Segerstrom Center for the Arts is offering its first Fall Musical Theatre Training Program for young people ages 9-18 years of age. Students of all experience levels are welcome for this 5-class virtual program, where they will be coached in musical theater performance and technique by some of the industry’s leading professional artists and educators.
The classes will be live but virtual Tuesdays and Thursdays November 5 – 19. Because the classes are live, they will provide immediate interaction between students and faculty while being completely safe for all. This format proved highly successful for the Center’s Five Days of Broadway program this past summer. Classes will focus on musical theater performance, acting, improv and dance.
The Fall Musical Theater Program will have two tracks, one for students ages 9–13 and one for ages 14–18. Entrance is not audition-based, so registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Capacity is limited. Tuition for all five classes is $150, and can be completed online at https://www.scfta.org/Engage-and-Learn/Camps-and-Classes/Fall-Musical-Theater-Classes/Overview.aspx.
Classes will be 60–75 minutes in length. Classes for students 9–13 years of age will be at 4 p.m., and classes for students 14–18 years of age will be at 6 p.m. Sessions are listed below:
Session 3 – Thursday, Nov. 12
Session 4 – Tuesday, Nov. 17
Session 5 – Thursday, Nov. 19
Among esteemed faculty for the 2020 inaugural fall program: Cheryl Baxter (first National Touring companies of Cats and 42nd Street, films Xanadu, Grease 2, television Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother and Netflix’s Lucifer), Olivia Espinosa (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory), Chandra Lee Schwartz (Hairspray, Wicked) and Ben McFadden (Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre).
Faculty Biographies
Cheryl Baxter has been in the entertainment business for more than 35 years, working in theater, commercials, film and television. She started her career as an assistant choreographer to Gene Kelly and Kenny Ortega in Coppola’s film, One from the Heart and went on to assist Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her. She has worked on over 20 films, including Xanadu, Tap, Grease 2, Pennies From Heaven, 500 Days of Summer, This Is It with Michael Jackson and The Muppet Movie. She has danced beside such legends as Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis Jr. The Nicholas Brothers and Donald O’Connor. Television credits include Bless this Mess, Veep, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, and the Netflix Series Lucifer, to name a few. Cheryl has performed in the Los Angeles and First National companies of Cats and 42nd Street and was in the Broadway telecast of Sophisticated Ladies. She has directed and choreographed theater productions all over the world and has worked extensively for Disney and Sesame Street Live. She is one of the producers of the World Choreography Awards honoring choreographers in all forms of media and currently teaches at AMDA, AADA and UCLA.
Olivia Espinosa is a bilingual actor, singer, playwright and director with a degree in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. Professional performance credits include The Jumpitz, a children’s entertainment group that performed for military families stationed in Europe and productions with theatre companies throughout the country including The Denver Center, San Diego Rep and Native Voices. As a playwright she has taught residencies in detention facilities and group homes for foster youth and credits her students for the courage to become a playwright herself. In 2017, Olivia was honored as the recipient of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s most prestigious award – The Phil Killian Directing Fellowship. This opportunity gave her the chance to assistant direct for OSF’s Artist Director, Bill Rauch. Most recently, she assisted Tony Taccone on John Leguizamo’s Kiss My Aztec at La Jolla Playhouse.
Chandra Lee Schwartz is a stage actress, singer, and theater educator known for her role as Glinda in the Broadway and National Touring productions of the musical Wicked. She also appeared in the National Tour and Broadway production of Hairspray and in the 2003 Broadway revival of Gypsy, starring Bernadette Peters, directed by Sam Mendes. She graduated from AMDA, NYC and has appeared in many shows and festivals in New York City and all over the country. Chandra originated the role of Annie in the world premiere of Sleepless in Seattle, The Musical, at the Pasadena Playhouse and appeared in the NBC sitcom Crowded and on IFC’s Comedy Bang Bang. In addition to acting and singing, Chandra has been teaching acting and musical theater at AMDA College and Conservatory in LA as well as private coaching since 2013.
Ben McFadden is a Pacific Northwest native who transplanted to Los Angeles two years ago. Ben has taught and performed with organizations and theaters across the Pacific Northwest area including Seattle Children’s Theatre, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company and others.
Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and the team of American Pickers say they are excited to return to California! They plan to film episodes of the hit series American Pickers throughout your area in December.
According to Pickers spokesperson Maggie Kissinger, the pickers expect to be back in Southern California in December looking for old rusty garages to pick.
“We understand that with the proliferation of COVID-19, we are all facing very uncertain times. We at American Pickers are taking the pandemic very seriously and will be following all guidelines and protocols for safe filming as outlined by the state and CDC. While we plan to be in California this December, we will continue to re-schedule if conditions change for the worse. Regardless, we are excited to continue to reach the many collectors in the area to discuss their years of picking!
AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on History.
The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.
As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.
AMERICAN PICKERS is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: am*************@******ix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST.
facebook: @GotAPick”
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Anaheim-Cypress are now offering in-person tutoring services to fit your child’s academic needs. Highly-skilled and trained Club professionals will help each student make academic strides by providing one-on-one support in whatever subjects your child is currently struggling with. Tutoring services are available for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. The Club is available to assist with distance learning and homework assignments, as well as provide supplementary materials and activities to gain skill development in particular subjects. Multi-child family small group sessions are also available.
“We’re here to help families through all of the changes that this year has brought. We have been open since Day 1 of the school year and our team has noticed an increased need for intentional, individualized academic support. Our Club tutors will work to bridge the educational divide and help get students back on track,” stated Anne Hertz, President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Anaheim-Cypress.
Tutoring sessions will take place at Cypress Main Clubhouse located at 10161 Moody St. in Cypress. Enhanced safety precautions for staff and members are in place within the Club. This includes frequent cleaning and sanitizing of all Club areas, wellness checks, social distancing, additional hand washing stations, and additional safety training for staff. Face coverings are required by all staff and members.
Space is limited and early registration is encouraged. Pricing and additional information is available on the Club website at www.theboysandgirlsclub.org, or by calling 714-527-2697 or emailing tu******@*****************ub.org.
Orange County will conduct a risk-limiting audit beginning Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley announced on Sunday.
He said the ballot comparison audit is not required under California law, and is being conducted in addition to the one percent manual tally of precincts.
According to a press release, “the risk-limiting audit is a procedure that provides strong statistical evidence that the election outcome is correct, or has a high probability of correcting an outcome that wouldn’t match a full hand count of the ballots. The audit itself requires human beings to examine and verify more ballots in close contests and fewer ballots in contests with wider margins.”
“Conducting a risk-limiting audit is an excellent way to audit elections and provide an important check on the integrity of the election process.” He continued, “This is a valuable opportunity to utilize the enhanced auditing capability of Orange County’s voting system, while at the same time ensuring that the outcomes are true and correct.”
Prior to the commencement of the risk-limiting audit the Registrar of Voters will establish the random seed for use with the audit software’s random number generator.
According to the OC Registrar’s Office, the seed is a number consisting of at least 20 digits, and each digit will be selected in order by sequential rolls of a 10-sided die. The Registrar of Voters will randomly select members of the public who attend the audit process to take turns rolling the die and designate one or more staff members to take turns rolling the die in the event that no members of the public are present.
Establishing the seed in this manner results in a properly random, and verifiable, selection of individual ballots for examination and audit, and ensures the integrity and statistical validity of the risk-limiting audit, they said.
The Registrar of Voters will publish the election results to be audited, along with a cryptographic hash of their contents, prior to the seed ceremony, and will publish the seed on its website immediately after it is established.
The audit will occur Fri., Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. (random seed selected by the rolling of 10-sided die) at the Registrar of Voters, 1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C, Santa Ana, CA.
Once the random seed is established the physical pulling of the actual ballots will take place and the ballot comparison audit will begin.
The Registrar of Voters is responsible for conducting elections in the County of Orange, the fifth largest voting jurisdiction in the United States with 1.6 million registered voters. We are a County agency, which receives funding from the County’s General Fund and periodic reimbursement from the federal government, the State of California and local jurisdictions.
With multiple Olympic medalists looking on, the Los Alamitos Unified School District finally cut the ribbon on the high school’s dazzling new state of the art swimming complex Wednesday.
“This aquatic center has been a dream of our athletes, coaches, students and overall community for many years,” said Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver as he briefly welcomed the entire board and other distinguished guests.
“As many of you know, our previous pool was not adequate to host home meets. Our parents were always burdened with fundraising to rent lanes at other facilities,” he said.
But no more.
Pandemic notwithstanding, the $12.2 million facility, built with bond funding, was completed on time, came in on or under budget and is designed to facilitate events for the next 60 years.
“We would like to thank the community,” said LAUSD Board President Meg Cutuli. She said the facility was literally built on the trust the community had given them with the bond’s approval.
She said the “awesome” facility will bring “honor and recognition” to the community for years to come.
Dr. Gregg Stone, who came out of retirement to resume his previous role as LAHS Principal, joked that he had to endure 21 years “with the old pool” but said Los Al has always enjoyed an outstanding swim program and outstanding dive team.
Stone spoke on behalf of former coaches and introduced present coaches who were attending the event. Stone also introduced and spoke about many former standout swimmers and Olympians, including world famous swimmer Lynne Cox and 2016 Gold Medalist (water polo) Rachel Fattal.
“I’m pretty excited for it,” said Fattal. “it’s a beautiful pool.” Fattal, who won gold in the Rio Olympics, said such a facility will propel athletes into the future.
In 1988, Los Alamitos’ Lynne Cox swam 2.7 miles across the frigid Bering Strait between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in water that would kill most people in 30 minutes. Stone joked that it was actually Cox that brought President Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev together.
He said Los Alamitos has a rich history of outstanding swimmers and water sports champions.
Pulver also credited the “vision” of former Supt. Dr. Sherry Kropp, who also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony.
“I could not be happier, really,” said Kropp, who thanked the community for supporting her vision.
“It is going to make a difference,” she said. “I’m super happy for our students, families, coaches and staff, I think it’s amazing.”
The 4:30 p.m. ceremony also gave administration officials an opportunity to show parents how the crowd canopy was specifically designed to shade parents in late afternoons, when many swim events would be held.
“Most of the functions are held in the afternoon,” said Pulver, “with the sun at our backs.”
The new Los Alamitos Aquatics Center features a competition 50-metre Olympic pool complex for swimming, diving, and water polo, as well as bleacher seating, MUSCO lighting, a 3M competition diving platform, classroom building and locker rooms.
Facilities director C.J. Knowland explained some of the state-of-the-art technology built into the facility, He said the complex includes an isolated chemical and operations room, with 12,500 square feet of surface space.
New diving complex as part of the new center.
In addition, the pool includes 2 – 1-meter and 2 – 3-meter diving platforms, he said.
The Olympic pool ranges from 3 – 13 feet in depth, and includes starting platforms for nineteen lanes 35-yards long and nine 8-foot, 50-meter lanes, all of which also have their own starting platforms and electronic timing built in.
The complex also features an 8 by 13-foot full color LED scoreboard which is clearly visible from the 2,400 square foot shaded bleacher structure.
Bond program manager Mayra Gonzalez said Terracon was the architect and Hamel Contracting, Inc. was the project’s general contractor.
Dr. Nancy Nien, Assistant Supt. for Business Affairs, said, as of now, the project is substantially complete.
At their last meeting, the board and superintendent credited the entire team for their diligence and skill during the pandemic to bring the complex to life with little disruption, no major obstacles and with no budget overruns.
“It’s great to be able to bring our Griffins home,” said Pulver as he and the board cut the very large red ribbon.
Tears seep to the surface of her face, almost without summon, as Dianne Nicholson recalls her last day in Paradise.
It was a normal Thursday morning, as Dianne planned her day.
Dianne and her late husband Jim had moved to Paradise from Seal Beach 10 years ago to be closer to her mother, Helen Cook. They even bought the home next door to her mom’s house.
Dianne tears up as she tells the story of the Paradise fire.
Helen lived in Paradise for 58 years. “We loved Paradise,” said Dianne, noting that “mom used to fish and watch beautiful animals that came up to the back porch.”
Dianne and her husband had never sold their home in Seal Beach, but for sure they were happy in Paradise, CA.
Sadly, just one year after moving, Dianne’s husband Jim died unexpectedly of a heart attack.
Dianne had met Jim Nicholson 15 years before they married. When they met Dianne was single, Jim was married, and they were both teachers in the Los Angeles school system.
They became friends but that was that.
Ten years later, while visiting Helen, Dianne unexpectedly ran into Jim in a Paradise hardware store. “What are you doing here,” she asked? Jim said his parents lived in Paradise as well. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she thought to herself.
Jim told Dianne that his wife had died so Dianne offered to be a friend if he needed to talk. “He never called.” Five years later, however, fate again intervened.
Dianne and Jim
Dianne said she had reluctantly accepted a one-year teaching assignment in Gardena at a middle school and soon found out Jim was a counselor at the same school. This again offered them a chance to chat. This time, Jim’s grieving was over. They dated, married, and lived in their home in Seal Beach for 20 years before retiring from their teaching careers as the couple moved to Paradise to be near their parents.
With Jim’s untimely passing, Dianne lived alone, still next door to her mom’s house. Helen had since moved into a local nursing home.
During most days, Dianne says she stayed busy managing their properties, which now also included four area rentals.
With its nearby mountain streams, the small city of Paradise is nestled between two ridges in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Beautiful patches of forests and rolling hills offered residents a modern life filled with the wonders of nature.
At approximately 10 a.m. on November 8, 2018, however, all that changed.
“I got a phone call from my neighbor,” said Dianne, who otherwise suspected nothing. “She told me to leave and leave now. They said a fire was coming.”
Now panicked, she quickly called the nursing home and found out staffers there were putting residents in vans and they were leaving too. Her mom, she learned was in a van with a driver and one other resident.
“I grabbed a pair of pants, a shirt, my wallet and passport and that was about it,” she says. Dianne, who had been checking on her mom’s house when she got the call, rushed back to her home “to grab some cat food for their cat Extra.”
Dianne said somebody in Paradise had an extra cat, so she took it and named it “Extra.”
But “there’s no way a cat’s going to jump into a car,” said Dianne, so she tearfully had to leave it behind.
“I was never so afraid in my life,” she said, shaking as she tearfully retells the story. Dianne drove to meet the van with her mom in it and they darted off trying to escape the approaching inferno.
Within minutes, she said, a whipping wind blew the Camp Fire “up both sides of the canyon.” Giant torrents of smoke and flame rushed towards them.
“I told mom, let’s keep going and let’s keep praying. If we don’t make it, I’ll see you in heaven.”
They finally reached the main road to Chico only to find another problem confronting them.
Cars were jammed and Skyway Road. Traffic was at a standstill as residents tried to flee.
“There were 10,000 cars,” she said. “You couldn’t go forward, you couldn’t go backward, you just sat there. The animals were burning. It was horrible.”
Flames from the rushing fire now nipped at each side of her car. “One lady’s car behind us wouldn’t start,” she said. “I saw her jump into somebody’s truck moments before the fire blew up her car.”
Flames rushed over them, yet their lives were somehow spared. Eventually, they made it down the hill to nearby Chico.
Nearly 100 residents were not so lucky and died in the fire.
Though they had escaped, they began to understand what they had lost. Their church. Their friends. Her house. Her mom’s house. Four rentals. Their coffee shops. Shopping places. The animals. Everything was gone within minutes. Every possession. Within minutes, life as had lived had simply vanished. Every possession reduced to ash.
“Those were very hard days.”
“We lived on cash until we could get settled,” she said. The banks had burned, and everything had to be reset in Chico. “It was awful,” she said, “but then I started to realize God has a plan.”
After getting some replacement clothes from the Salvation Army, a new reality began to emerge.
The only thing that survived intact was their Christian nativity set, shown here.
Dianne said only now did she begin to realize the significance of the many coincidences that had occurred before the fire.
Moreover, Dianne believes in the days since moving back to Seal Beach, she has since witnessed three modern miracles.
“What’s happened to us is amazing,” said Dianne. Her faith was strong before the fire, but after, “I know God has a plan.”
While many in Paradise who lost their homes were forced to live in travel trailers in the Wal-Mart parking lot, Dianne and her mom Helen said they were so “blessed” to still have the beautiful home in Seal Beach.
Dianne now realized why they had never sold their home in Seal Beach. It would become their “house of refuge.” Once it became clear they would return, Dianne said they gave their tenants sufficient time to find somewhere else to live and moved in as soon as they could.
For months after the fire, sometimes with her mom, Dianne would travel to Paradise once a week, to “sift through the ashes to see if there was absolutely anything we could find.”
What they found was mostly fragments. No photos. No clothes. Not much of anything remained intact.
They did find a handful of coins melted to the jar they burned in. They also found two of three pistols they once owned, a Barretta, a 9-millimeter. There was no trace of the .38-special. There was nothing more to find. Extra had not been seen since the fire.
But a few weeks in, things began to change.
On a routine trip to examine the ashes, there was a surprise waiting for them.
Extra, the cat, was alive and well, waiting for them where the porch had been before it burned. “She jumped into my lap and hasn’t left since,” said Dianne.
Besides Extra the cat, the only thing to survive completely intact was their Nativity set. They have since cleaned it, repainted it and placed it prominently in their home.
And then, what Dianne describes as three miracles began to happen.
A few fragments of the items found after the fire.
“Since we had found Extra, we needed a pet door” said Dianne. “So, I looked in the paper and found a local handyman. I called him to come install it.”
When Bob, the handyman, showed up to do the work, Dianne and her mom were shocked.
“We started talking to him and telling him what happened to us, we couldn’t believe what he told us.”
As it turned out, this Seal Beach handyman, as a member of Samaritan’s Purse, a Billy Graham ministry, had gone to Paradise after the fire to assist in the cleanup. He described the work on Bennett Road in Paradise as Dianne and her mom listened in awestruck disbelief.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Dianne, who again saw it as divine. “What are the chances of that?” she asked. Imagine, a local handyman coming to install a pet door who had cleaned their property in Paradise!
Then, the pastor of Grace Community Church, where they now attend services, offered a volunteer to come and read the Bible to Helen. Dianne said her mom and the volunteer became fast friends. “They would tell each other stories,” she said.
Dianne said after her insurance settlement, she “couldn’t afford to buy very much,” yet Dianne said she did manage to buy a duplex in Chico, a college town.
“Can you believe that the lady (volunteer) who had come to read the Bible to my mom had a son returning from Alaska, with two dogs, and could not find a place to live in Chico,” said Dianne.
Dianne said she could hardly believe it but offered Sandy, the volunteer, to rent her duplex, with a fenced in yard, to the son.
“It helped him and helped me, how about that?” said an incredulous Dianne.
Things were trending nicely, so Dianne was a little worried when two officers from Seal Beach Police knocked on her door at 2 a.m. last week. “They identified themselves and showed me their badges,” said Dianne. “I didn’t know what to think” but she let them in.
Then they asked, “Mrs. Nicholson, do you own a .38-special?”
After listening to them, Dianne said she could hardly believe the one gun they could not find had miraculously found its way to her door.
“Apparently, they arrested a gang member from Santa Ana driving a stolen car with my gun in the back seat.”
“They’re going to get him for looting, stealing a car, and now,” she pauses, then laughs, “elder abuse!”
Sgt. Nick Nicholas, public information officer for the Seal Beach Police Department, confirmed the gun was recovered by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and handed to the local department to return to Mrs. Nicholson.
Although overcome by tears and shaking when her story began, Dianne’s mood is much more positive near the end. “I’m thankful for many blessings,” said Dianne. “I think they are miracles.”
Statute of St. Francis given to Helen. It now stands in their Seal Beach garden.
There’s good news for mom too. Helen, now 104, will soon have her own place. Long Beach real estate agent Jon Rodriguez stopped by to show Helen, a former realtor, photos of the new condo in San Pedro he was able to secure with her settlement.
Rodriguez also told Helen stories about his recent trip to Montana, where he said the countryside was like Paradise. He showed her a photo of the cabin they stayed in, which he said had been built by indigenous Americans. “Are you sure?” asked Helen.
Blessings have not only come to Dianne but Helen as well. In her yard in Paradise, Helen always had a large, six-foot statue of St. Francis. Because of its composition, it survived as well but had to be given to family. One of their neighbors in Seal Beach recently moved to a larger home and Rossmoor, “and they asked my mom if she would take their smaller statue of St. Francis so now, she can see it every morning.”
It’s hard to imagine surviving a fiery threat on your life only to endure the reduction to ashes of your most every possession. The mementos of their lives are now little more than scorched metal and ash.
And yet, from those ashes created two years ago, Dianne and her mom, Helen, have chosen the high road on the journey to a happier new life. Whether touched by angels or merely a simple witness to a trial by fire, Dianne Nicholson says she has learned a valuable lesson about life.
A special meeting held to update the Cypress city council on the COVID budget impact turned into an opportunity for one council member to again question the wisdom of building a new hotel in Cypress.
Overall, while there are unknowns about the future, Cypress budget director Matt Burton said unexpected revenue collections in the final quarter of the last fiscal year has already covered the projected $2.1 million deficit for 2020-21.
Burton said unexpectedly high sales tax collections in the final quarter of the previous fiscal year and additional property tax collections facilitated by the dissolvement of the successor agency combined with a reduction in overall expenses gave the city budget a somewhat expected $4 million boost.
Also, he said salary reduction expenses in the Cypress Police Department and the city overall have caused expenditures to be further reduced.
In addition, Burton said the police department was paying more overtime to its officers because they are currently short ten patrol officers. Nevertheless, the overtime is much less than the salaries of the 10 officers would have been.
City manager Peter Grant said the police department is recruiting, but the market for police officers national is competitive.
Nevertheless, even with the overtime, Burton said the impact has produced a significant savings for the city.
Also, he said about $1 million in federal CARES ACT allocations helped cover the costs of the pandemic, again providing some relief to the budget.
While the additional $4 million has cured the current projected deficit, Burton said long term projections are almost impossible in the current environment.
“It’s really too early to tell about where we are going to be next June,” said Burton, who added that $2.1 million of the excess collections have already been set aside to cover any 2020-21 budget deficit, and the additional $1.9 million could eventually be utilized as necessary.
Regarding revenue, in additional to the property tax boost, Burton said strong online sales, for which Cypress receives a portion from the county, combined with strong home improvement trends led to an unexpected increase in sales tax collections.
In summary, while savings from the police vacancies, among others, led to a $500,000 reduction in expected expenses, the additional sales and property tax collections created the $4 million impact to the city, said Burton.
Burton’s comments regarding a major under-performing revenue source prompted one council member, Stacy Berry, to again question a proposal by Shea Properties which includes a new hotel.
Burton said collections from the Transient occupancy Tax (TOT), paid by hotel guests, is seriously lagging. He said with more than $2 million budgeted, actual collections could fall below half of that amount, and maybe less.
“It’s one of the concerning elements of city revenue,” said Burton, noting that he has been in touch with four of the largest hotel operators in the city. “Business travel is almost non-existent,” he said.
Not only that, but the rates hotels can charge have been reduced, noting that some families who rent rooms with kitchens “just to get away” make up a significant portion of those rentals.
Earlier this year, council members Stacy Berry and Mariellen Yarc pleaded with their colleagues not to approve the Shea Properties proposal because as of now, it is simply not possible to determine the pandemic’s impact on economic trends. The Council, nonetheless, voted 3-2 to allow the project to proceed, with Yarc and Berry voting against.
After listening to Burton discuss the pessimistic hotel outlook, Berry spoke out again, asking about the wisdom of including a new hotel in the Shea Properties 13-acre development, given the scenario.
City manager Peter Grant responded to the question, saying he understood that the Hilton hotel developer for the Shea Properties site had “already paid” a non-refundable fee for the hotel becoming part of the development.
In addition, Grant said it was his understanding that Shea and the hotel developers feel that, by the time the hotel is finally built in two years, the economy would have fully recovered.
In other action, council candidate Frances Marquez pleaded with the city to prepare a presentation to inform citizens as to what is going on with the Amazon proposal.
Marquez said she has learned that there will be 54 shipping docks and “large trucks” involved. She also pleaded with the Council not to vote on the Amazon proposal at the last meeting of the current council, saying there are still too many unknowns for any reasoned decision to be made.
She lives near to the proposed Amazon “last mile” facility and said citizens deserve to know.
The announcement of a solar agreement for the Los Alamitos Unified School District has created such interest that its superintendent has announced the district will hold a series of public outreach meetings in the next couple of weeks.
“We have been working on this (agreement) for the past year,” Dr. Andrew Pulver, Supt., told the LAUSD board on Tuesday, noting the district’s significant and long-held interest in utilizing solar energy.
A power purchase agreement, including solar energy generation, said Pulver, had been determined to be the best route for the district to take advantage of solar energy.
The solar arrays will be installed on limited strategically placed structures at all campuses, said Pulver. This will provide some solar power generation along with shade for outdoor activities, he said.
Under the agreement, the district will buy a generated power at a negotiated price for the next 30 years. According to Facilities Director C.J. Knowland, unused power will be stored in batteries owned by the system for future use.
The price certainty could ultimately save the district approximately $16 million over the term of the agreement, said Pulver while PFMG will provide, and install, all the needed solar structures. At the end of the agreement, Pulver said the company is obligated to return at their own cost to remove the structures if a future board does not renew the agreement in 2050.
“We have no upfront costs,” said Pulver. The agreement should provide guaranteed pricing for a majority of energy consumption over the next 30 years, officials said.
The solar arrays are not expected to produce more than 70-75 percent of each facility’s needs, he added.
Assistant Supt. of Business Services Dr. Nancy Nien announced at the last meeting that after months of negotiations, an agreement with PFMG Solar had been reached. The board voted unanimously to approve it.
She said by signing the agreement now, the district will qualify for significant federal incentives that go away Jan. 1, 2021.
District officials will explain the entire solar program to interested parents during the first week of November, he added. The presenters will also seek input on various campus proposals.
Here are the sessions:
Dr. Pulver said they will be held from 5:30 – 6:30 p. m.
McGaugh Elementary School, Monday Nov. 9,
Rossmoor, Hopkinson, Lee and Weaver Elementary, Monday Nov. 16
Los Al Elementary and McAuliffe, Oak Middle, Tuesday, Nov. 17,
Los Al High School and District Office, Wednesday, Nov. 18.
In other action Tuesday, the LAUSD board:
• Welcomed three staff members celebrating the receipt of advanced degrees, including Assistant Supt. for Human Resources, Dr. Joe Fraser, University of Southern California, Dr. Dan Bennett, Educational Technology Coordinator, USC and Dr. Amanda Lozolla, Oak Middle School, Cal State Long Beach.
• Approved a resolution supporting Red Ribbon Week.
• Approved a motion restoring a clerical assistant position, bringing the total restoration to 99 percent of all employees previously laid off. Outgoing board member Karen Russell thanked the staff for restoring the positions.
• Received a report from Bond Program Manager Mayra Gonzalez that acknowledged that construction of the steel frame for the new STEM building at LAHS was now underway.
• Offered a moment of silence for Robert Smith, a Weaver Elementary Crossing guard, who unexpectedly passed away. “He greeted everyone with a smile and had a kind word for everyone.”
Generally, a student representative goes through unremarkable tenures as the voice of his peers on policy making and other such matters.
For Nico Villaneuva, however, his role as the Associate Student Body representative has been markedly different.
“I’m the only one (student rep) to serve during a pandemic,” Villeneuva told the board at his first meeting. “It’s my job to bring concerns to you,” he said.
In that role, it is Villaneuva’s role to provide Supt. Andrew Pulver and the LAUSD board with an update at each meeting on a host of student activities, from ordering senior rings to new programs in which students may participate.
In the first few meetings, Villeneuva has been a hit. His facts are delivered with a senior’s positive exuberance, yet he is sufficiently clever to subtly include bits of smart humor to juice up his reports.
For instance, the colorful Villeneuva compared the foundation construction work for the new STEM building at the high school to “an archaeological dig site.”
Attending his first board meeting, Los Al Unified had not yet been reopened and the air was tense. Nico had a strong message to deliver on behalf of students and was determined to do it.
“Students,” he told the board, “completely understand how challenging the preparation and planning for the reopening of school has been.”
Nevertheless, looking straight at the board, he said “with all of this in mind, if students ask to change a cohort (assigned partner), please encourage administrators to be flexible.”
“I’m sure they were listening to that request,” LAUSD Board Presfident Meg Cutuli good naturedly responded.
Thus far, Villaneuva has provided the board brief moments of levity, even during the tense reopening, and he has also won praise for a new feature entitled “Student Spotlight.”
Moved by fellow students who are doing amazing things, Villeneuve has created a platform that highlights and recognizes student achievements outside the classroom.
In classic style, Villaneuve didn’t just introduce the feature, he prefaced it with prose.
“I find it inspiring,” said Villeneuva, “to see my fellow peers having a positive impact on their community.” Students, said Nico, who are unafraid to “step out of their comfort zones to try something new.”
Kaitlyn Loh
At his first meeting, Nico introduced Los Al Junior Kaitlyn Loh to the board. “Kaitlyn wanted to start a business,” he said, so she began selling her watercolor paintings online for $30 each. He said Loh ended up making a profit of $420 by selling her paintings.
“She donated all of it to the Los Al Food Service for students who could not afford their meals,” he told the board.
His second meeting, Nico introduced Los Al senior Eva Rojo. When she was 15, said Villaneuve, she wanted someone to hire her.
No one did, said Nico, so Eva “did what any independent entrepreneur would do. Eva started her own business,” he said.
Eva Rojo
Eva Rojo wanted a business that was “ethical and sustainable,” said Nico, so she founded Marina Vintage, a business to repurpose clothing.
Already, her growing business has attracted more than 100,000 followers on Instagram and more than 10,000 likes, he said. Rojo has now added a new division that shares its proceeds with St. Jude’s, he told the board.
In the most recent meeting, Villaneuva presented Sara Becker, a cross-country senior who wanted a “hands-on” hobby, so during the quarantine period, “she learned sign language.” Nico said Becker was “fascinated with communicating silently, so she taught herself to do it.”
Sara Becker
It is a brief, but instructive look at the quality of students within the LAUSD system, each with their own inspiring story.
Both Pulver and Cutuli have made tongue-in-cheek references about not wanting to follow
Nico’s energetic and informative presentations.
While introducing Villaneuva at the most recent LAUSD meeting following her board president’s report, Cutuli smiled and prepared the audience for Nico to “totally eclipse everything I have said.”
Pulver thanked Villaneuva for finding such amazing students to “spotlight” in his report, noting that the LAUSD were for many, the “secondary educators.” Student achievement often reveals what tremendous support students receive at home from parents and family, he said.
Although Nico Villaneuva is the first student rep to serve during a pandemic, he’s found a way to make what could be a dry and sobering task into an entertaining and informative message of hope for his fellow students. “I’m beyond excited,” he said.
Beamer, an elderly special-needs horse, has had a rough autumn.
The recent Silverado Fire came within a mile and a half of him. He was so anxious he didn’t eat for days, even when given grain mixed with apples and carrots.
It’s a different story today.
“Beamer just starting eating,” said Francee Jones, Beamer’s owner.
Jones has thanked the Los Alamitos Race Course about 1,000 times.
The Race Course housed and cared for 109 horses who were evacuated from their stables because of the Silverado and Blue Ridge fires that have eaten up about 26,000 acres in Irvine, Yorba Linda and other areas of Orange County and San Bernardino County. Three of the horses – Beamer, a 30-year-old Appaloosa gelding who is on medication; Leggs Diamond, a thoroughbred; and Anastasia, a quarter horse – are owned by Jones.
“Fortunately, we had enough room,” said Orlando Gutierrez, director of marketing and publicity at the Race Course. “They were able to settle in and stay together. We tried to make them as comfortable as possible in a stressful situation and one less thing for those owners who had to move to worry about.”
Workers ushered the horses to temporary barns in an area recently used for a horse sale. Bedding, hay and water were provided. Handlers worked around-the-clock to make sure the horses were OK. Several groups in the Los Al/Cypress area stepped up to assist, as well.
Ed Allred, owner of the Race Course, was still concerned. As fires darkened the sky with smoke, he prepared for 250 more horses to shelter, just in case.
The Race Course also took in a handful of smaller animals, including goats, who are cozy companions for horses.
“We just can’t thank Los Alamitos enough for their generosity, their kindness and their compassion,” said Jones. “The track was so giving — they gave us bales of shavings, whatever we needed. Their courtesy was just phenomenal.”
Jones, who lives in Modjeska Canyon northeast of Lake Forest, said she had little time to evacuate after the fires tore through OC canyons and Chino Hills starting on Oct. 26. When the blazes, powered by Santa Ana winds, bore down and more than 60,000 residents were told to make haste, Jones thought of Beamer, Leggs Diamond and Anastasia.
“They were panicked, and I was very, very worried,” she said. “If the wind changes, I’m in the soup.”
While more than 1,000 firefighters battled the fires, Orange County Animal Care, other organizations and neighbors shifted to high gear, as did the Los Alamitos Race Course. All were scrambling to form a communications network and deal with logistics.
Fast forward more than a week and the fires are about 95 percent contained, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Two firefighters are in critical condition after suffering burns. Tens of thousands of people who fled were uninjured and are back in their homes.
The horses who stayed at the Race Course are safe and back home, as well. It’s not clear if any other horses or animals were lost or injured.
Six structures were destroyed and 19 damaged.
The cause of the fires has not been determined.
Residents from Orange County and beyond are thinking of and praying for the injured firefighters. Those locals who escaped unharmed are also counting their blessings.
“I am home, I am safe, amen,” said Jones.
Leggs Diamond and Anastasia are doing well, she added.
And Beamer?
“He’s running around and he’s going to be all right.”
Segerstrom Center for the Arts has announced that Jane Fujishige Yada, Manager, Harbor Field Holdings, L.L.C., has been elected to serve as the Center’s new board chair beginning July 1, 2021.
Yada is an Orange County, California businesswoman and philanthropist whose family interests have played a significant role in the growth and development of this region since 1952. She has been a member of the Center’s board since 2001, and is Vice Chair, Facilities Committee and ad hoc Reopening Committee. She is also a member of the Center support group, Angels of the Arts, and co-chaired the very successful Candlelight Concert in 2018. Yada will serve a three-year term.
Mark C. Perry, current board chair, said, “I speak for the Segerstrom Center board of directors when I say that we are thrilled that Jane Yada has agreed to be our next chair. For many years, she has given generously of time, knowledge, business acumen and personal resources. She is a native of Orange County, respected for her effective professional, business and philanthropic leadership. Jane is the ideal person to lead a vitalized and forward-looking Center.
When she commits herself to a project or cause, she brings a roll-up-your-sleeves enthusiasm and work ethic that inspires her colleagues, as we have seen in her approach to the board ad hoc Reopening Committee and Facilities Committee. Personally, I look forward to working with her in the months ahead as we transition through this challenging period, our reopening and planning for the Center’s future.”
“I am honored to serve as the chair of Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ board of directors,” said Jane Yada. The Center is one of Orange County’s greatest assets. The diverse, world class cultural and entertainment choices available at the Center are critical to Orange position as a major, nationally recognized metropolitan region and equal in importance to our business, educational, health, tourism and retail resources. I am so proud and supportive of the Center’s ambitious and generous commitment to our community through its exemplary education and community engagement programs, the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and Studio D: Arts School for All. I so admire the Center’s leadership during the past 34-plus years, and I welcome the challenges before us and to building on and expanding the vision and dreams of those who have preceded me.”
Jane grew up in Anaheim, California, where, in the early 1950s, her family was among the prominent local farmers, specifically growing strawberries, vegetables and herbs. With the opening and subsequent growth of Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center area, the Fujishige farm became a part of the Anaheim Resort Area in the 1980s. In 1998, the family sold the majority of the original farm ground to the Walt Disney Corporation.
In late 1990’s, Jane became co-manager of the family farming interests as well as the family real estate portfolio under Harbor Field Holdings, L.L.C. Today, the Fujishige interests include multiple agricultural, residential, industrial office and hospitality properties as well as farms in Orange County, Ventura County and Santa Cruz County in California. In 2017, the family co-founded Gem-Pack Berries, a year-round shipping and distribution company for strawberries that supplies major grocery retailers throughout the United States. Jane and Fujishige Farms, along with other partners from within the strawberry industry, also helped form California Berry Cultivars, L.L.C., a strawberry breeding company, whose goal is not only to develop the “perfect” berry, but also to make the cultivars publicly available for all farmers, large and small.
From 2003-2006, Jane oversaw the design and entitlement process for Lambert Ranch, the 51-acre farm in Orange County’s North Irvine that was owned by the Lambert and Fujishige families. It is adjacent to what has become Orange County’s expansive 1,300-acre Great Park. The 169-home development was built by The New Home Company, and has received more than 32 building industry awards, including Community of the Year (Builder & Developer Magazine) and six Gold Nugget Awards (Pacific Coast Builders Conference). The phenomenal success of this project catapulted the growth of The New Home Company and its efforts to become a publicly traded company.
In 2008, Jane worked closely with the Black and Decker company and the integration team in their $4 billion merger with Stanley Corporation. The initial corporate plan proposed moving the entire company out of California to the East Coast or Midwest. Instead, a deal was structured to keep all 450 employees in Orange County. The successful effort further strengthened a landlord/ tenant relationship that is now more than 20 years strong.
In 2015, Jane and her family teamed with Nexus Development and Prospera Management to develop a family-oriented hotel on a portion of the family’s remaining Anaheim property. This Hilton-branded hotel has been ranked consistently as the #1 Family Hotel in Anaheim by Tripadvisor.
Jane received her Bachelor of Arts in English from U.C.L.A. In addition to her leadership roles with Segerstrom Center for the Arts, she is a member of the Boards of Pacific Symphony and CHOC Children’s Hospital Foundation, City of Hope, A3M, Hoag Hospital, Second Harvest Food Bank, and numerous other organizations. She is co-chair of CHOC Follies. She is also a huge fan of her hometown sports teams, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Anaheim Ducks.
The Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department hosted its first annual Halloween Decorating Contest sponsored by Ganahl Lumber on Tuesday, October 27 from 6:00pm-8:00pm. The community was encouraged to decorate the outside of their home using Halloween decorations and festive lights.
First and second place winners were selected for each neighborhood and the contestants were awarded a sign to display in their front yard. Enjoy the decorations by visiting the award-winning houses. The Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department would like to thank the contestants and wishes the community a safe, fun holiday.
Halloween Decorating Contest Winners
• College Park North
o 1st place- 3711 Holden Circle
o 2nd place- 10021 Kaylor Street
• El Dorado Park Estates East
o 1st place- 3116 Lily Avenue
• Country Square
o 1st place- 9922 Kyle Street
o 2nd place- 3871 Kinmount Street
• Greenbrook
o 1st place- 3993 Marion Avenue
o 2nd place- 3941 Myra Avenue
• Old Town East
o 1st place- 3332 Florista Street
o 2nd place- 10675 Walnut Street
• Highlands
o 1st place- 11632 Paseo Bonita
o 2nd place- 11932 Cherry Street
o 3rd place- 11712 Cherry Street
• Suburbia Estates
o 1st place- 11243 Rochelle Street
o 2nd place- 11246 Linda Way
• Old Dutch Haven
o 1st place- 11362 Pine Street
• Old Town West
o 1st place- 10672 Chestnut Street
o 2nd place- 10661 Chestnut Street
• Carrier Row
o 1st place- 11131 Ticonderoga Drive
o 2nd place- 11082 Ranger Drive
• New Dutch haven
o 1st place- 5051 Tripoli Avenue
o 2nd place- 5012 Howard Avenue
• Apartment Row
o 1st place- 4341/4343 Howard Avenue
o 2nd place- 3664 Green Avenue
As 2020 nears its end and schools are moving back towards in-class instruction, athletics are also navigating back towards a return to competition. The CIF-SS has held fast to the schedule it announced back in July, with most fall high school sports starting between mid-December and early January.
The Los Alamitos High football is scheduled to open its 2021 season on Jan. 8, with a game against Bakersfield High. Head coach Ray Fenton said that conditioning is scheduled to begin on Dec. 10, with padded practices starting on Dec. 14.
Teams have been working within offseason guidelines for conditioning, but COVID restrictions, as well as poor air quality from recent fires have created continuous challenges. Fenton said his players and coaches have done a good job adjusting to changes.
“I’m extremely happy with the way they have navigated these tough times,” Fenton said.
As for on the field, the Griffins football team is returning some key players, including on the defensive side, that has them optimistic for a strong season.
Senior linebackers Tyler De Leon and Mason Burt will help anchor the Griffins’ defense. De Leon recently committed to the United States Military Academy, West Point. Senior and three-year starter Darrien Wingfield returns to cornerback and will give the Griffins experience and leadership in the secondary.
Junior running back Josiah Murray is expected to lead the running game and the Griffins have emerging sophomore standout Malachi Nelson taking over at quarterback. Nelson has become highly recruited, already getting offers from multiple schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and USC.
The Griffins are looking to rebound from a 4-7 season a year ago. Los Alamitos went 3-2 in Sunset League play to make the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round with a 27-21 loss to Lawndale.
In an unprecedented move Monday, the Los Alamitos City Council voted unanimously to approve a “Fiscal Accountability Pledge,” designed to govern future spending and provide transparency to the public.
With a 1.5 percent sales tax increase on the ballot (Measure Y), the move is designed to give comfort to taxpayers by providing somewhat of a soft dedication to any future revenue that would be directed into the general fund should Measure Y be approved. If approved, the new measure will generate approximately $4 million per year.
Even after two years of hosting community meetings, publishing data about their finances and airing a television show explaining the situation, council members expressed some concern that citizens still did not understand the steps which city officials have taken to balance the budget.
Changing state rules, unfunded mandates and city decisions that go back decades have contributed to a myriad of reasons for the city’s sinking financial fortunes. This year’s projected $1.3 million deficit was patched using more payroll cuts, but without revenue generation, the city has acknowledged it will be out of money completely in five years or less, giving critical importance to Measure Y.
“Los Al is a great place to live,” said outgoing Mayor Richard D. Murphy, suggesting that without additional revenue, it will be harder and harder to keep it that way.
As a CPA, the mayor said he has kept a promise to citizens to spend taxpayer money “like I would spend my own.” He noted that the city has reduced its workforce from 75 down to 31, and reduced salaries to below 25 percent of the county average.
Despite cuts, city employees are doing a “phenomenal job,” he said.
Mayor Pro-tem Mark Chirco, who serves on the city’s fiscal accountability subcommittee, said the city has gone through an extensive process to be transparent with taxpayers over the past two years.
“Our city is very small but has a loud voice,” said Chirco. He said the entire budget, projections and every financial scenario has been posted to the website. “We are going to have to pay, one way or the other,” he said.
If not approved, he said, “we will soon not have enough money to pay our bills.” Unfortunately, the financial situation will have an impact on the city’s beloved police department, he added.
“It’s not a scare tactic,” said Chirco, “but sorry to say it is just the truth.” He advised citizens to “do your own research” and “reject the misinformation” about the measure being spread on social media.
Council member Shelley Hasselbrink, also a member of the fiscal sustainability subcommittee, said Los Alamitos citizens deserve to have that additional tax revenue and should grab it before another state agency does.
“I want to make sure that we keep Los Alamitos a great place to live for my future grandchildren,” she said, noting that Measure Y is simply about preserving the city’s amazing quality of life.
Council member Dean Grose went through a detailed explanation of how the city gets very little from the current sales taxes paid by residents. “We get one percent,” said Grose, adding that other government units get the rest.
Grose recited a list of nearby cities including Stanton, Seal Beach, Garden Grove, Westminster and others who passed sales tax increases in 2018 and said the sales tax would not apply to groceries, drugs and other protected commodities.
For applicable items, Grose said taxpayers would pay only 1.5 cents on every dollar. Grose said he had already voted and did support the measure but invited others to make their own decisions.
“Nobody likes taxes,” said council member Tanya Doby, “but somebody’s going to grab that money so I’m going to work to give it to my city.”
“At least then,” said Doby, “it would be a reinvestment into our city and we can account for every dollar.”
Doby said the fiscal accountability pledge is a “transparency message” that was good to “hit head on.”
Murphy moved the passage of the plan (see related article) and the council voted 5-0 to commit the council to the terms of the “Fiscal Accountability Pledge.”
It was the first time the Council met in person since the onset of the pandemic as the council and staff gathered, with social distancing and ventilation, in the much larger Los Alamitos Community Center rather than the smaller city hall.
In other action Monday, the city;
• Honored Blair Petrini of Grateful Hearts, a twodecadeold nonprofit organization in the city, for feeding 10,000 meals per month during the pandemic. She thanked her “amazing team” for helping Grateful Hearts feed many of the pandemic’s “newly vulnerable.” She thanked them for their hard work “day in and day out.”
• Honored Manny Gouveia of Republic Services for his work with the city. Ever since arriving in the city as Municipal Relationship manager, Gouveia said he “has been welcomed with open arms. I am so honored,” he said.
• Honored Warren of Tribe Functional Fitness in Los Alamitos as a representative of the Small Business Community in advance of Small Business Saturday.
• Heard Police Chief Eric R. Nunez tell the council that he would be presenting a more formal report on the incident last week wherein a man was shot and killed by a CHP officer.
• Listened to Hasselbrink recount the year-long process that brought the fire fighting marvel “Helitanker” to Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. She thanked Kevin M. Payne, Edison CEO for the grant.
Despite foreign bots constantly scanning the Orange County election servers “looking for a way in,” voters can be assured its election system is secure, Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley told the Seal Beach Republican Women Federated on Thursday.
Coming on the heels of one of the most volatile campaign seasons in recent memory, Kelley said his office was prepared for the Nov. 3 vote.
Speaking to a luncheon of Republican women from Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Cypress and other local areas, Kelley discussed the many ways voting systems are protected while confirming bad actors scan their computers almost every minute of every day.
“We can see the incoming data,” said Kelley, noting that digital “bots” from China, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine and others are always looking for a “hole,” or entry point to enter state or county voting records.
“Our office interfaces with the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement,” said Kelley, who noted he was one of 30 Registrars serving on a DHS election security task force.
Ballot security was only one of the many hot-button voting issues covered by Kelly during his address to a packed house.
Kelley, who has served as Registrar of Voters for Orange County since 2006, manages the fifth largest voting jurisdiction in the USA. His office serves more than 1.6 million registered voters.
“California election laws are much more liberal than other states,” noted Kelly, explaining how his office must follow laws and rules set by the state legislature.
For instance, new voter registration laws simply require a “perceptible address,” for registration, noting that a homeless person could register as living “under the 405 Freeway near any cross street” and still be registered to vote.
Most homeless voters who register simply list the mailing address of a nearby shelter to be registered to vote.
Regarding ballot harvesting, while Kelley said it is a potentially a “big problem,” his office can only interpret the laws as passed by the state.
Kelly gave the Republicans an example. For instance, he said, there is a place on each ballot for the person assisting the voter to sign. In the past, said Kelley, a person had to have some family “relationship” with the voter in order to assist them.
Recent changes, however, allow “anyone” to assist others in casting a ballot, and while they are encouraged to sign it, the law specifically prevents Registrars from rejecting unsigned ballots. “So many are unsigned,” he said, “and there is little I can do to trace them.”
Despite the obstacles, Kelley said his office has deployed much technology to ensure an efficient and safe vote count. His office utilizes “third-party tracking” as much as possible, even though there is no interconnected database of voters across the country that can be used to track voters.
When suspicious activity is found, however, Kelley said his office refers cases to the Orange County District Attorney.
Kelley with program chair Tara Amundson.
He said even OC ballot boxes employ significant technology embedded in them. Kelley said every time they are opened, they automatically snap a photo and automatically upload it to the OC Registrar’s computer system.
Also, he said the OC ballot boxes are unique in that they have elevated floors just in case liquids or moisture somehow in or near the boxes, the ballots are protected.
Asked about the recent Republican Party ballot box controversy, Kelley said simply his office handled only county concerns and that subpoenas were issued at the state level.
In addition, Orange County is the only county where ballots are collected daily, said Kelley,
acknowledging county voters are thus far setting early records.
As of Oct. 22, “I can tell you that volume from OC ballot boxes is almost on par with mail-in ballots,” he said.
When questioned about accepting ballots after the election, Kelley said law mandates that his office accept ballots as late as Nov. 28, so long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3. Therefore, Kelley said don’t look for the Nov. 3 election to be certified until then.
Despite all the controversy, Kelley assured Orange County voters they could feel safe while voting in person and their ballots would be secure.
“When you vote in person, you will feel safe,” Kelly told the audience, noting the number of precautions his office has employed to keep voters and their ballots out of harm’s way.
And, while popup vote sites are now open, Kelley said a total of 170 in-person county voting sites will open Oct. 30 and remain open through Nov. 3, including one at Leisure World. He said the Honda Center site will utilize nearly 500,000 square feet, while the average site is a mere 1,800 square feet.
For the first time, voters will elect candidates to the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education in a system with trustee voting areas. LAUSD made the transition from an at-large voting system to one based on five trustee voting areas earlier this year.
LAUSD has six elementary schools, two middle schools and Los Alamitos High School and encompasses Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and small portions of Cypress and Long Beach.
Elections are being held in Trustee Area 2 and Trustee Area 5. In Trustee Area 2, retired principal Chris Forehan, professor Jody Roubanis and parent and project manager Paurvi Trivedi are running for the seat. In Trustee Area 5, current LAUSD Board of Education President Meg Cutuli is facing challenger Matthew Filler, a retired engineer.
Scott Fayette will be appointed to represent Trustee Area 4 after no other candidate filed paperwork to run for the open seat.
Each candidate was emailed the following questions this week and given equal space, a total of 800 words, to respond to all of the questions. These are the answers from the candidates who responded by the deadline.
LAUSD students have returned to classrooms for in-person instruction in the hybrid setting and a return to full-time is expected, although a date is not clear. What, if anything, do you think could be improved upon in how LAUSD schools are operating during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Chris Forehan, candidate for Trustee Area 2
Chris Forehan
“My two grandsons are involved in hybrid at a Los Al elementary school. Their parents and I have found that everything that was planned for is in place and is working. This is working because it involved all key stakeholders. It is also important to have conversation with parents and staff who are participating at “Los Al at Home” (LAUSD’s online-only academic option) to consider what is working and what needs adjustment. I would want to see that on a regular basis all the stakeholders, including parents are involved in defining what is working and what needs revision. It is critical to continue this effort to revise and adjust for safe school learning for all students AND all staff.”
Jody Roubanis, candidate for Trustee Area 2
Jody Roubanis
“Students of LAUSD schools were among the first in the county to have access to face-to-face learning. Parents and teachers had the option to select their preferred environment: a 100% virtual learning/teaching or a hybrid of virtual with limited face-to-face time. In opening LAUSD schools, the district went beyond the safety measures set by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and provided air purifiers in all classrooms, along with desk shields and safety protocols to protect against the spread of the virus. Importantly, the LAUSD instituted a Dashboard (available on the district website) to quickly communicate about the virus in LAUSD schools to parents and community members. With fewer than five cases of the virus, the district has done a good job protecting the safety of students and staff. Unfortunately, the cost of these safety measures is predicted to be over 6 million dollars by the end of the school year. The great majority of this cost is funded by state and federal legislation, and if these safety standards are to be maintained the school district will need to be prepared to fund the short fall through its general fund. It is not clear when or even if 100% face-to-face learning will resume this academic year, or even next, but it is clear that depleting the school district budget is a major operation concern during the COVID-19 pandemic that will have future consequences.”
Paurvi Trivedi, Candidate for Trustee Area 2
Paurvi Trivedi
My son has returned to the classroom for in-person instruction in a hybrid setting and so far, it is going well. Parents, teachers and students had the choice to select what worked best for them: Hybrid, in-person instruction or 100% virtual learning (Los Al at home). The district worked tirelessly and reviewed all safety measures set by the California Department of Public Health. This included but not limited to providing clear desk shields for every student and air purifiers for each classroom to help protect the spread of the virus. Also, the launching of the COVID-19 Dashboard (located at losal.org) will prove to be an invaluable tool for the students, parents and the entire staff of Los Alamitos Unified School District.
Meg Cutuli, candidate for Trustee Area 5
Meg Cutuli
“We are doing a great job in our reopening. Adjustments to the schedule have been made to make things go more smoothly. If Los Al finds that something needs to be changed, we will address it and make the necessary changes. We have followed and exceeded the guidelines from the State and [Orange County Public Health Care Agency.] And everyone needs to be aware of their actions outside of school and the potential effects for students and staff. We are in this together!”
Matthew Filler, candidate for Trustee Area 5
Matt Filler
“So far, the State’s tier system applies only to business reopenings, and has not yet addressed full reopenings. I expect full school reopenings will require at least the same yellow tier that Orange County needs to meet for Disneyland and Knott’s to re-open, at least for schools with passing periods. This tier demonstrates a low level of general risk of clusters and outbreaks that is needed before one can safely even consider allowing large numbers of students to be in closer proximity. The County is saying that won’t happen until next summer.
The only way for most of the community to be and feel safer and to reopen schools more fully is to commit to getting our neighbors to work with us to do everything needed to get to that level. This is the path to opening more businesses more fully and keeping them open as well. Given our climate, if New York and Europe could spend much of last summer at or close to those criteria, we should be able to do so in fall and spring in Orange County. Unfortunately, that would take leadership from above and the sort of near-universal individual participation that we don’t seem to have. I’d like to see the District include in the daily COVID-19 reminders information about how things are going both educationally and from a health standpoint, starting with a link to the dashboard. Those communications should also provide more tips for parents to slow the spread in the community. In general, the way to get to a full reopening is to slow the spread in the community. Two of the schools have a building with a ventilation system that distributes air centrally between classrooms, which the District has so far maintained cannot be upgraded to provide the MERV-13 level of filtration that is appropriate to preventing spread of COVID-19 between classrooms. These upgrades are possible, and need to be accomplished.”
What is your message to parents who are dealing with unprecedented times in the education of their children?
Chris Forehan, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“My message to parents, is to continue to be involved in following the expectations set in the LAUSD Master Plan for reopening and maintaining safe classrooms. Rely on school staff when you ?have questions and understand that in working together we can get through this “new normal” successfully. Get involved in parent workshops to assist all parents with the new normal…especially for the parents with “Los Al At Home” children.”
Paurvi Trivedi, Candidate for Trustee Area 2
We will get through this and we are all in this together. We are all working towards the “new” normal and so many things in our lives have greatly changed. Communication and being informed is essential and don’t be shy asking for help. We are all better together!
Jody Roubanis, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“In dealing with these unprecedented times, be on the lookout for mental health concerns – including your own. Never before has public education placed more stress on parents as instructional gatekeepers and without a precedent of what normal looks like. Parents are their child’s most important teacher, and children sometimes learn most by example. Reaching out for help when it is needed, reflects wisdom. See the school district website (www.losal.org) for resources for parents, especially those related to mental health.
Remember that these times are unprecedented for all of us, including your child’s teacher who is working to bring your child instruction in a virtual learning environment. Teachers and staff are struggling to develop and to implement strategies that best engage your student in the given learning environment, yet not all teachers in the school district are fully fluent in the language of virtual learning. It is a new paradigm that we are all struggling to master. Patience and communication are important attributes for parents right now, but also optimism that this pandemic is focusing us to re-evaluate how we do education and what we can do better.”
Meg Cutuli, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“To our parents, hang in there! The pandemic has impacted families in a way not seen before in history. Having the family together, all on computers, trying to work and attend distance learning is a daily challenge. And the longer it lasts, the more difficult it becomes. Hybrid school attendance is helpful but the schedule can be brutal for working parents. Our day care centers are restricted on the number of students it can take and our space is more limited. Holidays and celebrations have changed. So much of our lives is different. Stay tuned to your children’s social-emotional health – and your own! Ask for help if you feel you need it. The pandemic will end and we will get back to a more normal life.”
Matthew Filler, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“Every crisis is also an opportunity. We need to realize that while this pandemic seems like it is lasting forever, ultimately it will be just a year or two in the lives of our children. While every year is important, kids do benefit throughout their lives from a wide variety of experiences, and many will learn a lot from this, particularly if we encourage them to do so. The thing to do is to take advantage of these experiences to grow, to expand our ways of learning, and to experience being closer together. For example, while my grandson lost out on important social skills opportunities and reading reinforcement that we couldn’t really provide at home, he discovered ways that he could learn and practice languages he has been interested in on-line, and made some real progress with on-line math programs. He now often includes the Duolingo program in his independent screen time.”
What is the first thing you would like to accomplish if you are elected?
Chris Forehan, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“Firstly, I would visit ALL classrooms and all departments in our school district. I would find a way to “shadow a student” to see what their day is like, and how we are meeting his/her needs. I would like to review what plans are in place to ensure that any learning gaps in students that have occurred during the spring are addressed and planned for. I would want to be sure that our students with special needs are back in programs (either on campus or at home) that are meeting their special needs. I would want to make sure we continue to address issues around diversity, and continue to provide an outstanding program for all students in academics, the arts, athletics and activities. I would want to review the budget and plan for additional needs during these times, but ensure that our dollars will be there to meet our needs in future years.”
Jody Roubanis, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“I plan to work collectively with members of the board to understand how systemic and institutional cultural biases are perpetuated. Being cognizant of biases and other factors that can limit the scope of critical thinking for both students and staff, I strive towards teaching and learning environments that are culturally responsive to students and to staff with the premise that relationships are foundational to understanding the experiences of others.”
Paurvi Trivedi, Candidate for Trustee Area 2
I would like to visit every classroom on all 9 campuses in our school district. We need to review, and access learning loss faced during the pandemic and how to best support our students including social/emotional well-being.
Meg Cutuli, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“We need to get through the pandemic. Then we will need to see about learning loss and how to support our students. The State budget will have a big impact on education in California. We are looking at probable reductions in funding when we actually need more money to support all our students. I will support getting our students “back” to where they should be. This will also include supporting the social-emotional aspect of the student.”
Matthew Filler, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“I’d like to improve communication between the District and its various stakeholders, particularly parents, teachers, staff, and the community at large. Unions need to be seen as partners, not adversaries. I’d like to see a report on Board meeting results and other school news published within a day or two of each meeting. I may do this myself, much as some Seal Beach councilmembers have started doing, but I also see that as an opportunity for student journalists.”
Name three issues specific to your trustee area that you think need to be addressed by the Board of Education.
Paurvi Trivedi, Candidate for Trustee Area 2
The budget will be the most difficult to craft since the deep recession of a decade ago. Having managed multimillion-dollar marketing budgets for automakers and other clients, I have the experience to:
Ensure funds are spent directly on resources for students.
Make the learning environment safe.
Improve classroom instruction.
Mental health and student well-being are serious challenges facing the district. Building on Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver’s CHOC partnership for student wellness centers at our middle schools. I will pursue additional resources to help address mental health needs.
Inclusion and diversity are among the district’s top priorities, and I support that initiative. I will work to create campus environments where every student feels safe, valued, and supported.
Chris Forehan, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“I have now walked and knocked on every door in Trustee Area #2. Having walked the Trustee Area, I have met dedicated residents who have shared their smart thinking and given me the time to get to know them. For this I am thankful. You can’t represent a Trustee Area unless you know what concerns they have and what successes they see. I will ALWAYS remember that our Trustee area includes not only part of Rossmoor but residents who live adjacent to the High School in Los Alamitos and in other areas of Los Alamitos. I will also represent part of Leisure World and a Mobile Home Park adjacent to Oak Middle School with senior residents. I will find ways to communicate with all specific areas so any concerns they have can be addressed in a timely manner. It is imperative that we continue to work closely with the residents adjacent to the High School on use and appropriate times that the fields are used at the High School. It is important that I always have an ear to each and every part of our Trustee Area #2.”
Jody Roubanis, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“The new trustee area election system allows the school board member to be attentive to their constituents in their trustee area while working collectively with other board members to pursue identified goals of the school board. Three issues of concern follow:
Traffic. Over the last ten years, I have worked with various agencies in Trustee Area 2 to promote Safe Routes to Schools. These agencies include the Rossmoor Community Services District (RCSD), PTA, LAUSD School Board and City of Los Alamitos. I plan to continue to promote active transportation for our students. The benefits include less car traffic around school and more exercise for students.
Mitigation of learning loss. Equity is a factor that is paramount in making decisions about allocation of resources. Students with learning disabilities experienced and continue to experience greater loss of learning in the virtual environment, when compared to other students.
3.Down-sizing. With decreasing enrollment and deficit spending of the budget, some difficult decisions need to be made to ensure that future generations of students will have access to similar standards of educational excellence that contemporary generations of Los Al students have recently experienced.”
Meg Cutuli, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“When I was walking through my trustee area and speaking with people, this is what I heard as issues: getting students back full time to mitigate learning loss, supporting the social-emotional well-being of students and supporting the work of our Human Relations Advisory Council. And I am happy to say that the district is currently working on all of them. We cannot return full time to traditional school until it is approved by the State and County health care agencies and our families and staff feel that it is safe to return to our regular schedule. Our staff is hyper aware of the social-emotional needs of our students and address this concern in many different ways. It may be as simple as talking one on one to a student or parent to referral to our school counselors and psychologists to referral to outside agencies for support and help. Our Human Relations Advisory Council has been meeting virtually and last week held a fantastic parent [education] night that addressed student and parent mental health. We have hired a TOSA (teacher on special assignment) to address diversity and equity issues and support the infusion of different cultures into the curriculum. Covid-19 has slowed down our work and shifted some priorities but it hasn’t stopped us! Like I said before, we will get through this together!”
Matthew Filler, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“There are in general student transportation issues, both in terms of bussing and sports, for the many students who must cross Pacific Coast Highway and/or the 405 and travel a longer way to get to school than in other parts of the District. Many elderly residents, including at Leisure World, have acute concerns about spread of COVID-19 that they feel are not the focus of the District.”
What’s the number one thing you want voters to know about you?
Chris Forehan, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“I have 38 years of experience in public education. I have been a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent for Pre-K-12th grade educational services. All students and staff in our school district deserve a safe, nurturing learning environment. I am in the race because I care about the children, parents, teachers, and staff in our school district. I have lived in Trustee Area #2 for 40 years, have two children who successfully went through the K-12 Los Al schools, and now two grandsons enrolled in the elementary school. I have volunteered, as well as subbed in our classrooms. I know what makes a difference in the classroom as well as what makes a difference for ALL Students at ALL grade levels. I am the candidate with the most experience in education who can help us meet the challenges that face our children, our schools and our community. I put kids first, involve staff, parents and students in decisions, and I value diversity. I listen, collaborate and take action. I have the “pulse” of Trustee Area #2 and have the experience and commitment to represent our trustee area ON DAY #1.”
Jody Roubanis, candidate for Trustee Area 2
“I am the only candidate who has children who have gone through the LAUSD system and recently graduated. With vastly different learning needs, my twin boys graduated from LAHS in the Class of 2020. I understand what it is to be a parent with aspirations for children who have a wide range of needs. I bring the perspective that one size does NOT fit all when it comes to learning.”
Paurvi Trivedi, Candidate for Trustee Area 2
I am the only candidate with a child currently attending school in the Los Alamitos Unified School District. It’s been 10 years since a school board member had a child in one of the district’s schools. With the pandemic, the pressures of social media and other issues children and teens and their families are facing the parent’s perspective is greatly needed on the board.
Meg Cutuli, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“The number one thing that voters should know about me is that I am doing this for the kids. In my heart and in my soul, I believe that education is the world’s great equalizer and that every child deserves to have the best education possible. Anything that I can do to make that happen is a very good thing. Every decision that I make from approving budgets that direct where we support kids to professional development for staff to maintaining our facilities is done with the question, how does this help kids learn? It is the passion of my life and I feel very grateful to have been able to be on the Los Al School Board. I wish to continue my work and I humbly ask for your support and vote.”
Matthew Filler, candidate for Trustee Area 5
“As a retired engineer, I will bring an important dimension of knowledge to the Board about overseeing the many millions of dollars that are being spent on construction from the Bond measure, as well as to the information technology, budget, and organizational aspects of the District.”
Dr. Andrew Pulver, the superintendent of the Los Alamitos Unified School District, will speak to the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce for the November networking breakfast.
Chamber Chairwoman Nesi Stewart said the virtual breakfast meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 19, from 8 – 9 a.m. There is no charge to attend but registration is necessary to receive the zoom link.
Dr. Andrew Pulver has been serving in Los Alamitos Unified since 1999 and was selected as the Superintendent beginning April 19, 2019. Prior to working for Los Alamitos Unified, he began his career teaching middle school math and science.
He was selected to be a mentor teacher and coach and conducted various professional development opportunities for middle school teachers. He began his career in Los Alamitos Unified as a teacher at McAuliffe Middle School and was promoted to and served as Assistant Principal at McAuliffe Middle School, Principal at Lee Elementary, and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.
Dr. Pulver has been recognized as the District’s Principal of the Year and as the Personnel/Human Resources Administrator of the Year for the State of California. He also received the PTSA Honorary Service Award in 2008 and again in 2015. Dr. Pulver earned his Bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University, a Master’s in Educational Administration, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California.
He has served as an Adjunct professor for USC’s Rossier School of Education doctoral program and directed and taught the Association of California School Administrators Personnel Academy. He considers it a privilege to work in Los Alamitos Unified, where passionate people join together to Ignite Unlimited Possibilities in Academics, Athletics, Activities, and the Arts.
These are the candidates that responded to our request for a statement.
Tony DeMarco
Tony DeMarco
Thank you for this opportunity. I am going to continue to focus on the issues affecting Rossmoor today and in the future.
• COVID 19- Keeping our community safe and protecting the health of Rossmoor, while allowing safe recreation for our residents.
• STREET SWEEPING – Actively working with our Supervisor to allow for alternate day sweeping. Rossmoor and the Supervisor must get 2 other votes on the board to change our street sweeping ordinance. With our contacts with the Supervisor, over the last 3 years, I’m confident we will be able to accomplish this for Rossmoor.
• OVERFLOW STREET PARKING onto our Rossmoor streets from Seal Beach townhomes and apartments. This is a Seal Beach problem that is affecting Rossmoor residents and diminishing the curb appeal of those Rossmoor homes that are affected. I’ll continue to advocate for Seal Beach to solve this problem.
• CRIME- Rossmoor has one of the lowest crime rates in OC. I plan on keeping it this way. I have good relations with the OC Sheriff and our board receives quarterly, in person, reports from our Lieutenant. This strong, trusting relationship will continue under my leadership.
• TRAFFIC/CONGESTION – We worked with the School district to implement different start times and lowering out of district students due to the traffic it was causing in Rossmoor.
• SAFETY/VISIBILITY- Under my leadership, all of the street lighting was converted to LED. Vastly increasing visibility at night for our residents. I feel Montecito and other through streets need traffic and speed mitigation to keep our children safe. Focusing on that, I’ll use the relationships that I have developed with the County’s traffic division and our Supervisor.
• PARKS/RECREATION – We have greatly improved the tennis courts, basketball courts, fields and playgrounds under my tenure. I’ll continue to ensure our facilities are for the community and maintained and utilized to the fullest.
My wife and I moved here 15 years ago to raise our 3 children because it’s a GREAT PLACE TO LIVE! If RE-ELECTED, I will continue to fight to make sure it stays this way for ALL OF ROSSMOOR!
Michael Maynard
Michael Maynard
I’m Michael Maynard and I have had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Directors for the Rossmoor Community Services District since 2011. During these nine years, I have been an officer for seven years, and President for four.
This is a reflection of PROVEN leadership, vision, and collaboration.
As a resident since 2002, my wife and I have raised our two daughters in this beautiful community. It has been my pleasure to serve.
My philosophy is to treat others with dignity, respect, and more importantly as a best friend.
As a best friend of Rossmoor, I have always put the overall good of our community over the benefit of a few. I have worked with the RHA, our local Rossmoor Churches, neighboring cities, State and County Elected officials, etc., all with one thing in mind: “Protect the Rossmoor Way of Life.”
I am asking for your vote so I can continue to serve and complete some “unfinished business.”
1. Until COVID hit, we were on our way to solving our street sweeping problem for those with more cars than their driveway and garage can accommodate. We are close to getting this back on the county agenda.
2. Until COVID, we had a vision and plan in solving the parking issues on Montecito and connecting streets.
3. Until COVID, I was working directly with our Assemblyman on legislation that was beneficial to Rossmoor in controlling our own fate on certain issues. Vote for me so I can work on increasing our voice!
I am asking for your vote based on nine years of highlighted accomplishments:
• Paying off two bonds earlier than required (saving tax payers hundreds and our
district thousands).
• Thwarting off neighboring cities’ efforts of annexation, low income housing, and increased traffic with LA Fitness.
• And many more….
Nathan Searles
Nathan Searles
Rossmoor deserves engaged and responsive directors. In the past month, I have spoken with hundreds of families around Rossmoor, listening to their stories and hopes for our community, and sharing my own. They want transparency and action about issues affecting our neighborhood, not monologues. Many want to be involved but feel the RCSD is inaccessible and unresponsive to their concerns. A paper position on an issue is not the same as representing our residents when decisions are being made by the County or neighboring communities.
This breakdown in leadership and communication is currently on display. Recently, the RCSD dismissed a resident, along with 200 cosigners of his petition, regarding speeding on neighborhood streets. The RCSD abstractly promised a great “Vision” but failed to follow through with a proposed traffic committee meeting. The appointed director admitted he did not even read the resident’s email. One incumbent lives on the street impacted by the petition and although another has known the lead petitioner for several years, the concerned residents have been excluded from the board’s response. Our community deserves better collaboration.
Also this week, Los Alamitos held their Active Transportation Plan meeting. Although this meeting was announced at the RCSD meeting, none of the current board members attended. The plans adopted by Los Alamitos will have a direct impact on our residents but the RCSD failed to represent Rossmoor when directly invited to participate. Lastly, the Orange County Sanitation District is beginning a massive improvement project impacting traffic and causing significant noise on Katella Ave, Los Alamitos Blvd and Seal Beach Blvd. At the RCSD’s October meeting, the board complained about lack of involvement with the Sanitation District but later admitted none of them completed the relevant survey. This complacency does not serve Rossmoor’s best interests and their reactive leadership is ineffective.
Leaders in this community must be dedicated to being involved at all steps of projects that affect Rossmoor. As RCSD Director, I commit to being accessible and accountable to residents and to foster proactive leadership by engaging with neighboring communities and the County. Please vote Nathan Searles, RCSD Director. www.Nathan4RCSD.com.
These are the candidates who responded to our request for a statement:
Tanya Doby
Tanya Doby
Hello, neighbors. My name is Tanya Doby and I am running for City Council in Los Alamitos in District 1. I would like to take a few moments and share my vision for our City with you.
As a small city, we are very fortunate to not have a lot of the major issues that some of our neighbors’ face and because we are smaller, we can really focus on the issues that we do have.
One of our largest issues is our budget deficit. I truly believe that the first and best step is the approval of Measure Y. With a yes on Measure Y, we can generate about 4 million dollars annually. This increase allows us to maintain our own police force, continue with and improve our parks and recreations programs and help stimulate our local economy and businesses.
We have so much potential in this city! I would love to see our community center become a location that people look to when hosting gala events and parties. It would be wonderful to update more of our local park equipment and play structures. I take pride in the services and programs that we have been able to provide our preschoolers, youth, young adults and seniors and look forward to the day that we can restart and even increase these services. I look forward to being the City that businesses look to when wanting to relocate into a new and thriving community that still affords that “small town” atmosphere and family feel.
I truly believe, that together, we can become even more amazing. I bring that belief, plus my passion and drive to think outside of the box, coupled with an understanding of the beauty of collaboration to every meeting I am a part of. I believe in the power of communication and know that when we work together, we become an unstoppable force and there isn’t anything that we can’t overcome, together!
This is my vision and passion for Los Al. I hope it is yours, too
Dean Grose
Dean Grose
Our community is a wonderful place to live, work and play. We are facing some serious issues in the upcoming few years that requires sound fiscal leadership.
My name is Dean Grose, a resident of District 1 since 1986. I truly care about our community, its economic future, sustainability. As a current city council member, it has been an incredible privilege to serve and help.
Together, we must maintain strong public safety; stable city management; continue our community pride; and a partnership with the Los Alamitos School District.
In the community, I chair the Regional Military Affairs Committee at the Joint Forces Training Base (since 2003); I am Secretary of our local Rotary Club; and a volunteer with the Orange County Medical Reserve Corp and with CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). I’m a supporter and donor with many of our local non-profits, including Grateful Hearts, We Care, CASA, the Los Al Museum, St. Isidore Historical Plaza, and Precious Life Shelter.
Interactive communication is very important. Last May, I began a twice-a-month email newsletter to keep residents and businesses in District 1, informed of city actions that affect those in the district. I encourage those not receiving it to sign up at my webpage: www.LosAl.net. You can cancel at any time you wish.
As neighboring cities are expanding and creating projects that can impact our Quality of Life, it is important that we have informed Council Members. Together we must preserve the best for Los Alamitos. I respectfully and humbly ask for your vote Nov. 3rd. Thank you and God Bless.
The race for California’s 72nd Assembly District features Democrat Diedre Nguyen, a current Garden Grove Councilwoman, against Republican Janet Nguyen, a former state senator and former Orange County Supervisor.
The district covers Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Los Alamitos, Westminster, Fountain Valley and parts of Garden Grove and Huntington Beach.
The candidates answered these question from The Sun via email and were each given equal space to respond.
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis is arguably the biggest challenge facing Californians right now. What policies or funding would you support to stop the spread of the coronavirus, safely reopen schools and get businesses back on track?
Janet Nguyen:
“COVID-19 has devastated our community. We need to help small-businesses recover and get people working again while following health guidelines. We need to repeal AB5, the job-killing bill that made many independent jobs illegal when the pandemic was already costing so thousands of jobs.
I am the mother of two elementary aged children that attend public schools. As a working mom, I understand how difficult it has been for parents to give our children an education while working full time. It’s time to get our schools the resources they need to make our schools a safe learning environment.”
Diedre Nguyen:
“As a city councilmember in Garden Grove, I have worked with our small businesses to keep them afloat and preserve jobs, including zero interest loans, grants, and accelerated permitting for outdoor business. We’ve also offered rental assistance to keep people in their homes. I will apply the lessons from this work to statewide efforts. As a cancer scientist, I believe in strong leadership that requires masks, social distancing, a safe process for vaccine development, and funding to make testing free and available to everyone. If we can more effectively contain the virus, we can start to get our lives back.”
What do you think is the #1 issue for constituents in the district and how would you address it if elected?
Janet Nguyen:
Janet Nguyen
“Our number one issue is the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has impacted our businesses, families and schools. Prioritizing public health while making sure we reopen our economy is the most important thing right now. People are suffering and the possibility of losing their homes and businesses are real. Small businesses are closing permanently, the number of homeless are increasing and workers who have lost their jobs are having trouble getting unemployment benefits. These will be my number one focus in the State Assembly.”
Deidre Nguyen:
Deidre Nguyen
“COVID-19. It will dominate everything until we can get it under control with a vaccine and smart social interactions. Aside from the health concerns, re-opening schools and getting our economy back on track are the two most major hurdles we face. Both can be made significantly more stable if we implement better testing, contact tracing, and isolation protocols that require more federal and state resources. I will urge the president and congress to fund these types of programs as well as increased unemployment payments, rental & homeowner assistance, and a large public infrastructure building program.”
The 72nd Assembly district covers several cities with a diverse population. According to the OC Registrar’s office, roughly 30% of registered voters in the district are No Party Preference voters or affiliated with smaller parties. How do you appeal to voters who aren’t Democrats or Republicans?
Janet Nguyen:
“This office isn’t about partisan politics, it’s about being a representative. That’s what the public wants right now, they want someone to be their voice in Sacramento. I will always be focused on serving our community. When I served as State Senator, my office worked tirelessly to make sure we responded to constituent needs, and I was engaged with our local businesses when they had problems. I secured funding for our local schools, hosted multiple annual free events including the health expo, free flu shots and even provided free tax preparation. I’m committed to serving the community.”
Deidre Nguyen:
“I am a Democrat, but I am an American and a Californian first. I will be a leader for everyone. As a scientist, I find good judgments are best made by considering the facts and following the evidence. I will use the same approach to make sure all Californians have opportunity to attend good schools, have access to affordable healthcare, have a chance to earn a good living, and find housing they can afford. On the city council I have a reputation for working with everyone and bringing people together to solve problems. That’s how I’ll lead in the State Assembly.”
Democrats hold a supermajority in California’s legislature. What does that mean for you if elected? Name one issue you would work with the opposing party to address?
Janet Nguyen:
“I am running to be a voice and the representative for everyone. There are too many in Sacramento that think and vote the same. I want to be in Sacramento to challenge the status quo, ask the tough questions and help the majority understand our constituents’ struggle and issues in my District. I want to make our government more efficient. There is no better example of government ineffectiveness than the mess that is the EDD. We literally have millions of struggling Californians waiting months for unemployment benefits during this pandemic. This is unacceptable and I will work across party lines to address this.”
Deidre Nguyen:
“If I’m elected, I will be the first Democrat in a generation to represent this area. With Democrats in power, I will be able to bring more resources to our district for schools, businesses, roads, and healthcare. I would work with everyone one expanding healthcare in California, protecting coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and I would prefer to do that with both parties.”
Anything else you think is important for voters to know.
Janet Nguyen:
“I have lived in our district for almost 30 years and am a graduate of our local public school. My two boys go to public school in our district. I have served as your Supervisor and State Senator. I love our community and want to continue working for you as your next Assemblywoman. I am proud to be endorsed by Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, former Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, local police and firefighters, Howard Taxpayers Association PAC and the Orange County Medical Association. I would be honored to receive your vote. Please call me at (714) 786-8800 if you have any questions. Thank you.”
Deidre Nguyen:
“I am running because I want all Californians to have the same opportunities I did, and I’m worried the system is starting to tilt against the idea that hard work and dedication are enough to succeed. I will fight for the underdog and for regular people who just want a fair shot at a better life. Everyone should get a great education, not just those who live in the right zip code or in private schools. It’s the same for healthcare and housing. That’s the California I will be working to build as your Assemblymember.”
