At the September meeting of the West Orange County Republican Women Federated (WOCRWF), the club members gathered to listen to keynote speaker Assemblyman Tri Ta, hear an update from Los Alamitos City Councilwoman Emily Hibard, and learn about the progress that the Orange County’s Election Integrity Group is making for the upcoming general election.

Assemblyman Ta presented an update of several Assembly Bills that were in discussion or had already passed and how the Californian Republicans caucus is strategically fighting for the safety and freedoms of California residents.

Assemblyman Ta shared that California and the United States have given him and his family so much, he believes it’s only right that in return he does his best to make life better for everyone. Tri Ta was elected to California’s Seventieth District in 2022. Prior to becoming an Assemblyman, Tri Ta made history by becoming the first Vietnamese-American mayor in the United States in 2012.

Emily Hibard, Los Alamitos City Council Member, provided an update on some of the major discussions happening at the council level and within the district she serves. She is grateful that she is able to meet regularly with her constituents to listen to concerns and make a positive impact within the community.

Pearl Boelter of Orange County’s Election Integrity Group spoke about the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) and how residents of each county can decide how voting is held. The VCA is not mandated by the State of California. The Orange County Board of Supervisors has the authority to opt out of the VCA and return to precinct voting. Since implementing large voting centers, overall voter participation has decreased. Utilizing the Registrar of Voter’s data, there was a 16% reduction in voter turnout in 2022. Orange County residents can contact their district County Supervisor to add this as an agenda item.

The WOCRWF will have a booth at the Cypress Festival on October 7 at Oak Knoll Park where the community will be able to find educational materials and learn more about the club’s activities and gatherings.

The West Orange County RWF’s next meeting is the third Saturday in October. There will be a keynote speaker and breakfast will be served. If you are interested in attending and meeting with like-minded women, contact West Orange County RWF by visiting our website at www.westorangecountyrwf.com.

The West Orange County Republican Women Federated (WOCRWF) has been serving our communities since 1962. The WOCRWF is part of the California Federation of Republican Women which was founded in 1925 and is a Diamond Award Grassroots club. If you are looking for a Conservative Republican club that is actively engaged in local, county, state and federal politics, this is the club for you.

The much-discussed plan to construct new pickleball courts in La Palma has been abandoned by the City Council after bids on the proposed construction project ballooned to over $700,000.

The La Palma City Council, now only meeting once per month, voted unanimously on Tuesday to look at alternative ways to provide pickleball courts rather than construct new ones on what is currently green space in Central Park.

Mayor Debbie Baker proposed the construction of new courts back in January during a meeting that saw support for the sport, but concern as well.
Despite concerns, even then, over the cost, Baker said pickleball courts are not a luxury item but “a good investment into the community.”

Council member Janet Keo Conklin agreed but stressed the Council should figure out how to make the courts “pay for themselves” over the long term.
In January, the Council voted to award a no-bid contract worth $66,000 to NUVIS Landscape Architecture to prepare bid documents, create designs, etc. to move the project forward.

While pickleball is arguably the most popular and fastest-growing sport in the country, finding places to play the sport, because of noise and other factors, is problematic.
In La Palma, the Council also faced opposition from local activist Robert Carruth, who claimed the city has no business destroying the green space in Central Park with pickleball courts.

“I have observed hundreds of people actively using that green space for a variety of activities,” he told the Council on Tuesday.

Pickleball does have supporters in La Palma. One of them, Toni Kochi, told the Council that “pickleball is a safe sport,” she said, adding “I have 10 knee replacements and I can’t play any other sport.” She explained to the Council the hardships experienced by local pickleball players as they try to find convenient places to play.

Most of the discussion, however, revolved around the cost after bids for the project came in at almost double the cost of staff and the professional estimate of NUVIS.

“Nuvis charged us $66,000 to provide some guidance and missed. I mean they struck out and put staff in a bad position,” said Keith Nelson during oral communications. “We need to look at our outside consultants and not rely on them all of the time.”

Nelson’s comments reflected the disappointment of the Council when bids came in suggesting the final cost to build pickleball courts in La Palma was $733,000. There were less expensive alternatives, but the Council unanimously agreed to seek other options.
“Pickleball is a great idea,” said Council member Nitesh Patel. He thanked Baker for “bringing Pickleball to us to look at options for the community.”

“But from the onset, I am on record saying that if the costs were outside of a range that we felt comfortable with, it’s something that would not be fiscally prudent,” said Patel.

He said the city was still better off “going the process” to see what might be possible for Pickleball but “It just doesn’t make sense right now. Costs have goine up, everything that has gone up and it’s a great idea because it is an emerging sport.”

“Our job is to go through the process and see what’s best for the community. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said, noting the Council should now explore other alternatives on the table.

“It’s a contractor’s market right now,” said Council member Mark Waldeman, who also expressed support for other alternatives.

As the Council began exploring repurposing its tennis courts and basketball courts, Mayor Pro-tem Marshall Goodman explained his concerns for making sure there was a noise barrier. “The sport (Pickleball) “tends to be a little bit on the noisy side.”

“I enjoy the fact that we have a lot of folks getting up and moving around a lot,” said Goodman, “but for the time being, the wait may be long, but not so long.”
“I do appreciate the mayor bringing this to the community,” said Conklin, but “we have to be fiscally responsible at the point.”
Mayor Baker agreed.

“I agree with all of my colleagues,” said Baker, “and you know, when we had originally looked at the design, we had thought we had an estimate where we thought the bids could possibly come in.”

“The bids came in at double what we originally thought so this is really disappointing,” she said.

City Manager Conal McNamara confirmed that a state grant of approximately $179,000 remains available for constructing a sound barrier or restriping existing courts in the city for Pickleball.

The Council directed staff to examine various alternatives to utilize existing city recreational assets to include Pickleball using either by repurposing existing tennis or basketball courts.

The 13U Black Pop Warner football team in Los Alamitos Pop Warner brought in a grievance counselor this week following the sudden death of Stanley “Stan” Guyness, one of their beloved coaches.

There are few details available surrounding the sudden loss of Guyness, but the team posted on social media that grievance counselors were called in to help the team cope.
“The team spent time with a grievance counselor who helped these young men work through their emotions,” the team posted.

“Our football family is heartbroken at the sudden passing of our dedicated coach and friend, Stan. Stan was a driving force in our football family and has taught our boys so much! He taught them how to dig deep and always give their best. Stan leaves behind four amazing children and his beautiful wife Meg,” the team statement said.

“Please help us provide some support to the Guyness family during this difficult time,” the team said, noting a GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family get through the most difficult time.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Aug. 31 warned Californians of fraudulent charitable and crowdfunding solicitations that may claim to help the victims of Maui’s recent wildfires.

Well-intentioned or otherwise, charities and crowdfunding pages formed overnight as a response to this crisis may lack the experience, contacts, and staff needed to respond to a disaster, or may be fraudulent. Before providing any monetary aid to those claiming to provide direct assistance to victims of this wildfire, Bonta urges Californians to take their time to research before giving.

“During this time of horrific devastation in Maui, we stand in solidarity with its people for their grievous suffering and loss,” said Bonta. “I encourage all Californians to extend a helping hand wherever possible, but be wary of potential scammers who might exploit your generosity and compassion. If you plan to donate resources or money, make sure to do your research on the charity or the crowdfunding organizer so your contributions can go to legitimate causes.

“If you believe that a charity or fundraiser has acted in bad faith, please report it immediately at oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints. As Californians do their part to give to those in need in Maui, we will do our part to protect the integrity of those donations from deceptive solicitations.”
Donation Tips

Check the Registration Status: Charities operating in California and fundraisers soliciting donations in California are required to register with the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts. They are also required to file annual financial reports, which are made available to the public. Before making a donation, make sure to confirm that the charity is registered and up-to-date with its financial reporting by searching the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts’ database, located here: https://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Search.aspx?facility=Y

Give to Organizations You Trust: Do your research before giving. Review how much the charity spends directly on the charitable cause and how much goes to overhead and employee compensation. If you choose to donate to a charity you are unfamiliar with, contact the charity and ask for information in writing about how it plans to support the Maui fire victims. You should also confirm the charity’s name, address, and its nonprofit status.

Be Wary of Social Network Fundraising or Crowdfunding: If you are planning to donate through a social network solicitation or through Internet platforms, first do some research. Find out if the money is going to a charity, to the platform, or to a person who set up the solicitation. Find out what percentage of your donation is going to the charity or for a charitable cause, and whether you will be charged a fee.

Don’t Be Pressured by Telemarketers. Ask Questions Before Donating: If you receive a call from a telemarketer, ask for the name of the fundraising organization, whether it is registered with the Attorney General’s Office, the name of the charity benefitting from the solicitation, how much of your donation will go to charity and how much to the telemarketer, and the direct telephone number of the charity. Don’t fall for pressure tactics or threats. Remember that you have the right to reject the donation appeal and if you feel pressured or threatened, just hang up.

Watch Out for Similar-Sounding Names, Web Addresses, and Other Deceptive Tactics: Fraudulent organizations may use names that closely resemble those of well-established charitable organizations to mislead donors. Look out for fraudulent websites that have a slightly different web address (URL) than that of a legitimate charitable organization. Similar-looking URLs are sometimes purchased by fraudsters to lure in would-be donors. These sites may ask you for personal information or install harmful material onto your device.

Understand the Difference Between “Tax-Exempt” and “Tax-Deductible”: Being a nonprofit does not mean the organization is exempt from taxation, or that your donation is tax-deductible. Generally, a tax-exempt organization is exempt from paying tax on its income and gifts, but may or may not be able to offer a charitable tax deduction to donors for their contributions.

If you are not sure whether your donation is tax-deductible, verify the charity’s tax-exempt status by using the tools and information located on the IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits

For more information on how to protect yourself and your donations, check out the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) donation tips webpage at http://oag.ca.gov/donations. Complaints against charities can be filed using DOJ’s charity complaint form, at http://oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints.