With a sprinkling of malaria cases already reported in the USA this year, mosquito control officials are being especially vigilant this year about asking residents to prepare for what could be a record reproductive year for mosquitos.
Aedes Albopictus, better known as the eighties mosquito, reproductive rates have increased significantly with newfound weather changes in Southern California.
“It’s going to be a bustling year,” Heather Hyland, director of communications at the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District, said. Recent rain raises intriguing concerns regarding breeding grounds for mosquitos. “New pockets of rain are wetting areas with mosquito eggs that are essentially dormant, when they come in contact with water, they hatch.” Although the Aedes Albopictus has been around for over 10 years via international trade cargo ships, weather changes, like an increase in rain, have caused a significantly elevated rate of mosquito larva production and a high frequency of mosquitoes in traps.
“This is the most [mosquitos] we’ve seen in 16 years,” Laura M. Krueger, Vector Ecologist, and Board Certified Entomologist at the Control District, said.
“Each [Aedes Albopictus] can plant an average of 400 eggs in a day, the former average mosquito per trap wad 59.0, currently we are seeing 114,” Hyland said. Although typical mosquito breeds are known to reproduce rapidly, laying about 100 eggs in a day in pools of water, above the waterline, this new strain of mosquito is much different. These mosquitos will lay eggs in virtually any space holding water: coffee pots, vases, buckets, etc.
“If the water in your pool has turned green, it may become a breeding ground for these new mosquitoes,” Kruger said. “The location has the ability to breed about 3 million new mosquitoes every month.”
The Aedes Albopictus transmit deadly diseases such as yellow fever viruses, dengue, chikungunya, and more. In addition, unlike other breeds of mosquitos, the Aedes Albopictus prefers human blood over any other mammal. While residents in Southern California should be worried about the dangers of the Aedes Albopictus, change starts with the readers, she said.
Identifying this umfamilar strain as well as methods for staying mosquito-free is the key to a healthy and happy life. The Aedes Albopictus are small, black mosquitos with white stripes. They mature in about one week from egg to adult; the immature larvae swim in stagnant water and look like tadpoles to the uneducated eye. In order to mitigate the number of bites, drill holes into the bottom of wall pots or bins to prevent stagnant water from occurring. Do not share any root plant cuttings if they are laid in water; sharing has the capacity to spread mosquito eggs and further the spread of dangerous invasive species. Even so, using insect repellent containing D.E.E.T., Picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil, or IR 3535, will hinder already mature mosquitos from biting users.
The Aedes Albopictus does pose a severe threat to SoCal residents, however, utilizing proper protocols given by the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District ensures individuals that infection may be prevented.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, five cases of malaria have already been reported this year, though all five patients have been successfully treated.
Locally acquired mosquito-borne malaria has not occurred in the United States since 2003 when eight cases of locally acquired P. vivax malaria were identified in Palm Beach County, FL Despite these cases, the risk of locally acquired malaria remains extremely low in the United States, the CDC said, but local OC officials are urging extreme mosquito caution this year.
Questions or facts about the Aedes Albopictus can be found on the Control District’s website.
The Los Alamitos Police Department has arrested a 20-year-old resident of Granada Hills and charged him with a variety of sex crimes in connection with a child exploitation case, according to the Los Alamitos Police Department.
According to Robert Acosta, public information officer for the department, officers arrested Taylor Dean Risner, 20, and charged with a number of sex crimes including luring a child for sex, possession of child pornography, meeting a minor for sex, the manufacture of child pornography and statutory rape and the case is still under investigation.
Acosta said the investigation and arrest occurred in Los Alamitos because Risner was employed at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Al and that one of the crimes for which Risner is now charged occurred in the city.
Acosta confirmed that the investigation began after the Los Alamitos Police Department received a call earlier this year on March 20 regarding the welfare check of a missing girl from the State of New Jersey.
Through a diligent investigation, it was revealed that the young girl had fallen victim to several sex crimes. Furthermore, it was discovered that Risner had also victimized another minor in the State of New Jersey.
“Through our investigation, it has come to our attention that Taylor Dean Risner was employed as a special needs aide for Gledhill Elementary in North Hills from August 2022 to March 2023. Among the children he interacted with were non-verbal autistic children. We share your concern in this discovery and understand that this news may be disturbing to anyone who might have an association with Gledhill Elementary,” the department said in a statement.
“The Los Alamitos Police Department would like to emphasize its commitment to the safety and well-being of children within our community. We take any crimes involving child exploitation very seriously. We want to assure the community that we are working closely with the school administration to gather all relevant details and provide support to ensure our schools are safe and nurturing spaces for our community’s youth,” said Police Chief Michael Claborn.
The Los Alamitos Police Department encourages anyone with additional information related to this case or any other potential victims to contact Detective Flynn at 562-431-2255 x422 or ef****@**************os.org.
“We understand the sensitive nature of these crimes, and all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and care,” the police chief said.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the dedicated investigators who worked on this case, as well as our law enforcement partners the Burlington County Prosecutors Office, in New Jersey. Together, we remain committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and holding offenders accountable,” he said in the statement.
Further updates on this case will be provided as they become available.
Summer Parks Program, provided by the Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services department, is now back in full swing! The Summer Parks program is a free drop-in program for ages 5-12 years old that takes place Monday through Friday from 10:30am to 4:00pm at alternating park locations. The program is held at Little Cottonwood Park on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and is held at Orville R. Lewis Jr. Park on Tuesday and Thursday. The program began June 12 and will run through August 11.
At Summer Parks Program, Recreation staff perform a variety of games and activities for participants to engage in. Weekly excursions begin July 5th and are completely free to participants.
Sign-ups take place one week before the excursion on Monday at Cottonwood Park and on Tuesday at Orville Lewis Park on a first come, first serve basis. The first 20 participants signed up at each park will be accepted. To be eligible to attend the excursion, participants must attend the program a minimum of two days a week (excluding excursion days). Excursions this summer include Scooter’s Jungle, Santa Ana Zoo, Cinemark Movie Theatre, Atlantis Park, Mother’s Beach, and Discovery Cube. Come on out and be a part of the Los Alamitos Summer Parks Program!
For additional information, please visit the Recreation & Community Services website at www.cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation or contact the Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department at (562) 430-1073.
Once again, the Annual Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach is set to open Friday, July 7 in the Irvine Bowl.
Diane Challis-Davy, the Pageant Director, said that “The Art Colony, which was established in the canyon of Laguna Beach during the early years of the 20th Century is the primary inspiration for the 2023 Pageant theme – the world-famous theatrical celebration of art – through the magic of tableaux vivants known as living pictures.
In 2019 Challis-Davy was honored as a female industry visionary by the Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) during its 10th annual Entertainment Technology Awards Ceremony in Beverly Hills, CA.
“Our technical team has been working in earnest since 2003 to bring the magic of digital imagery to our theatrical production, gradually making improvements and acquiring more advanced technical equipment year-by-year,” Challis-Davy shared. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized for our efforts and I anticipate working ever harder to further refine our production values into the future.”
Excitement continues to build as it gets closer to the annual Pageant of the Masters.
The Pageant is just days away and there’s still lots has to be accomplished before the opening night.
The famous art scenes have already been selected and set-building has begun for the magnificent 2,600-seatoutdoor amphitheater presentation, with a professional orchestra, original musical score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff and of course the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, who have won recognition for the Pageant to Masters as the best presentation of its kind anywhere in the world.
Auditions have been held and Challis-Davy and her team members have selected body-types that will match with the oil paintings, water colors and sculptures to be presented this summer.
Except for a very small paid staff, 500 volunteers are needed to make the show come to fruition and that’s where the many volunteers – come in, some volunteering for many years in a row because it’s so much fun. Volunteers say they become like family members during the duration of the show.
Each evening, volunteer cast members stay on the patio until they’re called inside, to sit in line, when it’s closer to their scene.
The Last Supper, by Leonardo DeVinci, the final scene of each evening’s presentation, is a hard gig to get into, as the men in those parts either have to pass away or move away to give up their part. Once cast as a Last Supper individual, that’s the part portrayed in continuity. They even have their own little club, according to the one man who portrays Christ in the Last Supper each year.
The Pageant is broadcast over the PA system with the voice of Richard Doyle as the narrator; this is the 90th anniversary of the first presentation of living pictures at the Festival of Arts.
Youngsters who are chosen to participate in the Pageant, grow up, get married and then bring their children to tryout at the Pageant too. It really is a family event for a lot of people, who drive far from distances, some even from out-of-state, a testament to how much people love being a part of such an incredible show.
The Pageant is set-up as a 501(c)3 foundation. The location is, Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, CA
For information and tickets, visit ti*****@***********nt.com or call 800-487-3378.
More than 500 educators, school workers and law enforcement representatives will have the opportunity to participate in dozens of workshops addressing critical school safety issues at the 14th annual Safe Schools Conference, which takes place Wednesday, July 12 through Friday, July 14 at Delta Hotels Anaheim Garden Grove.
Presented by former California Secretary of Education Dave Long through his firm, Dave Long & Associates, in collaboration with the Orange County Department of Education and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the three-day event was created to amplify best practices and to increase collaboration between the education and law enforcement communities.
This year’s conference is expected to draw administrators, police officers, school board members, counselors, youth service workers and other school and community leaders interested in the direct link between school safety, attendance and academic performance.
“Seeing representatives from the education and law enforcement communities gather in this collaborative environment is truly inspiring,” Long said. “Their shared commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is evident, and the work here highlights the power of collaboration in addressing critical school safety issues. It is through these collective efforts that we can create safer and more supportive environments for our young people to thrive.”
Breakout sessions will cover a wide range of topics including bullying and cyberbullying prevention, emergency preparedness, disaster response and recovery, mental health, threat assessments, drug trends, social media challenges, trauma-informed care, dropout prevention and human trafficking.
Each day will also bring participants together for a general session.
On Wednesday, July 12, Dr. Stephen Sroka will deliver a keynote presentation titled “School
Safety: It’s all about Relationships!” Sroka will emphasize the importance of trusted relationships, offering practical strategies, heartfelt stories and research-based insights on topics such as leadership, mental health, trauma-informed practices and creating a positive school climate, while highlighting the transformative power of teamwork and resilience.
On July 13, Special Agent Jeffrey R. Cugno from the Federal Bureau of Investigation will provide an overview of threats to educational environments, including targeted school violence, drug abuse, radicalization and human trafficking. Cugno will also discuss strategies and resources available through partnerships with the FBI, focusing on early warning behaviors, protective measures and mitigation efforts.
The final day will feature a panel discussion on the fentanyl crisis. Presenters will cover the risks associated with illicit fentanyl, outline developmentally appropriate prevention strategies and share resources aimed at protecting young people. Panelists will include Undersheriff Jeff Hallock from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Superior Court Judge Maria D. Hernandez, Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Brian Gunsolley, UCI Professor Dr. Elizabeth Cauffman and parent Amy Neville, who is president of the Alexander Neville Foundation.
Continuing an annual tradition, two community members will be named recipients of the Distinguished Safe Schools Award at the 2023 conference. This year’s honorees are Deputy Tyler Gish, a school resource officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and Dr. Stephen Bayne, director of risk management, insurance and safety for the Irvine Unified School District.
Delta Hotels Anaheim Garden Grove is located at 12021 Harbor Blvd. in Garden Grove. For more information on workshops, featured speakers or registration, visit safeschoolsconference.com, or contact OCDE Program Specialist Christine Laehle at 714-327-1067 or CL*****@**de.us.
Photo by John Underwood
City of Los Alamitos councilmember Shelly Hasselbrink recognizes the work done by the Los Al Museum for the renovation of its water/clocktower that since 1949 has stood at the rear of the museum, Hasselbrink presents to museum President Marylinn Poe a certificate of recognition for their persistent restoration work at the June 11 gathering.
Yehuda Lang, the Toronto-based Chasidic artist known for his fusion of bright colors and Jewish ideas, will be hosted at the Chabad of Los Alamitos for a unique Jewish art show and dinner event. The event will take place on July 16th at 4:00 PM at the Chabad House in Rossmoor.
Yehuda Lang’s artwork uniquely blends vivid colors and deep spiritual themes drawn from Chasidic traditions. Each piece exudes a sense of energy, spirituality, and creativity that has garnered Lang a devoted following and critical acclaim.
Lang will discuss the extensive collection of his artwork, featuring captivating paintings and prints that explore the intersection of tradition and contemporary art.
Proceeds of the Art Show will go to the Chabad of Los Alamitos, a local Jewish non-profit. To view the Lang Collection or for information on the event, visit www.ChabadLosAl.com or text or call Chabad at 714-828-1851.
Today was bittersweet for the Free Rein family, who said goodbye to one of their rescued mustangs. With very little coaxing the mare boarded the horse transporter taking her to Tennessee. She will join two new mustang brothers who were also Free Rein rescues, and their two-legged mom, Rocky.
Sapphire, whose coat gleams like an orange sapphire, was rescued by Free Rein Foundation two years ago. She is one of more than a dozen mustangs that have been rescued and rehomed by Free Rein in the past four years. Mustangs’ population in the wild doubles about every five years, which has led to an overpopulation and starvation crisis, as well as overgrazing and ecological deterioration.
Not all members of Free Rein’s eclectic herd of once-unwanted horses will be adopted into forever homes. Here, even the most senior horses are closely tended each day and serve a noble purpose: helping children and adults solve life’s struggles through equine-assisted services.
The non-profit, 70-volunteers-strong Free Rein Foundation began at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center in 2014 as a sanctuary for horses and humans. Certified professionals lead non-riding sessions of discovery between these highly sensitive creatures and men, women and children.
Each summer, Free Rein holds its signature event to raise the funds needed to sustain its mission and keep the horses well-fed. This year for the first time, on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 5:30 p.m., Free Rein will present “The Cattle Baron’s Ball” at the Red Horse Barn at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center.
“The enthusiasm of our volunteers in putting together a very unique event for our supporters and for new friends has been incredible,” says Justine Makoff, president and founder of Free Rein Foundation. The Yellowstone-themed Cattle Baron’s Ball will include fresh-air, sit-down dining; the James Kelly band; line dancing instruction; a Whiskey Game Room; live and silent auctions; a chance to meet the mustangs and miniature horses, and more. Funds raised are earmarked for pasture improvements that include small barns for miniature horses and better facilities for clients and students.
Cattle Baron’s Ball tickets are available by visiting freereinfoundation.org/event/cattle-barons-ball. For further information on the Cattle Baron’s Ball or Free Rein Foundation, please contact Equine Specialist and Manager Judy Alexander at ju**@****************on.org or 714-328-9923.
Offering an attractive ecosystem of over tens of millions of printers and scanners sold across more than 150 countries, Epson today announced it will be hosting its second U.S.-based “Epson Innovation Challenge,” offering developers a unique opportunity to partner with a trusted brand with global reach. Held in San Francisco, San Jose and remotely from July 12-20, the event challenges innovators to develop a working MVP (minimum viable product) concept using Epson Connect™ and an Epson printer or scanner. Applications are open now through July 5.
Epson is hosting its second U.S.-based “Epson Innovation Challenge;” applications now open for developers and startups.
“Epson is committed to providing an attractive platform for innovative partners to develop new solutions and user experiences on top of Epson’s print and scan products that will foster communication and collaboration while utilizing Epson Connect, our secure cloud service,” said Junkichi Yoshida, COO, Epson Printing Solutions.
Epson has built a global reputation for user-friendly precision hardware products that can be found anywhere from consumer homes, in education, small and medium businesses to government agencies. This Innovation Challenge gives developers a unique opportunity to integrate the Epson Connect API with their existing products or to build new solutions utilizing the power of the secure cloud service for scanning and printing, with access to millions of users. Sectors that can benefit from such solutions could include Healthcare, PropTech, Hybrid Work or to provide secure printing and scanning in InsurTech and Fintech.
“The Epson Innovation Challenge is a great opportunity for startups and innovators to rapidly test their creativity and pitch to Epson’s top management team, directly engaging with our Digital Innovation team and winning fantastic prizes,” said Jack Rieger, director, Digital Innovation, Epson America, Inc. “We are looking forward to the exchange of ideas in the developer community leveraging the Epson Connect secure cloud service through this hackathon series.”
Epson is working with San Francisco-based Foundry 415 Innovation Group, an experienced operator for startup accelerator and corporate innovation programs, to host the event. “We had an incredible group of startups in our first U.S. Challenge and are looking forward to this second Innovation Challenge,” said Christian Litsch, head of corporate innovation services, Foundry 415. “We’re very excited that Mr. Yoshida, COO, Epson Printing Solutions will be in San Francisco for the Demo Day. We’ve planned an exciting week packed with insightful workshops, including with renowned Demo Pitch Coach Nathan Gold, known to help Shark Tank appearances, TED talks and various startup teams deliver impactful presentations.”
The challenge awards (terms and conditions) include first, second and third place cash and Epson product prizes. Interested developers can find more information on the Epson Innovation Challenge website and can prepare by registering for an Epson Connect account.
About Foundry 415 Innovation Group
Foundry 415 is a Silicon Valley – San Francisco based innovation company accelerating the success of global corporate innovators and technology entrepreneurs. Our team has worked with 40+ global corporations to drive innovation results by uncovering new trends and opportunities, scouting cutting-edge startups for strategic partnership, investment or acquisition, and successfully piloting new business concepts. Alongside its consulting practice, Foundry 415 powers the growth of startups through impactful acceleration and landing-pad programs and offers custom executive education programs with a focus on innovation. Learn more at https://www.foundry415.com/.
About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1 trillion. global.epson.com/
Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com.
Before the Southland gave way to sprawling suburban rooftops and hissing lawns. Before the great arterial freeways that crisscross the landscape with the promise of going from anywhere to anywhere. Before the vast flood control systems and aqueducts made it all possible. Even before successive waves of Spaniards, Mexicans, and then the Americans overtook and harnessed the land we call the LA basin. . .. there were the Kizh.
Pronounced Keeche, and with a distinct language well distributed over the landscape across the LA basin and the island-hopping waterways along the coast, the Kizh people were a loosely banded grouping of native villages, often related by blood. Industrious and commerce-minded traders who ventured far to trade and develop complicated cultural alliances with other indigenous bands, while constantly adapting to the land and the perennially swollen waterways of the LA basin. They prospered in around an environment in balanced with nature- a kind of original California Dream. Subsequent colonizers however altered that landscape forever.
But the memory of those indigenous peoples, before the hand of the colonizer transformed the land and displaced its peoples, was captured and represented in conversation with two direct descendants of the original Kizh people who are still living and adapting to an ever challenging cultural and political landscape today. Identified as Gabrielenos, Tribal Chief Andy Salas and tribal biologist Mathew Teutimez carry the blood lines and the message of the Kizh people to public audiences across California. They recently presented their history and their current tribal challenges to a well-attended audience at the Los Alamitos museum.
Assisted by a constant flow of pictorial representations and historical documents displayed on an overhead screen Chief Andy and biologist Mathew painted for the audience a bucolic image of indigenous life on the savannahs and along the marshy reed lands and waterways of the LA Basin, and made their case for the direct lineage that ties the Kizh peoples to the Gabrielenos of today.
Both speakers were born and raised in the area of once Gabrieleno lands. From Malibu Creek to the San Gabriel Mountains, from Whittier to Los Alamitos, Kizh villages prospered. And, like many among the tribe, Andy and Mathew are directly related. They spoke of their own family heritage and customs handed down over many generations, all by the oral traditions they practice today. Their connection to ancestral Kizh culture and its influence on contemporary LA landscape can be seen in the development of the LA Basin in general. One example being the pattern of our roads and highways today, beyond the simple naming of streets and towns.
As Andy Salas pointed out to a full house of Museum docents and patrons, entire freeway and rail systems in So Cal were surveyed and built on an overlay of practical indigenous travel routes laid out by local indigenous traders long before Serra, Portola and Anza’s first expeditions.
Salas goes so far as to say if the Spaniards had not had the well-ordered trails and established trade routes of the first peoples to follow, “they’d still be in East LA eating out of taco trucks and looking for a route North to San Francisco.”
Photo by John Underwood The historic Los Alamitos Volunteer Fire Department water tower stands 4 stories majestically overlooking the main thoroughfares of the city.
On a more serious note, Salas and his university trained biologist co-presenter Mathew Teutimez make the ecological point that modern American engineers might have done well to heed the more collaborative way local Kizh people coexisted with mother nature and her periodic floods that inundated particularly what is now this area of Orange County rather than attempt to harness every overflowing waterway into a channeled rush to the sea. As Teutimez notes, “It’s supposed to flood here. . . . now almost all of our waterways are contaminated, whereas for thousands of years our ancestors enjoyed those rivers to fish and fresh water to drink. Now we have neither.” Similar departures from nature we are only beginning to see the cost of, he notes, such as our ill-conceived forestry management policies of the last 100 years.
In their all too short hourlong presentation at the museum on behalf of the Gabrieleno Tribe Salas and Teutimez gave us a glimpse into a world that once existed right here where we live- literally on top of the bones and relics of past peoples whose stewardship of the land still resonate as cautionary lessons for us today. Where the City of Los Alamitos now stands Mathew illustrated with renderings and maps the once thriving Kizh village of Puvunga ( in the Kizh vernacular the place of the cottonwood), one of a chain of indigenous communities north to Whittier Narrows who prospered along the freshwater tributaries that fed the San Gabriel River wetlands. Marshlands that once provided his ancestors all the resources they needed to thrive, and to replenish the soil and the water. Those wetlands are all but gone.
Teutimez spoke of attempts by his tribe collectively, and he as a biologist professionally, to re-educate and reintroduce natural local plant-based solutions for repairing some of the damage done by a century of urban sprawl and “modern” habitat management. Through his tribal nonprofit Laboratory for Indigenous Knowledge the ancient ways of local plant and arboreal uses for medicinal and ecological healing are being studied and applied by Mathew and his team to practical bioremediation projects, hopefully he adds, before they are lost to the modern world entirely.
Fortunately, this talk at least has been preserved on Los Al TV-3. Producer John Underwood was there to record highlights of the two Gabrielenos’ presentation airing now on Channel 3 cable TV, and on the website losaltv.org. Additional post presentation interview footage with the two gentlemen elaborating on Gabrieleno traditions and current tribal recognition efforts is also available on the website.
Included in this Los Al TV program called The Gabrielenos recorded at the museum, is a short dedication and city recognition for the museum’s newly restored old fire department water tower, transformed into a working clock tower that can be viewed from the Los Alamitos Boulevard. And yes, it does keep accurate time! See both presentations in this hour-long program on Los Al TV nightly at 5pm and at 8pm. The program can also be viewed on ROKU, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire platforms.
For the first time, the traditional Los Alamitos fireworks spectacular, which is precluded with live music, food, and fun, will be held on the evening before July 4 as preparations are being made for the Independence Day spectacular on July 3 at the Joint Forces Training Base.
The Los Alamitos City Council voted earlier this year to change the actual date of the fireworks show, traditionally held on July 4, to July 3 to allow service members at JFTB to be able to spend the Independence Day holiday with their families.
Therefore, the gates at JFTB will open at 4 p.m. July 3, live music and entertainment begins at 4:15 p.m. and gates will close at 8:45 p.m. so that the fireworks show can begin at 9 p.m., according to the City of Los Alamitos.
The event location remains the same. It will be held at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Lexington Drive in Los Alamitos.
Overall, the event will “honor the men and women of the military and celebrate our great nation at the 36th Annual UWS 3rd of July Fireworks Spectacular scheduled for Monday, July 3 from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the JFTB,” according to the city.
“This free event is offered in collaboration with the cities of Los Alamitos & Seal Beach and is hosted at the JFTB,” the city statement said.
“The event features live music from local band favorite Knyght Ryder in addition to the 40th Infantry Division Band, an expanded Family Fun Zone, including family-friendly entertainment and games, food and sales booths and spectacular fireworks show beginning promptly at 9:00 p.m.,” the city said in a press release.
As always, they promise the display will be “one of the best fireworks shows in Southern California.”
Gates will open at 4:00 p.m. via Lexington Drive off of Katella Avenue or Orangewood Avenue off of Los Alamitos Boulevard.
“There is no foot or bicycle traffic allowed, and all participants planning to enjoy the event must enter in a vehicle with a valid I.D. for those ages 16 and over. Youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
“Lawn chairs, blankets and shade are highly encouraged, as there is no seating or shade provided. As a reminder, no foot or bicycle traffic allowed.”
This event is free to the public thanks to the generosity of the following sponsors:
Title Sponsors – Universal Waster Systems
Premier Sponsors – Event-News Enterprise & Sun Newspapers
Rising Star Sponsors – MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, Sea Air Credit Union, The Shops at Rossmoor, the city said.
The Los Alamitos City Council approved its new fiscal year budget this week by a 3-2 vote after the two no votes expressed dismay at either the technical flaws in the budget and questionable items like “fancy trash cans.”
According to Finance Director Craig Koehler, the city’s proposed 2023-24 budget is $23.2 million, and the ‘24-‘25 proposed budget is $22.1 million.
Included in next year’s budget is a series of so-called capital improvement projects, which are generally improvement projects across the city.
The Council’s two newest members, Trisha Murphy and Emily Hibard, who at the last meeting voted against the adoption of the budget, had clearly not been able to resolve their differences as they peppered city staff with questions about seeming inaccuracies in the budget document and in some cases, some items that seemed overpriced.
“As a council, it is our responsibility to ensure that numerical errors do not repeatedly occur in the budget and that money received from the public is utilized responsibly, effectively and conservatively with the highest integrity as well,” said Murphy, who reminded the Council she has two decades of experience as a financial executive.
During the hours-long review of the 2023-24 budget document, which is hundreds of pages long, Murphy repeatedly pointed out what she considered to be inaccurate citations, math that did not add up, and misapplication of programs.
The questions, mostly directed at city manager Chet Simmons and Finance Director Craig Koehler, ranged from pension liabilities, police programs, and capital improvement projects (CIPs).
For instance, Murphy said “on page 773, it has Bloomfield Street improvement project pending measure L for 300,000. And then on page 750, it has Bloomfield Street improvement project $300,000 for the gas tax. Neither one of those pages referenced indicates that there is a sharing of different funding.”
Simmons said the Council was out of time to approve the budget, but he did suggest a process by which some of the programs in question could be re-evaluated.
“To the Council, if I can make a suggestion that I think might be helpful here. The budget itself, while we do have a requirement that it has to be approved by July 1, the opportunity to actually have the CIP list taken back and actually provide a full breakdown of where exactly all the different funds are coming from, I think might be beneficial for the council because it answers a lot of these questions,” said Simmons.
Hibard, meanwhile, questioned “vague” pricing and other items that seemed interesting.
“There is a line item on here for $250,000 for fancy trash cans. I grew up in Downey on the 710 freeway, it’s known as the corruption corridor, and whatever City’s corrupt it always starts with the trash. This stands out to me because of my experience in the corruption corridor. It looks like a kickback. How do we get to $250,000 for fancy trash cans that, to my understanding, nothing’s wrong with the current trash cans? But these would be fancy trash cans,” asked Hibard.
Also, said Hibard, “I was wondering if someone can explain to me the backup generator project and how we arrived at a whopping $650,000 for a generator (for the city).”
Development Services Director Ron Noda said this was only an estimate provided to the city by a qualified engineering firm.
A frustrated Council member, Shelley Hasselbrink, said the time for discussion was over.
“I’m just concerned because last month it failed because my colleagues needed more information and here it is, a month later, and they need more information and at some point we just need to start doing the business of the city,” said Hasselbrink.
“We didn’t require any further information,” said Murphy. I was actually informing every one of the inaccuracies and numerical errors that I located after discussing the budget,” she said.
“I took the time over the last month to discuss and ask the questions necessary. I took hours of my time and out of my family’s time to make sure that this is accurate for the community because this is their money,” she said.
Hibard asked Simmons if the Council could either split the items to vote on the budget or perhaps have a special meeting before July 1 so that all the questions could be answered.
“I think it’s going to take some time you all are going to have questions and then we will need to go back and cross-reference where exactly those questions come from, and I do believe that a lot of this has to do with making sure that we can break down each one of the different CIP projects for you. So I don’t see that being able to be done within 24 hours,” said Simmons.
Hibard actually made a motion to split the budget vote, seconded by Murphy, but it failed 2-3, with Haselbrink, Mayor Tanya Doby, and Mayor Pro-tem Jordan Nefulda voting against the motion.
Simmons told the Council that they would be in violation of the city charter if they did not approve a budget by July 1.
Ultimately, Hasselbrink moved the budget resolution and it passed 3-2, with Doby and Nefulda also voting yes, with Murphy and Hibard voting no.
“I think it is very irresponsible for the council to proceed with approving a budget that has terrible errors in it, because anyone who has reviewed any financials will know you will not approve anything if it is inaccurate. You don’t do that with any agreement. So, with that, I am just infuriated. I’m just going to say as (President) Ronald Reagan said,
As it always seems to be in California, water was the talk of the town in last week’s La Palma city council meeting. The members were given a presentation on the status of the city’s water quality, the most urgent topic brought up in a conference that otherwise included items such as a proposed contract regarding resurfacing basketball & tennis courts and an annual update on the police department’s military equipment.
The subject of water filtration was three-pronged, with varying degrees of severity pertaining to each. The least concerning is that of La Palma’s “brown water”, which has to do with higher levels of iron and manganese finding its way into the city’s wells. However, it was noted more than once that the current amount of iron and manganese found in La Palma’s groundwater is not harmful to the public’s health in anyway. The only consequences are cosmetic ones: brown stains caused by iron and blacker stains caused by manganese.
The same cannot be said for arsenic, a metalloid found in a number of rocks and minerals. Arsenic is considered harmful to human health in any form, which makes its presence more concerning than the previously stated amounts of iron and manganese. The city council was informed that the current levels of arsenic found in La Palma’s groundwater is inching close to California’s recommended limits of the element, and that the water will require treatment.
Also highlighted during the presentation was the subject of PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid), a man-made chemical found in countless household items such as cooking wares, fabric and food-packaging that can lead to illness when consumed. While PFOS wasn’t detected in La Palma’s groundwater when last checked in 2015, other nearby cities such as Anaheim have had to shut down some of their wells over PFOS levels. The city council was informed that a plan to tackle PFOS contamination is going to be proposed on a national level, that La Palma has several options of how to proceed once that national proposal is finalized, and that the city is already considering funding plans to implement whatever option is chosen.
“It’s a national issue, it’s a state-wide issue,” said Mayor Pro Tem Goodman. “I think we should jump on this”.
Apart from the update on the city’s water, one of the meeting’s items included an annual military equipment report required by California state law. Among the pieces of hardware that were mentioned as being in the possession of the La Palma Police Department during the 2022 calendar year included UAS devices (drones), an RV-converted into a mobile command center, multiple AR-15 rifles, and non-lethal beanbag shotgun. After the presentation was finished, the city council unanimously passed a motion to continue the current military equipment policy of transparency.
Also of importance was the item regarding the resurfacing of La Palma’s basketball and tennis courts. The discussion was brought to the council’s attention in order to debate the possibility of striping the basketball courts with pickleball striping. The award of contract discussed amounted to $84, 323, with an appropriation of additional funding totaling $43,450. After being provided with both the pros & cons of both options, the council ultimately decided to not stripe the basketball courts for pickleball, deciding to wait until separate pickleball courts are built to see if there is a demand for further locations.
Other topics brought up during the meeting were an update on that status of the usage of the city seal on official documents, an acknowledgement of Juneteenth, a presentation on relay events related to cancer awareness, and an announcement that the city council’s sound equipment is scheduled to be updated in August.
The team over at Los Alamitos Medical Center just ran a weeklong cereal drive to provide area children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer months through its Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive benefitting Summer Harvest Food Bank.
Courtesy photo LAMC nurses Hannah Matthews, Jessica Seckington and Kirsten Mesipam make a donation.
Many households rely on schools, food banks and other food programs to have access to the healthy meals they need to thrive. We recognize the importance of beginning each day with a nutritious breakfast and, through this drive, hope to help many in our community struggling with food insecurity. The team collected more than 2000 servings of cereal to share with the community!
“The donations we collected during our ‘Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive’ will help provide local children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer. I am grateful for the support of our staff in this effort,” said Kent Clayton, chief executive officer of Los Alamitos Medical Center. Good nutrition is essential to good health, and we want to help lead the fight against hunger in Los Alamitos.”
More U.S. military veterans in need can expect help as the Cypress Knights of Columbus Council 8599 at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church just completed its annual drive to provide wheelchairs to military veterans in need of the extra mobility.
Parish members and friends generously contributed just over $22,000, sufficient to purchase 125 wheelchairs to be donated to military veterans in the area.
Knights raising funds to purchase wheelchairs for vets. Courtesy photo
The Knights’ wheelchair program began in 2013, and since then, St. Irenaeus parish donations have purchased more than 1,500 wheelchairs for veterans.
Knights of Columbus Grand Knight Rick Tkach expressed heartfelt thanks to St. Irenaeus parishioners for their generosity, and said this is an excellent and rewarding example of coming together to help our military Veterans and recognize them for their service to our country. Tkach also extends thanks to the 20 Knights who conducted the contribution campaign.
Tkach added that donations for additional wheelchairs are still being accepted. You can donate online at the St. Irenaeus website https://sticypress.org/ go to Online Donations, and click on the KofC Wheelchair Drive.
Artist Greg Sutton, whose work has been featured at the Long Beach Public Library, will put on a one day exhibit on July 1, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the grand Parlor inside Huntington Terrace, 18800 Florida Street in Huntington Beach. The public is invited.
Sutton’s abstract horse. Courtesy photo
The exhibit will feature several pieces, including an abstract horse, elephants, cartoon characters and limited edition prints. Sutton’s Holiday Window Decorations were seen for years on businesses from Santa Monica to Dana Point. Many Seal Beach establishments featured his creative artwork for Halloween, Christmas and other holidays.
The former Los Alamitos Art Teacher is on leave for now and got his education at Long Beach City College, Cal State University Long Beach and at workshops by famed painters, Milford Zornes, Michael Daniel and Bill Anderson of Sunset Beach.
The fire alarm started about 6:45 on June 20th in the Council Chambers. Check out the video. It is head-spinning.
Staff was giving a report on their FOURTH attempt to fix errors in their 2021-22 Financial Report.
Hibard and Murphy heard the alarm too, and started warning people.
For 3 hours, Nefulda, Hasselbrink, and Doby were fuming, and then started chastising Hibard and Murphy for “Airing The Dirty Laundry in Public.”
I listened to Murphy and Hibard details dozens and dozens of errors, page by page, in BOTH the 2021-22 Financial Reports, and 2023-34 Budget, including a $700,000+ error in the Revenue Schedule that, if corrected, would provide the funding needed for the Police Chief, who practically begged the Council for money to retain his new recruits. Hibard and Murphy, are both professionally trained to manage money, read complicated financial documents, and run their own small businesses.
The City Finance Director was honest and open about mathematical errors, and he was also forthcoming that he only had 1 staff member to assist him, and the only other person who proof-read the Financial Reports was the City Manager.
The City Manager recommended that all of the errors could simply be corrected after the council approved his Recommendation to Pass the Budget.
NO.…it it is NOT acceptable to present a “DRAFT” with MULTIPLE errors to elected officials and expect them to VOTE to approve it. NO. NO. NO. Sloppy financial records leads to allegations of corruption and mismanagement. And after 3 attempts and failures, what makes anyone believe the Manager will get it right the 4th time?
The pubic should be aware that officially-approved financial records are required to be submitted to County, State and Federal Agencies to secure municipal financing. It is NOT “OK” for the elected officials to knowingly approve documents that contain errors. That is why Hibard and Murphy voted No.
What is so shocking, and what makes my brain want to explode, is that Nefulda, Doby and Hasselbrink could care less about the errors.
What bothered Doby the most was that the errors were made public. She suggested that when an error is found, just “call her”..she will take care of it. EXCUSE ME…MS. DOBY…. Your job is not to get your picture taken. YOU SHOULD BE THE ONE who finds the error and notifies the City Manager before the meeting. You failed again.
Perhaps, what annoyed or embarrassed Hasselbrink is that she was NOT the one who spotted the mistakes and corrected them before they were made public… ODD for someone whose job is to supervise finances as the “controller” for a Los Al based business.
And Nefulda, as usual, seems to not give a “DooDoo”, as Doby says. Nefulda was not elected, but appointed. He is just a pretty face planted in the seat so there are 5 votes to break a tie. He can watch TV and play games on his iPad during meetings and no one is the wiser, OR, MAYBE WE ARE?
All the mistakes made no difference. Nefulda, Doby and Hasselbrink voted to give the City Manager control over $3.2 in “surplus” taxpayer money; pass what the City Manager calls an “aggressive” Capital Improvement Budget of $7.5 Million, errors and all, and refused Hibard and Murphy’s request for an independent audit of the city’s finances.
The City Manager’s Budget Priority:
$250,000 for Designer Trash Cans
The alarm that went off in my head tells me that Los Alamitos is in big trouble.
2018 considers bankruptcy
2020 City Manager Hired
2020 Measure Y, City-sponsored sales tax increase;
$20,000,000 in long-term pension debt according to CalPERS – 2022
$3,200,000 in long term municipal debt – 2021-22
2021-2022 Financial Report still filled with errors
2022-23 Financial Report Pending – who knows IF there is a budget “surplus”
“Gravy” for Housing Developers
$250,000 for Designer Trash Cans
Police Chief asking for funding to retain recruits.
The proper course of action: instruct staff to make the corrections, and call a special meeting before June 30th to approve the corrected financial reports; council interviews and employs an outside accounting firm to audit the 2020 to 2023 finances, and assure the public and other government agencies that no errors exist; staff the Finance Department with sufficient and competent employees.
Carol Churchill
Los Alamitos
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A Los Alamitos police officer was among 19 others honored this past week at the U.S. Justice Department in our nation’s capital by America’s top law enforcement officer.
For Officer Marc Navarro, the epic award began with an improbable traffic stop near Rossmoor, and the innovative way he handled it, which landed him in the auditorium of the Justice Department on June 5.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland bestowed the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing to law enforcement officers and deputies from 15 jurisdictions across the country for efforts in criminal investigations, field operations, and innovations in community policing.
“Our mission is to uphold the rule of law to keep our country safe and protect civil rights,” said Garland, “but we do not, and we cannot do this work alone. Every day. Law enforcement officers across the country work to protect their communities.”
They forge and maintain strong community ties that are essential to ensuring public safety and they put their lives on the line to make their communities better places to live,” the attorney general said.
“We know that you shoulder the heaviest burden when it comes to protecting your communities. And we are proud to stand next to you and to work alongside you,” he told the 19 officers as he prepared to present each of them with a medal for their distinguished service.
“It is a special honor to recognize officers like today’s awardees, who represent the very best of this noble work,” said Garland.
Navarro attended the ceremony along with his family and Los Al Police Chief Michael Claborn, who nominated him for the award.
Hugh T. Clements, Director of the Office of Community Policing at the Justice Department, said Navarro’s work as a police officer often goes “above and beyond” the call of duty.
“Officer Navarro consistently embraces the concepts of Community Oriented Policing in every aspect of his work. His efforts to go above and beyond in the community frequently make him the recipient of letters of praise and gratitude from the community, whether it’s caring for his colleagues or showing his dedication to the community. Officer Navarro demonstrates the essence of community policing,” said Clements.
In an interview after the ceremony, Navarro said he was extremely honored, even though he was surprised when Chief Claborn told him he had been selected. Navarro was the only recipient from southern California.
“You know, my chief (Claborn) came up to me one day and he told me that I was in the running to win this award and I was like, okay, how like who … who nominated me,” Navarro said he told the Chief.
Attorney Gen. Merrick B. Garland presents medal to Los Alamitos Police Officer Marc Nsvarro. Courtesy photo
“I had no idea,” he said. “I guess someone wrote to DOJ,” he said.
Actually, it was a letter that jumpstarted the process, but not directly to DOJ. It all began months ago when Navarro, on patrol, saw a car buzz right through the red light on Katella. “Did you see that,” he said he asked his partner.
Navarro immediately flipped on his lights and gave chase.
“I pulled over a lady with her friend for the traffic violation,” he said. Navarro then did something that earned him among the nation’s highest law enforcement honors.
As the driver waited for the citation, Navarro began writing.
Instead of writing her a ticket, however, Navarro did something akin to a teachable moment.
“I got out my notepad and wrote her a brief note saying, you know, be aware of the signs, the traffic signals,” said Navarro, noting that he also wrote that “I care about your safety and the safety of others.”
“I drew a line at the bottom for her to sign it and put on a happy face emoji and handed it to her. She thought she was getting a ticket,” said Navarro.
What Navarro did not know is that the red-light runner was a lawyer, a former traffic judge and former Mayor of Signal Hill, Carol Churchill, of Rossmoor.
Churchill, in an interview, confirmed the incident and remembered it well.
“I was in the car with my niece. And we were driving home from Subway,” she said, not noticing the light but soon seeing the flashing police lights behind her.
“And I noticed the red light was behind me. And of course, I pulled over as fast as I could and said oh, shoot, I must have done something. And the officer got out of their car, and came up to my side of the car,” she said, “and the officer said something like, do you know that you went through a red light,” Churchill remembered.
“I did,” she wondered. “Because you didn’t even see it. He said, you just really went right through it. I said, oh my god, that was so stupid. I haven’t had a ticket in like a decade or more and you better go write me a ticket,” she told Navarro.
“He says, okay, can I have your driver’s license and insurance blah, blah, blah. So, I handed that to him. Annie (niece), on the other side of the car, and she said the police officer asked my niece ‘Is she okay’? She was, saying her aunt ‘is a really, really, good driver.”
Churchill said she saw the officer (Navarro) “walking up to me, and he’s very stern. He hands me a piece of paper and he goes, ‘I want you to read this, and I want you to sign it.’ And I looked at it says please be more careful when you’re driving. We want you to be safe,” said Churchill, who admits being astonished.
“Oh my god, that is so nice of you. So I signed it. I gave it back to him. And I still can’t believe he did that because I deserved the ticket,” she said.
“And I wrote a letter to the police chief (Chief Claborn),” said Churchill, suggesting his department was demonstrating really good community service.
“He knew I deserved a ticket,” Churchill said she told the Chief, but the officer told me ‘I didn’t give you the ticket because you told me the truth.’”
“That’s a remarkable thing to happen,” she said, when “the police officer goes if you’re honest with me, I’m going to give you a break if you don’t try and pull a fast one on me,” she said.
“So I basically wrote the police chief a letter and told him that I thought that he was doing a good job with creating community policing, which is really important.”
Claborn said recognition by the Attorney General recognizes a concept he has embraced since becoming Chief eighteen months ago.
“I have been the Chief of Police in the City of Los Alamitos for a year and a half. To have our organization recognized by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office for Community-Oriented Policing, in such a short amount of time, has been a humbling experience,”
“My first mandate to the Los Alamitos Police Department, upon my arrival, was to embrace Community Oriented Policing,” the police chief said. “I had personally seen its effects on a community during my tenure with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Santa Ana Police Department,” Claborn told ENE.
“The residents of Los Alamitos are nothing short of amazing. They enjoy raising their families in a safe community that prioritizes academics and youth athletics,” he added.
“Officer Navarro lives Community Oriented Policing, which is evident in his approach to the profession of police work. He has embraced the approach of treating citizens how he would want his family to be treated by law enforcement,” said Claborn.
Navarro, who joined the Los Al Police Department after graduating from Westwood College
in Criminal Justice in 2018, said overall, the award has taught him a lesson as well, thinking now “the way I’m doing my work is paying off.”
“You know, being a cop is hard. And you never know if you’re always doing the right thing,” said Navarro. “It’s a hard job. I always do what we call Monday morning quarterbacking. We always debrief on everything that I do and I always think about how I can do better. It’s just one of those things where it’s like, oh, man, winning this award made me feel like I’m actually doing something right.”
The City of Cypress is finally strong, but headwinds remain, the city’s Finance Director told the Council while explaining the new budget year that begins July 1.
“We are strong, and that’s really good,” Finance Director Matt Burton told the City Council at its June 12 meeting. “But at the same time, it seems like whenever we have good news and we’re in a good spot, there’s always something lurking around the corner that threatens our financial condition.”
According to the budget presented by Burton, the city expects revenues of $41.7 million for 2023-24, while budgeted expenditures are expected to come in at $37.6 million.
He said an additional $1.9 million will be taken from reserves to aid the city’s capital projects, but overall, he said the city is projecting an overall surplus of $500,000, compared to the current budget year, which is expected to come in at an $800,000 deficit.
“We’ve really turned the tables over the last year,” he said, suggesting that economic conditions are tenuous going forward.
“And for the year that we’re coming up upon, we’ve all heard about inflation. It’s really dominated the headlines for the last 18 months. And what we understand conceptually, what it means to the city basically everything we buy everything we do, everything we buy just costs more,” said Burton.
“We’re still figuring out what the exact impacts are going to be,” he added.
Burton said city government, in essence, is a “service organization” and “as such, people are getting more expensive to employ and we’re finding that it’s getting harder to identify and find qualified applicants” for city positions.
“And this extends not only to our employee base but also when we hire contractors to perform some of the services as well,” he said.
“Realistically, in periods of high inflation, you know, our revenues can’t keep pace. And then, that will only be exacerbated if we go into some sort of a recession,” said Burton.
Despite the headwinds, Burton said Cypress remains on a very solid financial footing.
“But I don’t want to let these uncertainties and fears mask over the fact that we do remain financially healthy and stable,” the city’s finance director said, “but we do have to keep in the back of our minds that inflation and recession are not allies of the city.”
In addition, he said the city would unveil an online budgeting tool in July that will allow citizens to keep track of the budget.
He said the new system will include two components, which is a general online budget with colors and graphics to assist onlookers as well as a tool that built for “drilling in to see more details of the budget.”
I’m not sure there’s going to be an overwhelming demand for that,” said Burton, “but that’s not the point. The point is it’s there for anyone who is interested, and it really gives people more convenient and easy access to information.”
The Los Alamitos Unified School District proudly announces that the Rossmoor Homeowners Association (RHA) has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 District Hero of the Heart Award. The Board of Education presented the award to RHA at the Tuesday, June 13, 2023, Board of Education Meeting. This award recognizes the outstanding commitment, unwavering support, and invaluable partnership between RHA and Los Alamitos USD.
Dr. Andrew Pulver, Superintendent of the Los Alamitos Unified School District, expressed his admiration for RHA, stating, “The Rossmoor Homeowners Association’s dedication to education and community engagement is truly inspiring. Their unwavering support and commitment have made a lasting impact on the lives of our students, teachers, and administrators. We are incredibly grateful for RHA’s exceptional contributions to our district.”
RHA has demonstrated its commitment to the Los Alamitos Unified School District through various initiatives that have positively impacted the educational experience for all involved. Some key areas of collaboration include:
Annual Senior Parade: RHA initiated the Senior Parade in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented seniors from having a formal graduation ceremony. Following public health guidance, the parade provided an opportunity for students and the community to honor their accomplishments. This beloved tradition has now entered its fourth year, serving as a testament to RHA’s leadership, support, and organization in establishing a new and cherished senior tradition.
Staff Appreciation: RHA has consistently shown appreciation for the district’s teachers and staff by organizing lunches and celebrating staff appreciation week. Recognizing the tireless efforts of educators is vital, and RHA’s support in this area has fostered a culture of gratitude and support within the district.
Scholarships: RHA’s commitment to investing in the future of students is commendable. By providing scholarships, RHA honors students and positively impacts their lives, enabling them to pursue their educational aspirations.
Community Engagement: RHA’s collaboration with the district extends beyond the school walls. Their active involvement in community events and outreach programs has forged strong bonds between educational institutions and the wider community. RHA’s dedication to disseminating information about the district through various channels, including social media platforms and newsletters, has been instrumental in fostering engagement and unity. Additionally, RHA’s efforts to prioritize student safety during travel to and from school have been greatly appreciated.
Los Alamitos School Board President Mr. Chris Forehan added, “The enduring partnership between the Los Alamitos Unified School District and RHA has made a profound and lasting difference in the lives of students, teachers, and administrators. RHA’s dedication to education and community betterment inspires all, and the Hero of the Heart Award is a symbol of profound gratitude for their exceptional contributions.”
