Group protests decision to relocate tree...

Group protests decision to relocate tree

A small group of activists protested on Friday morning outside the

Newport Beach headquarters of John Laing Homes. On Monday, the

developer reportedly plans to start relocating a 400-year-old oak

tree at its Stevenson Ranch housing development near Santa Clarita.

At least nine people demonstrated in the 800 block of Dove Street,

said Doug Korthof, a Seal Beach activist. He said the group will come

back today and next week, for a couple of hours each morning.

“We want everybody to know what these people are doing,” he said.

“And we want them to know that this is where the decisions are being

made.”

Korthof said he and others are also showing their support for John

Quigley, the 42-year-old tree-sitter who has camped out for 28 days

now in a tree house on top of the controversial oak tree.

John Laing Homes wants to widen the adjacent Pico Canyon Road from

two lanes to four to meet the needs of the growing suburb. The

company had announced last week that it would uproot the tree at a

cost of $250,000 and replant it in a nearby park. But Quigley said

the tree is too old to survive the move and refuses to climb down.

UCI, Toyota work on hybrid vehicle

A lease agreement between Toyota and UC Irvine may make new

environmentally safe cars public. The object of discussion is the

Toyota FCHV, a hydrogen fuel cell-electric hybrid vehicle.

Toyota’s work with the National Fuel Cell Research Center may

provide the bridge for eventual commercial introduction of the

vehicle. The UCI center is at the forefront of fuel-cell research,

development and implementation.

“The [center] has mobilized a unique alliance to ignite the future

and meet the challenges and opportunities that lie on the horizon for

the motoring public,” said Scott Samuelson, professor at The Henry

Samueli School of Engineering.

The Toyota FCHV vehicle generates electricity by splitting

hydrogen molecules and producing only vapor emissions. It needs only

hydrogen for fuel and offers a similar performance to gas-run

vehicles.

Environmentally friendly transportation is on the horizon,

Samuelson said.

Grant funds UCI air pollution project

UCI received a $2.6-million National Science Foundation grant to

start a five-year project studying air pollution.

The study will examine the chemical reaction between air and water

surfaces such as those of oceans. Information will provide insight

into air pollution, acid rain and atmospheric chemistry.

Nationwide, five universities received federal funding for the

project. Results will be used to build a computer model of the

Southern California airshed.

Attention deficit may have link to addiction

Many drug addicts have a childhood history of attention deficit

disorder, according to a recent UC Irvine College of Medicine

discovery. Even more surprising was what led researchers to this

link.

The link was found by chance while testing a software program

called PCAD 2000, which is designed for detecting cognitive

impairment.

The software was so sensitive in detecting cognitive impairment

that it might be used in place of more traditional tests in the

future.

No evidence has proven that the disorder causes drug addiction,

only that they are related.

“Only further research can tell us whether ADD may cause drug

addiction later in life, or if addiction and ADD may have some other,

more fundamental cause,” said Dr. Louis Gottschalk, professor of

psychiatry, in a press release.

Gottschalk co-invented the software, but even he was surprised by

the findings. He has been fine-tuning his software for more than 40

years.

Reflections winners from Eastbluff

Eastbluff Elementary School students expressed their perception of

the world around them with entries in literature, visual arts and

photography during a National PTA cultural arts program called

Reflections.

Students were awarded prizes for the best in each of the

categories at a school-wide event led by Principal Charlene Metoyer.

Judges evaluated the work based on artistic merit and

interpretation of the theme. The students’ work will be displayed at

Newport Beach Central Library early next year.

The winners in the different categories are as follows:

Kindergarten through second-grade winners (first through third

place) in visual arts were Kendall Mulvaney, Kylie Mulvaney, and John

Pagliasotti.

In photography, John Pagliasotti and Jack Pagliasotti took first

and second, respectively.

Third- through fifth-grade winners in literature were Corey Cano

(first) and David Pisors (second).

Visual arts winners (first through third place) were Daniel

Anastos, Evan Harr and Brady Quon.

Honorable mentions went to Peter Anastos and Austin Quon.

First place in photography went to Julia Kerr.