St. Hedwig Catholic School- girls varsity basketball went 11-0 this season and were the PAL (Parochial Athletic League) Coastal League Champs and PAL Diocesan Champs. Pictured, back row from left, are coach Erin de Lucia, Olivia Hertzog, Brianna Wright, Brooklyn Soto, Juliana Stepanoff, Grace Maxwell, Julia Reusch, Izabella Gwizdak and coach Brandon Cable. Front, Marina Squillace, Sophia Lim, Madison Roach, McKayla Cable, Brooke Wronski, Tessa Hurley, Sofia de Lucia, Mylee Walland Karly Padova.
College students to speak about political prejudice March 16
The Rossmoor-Los Alamitos Republican Women Federated welcomes two college students who intimately understand the prejudice faced by conservative students on college campuses, according to Robin Itzler, publicity chairwoman of the group.
She said they will share how school campuses are limiting the free speech of conservative speakers and clubs.
The group plans to welcome two local conservative college activists:
- Kimo Gandall – President of College Republicans at UC Irvine, the largest active conservative political organization on campus.
- Panagiotis (Pano) Frousiakis – Third year Political Science major at UC Irvine and past president of the Orange Coast Republicans.
Itzler said associate member Dr. Jeff Barke, who recently attended the California Republican Party conference, is also on the agenda.
Barke will speak about the event, offering his own views and overall consensus of key issues. The meeting will be held Saturday morning, March 16, and the breakfast meeting will be at the Cypress Courtyard by Marriott (5865 Katella Avenue at Valley View). The program begins at 9:30 a.m. with a buffet breakfast – $25 for members and $28 for non- members.
“Every day, conservatives are attacked and belittled on high school and college campuses,” said Itzler, citing a Campus Reform study that found during the 2016-17 school year liberal speakers outnumbered conservatives at many colleges.
“The anti-conservative bias extends to professors, too,” Itzler added. “Tenure-track professors at top liberal arts colleges are overwhelmingly Democrat with some schools having no tenured Republican professors!”
The RLA club, which serves northwest Orange County cities and greater Long Beach, welcomes like-minded women and men who want to impact local, state and national politics. Reservations can be made at: Ro************@*ol.com.
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Los Al Spring Carnival will be held April 20
The City of Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department is holding its annual Memorial Care Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach Spring Carnival presented by AYSO 159 on Sat., April 20. The event is from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and offers egg hunts, face painting, balloon twisting, games, vendors, and more. Mark your calendars and don’t miss out on this wonderful event. A big thank you to both of the sponsors Memorial Care Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and AYSO 159 for their support in making this event possible for the community. For more information, please visit www.cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation or contact the Recreation and Community Services Department at 562-430-1073.
Venezuelan double bassist Luis Primera to join Fauré Quartett on Segerstrom stage
By David N. Young
When the Fauré Quartett takes the Segestrom stage March 19, the world-famous German group will be joined on stage by Venezuelan standout Luis Primera, a double bassist currently studying at the prestigious Coburn School in Los Angeles.
“This is so exciting for me,” said the 26-year-old performer, who said he is “so honored” to take the stage with the piano quintet only for two shows, one at Segerstrom and the other in San Diego.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts welcomes back the Fauré Quartett, joined by double bassist Luis Primera on March 19, 2019 at 8:00pm in Samueli Theater. The concert features a unique pairing from the repertory of piano quintets that include the double bass, along with Frank Bridge’s delightfully tuneful Phantasy.
Quartett members include Dirk Mommertz, piano; Erika Geldsetzer, violin; Sascha Froembling, viola; and Konstantin Heidrich, cello.
Primera began his musical studies at the Simón Bolívar Conservatory when he was 14 years old. He is a member of Latin American Academy of Double Bass. He was Principal Bass of the Carabobo Young Orchestra of Venezuela for 6 years, and a semi-finalist in the 2015 ISB Competition and 2016 Bass Europe Competition. Luis has performed with the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela and Carabobo Youth Orchestra of Venezuela as soloist. He participated with the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, in many tours around the United States, South America, Middle East, and Europe.
During these tours, he performed at important halls and festivals. He is currently a candidate for a Performance Diploma at the Colburn School Conservatory where he studies with Peter Lloyd.
Despite all that, Primera said he hopes to “learn from them” while referring to the Faure Quartett, though he says he “knows their music” and believes that his double bass will be a great addition.
“When you play with great artists who seem to already know everything, you really do learn from them,” said Primera. “I really think I will do a good job with them,” he said.
While in the U.S.A. for the past three years, the political situation in his home country of Venezuela has worsened. “I stay in touch and hope to help my family there,” he said.
According to the SCFTA, the Fauré Quartett has established itself as one of the world’s leading piano quartets within just a few years. Dirk Mommertz (piano), Erika Geldsetzer (violin), Sascha Froembling (viola) and Konstantin Heidrich (cello) have discovered new sound fields in chamber music and perform compositions outside the mainstream chamber music repertoire.
They are visionary in their approach and highly regarded for their experiments and discoveries; be it performances with the NDR Big Band, collaborations with artists like Rufus Wainwright or Sven Helbig, appearances in clubs like the Berghain, Cocoon Club or “Le Poisson Rouge” in New York or TV shows in KIKA or “Rhapsody in School,” getting children excited in chamber music. When they released their album “Popsongs” in 2009, there was a great deal of buzz in the press and audience. In the following year, the ensemble was awarded the ECHO Classic for their album “classic beyond borders,” their second award after their recording of Brahms’ piano quartets (Chamber Music recording of the year, 2008).
Other prizes include the German Music Competition, the ensemble prize from Festspiele Mecklenbug-Vorpommern, international competition and recording awards, Music Prize Duisburg and Brahms prize Schleswig Holstein. The musicians of the Fauré Quartett are pioneers in many ways. After they met during their studies in 1995 in Karlsruhe for the 150th anniversary of Gabriel Faure, the quickly realized that this combination offered new insights into undiscovered repertoire. In 2006, they signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon, promoting them to the Champions League of classic music business.
They made highly regarded benchmark-recordings with works by Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn and pop songs from Peter Gabriel and Steely Dan. Sony Classical has just released works from Mahler and Richard Strauss.
Worldwide tours raise their profile abroad and international masterclasses are part of their work with artists like Primera.
Single tickets start at $39 and are now available online at www.SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings of 10 or more, please call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236.
Venezuelan standout Luis Primera
Ribbon cut on ‘Heroes’ barber shop in Los Alamitos
Local chamber officials gathered with friends and supporters to cut the ribbon on Heroes Barbershop in Los Alamitos this week. “It’s a place where heroes are welcome,” said owner Joyce Noelani, a 3rd generation barber with dozens of barbers in her family from Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Noelani told Chamber members Friday that both she and her husband Rob come from military families and they are extremely happy to be in Los Alamitos, a military town.
City Council member Dean Grose was on hand along with Chamber Chairwoman Dawnette Palmore to cut the ribbon on this new local business offering a complete “experience,” not just a haircut.
According to Noelani, “Heroes Barber shop is where we welcome are Heroes who have prior service, enlisted service and First Responders. We are a place for Our Heroes and their families. We are not just a barber shop. We are also an experience,” she said. “Come get your haircut, shave, beard trim, facial or scalp treatment at Heroes. We thank you for your service.”
Noelani is the former co-owner of Ohana Barbershop in Long Beach and Arcade Barbershop in Palos Verdes Estates. Noelani is a 3rd generation barber from OC and LA County. She has more than 25 years of experience in the barber profession. This includes education and sales training with 2 top distributorships and leading hair care companies, including Alterna. Also, she is also certified, or “papered” in both European and American hair coloring techniques.
Robert Rodriguez is a personal trainer and has earned his black belt with Kings gym in Huntington Beach. He grew up in Orange County/Los Alamitos.
They both come from military families. Together, we decided to create an environment for our Local Heroes. This is a place we can give thanks for their service by proving a relaxing environment along w their grooming needs.
Heroes offers a 20 percent discount for ‘Our Heroes’. They also offer unbeatable senior rates. Please come in and take a look our Barber Shop decorated with family archives & history. “It’s not just a haircut it’s an experience,” she said.
Noelani’s vast experience includes being an educator for Alterna and offering classes for Precision hair cutting, Clipper cutting and styling.
Seniors can enjoy an unmatched experience for $10, including a haircut, a hot shave around the neck and ears along with the steam towel filled with aromatherapy oils.
New labor laws reviewed at Los Al Chamber meeting
By David N. Young
Constantly changing labor laws in California “make it hard to be in business,” said Los Angles labor lawyer Joshua A. Kuns, who spoke to the Los Alamitos Chamber on Friday.
“I’m not trying to scare you but it’s the reality,” he said, as he went through a number of recent changes in the state’s protections for employees of companies. Kuns, who is the son of Seal Beach Chamber President Karen Kuns, has been ranked as a ‘rising star’ in 2019 by the California superlawyers website, said Chamber Chairwoman Dawnette Palmore.
Kuns went through a detailed list of changes in California law, giving local businesses a run through of the most common mistakes employers make. “If you don’t know what you don’t know until you know…you could hit down the road with it. “I just want to make you aware of the law so you can make the changes.
“If you don’t know the law, you can’t follow it,” he said.
Here is a summary of what Kuns presented to the group:
- Federal, state and local labor laws are vastly different and business owners should make it their business to know them. For instance, while the federal minimum wage is 7.25 per hour, in California, the overall minimum wage is $11 for employees with 25 or fewer employees and $12 per hour for companies with 26 or more employees. Even so, cities such as San Francisco ($15) and Los Angeles (14.25 pending) have passed their own minimums. Beware, said Kuns, that a simple Google search may not tell employers everything they need to know.
- Job Postings – Employers cannot limit job applicants or hires based on protected characteristic such as race, sex, gender, age, ancestry, U.S. citizenship, etc. unless they are required to do so by federal, state or local laws or doctrines. Asking for “young, energetic, fun-loving” applicants only is a no-no.
- On boarding paperwork – Even after employers verbally or electronically explain pay rate, start date and other conditions to new hires, they are still missing important paperwork, Kuns said, as he presented a number of government forms that must be filled out or presented to employees, depending on varied conditions.
- Culture vs. compliance – Even companies with one employee or regularly uses the same contractor can be held to account to “harassment” laws. Even companies that want to “keep your culture fun and relaxed,” without some formal policies and protections for employees could “inadvertently open your business up” to some serious consequences such as claims for discrimination or unequal treatment. Sexual harassment “is a major pain point” in laid back establishments. “Never assume” employees know what behaviors constitute sexual harassment, said Kuns, and to be safe, employees should be distributed handbooks or policies that spell-out proper behavioral policies.
- Employee manuals or handbooks – Even simple guidebooks that spell out your companies provide a “good foundation” that could prevent future problems. “Employee manuals don’t have to be the super corporate antithesis of your growing business,” he said.
- Classifying employees – “Whether an employee should be classified as exempt or nonexempt varies between state and federal law, between roles and positions,” he said. “Misclassifying employees as exempt when they’re not can lead to disastrous results,” he said
- Use of independent contractors – New laws make the hiring of independent contractors more complicated, he said. “With the myriad of new laws, it is possible for a worker to be classified as an independent contractor under one law but as an employee under another. He said the IRS uses a 20-factor test to assess the degree of control the company exercises over work performed by an independent contractor and he urged company owners to look into the issue. “Just by calling worker one thing doesn’t make them so,” he said. Even with a signed agreement in hand, it does not mean they’re not your employee.”
- Hiring of interns – Be careful in hiring interns, said Kuns, because “there is really so such thing as an “unpaid internship” anymore. Interns should have pay, training and/or college credit.
- Paying your employees – Just writing a check to employees does not necessarily constitute a sufficient system for paying workers. State and federal laws require certain information to appear on pay records and you must state how frequently and by what means you plan to pay.
- Growing legal obligations – Kuns said the legal obligations will grow along with companies that are blessed with growth. For instance, companies with 50 or more employees must provide family leave and adhere to laws associated with the Affordable Care Act.
This report is only a summary and does not include all specifics. Companies with any specific questions are urged to speak to their own labor attorney. Kuns said he has practiced labor law for more than a decade and is an attorney with a “mid-sized” firm, McCune & Harber, LLP, with offices in downtown Los Angeles. He can be reached at jk***@**********er.com.
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Americana Awards honors community leaders for achievement
By Loreen Berlin
Volunteers come in all categories and walks of life, and they volunteer because they love doing for others. Charles Williams from Cypress is one of those individuals.
It’s easy to see why his Cypress chose Williams as the 2019 Citizen of the Year, just as they chose Greg Goodyear in La Palma and Emile Jorge of Los Alamitos.
“The way I get to volunteer and mentor young people is through coaching sports,” he said. “I teach them how to shake hands. To say Yes and not ‘ya’. To tuck in their shirts. I push good grades. I share my values.”
He’s also known for taking his large barbecue to different locations, cooking hamburgers and hot dogs for the kids, especially during the closing Champion Baseball for the Special Needs Kids, where they seat approximately 600 people at the end of the season. This year it will be held in May.
And why does he mentor, volunteer and barbeque for, and with the kids? “Because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I also organize and run fundraiser golf tournaments to help organizations fund their needs and I’ve done the Chili Cook-off for Cypress Football every year since 2004.”
Charles also volunteers to barbeque for the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress 4 to 5 times a year. And his volunteering doesn’t stop there. Someone needs to take care of the athletic fields, so Charles, over the years since beginning coaching the kids in 1989, has acquired thousands of dollars worth of equipment just for that purpose – to volunteer to take care of the fields – by watering them, adding sod and mowing them. “I enjoy taking care of the fields,” he enthuses.
Charles, is a semi-retired software engineer who has worked locally during his career. He gives his dad credit for steering him toward IBM and so that’s how he got involved in computers; then in 1983, a man hired him and the rest is how he spent his gratifying years in the software business, learning to code along the way. “I love it,” he says with such pride and happiness.
Charles’ values? God, Country, Family and his community of Cypress.
Photos by Loreen Berlin
Cypress Americana honored Emil Jorge of Los Alamitos as Citizen of the Year duringthe 44th Annual Americana Awards at the Disneyland Hotel Saturday evening, Feb. 23. “I may not be able to change the world but I can make my part of the world a little better and perhaps turn the corner and make the whole world a little better.” he said. Pictured with Jorge is Los Alamitos Mayor Warren Kusumoto.
Greg Goodyear (second from the right) from La Palma is honored as the 2019 recipient of the Cypress Americana Awards that were held at the Disneyland Hotel Saturday, Feb. 23. Picture with him from left are Cypress College Foundation President and Stanton Mayor David Shawver, Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.; Goodyear and Mayor Marshall Goodman. The Kiwanis Club members helped me get involved in the community, along with my wife and many other people, helping me to be involved in good causes,” said Goodyear. “I’m extremely humbled by this honor.”
Pulver named new Los Al Superintendent of Schools
After a lengthy process of gathering stakeholder input, a nation-wide search which included the review of over 30 applicants, and an interview process of the top applicants, the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education announced Dr. Andrew Pulver as the next Superintendent for Los Alamitos Unified School District.
Dr. Pulver has served the community for 20 years in numerous roles as a leader. He began his career in Los Alamitos Unified as a teacher at McAuliffe Middle School, and has been the Assistant Principal at McAuliffe, the Principal at Lee Elementary, and the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for our District. In each of these roles, he has demonstrated compassion, dedication, and a commitment to students, families, staff, and the community, LAUSD said in a statement.
Dr. Pulver is an excellent collaborator and enjoys working with others. He is driven to constantly improve relationships and bring people together to improve the lives of students. He admires and respects the people with whom he works, is a life-long learner, and embraces challenges that improve the organization.
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 looks forward to working with the Board of Education, parents, staff, and community on a shared vision of providing the very best possible educational experiences for all students.
Dr. Pulver will take over as the new Superintendent, beginning April 19, 2019.
Los Al Unified names Walters Teacher of the Year
By Robert Ostmann
Nicole Walters, a second-grade teacher at Los Alamitos Elementary, has been named Teacher of the Year for the Los Alamitos Unified School District.
Walters is “an exceptional teacher who does whatever it takes to help her students succeed and her families feel valued and important,” said Superintendent Dr. Sherry Kropp. “Nicole brings joy to work, loves her colleagues, and makes all of us better. She is an extraordinary teacher who lights up the classroom. It is a privilege to have her on our team.”
Walters came to the district in 2007 as a long-term substitute and was hired permanently the same year. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s from National University in Educational Technology. Walters also was recognized as the Seal Beach Teacher of the Year in 2010.
In recognizing Walters at a recent school board meeting, Los Alamitos Elementary Principal Gary Willems told Walters she is “phenomenal. You love all your students and your families leave a year with you knowing their child had a champion.
“The true power of Nicole’s teaching lies in her ability to get to know her students and create an unequivocal rapport which gives her students the ability to demonstrate their vulnerabilities and build their strengths in a safe, non-judgmental environment,” Willems said.
School Board President Diana Hill said the real impact of Walters’ teaching is “the lives you’ve touched and will continue to touch, and that has an incredible ripple effect.”
Walters, accompanied by her husband and sons, said the Teacher of the Year recognition “means the world to me. I do what I do because I love what I do. I work in the most amazing district with the most amazing people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Walters will now compete for Orange County Teacher of the Year.
Rossmoor native wins Fountain Valley Teacher of the Year
A Rossmoor native was named Teacher of the Year by the Fountain Valley School District in an announcement that surprised the former Los Alamitos High School graduate.
“I was surprised and so honored,” said Nicole (Ashlock) Hunter, 2nd grade teacher at Tamura Elementary School, after being named the Fountain Valley School District’s 2019 Teacher of the Year!
Mrs. Hunter joined the FVSD family in 2004 as a 1st grade teacher at Fred Moiola Elementary School. In 2012, she moved to Tamura Elementary School where she has taught 1st and 2nd grade. It has been apparent from the start that teaching is a calling for Nicole, according to her mom Karen Ashlock.
Hunter was selected Teacher of the Year among the school’s 275 teachers, Mrs. Ashlock said.
She embraces each day with enthusiasm and energy that is infectious for those around her, students and staff alike and exemplifies the virtues of an outstanding teacher. She is patient, compassionate, ambitious, engaging, flexible, and, of course, humorous and committed to her students. She uses a variety of instructional strategies to reach her students, holding high standards and pushing them to their potential and beyond.
In addition to being an exemplary teacher, Mrs. Hunter is a dedicated teacher-leader. Nicole is an integral part of the Tamura staff and an active member of the Leadership Team. She brings the same energy and excitement to her grade level, staff and leadership team meetings as she does to her students in her class. Nicole is willing to learn and take risks and is eager to implement initiatives that support the success of ALL students including PBIS, CGI, and Balanced Literacy.
Hunter’s love of her students, passion for teaching, commitment to professional development, and desire to make a difference in the lives of children make her the perfect recipient for Fountain Valley School District’s 2019 Teacher of the Year
Hunter who grew up in Rossmoor, attended Los Alamitos Schools (Hopkinson, McAuliffe, Los Al High), and graduated in 1999. She went on to earn a BA from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree from National University.
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LAEF Kicks Off 5th Year of STEAM Fairs at Los Alamitos LAUSD Schools!
For 5 years now, the Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF) has helped to bring STEAM programs into all 9 of the Los Alamitos Unified school campuses by offering free STEAM classes, providing STEAM Fairs at all schools, and sponsoring a district-wide STEAM showcase for all students to participate in. LAEF is committed to inspiring children to pursue careers in the areas of science, technology, engineering, the arts and math through its annual STEAM Initiative.
The LAEF STEAM Initiative is funded by generous donations to the annual King and Queen of Hearts campaign. This year’s campaign ended on Friday, February 8th at the coronation gala and raised a record $215,000. With these funds, LAEF is able to provide the STEAM classes and STEAM Fairs free of charge to the students. LAEF not only provides all the instructors for the 4-week classes, but also provides the materials for student projects. LAEF is proud to inspire more kids in the district each year as the STEAM Initiative continues to grow with more participants!
The entire community is invited to the STEAM Showcase on Saturday, April 6th from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the Los Alamitos High School Gym. The Showcase is free of charge! Students of all ages will present their projects and have their work on display for all to see. STEAM professionals will also be on-hand to provide interactive booths that will introduce students to career opportunities.
STEAM Fairs will be held on all 9 school campuses this Spring where students will present their STEAM projects to their peers. Every year the STEAM Fairs continue to grow in numbers and students look forward to touring the fairs.
LAEF is the non-profit partner of Los Alamitos Unified School District. LAEF enhances educational excellence in our community by providing after-school and summer enrichment programs to Pre-K to 12th grade students. For more information, visit www.LAEF4kids.org/steam or call (562) 799-4700 Ext. 80424 today!
Pictured below are candidates from the 2018-19 King & Queen of Hearts Campaign.
Pictured from left to right: Jen Rohdenburg, Paul Rohdenburg, Rachael DeMarco, Tony DeMarco, Linda Sagen, George Sagen, Vhenus Belisle and Jim Belisle.
Two Cypress College students Cooke Foundation finalists
Cypress College students Madison Morris and Raymond Pi Oliver are semifinalists for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced that the pair were selected from a pool of nearly 1,500 applicants representing 369 colleges across 45 states and the District of Columbia.
Morris, a Placentia resident, is preparing for a career in the medical field. Oliver, from the City of Cypress, is part of Cypress College’s (STEM)2 Program.
“I think it speaks volumes to the quality of education I have received at Cypress College,” Morris said of her selection as a semifinalist. “Thanks to the instruction and support I have received here, I am now a contender for a highly competitive national scholarship. Thank you, Cypress College, for making this possible! I am incredibly excited, honored, and grateful for this opportunity to be considered by a national foundation such as the JKCF.”
Oliver has completed research at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi as one of 319 community college students from across the United States and recently represented the (STEM)2 Program as a speaker at the groundbreaking for Cypress College’s new Science, Engineering, and Math Building.
“I owe so much to Cypress College, the Science, Engineering, and Math Division, and the EOPS and Honors programs — and, in particular, the (STEM)2 Program,” said Oliver, who dropped out of high school because of financial hardship. “Coming to Cypress College has absolutely changed my life. When I was still homeless during my first two semesters, I came to love Cypress College and regard our beautiful campus as a second home. I would be nothing without this college.”
The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients will be announced in April. Each selected scholar will be provided generous financial support for up to three years, college planning services, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to connect with a thriving community of fellow Cooke Scholars.
“Countless highly-talented and motivated students begin their college experience at community college, and our recent ‘Persistence’ report shows that they excel after they transfer,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We’re pleased to recognize this incredible cohort of semifinalists for their academic drive and achievement.”
A list of this year’s Cooke Transfer Scholar Semifinalists, their community colleges, and their hometowns is available at: https://www.jkcf.org/our-stories/2019-cooke-transfer-scholar-semifinalists.
Cooke Transfer Scholars are selected based on exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others, and leadership. Students must be currently enrolled community college students residing in the United States.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded $190 million in scholarships to nearly 2,500 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided over $100 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. Information is available at www.jkcf.org.
Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice and for others it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.
Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.
Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College System. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.
Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405.
Local historian tells tale of Cypress past
By Brooklynn Wong
The city formerly known as Waterville and Dairy City, which we know today as Cypress, has a rich history and may soon be the subject of a book.
Local historian John Olson was the speaker at the March 2 meeting of the Friends of Cypress Library, and a sizable crowd came out to hear him tell tales of Cypress’ days of yore, specifically from 1940-1970.
Olson has made a hobby of learning and passing on Orange County history, and there have been talks of him writing a book about Cypress history in particular.
Olson’s presentation was, in his words, “the outline” of part of the book.
The attendees, which included Mayor Stacy Berry and many who have spent their whole lives in Cypress, enjoyed hearing about a Native American skull and other bone fragments being found during excavation in 1965 at the Old Cypress Library (now the Boys and Girls Club), giving further legitimacy to the original inhabitants of the area being Native Americans. This particular skull was determined to be 400 years old, and from the Chumash tribe.
And just where did Cypress get its name from?
It had been known as Waterville, and Dairy City, but when cypress trees were built around the local school to provide protection from the Santa Ana winds, the school began to be identified as the Cypress School, and in 1895 the Cypress School District was formed.
In 1957 the city was officially named Cypress.
Stories and photographs were shared of when Cypress and the surrounding area was nothing but vast agricultural fields, and of the businesses that popped up in the area, like Hugh LaRue’s impeccable, well-stocked general store.
The drama that led up to the city eventually becoming just that, a city, was shared. The audience was educated on the long back-and-forth over whether to incorporate into an actual city or remain unincorporated land, dividing the dairy farmers and the others.
It was shared that at one point, Cypress was the “big city” of the area and that when those from everywhere from Long Beach to Anaheim wanted to get out of their rural towns and go to the city, Cypress was the place to be.
White Gold Days, for example, used to draw a crowd from the whole county to Cypress each year, for a parade and festival.
Attendees enjoyed reliving Cypress’ good old days and discovering connecting to the past.
When a picture was shown from White Gold Days, of a young woman leading the parade on a float, a woman in the audience pointed out that that was her mother.
Boys & Girls Club of Cypress hosts Anti-Valentine Teen Nigh
This school year the seven Boys & Girls Clubs in North Orange County (Anaheim, Brea-Placentia-Yorba Linda, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, La Habra and Stanton) have partnered together through the North Orange County Public Safety Task Force to provide fun collaborative opportunities for teen Club members. These opportunities engage teens in activities that break down barriers, build greater awareness and understanding of cultural diversity, and encourage teamwork through fun. Each month one of the Boys & Girls Clubs from “The Big 7” host a fun, teens-only night for all partnering Club teens.
On Friday, Feb. 15, the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress hosted an Anti-Valentine Teen Night for over 140 Boys & Girls Club teens. The Anti-Valentine Night activities included “speed dating” icebreaker games, a healthy relationships workshop provided by Western Youth Services, and a delicious Italian dinner generously donated by Dominic’s Ristorante Italiano and Caterina’s Club. After the workshop, teen attendees enjoyed a variety of fun friendship-building activities such as karaoke, a movie screening, video game tournaments, a piñata, cookie decorating and much more. It was a great night bringing an amazing group of teen leaders together at the Club.
The Boys & Girls Club of Cypress will be opening a 1,600 square foot expansion to better serve teen Club members this Spring. The Bandai Teen Center will have room for 100 teen members and will enable the Club to offer even more leadership development projects for the teens in the local community. For more information about the teen program at the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress visit the website at www.BGCCypress.org, call 714-527-2697 or stop by the Club at 10161 Moody St. in Cypress.
Courtesy photos
Tax Expert Evelyn Sandoval to speak at Cypress Chamber breakfast
Tax Expert Evelyn Sandoval will be the guest speaker at the Cypress Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast Tuesday, March 12th at the Residence Inn by Marriott (4931 Katella Avenue, Los Alamitos) at 7:30 a.m.
Evelyn Sandoval is the Director of Finance & Administration at Redline Detection, and a Senior Tax Analyst with H&R Block with over 18 plus years of experience. In addition, as an Accounting Instructor at Cypress College, she is involved in sharing her passion and knowledge by teaching those headed toward a career in finance.
Evelyn has spent the last 18 years working and learning everything there is to know about our income tax laws. She knows how to interpret them implement them to our tax advantage for both maximizing our refunds and reducing the tax liability. Staying current with tax law changes and her experience as a financial advisor, she is known for helping, educating, and supporting clients to develop a strategic annual and future tax planning.
She will share some of the important changes for this year’s taxes as well as share some tips to help make the process smoother for businesses and individuals.
Reservations are suggested for the monthly breakfasts and can be made directly on the Cypress Chamber website at cypresschamber.org. Cost of the breakfast is $20 in advance or $25 for nonmembers or those who do not register in advance. Attendees are encouraged to bring door prizes to promote their product or service. The programs include a meet and greet time, self-introductions, breakfast, speaker and a question and answer session if time permits.
The Chamber breakfasts, which are open to the public, are held on the second Tuesday of every month. For more information, call (714) 484-6015 or visit www. Cypresschamber.org.
Matthew Bourne’s Magical Cinderella Graces the Ahmanson Stage
By Lady Beverly Cohn
If a picture speaks a thousand words, then Sir Matthew Bourne’s astounding
re-imagined tale of Cinderella is akin to the 2010 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which consisted of 32 volumes for a total of 32,640 pages. In this production, not a word is spoken as every detail is clearly illustrated through his remarkable direction and choreography, combining traditional ballet elements with freewheeling, exaggerated modern dance movements.
From the moment the curtain rose revealing the ravages of war-torn London in 1940, as created by award-winning set and costume designer Lez Brotherston, Bourne’s astonishing interpretation of this ageless romantic fairytale was danced to perfection and every detail of the drama clearly enunciated as executed by his company of skilled ballet dancers. With bombed-out buildings looming on stage left and right, we are taken into the interior of the family home.
Poor Cinderella, excellently danced by lovely Ashley Shaw, is issued commands by the deliciously wicked stepmother Sybil, played by Madelaine Brennan who is truly the naughty spit that holds the family together. Treated like a scullery maid instead of a family member, Cinderella must obey her mean stepsisters danced by Sophia Hurdley as Irene and Anjali Mehra as Vivien. The stepbrothers are equally obnoxious as interpreted by Jackson Fisch as Malcolm, Daniel Wright as Vernon, and Stephen Murray as Elliot. Rounding out the family is the father Robert, played by Alan Vincent. Their collective dislike of Cinderella is clearly delineated through their complex moves.
In a quiet moment, our poor waif picks up a beautiful wrap that belongs to Sybil and holds it to her face. She, of course, is royally chewed out for daring to touch something that does not belong to her. In another quiet moment, Cinderella does a sweet dance with a mannequin, which under Bourne’s riveting direction, transforms into a live man and a haunting dance sequence follows, clearly indicating the love that is locked deep inside of her.
Echoing the traditional story line, the family receives an invitation to a ball and as you already know, our heroine is excluded. As the family machinations continue, sirens blare, one of the special sound effects designed by Paul Groothuis. Using the music of Prokofiev, he also designed the musical score, which was recorded by a 60-piece orchestra and sounded like the orchestra was actually in the pit. A blackout ensues, which was followed by a dramatic dance sequence, with some of the dancers wearing gas masks as they survey the carnage that lay before them.
Despite the war, the ball is a go and is being held at The Café de Paris, a London dance hall. Now, we all know that Cinderella will be going to that ball and in the traditional tale, her fairy Godmother comes to her rescue. But, in this stylized interpretation, that role has been transformed into The Angel, as danced by the most extraordinary Liam Mower, whose exaggerated movements bordered on otherworldly or yes, heavenly. So, this young, rather plain girl, is transformed into a radiantly beautiful young woman and at long last she meets the prince, but this time he’s a RAF airplane pilot named Harry, played by Andrew Monaghan. Their eyes meet and an erotic sequence unfolds.
In the meantime, despite the war being waged all around them, the wicked stepmother and her nasty children are having a great time as expressed through the raucus drinking scene, with impressive acrobatics executed by the corps de ballet, augmented by the exquisite lighting by Neil Austin, adding to the overall stunning look of the production. Lest we forget, Cinderella is under strict instructions that she must leave by midnight and a giant ticking clock looms in the background. At the stroke of Midnight our beautiful heroine flees, accidentally losing one of her beautiful sparkly sapphire blue shoes, which Harry picks up.
Subsequently, a gang of men attacks our hero and he winds up in a convalescence home, a particularly interestingly staged sequence wherein Bourne uses white medical screens manipulated around the stage by a team of “doctors and nurses.” Coincidentally, Cinderella, who was injured in a bomb blast, winds up in the same facility. Wicked stepmother has her eye on Harry for one of her daughters and the entire family shows up en masse to visit the injured pilot. When mean Sybil his sees her stepdaughter in a nearby bed recovering from her wounds, she tries to eliminate the competition but is stopped dead in her tracks by the watchful hospital personnel. Well, we all know what happens next. Harry has the matching shoe and we assume they will live happily ever after.
Divided into three acts with two intermissions, which in this case is welcome so the audience can catch their collective breath and give this extraordinary dance troop time to change into more of Brotherston’s delicious period costumes. The action takes place in a variety of locations including the pilot’s lodgings, the streets of London and its underground, a Thames embankment, and Paddington Station, each of which is clearly illustrated by his spot-on set design. When you combine Bourne’s masterful direction and choreography with all the extraordinary technical elements, including Duncan McLean’s compelling projections, the combined artistic designs culminate in creating this glorious New Adventures Production achieving a magical, rare evening of theatre that will linger in your senses for a long time.
CINDERELLA
Ahmanson Theatre
135 N. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Run: Tuesday – Friday: 8:00 pm
(added:) Thursday, March 7: 2:00 pm
Saturday: 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm & 6:30 pm
Tickets: $30 – $135
(Ticket prices are subject to change).
Closing: Sunday, March 10, 2019 1:00 pm
(No 6:00 pm performance)
Reservations: (213) 972-4400 or
Groups: (213) 972-7231.
Deaf community: CenterTheatreGroup.org/ACCESS.
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Get ready, because Los Alamitos High School is bringing back another classic musical!
d“Bye Bye Birdie” is a loving send-up of the early 1960s, small-town America, teenagers, and rock and roll and still remains as fresh and vibrant as ever. When teen heartthrob Conrad Birdie gets drafted, his manager, Albert Peterson, must act quickly to grant Birdie one last performance. With the help of his secretary, Rose Alvarez, Conrad Birdie is set to kiss All-American girl Kim MacAfee for a very public farewell kiss. With songs that you’ll love and performances that will make you laugh, “Bye Bye Birdie” is a show that is sure to be a joy for the entire family!
Where: Los Alamitos Performing Arts Center
When: March 7 at 3:30 pm and 7 pm
March 8th at 7 pm
March 9th at 2 pm.
How much: Tickets are $15
Head to losaldrama.org for tickets and more information.
Courtesy photo:
Abracadabra, it’s a Magic Carpet Ride with Jonathan Weir in Aladdin at the Segerstrom Cente
By Lynda Lacayo
Hey, Mr. Genie, how about flying audiences on your magic carpet to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts where “Aladdin, the Musical” is playing March 6 – 23, 2019. Once upon a time an ‘A’ ride ticket symbolized the crème de la crème of the Magic Kingdom. Disney’s animated films have ventured onto Broadway and now its newest blockbuster musical, “Aladdin”, is off on an ‘A’ ticket tour as Disney waves the magic wand and Abracadabra, behold an enchanting tale of Arabian nights, young lovers and dastardly doings that is an elaborate feast for the eyes and ears. This is a Disney production so expect great music, extravagant sets, gorgeous costumes, captivating choreography and always a bonus, plenty of humor. Add in a talented cast and energetic ensemble and call it sensational.
Among the first-rate leads is Johnathan Weir who plays the evil Jafar, villain of the piece. This isn’t Weir first ride on the Disney train, he ruled as Scar in “The Lion King.” He says “some might associate the villain with me, I could title my memoirs ‘From Scar to Jafar,’ but I actually appreciate and have enjoyed playing a wide scope of characters in my career.”
Weir admits that being a part of “Aladdin” was particularly appealing because it’s a Disney production. He says “Disney is a world class operation, always elaborate, always spectacular. Our touring show is the equal of what Broadway audiences have been seeing. It’s a fully realized production with all the magic, sparkle and wonder of a great creative team at the top of their game. Everything from Alan Menken’s music to Greg Barnes costumes to Casey Nichclaw’s direction and choreography is well thought out, good entertainment. They just do it right.”
Audiences, especially millennials, will be familiar with “Aladdin,” the classic story, set in the Arabian city of Agrabah about a poor youth who is granted three wishes by a Genie in a lamp which he uses to win a Princess and to thwart Sultan’s evil Vizier, Jafar.
Jafar is just about as wicked as it gets as is his henchman Lago who in the animated version is a dirty bird morphed into a horrid human being on stage. This, incidentally, opens up the stage adaptation for new songs and is one of the differences between the film and the musical.
Jafar is the villain of the plot and that’s fine with Weir who likes playing characters with strong points of view, saying “It’s good to be bad!” He continues, “Villains don’t think they’re doing anything bad. They think they’re doing the best thing possible, albeit for themselves. So, it fun to play the cunning, sly and powerful antagonist who clearly gives an entirely different perspective to the story. Jafar has a singular goal, absolute power and this leads to his downfall.”
Playing Jafar does have it challenges admits Weir. For example, the elaborate make-up takes about 40 minutes to apply and his extravagant costume, while stunning, weighs in at twenty to twenty-five pounds. That’s a lot of fabric to be hauling around night after night. Weir says another of the huddles he faced in his interpretation of Jafar is “Jonathan Freeman, who originated the role, has a distinctive voice. So when I was recreating my Jafar, I knew a lot of the architecture, the image that people have of the character with his rich, deep voice. As a result my voice has dropped. The voice is a muscle, it stretches, it transforms so it has definitely gotten lower. Yeah, it’s a challenging role but Jafar is a great character to play because he’s an iconic Disney villain and he’s so richly drawn.”
There are a few other differences between the movie and what audiences see on stage. As noted above, Lago is no longer an animal and neither is Abu, the monkey who represented Aladdin’s three best friends. As Weir explains it, “Originally, in the interest of time, the friends were put in the trunk. When the musical was adapted to the stage, the script writers brought out the boys because they had all these great songs for them. In many ways, audiences are getting the intended version of the animated feature.”
Weir continues, “What’s stays the same is the carpet flies, there’s magic, fireworks, dazzle and bling onstage. Especially spectacular are the 350 plus costumes. In the dreamlike Prince Ali number there are 100 costume changes in less than a minute. So yeah, the show is spellbindingly brilliant.”
The moment in the show that resonates with Weir is the opening number “Arabian Nights” which he says “is the only time the entire company is on stage together. I like it that we are all there, singing to the audience as the characters are introduced by the narrator. It’s just a cool moment, all of us being together.”
Weir may savor the opening number and the creatively staged, swashbuckling “High Adventure” is his favorite song. However, the song/dance scene he watches from the wing is at the end of Act 1 when Genie explains to Aladdin about the three wishes. Weir says “Genie, Aladdin and the ensemble perform for about 13 minutes comprised of two songs. The ensemble just blasts their way through the two and one/half show with high spirits. The ensemble is the real engine of the show and that Act 1 finish is a powerhouse number, my favorite.”
“Aladdin” is a show that can be enjoyed by all ages. As Weir says “It’s got comedy that’s funny to kids and sophisticated humor that’s appealing to young couples. It has an adult theme about a young man wanting to make his departed mother proud and about a young couple falling in love. Most importantly its theme deals with coming of age and realizing truth, honesty and being real are what is important.
Weir is excited to sprinkle some of Disney’s magic dust on audiences at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. “Aladdin” will be playing at Segerstrom Hall, March 6 -23, 2019. For tickets and information: online, SCFTA.org; phone 714-556-2787; The Box Office, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Tom Logsdon recognized as an inventor of GPS technology
By David N. Young
In a ceremony nearly 50 years in the making, the Queen of England and the United States Air Force have honored 28 professionals for their collective contribution to the invention of a system of global positioning that has given society a tool to literally remake the way it operates.
Tom Logsdon, of Seal Beach, was one of those 28 inventors honored Friday at a special ceremony in Los Angeles. “It was such an honor to be recognized,” he said.
In addition to the presentations, the event premiered a documentary film, “The Lonely Halls,” which tells the story of GPS and Dr. Brad Parkinson, generally accepted as being the “Father of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Logsdon enjoyed an outstanding career at Rockwell (later Boeing) as a rocket scientist. He recognizes his good fortune in being given an essential assignment back when scientists and engineers were still exploring ways to coordinate satellites in space to provide exact positioning on earth.
In addition to the U.S. Air Force, Queen Elizabeth this week announced the “Queen’s Prize for Engineering” will go to the team of 28 inventors, even if only the top four (of which Logsdon was not one) shared a cash prize. Nevertheless, Logsdon is deeply touched by being named as one of the inventors of GPS.
“We have awarded the prize to [an American team of inventors] who have invented a system to enable all of us to know where we are, what time is it and where we are going,” said Lord Browne of Madingly, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Foundation.
“Everything in the modern world, more or less, today depends on this technology (gps),” he said, including transportation, banking, agriculture, medicine, and the “smart phones in our pockets.”
Back in 1973, however, it was a much different world; the internet was still a defense research project, computers were archaic, and maps were still printed on paper. It was a very long time ago.
Logsdon’s journey had begun in eastern Kentucky, quickly learning to do math magic at Springfield High School, then Eastern Kentucky University, then grad school at the University of Kentucky.
Out west, as the space race heated up, a coastal section of California from Huntington Beach to LAX began to attract America’s best and brightest to populate the incredible array of defense and technology companies engaged in the effort.
As a geometric mathematician, Logsdon got his start at McDonnel Douglas in Santa Monica. Later, at Rockwell, Logsdon remembers his date with destiny in 1973. “My boss called me in and said ‘I have an assignment for you.”
To hear Logsdon tell it, on a day when the Pentagon “was closed for some reason,” the lights in a conference room shone bright as top brass determined they needed a global positioning system using satellites.
They were going to ask for proposals and Rockwell, already a defense contractor, wanted in.
The conversation occurred between Logsdon and his boss, Dick Meston. “We are going to bid on a new satellite constellation,” said Meston, “and we have to be able to see four satellites at every point of the world all the time.” And, Meston told Logsdon, “they can’t be in a straight line across the sky.”
He told Logsdon he had five weeks to figure it out.
Despite the corporate pressure, Logsdon said he was smiling inside because he knew “this was the perfect assignment for a geometric mathematician.”
Assignment in hand, Logsdon went to work. Instead of reaching for his very basic computer or a slide rule, however, Logsdon pulled out his trademark oversize quad pad (4 times) and his color markers. For Logsdon, working in color helps to visualize complex equations and patterns.
Quickly, using equations, Logsdon figured out that the required satellites in the constellation “couldn’t be bunched up,” nor could they be “all on the horizon.”
Then came other challenges, how to figure out how long would it take for a satellite to lap other satellites in the projected orbits?
Given five weeks by Rockwell, Logsdon took only three days before the ‘eureka’ moment. Using a geometric math equation with no more than eight, maybe ten, symbols and enumerators, “ Logsdon figured how the satellites could orbit in a constellation and comply with the requirements necessary to triangulate and create geographic positioning on earth.
‘I just needed scattered geometry to solve this problem,” he said this week.
Logsdon’s “Rockwell Constellation” would eventually consist of three rings of eight orbiting satellites encapsulating the earth. The math magic he’d learned in Kentucky would, for the first time, provide the Pentagon, and eventually, the rest of us, with the orbital geometry necessary for a global positioning system.
Later, once his work was validated by the Pentagon, government contracts awarded to Rockwell and one-by-one, each of the satellites were eventually launched to take their place in the constellation Logsdon had etched onto his quad pad.
The Rockwell rocket scientist would go on to write two books on GPS and give more than 200 speeches around the world on the subject.
After determining the orbits, Logsdon had again used geometry and math to figure out the “force multiplying effects” that the GPS technology could add to various military and other missions. As the technology grew, so did the appetite for knowledge surrounding it and Logsdon was asked to speak from coast-to-coast.
Of course, Logsdon, now 81, has long since retired but is still active. He teaches four GPS courses and has written more than 20 books, including textbooks, GPS, and other subjects. His book, “Six simple creative solutions that shook the world,” became a best seller.
Even today, Logsdon still lectures on GPS and he’s now following newer, competitive technologies being developed by India, Russia, China, Japan and the European Union.
As a rocket scientist, Logsdon made many other contributions to the success of the American space program. He was recognized for increasing the performance of the Saturn V by nearly 5,000 pounds, saving the program $3.5 billion for its remaining missions (equivalent to the lifetime earnings of 1,000 Americans). He also helped masterminded a cryogenically cooled infrared Space Telescope for a Mars mission and other robotic missions headed to asteroids.
In a lighter moment, he once told an ABC television interviewer that the role of a trajectory mathematician was “before the flight, we predict where the space capsule will go. Then, after the flight, we try to explain why it didn’t go there.”
In one of his more notable years at Rockwell, when there were 44 projects turned in to the U.S. Air Force, Logsdon’s survivability assessment project was the only one of Rockwell’s projects to receive a rating of a perfect 10. After that, they nicknamed Logsdon “Bo Derek.”
For Logsdon, it was not about being perfect, but about smart. When given seemingly impossible tasks, he used his mind and color markers to make the world an easier place to navigate.
For the rest of us, we can be happy he found his way here from Eastern Kentucky so many years ago.
Courtesy photos
Mayor wants “work product” on fiscal sustainability
By David N. Young
While discussing the hiring of a consultant to come aboard to assist the city of Los Alamitos through its serious financial situation, Mayor Warren Kusomoto reminded city manager Bret Plumlee that he wants to know “everything” and that he wants to see a “work product,” not necessarily a “carved out” job for a consultant.
The exchange came after a presentation by Plumlee on the city’s ongoing efforts to address fiscal sustainability. At the city’s last meeting, it was disclosed that the city could be broken in seven years if the financial trajectory was not changed.
“You cannot overstate the importance of this,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Richard Murphy at the council’s last meeting, referring to the acknowledge of the city’s challenging financial situation. “This is bleak. The overall momentum is cascading against us,” he said.
Plumlee was updating the council on their ongoing meetings and strategy and said the city was “fortunate” that Professor David Cain was available to come aboard to help the city plan for the sustainable fiscal future.
Plumlee said the city had budgeted 220 hours for Cain this year and would make an allocation for 440 consulting hours next year should the city want to continue working with him. According to the staff report, Cain would be paid approximately $65 per hour.
“The City is fortunate to have Mr. David Cain available,” said Plumlee, adding that the former “will help us develop our long-term sustainability, community July – educating the community and I’m excited for the possibility.”
Plumlee’s written recommendation said Cain has more than 25 years of experience in leading Finance Departments and developing budgets and long-term fiscal sustainability plans and 45 years of professional managerial experience in both public and private sector finance.
In addition, Cain is the retired Director of Finance and Treasurer for the City of Fountain Valley. Professor David Cain teaches Public Budgeting and Financial Administration, Public Sector Labor Relations, Public Policy Analysis and Human Resource Management at CSUN, CSULB and CalPoly where he brings a practical approach to field of public finance, labor relations, public policy analysis and Human Resource Management, among a number of other qualifications.
Nevertheless, even though the Council had no objection to the recommendation, Kusumoto told Plumlee that “I would caution you” to ensure that any consultant hired on the project is qualified for delivering a result.
“When you start talking about the individual, I get a little bit uncomfortable,” said Kusomoto. “What I want you to understand is the relationship between the position and what we have to get out of it from a work product,” he said, “and how it interacts with the budget standing committee.”
“What this appears is like is that we carved out for a person to have work,” said Kusumoto, and “I know that was the furthest thing from your mind. But for clarity’s sake, we have a need to take an outsider’s view of what we do,” he said, and advised Plumlee to focus on the problem and refer to it as a “work product that you have to produce and this guy (Cain) can help you get there.”
Kusomoto further noted the seriousness of the situation by telling Plumlee “I want to know everything. “I want to see evidence of looking at every possibility,” said Kusomoto, including the possibility that the city outsources all services with contracts, considering the city’s “extraordinary problems.”
Kusumoto noted, however, that the “contract model” is an extreme solution.
While council members Shelley Hasselbrink and Mark Chirco are the city’s appointed representatives on the budget standing committee, Kusomoto made it clear, as did Murphy and member Dean Grose at the last meeting, they want to know every detail regarding the city’s options going forward so they can make informed decisions.
Plumlee said they were making “outstanding progress” developing a long-term plan and they are indeed “looking at everything (option).” With Cain’s help, said Plumlee, the task force will document every potentiality and eventually provide them to the Council – and the community – in a detailed document.
In other action, the city:
- Heard Chief Eric Nunez introduce newly appointed school resource officer Shawn Watkins and other newly sworn in officers D’Angelo Gossett, Mark Ryan Navarro, of Carson, Eddie Gonzales, of Orange, Kevin Steinhauser, of Long Beach and Records Specialist Veronica Wilson.
- Heard OC Human Relations Commission spokesperson Becky Esparza they were introducing new tools to enhance civil discourse in communities. “It’s more important now than ever before,” she said, because of the “strife locally and across our nation.”
- Heard Nunez say reports of crime across the board were down in Los Alamitos, except for aggravated assaults, which were up.
- Heard a report from James Peterson, Government Relations Manager for Southern California Edison, on its ongoing infrastructure improvements. He said the company serves approximately 27,000 commercial and residential customers in the city, including 16 circuits and 11 substations.
- Voted to approve parts of proposed changes in Residential parking permits, though they agreed to send the “Carrier Row” section back to the traffic commission for another review.