KUCI: Ask A Leader

Great Park Redux AND Nature Beckons the Artful at Laguna Art Museum

Giving their best analysis of great parks they have known and the Orange County Great Park, are retired engineers and local activists Harvey Liss and Carl Mariz. The greatly accelerated review process will be taken up at the Nov. 12 (5 pm) Irvine City Council session, when a vote is expected on a development order outside the Great Park, as well as on a brand new Great Park build-out plan, all proposed by the Five Point Communities development company. Agenda and scheduling information is available at www.irvinecitycouncil@ci.irvine.ca.us. or www.cityofirvine.org/council. Executive director of the Laguna Art Museum, Dr. Malcolm Warner amazes us with a heady program both indoors and outdoors this week: lectures, discussions, performance art with the featured artists as well as with prominent LA region historian Kevin Starr. The exhibition continues for most installations through mid January 2014. More information on all of the planned activities and exhibition is available at: www.LagunaArtMuseum.org.

Latino Roots AND School of the Art Toots

Professor and Chicano/Chicana Latino Studies Director Vicki Ruiz blows us away with her coverage at the now 5 year old dept. at UCI; her contributions and appearances in the PBS series "Latino Americans;" her nation-wide professional affiliations and mentoring of students and new professors; and her signing off reference to Noche de Altares celebrating the Day of the Dead in nearby Santa Ana, CA. UCI Dean of the Claire Trevor Bren School of the Arts (CTSA) Joseph Lewis brings a richly endowed calendar of performances and exhibitions presented at UCI for 2013-14. Samples of his music, along with those of CTSA faculty Alan Terricciano and Michael Dessen, are included in the show. Information about the school's offerings are available at the box office 949-824-2787 or www.arts.uci.edu.

Alliance for Boys and Men of Color AND Center for Unconventional Security Affairs

Representatives of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, Activists Ruben Lizardo and Rafael Solorzano as well as CA State Assemblymen Steven Bradford, talk about recent legislation signed into law toward which they all worked over these last several years. Next Tuesday, October 29th at Century High School in Santa Ana, the Alliance will host a special gathering to advance additional legislation and agenda items. Information is available about that and more on the Alliance's Facebook page, and allianceforbmoc.org or boysandmenofcolor@policylink.org. Then in the second half, Professor Richard Matthew, founder and director of the Center for Unconventional Security Affairs at UCI, calmly speaks about the host of environmental travesties that undermine security anywhere and everywhere. Events and other opportunities are posted at www.cusa.uci.edu.

Habitat for Humanity OC Celebrates its 25th AND Viet Nguyen Escapes ”Communist Heaven”

Sharon Ellis, CEO of the Orange Co Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, covers current projects as well as the ongoing charter of providing qualified households with affordable homes. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations and hours as well as volunteer opportunities are available at: www.habitatoc.org. Author Dennis Dunivan, on a book tour in Southern CA, talks about his human rights thriller, "Escape from Communist Heaven," which is based on the saga of Viet Nguyen. Mr. Nguyen would have been a part of the book tour as well as this interview, had his visa been processed by the American government; he awaits processing in London, his current home town. More details about the book tour, how Dennis and Viet met, and where to order copies of the book are available on: www.communistheaven.com.

BC Space Makes Room for Darrow AND Human Trafficking in OC

Mark Chamberlain, of BC Space, affectionately talks up his retrospective of Southern California artist Paul Darrow; the recently released publication "BC Space, Mything in Action; and The Legacy Project at the Orange County Great Park. indiegogo.com and bcspace.com are resources for more information. Next we take up human trafficking, wherein there persists a high incidence in Orange County. Dr. Ana Nogales of Casa de la Familia and Lita Mercado with the Community Service Programs, Inc. talk about how their organizations intervene on behalf of victims. In addition they consider how all of us can increase our awareness of this travesty amidst us. The tip Hotline is 1-888-3737-888. Opportunities for involvement can be pursued at www.casadelafamilia.org and www. cspinc.org.

For All to Behold: Solar Decathlon and XPO 2013 at OC Great Park

Soaring Rates AND Syrian Routes

Vigilante Movements in Our Midst AND Alzheimer’s Research Today