Pacific Progressive

Call Vector Control and Tell Them No Private Pest Control Companies

 The Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD) helps to control little critters who carry diseases.  (These animals are called "disease vectors" because they move the disease around, hence the name.)  If you have a problem with a dead bird and there is West Nile Virus in the area, you call Vector Control.  Same thing for a neighbor who won't take care of their pool which is now a mosquito farm - call Vector Control and they will work with the neighbor so you don't have to.

A plan is being considered to privatize rat control services. Currently, if you see rats around, Vector Control will come out and give you (for free!) traps and bait and show you how to properly use them. They will also help you find the openings the rodents are using to get into your house and show you how to close them off.

These services are paid by an assessment of about $6.98 per year per residence in the County.  Taxpayers are able to get a lot for their $6.98.

Now, some members of the Vector Control board want to let private extermination companies (Terminix, Orkin, Truly Nolen are some common names) provide the rat control services. The plan is to send the companies out on calls to homes to provide the rat control services to the home owners.  Then, the pest control company can then sell the homeowner services to control pests on the inside of the home.

Smell a rat?  Does turning Vector Control into a marketing company for private pest control companies sound like a bad deal to you?  Call and write your representative on the Vector Control District. Each of the 34 incorporated cities has a representative. If you live in the unincorporated areas, your rep is Supervisor John Moorlach.

The representatives for each area are listed.  If you have a relationship with them, please use that to tell them "No to Private Pest Control Companies."  You can also call, fax and write them at the Vector Control Board.  Sending faxes works very well because it creates a paper trail of who objects and carries more weight than an email.

Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD), 13001 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843

Phone 714-971-2421 949-654-2421  Fax 714-971-3940

Aliso Viejo - Mayor Phillip B. Tsunoda 

Cypress Health Care Events - Jan 2010

The following programs will be offered at the Cypress Senior Center, which is located at 9031 Grindlay Street, just south of Lincoln Avenue and about a mile west of Valley View Street in Cypress. You need not be a Cypress resident to participate in these free programs. For more information or reservations please call (714) 229-2005. Information about other services at the Cypress Senior Center may also be found on the Cypress Recreation & Community Services’ website at www.cypressrec.com.

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS

Glenda Papa, R.N. Mondays, January 4, 11, 18 and 25 10:00 - 11:30 am Free. Walk-in.

CALIFORNIA TELEPHONE ACCESS PROGRAM - CTAP

Thursday, January 7th    10:30 am - 12:00 pm California Communications Access Foundation Californians who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech disabled, blind, or who have low vision, cognitive impairments or restricted mobility are eligible to receive equipment from CTAP. Eligible customers can receive equipment absolutely free. Find out if you qualify and how to apply. Free. Walk-in.

JUST IN CASE - EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Thursday, January 14th    10:30 - 11:30 Deborah Wilson with WeCare Understand the emergency risks that could affect your community, look at your special needs, and develop a plan, including having emergency supplies ready. Free. Reservations recommended.

Stopping the Sale of the Fairgrounds - Who is Against the Sale

Who is has signed on against the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds?

Assemblyman Jose Solorio

Assemblyman Jim Silva

Assemblyman Van Tran

Buena Park - 12/22 agenda

Costa Mesa - Mayor Allan Mansoor, Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece, Councilmember Katrina Foley, Councilmember Eric Bever, Councilman Gary Monahan

County of Orange - Supervisor Pat Bates, Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Supervisor John Moorlach, Supervisor Bill Campbell, Supervisor Chris Norby

Cypress - 12/15 agenda

Fountain Valley - Mayor Larry Crandall, Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Brothers, Councilmember Guy Carozzon, Councilmember John Colllins, Councilmember Steve Nagel

Fullerton - Mayor Don Bankhead, Mayor Pro Tem Pam Keller, Councilmember F. Richard Jones, Councilmember Shawn Nelson, Councilmember Sharon Quirk-Silva

Huntington Beach - 12/21 agenda

La Habra - 12/21 agenda

Laguna Hills - 1/8 agenda

Laguna Niguel - 12/15 agenda

Lake Forest - 12/15 agenda

Newport Beach - Mayor Keith Curry, Mayor Pro Tem Michael Henn, Councilmember Steven Rosansky, Councilmember Don Webb, Councilmember Leslie Daigle, Councilmember Edward Selich, Councilmember Nancy Gardner

Orange - Mayor Carolyn Cavecche, Mayor Pro Tem Tita Smith, Councilmember Mark Murphy, Councilmember Denis Bilodeau, Councilmember Joh Dumitru

San Clemente - 12/15 agenda

Santa Ana - Mayor Miguel Pulido, Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, Councilmember Michele Martinez, Councilmember Carlos Bustamante, Councilmember David Benavides, Councilmember Sal Tinajero, Councilmember Vincent Sarmiento

Cypress Holiday Bazaar and Breakfast - Nov 21

Get in the holiday spirit at the Cypress Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, November 21, 2009.  Santa Claus will be making a special appearance to delight children of all ages.   “Breakfast with Santa” will be offered from 8:00 until 11:00 am and will include pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, orange juice and coffee for only $5.00 per person.  All proceeds will benefit Boy Scout Troop #660.   

Santa will also be available from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.  Bring your camera for a photo opportunity with Santa.   

After breakfasting with Santa, enjoy a day of shopping from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  There will be a variety of holiday vendors displaying their handcrafted items for purchase, including jewelry, ceramics, clothing, toys, home décor and much more.   

A delicious BBQ Lunch will be offered by the Cypress High School Baseball Boosters Club from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen (presented by the Woman’s Club of Cypress) will be offering goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth.  Entertainment will be provided throughout the day.  Kid’s Crafts will add to the excitement. 

The Cypress Holiday Bazaar will be held at the Cypress Community Center at 5700 Orange Avenue (at Oak Knoll Park).  The Community Center is located just west of Valley View Street and south of Lincoln Avenue.  Admission to the bazaar is free!  Do your shopping now, and dazzle everyone on your holiday list with unique gifts.  For more information please call (714) 229-6780.

Orange County Sanitation District to Address Cost Recovery and Potential Chemical Shortages

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) treats the wastewater from the cities of La Habra, Brea, Fullerton, Anaheim, La Palma, Buena Park, Los Alamitos, Stanton, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Westminster, Garden Grove, Cypress, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Orange, Villa Park, Tustin Placentia, Yorba Linda and Irvine.  OCSD is the agency responsible for maintaing the outfall pipes offshore. and is the third largest wastewater agency west of the Mississippi River.

OCSD is working on an update to the strategic plan to address the potential shortage of chemicals and getting better cost recovery from other agencies.  Both of these issues are key to the successful future operation of the District.

A reliable supply of quality chemicals is a requirement of operating a wastewater treatment facility.  Chemicals are used to mitigate odors, enhance settling of solids, reduce bacteria formation, and disinfect then dechlorinate the effluent prior to discharge.  

OCTA Looking to Eliminate Routes - Give OCTA Feedback on These Proposals

OCTA is looking to restructure bus service to fit the available budget. Staff has prepared several proposals for bus service reductions and have taken the presentations to public meetings to get input.  OCTA has also bought ads and put comment cards on buses to get feedback on proposals.  

If you use one of these buses, please tell OCTA what will happen if the bus is no longer available to you. These routes are targeted for possible elimination.  When you buy a bus pass, drop off a comment card or a letter.  Attend the public meeting on October 26 at 9 AM at OCTA headquarters in Orange. Fill out a comment card and drop it in the mail. But, please, for your sake, let OCTA know if these bus service cuts will impact you.  If your school is impacted, have your teachers, professors, principals and deans call.  If your business is impacted, have the managers and human resources department call OCTA to let them know this is a problem.

The routes listed for elimination are given below, along with the major landmarks along the route.  If implemented, the routes will be eliminated starting in March 2010.

Route 20 - La Habra to Yorba Linda via Imperial Highway - Yorba Linda Middle School, Yorba Linda Community Center, Downtown Yorba Linda, Brea Gateway Center, Brea Promenade, Brea Mall, Imperial Middle School, La Habra Marketplace

Route 21 - Fullerton to Huntington Beach via Valley View St/Bolsa Chica Rd - Buena Park High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Centerpointe, Cypress High School, Cypress College, Hilton D. Bell Intermediate School, Marina High School, Boeing, Huntington Beach Industrial Area, Sunset Beach

Fire Departments Have Open Houses This Weekend

National Fire Prevention Week is during October 5 thru October 10.  Visit a firehouse near you during this weekend during an Open House. These events are always a favorite with the kids because they get to meet firefighters, see the firetrucks close up, and learn what an important job firefighting is.  The firefighters also teach families and business owners how to protect themselves and their loved ones in the case of emergency.

All events are on Saturday, October 10, 2009 unless noted.

Aliso Viejo OCFA Station #57, 57 Journey from 9 AM to 2 PM.

Anaheim from 10 AM to 2 PM at:

Euclid Fire Station #6 - 1330 S Euclid

Stadium Fire Station #7 - 2222 E Ball Rd

Weir Canyon Fire Station - 8270 E Monte Vista

Twila Reid Fire Station - 3078 W Orange

Brea from 10 AM - 2 PM at Fire Station #2, park in downtown parking structure and walk across Brea Blvd using the signal at Ash St

Buena Park OCFA Station #61, 8081 Western Ave from 9 AM - 2 PM

Costa Mesa  from 10 AM to 2 PM at:

Station #1 - 2803 Royal Palm Drive

Station #2 - 800 Baker St

Station #3 - 1865 Park St

Station #4 - 2300 Placentia Ave

Station #5 - 2450 Vanguard Way

Station #6 - 3350 Sakioka Dr

Cypress OCFA Station #17 - 4991 Cerritos Ave from 9 AM - 2 PM

Dana Point OCFA Fire Station #30 - 23831 Stonehill Dr from 9 AM - 2 PM

Do You Ride the OCTA Night OWL? Your Bus Could be Eliminated

OCTA is facing a very tough budget situation because transit funds from the State have been cut, leaving OCTA without a large chunk of money needed to fund the actual day to day operation of buses. OCTA staff is studying how to make cuts in the bus system and has held a series of public meetings, bought ads, and put service change info on buses.  OCTA really needs to hear from more riders about what the specific service needs are so the cuts cause the least harm.

The Night OWL service is targeted for complete elimination because, it is argued, ridership is very low and the money spent on Night OWL service would be better spent on service at other times of the day.  What many people don't realize is that Night OWL riders have fewer choices for transportation than riders at other times of the day.  For these folks, it's the Night OWL or nothing in many cases.

The four Night OWL routes targeted to be eliminated are the 43 La Habra to Costa Mesa via Whittier Blvd/Harbor Blvd, 50 Long Beach to Orange via Katella Ave, 57 Brea to Newport Beach via State College Blvd/Bristol St, and 60 Long Beach to Tustin via Westminster Ave/17th St.  The service reductions would start in March 2010.

What You Need to Do

You need to talk with OCTA to tell them what will work for you. Staff is trying to figure this out and plans are not set yet.  If your workplace is effected, have your manager or HR department contact OCTA to tell them about the problems losing the Night OWL will cause.  You can drop off a comment card or letter when you buy a bus pass at OCTA, attend the public hearing on Monday, October 26, 2009 at OCTA Headquarters at 9 AM, or send a letter to Wendy Knowles, Clerk of the Board, OCTA, 555 S Main St, PO Box 14184, Orange, CA 92863-1584.  If you let OCTA know what you need, they can try to help you.  Now is the time for input.

Info About Proposed March 2010 Service Reductions

43 La Habra to Costa Mesa via Whittier Blvd/Harbor Blvd

La Habra - Whittier Christian High School, La Habra Square, La Habra High School, Washington Middle School, Sonora High School

Fullerton - St. Jude Hospital, North Court, Fullerton College, Fullerton Union High School, Fullerton Transportation Center, Metro Center of Fullerton, Orangefair Mall

Anaheim - Anaheim Cultural Arts Center, Anaheim Library, Anaheim Resort Area, Anaheim Convention Center, Disneyland, Anaheim High School

Cypress Offers Free Health Screenings and Seminars

The Cypress Senior Center is offering over a dozen health screenings and seminars during October.  The Cypress Senior Center is located at 9031 Grindlay Street, Cypress, CA, just south of Lincoln Avenue and about a mile west of Valley View.  For more information or reservations, please call 714-229-2005.  You do not need to live in Cypress to attend these free programs.

Blood Pressure Screenings - Glenda Papa, RN, Mondays,  October 5, 12, 9, 26 from 10 - 11:30 AM.  Free - just walk in

Blood Pressure Screenings at CSULB Nursing Department - Wednesdays, October 7 and 28, 8:30 AM - Noon.  Free - just walk in

California Telephone Access Program - CTAP - Thursday, October 1, 10:30 AM - Noon.  Presented by the California Communications Access Foundation - Find out how to apply and qualify for free equipment from CTAP for California residents who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech disabled, blind or have low vision, cognitive impairments or restricted mobility.  Just walk-in - no reservation needed.

Vision Rehabilitation for the Visually Impaired - Monday, October 5, 10:30 -11:30 AM - Dr. Annalisa Fernando-Langit with Dr. Darlyne Fujimoto & Associates - Your loss of vision doesn't have to impair your life.  Dr. Fernando-Langit, OD, will talk about services available to help you and demonstrate optical aids and adaptive technology. Reservations recommended.

OC Register 2nd Worst Person in the World for Sports Column Mocking Jaycee Dugard's Captivity and Rape

Here is the original post by Mark Whicker. This never should have been printed, never. Baseball is more important than the kidnap, rape and years long captivity of a child. Whicker should resign or be fired.  And the Hoile family wonders why people don't want to read their paper?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Innovative Waste Diversion Projects Funded

Landfills can only hold so much and that is all the landfill does - hold the garbage.  Many types of "garbage" can actually be reused or recycled.  Over $2.5 million for waste diversion programs to create composting, recycling and other opportunities to avoid putting more garbage in the landfill were funded through a recent grant from the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

City of San Clemente - Commercial Food Waste Diversion Program. Restaurants will Receive Bins and Weekly Collection. $400,000 

Mission Viejo - Commercial Food Waste Diversion Program. Process Organic Materials (Food) in Dehydration System. On-site System will Reduce Carbon Footprint - $400,000 

City of Cypress - Multi-Family Commercial Recycling Program $378,245 

City of Anaheim -  Multi-Family Commercial Recycling Program $234,238 

Cypress Residents Meet About Healthcare Reform

Cypress residents met on a Saturday morning to learn how they can advocate for the healthcare changes that can improve their healthcare and help businesses compete in the world economy.  The event was organized by Rose Ann Howard, the local Organizing for America (OFA) coordinator   http://www.barackobama.com/index.php .

 

Dr. Bill Honigman, a local emergency room physician, was the keynote speaker.  Dr. Honigman is a state coordinator for Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) http://pdamerica.org/statecaucus.php?s=CA .  He spoke about the need for reform that will put more money into patient care and less money into overhead. At one point, he pulled out a prop dollar bill and tore off a third, held up the torn section and said, "One third of every dollar goes to overhead, advertising, and doesn't get used for patients.  If we get that number down to single digits, even 5% , there is already enough money in the system to pay for education and preventive care. "

Cypress residents discussed healthcare issues that impact their lives.  

• How to get more young adults insured?  One woman spoke about her son, who has a family.  He doesn't have health insurance because he can't afford it. He works an hourly job and the coverage offered would take most of his take-home pay and not leave enough money to live on.
• How to get more young adults pushing for health care reform?
• How can America be able to compete in the world if our businesses pay health care costs which are much higher than other countries.  This puts a burden on our businesses and makes the prices they can charge for goods and services too high to compete on a global market.

Permits & Licenses = Cypress Revenue

Cypress has an interesting revenue stream - licenses & permits make up over 37% of General Fund Revenue (31% of Total Revenue).  Sales Tax comes next with 32% of General Fund Revenue (27% of total revenue) and Property Taxes only contribute 

Curious Cypress Budget

How can a city have a decrease in combined City, Recreation and Park district and Redevelopment Agency over $34 million in one year and not have to lay off most of the city staff?  When the decrease is due to a reduced amount of maturing debt in the Redevelopment Agency. Not all money is created equal. 

Cypress is forecasting no layoffs or cuts in services because predicted  revenues for the city will remain fairly flat, with no large dips, so the easiest way to manage is to simply not fill positions.  Two