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The Youth Center expands after school tutoring program

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The Youth Center expands after school tutoring program

By Bella Kim

The Youth Center’s after-school tutoring program teaches kids from TK to eighth grade in subjects from English to math to science. Recently, the program expanded by hiring another tutor, so multiple sessions can run in the same time slot. This allows more kids access to tutoring so they don’t fall behind close to the end of the school year.

“Everyone needs a little extra support sometimes, and we at The Youth Center are here to provide that,” said Janae Roberts, Youth Programs Supervisor.

Each 30-minute tutoring session costs $15, and tutors are available Monday through Friday from 2:30-6 p.m. at the Youth Center or their Rossmoor Park location. The tutoring schedule is assembled weekly and billed the week before the session.
“We’re always looking for new hires and kids that are interested,” said Johnny Flaim, the Youth Center’s Tutor Lead.

The tutors, trained high school and college students, meet with kids one-on-one and cover as much material as possible during their session. They assess the student’s thinking skills, help with homework, and fill in content where necessary. Sometimes tutors work on homework with their older kids. With the younger students who don’t have much homework yet, the tutors choose what to teach them.

Flaim, a junior at Los Alamitos High School, tutored his siblings before applying for a position with the Youth Center. Currently Flaim tutors four kids, multiple days a week and at least two kids a day. He uses Brain Quest workbooks to create curriculums for his students. For his more advanced students, Flaim teaches beyond what they are learning at school.

“I change what I teach according to what I know they’re comfortable with,” Flaim said. “I’ve been teaching all of them for a couple months now, so I know what they can handle and what they will struggle with a little more.”

Shannon Lee, a sophomore at Long Beach City College, started out by helping her peers with homework before becoming a Youth Center tutor.

Most of her kids need help with math and spelling. She uses fun learning techniques, rather than traditional methods like flashcards, to engage her students more. For math, she uses whiteboards to draw pictures and create problems for them to solve.

“I like to do Hangman, that’s a fun one for spelling,” Lee said. “It’s good because they go one [letter] at a time, and they get to figure it out themselves. It makes it more fun; it’s a game.”

“It warms my heart to see kids open up to our tutors and take a bit of time to work through something they’re struggling with, and then walk out feeling more confident,” Roberts said.

For more information and to sign up for Youth Center tutoring, go to theyouthcenter.org/tutoring/.

Citizens concerned about growing number of planned housing units

David N. Young
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Citizens concerned about growing number of planned housing units

Citizens are showing signs of serious concern after a top Orange County planning official revealed the county has planned for 500-600 residences near the corner of Katella and Los Al Boulevard in its housing element, bringing the total to approximately 7,000 housing units planned for within the small space of Cypress, Seal Beach, Rossmoor and Los Alamitos.

Justin Kirk, who heads the county’s planning unit for unincorporated areas, appeared before the Rossmoor Community Services District Tuesday to discuss the county’s housing element, revealing to residents many aspects of the county’s strategy in processing the various housing elements before submittal to the state.

The state of California, he said, requires every city and county to adopt a housing element as part of its general plan, which must be updated every eight years. The housing element is intended to ensure that each jurisdiction plans for and accommodates its share of the regional housing needs identified in the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process, which is overseen by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

The RHNA process assigns each jurisdiction a target number of housing units to be built at various income levels (very low, low, moderate, and above moderate) over an eight-year period. The targets are based on population growth projections, household size, and economic and demographic factors.

Kirk said the RHNA process has been around since 1969, though he said housing numbers really jumped since 2020 when certain policy modifications were made.

“We have to plan for housing units in a reasonable and accommodating manner. It is the responsibility of the private sector or developers to actually fulfill those needs. So a lot of what we plan is mathematically oriented based upon what is identified by the state as our responsibility within the unincorporated areas,” he said.

“Now we get housing numbers through a number of different economic categories, ranging from moderate-income, affordable, or low-income, extremely low-income,” he added.

More than once, however, Kirk stressed to the RCSD Board and a group of residents that the RHNA process is “a planning goal, not a building quota.” While the state is currently in the 6th eight-year planning cycle, OC County has yet to fully build out the numbers called for back in Planning cycle 4, again stressing to residents that a housing element is a planning document only.

“A lot of these goals, policies, and programs are restatements of state law that have already been passed and have been incurred as municipalities have had to implement,” said Kirk. “This process of our housing element does require that it becomes a challenge because a policy at a local level may not align at a state level.”

In what one of the residents characterized as a presentation “better than a college professor,” Kirk explained how the RHNA numbers are received by the county and then processed through the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and how they eventually matriculate up to the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Although residents did not like much of what Kirk had to say, the entire debate was very respectful and devoid of emotion witnessed by some housing element debates.

RCSD President Tony DeMarco, who asked General Manager Joe Mendoza to arrange for Kirk to appear at the meeting, asked Kirk about plans listed in the OC Housing Element to potentially transform a huge parcel of land near the intersection of Katella Ave. and Los Alamitos Boulevard into housing units.

Indeed, Kirk confirmed that the parcel(s) which now houses the Fish Company and other popular businesses near the intersection of Katella Ave. and Los Al Boulevard has been identified in the OC Housing Element as suitable for housing.

“What is the total number of units planned,” Demarco wanted to know.
“I don’t know off the top of my head,” answered Kirk.

“Is it like 200, 400, 600,” responded Demarco?

“I want to say it is between 500-600,” said Kirk, who explained how old standards have been made new again that allow developers to build 70 units per acre. He said the OC Housing Element calls for 10,600 new housing units in the county major unincorporated areas.

Local activist Dan Brandt asked Kirk if any of those Rossmoor parcels identified as suitable for housing in the OC Housing Element could be split up. For instance, into, for instance, The Fish Company stays but other landowners decide housing is more profitable. “That’s another thing residents need to be concerned about,” he said.

It is absolutely possible for some parcels to be developed into housing and others not, said Kirk, noting however that all county housing criteria would determine what type of units could be built.

Rossmoor resident Rod Crane told Kirk that traffic is already a “disaster,” so he asked Kirk about parking requirements.

“You seem to be concentrating strictly on an unincorporated area,” Crane told Kirk. “We are impacted by the city of Los Alamitos, the cities of Cypress and Seal Beach, so when I go through the [housing element] totals, I see about 3000 units that‘s being dumped onto Katella Ave. and Los Alamitos Boulevard.”

“Directly across the street from your proposal, at the intersection of Los Al Blvd. and Katella, the city of Los Alamitos is parking 227 units, another 80 units just there at Wahoo’s, the city of Seal Beach is parking 400 units behind Sprouts, I believe it is and across the street at Target, there are another 200 units with the totaled a little over 3000 units (excluding Cypress) in this immediate area,” said Crane.

“I don’t see how this possibly works,” he said, before asking Kirk about the requirement for parking.

Actually, the number of housing units, according to the draft housing elements in the respective cities makes the total number more like 7,000.

Seal Beach is proposing 1,243 units, Los Alamitos 769 units, Rossmoor now 600, and there is a private development proposed for Old Ranch Country Club that adds residences and a hotel.

According to the draft housing element in Cypress, that city’s housing element includes approximately 3,800 units.

The various housing plans further break those down into various categories and are meant to project housing unit demand for the next eight years.

Kirk said new state guidelines indicate that if there is a transportation hub (i.e., bus stop) near the development, parking requirements will be minimal, especially on affordable housing units.

“Our typical parking requirements are for a two-bedroom unit and higher is two parking spaces one covered one uncovered plus one additional 1.3 spaces. It goes down to one covered space and one open space for single units or studios,” said Kirk.

“With that all being said, the state of California has identified that, if you’re within a half mile of a transit station that provides regular service in half an hour to 15-minute intervals, your local jurisdiction cannot implement minimum parking requirements on affordable housing developments,” said Kirk.

The OC planning official said he understood neighborhood concerns, but cautioned against overreaction, suggesting all of this was simply planning to meet state planning goals.

Another concern, said Kirk, is what’s called a “builder’s remedy.” Los Alamitos expressed concern about the practice urging quick adoption of the housing element at their last meeting. Apparently, without an approved housing element, builders can somehow get projects developed with the necessary project approvals.

“I know the hot topic is now the builders remedy. The builders remedy has been on the books since the mid 60s,” said Kirk. “So it’s not a new law,” but “we’re seeing that strip away some of the limitations of what the builders remedy allows for municipalities to review a project.”

One resident, Helen Knisley, said the latest estimate had more than 700,000 residents leaving California so why the spiraling housing numbers?

Again, Kirk attempted to emphasize the housing element is merely a planning document mandated by the state. At this point, he said, it is simply impossible to answer any specific questions because the projects anticipated within the OC housing element are only conceptual at this point.

Kevin Pearce, representing Protect Our Communities, a newly formed activist group of citizens from Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach, who are actively lobbying for density changes in the Lampson Project. They also attended the hearing on the Old Ranch scoping meeting last week, he said.

Pearce asked Kirk about housing element exemptions. He said it appears as though Marin County had received a temporary exemption from participating in the housing element process.

Kirk said he knew of no such exemptions but would follow up.

For nearly two hours, Kirk patiently responded to every question posed to him by the RCSD Board, residents and questions emailed or received online.

Kirk encouraged citizen push back to change the trajectory of housing policy in the state, saying the county Board of Supervisors is currently “trying to work through some of the issues.”

“It becomes a challenge because policies at the local level may not align with policies at the state level,” said Kirk. “The state is asking for policies and programs that the elected officials on the Board of Supervisors are not supportive of,” he said. “We have not been able to achieve that goal.”

“I think we all have a right to be very, very concerned. Angry,” said Director Jeff Barke. “We don’t need more excuses to leave California, but here’s another one that’s coming on board,” he said.

Barke invoked an old Soviet-style term to describe what he thought was going on at the state level as he urged open defiance to residents.

“This is nothing more than central Politburo planning from Sacramento. It’s not mandatory compliance, let’s be clear,” said Barke. “There is a reason the state of California is suing Huntington Beach because they have had the courage to raise their middle finger saying we are not going to comply. The OC Board of Supervisors should be organizing the unincorporated areas in Orange County to push back against state government,” he said.
Kirk advised residents on how he thought it would be most effective to fight back.

What works best is “just the facts,”he said, and objectively asserting the position on which a project fails. Amplifyonthose points at every inflection point through the process.

“Don’t speak with emotion, because that will drown out the actual basis of your statement,” he said, sacrificing its validity in the process.

Editor’s Note: For residents seeking to learn more about housing elements, locally and in Orange County, Kirk’s entire presentation is available to watch at www.rossmoor-csd.org:8443.

Spotlight Jazz fundraising concert turns 50

David N. Young
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Spotlight Jazz fundraising concert turns 50

An event inspired by the late Chuck Wackerman will celebrate its 50th Anniversary this Saturday, just a few months after the community lost the fabled musician and music teacher.

In the early 1970s, Wackerman began the Class Notes concert series to showcase aspiring student jazz musicians and to raise money to support the programs that produce them.
Justin Padilla, Director of Jazz and Orchestra at Los Alamitos High School, has announced Los Al Jazz Spotlight Concert will be held this Saturday, March 25 at the Los Alamitos High School Performing Arts Center and pay tribute to the late music teacher.

Padilla, who has carried this tradition forward under the name Spotlight concert series recently said “Chuck had the experience of twenty teachers [combined] … and the heart of a saint. One of his superpowers was the ability to make a band of middle school musicians perform as clean as a professional band.”

“With a master like that … there are only two things you can do; try to copy his approach and avoid attending the same festivals he took his band to,” he said.
This annual Spring concert features Los Alamitos High School’s three levels of jazz bands, along with the Oak and McAuliffe Middle school bands that feed emerging musicians into the high school’s outstanding program.

The “Spotlight Jazz” concert, an annual fundraising event for student musicians, generally features hand-picked professional musicians who perform masterclasses with the students in the weeks leading up to the event.

Accordingly, in honor of Wackerman, who founded the event, Padilla said two of the three professionals for this year’s event are directly from his family, including drummer Chad Wackerman, and singer, Sophia (Wackerman) James.

Trumpeter John Deversa will also perform as a guest artist this year, he said.
Chad Wackerman, the founder’s son, is a phenomenally skilled jazz and rock drummer, Chad is an authority on the teachings of Murray Spivack [Murray taught Vinnie Colaiuta, David Garibaldi, Louis Belson, Brooks Wackerman and many others.]

Chad Wackerman
Courtesy photo

Chad has amassed a remarkable body of work including a seven-year association with Frank Zappa. He has recorded albums and toured with artists as diverse as James Taylor, Barbara Streisand, Steve Vai, Andy Summers, Men At Work, Ed Mann, Albert Lee, Colin Hay, Dweezil Zappa, Pasqua/Holdsworth/Haslip/Wackerman Group, Terry Bozzio, Carl Verheyen and David Garfield. He is a first-call studio drummer and world-renowned educator.

Sophia James (her birth name is Sophia Wackerman) is Chad’s daughter and after an electrifying appearance on American Idol, she is emerging as a star in her own right.
James is a singer, songwriter pianist and global jazz studies major, and she describes her music as a mix of rock, soul, pop and fusion. In an interview with UCLA Newsroom, she discussed her singing pursuits at UCLA, her family’s musical background and an unexpected compliment she received from Katy Perry.

Sophia James Wackerman
Courtesy photo

“My late mother was a professional singer, so I picked up singing pretty early on from hearing her sing around the house all the time. I think as soon as I was conscious enough to form my own thoughts, I knew I wanted to sing for the rest of my life,” said James.

John Daversa is a distinguished trumpet-player, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader and educator. He is a multiple Grammy Award winner and nominee and the recipient of many other awards and honors. In addition to his active career as a performer and recording artist he is currently Professor and Chair of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.

John Daversa
Courtesy photo

Daversa has served as the musical director for the popular TV actress and singer Renee Olstead, touring internationally and appearing on television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Late Night with David Letterman, and the Today Show. He composed numerous commissions for various universities and chamber music organizations, and in recognition of his songwriting, won an IAMA Songwriting Award.

The concert will take place in the high school’s Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m., with dinner served in the new media center at 6 p.m. There is a meet and greet with the artists as well beginning at 5:00 p.m.

For tickets, scan on the QR code, email lo*****************@***il.com or visit www.losaljazz.seatyourself.biz.
Editor’s Note: David Nicholas Somlo contributed reporting to this story.

Cypress College President honored during Women’s History Month

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Cypress College President honored during Women’s History Month

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus sponsors the Woman of the Year event. Every year, members of the Legislature select one woman in their Senate or Assembly district to be honored for their accomplishments. Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D – Fullerton) proudly announces her 67th Assembly District 2023 Woman of the Year, Dr. JoAnna Schilling.

Dr. Schilling is President of Cypress College. She began her career in community colleges as Dean of Arts and Cultural Programs at Rio Hondo College, and went on to serve as Vice President of Academic Affairs at both Cerritos and Rio Hondo Colleges. An alumni from Oregon State University and Smith College, she currently represents the Orange County community colleges on the statewide Community Colleges CEO Board and served on the statewide Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce, and the Racial Equity Taskforce from 2018-2021.

“Dr. JoAnna Schilling has continued to serve her community with integrity, compassion, and enthusiasm throughout her career and I am proud to recognize her as the California State Assembly District 67, 2023 Woman of the Year,” said Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva. “It is incredibly important to shine a light on the talent and value of the women in our community who bring so much to the table. With inspiring women like Dr. Schilling, we are bound to have more women in leadership in the coming years.”

“I am honored, and more than a little humbled, by this recognition,” stated Dr. Schilling. “Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva has been a tireless advocate for education in our communities, and so it is especially gratifying to receive this award from her. It has been my privilege to serve the resilient and hardworking students who come to Cypress College looking for a better life through the power of education. Thank you to Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva for this award and for shining her light on the students we all have a vested interest in serving.”

This year, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus celebrated “Women Making Herstory” with a ceremony at the state Capitol on March 20. Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva presented her recognition on the floor of the state Assembly to Dr. Joanna Schilling.
Earlier in the week, Dr. Shilling was also honored by Congresswoman Michelle Steel, who presented her with a Congressional certificate along with more than a dozen other local female leaders named as “Women of Distinction.”

In 2022, Shilling announced she will retire as President of Cypress College later this year.

Cypress Chamber meeting to feature Dr. Amy Choi-Won

David N. Young
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Cypress Chamber meeting to feature Dr. Amy Choi-Won

The Cypress Chamber of Commerce will host Dr. Amy Choi-Won, with the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, as our guest speaker at the April Networking Breakfast. Our event will be held Tuesday, April 11th at the Residence Inn by Marriott at 4931 Katella Avenue, Cypress/Los Alamitos starting at 7:30 a.m.

Amy will share information on how the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, or ROP, equips and empowers tomorrow’s innovative, civic-minded professionals through the use of career technical education. Audiences will be introduced to the NOC – ROP’s unique programs and how the partnership with the community and local Orange County businesses contributes to developing a future workforce that will help build the local economy.

Dr. Amy Choi-Won is Partner Engagement Specialist for North Orange County Regional Occupational Program (NOCROP), and serves as a catalyst for elevating the student learning experience by establishing, strengthening, and leveraging partnerships with the private and public sectors.

Amy earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Occidental College and received her Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego. She taught chemistry as an adjunct faculty at Cypress College and Fullerton College until 2007. She is also a mother of five children, ages 9 to 20 and has devoted many years to leading various nonprofit foundations. In that role, she is honored to share that nearly two million dollars has been raised to support students and schools in Fullerton under her stewardship.

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 online. Cost of the breakfast is $25.00. Early Bird Registration is $20.00. Attendees are also welcome to bring along a door prize to promote their product or service. The program will include time for live networking, self-introductions, a breakfast buffet, as well as our guest speaker.

The Chamber networking 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/april-networking-breakfast-2023-2663

Coach Ray Fenton to address Los Al Chamber April 6

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Coach Ray Fenton to address Los Al Chamber April 6

The Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a rare lunch meeting for its April networking event as Los Alamitos High School head football coach Ray Fenton, also a powerful motivational speaker, will be the guest speaker, Chamber President Nesi Stewart has announced.

In addition, new Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey will attend along with the CEO of EPSON America, Keith Kratzberg.
Chamber officials say the event will be hosted on Thursday, April 6 by EPSON America, 3131 Katella Ave., therefore registration and pre-payment at www.losalchamber.org is mandatory. After payment, guests will receive a security email directly from EPSON to authorize entry.

The cost is $25 for members and military and $35 for everyone else. The public is invited to attend.

Members of the Chamber and the public who prefer to call the Chamber with a Credit Card number is acceptable. The Chamber’s number is 562-598-6659.
Ray Fenton has over 30 plus years of high school coaching experience. His high school coaching career started at River Valley High School in Mohave Valley, Arizona. After a successful run and completely turning around the Dust Devils program he headed for the bright lights of Las Vegas.

In Las Vegas, Ray Fenton opened a new school in the Henderson area named Foothill. At Foothill, Ray was able to lead the Falcons to being a top 10 team in the nation.
While he was at Foothill he won countless awards including the Nevada State Coach Of The Year. In addition to just coaching Ray also won the Heroism award from the Clark County School District after showing great courage in a bus accident after a game.

At the peak of his success in Las Vegas, his alma mater, Cypress High School, had a job opening. Seeing it as his opportunity to come home, he accepted the job with the Centurions. Ray moved back to California and led Cypress to a CIF championship in 2007. Due to a budget crisis in the Anaheim Union High School District, Ray left Cypress and eventually found his way to Fountain Valley High School. Ray coached the Barons for three years before replacing the legendary John Barnes at Los Alamitos High School. With his short time with the Griffins he has lead them to two Sunset League Titles and to the CIF Semi Finals.

Carla’s Movie Restaurant publishes microenterprise self-help book

For the News Enterprise
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Carla’s Movie Restaurant publishes microenterprise self-help book

Carla’s Movie Restaurant (CMR), a local nonprofit dedicated to showcasing emerging artists of all kinds and connecting them to the community, is proud to announce its latest venture: a guidebook that dives deep into the process of creating a microenterprise. Microenterprise Hits the Big Screen – Carla’s Movie Restaurant: A Directorial Debut in Business is now available in print and digitally through Amazon and the Kindle app for just $18.00 and $9.99, respectively.

Penned by Carla Sramek, Hilda Sramek (the founder of CMR), and Leslie A.M. Smith, this cross between a memoir and a guidebook is a testament to what can be possible in a world full of inclusion and community support for individuals of all abilities and disabilities.
“It all started with Carla’s dream,” said Hilda Sramek, Carla’s mother and president of CMR. “We followed her lead and supported what she wanted to do.”

Carla Sramek was in high school when she first spoke of her ambitions to start her own company. Marrying two of her biggest interests, food and film, Carla says she simply wanted to bring people together with art.

“While researching what we needed to do to create a microenterprise, and ultimately registering CMR as a nonprofit, we kept wondering how anyone would know where to start and where to find help,” Hilda added.

Following the suggestion of supporters who shared that a priority has been set for individuals with disabilities to navigate entrepreneurship, CMR decided to write a book to help others to start a microenterprise of their own.

Using CMR as a roadmap and example, the guidebook contains helpful resources and outlines how business hopefuls may take the first steps towards achieving their own dreams.

The book is interactive with fill-in prompts and exercises to help a person build out ideas and keep track of what comes next. The theme of inclusion is present throughout all 86 pages of the book, as it has been throughout Carla’s life. Written from an artist’s point-of-view, this book is the first of its kind, combining business fundamentals while inspiring people with disabilities.

Carla was ostracized while she was very young in the public school system for being different, and through fierce determination and abundant support from her community, she was able to beat the odds and succeed in many ways.

For more information about CMR, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, visit www.carlasmovierestaurant.org and to buy a copy of the book, visit Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW2RY6NK/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1677686597&sr=8-2

JFTB hosts selective service swearing-in ceremony

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JFTB hosts selective service swearing-in ceremony

By Robert Kenny for the Event News Enterprise

Cal Guard senior leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robert Wooldridge, 40th Infantry Division’s deputy commanding general, and Lt. Col. Manju Vig, garrison commander of Cal Guard’s Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, participated in a swearing-in ceremony for Selective Service California State Director John A. Arbogast, March 13, in the 40th Infantry Division Headquarters on the base. National Selective Service Acting Director Joel C. Spangenberg presided over Mr. Arbogast’s oath of office proceeding.

As part of his remarks Acting Director Spangenberg said, “The driving principles of our mission are to ensure that a national draft lottery and the system established to classify registrants are operationalized in a fair and equitable manner. Mr. Arbogast will support our efforts to do so in California. We are fortunate to have him on our team.”

As California State Director, Arbogast will lead agency efforts to strengthen Selective Service System readiness capabilities across the state in coordination with California’s state, county, and local officials. Cal Guard supports these enduring efforts under the leadership of the adjutant general and the work of select National Guard Reserve Service Members (RSMs) assigned to the Selective Service System.

Currently, the Selective Service System has 11 RSMs, including three with the Cal Guard serving statewide and has over 800 presidentially-appointed local board members volunteering their time throughout state to assist with the classification of registrants should the President and Congress reinstate a national draft for induction into military service.

In recognition of his appointment as California State Director, Arbogast said, “The Selective Service stands ready to mobilize operations fairly and rapidly throughout the State of California and across America during a national emergency. I am proud to be part of the Selective Service System and work closely with the California National Guard and the State of California to build in and refine operational efficiencies and to support the personnel needs of the Department of Defense should the President and Congress reinstate a military draft.”

The Selective Service System is an independent federal Agency that has been a distinguished part of America’s history for over a century, spanning eras of conflict and peacetime. The national framework and structure of the modern-day Selective Service System embody the very essence of government leaders’ collaborative efforts to preserve American security in alignment with the foundation upon which American freedoms exist – the U.S. Constitution.

Robert Kenny is with Selective Service Public & Intergovernmental Affairs

Americana Awards recognize locals for community service

Loreen Berlin
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Americana Awards recognize locals for community service

Right along with the 95th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, the Orange County Cypress College Foundation held its 48th annual “Cypress Americana Awards” Saturday, March 11, at the Disneyland Hotel honoring local citizens for their spirit of giving.

Once again, it was a cast of extremely well-deserving individuals and couples who reached beyond themselves, for years, to give to others in a way that touched their hearts and in turn touched the hearts of those who heard their individual stories on large screens at the front of the ballroom, and then watched as Cypress College President Dr. JoAnna Schilling and Foundation Board Director Ken Vecchiarelli presented each of the recipients with a ceremonial crystal vase while on stage inscribed with the college’s name, “2023 Americana Citizen of the Year” along with their individual city and name.

Photo by Loreen Berlin
Cypress Americana 2023 – “Citizen of the Year” representing the City of Cypress is Sandie McCarthy, second from left, escorted to the podium by Cypress Mayor Anne Hertz-Mallari, second from right. Also pictured from left are Cypress College President Dr. JoAnna Schilling and Ken Vecchiatelli, Cypress Foundation Board.

Stanton Mayor David John Shawver, Americana Chair person, began the evening by welcoming the people and thanking them for their attendance at the Americana Awards banquet and fundraiser, which is Cypress College’s annual signature event that has been supported by thousands of generous people over the years.

The evening is for recognizing remarkable people as “Citizens of the Year” from each of the eight cities in the Cypress College area; the men and women who through their service to others, leave life better than they found it in a way that exemplifies the best America has to offer.

The Citizens of the Year are people devoted to others, in areas that are meaningful to them and thereby, make a brighter future by leading exemplary lives that reflect their own inner qualities and inspire others along the way, to excel as well.

There is also a “Person of the Year,” which was Liz Dunster for this year of 2023.
Receiving the Cypress Americana Awards as “Citizen(s) of the Year” for 2023 included Kay Carpenter, Anaheim; Carol McCann, Buena Park; Sandie McCarthy, Cypress; David and Janice Skelton, Garden Grove; Mike Belknap, La Palma; Nesi Stewart, Los Alamitos; Daren and Kori DeLeon, Sea Beach and Brian Donahue, Stanton.

Photo by Loreen Berlin
Cypress Americana 2023 – “Citizen of the Year” for La Palma is Mike Belknap, second from left, escorted to the podium by La Palma Mayor Debbie Baker second from right. Also pictured from left are Cypress College President Dr. JoAnna Schilling and Ken Vecchiatelli, Cypress Foundation Board of Directors.

The Title Sponsor was, and has been for many years, Union Bank; with Total Environmental Management as the Presenting Sponsor; Conroy’s Flowers of Cypress, Platinum Sponsor; Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, President Circle Sponsor.
Patriots included Catherine Sorensen, Erzsebet Dunster (Erika Records Inc.), and Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA.

There were six Founder-level sponsors and many Benefactor Sponsors and a Spirit Sponsor, Patron Sponsors and Star Sponsors too numerous to mention here, but equally appreciated.

For Cypress Americana Awards information, visit cypresscollege.edu/about/foundation.
For Cypress College information, call 714-484-7000 or visit cyprescollege.edu

Pickleball mania spreads to La Palma

David N. Young
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Pickleball mania spreads to La Palma

Pickleball mania continues to grow, evidenced by the La Palma City Council voting unanimously to move forward with a plan that will ultimately construct two brand new Pickleball courts in the city’s Central Park.

In addition, the Council voted to allow for the striping of the basketball courts so that they could be used during the day for pickleball courts. Citing more frequent usage, the Council opted not to temporarily convert the park’s tennis courts.
Recreation and Community Services manager Mike Belknap recommended the city directly award a professional services contract to a firm often used by the city to design the courts at a cost of $66,000.

Going through the bidding process to obtain a designer would delay the project, Belknap told the Council.

In addition, he said discussions with the state have been successful in allowing the city to repurpose $100-125,000 of existing grant funds on the construction of the pickleball courts.

He estimated the ultimate cost to construct the courts at approximately $200,000, but exact costs won’t be known until bids are received.

Several citizens spoke in favor of the city moving forward with the pickleball courts.
It’s a sport anyone can play, said one man, “and families can play too.”
Another man told the Council of his group that played together every single day. “We consider ourselves family,” he said of the group.

City Council member Nitesh Patel said with all the cuts in recent years, “it’s good to give something back to residents.”

Council member Mark Waldman said he agreed with Patel.

“I am absolutely for this,” said Mayor Pro-tem Marshall Goodman, noting that new courts would provide additional outlets and uses for city residents.

Council member Janet Keo Conklin said while she supported pickleball, it could be considered a “luxury item,” that should at least be offset by fees for non-residents. “We need to be fiscally responsible,” she said.

Mayor Debbie Baker said pickleball courts are not a luxury item but “a good investment into the community.”

Conklin agreed but stressed the Council should figure out how to make the courts “pay for themselves” over the long term.

Patel said the new pickleball courts will bring visitors to La Palma, creating additional sales tax revenue for the city.

Ultimately, the Council voted unanimously to authorize the design of the new courts, but insisted on going through the bid process for their construction.

The Council also agreed that city residents will be given priority to play on the new courts.
In other news, City Manager Conal McNamara presented a mid-year budget recap wherein he suggested the city’s unrestricted fund balance of $4.3 million indicates the city emerged from the COVID pandemic much better than expected.

“We still have a foggy road ahead,” said McNamara, but “the state of our fiscal situation is quite good.”

Admininistrative Services Manager Ryan Hinton said the increase in the transient tax, approved by voters, from 8 to 12 percent in 2022 will eventually produce approximately an additional $200,000 annually for the city. He said the new measure will generate $100,000 this year.

A recent agreement between the City and the La Palma Police Association will cost an additional $77,000 from the current budget, said Hinton, in order to satisfy the agreement’s new provisions.

Given the current financial health, Hinton suggested the Council create a budget stabilization measure, put more into emergency resources, and perhaps back down the city’s unfunded pension liabilities.

Finally, in another public comment to the Council, a resident asked the city to request a sound wall be built along the freeway from Buena Park to Cerritos. It is the only section without such a soundwall, the local citizen told the Council.

Rescheduled Mardi Gras celebration now “Shamrockin’ Mardi Gras”

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Rescheduled Mardi Gras celebration now “Shamrockin’ Mardi Gras”

Shoreline Village in Long Beach was forced to re-schedule it’s Mardi Gras event due to bad weather in February, but the fun has been rescheduled for this Saturday, March 18th adding a touch of green! The whole city is invited to attend the Shamrockin’ Mardi Gras celebration free of charge. Shoreline Village will be alive from 1-5 p.m. with music, beads, entertainment, and nonstop dancing. The family friendly event is suitable for children of all ages.

The re-scheduled parade will take place with Mayor Rex Richardson, and Andrea Sulsona, Executive Director for YMCA Early Childhood Education, serving as the King and Queen. Decorations will be sold, with all proceeds going to the YMCA Early Childhood program. According to Sulsona, the YMCA will use the funds to provide all of the children in their program with life-saving swim lessons as well as the opportunity to attend a weekend of nature at YMCA Camp Oakes family camp.

Shoreline Village Restaurants will be celebrating with the tastes of the season at this spring fling. Shenanigans Irish Pub & Grill has Reuben sandwiches, corned beef hash, and green beer all weekend. The Funnel House is serving up beignets and green whipped cream on Saturday, and Louisiana Charlie’s gumbo (also as nachos & fries), fried frog legs, fried alligator legs, creole jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and crawfish hot box is sure to satisfy any cajun cravings.

The Louisiana Zydeco music starts at 1 p.m. Music will be provided by Zydeco Mudbugs from 1-5 p.m., and DJ music by DJ Del, DJ Rome and DJ Gerson. Beads, stilt walkers, face-painting, balloon twists, and more provide free fun for children until 4 p.m. The parade will stroll around Rainbow Harbor starting at 2:30 at the Nautilus Shell, and ending at Shoreline Village’s Off Boardwalk Stage, where the celebration continues. If you choose to march along in the parade, please sign-up at https://shorelinevillage.com/long-beach-mardi-gras-registration/ (no sign-up necessary to observe). Costumes are encouraged—carnival to leprechaun themed, take your pick. RSVP not required. Visit www.ShorelineVillage.com.

Rossmoor Woman’ Club presents scholarship checks

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Rossmoor Woman’ Club presents scholarship checks

Besides making top grades, Los Alamitos High School seniors Brooke Engel and Charlotte Wilson both make time to help other students. Their scholastic and leadership achievements won them recognition as the Rossmoor Woman’s Club Students of the Month for February and March respectively.

Brooke is part of the “Griffins Help Griffins” Program, where she mentors and tutors other students. For the past two years, she has been a volunteer Friday Night Lights cheer coach as well as acting as secretary for the Women’s Health club on campus. She has also been a Griffins With A Mission retreat leader, volunteered as a “Breaking Down the Walls’” student leader and participated in the dance Program for three years.

Charlotte is vice president of the Woman in STEM Club, which partners with the Youth Center to introduce young girls to topics related to science, technology, engineering and math. She’s also a member of Math Club, Math Honors Society, National Honors Society and California Scholarship Federation, in which she participated as a science and mathematics tutor. Charlotte was a member of the Los Alamitos Women’s soccer team for three years, until she was sidelined by an injury.

Both young women were guests at the Rossmoor Woman’s Club’s March luncheon meeting, where club Student Liaison Patricia Moore presented each with a certificate of merit and $600 scholarship check.

The Rossmoor Woman’s Club, a member of the international General Federation of Women’s Clubs, is a philanthropic organization that has been serving the community since 1958. Members do not have to live in Rossmoor.

Los Al Rugby remains undefeated

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Los Al Rugby remains undefeated

The Los Alamitos HS Boys Varsity Rugby team remains undefeated as they head into the playoffs as the top seed for the SoCal Youth Rugby Finals. The team hasn’t played 15-a-side rugby since 2019 thanks to the COVID pandemic. They are being coached by founding member & alumni of the club who is also a former Lindenwood College player Dylan Ramirez.

Here are some key notes from Friday’s match vs San Clemente in which Los Alamitos won 45-17, as supplied by the administrator of the Los Al Rugby Club.
Freshman Manoah Faupusa was a very big threat going up the middle, sucking in the defense allowing space to be created out wide. He had multiple line breaks.

Freshman Lenny Ibarra disturbed the ball very well, recognizing the space and capitalizing on it, as well as an interception taken back for a try. He mixed up the attack with kicking to keep the defense guessing.

Another Freshman Jordan Lauago played very well the whole game; defensively very sound and was a key component to shutting down the outside with his line speed and solid tackling. On one attack he was just as lethal of a threat with multiple 50-yard runs getting the defense on the back foot and allowing the attack to prosper.

Sophomore Max Amasio was a great runner in the wide channel as well as up the middle. He had a very successful stiff arm that the defense couldn’t get past and had several line breaks for 20 yards plus.

CSD presents “Every Student Succeeding” Awards

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CSD presents “Every Student Succeeding” Awards

Students from schools throughout the Cypress community were honored at the Every Student Succeeding Awards Breakfast on March 2. The event, which is sponsored by the Cypress School District and Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs of Cypress, recognizes students who have overcome adversity or other life challenges to find success in school. Front Row: Kamden Kittidumrongkool, Elijah Seeraty, Andrew Meza, Evan Santisteban, Michael Connell. Back Row: Joseph Reyes Olivas, Wesley Roczey, Cody Glunt, Maxwell Osendorf, Teagan Clough, Samantha Runge, Samantha Arroyo.

Cypress School District Trustee recognized for community service

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Cypress School District Trustee recognized for community service

Cypress School District Trustee Candi Kern has been recognized with the prestigious Marian Bergeson Award by the Orange County School Boards Association. The accolade is presented annually to a trustee who has provided outstanding governing board and community service to promote and enhance public education.

The late Marian Bergeson was a former Orange County school board member and the first woman to serve in both Houses of the California Legislature. Bergeson also served as Secretary of Education and on the State Board of Education in the 1990s.

For over 10 years, Trustee Kern has provided outstanding service to the Cypress School District as a member of the Board of Trustees. In addition to her leadership within the district, she has been elected to serve four consecutive two-year terms on the California School Boards Association (CSBA) Delegate Assembly which sets policy direction for the association and ensures that it reflects the interests of school districts and county offices of education throughout the state.

Trustee Kern also serves on the planning committee for the CSBA Annual Education Conference, an event attended by nearly 1,000 member agencies each year. Most recently, she was appointed by the Orange County School Boards Association to serve as ETC Committee Chair where she is responsible for facilitating meetings on timely educational topics of importance to Orange County school board members.

“It is a sincere privilege to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Cypress School District. Many of the prior Marian Bergeson Award honorees are role models of mine, and I am humbled to be in their company. The trustees in Orange County are top notch, and I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful group dedicated to the students of our county.”
Beyond her service as a school board member, Trustee Kern has advocated for student interests and public education through her long-time involvement in PTA. Over the years, she has held numerous PTA leadership positions, including President of Orange County Fourth District PTA. She is also a recipient of the Golden Oak Award, the highest honor given by California State PTA for an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the welfare of children in the school community.

“Candi has dedicated not only her time and energy but her heart and soul to supporting public education at every level. The depth of her leadership, commitment, and service to schools makes her most deserving of the Marian Bergeson Award!” said Anne Silavs, Cypress School District Superintendent.

Los Al Chamber cuts ribbon on “Bespoke Dental”

Loreen Berlin
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Los Al Chamber cuts ribbon on “Bespoke Dental”

“Bespoke Dental Studios,” 3851 Katella Ave., Ste. 225, held a ribbon cutting event recently, orchestrated by the Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce.

It’s a new day in Dentistry, where in addition to regular teeth cleaning, to help the entire body be healthy, a patient can have X-rays and within minutes, Dr. Parth Kansagra, DDS, MBA, MBS, with his new technologically-advanced medical/dental machines, can make the “crown” for a tooth, right while the patient waits; there’s no more “temporary” crown, with a waiting period for a lab to make the crown.

Dr. Kansagra said according to the National Institute of Health, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania Dental School, the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Penn Medicine and the British Dental Journal, that teeth cleanings help a patient to avoid heart disease, stroke, worsening of asthma and diabetes and helps ensure a healthy pregnancy; reduces chances of Alzheimer’s and/or dementia.

“It’s a way to stay healthy with regular cleanings,” said Dr. Kansagra. “We’re open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays 7 a.m. to Noon; we offer emergency dental care and walk-ins are always welcome.”

At Bespoke Dental Studios, they put their patients first, with attention to detail – giving personal attention, with modern treatment options – striving to elevate the dental experience even in small details.

“We don’t just want you to be healthy, we want you to have an affirming and empowering experience while achieving optimal heath and lasting beauty,” he said.

Dr. Kansagra also specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implants and TMJ treatment.
Our mission is to make a difference in your life by providing dentistry that goes above and beyond, and we care deeply about our patients and want to provide the most comprehensive and personalized dental care for every patient, by using the latest dental technology in a relaxed setting.

Bespoke Dental graciously hosted the Chamber and community members, providing sandwiches and snacks. The Dental office received certificates of congratulations from Congresswoman Michelle Steel’s office; Senator Janet Nguyen, with the 36th District of the California State Legislature and Assemblyman Tri Ta, with the 70th District, along with the City of Los Alamitos; the City of Cypress and the Los Alamitos Area Chamber of Commerce.
As a side note, before Dr. Kansagra became a dentist, he designed buildings and just happened to have designed and built the new building that now houses his dental practice.

For more information, visit www.bespokedentalstudios.com, in**@******************os.com or call 1-562-285-6767
For Chamber information, in**@**********er.org or call 1-562-598-6659.

“Every 15 Minutes” delivers sobering message to Los Al High School students

David N. Young
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“Every 15 Minutes” delivers sobering message to Los Al High School students

By Bella Kim

“Every 15 minutes,” someone in the United States dies from an alcohol-related accident. Rest in peace…

Los Alamitos High School’s intercom announced this message on Thursday, March 2, followed by the name of a student declared “dead.” Throughout the school day, 21 students were called out of their classes to represent the statistic that someone in the US dies in a drunk driving incident every 15 minutes. Every 15 Minutes is a national program that illustrates the consequences of reckless driving.

On Thursday, students Chloe Veith, Sofia Youngs, Cameron Stewart, and Nicholas Leung were part of a staged car crash during lunch. Victims wore makeup showing grievous injuries. The “living dead,” the 21 students who “died” during the day, stood solemnly watching the scene wearing white face paint and black Every 15 Minutes t-shirts. Sirens blared as police, firefighters, and EMT arrived on the scene.

Every 15 Minutes participants could not tell their peers that they were going to “die,” so witnessing the crash scene hit some students hard. Even though they knew it was fake, students felt shocked when they saw their friends, bloodied and unconscious, slumped in the destroyed cars.

“I thought I lost one of my closest friends,” said Sebastian Taylor, junior. “It makes me feel very aware of the potential dangers of drinking and driving and being distracted while driving.”

“In the moment, you definitely feel a lot more than you thought you would because it feels so real,” said Lindsey Meehan, one of the living dead.

“Kids tend to think death is far away for them, but all it takes is one good scare and you will know you are not invincible,” said senior Alex Morper, a boom operator for Griffin News.
In the program’s storyline, Stewart, under the influence of alcohol, was driving with his friend, Leung. He crashed into Youngs’ car, where Veith sat in the passenger seat. Veith and Leung “died” on the scene. Officers gave Stewart a field sobriety test, arrested him, and took him to the Los Alamitos Police Department. EMT placed Youngs, in “critical condition,” on a stretcher and rushed her to Los Alamitos Medical Center.

Griffin News produced a video of the event that premiered during school assemblies on Friday, March 3. Strike squads split up to film the different story arcs. One team filmed heartbreaking scenes of doctors trying to save Youngs and informing her parents that she had passed away. Another group went with a police officer to Veith’s house, where he told her parents that their daughter had been killed in a car crash.

“It made me think that there’s no reason for anyone to ever drink and drive, seeing the impact that it has on friends and family and their community,” said Veith’s mother, Lacey Veith.

Griffin News also went to Westminster Municipal Court for Stewart’s mock trial and the morgue for Youngs’ funeral service. In jail, Stewart said that he has to live with the knowledge that his one mistake caused the deaths of three people.

The next day, freshmen and sophomores attended the first assembly. The car crash victims, living dead, and their families attended the second assembly for juniors and seniors. A casket covered with pink flowers sat in the middle of the gym, the same casket shown in the footage of Young’s service at the morgue.

In the film, the victims’ parents’ voices broke as they mourned that they would never see their daughter or son grow up, go to college, or get married. Stewart’s anguished friends voiced their regret that they didn’t take his keys or do anything more to stop him.

“The truth is life is precious and young students have so much ahead of them,” Lina Lumme, Youth Center CEO and Every 15 Minutes program coordinator, said.

“At the end of the day, all it takes is one strong person to be the voice of reason and save a life,” said Mr. Brown, Los Al Film and Television and Griffin News teacher.

After the video, Marilyn Ellis’ speech about her daughter Kimberly, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1997, brought tears to parents’ eyes. A real example of the horrifying effects of drunk driving, Ellis described the night she received the call about the crash and how her older daughter screamed when the doctors told them that they couldn’t save her sister.

A few of the living dead read letters they wrote to their parents about what they never got to say because they “died.” Meehan’s older sister, imagining her little sister gone, cried while she read her letter and moved the audience to tears.

“It helped us reflect on the potential impact of making poor choices, and it really brought into focus how big an impact it would have on the family if something like this really happened,” said Eric Sorrenson, father of Colleen Sorrenson, who played one of the living dead.

Every 15 Minutes showed students that one death every 15 minutes is more than just a number. It’s one person, one daughter or son, one sibling, one friend. One person’s decision to drink and drive also affects everyone who loves them. Students might think that this happens to “someone else,” but for those who knew the people in those cars, they were that “someone else.” They could have been in that car; their parents could have been the ones who lost a child.

“I hope students will remember this experience and will not drive under the influence,” Lumme said. “I hope that they will find the strength to take the keys away from someone who should not be driving.”

Thank you: The Youth Center, Seal Beach Lions Club, Every 15 Minutes, Los Alamitos High School, Griffin News, ASB, volunteers, Los Alamitos Police Department, Seal Beach Police Department, Cypress Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Orange County Fire Authority, Cypress Forest Lawn, Orange County Jail, and other local businesses involved in bringing Every 15 Minutes to Los Al.

Editor’s Note: Los Al Griffin Gazette staff writers Isabella Gasper and Alicia Tan contributed to the research and interviews for this article. This article was released by the Youth Center.

Waldorf Charter denied permission to expand into Cypress

Jeannette Andruss
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Waldorf Charter denied permission to expand into Cypress

A Waldorf public charter school in the Ocean View School District seeking to expand will be able to add more grade levels to its Huntington Beach campus.

However, for now, Sycamore Creek Community Charter School will not be allowed to establish campuses outside the boundaries of its current district.

That’s the result of a vote made by the Orange County Board of Education (OCBE) at its March 1 meeting.

Sycamore opened in 2019 on an appeal to the OCBE after being denied approval from Ocean View School District. In December 2022, the TK-8 public charter, serving roughly 160 students, sought permission from the OCBE to become a countywide benefit charter, which would allow it to open campuses anywhere in Orange County.

Sycamore’s request also asked for permission to add high school grades 9-12, to open a site in Cypress, and to change some enrollment preferences.

At the March 1 meeting, the pro-charter school trustees appeared willing to green-light all of Sycamore’s requests in its latest petition for a material revision to its charter. But trustees were advised by their attorney that the information needed to warrant full approval wasn’t part of Sycamore’s submission.

“My perspective was that perhaps if we had an analysis that could justify making a countywide benefit charter pursuant to the section that perhaps we could get there by way of material revision if all other criteria were met. We haven’t. We don’t have that analysis before us,” OCBE legal counsel Gregory J. Rolen told the board.

At issue was the process Sycamore used to seek permission to operate countywide. That included not gathering signatures from prospective families to gauge interest in the school. An attorney for Sycamore argued that its request was lawful and followed proper Education Code. Rolen didn’t directly disagree.

The OCBE meeting to discuss Waldorf Charter School request.
Photo by Jeannettte Andruss.

“There is a method by which countywide benefit charters are usually sought. They (Sycamore)  just went about it a different way. That doesn’t mean that their different way is wrong. But we didn’t do the full analysis on whether it meets the conditions of a countywide benefit charter,” Rolen said at the March 1 meeting.

Ultimately, the board voted five to zero to approve two parts of Sycamore’s request – to allow the charter to add grades 9 – 12 within the Ocean View School District boundaries and to add additional enrollment preferences including for students who reside in Orange County.

Currently around 40% of Sycamore’s students are from Long Beach, according to the school.

OCBE trustee Mari Barke supports Sycamore’s expansion and characterized the outcome as a “win-win for everyone.”

“It is important to put kids first and make sure that they have options, but we must follow the law and sometimes we must compromise in order to achieve our goals,” Barke wrote in an email to Spotlight Schools.

The board’s approval of adding high school grades went against the recommendation of staff in the Orange County Department of Education’s Charter Schools Unit.

In a report issued on Feb. 14, a staff analysis stated: “…currently available academic performance data does not indicate that the charter school presents a sound education program for the students currently being served, does not allow staff to determine whether students demonstrate grade-level competency by grade eight, and does not demonstrate whether an expansion of the program to include grades nine through twelve is in the best interest of students.”

At the Feb. 1 public hearing on Sycamore’s petition, OCBE trustee Jorge Valdes expressed concerns about Sycamore’s low standardized test scores, which, according to EdSource, showed its 3rd through 7th graders performing well below the California and Orange County averages for meeting state standards.

At the March 1 meeting, Sycamore’s Executive Director Sarah Bach, Ph.D., and Liane Brouillette, a professor at U.C. Irvine’s School of Education, explained the Waldorf philosophy of giving more time for students to grasp concepts compared to traditional public schools. They also attempted to unpack some of the school’s test scores.

Dr. Bach presented slides showing a closer look at the 2022 standardized test scores of its 8th graders which represented nine students. Bach showed that at least three of the students were within a fraction of a percentage point of meeting the state standards. There was no closer examination of the scores from the other grade levels.

Dr. Bach also asked trustees to give the school more time to accomplish its academic goals, saying establishing a new school in the Covid-19 era had posed major challenges.

“It’s important that data points on an exam during a pandemic are not given more weight than the amazing amount of community support by parents and teachers for our approach to education by following the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education,” she explained further in an email to Spotlight Schools.

At the Feb. 1 meeting, numerous parents and students spoke in support of Sycamore’s expansion. At this week’s meeting, a mother of three students praised the Waldorf school.

“We believe in this model so much that we are willing to take that leap of faith. We are doing something very different than what many other schools are offering. But they (students) are learning and they are learning incredible skills,” she said.

At the March 1 meeting, Valdes thanked Dr. Bach for giving more information about some test scores and said his inclination was to trust parents. “And the parents … believe that their children are thriving. I am of the belief that parents lead the way in education,” Valdes said.

Proposed Sycamore campus not actually located within Los Alamitos Unified School District

Sycamore was seeking to gain countywide status and establish another campus at 4321 West Cerritos Avenue in Cypress. In its petition, Sycamore identified the site as within the Los Alamitos Unified School District, a district serving about 9,000 students across nine campuses in Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach.

At the March 1 meeting, Aracely Chastain, the head of the Orange County Department of Education Charter Schools Unit, stated that the site is not within Los Alamitos USD after all and therefore Sycamore did not notify the districts that would actually be impacted, which include Cypress School District for elementary schools and Anaheim Union High School District for middle and high schools.

Sycamore did notify Los Alamitos USD of its expansion plan in an October 2022 letter. The district publicly opposed Sycamore’s request to open a campus down the street from Los Alamitos High School and McAuliffe Middle School.

Los Alamitos USD officials said Sycamore’s expansion could translate to millions of dollars in lost state funding if district students enrolled in the charter.

On February 24, the district sent a letter from its legal counsel to the OCBE arguing that Sycamore “failed to follow the specific process in the Education Code for obtaining countywide status” so “there is no legal basis for approval of their request for a material revision to become a countywide charter,” according to Los Alamitos USD Superintendent Andrew Pulver, Ed.D.

At the March 1 meeting, Dr. Pulver and Los Alamitos USD Board of Education President Chris Forehan both addressed the OCBE trustees making similar arguments.

After the vote, Dr. Pulver expressed support for the denial of Sycamore’s request to expand into Cypress

“We appreciate the County Board of Education acknowledging that a request for a charter petition to receive county wide operation cannot be done through a material revision and that there is a specific process outlined within the education code for a charter petition to gain countywide operations which the Sycamore Creek Community Charter failed to do,” Dr. Pulver wrote in an email to Spotlight Schools.

Charter looking at options for expansion

After the meeting, Dr. Bach, Sycamore’s executive director, expressed gratitude to the board. “We value and appreciate the OCBE for allowing a healthy discussion regarding our request and exhibiting thoughtfulness in their approach to considering it,” she wrote in an email to Spotlight Schools.

She said the school is “concentrating on the logistics” of expanding to include grades 9 – 12.

“At this point, it’s hard to know what that will look like exactly. There are various paths forward to consider,” she wrote and added, “We still believe that all students in Orange County should have the option of attending a tuition-free Public Waldorf Charter School.”

Sycamore is one of two TK-8 public charter schools using a Waldorf-based curriculum in O.C. The other is Journey School in the Capistrano Unified School District. The private Waldorf School of Orange County in Costa Mesa charges between $18,500 and $27,600 annually for tuition for K – 12 grade students, according to its website.

At the March 1 meeting, OCBE trustee Ken Williams, D.O., encouraged Dr. Bach to continue the effort to expand. He said he hoped she would come back “with the proper methodology … so you achieve your goal and that you put other Waldorf schools within this county.”

For more hyperlocal education news, visit SpotlightSchool.com and sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Orange County housing element to be discussed at March RCSD meeting

David N. Young
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Orange County housing element to be discussed at March RCSD meeting

Residents in College Park East, Rossmoor, and Los Alamitos are becoming increasingly worried about a deluge of development projects that could markedly increase local densities that, they believe, will create a cascade effect that will harm their overall quality of life.

In addition to the Lampson Project, the housing development at Old Ranch Country Club, the Orange County housing element includes a provision that could remake the corner of Los Alamitos Boulevard and Katella Ave.

Accordingly, the Rossmoor Community Services District has announced the head planning official from Orange County will be at their next regular meeting Tuesday, March 14.

According to a statement, the Rossmoor Community Services District Board President Tony DeMarco and Board of Directors have cleared the March monthly meeting agenda to “provide time for the community to get an understanding of the Orange County Housing Element and how it will affect our community.”

They say the agenda will include a brief report from the Orange County Public Works Department regarding an ADA Transition Plan Project that will include infrastructure within the unincorporated areas of Rossmoor that do not currently meet ADA requirements.

This will be followed by an Orange County Housing Element informational report presented by Orange County’s Chief Planning officer. They are expected to address the history and the process of the most recent Orange County Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).
The housing element includes the “candidate sites” that the County of Orange has submitted to the State for their RHNA Unincorporated Land Use suggestions.

“We are requesting that patrons and residents submit questions prior to the meeting for the presenter to incorporate into his presentation. After the presentation there will be time allotted for questions and answers,” the statement said.

Residents who have questions or comments are asked to send them to rc**@**********sd.org. Questions and comments are requested by Fri., March 10, 2023
Both items will be on the agenda for the upcoming board of directors meeting on Tue., March 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rush Park Auditorium (3021 Blume Drive).

La Palma Council splits 3-2 on televising meetings

David N. Young
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La Palma Council splits 3-2 on televising meetings

The City of La Palma voted at their most recent meeting not to study installing video cameras to allow citizens to actually see their city council meetings.

According to recordings of the meeting, the Council, after a long discussion, voted 3-2 to study ways to improve the audio but refused to consider even looking into possibly adding a video feed to allow residents to actually participate in the Council’s deliberations.
Council member Janet Keo Conklin asked the Council to consider studying the addition of audio and video recordings.

“It would help us be more open and transparent to the rest of our community,” said Conklin. “It would make us more available to our residents,” she said, noting that residents had asked her about it during her recent campaign for the Council seat.
Some elderly residents have a hard time hearing, said Conklin, and adding visibility as well would improve the council’s ability to be transparent for citizens who cannot make it to meetings.

Councilman Mark Walkman worried that if the city had video cameras in city hall, people might actually speak to the Council more and longer.

“It may cause grandstanding,” said Waldman. Grandstanding is described as acting in a “showy or ostentatious manner to attract attention.”

Waldman said those appearing on video would not only “speak longer,” and he felt like cameras in the meeting room “doesn’t add to the discussion.”
He said it would be “very expensive, require editing and perhaps have to include multiple languages.”

Currently, the city uses its own verbal audio system that does not visually identify speakers during discussions, is not bilingual, and often misidentifies speakers.

For instance, at the most recent meeting, a speaker named Sherry Forbes was identified by the La Palma system both as “Sherry Forbes” and then later as “Sherry Pork.”

Council member Nitesh Patel suggested the addition of video cameras could be expensive since the city did not plan for them during its recent multimillion renovation.

“I understand we did not include that in our recent renovation,” said Patel. “That was left behind so there would have to be significant upgrades to have that kind of camera system,” he added.

“I know that this was brought up by a previous Council member and we voted against it with the same concerns,” he said.

What harm can come to the citizens or the Council by just gathering information on audio and video, asked Mayor Pro-tem Marshall Goodman. “It would just give us information on what’s happening [in the field of citizen outreach],” he suggested.

The Council was not having it, apparently, as Waldman moved to study using better microphones but no video.

Goodman, however, made a substitute motion to include Conklin’s suggestion of audio and video in the study.

The substitute failed 3-2, with Mayor Debbie Baker, Patel and Waldman voting against having citizens watch their Council in action with Goodman and Conklin voted for it.
Then the Council voted on Waldman’s audio-only motion, which passed 3-2, with the same split of Baker, Waldman, and Patel voting for the motion.

The Council also learned they must comply with new state mandates on the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or Junior ADUs that take virtually all control away from local governments to prevent their construction or acceptance of existing units.
Goodman said he wanted to make sure citizens understand the Council is merely “abiding by state regulation, not creating anything on our own. This is not our creation,” he said, “we’re just following the law.”

In other action, the Council ratified a resolution recognizing Black History Month.

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