe Kalmick of Seal Beach to the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. Kalmick has served as a Seal Beach City Council Member since 2019. Kalmick was the owner of Main St. Art & Framing from 1978 to 2014. There is no compensation for this position, which did not require Senate confirmation. Kalmick is registered as a Democrat.

Ronald Eguchi of La Palma was appointed to the Wildfire Technology Research and Development Review Advisory Board. Eguchi is the chief executive officer of ImageCat Inc., which he co-founded in 2000. He was vice president at EQE International from 1991 to 2000.

Good works

Roland DGA Corp. held an open house at its Irvine campus for students from Laguna Beach High School as part of National Manufacturing Day and ISA (International Sign Association) Sign Manufacturing Day. The group of 34 Visual Arts students was accompanied by their teachers and toured Roland DGA’s corporate headquarters.

Vital Link’s first Empowering Futures Benefit partnered with University Lab Partners to host the benefit at Edwards Lifesciences, raising $45,000 to be used to foster STEM education in Orange. Vital Link is a nonprofit dedicated to preparing students for careers.

Status Update is compiled from press releases by contributing writer Karen Levin and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.

The House of Ruth features seven furnished units — they vary in size from one bedroom to three bedrooms — for families who will also have access at the complex to resources that will help them find permanent housing they can afford. Its grand opening was celebrated Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Family Promise of Orange County will operate the shelter — each unit also has its own kitchen and living room — and was donated the property by the city of Tustin.

HomeAid Orange County, a nonprofit arm of the Building Industry Association, partnered on the project and helped bring on Brookfield Residential, which is a national homebuilder that donated its time and resources to build the two-story complex.

HomeAid Orange County has spent 35 years helping develop shelters and affordable housing and has done more than 70 projects in Orange County.

“This is our gift to our community,” said Executive Director Gina Cunningham, “being able to bring in the resources through homebuilders, like Brookfield Residential, to develop housing for people experiencing homelessness.”

Local churches also helped with fundraising for the project, including Tustin Presbyterian Church, Aldersgate United Methodist in Tustin, Irvine United Congregational Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church of Orange.

Families will be able to stay for up to a year at House of the Ruth while, Cunningham said, “coming out of homelessness and finding their way back home through being housed.”

Notable this week: Mater Dei holds on to the top position after its loss to St. John Bosco. … Orange Lutheran rises after a win over Servite. … Santa Margarita leapfrogs JSerra. … Edison gets back into the Top 10 after a win over Newport Harbor. … Villa Park drops out of top 10 after its loss to Foothill.

1. Mater Dei 7-1 (75 points)

The Monarchs got beat by a team that played a near-perfect game in a 28-0 loss to St. John Bosco. The Monarchs are 2-1 in the Trinity League with shutout wins over JSerra and Servite.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Orange Lutheran 5-3 (72)

The Lancers withstood a late charge by Servite to beat the Friars 36-33 in a Trinity League game. Steve Chavez rushed for more than 100 yards for the fifth time this season.

Previous ranking: 4

3. Santa Margarita 5-3 (69)

Ryan Gass made a game-winning field goal for the Eagles with one second remaining in a 34-31 win over JSerra in a Trinity League game. Santa Margarita sophomore receiver Trent Mosley had 10 receptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

Previous ranking: 6

4. JSerra 4-4 (64)

The Lions lost a close one to Santa Margarita 34-31 in the Trinity League. The Lions have a home game this week against St. John Bosco.

Previous ranking: 2

5. San Clemente 7-1 (63)

The Tritons took a huge step toward winning the South Coast League championship with a 20-10 win over Mission Viejo. Running back Aiden Rubin had another huge game with 238 yards rushing on 29 carries.

Previous ranking: 8

6. Servite 4-4 (61)

The Friars had late chances but could not get the ball into the end zone in a 36-33 loss to Orange Lutheran. Quaid Carr rushed for 156 yards and scored four of Servite’s five touchdowns.

Previous ranking: 5

7. Mission Viejo 5-3 (56)

The Diablos defense had difficulty against San Clemente’s running game and could not crank up their own offense in a 20-10 loss to the Tritons in the South Coast League.

Previous ranking: 3

8. Los Alamitos 6-2 (55)

Quarterback Alonzo Esparza passed for 346 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns as the Griffins defeated Corona del Mar 69-14 in the Sunset League.

Previous ranking: 7

9. San Juan Hills 8-0 (51)

The Stallions remained undefeated with a 57-7 win over El Toro in the Sea View League. It is the second time this season San Juan Hills has scored 50 or more points in a game.

Previous ranking: 9

10. Edison 5-3 (47)

Chargers junior Jake Minter blocked a Newport Harbor field-goal attempt on the final play of the Sunset League game won by Edison 31-28. The Chargers are 3-0 in league and tied with Los Alamitos for first place.

Previous ranking: 10

11. Tustin 8-0 (46)

Previous ranking: 11

12. Newport Harbor 3-5 (42)

Previous ranking: 13

13. Tesoro 5-3 (38)

Previous ranking: 13

14. Corona del Mar 4-4 (35)

Previous ranking: 14

15. Yorba Linda 6-2 (34)

Previous ranking: 16

16. Villa Park 7-1 (31)

Previous ranking: 10

17T. Capistrano Valley 7-1 (23)

Previous ranking: 17

17T. Cypress 5-3 (23)

Previous ranking: 19

19. Western 7-1 (22)

Previous ranking: 18

20. El Modena 4-4 (15)

Previous ranking: 20

21. Trabuco Hills 5-3 (12)

Previous ranking: 21

22T. Foothill 5-2 (11)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

22T. El Dorado 4-4 (11

Previous ranking: 25

24. La Habra 4-4 (7)

Previous ranking: 23

25. Laguna Beach 7-1 (3)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Also receiving votes: Crean Lutheran 6-2 (2)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.