Pacific Progressive

City of Orange Asks Gov to Stop the Fairgrounds Sale

The Orange City Council passed a resolution asking the Governor to stop the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds by a unanimous vote.  The resolution was carried by Councilman  Mark Murphy.  Councilwoman Tita Smith reminded everyone of the economic impact of the Fair each summer. Tita also talked about being a member of 4H and how important it is to keep the 4H programs alive in Orange County.

After the resolution was passed, Mayor Carolyn Cavecche asked staff to immediately begin preparing the packet to send to the Governor's office notifying him of the Council action.

OUSD Could Eliminate Riverdale School, Music Programs and More - Dec 10

At the December 10, 2009, meeting, the Orange Unified School District (OUSD) will discuss ways to further cut the budget and services offered to students.  On the table are:

• Closing Riverdale Elementary ($345,000)
• Cutting elementary musical instrument instruction ($385,000)
• Reduce Administration and Support Staff ($450,000)
• Restructuring custodial services ($900,000)
• Changing elementary class size to 30 ($1,250,000)

The OUSD Board meets at 7 PM at 1401 N Handy Street (off Katella), Orange, CA.  

Ending Sale of Fairgrounds on City of Orange Agenda - Dec 8

On Tuesday, December 8, 2009, the Orange City Council will consider a resolution asking Governor Schwarzenegger to stop the sale of the Fairgrounds.  The resolution is being brought forward by Councilman (and Former Mayor) Mark Murphy.

The Orange City Council meets at 4:30 at 300 E Chapman Ave, Orange, CA.  Parking is located behind City Hall.

Do You Want to Buy a Water District?

The East Orange County Water District (EOCWD) has put itself up for sale.  The district is selling the retail and wholesale parts separately. EOCWD covers about 10,000 acres and was formed in December 1961.

Why would I want to buy a water district?  

If you buy this district, you can receive water from the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project.  EOCWD is a contracting agency of the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), and is a member agency of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which imports water.

EOCWD History

 In July 1985, EOCWD assumed the operations of the County of Orange Waterworks District No. 8 (OCWD #8.)  In 1951, OCWD #8 had acquired the assets of the El Modena Mutual Irrigation Company after the bankruptcy of El Modena Mutual.  The combined OCWD #8 and former El Modena Mutual service area became the "Retail Zone."  The original EOCWD zone is the "Wholesale Zone."

Retail Zone is Mostly Customers

You get customers in Panorama Heights (bounded by Hewes Ave on the west, Foothill Blvd on the south, Newport Blvd on the east, and Crawford Canyon and Chapman Ave on the north.)  You also get 1.5 million gallons of capacity rights in the Wholesale Zone.  Bids to buy the Retail Zone were due by October 1, 2009.

Water Rights Go With Wholesale Zone

Buy the wholesale zone, get water rights.  You will get 16 cubic feet second (cfs) treated water capacity from MWD using the East Orange County Feeder #2, 9.47 cfs treated water capacity to the MWD Allen McColluch Pipeline (AMP), 10.0 cfs in untreated water capacity in the V.P. Baker Pipeline (formerly the Santiago Aqueduct or SAC line), 4.27 M gallons in a 6.0 M gallon below ground reservoir, 1.0 M gallon in a tank reservoir, and 10.0 M gallons in the Andres Reservoir.  Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) also owns part of the water coming from the SAC and below ground reservoir.  With this purchase, they will throw in the pumps and transmission lines.  

The service area includes parts of Tustin, Orange, North Tustin, East Tustin, Red Hill, Lemon Heights, Cowan Heights, Orange Park Acres, and Panorama Heights .  The area is east of the 55 Freeway, north of the 5 Freeway, west of Jamboree Road, and south of Santiago Canyon Road.

Bids on the wholesale zone are due by March 1, 2010.  EOCWD is located at 185 N. McPherson Rd, Orange, CA 92869.  

Habitat for Humanity Home Purchasing Workshop - Nov 17

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County has added a fifth orientation meeting for families interested in learning more about how to qualify for and purchase an affordable Habitat home in San Juan Capistrano.

The new information session will be held at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley at One Via Positivia.

The additional orientation is part of the organization's extensive outreach efforts to recruit qualified families to purchase 18 new homes to be built in San Juan Capistrano. These new homes are being target marketed to local families, military families, veterans and their families and surviving families of veterans who have given their lives for our country.

Minimum qualification requirements include legal residency in the United States, good credit and a steady income between 30 and 80 percent of the median income in Orange County. The minimum will vary based on location and home size. As an example, a family of four earning 50% of the median income in Orange County would have an annual income no higher than $46,500.

In November, two other family orientations will be held in Irvine and Orange.

Qualified families will purchase a home, help build it, and pay closing costs and a long-term mortgage.

If your family is interested in applying to purchase a Habitat home, or if you know of a family who meets the requirements, call 714-434-6200 extension 227. You can also call that number for more information about the Irvine and Orange meetings.

Habitat for Humanity Home Purchasing Workshop - Nov 17

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County has added a fifth orientation meeting for families interested in learning more about how to qualify for and purchase an affordable Habitat home in San Juan Capistrano.

The new information session will be held at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley at One Via Positivia.

The additional orientation is part of the organization's extensive outreach efforts to recruit qualified families to purchase 18 new homes to be built in San Juan Capistrano. These new homes are being target marketed to local families, military families, veterans and their families and surviving families of veterans who have given their lives for our country.

Minimum qualification requirements include legal residency in the United States, good credit and a steady income between 30 and 80 percent of the median income in Orange County. The minimum will vary based on location and home size. As an example, a family of four earning 50% of the median income in Orange County would have an annual income no higher than $46,500.

In November, two other family orientations will be held in Irvine and Orange.

Qualified families will purchase a home, help build it, and pay closing costs and a long-term mortgage.

If your family is interested in applying to purchase a Habitat home, or if you know of a family who meets the requirements, call 714-434-6200 extension 227. You can also call that number for more information about the Irvine and Orange meetings. 

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.  

Direct Election of Mayors the Right Move

The role of city government is becoming increasingly complicated as Mayors and City Council people spend more of their time meeting the County Supervisors, State Legislators, and other local elected officials to get what their cities need.  In these meetings, the Mayor can take on a higher role as some one who speaks for the city as a whole, some one who can obligate the city to action.

In Orange County, some mayors are directly elected by the citizens and others are appointed.  The mayors of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana and Westminster directly elect their mayors. Mayors in the other 28 cities of Orange County are appointed by their respective city councils.

An open election for mayor allows residents to decide who is best for the job. The mayor is the leader of the city, and allowing direct election of the mayor allows candidates to discuss local issues and their proposed solutions. Mayoral candidates would compete based on the direction they would move the city in.  

Directly electing a mayor allows the people to have a voice in deciding the direction of their city.  The 34 cities of Orange County have become too large and complex to allow appointed mayors.  We're not small, scattered downtowns buried in orange groves, but vibrant growing cities. It's time for all cities to move to direct elected mayors.

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

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

Deans Chemerinsky and Eastman Debate on September 24 - Updated

Join UC Irvine Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and Chapman Law School Dean John Eastman as they debate current Constitutional questions in a forum sponsored by the Chapman Law School section of the American Constitution Society.  The debate will take place on Thursday, September 24,  from 6-8 PM at Chapman Law School. 

Update: To attend this event, you must make a reservation at http://www.chapman.edu/law/rsvp/ because seating is limited.

2009 Coastal Cleanup Day is September 19

Clean up local Orange County beaches, creeks, watersheds, and waterways on Saturday, September 19 from 9 AM to Noon as a member of the Coastal Cleanup Day Team.  Efforts are being coordinated by Orange County Parks and Trails for All.  Sponsors include California State Parks, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, Seal Beach, San Clemente, Clean Water Now!, Aliso Creek Steelhead, Bolsa Chica Conservancy, Community Based Restoration and Education Program of the California Coastal Commission, Huntington Beach, Project Aware, Amigos de Bolsa Chica, California Department of Fish and Game, San Clemente Clean Ocean Program, Ocean Institute, SaveOurBeach, OC Parks, and Back to Natives Restoration.

Aliso Creek County Beach: Aliso Creek County Beach, West Street Beach and Aliso Creekbed 

Volunteer Event: Beach, Park, and Creek Cleanup 

Site Address: 31131 S. Pacific Coast Highway., Laguna Beach, CA 92652 

Volunteer Sign-in and Meeting Location: Aliso Creek Beach on Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, 

Parking lot at Aliso Beach. 

CLEANUP CATEGORY: Park, Beach 

Minimum Age of Volunteer: 8  

Maximum # of Volunteers: 200 

PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE WITH THE SITE TEAM CAPTAIN: 

Team Captain Name: Michael Hazzard and Rick Conkey 

Contact Phone: Michael 949-690-2510 or Rick 949-573-8624 Contact Email: [email protected]; 

[email protected] 

For more information on this site, please see: www.alisocreeksteelhead.org  

 

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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Mike Duvall Needs 3 Women to Share His Family Values

http://cbs2.com/video/[email protected]

KCAL 9's Dave Lopez broke the story.  You should watch the report because you find out Mike Duvall likes spanking women and his sex talk makes colleagues uncomfortable.  Dave Lopez went to Sacramento and tried to get Duvall to answer questions, but Duvall refused all of his questions and openly dodged reporters.

In 2007, Duvall received a 100% grade from the California Republican Assembly.  On the California Republican Assembly website, core beliefs are listed, which include family.  From the website, "We believe that the traditional American family, defined as any persons related by blood, marriage of a man and a woman and/or adoption, is the cornerstone of our American society, and the government is duty bound to protect the integrity of the family unit through legislation and taxation policies."

Capitol Weekly is reporting that Duvall has been stripped of his leadership positions in the Assembly - vice-chairmanship of the Utilities and Commerce Committee, seat on Assembly Rules Committee and ranking seat in GOP caucus. One of the three women Duvall is involved with is a lobbyist for Sempra Energy, a company subject to legislation developed by the Utilities and Commerce Committee.

Duvall is currently married and has two grown children.  Duvall currently represents the 72nd Assembly District which covers parts of La Habra, Brea, Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, Anaheim, and Orange.

Lestonnac Free Clinic Opens in Santa Ana

Lestonnac Free Clinic has opened a new site in Santa Ana thru the generousity of Dr. Dimitri Sirakoff, D.O.  Dr. Sirakoff is allowing Lestonnac to operate their clinic on the first floor of his building at 1206 E. 17th St, Santa Ana, CA (nearest major cross streets are 17th and Grand Ave.)  The clinic will see patients on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  The clinic has eight examination rooms, a comfortable waiting area, and is near public transportation.  

Dr. Sirakoff has a history of giving back to the community.  In addition to giving space to Lestonnac, he has also donated an ultrasound machine which can be used to help diagnose a wide variety of patient health problems.  On the first and third Saturdays of the month, Dr. Sirakoff operates the Santa Ana Food Bank.  In August, Santa Ana Food Bank distributed approximately 40,000 pounds of food to to over 543 people.  The food bank offers fresh vegetables and fruit, which is rare among food banks.  In addition to food, the participants can also obtain clothing, shoes, and toys for kids.  Dr. Sirakoff has been inviting the community to the food bank for 18 months.

Lestonnac Free Clinic was founded in 1979 by Sister Marie Therese and is dedicated to providing free medical and dental care to the poorest of the poor in Orange County. The main clinic is at 1215 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange, CA.  Lestonnac Free Clinic is a non-profit clinic which relies on donations to operate. 

 In 2008, the Clinics small staff, contract professionals, and volunteer physicians and nurses served 1,867 low-income patients thru 11,047 visits.  So far, in 2009, the Lestonnac Free Clinic has served  2,279 patients (63% increase over year to date for 2008) through 9,068 visit (35% increase over 2008 year to date.)  Clinic staff attributes the significant increase in need for services to the recession where many people who had health insurance have lost their insurance because they have lost their jobs.