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 

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

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

405 Improvement Project - Your Input Needed - 4 Public Meetings

The San Diego Freeway (I-405) is one of the most congested freeways in Orange County, carrying more than 300,000 vehicle trips each day. It is projected that this number will increase to 370,000 daily trips by 2035. To accommodate the transportation demands and Orange County’s population growth, significant improvements to the I-405 are needed.  

Five alternatives are being considered for the San Diego Freeway. 

Choice 1 - No additional lanes or interchange improvements.

Choice 2 - Add one general purpose lane in each direction from Euclid Street to 605 interchange.  There will be some interchange improvements in the project area.

Choice 3 - Add two general purpose lanes in each direction Euclid Street to 605 interchange.

Choice 4 -  Express Facility Alternative - Add one toll lane to the existing carpool lane that will be managed together.  One general purpose lane in each direction north of Euclid Street to 605 will be added.

Choice 5 - Localized improvements - Add one general purpose lane at various locations and improves several interchanges between Euclid Street and the 605 interchange.

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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"Mendez vs. Westminster School District" Screening in Fountain Valley

"Mendez vs. Westminster School District" will be screened at the Green Valley Community Center, 17250 Los Jardines West, Fountain Valley, CA, on Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30 PM.  The film maker, Sandra Robbie, will be on hand to answer questions.  Gonzalo Mendez, the hero of the story, will also attend the screening.

The Emmy-winning documentary tells how the Westminster schools were desegregated in a 1947 civil rights suit.  Up to that time, Mexican children went to separate schools from white children. The schools were inferior to the schools for white children in facilities, books, supplies and other necessities for learning.  A class action case was filed on behalf of 5000 children effected by this action. 

The event is presented by the Democratic Club of West Orange County.

California Water Crisis Hearing - August 21 in Fountain Valley

Jose Solorio chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Regional Approaches to Addressing the State's Water Crisis.  On Friday, August 21, 2009, the committee will hold a hearing at the headquarters of the Orange County Water District/Metropolitan Water District of Orange County (OCWD and MWDOC) from 9 AM to 1 PM.  The headquarters are located at 18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708.

The agenda includes smart irrigation systems, approaches to tiered rates and water report cards, how to sell conservation, groundwater replenishment systems, seawater desalination, options for near and long-term water sustainability, and building water consciousness in the business community.  An update on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan will also be presented.

If you want to attend, you must reserve a seat.  Call Kim Nguyen at 916-319-2069 or email at kim.nguyen(at)asm.ca.gov to reserve a seat.

OCTA September Service Cuts - The Details

Plan C - which retains Night Owl service was adopted.  The complete list of changes is available in the agenda packet for the June 8 meeting.   http://www.octa.net  OCTA Director Bill Campbell negotiated that span trips with 8 or more riders can be saved, for now.  Those trip reductions are listed here because staff is able to make changes to schedule to combine trips to save span service.

Here's a summary.

Line 20 La Habra - Yorba Linda Via Imperial Hwy

Increase weekday time between trips from 60 to 95 minutes.

Line 21 - Fullerton - Huntington Beach via Valley View St/Bolsa Chica Rd

Delete 5 weekday trips. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 24 - Fullerton - Orange via Malvern Ave/Chapman Ave/Tustin Ave

Delete 3 weekday trips.  Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 26 - Fullerton - Yorba Linda via Commonwealth Ave/Yorba Linda Blvd

Delete 3 weekday trips. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 29 - Brea - Huntington Beach via La Habra Blvd/Beach Blvd

Increase peak weekday time between trips from 15 to 20 minutes.  Increase Saturday and Sunday time between trips from 15 to 18 minutes.

Line 33 - Fullerton - Huntington Beach via Magnolia St

 Increase time between trips on Saturday and Sunday from 60 to 65 minutes.

Line 37 - La Habra - Fountain Valley via Euclid St

Delete 2 weekday trips. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 38 - Lakewood - Anaheim Hills via Del Amo Blvd/La Palma Ave

Increase peak weekday time between trips from 8 to 15 minutes.  Delete 4 trips.   Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 38 - Lakewood - Anaheim Hills via Del Amo Blvd/La Palma Ave

Increase Saturday and Sunday time between trips from 30 to 45 minutes.

Line 43 - La Habra - Costa Mesa via Whittier Blvd/Harbor Blvd

Increase peak weekday time between trips from 10 to 15 minutes.  Increase Saturday time between trips from 20/15 minutes to 25/18 minutes. Increase Sunday time between trips from 15 to 18 minutes.

Line 46 - Los Alamitos - Orange via Ball Rd/Taft Ave

Delete 1 trip. Weekday span trips with more than 8 riders may be saved.

Line 50 - Long Beach - Orange via Katella Ave

Service changed to Short Line service.

OCTA Cutting Our Chances of Economic Recovery - Pt 2

OCTA  http://www.octa.net/ will make more cuts in September 2009, in addition to the June 2009 cuts.  This round of cuts will impact your ability to get to:

• 129 Schools and Colleges 
• 43 Shopping Centers, Malls, and Shopping Districts 
• 19 Hospitals and Medical Facilities 
• 32 Employers and Office Parks 
• 39 Civic Centers, Senior Centers , Libraries and other Government facilities
• 24 Park & Rides and Transit Connectors 
• 40 Parks, Beaches and other destinations

These cuts make it difficult to get to work, go to school, obtain medical care, go shopping for food and clothing, get books from a public library, get to a park or beach, and conduct business with the government.  If you depend on the bus, you are slowly being cut off from being able to compete in our local economy.

Trip Frequency and Service Reductions Starting September 2009

Starting in September 2009, replan your trip if you need to get to these destinations.  You can still get there, but it may be tricky, depending on when you need to be there, how long you need to stay, and what other connections you need to make to arrive at your final destination.  Here are the details:

OCTA Cutting Our Chances of Economic Recovery - Pt 1

OCTA http://www.octa.net/ is making severe, deep cuts to balance a budget.  These cuts are severe and will impact our local economy.  These cuts make it difficult to get to school, work, medical care, government facilities, other transportation, and recreational opportunities.  This will impact our recovery from the current economic crisis.  How can you hold a job you can't get to?  How can you go to college when you can't afford to get to classes?  How do you get to a doctor's appointment if you don't have a car or can't drive?

And, the cuts to service to transit connectors like Park & Rides and Metrolink stations mean no more saving money and energy with public transportation for some people.  If you can't get from the station to where you need to go, why take the train or carpool?

Where are the cuts and who will they hurt? 

• 78 Schools and Colleges have reduced service 
• 27 Shopping Centers, Malls, and Shopping Districts have less transit service
• 14 Hospitals and Medical Facilities have fewer buses available
• 17 Employers and Office Parks have fewer trips to bring employees to work
• 27 Civic Centers, Senior Centers and Libraries have fewer buses to get residents to city  services
• 22 Park & Rides and Transit Connectors have fewer ways to move people to and from the sites
• 13 Parks and Beaches have fewer trips to bring people to recreational opportunities

This is Part 1 of a series. The other stories in the series will examine the impact of the cuts starting June 14 and the proposed September 2009 cuts.

Trip Frequency and Service Reductions Starting June 14, 2009