Nearly everyone wants to save more money, including when it comes to paying for medical care. To help encourage that, various recent federal regulations have spurred a greater focus on health care cost transparency, both by hospitals and health plans.
For instance, the No Surprises Act is designed to help reduce the likelihood of people receiving an unexpectedly large medical bill, something that more than half of Americans have experienced. Other recent regulations require hospitals to post prices online, while health insurers have been mandated to do the same.
While these efforts offer important protections, there are various other ways to help avoid an unexpected medical bill. Here are five strategies to consider:
Comparison shop based on quality and cost. Health plans are now required to publicly disclose contracted rates with health care providers and facilities, with additional requirements for more consumer-friendly disclosures slated to start in 2023. Fortunately, some health plans already offer transparency resources featuring quality and cost information, available online, via a mobile app or through customer service. Before scheduling a medical appointment, check with your health plan to review quality and cost information, ideally for estimates based on actual contracted rates and customized based on your individual plan.
Stay in-network. While the No Surprises Act helps reduce the chance you will be left with a big bill if an out-of-network provider is involved with your care, it’s important to always start with in-network health care professionals and facilities for nonemergency care. That includes when referred by a primary care physician to labs for bloodwork, imaging (e.g., MRIs) and other tests. To help reduce the risk of surprise charges, some health plans are proactively contacting members before they go out of network, sending a text message, emailing or calling to notify them about more affordable in-network options.
Recognize remaining risks. Even with upfront research, there are still a few potential risks to be aware of. Many health plans cover preventive services, such as wellness visits, mammograms or colonoscopies. However, some advanced screenings may not be considered preventive services and can result in an out-of-pocket charge. To help avoid that, confirm with your health plan that any services or tests are covered under your benefits, potentially working with your care provider to complete a preauthorization form in advance.
Negotiate surprise bills. In the event of a surprise bill, talk with the support staff at the hospital or doctor’s office to request that the charge be waived or reduced. If needed, some health plans offer access to resolution support to help negotiate on behalf of members with hospitals and care providers. If you receive a surprise bill from an out-of-network care provider, call the number on the back of your insurance ID card to alert your health plan and check on assistance.
Consider plans with upfront pricing. Rather than receiving medical care and then waiting for the bill to arrive weeks or months later, some new health plans enable members to review – and pay for – out-of-pocket expenses before medical care is delivered. The goal is to make navigating the health system simpler and more transparent, in part by eliminating deductibles and using clear pricing to encourage people to select quality, cost-efficient health care providers and facilities.
In view of increasing price sensitivity due to rising inflation and other factors, considering these strategies may help contribute to your physical and financial well-being while reducing the risk of a surprise medical bill.
Dr. Donna O’Shea is chief medical officer of population health, UnitedHealthcare located in Cypress
As inflation causes us all to stretch our dollars, the majority of Americans – including Orange County residents – are likely focused on finding the best prices without sacrificing quality. Healthcare can be expensive, so picking the right insurance plan that meets your
individual or family needs can be critical to maintaining a balanced budget.
Right now – during the Annual Election Period Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 – people eligible for Medicare have the opportunity to select a plan that provides the affordability, convenience and benefits they want as well as the quality healthcare they deserve.
For the more than 498,000 individuals in Orange County who can rely on Medicare for their health insurance, I encourage you to make a list of what’s necessary to have in your plan and then think about what else you’d like to have included.
• Network of doctors and hospitals. If you have specific doctors and hospitals you prefer, make sure they are in network for the plan you select.
• More than medical coverage. Determine what benefits are important to you, based on your health status and medication requirements. Do you want dental, vision and hearing coverage? What about prescription drug coverage?
• Additional benefits. If you need transportation assistance to and from doctors’ appointments; allowances to cover out-of-pocket dental, vision or hearing expenses; access to fitness programs; or services to support your mental health, these are all considerations when selecting a plan. If you’re interested in receiving care in your home, consider looking into a Medicare Advantage plan with providers that can provide care in the home, like CenterWell Home Health which provides care in the home for those with acute or chronic health issues.
• Prescription drug coverage. Prescription drug coverage is included in many Medicare Advantage plans, but it is not part of original Medicare. Have a list of your medications handy, so you can compare estimated prescription costs as you evaluate plan options. Some plans even offer $0 copays for prescriptions.
Your list will help you determine if original Medicare or Medicare Advantage would best fit your lifestyle.
With all-in-one plans that include dental, vision, hearing and prescription drug coverage in addition to consumer savings of nearly $2,000 per year compared with what beneficiaries pay in original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans are increasing in popularity every year.
Take time now to research your options. There are many new Medicare Advantage offerings this year, so it is worth taking the time to evaluate your options to find the best plan for your healthcare needs – and your wallet.
The Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov can help compare plans, benefits and get an estimated cost for each plan. For more information, visit www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, seven days a week (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048). Additionally, you can learn about Humana plans, which are recommended by USAA, by going to www.Humana.com/Medicare or calling 1-888-372-2614 (TTY: 711) 8.am-8 p.m., seven days a week to speak with a licensed sales agent.
Additional Information
Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, HMO SNP, PPO, PPO SNP AND PFFS organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal.
Rick Beavin is California Medicare President, Humana
With an emphasis on its schools focusing on basic studies that give students the strong foundation needed throughout their education, Keep Cypress United endorses incumbent Sandra Lee and Jon Peat for Cypress School District Board of Trustees.
Keep Cypress United, a diverse and growing non-partisan group of Cypress residents, wants its school board of trustees to focus on preparing students for high school and/or trade school or college. This requires a meaningful education that highlights subjects needed to compete in today’s advanced technological environment, not feel-good politically correct theories. Students today need a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (known as STEM).
Most people who move to the Cypress (whether it’s to rent or own) put education high on their list of reasons to move to our city of 50,000 residents. Keep Cypress United members believe that by re-electing Sandra Lee and electing Jon Peat, the Cypress School District Board of Trustees will be focused on providing our children with the education needed to successfully navigate their education to reach their professional goals.
Keep Cypress United, a diverse and growing non-partisan group of Cypress residents, wants to congratulate the Cypress City Council for being awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 36th consecutive year.
We are also very disappointed that the Event-NewsEnterprise did not feature an article about the fantastic Cypress Community Festival. How can your newspaper claim to serve the City of Cypress when you failed to mention one of the city’s biggest events of the year? Keep Cypress United had a booth at the Cypress Community Festival where we talked to many residents who were excited to learn there is a growing group of fellow residents who share their views about this wonderful Cypress.
Again, congratulations to our outstanding Cypress City Council for being awarded the Certificate of Achievement in Excellence in Financial Reporting.
Sincerely,
Keep Cypress United
Founding Members:
Pearl Boelter, Dennis Brandt, Glenn Buttons, Clare Chu, Beth Culver, Robin Itzler, Harumi Lucak
In what the victim’s family characterized as a “senseless” act of violence, a 43-year-old man is dead this week and a 20-year-old woman is in jail accused of his murder.
“This action showed a complete disregard for human life,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will ensure that this random act of violence targeting a stranger will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Authorities say woman has been charged with murder after running over Victor Anthony Luis, 43, because she believed he had tried to run over a cat in Cypress on Sunday Police say the man later died as a result of being run over by the woman after she confronted him in the street.
Hannah Star Esser, 20, has been charged with one felony count of murder. She faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life if convicted.
Spitzer’s office said Esser is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. at the Stephen K. Tamura Justice Center in Westminster. She is being held on $1 million bail, his office said.
According to a statement issued by investigators, here is what they believe happened.
“On Sunday, September 25, 2022, at approximately 8:23 p.m. Esser is accused of driving in the 9700 block of Graham Street in Cypress when she confronted a man she believed was trying to run over a cat in the street.”
Esser is accused of getting out of her vehicle and with her phone, recording the confrontation that included profanity and accusations that the man, later identified as Luis, was trying to run over the cat.
They say Luis got out of his vehicle to confront Esser in the street.
Esser is accused of getting back in her car, continuing to argue with Victor before driving off. Instead of continuing away from Victor and out of the area, Esser made a 3-point turn to drive and drove back towards Victor in the direction of a cul-de-sac.
The 20-year-old then made a U-turn, accelerated and drove directly at Victor, investigators say. Esser is accused of intentionally driving into Victor, striking him with the right front of her car. Victor was launched up onto the hood and windshield and flipped several times before he landed in the street. Victor was pronounced dead at the scene.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Dave Porter of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting the case and the Cypress Police Department is handing the investigation, the District Attorney’s office said.
The ENE has reached out to the Cypress Police Department for further comment.
The family issued a statement which was posted to the GoFundMe site they launched to help pay for Luis’ funeral expense.
“On Sunday September 25th, we lost Victor Anthony Luis in a tragic and senseless act of violence,” the family said.
“He was a gentle soul as 0well as a loving son, father, and brother who did not deserve this. He leaves behind a loving family and five daughters. Any help will go towards his funeral expenses and family.”
Persons wanting to contribute can reach the fundraiser via the link below.
We’re getting a better idea of what a new, second gymnasium on the Los Alamitos High School campus could look like and how much it might cost.
Currently in its design phase, the public got an update on the project during the September 20 Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education workshop. C.J. Knowland, the district’s Director of Facilities, Maintenance and Operations and Transportation, outlined the latest developments on the construction of the second gymnasium that is intended to serve basketball, volleyball and other sports teams as well as host assemblies and events.
It’s slated to be the final large-scale construction project paid for with Measure G bond money. That’s the $97 million bond measure local voters in Rossmoor, Seal Beach and Los Alamitos passed in 2018. Measure G already financed a new aquatics facility and the new multistory STEM building at LAHS. Funds from the 2008-approved Measure K bond measure were also used.
After a previous board meeting in March, it was clear that the board was going to have to make some tough decisions regarding the scope of the gymnasium project. The hope was to build a roughly 38,000-square-foot competition facility with three courts, bleachers for 2,000 people, multiple team rooms, a weight room, a ticket window and concession stand.
But with construction costs skyrocketing, the original $21 million budget is no longer enough. Board members ended the March discussion by asking for more consultation with high school staff before making decisions.
At the Sept. 20 meeting, Knowland had an update on what was called the Griffin Center. He said construction costs have continued to rise and increased by 35.6% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
“That really makes things a little bit difficult as we’re trying to whittle our price down,” Knowland said and added, “It’s a constant battle. We’re hoping it improves. It looks like it’s plateauing but only time will tell.”
Courtesy photo Renderings of a new second gymnasium at Los Alamitos High School. Construction on the project could begin in the summer of 2023. Courtesy of Los Alamitos USD.
After speaking with stakeholders and looking at cost estimates from three general contractors and an estimating firm, Knowland said the plan is to reduce the overall size of the gymnasium and to break the project into two phases. The first phase would be the bulk of the project building a roughly 30,000-square-foot facility with the three courts, team rooms, restrooms and a concession stand. Phase two would add the weight room and outdoor fitness to bring the total size to around 33,300-square-feet.
The total projected cost for both phases of the project, including with estimated contingencies, is around $28,500,000, according to Knowland.
Superintendent Andrew Pulver, Ed.D., said it was hard to make any decisions about the costs until a cash flow analysis is completed, which is expected soon. He anticipated perhaps $500,000 being rolled over from the other big bond-financed projects once they are closed out. And he also talked about the possibility of getting matching funds from other government sources.
“We don’t know anything about matching funds yet but we certainly are applying for all of that as much as possible,” Pulver said.
Construction on the second gymnasium could start by the summer of 2023 with a possible duration of 18 months, according to Knowland.
Want to read more education news? Subscribe to the Spotlight Schools email newsletter at SpotlightSchools.com.
The Cypress City Council has again voted to approve a censure resolution against Cypress Councilmember Frances Marquez after they claimed a visit to Cypress High school was a violation of the city’s civility, conduct and governance code.
“Rather than educate students about their city government, “Council Member Marquez used her office to subject students to campaign pitches and inappropriate requests for political support,” said Mayor Paulo Morales who supported the censure.
Notably the second censure Marquez has received since June, the resolution was facilitated in a 4-1 vote during the regular council meeting on Sept. 26, resulting in Marquez’s salary and stipend suspension for the remainder of the year.
In addition, the censure called for Marquez to issue a formal apology to the Anaheim Union High School District and Cypress High School and revoke her appointments to the Orange County Council of Governments General Assembly, the Southern California Association of Governments General Assembly, and the City of Cypress Veteran Recognition Ad Hoc Subcommittee.
“Weeks of complaints” from parents accusing Marquez of indoctrination and unethical campaign practices reportedly drove the city into action for censure, said the city in a press release issued almost immediately by a PR firm hired by the city.
The complaints stemmed from a two-day presentation series last month involving Marquez and two candidates running for positions in Cypress—Helen Le, for Cypress City Council and Troy Tanaka, for Cypress School Board.
Speaking to senior students enrolled in government class, the purpose of the visit was to benefit the students by fostering civic engagement and community service–two objectives which were agreed upon by the school beforehand.
Accordingly, in an effort to engage students, Marquez said she spoke candidly to classrooms about issues going on within the city while simultaneously proposing an opportunity for community service via campaign volunteering.
Yet, Cypress resident and parent Brittany Cook believes that although young people “have the right” to know what is going on with local politics, the classroom is not “the place” for such discussions to be held.
“As a parent, if my child is not eighteen, then that is no one’s job but me,” said Cook in respone to Marquez informing students on local government matters.
Additionally, city officials say it was a violation of her position to use public resources for campaigning.
Based on reports, the campaign material was passed out by candidates to allow students to create their own opinion on whether to volunteer before signing up.
“Students and parents reported that Council Member Marquez and the candidates handed out campaign flyers and cards promoting the candidates, asked students to take the cards home and discuss them with their parents, to not throw them away because they were expensive,
The Los Alamitos High School varsity football Griffins hit the road this week heading south to play Newport Harbor High School.
The bad blood between the two schools added some intrigue to a game that was, for all intents and purposes, a mismatch. Even though the Sept. 30 game played out just as you would have expected, 61-21, there were plenty of storylines to pique the fans interest.
Outstanding receiver Makai Lemon pulls another one down against HH. Photo by Marja Bene
T.A. Cunningham & Nehemiah Sagiao both played in their first game of the year for Los Alamitos, in the hopes of improving what many would call the only weakness the team has; stopping the run. Cunningham is the highly touted defensive end and Sagiao is an outside linebacker, both of whom were cleared by CIF-SS after sitting out five games for transferring to Los Alamitos. Cunningham transferred from Johns Creek, Georgia and Sagiao transferred from St. John Bosco in Bellflower.
Sagiao, the Campbell University commit, was quoted as saying, “The coaching staff had a great game plan and we executed it.” Unfortunately, Sagiao had to leave the game early due to an injury, but added, “I will keep fighting and continue to work hard and trust the process.”
The Los Alamitos Griffins offense is a well-oiled machine racking up eight touchdowns, 566 yards of offense, and averaging just over 14 yards per play. Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon continue to prove they are the best quarterback and wide receiver combination in the nation.
Los Alamitos defenders, including Liki Lotulelei (#66), Gavin Porch (#2), and Sirr Bible (#18), smother a Newport Harbor run play. Photo by Marja Bene
Nelson went 14/24 for 248 yards, three touchdowns, and a two-point conversion. Makai Lemon is continuing to prove that nobody can stop him, especially when Nelson is at quarterback. The dynamic duo has been playing football together since they were children and will continue to do so at USC next season.
Damien Henderson, not to be outdone, has been on fire lately. Last week he was the Orange County athlete of the week with 305 yards rushing and five touchdowns. This week he had a paltry 167 yards rushing and three touchdowns. As a team, the Griffins averaged more than 21 yards per rush attempt.
The Griffins are on the road again this week to play the Corona Del Mar Sea Kings at Davidson Field in Newport Beach. The game will be played on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Please come out and support the team.
In a special meeting this week, the Los Alamitos City Council voted unanimously to appoint a replacement for the late Council member Ronald Bates, who died suddenly last month.
Bates had more than two years left on his term in office at the time of his death, said city clerk Windy Quintanar said.
Per the city charter, she City Council would have to appoint someone with 60 days or call a special election at the next available date, which would be March 7, 2023, she told the Council in the special zoom meeting.
“If the council chooses to call a special election,” said Quintanar, “a special staff report will be presented at a later date,” she added.
Before the Council discussion, the city clerk said no members of the public registered to speak during the special meeting’s oral communications.
So we have two options, do we have any discussion or do we go straight to a vote,” asked Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink.
Council member Mark Chirco, who began his career by being appointed to the Council, as was Tanya Doby, but both have now been elected by voters in their respective Council districts.
“I know we’ve done this successfully in the past,” said Chirco, referring to appointing Council members. “But if we decide to do a special election, it would be costly, it wouldn’t be for another six months, we’re not even sure if anyone would run so that’s a long time to be without a fifth Council member,” he said.
Quintanar told Chirco that a special election could cost the city about $12,000 if they held it in conjunction with another county election.
“So, I’m in favor of appointing a replacement Council member,” he said.
Chirco recently made a surprise announcement that he would not be seeking re-election on Nov. 8. Therefore, there will be three new Council members when the election winners are sworn in.
Both Council member Jordan Nefulda and Doby said they also agreed with the appointment, so a motion passed unanimously to have the city Council appoint a replacement to fill Bates’ unexpired term.
Hasselbrink said the city has set a special meeting on Oct. 24 to interview candidates who have expressed interest in serving. The only prerequisite for the position is having to be resident of the city and a registered voter.
The Council members seemed to have expressed interest in interviewing applicants on Oct. 24, then appointing on the same night a replacement to fill the seat until the next election. Quintanar said the city has until Nov. 24 to make the appointment but “it would be advisable to appoint that evening.”
Here is the process established by the city after the meeting for interested applicants.
On September 26, 2022, the City Council voted to appoint a member to fill the vacant City Council seat in District 2. The position will serve until the next General Municipal Election on November 5, 2024.
The City Council is the legislative body of the City and is composed of five (5) members who serve by District. Council Members are elected by the registered voters of the respective District. The City Council meets the third Monday of every month at 6:00 p.m.
Special meetings are called as needed. Interested parties are encouraged to apply for the vacant City Council seat. To qualify for considerations, you must be a registered voter in District 2 in the City of Los Alamitos and submit a cover letter, application, and resume to the City Clerk’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
Postmarks will not be accepted. Upon successful submittal of your cover letter, application, and resume, the City Clerk’s Office will verify you are a registered voter in District 2. After verification, you will be sent a list of interview questions.
Each verified applicant will be invited to interview in front of the City Council at an open televised meeting of the City Council. Council has scheduled interviews for Monday, October 24, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber located at 3191 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos, CA 90720. Applicants will be allowed 30 minutes to address the City Council. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (562) 431-3538 ext. 220 or via email at wq********@***************os.org.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors expressed their gratitude today after the announcement that Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1595 into law.
“This is an historic day in Orange County for our Orange County veterans, their families and their loved ones,” said Chairman Doug Chaffee, Fourth District. “Due to the Governor’s and Assemblymember Quirk-Silva’s dedication to our County’s veterans, we are so much closer to making this cemetery a reality.”
Authored by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, the bill sponsored by the County of Orange allows the California Department of Veterans Affairs (Cal Vet) to study, acquire, design, develop, construct and equip a state-owned and state-operated Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Orange County. As this legislation contains an urgency clause, AB 1595 became law immediately upon the Governor’s signature.
“Our Veterans, allied Veterans, and first responders have always had our backs, and it’s time we have theirs,” said Supervisor Donald P. Wagner of the Third District. “It was an honor to lead the bipartisan coalition with our Veterans and community. A local Veterans cemetery reflects not only our military history, but a vision for the future: service, respect, and love of country.”
Under AB 1595, any local governmental entity or private organization in the County of Orange may request Cal Vet to conduct an acquisition study on a designated property to assess the feasibility and costs for a state-owned and operated veterans cemetery. The requestor is required to pay for the study costs in advance through a newly created Southern California Veterans Cemetery Study Fund.
“Today is a monumental day for Orange County veterans,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, First District. “We have come a long way since 2018 when the Board unanimously voted to approve a proposal that I brought forward with then-Supervisor Todd Spitzer to transfer approximately 283 acres of County-owned space to the OC Cemetery District for a State Veteran’s Cemetery. It is both a privilege and an honor to be in a position where I can help to properly give back to those who have served us all so valiantly with a final resting place.”
On September 13, 2022 the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to formally request in writing – upon signature of AB 1595 into law – that Cal Vet conduct an acquisition study in order to assess feasibility and costs of construction of a Southern California Veterans Cemetery at Gypsum Canyon location in Anaheim Hills. The Board’s action also authorized the immediate payment of an amount not to exceed $700,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to Cal Vet which will be deposited into the Southern California Veterans Cemetery Study Donation Fund.
“Our Orange County veterans, Allied veterans and first responders are so deserving of this cemetery. We’re grateful to see Governor Newsom, our state delegation, and every city in Orange County finally united for these brave men and women to provide them their final resting place in Orange County,” said Supervisor Katrina Foley, Second District.
“The County is thrilled to see our local and state partners aligned in supporting the Veterans Cemetery which will also serve as a final resting place for Allied veterans and first responders.” said Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, Fifth District. “While there is still more hard work to do, it is our sincere hope that we will break ground in the near future and make this monumental project a reality.”
Background on County Actions Related to the Orange County Veterans Cemetery
On June 29, 2022, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the Orange County Cemetery District Business Plan for Phases 1A and 1B of a public cemetery at Gypsum Canyon. In addition, the Board approved Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Orange County Cemetery District for a section of the cemetery dedicated for Allied Veterans and First Responders.
The Veteran’s Cemetery will also include a new flagpole entry area which will be funded by the County and the Orange County Cemetery District. That flagpole was installed on August 25, 2022.
On July 27, 2021, the Board of Supervisors budgeted $20 million exclusively for site development of the Veterans portion of Mountain Park Cemetery, Anaheim, CA. The funding for the Veteran’s Cemetery is from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The funding for the Veteran’s Cemetery Expenditure and ARPA Revenue for the flagpole project contract is included in CEO Real Estate Budget Control 035, FY 2021-22 Recommended Budget and will be included in the budgeting process for future years.
On December 4, 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved transferring approximately 283 acres of unencumbered property in Gypsum Canyon, in the City of Anaheim, to the Orange County Cemetery District (OCCD) to be utilized as a public cemetery with half of the useable acreage required to be set aside for a State Veterans’ Cemetery. As part of that approval, OCCD was also asked to provide burial space for an Allied Veterans Cemetery within the public cemetery portion, and subsequently, the Board requested OCCD to provide additional burial space for First Responder police and firefighters. The OCCD has agreed to both requests and the attached Memorandum of Understanding memorialize these concepts. The Quitclaim Deed from the County to the OCCD also required that the Board approve OCCD’s operational and business plan (Business Plan) prior to any use of the property for cemetery purposes. The OCCD has submitted their Business Plan for Phases 1A and 1B of the public cemetery portion, which also includes common infrastructure that will benefit the Stat
Big crowds turned out for the 41st annual Cypress Community Festival this weekend as local officials and families gathered for a weekend full of entertainment, fun and food.
Pictured here, family members take advantage of the harvest scene to take photos of Jackson and L.J. The chili cook-off awards presentation started with the taster’s choice 1st prize going to Dyno Dan BBQ, 2nd to Hey Man Chili and a tie between REMAX Real Estate and Boot Camp Bouncers for 3rd.
How can the Event-NewsEnterprise claim in its front-page banner that it serves Cypress when there was nothing in the newspaper (last week or this week) about the very successful Cypress Community Festival that was held on Saturday, October 1? Do your advertisers know that when it comes to Cypress news, your newspaper prefers negative stories? Goodness – the Cypress Festival had thousands of people (majority from our city) attend the two-day event and not a word in your publication!
There were two negative articles in today’s Event-NewsEnterprise newspaper about Cypress. One was about a woman accusing a man of trying to run over a cat (was he trying to run over the cat?) and she later ran him over. It’s very sad that the man died, and it is news to share, but what about some good news?
The second article was about Cypress City Council Member Frances Marquez again being censured by the city council. Council member Marquez’s high jinks this time was going with two politically like-minded candidates to a local high school and incorporating campaigning into her discussion on civics. For a supposedly educated woman, Marquez should have known better.
So, two negative Cypress articles.
Why not an article with photos about the absolutely fantastic Cypress Community Festival? Your newspaper did not mention anything the week before the event and did not mention anything about the event.
In my opinion, you appear to want to only want to write about negative articles about Cypress. When there is good neighborhood news, such as the Cypress Community Festival, you totally ignore it.
The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic recently held their 15th Annual Boutique raising thousands of dollars for local school music programs. The popular event had 34 vendors at Huntington Harbour Place last Friday and Saturday.
Kim Weddon, who founded the boutique in 2006, said the Philharmonic volunteers save their time, skills and resources to bring Youth Music Education Programs to students at all grade levels throughout Orange County. Since 1956, more than 6 million children have participated in the program, which includes Musicians on Campus, Ensembles on Tour, High School Orchestra Festival, Orange County Youth Symphony and String Ensemble, Music Mobile, Sounds Around the Globe and more.
“Our annual Boutique is a great kickoff to the holiday season,” said Marlene Nielsen, chairwoman of the Harbour Philharmonic. “There were many interesting items for sale—gourmet olive oils, beautiful succulent arrangements and one of a kind clothing items. Many people get their holiday gifts at the boutique. Participating vendors donate 10% for the schools.”
“Many thanks to event Chairs Karen Ridout and Kelly Haynes for their work producing the Boutique.”
The next local activity is the Huntington Harbour Boat Parade, December 10th and 11th, 2022. Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates is the Grand Marshall. For information, visit, cruiseoflights.org.
Throughout August, Keep Cypress United, a diverse and growing non-partisan group of Cypress residents, met with several candidates running for city council. They asked a variety of questions, focusing on numerous challenges facing the city with special emphasis on districting. After much discussion, Keep Cypress United has announced its 2022 city council endorsements:
Terry Miller
Scott Minikus
Bonnie Peat
“I believe these are the best city council candidates to keep Cypress financially healthy, safe and welcoming,” said founding member Glenn Button.
With 50,000 residents over 6.6 square miles the city borders 11 cities in both Los Angeles and Orange counties. All those cities have a much higher sales tax with many also charging a utility tax. Cypress has no utility tax, and its 7.75 percent sales tax is the lowest along with Buena Park and Anaheim, two cities that bring in tax revenue with their theme parks.
Keep Cypress United supports the current city council majority’s decision to fight districting, which they believe would destroy the small city’s sense of community and ability to address specific issues. With its focus on electing a fiscally responsible city council members, Keep Cypress United points out that Cypress has an internationally known business corridor, family-friendly parks, and a responsive police department. Cypress continues to be one of Orange County’s most well-run and safest cities.
Keep Cypress United, whose name highlights the city’s long-recognized welcoming unity, is proud of its diverse membership. The group will have a booth on Saturday, October 1 at the Cypress Community Festival and invites attendees to stop by to say hello, ask questions, enter the opportunity drawing to win a gift card to a local business and to learn why we should Keep Cypress United.
In an hour-long State of the District address on September 23, the superintendent of the Los Alamitos Unified School District painted a picture of a forward-focused school system that has leaned into a rapidly evolving educational environment to create better outcomes for the 9,000 students at its nine campuses across Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, and Seal Beach.
“We’ve been very cautious to not want to necessarily change,” Andrew Pulver, Ed.D., said to a room packed with educators, parents, administrators, and school district partners.
“But as we look at the last few years, as we’ve come out of this pandemic, we also know it is critical that we be forward-focused and that our kids remain forward-focused,” said Pulver. Students’ growing mental health needs and a focus on addressing their social and emotional health have become a major factor in education, he said, and the district simply must adapt.
“Our schools must work for all kids, not just some kids,” said Pulver at the annual event, which is sponsored by the district’s nonprofit partner, the Los Alamitos Educational Foundation and was again held at On the Greens at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress.
Pulver noted that the district’s implementation of the Stanford University-affiliated program Challenge Success has, among other suggestions, made it clear that “a solution is to really embrace a broader definition of success by transforming the student experience.”
Photo by Jeannette Andruss Dr. Pulver’s speech is represented in an illustration by artist Michelle Boos-Stone.
Challenge Success surveyed the district’s 6th through 12th graders and found that 95% reported being sleep deprived, 77% were experiencing stress-related health symptoms and 63% were constantly worried about academics.
“I think this is what we have to be about,” the superintendent said. “We believe that all students are valued in their own interest. That they shouldn’t have to choose between doing well and being well.”
Pulver’s metaphor for students’ experiences was the weight of a glass full of water; his point illustrated in a video he shared.
In the video, a man holding a glass full of water asks students in a classroom, “How much does it weigh?” At first, he said, there was no problem holding firm the glass of water with arm extended.
However, if one were forced to hold it for hours, like a full day, he said, the water-filled glass would soon feel heavier and heavier with each passing hour until the weight was no longer bearable.
Pulver then asked the audience to imagine a student with a stressor in their life forced to hold it inside without relief all day, every day. Pretty soon, the weight would impair their ability to learn.
“You can start thinking about the students [carrying burdens] all day long,” he said, “you’re paralyzed, incapable of doing anything.”
“How do we put this glass down?” Pulver asked the crowd.
To retain its vaulted position, Pulver suggested the district must quickly accelerate its ability to adapt to social realities that have left many students needing “safe spaces” to learn.
“It’s really all about creating thriving relationships,” he said.
Make no mistake, however, said Pulver, the district’s improved educational environment will not only retain its top tier rankings in state and national educational results, but the district cannot afford the risk of not creating an environment where all students can excel.
Thus, the superintendent announced a thematic change from its most recent “better together” motto to the “forward-focused” approach to educating students, designed to meet the post-pandemic moment.
“I think it was so fitting that we had this mantra of being ‘better together,’” said Pulver, “and that we could not have gone through what we went through without really all of us uniting collectively.”
However, “there is a critical need now in that same space of going a little deeper and wider, just like our teachers do every year,” he said.
The superintendent also sent a message to parents demanding the system remain focused only on the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic as part of the Los Alamitos educational experience.
“You know, from some in the community, what we’ve heard is, ‘I don’t understand why they’re [schools] focusing on social-emotional learning, and why are they focusing on wellness of kids, etc.,’” said Pulver.
Pulver suggested there is overwhelming evidence to focus on the whole child when it comes to educating students. He laid out his “blueprint,” calling it a “big, bold vision” that he said will only “enhance” the educational strength of the Los Alamitos Unified School District.
“I think all of us in this room are charged with doing this work,” he said. “We are here to serve and support the needs of our families and the dreams that our families have for their kids.”
“It’s really one mission, and that is to create the very best educational opportunities and experiences for our students,” said Pulver, thanking the Board of Education for “really being thoughtful” about the smart investments they’ve made to the district.
Diana Hill, President of the Los Al Unified Board of Education said, “this is a very special opportunity among a very special group of people. What makes Los Al Unified special is all of you,” she said.
“Whether you are on staff, whether you’re a teacher, whether you’re a volunteer, a parent community member or whatever, you do make a difference,” said Hill, thanking everyone in the room for their contributions to the system.
She also thanked Carrie Logue, Executive Director of LAEF and LAEF employees for the “incredible support” the nonprofit gives to the district. LAEF sponsors the State of the District annual event and has been instrumental in several educational initiatives, including the new mental health-related Well Spaces.
On Friday, Logue and LAEF’s new Board President, Felicia Gonzalez, presented a check for $245,000 to build a new Well Space at Los Alamitos High School.
In addition, LAEF has also contributed $3,000 to each of the district’s six elementary schools to create mini–Well Spaces on their campuses. Los Al Unified, along with LAEF, collaborated with the Orange County Department of Education and Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) to establish Well Spaces now open at the district’s two middle schools, the superintendent said.
“We are proud to enhance the district’s educational excellence,” said Logue, noting that the nonprofit educational partner of the system is well known for its after-school and summer enrichment programs.
She said LAEF’s fundraising involvement has grown to other programs.
Logue announced that LAEF’s free elementary world language classes are now available to 1st graders through 5th graders throughout the district, with approximately 350 students already enrolled.
LAEF has also donated more than $400,000 to the district to support various STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs, she said, thanking local business sponsors for their support.
Logue also recognized Dave Appling, who she said in the 1980’s organized fundraisers that “raised millions, literally millions” to support the district.
Currently, she said, since mental health has been declared a “national emergency,” LAEF was working closely with Los Al Unified to raise funds to meet the growing challenge.
“We really made mental health a priority in our funding,” she said.
Pulver too, thanked LAEF, and said the district’s school and mental health counseling ranks have been beefed up so that each of the system’s 9,000 students will have access to a counselor, if needed.
“The goal here is obviously to increase student wellbeing so they’re more able to engage and have the sense of belonging,” he said.
Although the district was among the first in Orange County to get kids back into the classroom during the pandemic, Pulver hinted the system’s herculean effort may have not been enough to hold off some learning loss.
Those results will be reflected when recent standardized testing results are released, which is now expected in October.
“We do recognize that we went through a pandemic and so we have to stay focused forward for our kids in that process,” said Pulver.
“You need to hold us accountable,” he added. “We need to hold ourselves accountable to these metrics,” said Pulver, ensuring that “what we say and what we do, are aligned to what was actually happening within our school system.”
The superintendent said the district nonetheless continues to produce educational results of “national caliber.”
“We had two schools that were National Blue-Ribbon winners, the only district in the state of California that have two Blue Ribbon Schools, one in each category, which is high performing and closing the achievement gap, which is really, I think, something spectacular.”
“We have had 75 Division One scholar athletes just in the last five years, that is a huge thing,” the superintendent said. “Our elementary schools continue to be … known for constantly being ranked in the top in the county,” he added.
Approximately 92% of Los Al students enroll in some form of post-secondary education, said Pulver, acknowledging of course that student achievement remains essential to the community.
Finally, Pulver gave a brief overview of the state-of-the-art facilities that now grace the district’s nine schools, courtesy of a $225 million combined investment provided by Measure K and Measure G bonds.
Part of that includes a $67 million STEM building and Aquatic Complex on the campus of Los Alamitos High School as well as plans to build a second gymnasium at LAHS.
Within the STEM building are significant career technical facilities where students can get hands-on experience to learn critical thinking skills as the district continues to broaden its career technical educational pathways as well, he said.
This year alone, he said, new medical and biomedical pathways are being added.
Pulver said many of the changes are based on a “Project Based Learning,” concept, an emerging framework that uses alternative or authentic assessments to create a climate of care and education for the whole community.
Recent changes in homework policy were indeed a part of this new framework, said Pulver.
“We have to get rid of this notion that we’re all about the academics,” said Pulver, saying “safe spaces” to learn will only elevate the district’s standards of educational excellence, suggesting you can no longer have one without the other.
Students, he said, “are going to remember the connections they made with other kids, the connections they made with adults in the classroom. That’s going to be their legacy.”
“If we don’t treat kids well, if we simply are all about wanting to be number one, and if being number one comes at the expense of kids being well, we have failed,” said Pulver.
“At the end of a semester, we all fall prey to this when we’re constantly asking people what grades did they get, what college did you get into, etc.,” he continued.
“I want to say this again,” emphasized Pulver, “our kids should not have to be focused on one, or the other, they should be able to do well and be well.”
“Success,” he said, “is really measured over the course of a lifetime,” suggesting that only a forward focused system can fully deliver to each student the same opportunity to succeed.
In a somber yet respectful mood, the Los Alamitos City Council paid tribute to the late Council member Ron Bates during their September meeting.
Eliminating all but essential business, they instead took turns in a “Moment of Remembrance” reflecting on the service and sudden death of Bates as a wreath occupied his empty chair on the dais.
Bates, 76, died unexpectedly while on a bicycle ride with friends in the city that he so proudly served.
Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink opened the meeting by letting the public know that the September meeting would be different and held in Bates’ memory.
“We’re going to do a little business,” she said, “but we’re going to do a lot more honoring a really great man.”
“I’d first like to pass it on to our other council members, for any comments, memories, just anything, stories would be great,” she said.
First term Council member Jordan Nefulda, who sat next to Bates on the dais, said, “First of all, I just want to offer my deepest console condolences to Ron’s wife, his children, and his family. I know this is a hard time for them. And I just pray for them.”
“As a newcomer to the city council. I didn’t know Ron personally before this, but I’ve sat next to him for two years. I’ve seen him at numerous city events, spoke to him on numerous occasions. And I could just tell you know how much he loved the city, how much he loved to serve, and how much it meant to him,” said Nefulda.
He said Bates’ knowledge of government made his questions sometimes more revealing than the answers or presentations to the council.
“You know, I probably learned more from the questions that he asked than I did from reading a lot of presentations,” he said. “I learned that I could go to him and ask him questions. When I didn’t understand something because of the history that he had,” said Nefulda, an attorney.
“I just want to thank him Ron and his family for his service, his service to the city and just for providing, you know, … kind of like a role model or mentor, for me on the city council and I thank him for that and he surely will be missed.”
Former Mayor and outgoing Council member Mark Chirco was also reflective.
“Obviously, like everyone else, I was devastated to learn of Ron’s passing. Before he rejoined the city council. I didn’t really know Ron. I think I’d met him once, but I really didn’t know him,” said Chirco.
“When he decided to run for city council, you know, I looked up his history and saw that he had a lot of experience, obviously, as a city manager throughout Southern California,” he added.
“And as a council member for, I think, 16 years, for a time mayor of Los Alamitos, and I thought, you know, obviously I was impressed but I also thought ‘oh, hopefully this isn’t somebody that comes on the council and because they’ve got more experience and everybody, you know, tries to control the narrative control the discussions and let people know he knows more than anybody else,’” he confessed.
“Obviously, Ron never did any of that. He was always such a gentleman. He let everyone, even those of us with less experience than him feel valued, and feel like an equal to him,” said Chirco.
“I could always tell Ron was trying to do what was right for the city of Los Alamitos in every aspect, always without question. Every, every, directive, everything he did was always for the benefit of the community and for Los Alamitos,” he added.
Chirco said Bates was principled, he was humble, kind, friendly, considerate, and a true family man who always spoke with such love and respect for his wife, Marilyn,” said Chirco.
“I personally feel fortunate to have been able to get to know him over the last couple of years, as well as Marilyn and I’m honored to have been able to serve with him the city and the community and we owe Ron, a huge debt of gratitude. I’d like to say on behalf of the residents of Los Alamitos, thank you to Ron for all his years of dedicated service. He will be missed,” he said.
Mayor Pro-tem Tanya Doby reached into the annals of literature to praise Bates.
“Whenever I hear someone’s passing, my first thoughts are, how should they be acknowledged? How should they be remembered? What would make them feel honored,” she asked?
“So I went and found a little snippet by someone named Ralph [Waldo] Emerson and it’s called Success. ‘What is success, to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate the beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded,’” she quoted Emerson.
“And I believe that Ron Bates succeeded at life,” she said.
“I remember his laugh and smile. I remember him speaking kindly to all that he encountered, whether child or adult. I remember the accolades that I have heard regarding his contributions to each city, committee, and council that he passionately served on, and I will remember Ron Bates as a successful man and honor his memory as such.”
The Mayor honored Bates’ long history of public service as well.
“When Ron first decided that he was going to run for office again, he had more energy than most 20-year-olds. He was so excited to come back on council. Just with a whole new energy and curiosity about making his city the best that it could be,” said Hasselbrink.
“With over 50 years of public service, Ron’s commitment and dedication to public service was truly unmatched. He was highly respected in city management circles, having managed the cities of Buena Park, Southgate, Pico Rivera, La Habra Heights before transitioning to the private sector,” she said.
Hasselbrink said Bates also taught public finance and Public Works Administration at Cal State, Long Beach.
“He loved teaching his college students and getting them excited about a life of public service. Ron then decided to move to the other side of the dais by serving on the city council from 1988 to 2004,” she said, serving the city as an elected official for 16 years.
During his career, Hasselbrink served as Los Alamitos Mayor in 1992, 1993, 1998, and in 2002. Bates was instrumental in forming the partnership with Joint Forces Training Base to bring the US Women’s water polo team to Los Alamitos, the mayor
Local leaders and public service professionals packed the Rush Park Community Center in Rossmoor Thursday as the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce held its first 2022 Heroes Appreciation Luncheon since rules governing the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted.
“The great thing about today is community,” said Nesi Steward, President of the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce as she welcomed the standing-room-only crowd.
“For those of you who live, work, and play in this community, you know this room is filled with heroes today,” she said.
Stewart also thanked Event Chairman and long-time Chamber businesswoman Judy Klabouch, who inspired the event back in 2019 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “You are my hero today,” Stewart said to her.
Chamber officials said they were excited to see the crowded room and to finally be able to get the unique opportunity back on track. Eight agencies of local law enforcement, military and public services select their own honorees that are then honored by the Chamber.
During the pandemic, Chamber officials voted to add health care professionals to the ranks of heroes.
“This is a very unique event,” said State Sen. Thomas Umberg, who attended the event. Umberg, a retired Colonel, who represents more than a million constituents in his Senate district, said “there is no event like the ‘Heroes Appreciation Luncheon’ anywhere in his district or any place I’ve heard about.”
“I’ve heard from many of you that this is one of our favorite days of the year,” said Dr. Andrew Pulver, who served as Master of Ceremonies for the event.
“We are here together to recognize our men and women in uniform,” he said.
“We really rally behind you and wrap our arms around those who give tirelessly of themselves, their service to all of us,” said Pulver.
“What a beautiful event,” said Pulver.
Nathan Searles, 2nd Vice President of the Rossmoor Community Services District, said Rossmoor “sincerely joins you in honoring medical frontline workers and … those in uniform for their bravery.”
“We greatly appreciate you for unselfishly serving the community on a daily basis,” said Searles to the men and women in uniform.
The Joint Forces Training Base provided the presentation of the colors and Los Alamitos High School’s Show Choir provided entertainment.
Before the presentation of the awards, Pulver asked the group to bow for a moment of silence to honor the late Los Al Council member Ron Bates.
As in years past, the Event News Enterprise will name the winners this week but will run individuals to highlight the 2022 service heroes throughout the year.
Courtesy photo These are the 2022 men and women in uniform Los Al Chamber Heroes for 2022. (L-R) Theresa Shoup, Los Al Medical, Justice Taylor, 79th Sustainment Command, Christian Guerrero, U.S. Navy, Angelica Castaneda, JFTB, Elizabeth Denney, OCFA, Detective Evan Flynn, Los Al PD, Officer Christopher Williams, CHP and Dep. Adrian Rodriquez, Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Here are the heroes named for 2022:
• California Highway Patrol, Officer Christopher Williams.
• Joint Forces Training Base, 40th Infantry Division, SSG Angelica Castaneda.
• 79th Theater Sustainment Command, SPC Justice Taylor.
• Los Alamitos Medical Center, Director Theresa Shoup.
• United States Navy, SB Naval Weapons Station, MA(SW/AW) Christian T. Guerrero.
• Los Alamitos Police Department, Detective Evan Flynn.
• Orange County Fire Authority, Elizabeth Denney.
• Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Adrian Rodriquez.
These are the men and women in uniform Los Al Chamber Heroes for 2022. (L-R) Theresa Shoup, Los Al Medical, Justice Taylor, 79th Sustainment Command, Christian Guerrero, U.S. Navy, Angelica Castaneda, JFTB, Elizabeth Denney, OCFA, Detective Evan Flynn, Los Al PD, Officer Christopher Williams, CHP and Dep. Adrian Rodriquez, Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The highly anticipated debut of T.A. Cunningham has finally arrived, as he will make his first appearance this season after being released by CIF-SS. Alex Cunningham, also known as “T.A.” is a 6’6” 268-pound junior defensive end at Los Alamitos High School that moved to California this summer under some very complicated circumstances.
He played his freshman and sophomore years at John’s Creek High School in a suburb located northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. He was so dominant he has already accumulated more than 50 scholarship offers from schools such as Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, and USC.
After relocating to California, Cunningham completed his transfer paperwork to attend Los Alamitos High School and play football. However, CIF bylaw 207(B)(5)b(ix) states: “The Sit Out Period will be 50% of the total number of days in that particular season of sport. The number of days in a season is determined by each Section in accordance with their first allowable competition date through the final regular season competition date. If the total number of days in a season is an odd number, then the Sit Out Period would be 50% plus one additional day.”
Given the CIF regulation, Cunningham applied for a hardship waiver to enable him to play immediately. However, CIF denied Cunningham’s request and stated he could play junior varsity football in 2022, but would not be cleared to play varsity football until 2023.
Cunningham retained the services of litigation attorney Michael Caspino, who coincidently was the captain of his college football team. Caspino filed for an injunction against CIF-SS and CIF State to declare Cunningham immediately eligible. Judge Layne Melzer denied the request and stated that CIF had until Sept. 27 to complete their investigation.
On Sept. 26 Cunningham was notified that he was cleared to play, making him eligible for the Griffin’s next game. Cunningham released a statement via social media, “THEY CLEARED 99!!!” #99 being Cunningham’s jersey number.
While waiting for CIF-SS to complete their investigation, Cunningham has done everything that could have been expected of him. He has assimilated to a new school, he attends class, he attends practice, and he supports his teammates during games. He is their biggest fan running up and down the sidelines and doing his part to cheer them on.
The Los Alamitos Griffins will be at Newport Harbor High School on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. if you would like to see Cunningham play for yourself.
The third graders in Christine Nguyen’s math class at Jack L. Weaver Elementary school were hungry for a challenge. Fortunately, Nguyen had the perfect lesson to satisfy their appetites and probably give them food for thought for a lifetime.
“I want students to see the real-world connections and importance of math in our everyday lives,” Nguyen, who has a master’s degree in math education, said in a recent phone interview. She’s spent twelve of her sixteen years teaching at Weaver located in Rossmoor in the Los Alamitos Unified School District. Her goal is to make math “fun, engaging, and relatable to all students.”
Perhaps her most mouth-watering math lessons are the ones she’s been teaching for years that are focused on In-N-Out burgers. Earlier this month, Nguyen told her students about the iconic fast-food chain’s so-called secret menu which features burgers of different sizes, including a 3×3 consisting of three meat patties and three slices of cheese on a bun. The kids were excited to learn this secret menu would be the basis of their math lesson.
“Who doesn’t love food? In-N-Out and its secret menu is a definite attention grabber. Students’ eyes were wide open when I mentioned that we were going to do an In-N-Out investigation,” Nguyen wrote in a message to Spotlight Schools.
Third graders at Weaver are broken into different groups for math instruction. Nguyen’s class of around thirty students includes kids who have already mastered their grade-level concepts so she has some flexibility in what she teaches them.
Their delicious assignment was to figure out the cost and calories of different sized burgers including a 3×3, 20×20, and even a 100×100. They were given some of the information from the regular In-N-Out menu to figure it out.
“The challenge was to come up with two expressions or equations, one that would allow anyone to find the cost of any sized burger and one that would allow anyone to calculate the calories for any sized burger, the nxn,” Nguyen explained. To sweeten the challenge, Nguyen offered students a king-sized candy bar as a reward for finding the answers.
An animated class got to work. “If you could have been there and seen their excitement and felt the buzz in the classroom … they did not want to stop,” Nguyen said, sharing that the students were working together and encouraging one another. “It was so rich. They were all talking about different observations, different patterns.”
When math class was due to end, the students made the unexpected request to not be told the answers. “They didn’t want me to give them any clues. They wanted to discover it on their own,” Nguyen said, explaining that some kids wanted to figure out the cost for a 1000×1000 and even a million by a million burger.
“I think this is the heart of teaching … igniting that light and drive for students to not learn because we want them to, but for them to have their own desire, you know, to want to learn, to want to do more and to feel like they could achieve anything they set their mind to,” Nguyen said.
Fueled by the students’ love for the lesson, Nguyen stretched the In-N-Out investigation into three sessions. But she had an idea to add something new. With the past two years of Covid-19 restrictions and rules on her mind, she thought it would be extra special to actually get a 100×100 into the classroom.
“You know what, I want them to be able to see it because how memorable and how cool would that be?,” Nguyen recalled thinking at the time.
She reached out to In-N-Out corporate offices with little success in getting the giant burger donated. Then she asked for some help. Christine Coxhill, a longtime parent volunteer at Weaver with experience asking for corporate donations for the school, said she would go to the In-N-Out located at The Shops at Rossmoor.
Coxhill’s son, Elliott, is in Nguyen’s math class and was really enjoying the burger-centered challenge. “He was just so excited and engaged and he just was so motivated to try and solve it because it was something that he was not used to,” Coxhill said of her son.
Weaver Elementary school teacher Christine Nguyen and students in her math class pose with a 100×100 In-N-Out burger that was part of their lesson. Courtesy photo.
She was on board to bring the lesson to life for Elliott and his classmates. “I said you know what, I’m just gonna go in there and I’m just gonna beg. It’s not going to be pretty. I’m gonna beg for it,” Coxhill said in a phone interview half-joking.
Ultimately, after the In-N-Out manager made a few calls to corporate headquarters, he agreed to sell Coxhill 98 patties with 98 slices of cheese (a double-double of two patties, two slices of cheese and a bun was given for free, along with hats and stickers). But Coxhill and her other parent volunteers had to assemble the giant burger. Coxhill along with fellow parents Jenny Kwak and Susan Hsieh were up to the task, utilizing skewers to connect the patties and gooey cheese between two hamburger buns.
Coxhill admitted it was a little tricky piecing it all together. They put it into four boxes that they taped together and then placed that onto a wooden board on top of a cart to wheel into the classroom. She estimated the burger was more than three feet long.
“We are just so lucky to have amazing parent volunteers who are as passionate and as caring for our students’ learning and their experiences,” Nguyen said of the parents who helped pay for the burger and put it together.
On the final day of the lesson, the kids eagerly anticipated learning the answers to their equations. How much does a 100×100 cost? I won’t reveal the answers here in case readers want to try the challenge at home.
In the final part of the lesson, Nguyen used an old In-N-Out receipt to reveal the answer and also showed a picture of a 100×100 burger. As students checked their work, there was a knock on the classroom door. A student answered and Coxhill and the other parents rolled in the real-life 100×100 burger accompanied with In-N-Out fries. The classroom was instantly filled with the fast-food chain’s signature aroma.
The kids couldn’t believe it. “They were standing up, their eyes were wide open, their jaws were dropped to the floor … they were so excited,” Nguyen recalled.
After examining the enormous burger the students got to eat some of it. Nguyen made a point to wrap up the lesson by reinforcing the point of it all – “Everywhere you look, math is present in some way, shape or form,” she said.
Nguyen’s students left class that day feeling nourished in more ways than one.
For more local education news, visit SpotlightSchools.com.
The Cypress Chamber of Commerce will welcome 1st District County Supervisor Andrew Do as our guest speaker at the October Networking Breakfast. Our event will be held Tuesday, October 11th at the Residence Inn by Marriott at 4931 Katella Avenue, Cypress/Los Alamitos starting at 7:30 a.m. and will follow all current protocols for attendee safety. The 2022 redistricting has put the city of Cypress into the 1st Supervisorial District and, moving forward, the city will be represented by Andrew Do. The Chamber is hosting Supervisor Do in order to introduce him to the business community as well as hear an update on the status of county government and policies that will impact the city of Cypress and our businesses.
Supervisor Andrew Do represents Orange County’s 1st Supervisorial District, which now includes the cities of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, La Palma, Seal Beach, Westminster, and the Unincorporated Communities of Midway City and Rossmoor.
Supervisor Do’s service to Orange County began when he joined the Public Defender’s office in 1990. In 1997, he joined the District Attorney’s office and served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Sexual Assault Unit. In 2007, he served as a Chief of Staff on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, before first being elected County Supervisor in 2015.
Supervisor Do’s work includes many initiatives aimed at protecting county residents and businesses including expanded COVID-19 testing for vulnerable communities, the District 1 Small Business Grant Program, Safe Dine OC grants for Personal Protective Equipment at restaurants among others. Supervisor Do has also been the leader on the Board of Supervisors on issues, including homelessness, affordable housing, mental health, infrastructure, public transportation, and criminal justice reform.
Each Chamber breakfast attendee will also have an opportunity to stand to introduce themselves and share a little about their business before the program begins.
Reservations are highly recommended to secure your spot for the monthly breakfasts and can be made here. Cost of the breakfast is $25. Early Bird Registration is $20. Attendees are also welcome to bring door prizes to promote their product or service. The program will include time for live networking, self-introductions, breakfast, our guest 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. Space will be limited. To assure your seat, pre-register on the chamber website: https://www.cypresschamber.org/events/details/october-networking-breakfast-2022-2646.
Also
Significant realignments during the 2020 redistricting changed the representation for most of the Event-News Enterprise reading audience from Katrina Foley to Andrew Do, so the newly redistricted Supervisor is sponsoring a coffee in Rossmoor Oct. 13, apparently to learn more about the community’s needs.
His office announced the new First District Supervisor Andrew Do will host a neighborhood coffee on Thursday, Oct. 13, at Rush Park Auditorium, located at 2021 Blume Drive in Rossmoor.
His office said coffee and pastries will be provided during the event, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., his office said.
For questions or more information, please call 714-834-3110 or email An*******@***ov.com.
