Home Blog Page 79

Premium tix for Pacific Airshow go on sale

The Pacific Airshow is about three months away and premium tickets went on sale July 15 for the popular event that takes to the skies Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 over Huntington Beach.
This year’s show features the exhilaratingly precise U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as this military branch celebrates its 75th Anniversary and the graceful aerobatic Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

“Millions of people look forward to the annual Pacific Airshow, and this year’s show will be another spectacular event celebrating the sound of freedom and ingenuity,” said Kevin Elliott, Pacific Airshow director. “This year we are expanding the general admission area to make room for more families to see the action up close and enjoy the airshow announcer.”
Fans have five choices for premium Airshow viewing this year, including the popular

General Admission option.

1. General Admission
Right on the water’s edge at Show Center, this General Admission section is in the middle of all the Pacific Airshow action including the airshow’s live announcer feed! Restrooms are nearby and food will be available for purchase. This private area on the beach does not include reserved seats or spots on the sand. Bring you bring your own chairs, blankets, and umbrellas. Personal coolers are allowed without alcoholic beverages. EZ-Up tents are prohibited. Price is $25 per person.

2. Pier Seating
Experience the Airshow at its most intense with a seat on the iconic Huntington Beach Pier! With your Pier Seating ticket, you’ll receive an unreserved seat on the pier on a first-come, first-serve basis, along with access to the Airshow’s live announcer feed, plus nearby food trucks, beverage stands and restrooms. Personal coolers, EZ-Ups and umbrellas are prohibited. Price is $40 per ticket on Friday and $60 per ticket on Saturday and Sunday.

3. Premiere Club Seating
This all-inclusive premiere ticket is perfect for our most dedicated Airshow enthusiasts. This reserved section is located at Airshow Show Center and your ticket includes hosted food and beverage options, access to private restrooms, and an unforgettable view of exciting aerobatic performances – all in the comfort of a tented pavilion complete with tables, chairs, and patio umbrellas. Personal coolers, EZ-Ups and umbrellas are prohibited. Price is $199 per ticket for Friday and $299 per ticket for Saturday and Sunday.

4. Premiere Club + Reserve Table for 10
Enjoy all the premium offerings available in the Premiere Club, plus a private table for up to 10 people. Table price for Friday is $1,990 and $2,990 for Saturday and Sunday.

5. Cabanas
Make yourself at home in a luxurious, fully-furnished cabana – perfect for entertaining family, friends, co-workers, or clients in an unforgettable setting. Your cabana setup is complete with lounge seating, Adirondack chairs and entertaining tables all in a private, tented space on the beach at Show Center. Cabana packages include bottle service with (1) bottle of liquor plus accompanying mixers and juicers for those ages 21+. Food and bar options available at an additional cost. Personal coolers, EZ-Ups and umbrellas are prohibited. One day cabana prices are $2,950 for Friday for up to 20 people and $4,950 for up to 20 people on Saturday and Sunday.

For those who want to extend their Pacific Airshow experience, RV Camping will again be available. The RV Camping Experience package includes a reserved spot at Sunset Vista RV Campground for your RV, one dedicated vehicle parking pass, two holding tank pump outs for your RV, and 10 General Admission tickets to the Airshow each day. RV rentals are not offered. Cost is $4,200 for the weekend Thursday, Sept. 30 through Monday Oct. 4, and reservations can be made at the Pacific Airshow website.

Chalets for corporate hospitality are still available. Contact Pacific Airshow at vi*@************ow.com for more information.

The Pacific Airshow app will be updated soon, and fans can use it to learn more about this year’s Airshow performers, discover major points of interest using an interactive map, purchase event tickets, and stay up to date with important event updates and announcements.

For more information, please visit www.pacificairshow.com, and follow Pacific Airshow on social media @pacificairshow.
About Pacific Airshow

Since its launch in 2016, Pacific Airshow has grown to become the largest airshow in the United States by attendance attracting millions of spectators to Southern California every fall. Spanning over three days, the Airshow features the best in military and civilian flight demonstrations from teams all over the world, including past performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Royal Air Force Red Arrows, and Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

The family-friendly weekend is lauded for its showcase of pop-culture featuring live music, premium ocean-front hospitality, VIP social events, STEM activities and more. Pacific Airshow has been recognized by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as the Civilian Airshow Site of the Year in both 2018 and 2019 and was named among the Top 5 Airshows by USA Today’s 10Best. The event has become the cornerstone of the fall calendar for residents and visitors from as far away as Europe and Asia while delivering a more than $105 million economic impact to the City of Huntington Beach alone and even broader economic benefits to the County of Orange and Southern California.

79th Sustainment Command performs training exercises

By Sgt. Traci Muldoon

U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), based at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, walked a mile in the boots of their partners overseas by participating in an Early Entry Command Post (EECP) exercise to practice providing sustainment and logistical support to a theater during their Annual Training, June 18 to July 2, 2022. The EECP is a rapid response element of the 79th TSC’s theater logistics and sustainment planning that prepares Soldiers to provide sustainment and logistic support in a theater environment.

“The EECP gives us an opportunity for us to look at how we integrate with U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) and Southern European Task Force-Africa (SETAF-AF) and how we integrate and communicate with them and what capabilities are needed for operations to run successfully in Morocco, Africa,” said Maj. Gen. David W. Ling, Commanding General of the 79th TSC.

“For all troops participating, the EECP is an opportunity for us to get to know our partners in Africa and improve interoperability.”

Performed in a field environment to simulate real-world deployment and mission settings, logistic and sustainment needs were met through more than a dozen Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) branches during the EECP exercise. Soldiers were trained to improve proficiency for logistic and sustainment needs including signal/communications, meals, billeting and security to help staff build upon the 79th TSC’s Tactical Standard Operating Procedure.

“The importance of training in a field environment provides Soldiers with the perspective of what they would be doing to support a mission within the U.S. or overseas. Giving Soldiers an austere environment helps them improve the right skill sets needed to be successful in their MOS,” said Command Sergeant Maj. Ronald Hassler of the 79th TSC.
The EECP exercise serves as a simulation in preparing for opening theater overseas areas that need improvement in the event the 79th TSC is asked to provide logistic and sustainment support on a higher level.

“Guess who’s coming to dinner” moves to stage

By Lady Beverly Cohn

Stanley Kramer’s 1967 iconic film, GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER, starring Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, and Sidney Poitier, received mixed reviews ranging from “An innately compelling experience,” and “Superior in almost every imaginable way,” to “A stilted screenplay… and a “Dismal morality play about a middle-class couple facing the prospects of their daughter’s marriage to a black man.”

Thankfully, after COVID halted live theatre for several years, it is once again alive and flourishing at the highly-respected Ruskin Group Theatre. William Rose’s original screenplay was adapted for stage by Todd Kreidler and is brilliantly directed by singer/songwriter and playwright Lita Gaithers Owens. She is co-author of the Broadway hit musical “It Ain’t Nothing But the Blues,” which was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical of 1999. Should you be concerned that the current iteration of GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER won’t match the acting of the original cast, rest assured the director assembled a highly professional ensemble who deliver fully actualized performances, mining the various layers of their respective characters.

The play is performed on John Iacovelli’s stunning set, which expanded the limited space into multiple playing areas, and revolves around two families and the maid Matilda or Tilly, wonderfully played by Vickilyn Reynolds, whose character provides comic relief.

Christina Drayton, exquisitely characterized by Lee Garlington and her husband Matt, played by Brad Greenquist, whose performance is equally remarkable, come face to face with their liberal beliefs when their daughter Joanna (Mary Pumper) falls in love with Dr. John Prentice, a successful black man, who is rich, intelligent, and handsome and has travelled the world to conduct research.

Tackling a part played by Sidney Poitier is no easy task, but rest assured that Vincent Washington II has strong stage presence and delivers a compelling, multi-layered performance.

The story begins with the manager of Christina’s art gallery, Hillary St. George, played by Mouchette van Helsdingen, bringing paintings to the Drayton’s home in preparation for dinner with a well-known art collector.

The opinionated maid, who is somewhat of an “enforcer,” is busy setting the table and catches Matt, who owns a newspaper, sneaking a phone call to his office. Knowing he’s under strict doctor’s orders to slow down, Tilly rips the phone out of his hand and tells him to go play golf with Monsignor Ryan, well played by Carl Paul Denk Jr. Joanna arrives with her black boyfriend, Dr. John Prentice, taking her mother by surprise and announcing that she and the good doctor are in love.

Trying to take it all in, mom says, “I need to sit down,” and is immediately faced with whether or not she is a hypocrite with her liberal beliefs. Joanna shares she met John at the hospital, he is eleven years older, and that his wife and child were killed in a car accident. She continues saying, “There’s one more thing,” at which point mom says “Shall I lie on the floor first?” The one more thing is Joanna’s announcement that they plan to marry and will leave for the airport that evening. However, John insists they won’t marry without her parents’ approval, which may not be forthcoming.

In the meantime, Christina orders a background check on John and much to her chagrin, he is who he says he is, including authoring a book. In the meantime, Tilly is as shocked as mom and attacks John verbally accusing him of being up to something. She immediately calls Matt to come home and in short order he’s brought up to date on the situation.

He goes on a rampage expressing why he’s totally opposed to this union, predicting they will endure a miserable life in face of society’s laws against mixed marriages. Matt decides to get to know the suitor a bit more and there is a male-bonding scene in which they discuss Joe Louis’ famous fight with Max Schmeling and who were the best dancers on American Bandstand – the white kids or the black kids. One startling surprise is enough but Joanna cooked up another and unbeknownst to John, she invited his parents to dinner.

Enter John Prentice Sr., skillfully played by Dan Martin, and his wife Mary, veteran of the stage Renn Woods, who knows how to recover a character when you accidentally knock over a set piece. Act II reveals the rage and disgust John Prentice Sr. has toward the dangerous idea of his son marrying a white girl, at one point yelling: “Is this Candid Camera?” Where’s the white guy hiding?”

John’s mom is equally distressed and later expresses her feelings in a poignant monologue, one of several delivered throughout the play by different characters. Matt acknowledges that this situation is quite a surprise, with John Sr. bellowing: “A surprise is a retirement party. This is an ambush!” He storms out and says he’ll be in the car but returns shortly, “I was afraid I would be arrested.”

For those of you not familiar with the original film, you are probably wondering if the two sets of parents will ultimately give their approval or will the love between the young couple be eradicated by prejudice from both sides. To find that out dear readers, I would suggest you buy a ticket as soon as possible, this play is a hit and you’re in for an evening of theatre at its finest thanks in no small part to Artistic Director John Ruskin and Managing Director/Producer Michael R. Myers.

Golden State Water announces mandatory water conservation as drought conditions return

Golden State Water Company (Golden State Water) today announced all of its water systems are now under Stage 2 of the company’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan (Schedule 14.1). The move to Stage 2 is in response to worsening drought conditions and recent action by the State Water Resources Control Board requiring urban water suppliers to implement reductions under Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans.

“Severe drought conditions are propelling unprecedented water restrictions in an effort to reduce water use and preserve the limited supplies available,” said Toby Moore, Golden State Water’s Water Resource Manager and Chief Hydrogeologist. “As California continues in its third year of drought and we enter the warm summer months, it is critical customers take action to conserve.”

Golden State Water filed an Advice Letter with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on May 27, 2022, seeking approval to activate Stage 2 of its Schedule 14.1. The CPUC approved the Advice Letter, which became effective June 26, 2022.

Stage 2 Requirements
• Reduce water usage by 20 percent as compared to 2020 usage
• Limits outdoor watering to two-days-per-week
1. Even number addresses (0, 2, 4, 6, 8): Sunday, Wednesday
2. Odd number addresses (1, 3, 5, 7, 9): Tuesday, Saturday
• Prohibits watering between 9 A.M and 5 P.M.

Golden State Water may also implement a drought emergency surcharge of up to $2.50 per Ccf (748 gallons) for water usage in excess above the customer’s baseline drought allocation, should local and statewide supply conditions warrant further action. Residential customers will not be asked to use less than eight Ccf monthly.

Customers in Golden State Water’s Claremont, Simi Valley, Nipomo, Cypress Ridge and Edna Systems remain in Stage 2.

“We are in this together and grateful to our customers and community partners for continuing to make water conservation a way of life,” said Edwin DeLeon, Golden State Water’s Water Use Efficiency Manager.

Customers are encouraged to visit gswater.com and follow Golden State Water on Facebook and Twitter at @GoldenStateH2O for a complete list of state and local water-use restrictions, as well as conservation programs, rebates and tips.

Treasurer Ma addresses entrepreneurs to boost post COVID economy

California State Treasurer Fionna Ma, business executives and diplomats gathered in the Long Beach Pacific Visions Center this week to encourage entrepreneurs from underserved communities to take advantage of incentives to jumpstart their activities in the post COVID economy.

Daniel Sieu, a member of the Inland Empire Export Council and involved in attracting overseas investments, said he and his wife Ling founded the William and Stephanie Foundation to help young entrepreneurs learn about, and access, government programs that exist to boost economic activity.

“They (underserved) weren’t being given access to the government programs,” said Sieu. “They had no idea to fill out the forms and they had so much trouble with all the government red tape that we felt that since we had connections into the government, and relations and the willingness for the government to work with us, we could help people that were suffering,” he said.

Sieu said the seminar was part on an ongoing series of seminars that began as online webinars during the pandemic to help businesses understand the resources available to help them.

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma.
Courtesy photo

Ma, who is the first woman of color and the first female CPA elected to the position of State Treasurer, explained her position to the crowd of entrepreneurs.

“I am the treasurer of the state of California,” said Ma. “That means I am your banker. All of the revenues come into my office. Last year it was $3.2 trillion.”

Ma said such a large economy in the state of California makes it one of the largest in the world.

“We (California) are the fifth largest economy in the world,” said Ma. “I also invest the state’s local funds that are not being used and I issue all the bonds for the state of California.”

Ma explained how California has put billions aside from its surplus and from federal COVID relief funds to help small businesses jump-start the post-COVID economy.

“If you are buying equipment, you may be able to apply for a sales tax exemption so that you can save 10 percent,” said Ma. “If you are growing and want to locate in California, you may be able to apply for an income tax deferral for up to three to five years,” she added, as Ma explained the many business incentives most small businesses are not aware of.

We know that we’ve all been through a difficult time over the past few months, on multiple fronts,” said Long Beach Deputy Mayor Rex Richardson in welcoming the group to the city. Even the city, he said, “has had to reevaluate the core services we provide.”

“We saw that businesses had to adapt to survive,” said Richardson.

“We saw significant impacts on their health and their economic prosperity,” he said, thanking the speakers for coming to Long Beach to promote economic prosperity.

Other speakers included Consul General Anil Fahriza Adenan of Malaysia and Consul General Kim Chha Hout of Cambodia.

Los Al Chamber hosts Brown Bag lunch

The recent “Brown Bag Luncheon” hosted by the Los Alamitos Area Chamber of Commerce was a real eye-opener to just how serious Cyber-theft has become, and that it’s continuing to be ever-more advanced.

Those who perhaps thought “they” didn’t need an Internet Technology (IT) specialist to help monitor their business and/or personal computer systems, most likely came away from the luncheon with a more-focused look at just how serious and sophisticated the Internet crimes are, and can-be, and how the crimes can affect individuals and businesses and what they should, going forward, be implementing for their personal and company’s safety.

CIU/Networks John Pettus and Art Howe, Business Development and Director of IT Services respectively, brought it all home by relating their own personal experience with cyber threats through something that became a reality for a lot of people when Equifax experienced a breach and personal identifiable (PII) information was leaked.

There were 148-million people in America who had their information compromised, with not only their first and last names made public, but their SSN, birthdates, addresses, credit accounts and driver license information thrown out there for anyone and everyone to see.
Equifax, one of the top three credit bureau companies, currently has a $575 million-dollar settlement in progress as a result of the breech.
“Consumer’s personal information was leaked because of a weak password on Equifax’s Web Portal that allowed hackers to access the Equifax servers and steal data,” said Pettus. “There was a lack of Patch Updates on the third-party software that allowed months of access without being noticed by the Equifax IT Department.” Pettus emphasized the importance of taking the time to update computers and other devices when update notifications are received.
What does CIU provide? They provide protection of a company’s Internet-connected systems such as hardware, software and data from Cyber threats with a compilation of services and products that protects electronic devices connected to the Internet.

They can help with a security assessment, spam e-mail, passwords, security awareness, computer updates, firewalls, encryption and back-up, to name only a few items.

“Cyber Security Insurance is now a standard and will continue to have even more requirements,” explained Pettus, “Ransomware attacks are on the rise, along with Cyber attacks.”

Phishing continues to trick computer users into providing sensitive information such as their credit card or login information, which can happen through email, the telephone and/or even innocent QR codes.

For further information, and/or to join the Chamber, contact the Los Alamitos Chamber at in**@**********er.org
Lunch was sponsored by Al Stone, F&M Bank, who is also a Chamber Board Member; from Chamber member Mark Hernandez, with Seal Beach Subway on Los Alamitos Boulevard; Fairfield Inn and Suites, Los Alamitos, General Manager and Chamber member Sam Kishor, provided the complimentary meeting room.

Los Alamitos Chamber Chairperson Nesi Stewart, owner of Printmasters of Los Alamitos, thanked those in attendance, and welcomed the newest Chamber member, acupuncturist Sarom “Grace” Han, L.Ac, who gave a brief over-view of her acupuncture business, located on Katella Avenue.

Cypress Council votes 4-1 to censure Marquez

As expected, the city of Cypress Council voted 4-1 to officially censure embattled Council member Frances Marquez last Monday, alleging violations in a four-page resolution that reflects the long standing disagreement between her and City Manager Peter Grant.

“The City Council determined it was necessary to take this unprecedented action to protect the City’s organizational structure and operational effectiveness,” said Cypress Mayor Paulo Morales in a statement released by its public relations firm almost immediately after the meeting.

“Sadly, Council Member Marquez has consistently failed to perform her duties in a professional manner or in accordance with local, state, and federal rules. Our residents deserve integrity from their elected representatives and the City Council felt it had no alternative at this juncture,” the mayor said in the statement.

Within 90 minutes following the end of a marathon meeting Monday, the city’s public relations firm, given a new task order on June 13, fired off a press release at 12:37 a.m. announcing the censure. The press release publicly funded release made no mention or did include any part of the statements made in the meeting by Marquez in her own defense.

Meanwhile, in the meeting itself, many residents spoke in defense of Marquez, alleging that Grant’s “shaming” of residents and Peat’s outbursts to Marquez in recent meetings were also violations of the Code of Conduct and deserved the same censure treatment.No way, said Council member Jon Peat, who said in censuring Marquez, the city was simply protecting its interest.

“This resolution will be seen by some as a political move,” said Peat, “but nothing could be further from the truth. We’re just trying to protect the city from the damaging and corrosive actions of Council member Marquez,” he said.

“Council member Marquez has put us in an untenable position,” said Peat. “As the immediate past mayor,” he continued, “I experience much of what he [current Mayor Morales] outlined first hand; and it has frankly been appalling.”

He called Marquez and “instigator,” and “not a victim.”
Mayor Pro-tem Anne Hertz-Mallari called the item “painful,” but agreed that the items in the resolution were “factual.”

Newly installed Council member Scott Minikus said the city “must follow the rule of law. When you don’t have laws, you have anarchy, internationally, and locally, and it’s scary,” he said. With all her political experience, she should have known the laws applied to policy and procedure.

“I’ll leave it at that,” he concluded.

During the oral communications portions of the meetings, however, many residents unloaded on Peat, Grant and others who they suggest have entrapped Marquez and are simply punishing her for asking too many questions they do not want to answer.

A visibly upset resident, Marilyn Reames, demanded the Council censure city manager Peter Grant and Council member Jon Peat, saying they had also clearly violated the same code of conduct.

“I absolutely believe that if Councilwoman Marquez is censured tonight and fined, that as a taxpaying resident of Cypress that our city manager, Peter Grant, and Council member Jon Peat be formally censured and fined for their public attacks on citizens of Cypress,” said Reames.

Reames cited specific areas of the code of Conduct violated by Grant and Peat.

“It was a direct violation of Point 7 and Point 5 of the Code of Conduct,” she said, pointing out instances when Grant “shamed” two citizens and citing Peat’s emotional outbursts at Marquez during previous meetings.

Another Marquez supporter, Katie Shapiro, said Cypress was merely engaging in what amounts to political theater to make Marquez a scapegoat for having the audacity to ask them to justify their actions.

“You’re using the one person [Marquez] who threw a wrench into your unchecked power,” said Shapiro, “as a scapegoat.”

“This is not about Dr. Marquez,” said Shapiro, “in the process of all this you violated the Surplus Lands Act, you championed an expensive contract with Valley Vista, you’ve given us Lexington Park, an expensive pay-to-play commodity when the playgrounds of our school kids are in horrible condition.”

“You’ve dropped the ball big time on affordable housing,” she said, suggesting how it was interesting that the Council cared so much about Public Records Act violations while ignoring the fact that the city could be compelled to pay as much as $10 million for not complying with alleged California Voting Rights Act violations.

Shapiro, and another resident, Dr. Malini Nagpal, have joined the a complained filed by Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman, who said this week that a lawsuit will be filed if Cypress does not comply.

The city council has already notified Shenkman in a written response that they believe his “cookie cutter” allegations do not apply to them, with Marquez being the only vote against a districting vote taken in closed session.

While many residents testified in favor of Marquez, at least two residents spoke in favor of the Councils pending censure of Marquez.
Harumi Lucak, a 20-year resident, said all members of city Council should follow “basic protocols,” otherwise there will be “chaos” and “threats,” especially when officials do not get their way. She urged the Council to censure Marquez.

Another resident Carolyn Balagot, however, agreed with Lucak’s assumption, but then turned the words around, saying it was instead the Council creating chaos and making threats to Marquez. And, she said, it is all captured on videotape for the world to see.

“Chaos and threats are unacceptable,” she agreed, but said Grant and Peat were the offenders and deserved the very same fate as Marquez. “I witnessed it,” she said, “it’s on the record, it’s on video. I think there should be an official reprimand to the one elected and one city employee who also violated the code of conduct.”

Wayne Comeau, a long-time resident, said the entire in-fighting on the Council was a “microcosm of the whole county.
“It’s embarrassing,” he said, “that our city Council can’t get together and agree, or reach a compromise. I hope you don’t do this censure.”

Comeau said censuring Marquez will do little except “foment more problems. I’d say let it go and try to get along,” he said, suggesting the Council take the lead offered by an article on ‘kindness’ published in the Event-News Enterprise.

“I’m shocked. I’m just shocked,” said Helen Lee, at “how un-even-handed our Council has been.” Lee said Marquez, even as a rookie on the council, “has championed a diversity of groups that have too often been underrepresented.”

Moreover, she said the Valley Vista contract does perhaps deserve additional scrutiny. “There’s just such a history of trash contracts and corruption,” said Lee, “and it’s not over.”

Not mentioned in the meeting, the city’s press release pointed out that this was the first time in the city’s 66-year history that another member had been formally censured.

Since it was the first time in history as proclaimed in the press release, the city had to create a new framework for the discussion.

The Council allowed more than thirty minutes of combined explanations about Marquez conducted by various officials yet gave Marquez a mere two minutes to defend herself, and then another two minutes after the vote to argue for a reversal.

Marquez suggested the censure proceeding was a mere example of the mistreatment she has received at the hands of a city manager infuriated with her for merely asking questions and having to justify his actions.

“This is an example of how I’ve been treated,” said Marquez, noting that since she railed against Valley Vista in a special meeting called near Christmas, the city manager, supported by the other four members of the Council, has retaliated against her.

“The work environment as a Council member has been especially hostile for the past seven months,” she said, noting that she had visited with the city’s human resources department on January 17 after “Council member Peat screamed at the top of his lungs (at me) in front of the whole community. “I wanted to see if I had any options,” she said.

On January 22, she said, not Grant, but City Attorney Galante called to her inform her that there would be a special meeting regarding her “civil rights and harassment complaint. I never filed a written complaint,” she said, “and was never going to sue the city.”

“The city manager and my colleagues used it as a possible excuse as a possible threat of litigation to meet without me to create a document that has false claims, just like the document tonight.”
Accordingly, on June 13, the ENE asked Galante to explain what exactly constitutes a violation of the city charter, whether or not there were any judicial protections or defense mechanisms for the accused to determine exactly what is a violation and what process would be required for any member of the Council to “forfeit” their office.

“I have not been asked to look into the issues you described regarding forfeiture, so I am unable to respond,” said Galante in an email exchange. “The censure resolution is a process available to cities and I believe it is explained in the City’s ordinances and policies previously approved,” he added.

On January 26, Grant had a letter hand-delivered to Marquez which Grant declared because of her seeking help, she had violated the charter, and thus could not be afforded the same privileges as other members. She was ordered to go through Grant for every interaction.

“I’m not allowed to communicate with city staff and city staff was ordered to quit calling me to brief me on agenda items,” she said.
“Councilmember Marquez, that is your two minutes,” said Morales. “I hope this (censure) provides you with the opportunity to reflect and seek the additional resources to support your growth as an elected official,” he said.

The Council voted 4-1 to officially “censure” Marquez, with Marquez the lone dissenting vote, and although Marquez again tried to explain her position with her additional two minute window to speak, again focusing on the many specific instances she felt marginalized and unfairly singled out, but the four members refused to overturn their decision.

“This is a political hit job,” said Reames, “that’s what it is. I’m not a political person, I’m a 71-year-old grandmother who only got involved in Council meetings to try and get a safe entry to our senior community (Ovation), which remains a danger because nothing has been done.”

Marquez is the only Council member who has tried to help, she said, and in doing so, made her realize that Marquez is a “dedicated, amazing woman. I am stunned at the number of vitriolic and horrific comments that are made by people that have a political agenda in this community and it is heartbreaking,” said Reames. “There’s something really fishy, awful and smelly going on here,” she said.

 

 

 

Cypress pays too much for reactive city management

By Edwin Kraemer

I spent the night at another very disappointing city council meeting. At least it was open session; yesterday, I asked a friend if they were still holding the Concert on the Green in open session.

This meeting was a charade where the same 4 members held a choreographed, “censure” performance of the standout, citizen’s representative Dr Frances Marques. There were some rehearsed speeches made about an untimely response to a monstrous public record request.

I don’t understand why a practically volunteer council member is expected to shoulder this burden; but regardless, I want to know if Marques’s PRA response was even above average in response time?

Are there other PRA responses that have been extended? And, it takes two to tango. I’ve seen no mentoring, but instead a very judging and hostile response to Dr Marques’s participation and suggestions. She is there as a citizen representative and deserves respect from the other members.

Again, the council members postured that the city management is above reproach. There was a statistician that presented a conveniently timed survey that asked about living in Cypress. Of course; lots of back-patting. I wasn’t included in the survey.

The city is great; I LOVE Cypress; it’s the leadership and management I feel I need to question or have suggestions that I want heard. At 300k+/year I expect more than reactive management. Decades ago, the California governor made law that requires housing allotments.

This is a decade old law that we know about and should prepare strategically for. We should have had 3 well thought-out what-if plans in place for 2020 RHNA (not just target the LARC property that’s burning-a-hole in the city’s pocket). The Quimby act requires developers put in public parks; but, our city had in place, a liberal in-lieu-of; Ovation should never have gotten its PRIVATE oasis of a park.

We should not have votes and discussions in closed door meetings; just because it’s possibly legal under the Brown Act. Our 20 acres of dirt that we got from rezoning $450M in PS-1A land rights as a gift to LARC owners should have come finished and larger. Then, the city should have worked with the school district to put in a POSH stadium on Cypress school grounds where our kids play instead of on the new community park land. (Cypress high school has no stadium; but should).

We could have updated our middle school fields; maybe with $4M of California grant money like Buena Park got from Sacramento (yes; it’s still available). We need our city and schools to work together. What’s more, we should not be selling school properties to pay operating expenses. HB-OVSD never sells school property; they recently repurposed an old school into a public park.

We should not be spending $40k on propaganda diversions about redistricting yet STOP community input at 140 responses!? (0.28%). That’s not community input. Our trash service gets less and less but costs more and more; and, we let them out of a contract then sol-sourced them after failure!!??

And, the solution to BioWaste (huge landfill methane problem) mostly skipped over the reduce, reuse, recycle program and went straight to a box on people’s counter; this is amateur at best. Recently, when I supported Dr Marquez’s suggestion to transcribe meeting minutes for the deaf, I was told it was offensive and shamed. How’s that for civility. Squelching ideas is POOR leadership!
Sorry, I just don’t like someone who makes 3x the median Cypress salary running a reactive, secret, chastising, command and control government. Please attend your council meetings, see what your government is up to, and please, support Dr Marquez she truly is a good egg.

Editor’s Note: According to Transparent California’s database, Cypress City Manager Peter Grant received approximately $387,000 in total compensation in 2020. $241,042 in salary, $59,425 in “other” pay, $32,540 in benefits and $53,776.25 in pension payments for a total compensation amount of $386,783.25. Source: www.transparentcalifornia.com.

JFTB officials gather to announce funding for fire suppression copters

Officials have announced that Southern California Edison funding will again this year bolster around-the-clock aerial assaults on wildfire with the world’s largest fire-suppression helicopters.

General Michael Leeney and Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Hennessy is scheduled to make an announcement at the Joint Forces Training Base this week regarding the housing of a new fleet of “quick responses” helitankers, according to a press release from Joint Forces Training Base.

It said the population of Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties exceeds that of one-third of the state. Many of these communities live in or near the wildland/urban interface, putting them at risk of wildfire devastation in what has become a “year-round fire season.”

Now in its second year, the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) addresses these realities just as its name implies – quickly and with great force.
The QRF fleet, which is again funded by $18 million from Southern California Edison (SCE), is headlined by two CH-47 helitankers that can fill their 3,000-gallon tanks in less than 90 seconds and drop water or retardant (day or night) in surgically strategic lines.

The helitankers are supported by a Sikorsky 61 helicopter with a 1,000-gallon capacity; a Sikorsky 76 intelligence and recon helicopter; and a mobile retardant base that can actively mix up to 18,000 gallons of fire retardant per hour. Together, the fleet makes up the world’s first fully nocturnal wildfire aerial task force.

During the 2021 QRF program, the fleet deployed on more than 50 incidents, dropping nearly three million gallons of water and retardant that saved an untold number of homes, structures, and lives. For example, on last summer’s Tuna Fire, a single QRF helitanker dropped 37,000 gallons of water in under two hours in a narrow canyon at night – an unprecedented first that helped stop the fire in its tracks.

The QRF program, which is a partnership between the Orange County Fire Authority, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Ventura County Fire Department, will be operational for 165 days and officially launched on June 24, 2022. A hover-filling and water-dropping demonstration will follow the press conference.

The announcement was scheduled for Tuesday, July 5 at 9:30 a.m.

Full text of Fortis LLP “expansive” Public Records Act request of Frances Marquez

For the record, the ENE is publishing the full text of the extraordinary public records request filed by Costa Mesa attorney Adam Harris of Fortis LLP asking for information from Cypress Council member Frances Marquez. No other Council member was subject to this “expansive request,” city officials said. Marquez was censured, in part, for allegedly taking too much time to comply with this and other measures. As yet, Fortis has not revealed the seeker of the information. The ENE has reached out to Fortis, LLP.

SCOPE OF THIS REQUEST
Please note this request for records includes, but is not limited to, all communications from and to and/or otherwise copied or provided to Dr. Frances Marquez as further defined hereinbelow, not only from or to her government issued email account, but also from or to her private phone, private email account, other private accounts, and personal devices and all other data required to be provided by law. City of San Jose v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County, Opinion No. S218066, March 2, 2017, Kleinberg.
In other words, without limiting the breath and scope of the City of San Jose case or any other applicable law, each and every request contained in this PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST
includes, but is not limited to, any and all COMMUNICATIONS, whether involving Dr. Frances Marquez’ private or public email accounts, phone numbers, and/or personal devices, with any and all people and whether from third parties to her or vice versa, including but not limited to communications with George Pardon, Gary Segura, Sonny Waknin, University of California Los Angeles, Chad Dunn, Matt Barretto, Kevin Shenkman, Michelle Magur, Dr. Marquez’ family members and friends – especially those who live in the City of Cypress – Caroline Baladot, Britney Cook, Glen Morikawa, David Young, Event-News Enterprise, the Pasadena Star, any other media outlets and reporters, OC Young Democrats, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Sharon Quirk – Silva, Katrina Foley, Katie Shapiro, Harry Pachon, California Aware, Emerge California Candidate Training, Sangee Tasangeeta (Swenson), Malini Nagpal, Sylvia Munoz, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Fire Authority Board Members or Staff, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project including but not limited to Board Members and Staff, Latino Policy Coalition, Gallaudet University as well as any agents, representatives, associates, employees or consultants of the aforementioned.
Similarly it includes documents in her possession or in the possession of other third parties who are holding them for her, whether created by her or any third parties, including but not limited to documents created by or being held for her by George Pardon, Gary Segura, Sonny Waknin, University of California Los Angeles, Chad Dunn, Matt Barretto, Kevin Shenkman, Michelle Magur, Dr. Marquez’ family members and friends – especially those who live in the City of Cypress – Caroline Baladot, Britney Cook, Glen Morikawa, David Young, Event-News Enterprise, the Pasadena Star, any other media outlets and reporters, OC Young Democrats, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Sharon Quirk – Silva, Katrina Foley, Katie Shapiro, Harry Pachon, California Aware, Emerge California Candidate Training, Sangee Tasangeeta (Swenson), Malini Nagpal, Sylvia Munoz, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Fire Authority Board Members and Staff, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project including but not limited to Board Members and staff, Latino Policy Coalition, Gallaudet University as well as any agents, representatives, associates, employees, consultants, board members or staff of the aforementioned.

DEMAND TO PRESERVE EVIDENCE
Please also consider this email a demand to preserve any and all documents and evidence related to the requests made herein.

REQUEST FOR PRIVILEGE LOG IF ANY DOCUMENTS WITHHELD

We further request that if there are any documents not produced based on the ground of the attorney client privilege, work product doctrine, or any other privilege or doctrine, that you please prepare and provide a privilege log that identifies each document for which the privilege or doctrine is claimed, and which gives the following information:
(a) the names of the writer, sender, or initiator of each copy of the document; (b) the name of the recipient, addressee, or party to whom any copy of the document was sent; (c) the date of each copy of the document, if any, or an estimate of its date; (d) a non-privileged description of the contents of the document; and, (e) a statement of the basis for the claim of privilege.
DEFINITIONS
1. “COMMUNICATION” or “COMMUNICATIONS” includes but is not limited to the following: (a) any email, text message, written letter, memorandum, or other DOCUMENT of any kind transmitted from one PERSON to another PERSON by hand, mail, courier, other delivery service, telecopy, facsimile, telegraph, electronic mail, text message, WhatsApp message, voicemail, or any other means (including emails from non-government email addresses); (b) any telephone call, whether or not such call was by chance or prearranged, formal or informal; and (c) any conversation or meeting between two or more PERSONS, whether or not such contact was by chance or prearranged, formal or informal.
2. The term “DOCUMENT” has the same meaning as the definition of writings, recordings and photographs in Section 250 of the California Evidence Code and/or as defined by the California Public Records Act and includes all written and graphic matter, however produced or reproduced, of any kind or description, whether sent or received or neither, including originals, non-identical copies, and drafts, and both sides thereof, including but not limited to: emails, text messages, other electronic communications, books, journals, statements, bank statements, statements of accounts, bank records, deposit slips, payrolls, letters, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, agreements, books, journals, ledgers, statements, reports, billings, invoices, worksheets, jottings, notes, audits, charges, balance sheets, income statements, checks diagrams, diaries, calendar logs, facsimile transmissions, wires, computer files stored by any means, computer printouts, and electronic messages in any digital or electronic format, including emails, text messages, tweets, internet chatroom posts and all other informal or formal writing or tangible things on which any handwriting, typing, printing, video or sound is recorded or reproduced, and any and all amendments or supplements to all of the foregoing, whether prepared by YOU or another PERSON.

3. The term “DOCUMENT” also means originals and copies of all of the above upon which notations in writing, print, or otherwise have been made, which do not appear on the originals. This definition covers all documents in your or Dr. Frances Marquez’ possession, custody, or control, regardless of their location, including all copies of such documents, the contents of which differ in any respect from the original.

4. This definition further includes all DOCUMENTS that Dr. Frances Marquez has stored in and/or has access to or through any cloud-based internet application, including but not limited to email, Facebook, Dropbox, Twitter, or Google Docs, or other cloud-based applications.

5. The term DOCUMENT includes “Text Messages” sent using the Short Message Service (SMS) including alphanumeric texts, multimedia messages (known as MMS) containing digital images, videos, and sound content, as well as ideograms known as emoji (happy faces, sad faces, and other icons).

DOCUMENTS REQUESTED

We hereby request the following documents:
1. Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez’ response and/or any COMMUNICATIONS with anyone, whether text, or emails or in any other form as set forth in the definition above, including from private accounts, emails, etc. and DOCUMENTS which in any way relate to Gary Segura’s communications, including but not limited to his November 15, 2021 email whereby he informed her that:
“Scaring white electeds is fun) Thoughts?” and “She’s hoping to cow them into districts.”

2. All DOCUMENTS and COMMUNICATIONS that Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez had with her on the Dias or otherwise used for all city council meetings that she has attended or participated in, whether in-person, by zoom, telephone or by any other means from the time that she was elected through May 9, 2022, including but not limited to the April 11, 2022, and April 25, 2022 City Council meetings and including but not limited to her own notes and notes from third parties, advisors, colleagues, etc.

This request includes but is not limited to COMMUNICATIONS and DOCUMENTS related to all City of Cypress business, including but not limited to District Voting, The Amazon Last Mile Facility, The City of Cypress Sold Waste Franchise Agreement with Valley Vista and/or George Briggeman, and the Los Alamitos Race Course.District Voting
3. All COMMUNICATIONS by, from, to, with or otherwise copied to City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez – including but not limited to communications in her private accounts, private emails, private telephones – relating in any way to District Voting.

4. All DOCUMENTS created by City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez for her use by others who are not employees or representatives of the City of Cypress – relating in any way to District Voting. This requests includes, but is not limited to, journals, notes, ledgers, diagrams, speech drafts, speech notes, drafts of news articles, etc., created not only by Dr. Frances Marquez, but by any of her colleagues, consultants, advisors, reporters, third parties, including but not limited to George Pardon, Gary Segura, Sonny Waknin, University of California Los Angeles, Chad Dunn, Matt Barretto, Kevin Shenkman, Michelle Magur, Dr. Marquez’ family members and friends – especially those who live in the City of Cypress – Caroline Baladot, Britney Cook, Glen Morikawa, David Young, Event-News Enterprise, the Pasadena Star, any other media outlets and reporters, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (any correspondence she has had), Latino Policy Coalition, Gallaudet University as well as any agents, representatives, associates, employees or consultants of the aforementioned, as well as any agents, representatives, associates, employees or consultants of any of the aforementioned.

The Amazon Last Mile Facility
5 All COMMUNICATIONS by, from, to, with or otherwise copied to City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez – including but not limited to COMMUNICATIONS in her private accounts, private emails, private telephones – relating in any way or referring to the Amazon Last Mile Facility.

6. All DOCUMENTS created by City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez or by third parties or others for her use and/or review – relating in any way to the Amazon Last Mile
Facility. This request includes, but is not limited to, journals, notes, ledgers, diagrams, speech drafts, speech notes, drafts of news articles, bank statements, deposit slips, etc., created not only by Dr. Frances Marquez, but by any of her Non-City of Cypress colleagues, consultants, advisors, reporters, third parties, including but not limited to George Pardon, Gary Segura, Sonny Waknin, University of California Los Angeles, Chad Dunn, Matt Barretto, Kevin Shenkman, Michelle Magur, Dr. Marquez’ family members and friends – especially those who live in the City of Cypress – Caroline Baladot, Britney Cook, Glen Morikawa, David Young, Event-News Enterprise, the Pasadena Star, any other media outlets and reporters, OC Young Democrats, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Sharon Quirk – Silva, Katrina Foley, Katie Shapiro, Harry Pachon, California Aware, Emerge California Candidate Training, Sangee Tasangeeta (Swinson), Malini Nagpal, Sylvia Munoz, Orange County Fire Authority Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Latino Policy Coalition, Gallaudet University as well as any agents, representatives, associates, employees or consultants of the aforementioned.
City of Cypress’ Solid Waste Franchise Agreement with Valley Vista

7. All COMMUNICATIONS by, from, to, with or otherwise copied to City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez – including but not limited to COMMUNICATIONS in her private accounts, private emails, private telephones – relating in any way or referring to Valley Vista Services, Inc. dba Valley Vista Services of Orange County and/or its Franchise Agreement with the City of Cypress and/or George Briggeman.

This request includes, but is not limited to, all COMMUNICATIONS relating to Dr. Marquez’ public statements that (1) “this company is corrupt”; (2) that there has “never been any audit of this company by the City”; (3) that this Franchise Agreement was not the result of a “fair, open and competitive bid process”; (4) that the resulting Franchise Agreement was not “fairly negotiated and (does not) protect the citizens of Cypress”; (5) that this Franchise Agreement was “written to protect Valley Vista’s bottom line not (Valley Vista’s) residents”; (6) that “no due diligence” was done when this contract was written; (7) that there is “no limit to how much Valley Vista can charge”; (8) that this Franchise Agreement is missing “standard termination language” found in other similarly classified government contracts; (9) that this Franchise Agreement was a “mistake”; (10) that this Franchise Agreement has 87-year old people worrying about paying their trash bill; (11) this Franchise Agreement is a “bail out” of Valley Vista; and, (12) that no one has compared the Valley Vista rates with the rates given surrounding cities. It also includes, but is not limited to, any communications from, to, with, or copying Dr. Frances Marquez relating to her April 11, 2022, request to “place an item on a Future Agenda to Take a Closer Look at the Termination Clauses in the Valley Vista Contract”.
This request includes all of the communications and documents as defined in the sections 1 through 5 of DEFINITIONS hereinabove which by definition includes all COMMUNICATIONS with any representatives, consultants, owners, employees, advisors, and liaisons of any and all solid waste management companies.

8. All DOCUMENTS created by City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez or by third parties or others for her use and/or review – relating in any way to Valley Vista Services, Inc. dba Valley Vista Services of Orange County and/or its Franchise Agreement with the City of Cypress and/or George Briggeman. This request includes, but is not limited to, journals, notes, ledgers, diagrams, speech drafts, speech notes, drafts of news articles, etc., created not only by Dr. Frances Marquez, but by any of her Non-City of Cypress colleagues, consultants, advisors, reporters, third parties, including but not limited to George Pardon, Gary Segura, Sonny Waknin, University of California Los Angeles, Chad Dunn, Matt Barretto, Kevin Shenkman, Michelle Magur, Dr. Marquez’ family members and friends – especially those who live in the City of Cypress – Caroline Baladot, Britney Cook, Glen Morikawa, David Young, Event-News Enterprise, the Pasadena Star, any other media outlets and reporters, OC Young Democrats, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Sharon Quirk – Silva, Katrina Foley, Katie Shapiro, Harry Pachon, California Aware, Emerge California Candidate Training, Sangee Tasangeeta (Swinson), Malini Nagpal, Sylvia Munoz, Orange County Fire Authority Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Latino Policy Coalition, Gallaudet University as well as any agents, representatives, associates, employees or consultants of the aforementioned.
This request includes all of the communications and documents as defined in the DEFINITIONS sections 1 through 5 hereinabove which includes all DOCUMENTS with any representatives, consultants, owners, employees, advisors, and liaisons of any and all solid waste management companies.

9. Any and all COMMUNICATIONS and DOCUMENTS between Dr. Frances Marquez and the attorneys that she claimed to have consulted with regarding the City of Cypress’ Franchise Agreement with Valley Vista.,Los Alamitos Race Course
10. All COMMUNICATIONS by, from, to, with or otherwise copied to City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez – including but not limited to COMMUNICATIONS in her private accounts, private emails, private telephones – relating in any way or referring to Los Alamitos Race Course.
11. This request includes all of the communications and documents as defined in the sections 1 through 5 of DEFINITIONS hereinabove which by definition includes all COMMUNICATIONS with any representatives, consultants, owners, employees, advisors, and liaisons of any and all solid waste management companies.
12. All DOCUMENTS created by City Councilmember Dr. Frances Marquez or by third parties or others for her use and/or review – relating in any way to Los Alamitos Race Course. This request includes, but is not limited to, journals, notes, ledgers, diagrams, speech drafts, speech notes, drafts of news articles, etc., created not only by Dr. Frances Marquez, but by any of her Non-City of Cypress colleagues, consultants, advisors, reporters, third parties, including but not limited to George Pardon, Gary Segura, Sonny Waknin, University of California Los Angeles, Chad Dunn, Matt Barretto, Kevin Shenkman, Michelle Magur, Dr. Marquez’ family members and friends – especially those who live in the City of Cypress – Caroline Baladot, Britney Cook, Glen Morikawa, David Young, Event-News Enterprise, the Pasadena Star, any other media outlets and reporters, OC Young Democrats, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Sharon Quirk – Silva, Katrina Foley, Katie Shapiro, Harry Pachon, California ware, Emerge California Candidate Training, Sangee Tasangeeta (Swinson), Malini Nagpal, Sylvia Munoz, Orange County Fire Authority Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Latino Policy Coalition, Gallaudet University as well as any agents, representatives, associates, employees or consultants of the aforementioned.
This request includes all of the communications and documents as defined in the DEFINITIONS sections 1 through 5 hereinabove which includes all DOCUMENTS with any representatives, consultants, owners, employees, advisors, and liaisons of any and all solid waste management companies.
ENDu

Breaking: Lawsuit filed against Cypress alleging Voting Rights Violations

Breaking News

After the city council failed to discuss in public session the prospect of creating new voting districts throughout the city of Cypress for nine months, a lawsuit has been filed seeking “injunctive and declaratory” relief against the city for alleged violations of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001.

The lawsuit, if successful in court, could not only cost the city of Cypress millions of dollars, but would likely also prompt new elections once a verdict is reached in the case, according to Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman.

His firm, Shenkman and Hughes, filed the suit in Superior Court Wednesday, July 20.

“The imposition of at-large elections by the City of Cypress has resulted in vote dilution for Asian American residents and has denied them effective political participation in elections to the Cypress City Council,” the lawsuit contends.

“The City of Cypress’ at-large method of election for electing members to its City Council prevents Asian American residents from electing candidates of their choice or influencing the outcome of Cypress’ City Council elections,” it said.

The lawsuit has been sent electronically to the Superior Court of the State of California. Shenkman said he expects court officials to review it and officially file it within 24 hours of its receipt.

Shenkman’s firm filed the suit on behalf of the Southwest Voter Education Registration Project and two Cypress residents, Kathryn Shapiro and Malini Nagpal, both of whom reside in and are registered to vote in Cypress, the lawsuit contends.

In general, the lawsuit seeks to force the city of Cypress to create voting districts within the city’s geographical boundaries rather than allowing the city’s current slate of five seats to be filled by qualified candidates able to run from anywhere in the city.

According to the lawsuit, more than 36 percent of the city’s residential population is of Asian American descent, yet the lawsuit alleges the city’s continued use of an at-large-based districting system violates the voting rights of citizens.

“The Asian American citizens of Cypress whose voting rights are immediately harmed by the City of Cypress’ adherence to an unlawful at-large system of electing its city council are hindered from protecting their own interests,” the lawsuit contends.

“Many of the Asian citizens of Cypress do not recognize that their voting rights are being violated by the City of Cypress’ adherence to an unlawful at-large system of electing its city council, and still others fear reprisal by the City of Cypress if they were to seek redress for the City of Cypress imposing its unlawful election system,” it claims.

Shenkman said he expects the entire process could take up to 18 months, saying the Superior Court generally sets trials about 12 months after the first status conference of the respective parties.

Moreover, Shenkman said, in cases like Cypress, when the Council makes no willful effort to comply, Superior Court judges have stepped in to force new elections within the respective new districts soon after the cases are settled.

He points to cases in places like Palmdale, and Highlands, where judges have taken action to force Council members to re-run within newly created districts soon after settling those cases.

“If I were running for Council this fall (in Cypress), I wouldn’t get too comfortable in the seat,” he said earlier. “I think it is just a question of when, not if,” Shenkman said today.

He expects whatever judge will hear the case to set a “Case Management Conference” within two months, and provide a given period of approximately six months for filings.

“That’s generally when they will set a date for trial,” said Shenkman.

The ENE has reached out to Fred Galante, legal counsel for the City of Cypress, and we will update the story when we receive a response.

Watch for comprehensive coverage in next week’s ENE.

 

Can Kindness reunite America, Part III by Vanessa Garcia

Without question, one of the most impactful decisions we’ve made in 2022 is to publish this series of articles written by high school students about how kindness can reunite America.
I have heard from readers and even heard one of the articles quoted at a public meeting, so I again thank the three students who wrote them.

This week we run the third of the top three speeches written under the prompt “Can Kindness reunite America?” Interestingly, Vanessa Garcia has entitled her speech, “A House Divided,” after a phrase used by Abraham Lincoln.

With institutions and citizens now lining up on the left and the right, one can hope that somehow, we break the spell and heed the words of President Lincoln’s warning before it’s too late.

While the nation faces real enemies, we have seemingly been instead been directed to focus our political fire on our neighbors. People next door no longer have different views, they are portrayed, for political purposes, as “radicals,” left and right, out to destroy the country.

The worse they make it seem, the more money that flows into the coffers, both left and right. The vast majority of Americans, somewhere in the middle, stay out of the fight to avoid a political bullet they know is sure to come.
So the question remains, how long can this “House [be] divided” before it falls for good?

We already have red states and blue states, we have an assault on public institutions and institutions being stacked, one way or the other, to suit political purposes.
It seems that we ourselves, have allowed the destruction of public interest, the lost colony of the common good, leaving us on the a political divide from which there is no easy return.

While it is impossible to determine at what point the divide reaches the point of no return, for sure the threat is sufficient to beg the question of why can’t kindness be given a chance to reunite our widening political divide.

Creating a home where kindness can live

By Vanessa Garcia

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” These are the words of Abraham Lincoln, spoken when the country was upended, split apart, engaged in a bloody war that drove apart families and cost the lives of thousands of Americans. Nowadays, thankfully, we’re no longer involved in a devastating civil war. But never has America been so divided on so many essential principles, many of which make up the foundation of what our country was intended to be. We may not be in a time of open warfare, like other parts of the world tragically are, but families are still driven apart by political ideologies and the blood of innocent Americans shed by senseless violence. But despite the severity of our situation, there is light at the end of the tunnel. This wave of conflict and disunity has a very simple solution: kindness.

What is kindness? Kindness is simple yet powerful, humble yet great. Kindness is civility, but more. Plainly put, kindness is love, but it also has many different, interrelated elements, and it is in this diversity where its power lies. Think of it as a house with many rooms, a place abounding in Southern-style hospitality and warmth. Imagine if I could transport you to a place like that, give you a chance to visit this Southern mansion and help you better understand the transformative and unifying power of kindness… [speaking with Southern accent] So come on in, let me take you on a little tour of the House of Kindness.

Kindness is the owner of this house, but he rents it out to his tenants, people like Acceptance, Gentleness, and Service. Starting with the Porch of Hospitality – this is Acceptance’s favorite part of the house, and as such, he fills it with an amiable, welcoming air and makes sure that visitors are loved and accepted no matter what their state in life might be. Here on your left as you enter is a trash can, where visitors are asked to dispose of their ego before coming in.

Moving on to the living room, there is always a hearty fire crackling in the hearth, the perfect place for you to sit down and pour out your worries and struggles to none other than Mrs. Compassionate Listening herself, who always listens to and carefully considers all sides of a story. (By the way, this living room is the very place where Stephen Covey got the inspiration for his 5 th habit of Highly Effective People, seek first to understand and then be understood.) Now on to the kitchen – we’ll only glance in here, because both Creativity and Courage are hard at work cooking up some fanciful new ideas and solutions to problems. We’ll stop briefly at the bathroom, I’m sure y’all are familiar… This is the place where you dispose of all your waste products like judgment, cynicism, and negativity. Now on to the Stairs of Discipline.

They may hurt, but you’ll come out stronger in the end! And finally, we arrive at the Balcony of Dreams. This Balcony provides you with a unique outlook on life, allows you to see the bigger picture (which reduces stress, by the way – take note, all you moms out there), renews hope, and allows you to dream freely and without inhibitions. This is also the place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (also a Southerner) got the idea for his famous speech, which he then named after this balcony. Well, this concludes our quick tour of the House of Kindness!

Please feel free to drop by anytime, you know the door will always be open! Now you might be thinking, ‘Excuse me, but I don’t get how this relates to the topic you were supposed to be speaking about, you know, how can kindness reunite our country, you just faked a rather questionable Southern accent and led us on a tour of a house that doesn’t exist.’ And about the accent part, you are absolutely right, it was 100% questionable, but as for its relevance regarding the topic, here’s how it relates.

Here in America, we are famous for our cultural diversity and personal freedom. They're two aspects that help make America what it is. But without kindness to mediate, this diversity and freedom can cause major conflicts between people who don’t share the same opinions, as we can see happening in the world all around us. Unity, being a unified nation, does not mean that we all become the same. Unity does not mean we all have to agree on everything or link arms and sing ‘Kumbaya’ all day. Unity does mean that we listen to each other with love, respect each other’s opinions, and accept each other’s
differences. These things, which at their cores are compassionate listening and acceptance, also make up the basis of what kindness is. Therefore, if we restore kindness, we restore the very essence of our nation and heal the wounds that are driving it apart.

But revolutions must start somewhere, and this one in particular is very…shall we say…personal. You see, we each have our own spheres of influence, however small, comprised of people around us who are actively influenced by our actions. This can be anyone from friends to family to anyone we meet or interact with. And even though others may be annoying or hard to love, we must remember that each of the people in our spheres have their own spheres, and each of the people in their spheres have their own spheres, and so on – thus, each choice we make creates ripples that expand exponentially and spread throughout society. But just as people suffer if someone lashes out in anger or acts out of jealousy, each act of kindness also holds more power than we can ever imagine. It can be as small as a smile, a kind word, letting someone merge in front of you on the highway. Then there are bigger things like having compassion for a coworker’s situation or forgiving someone and giving them a second chance. As Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the book Pay It Forward, says, “…It proves that you don't need much to change the entire world for the better. You can start with the most ordinary ingredients. You can start with the world you’ve got.”

But how do we do this? We’ve been told of the power kindness holds and how it would theoretically be able to reunite our country, but how do we implement it into our daily lives and start actively trying to make a change? Well, this is where the Southern accent and house metaphor come in. How do we change the world? Have a front porch of acceptance, an attitude of openness that shows people they are loved, even if you don’t agree with their choices or opinions.

Have a warm fire of compassion – so people can sit next to you in peace while you offer a quietly listening ear, not trying to give advice or fix them, simply listening. Cook up creative new solutions and dream up ways to carry them out. Continually squish your ego so you don’t accidentally hurt anyone around you.
Practice discipline in your life and gently help others to do the same. And always look out on the world from your balcony of dreams, lifting others up and inviting them to imagine with you.

Because this revolution starts with each of us. It starts with our decision to get up each day and serve the people around us, to love the people around us, to be kind to the people around us. Because if we don’t step up, who will? Never has America been so divided, true… but never has there been a greater opportunity for radical kindness.

And in this way, by creating a home in which kindness can thrive, we can reunite our country. Brick by brick, one sphere of influence at a time, we can build temples of love in our hearts and communities that will come together in one immense, beautiful dance, and transform our divided house into one loving, glorious House of Kindness.

Rethinking Homework: Los Alamitos Unified School District adopts new policy that values ‘quality over quantity’

Homework is changing for students in the Los Alamitos Unified School District.

After months of development, the district recently updated its homework policy for the first time since 2014. The new policy emphasizes promoting “student wellness and academic rigor” and valuing “quality over quantity” when it comes to assignments students complete at home.

That translates to less homework overall for kids enrolled at the district’s nine campuses in Rossmoor, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach. Classes resume for the 2022-23 school year in August.

A slide shown during the June 14 Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education meeting outlines the district’s new homework policy that promotes “quality over quantity.”
Courtesy screenshot

“There is a lot of research that supports [that] if you overdo the amount of homework you actually see a negative impact on learning and so we really want to make sure that we’re addressing best practices and research and really making sure that our homework has a positive impact on students and student learning,” Deputy Superintendent Ondrea Reed said during her presentation on the revised homework policy at the June 14 Board of Education meeting.

The board adopted the policy in a unanimous vote at its June 28 meeting.

The shift to revise the homework policy was set in motion before Covid-19 appeared in 2020, according to Reed. Families were reporting students staying up past midnight to complete their homework as they juggled commitments to after school sports and activities.

The revised approach to homework has two parts: an update to the board policy and the addition of an administrative regulation which outlines how the policy will be implemented by staff.

The policy states elementary and middle school students will not be assigned homework on weekends. And for all grade levels, no homework would be given over school breaks.

“I think school breaks are very purposeful,” Reed said at the June 14 meeting. “The research really indicates that they’re set to give students an opportunity to recharge, also an opportunity for our staff to recharge.”

A slide shown during the June 14 Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education meeting outlines the district’s new homework policy that promotes “quality over quantity.”

The new policy includes specific guidelines on the amount of time students should be spending on homework every day creating consistency across campuses and classrooms.

For example, for elementary school, the guidelines are an average of zero to 10 minutes of daily homework for a first grader to an average of zero to 50 minutes per night for a fifth grader. Students can expect an increase of about ten minutes per day as they advance to the next grade level through middle school.

Reed said middle school teachers will create a “conflict calendar” so that students aren’t loaded up with projects or tests in different subjects at the same time.

Calculating the daily minutes of homework time for high school students depends on their courses. A student’s schedule could include college preparatory, honors and advanced placement (AP) courses, with AP courses having the biggest homework load.

Parents of high school students who enroll in multiple AP classes will be advised to review how the workload could impact their child’s overall schedule. In a phone interview, Reed said that parents can make sure that the lifestyle of their child can accommodate their academic load.

NEW POLICY BASED ON RESEARCH, MEETINGS, SURVEYS

Like many projects, the process to revise the homework policy slowed down during the pandemic but ramped back up last November. Reed said the policy is based on reviews of the latest research, input from dozens of meetings among staff, surveys of secondary school students as well as consulting from the Stanford-affiliated program Challenge Success.

An example of the research is a Stanford study that showed students in “high-achieving communities” who spend too much time on homework experience increased stress and physical health problems.

“Effective homework practices do not place an undue burden on students,” the district’s new homework policy reads. “The Board recognizes the value of extracurricular activities, unstructured time, and adequate sleep for a student’s success in school.”

“I think that this board has been very clear that our goal is to educate the whole child,” Board President Diana Hill said at the June 14 board meeting saying the new policy promotes academics, “but there’s also that balance of being able to give students that opportunity to do those other things that are their passion, that fulfill their lives as well.”

PARENT REACTION

Oliver Lee, a parent of a soon-to-be sixth grader at McAuliffe Middle School, said he welcomed change. Lee said his daughter was spending up to three hours every day on homework during her last years of elementary school.

“I noticed she had an obscene amount of homework. Some of her friends in other classrooms weren’t getting nearly as much as her,” Lee wrote in an email. “She’d have multiple breakdowns crying and stressing she would not finish in time and get benched for recess for not completing some of the work.” Lee said her teachers didn’t have an explanation for the disparity.

Most parents responded positively to the proposed homework policy in a June 16 post on a Facebook group for district parents.

Many commenters applauded less homework as a boost for students’ mental health. “I’m all for a lighter workload. It’s hard seeing your students burned out at the end of a semester,” one wrote.

Other parents had questions including how Jiji, an online math program, would factor into homework minutes and how average homework times would be calculated.

Others wondered if students might miss out on developing other skills with less work at home. “We do not need busy work but on some level we have to teach good study habits,” a parent wrote. Another parent of a student in elementary school commented: “I think homework is necessary and serves a purpose more than just getting an assignment done. It helps my child manage his time to get it done.”

Reed said, once the policy passed, the district planned to start communicating more with parents about how it would implement the new guidelines. She said meetings with families would likely take place in August.

Want more local education news? Sign up for the Spotlight Schools email newsletter at SpotlightSchools.com.

 

 

Two women, two decades as historical structure preserved for antiquity

It took more than two decades, divine help from the Pope himself and it was a challenge that required the grit and determination of two women who had never met. Yet on Saturday, because of the 22-year odyssey, a tiny chapel in Los Alamitos is now preserved forever.

Former worshipers reunited at the chapel of St. Isidore Saturday to watch the unveiling of a bronze plaque that signifies its inclusion on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

Tears flowed as freely then as they apparently did in 1999, at the last Catholic Mass ever said in this former church.

“I’m excited because so many people worked so hard,” said former mayor and local historian Marilyn Poe. “I get emotional about it,” said Poe, thinking about the two decades struggle to preserve the chapel, purchase the property and preserve the “last original community building in the city.”

St. Isidore chapel, located on the grounds of the St. Isidore Historical Plaza in Los Alamitos.
dnyphoto

The tiny chapel still stands proudly at the corner of Reagan Street and Katella Ave. It has survived earthquakes, been closed twice, and emerged from a financial squeeze, yet the large group involved in its long rescue gathered to celebrate this new designation.

Shortly before the official ceremony, Poe, along with Rossmoor resident Maria Teresa Diaz, a retired singer, recounted their long fight to save the structure.

Diaz, who said escaped Communist Cuba to come to America, emotionally reminisced about how she and Poe faced down Catholic bishops, Poe revealing the advice of a banker that made the difference.

Poe was the elected Mayor of Los Alamitos when the Catholic diocese announced plans to close and deconsecrate the former Catholic Church.

Diaz, then heavily involved in St. Isidore, along with Pedro Brucoup, then the Chairman of the church committee, were stunned and did not know what to do, so they called the mayor. Pedro spoke Spanish, Poe spoke English and Maria was the translator.

Poe remembers it well. “It was more than a quarter-century ago,” said Poe, “when I was asked to get involved.” Many people thought she was “crazy,” said Poe, as the former mayor agreed to help. “I am not even a Catholic,” quipped Poe.

“We became fast friends,” said Poe, holding up two touching fingers on one hand, and holding Diaz with the other, saying “and we’ve been like this ever since.”
Poe said they had no blueprint in 1999.

“For me, it was personal,” said Diaz, whose emotions easily succumbs to tears as this devout Catholic remembers their struggle to save the St. Isidore Chapel.

In 1905, there were only 500 residents in Los Alamitos. Like many emerging communities in Orange County, Los Alamitos was rural and agriculture based. By 1920, a large sugar beet processing facility attracted new residents and produced a vibrant community.

There was no Catholic Church for the largely Catholic, Latino population.

“In the early 1900s, the Catholic contingent was meeting at either the Hormona Hotel or at the Scott’s Bros. grocery store, or wherever anyone would let them meet,” said Poe.
In 1922, Poe said a man named Michael Reagan stepped up. He was Irish Catholic, she said, “and the only one that had a phone in town.”

Reagan got the group of Catholic parishioners together, said Poe. He told them they should approach the town’s key developer, the Bixby Land Company, and ask for a property on which to build a church.

According to Poe, in 1924, the Bixby Land Company ultimately agreed to deed them two vacant lots for the church, where the St. Isidore Historical Plaza now stands, asking only for the group to pay a sale recording fee of $10.

According to historical information, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to establish a Catholic Parish, naming it after St. Isidore, the patron Saint of farming.

L-R Maria, Pedro and Marilyn stand in front of St. Isidore and celebrate mission accomplished after more than 20 years of effort.
dnyphoto

St. Isidore of Seville was born in Seville, Spain in 560 and died April 4, 630, according to Catholic records. He was a theologian and was the last of the Western Latin Fathers. Among St. Isidore’s more famous works is “Etymologies,” an encyclopedia of human and divine subjects.

According to the Archdiocese, when the St. Isidore Parish was formed, it consisted mostly of Belgian farmers, Irish guild members, Dutch and Portuguese dairymen, Mexican ranch hands, and sugar beet factory employees.

Hardy residents got to work building a church and after the construction of St. Isidore Catholic Church was complete, the parish began offering masses in March of 1926.

Father Miguel Santacane became St. Isidore’s first priest. Back then, St. Isidore was only the 5th Catholic Church constructed in Orange County.

Only seven years later, however, on May 10, 1933, parishioners faced a major setback, said Poe. The Long Beach earthquake destroyed the church, including its choir loft. The disaster left parishioners shaken, but not defeated.

Kelly Sutherlin McLeod, a Long Beach architect who specializes in historical preservation, said Saturday said, “the Long Beach earthquake caused severe damage to the seven-year-old building.”

Long time worshipers gather for dedication of the chapel onto the National Registry of Historic Places.
dnyphoto

Nonetheless, McLeod said women in the parish began to sell tamales to raise money for repairs. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles donated money for the reconstruction. Within three months of the earthquake, the community successfully rebuilt the church.

McLeod said it is the property’s rich heritage, the diverse history that gives it the special significance required to “meet the criteria” of the National Park Service.

“The property is associated with the early development of Los Alamitos as an agricultural community organized around a large sugar beet processing facility and a Latino community, including Mexican immigrants,” said McLeod.

St. Isidore “derives its primary significance as a religious property for its association with Latino ethnic heritage as well as the community development of Los Alamitos,” she said.

“Many community members collectively designed and built the church themselves,” said McLeod.

Poe said McLeod’s firm has guided St. Isidore Historical Plaza through the entire journey to becoming listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Records indicate St. Isidore was a thriving church community from 1926 until 1960. St. Isidore was now in the Diocese of Orange but was shut down after St. Hedwig’s was constructed on Los Al Boulevard.

Only a decade later, however, due to the strong Latino contingent at St. Isidore, diocesan officials reopened St. Isidore in 1972 for Spanish language masses, and parishioners like Diaz were ecstatic.

Diaz, who had moved to Rossmoor in 1975 after escaping Castro’s Cuba, said on Saturday that, at that time, she was looking for a place to worship in her native language of Spanish.
“I was looking for a mass in Spanish and somebody told me there is one here (St. Isidore),” said Diaz. She came, said Diez, bringing her entire family, and said the church had become a big part of her life.

“I was a very big part of this church because I was the singer,” she said, “I was the soloist of the choir for many, many years,” said Diaz. “We had a Bible study here and I was very involved in that,” said Diaz.

The former singer’s soul was so centered in St. Isidore, she said, that when she tragically lost her 23-year-old son, Gustavo Diaz III, she insisted his service be held at the tiny chapel, reflecting how much it means for her to save this former church.

“All the people that have died in my family have had their goodbyes here,” said Diaz, “including my child. It was here,” she says proudly. “And I sang the whole mass. Yeah, and that is something that you just never forget. Gustavo, the third.”

Diaz said it didn’t matter that the funeral was packed in tiny St. Isidore’s chapel. Mourners were out the door onto Reagan Street, she said.

“The place was so full that they had to be outside. But I wanted it here. And I sang for the whole Mass. I did. Yes. I had the strength to do that,” said Diaz.

Diaz vividly remembers when, In 1999, crowds gathered and tears flowed as the parishioners celebrated what they knew was the last Mass their beloved church would ever see. The diocese had finally decided to close St. Isidore for good.

“I sang for the last Mass before they closed it,” said Diaz. “I was the singer there in front while I was crying. I mean, there was not a dry eye…no place, everybody was crying,” she said, “everybody.”

Diaz said that’s when they turned to Poe for help.

Poe picks up the story, saying St. Isidore Chapel “was the last remaining building of the original Main Street, so I was eager to help,” said Poe. “Our first goal was to get the diocese to keep it as a Catholic church.”

So they traveled to the Diocese to negotiate with Bishop Jaime Soto. After the first meeting, they knew the days of St. Isidore as a Catholic Church were over for good.

“After our first meeting with the diocese,” said Poe, “we knew that was not going to happen.”

Nevertheless, the two ladies, and their committee, committed to try and save the building, thus beginning a challenging journey that ended Saturday with the official U.S. historic designation.

“Our goal number two was to save the property,” said Poe. They began to investigate how to save the property and they learned they would have to own it to save and preserve it.
In 2000, they formed the Committee of Love, which became St. Isidore Historical Plaza, and voted to begin the work required to preserve the site. Although the St. Isidore Historical Plaza includes lots and buildings where the parish rectory once stood, only the chapel itself is considered historic, Poe said.

In 2001, they received their nonprofit designation and from 2005-2008, they worked on a business plan for the site.

In the meantime, Poe said a friendly banker whispered advice in her ear about how to maintain the property until they could afford to buy it. “He suggested offering the church to maintain the upkeep and paying them $500 per month until we could buy it,” said Poe.

Surprisingly, she said, the Catholic Diocese accepted the proposal. In 2009, they created the St. Isidore Historical Plaza brand and in 2010, formed a membership campaign. In 2012, the Los Al Museum recognized the building as the oldest remaining community building in the city.

They were gaining momentum.

By 2013, Diaz wrote a letter to Pope Francis I, which not only reached the Vatican but also, they believed played a divine role in the outcome. Diaz’ prayer must have been answered as the Diocese reversed course, said Poe, and agreed to sell the property in 2014.
With ownership of St. Isidore Historical Plaza, the group quickly began work to preserve it.

In 2018, the group hired McLeod’s architecture company to assist them and proceeded to seek the National Register of Historic Places designation that was celebrated on Saturday.

In 2019, while they sought the designation, Poe said the organization began to utilize the historical plaza and buildings for community meetings. She said St. Isidore is still paying a remaining mortgage on the property, using proceeds from site rentals, functions, fundraising and other events to pay the notes.

While the committee has achieved federal and state recognition, said Poe, there is much more to be done. She said restoration of each of the structure’s eight stained glass windows must be restored at a cost of $8000 each.

So far, said Poe, only one of the eight has been fully restored. Nevertheless, Poe said for her and Diaz, Saturday’s realization is a “dream come true.”

Los Alamitos Mayor Tanya Doby offered the SIHS congratulations, presenting a proclamation to Poe and David Ochoa, representing Sen. Thomas Umberg, saying “we love seeing parts of our history and our culture being preserved.”

The church has long been stripped of its relics, rails and other Catholic symbols that were removed after the church was de-consecrated. For Diaz, Poe, Pedro and the rest, it doesn’t matter. They’ve already built a new altar, restored the bell and choir loft, and for many, it will always remain St. Isidore.

“I’m excited because so many people worked so hard. I get emotional. They’re just wonderful. And we finally got the community to get behind us,” the former mayor said.

“A lot of people first said, oh, Marilyn, you’re crazy, why are you getting involved with that? But I think that’s extremely important. And everyone that’s been involved with this … some people have been here for a long time, some for a short time, but everybody has given their heart to it. So that’s what makes me excited,” she said.

For Diaz, too, the was emotional. Having within the walls of this tiny chapel having experienced both life and death, joy and heartbreak, she was overcome with joy at what they had achieved.

For Diaz, the event was moving and monumental. Even though the St. Isidore chapel had been deconsecrated, stripped of its railings, relics and gold, her heart will be in this place until her end.

“I go to the other churches,” said Diaz. “I go because I know that is where I get communion and all that, but this,” she said, “will be my church until I die.”

For more information, visit stisidorehistoricalplaza.org.

 

Los Al Unified implements solar strategy on campuses

The large metal structures started appearing on campuses just days after schools let out earlier this month.

Solar panel systems are currently being built at the Los Alamitos Unified School district’s six elementary schools, two middle schools and district office and will soon be constructed at Los Alamitos High School.

A revised design for the panels at LAHS was on the June 28 Board of Education meeting agenda. (The Event-News Enterprise publication deadline was prior to the meeting.) The design for the high school campus solar panel project was reworked based on community feedback, which was gathered at every site through meetings, according to C.J. Knowland, Director of Facilities, Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation for the district.

First approved in 2020, The solar panel project could translate to between $11-$17 million in savings over the next 30 years, according to the district. The installation will help cut power costs and also provide shade in parking lots and on campuses.

“That was one of the main things we discussed for the sites to figure out the locations that will provide the most benefit,” Knowland said in a phone interview this week.

He said that while the solar panel structures will likely be built before the school year resumes in August at the elementary and middle schools, they won’t start generating energy until weeks after school starts. Once up and running, Knowland said the structures will provide between up to 70% of the district’s electricity.

Cypress celebrates first-ever ‘Pride and Diversity’ community picnic

Organizers say the first-ever “Pride and Diversity” community-sponsored picnic was held Sunday on the Civic Center lawn bringing a rainbow of hope for Cypress residents longing to see the city’s diversity efforts materialized.

Inspired by the city’s May 9th proclamation in support of diversity and inclusion, residents amplified the council’s call to action by organizing the city’s first annual pride and diversity picnic.

“We might have started the most important movement in Cypress,” said event organizer Maria Campos-Krekos, in response to the positive ripple effect this event will bring towards future inclusionary efforts.

Citizens of all races, gender, colors, religions, sexes, ages, neurotypes and cultures were welcomed with open arms as the first public pride attendees. Despite being uncharted territory for the city, the picnic’s positive turnout and feedback reaffirm the demand for a more inclusive Cypress.

As residents enjoyed an afternoon of live music, food trucks, guest speakers, and family activities, the harmonious atmosphere created a safe space for attendees to listen, learn, and show support for marginalized groups.

Support booths including those representing neurodivergent, immigrant and LGBTQ+ groups bordered the civic lawn walkway offering free resources and education for anyone of interest.

Inclusive organizations from surrounding cities such as The Community Congregational United Church of Christ were also among the several booths stationed at the event.
Church organizations are one of the many institutions known to polarize diverse communities in the Orange County area, specifically members of LGBTQ+ groups.

Pastor Sam Pullen of the CCUCC, Los Alamitos’ “open and affirming” church, hopes people in the Cypress community know that his organization “offers a safe and welcoming place for people who have been rejected.”

Meanwhile, although the city is largely conservative, Carolyn Balagot believes Cypress has greater space for diversity than it alludes to.

“Our community is much more diverse than it appears,” said Balagot, who along with Campos-Krekos took the initiative to serve as event coordinator for the monumental occasion.

“And obviously we were right, because look at all the people that are here,” said Balagot, claiming the event quickly “snowballed” after being advertised on the city’s community forum.

Residents on social media were swift to show support, offering to bring items such as tables, chairs, and power cords to the community-run event.

Councilmember Scott Minikus–whose term will be up for the November 2022 election–also volunteered to help with community effort by donating funds for bouncy houses and Civic Center permits.

Amid the exponential growth in tension between Council members and residents, flyers for the event prompted attendees to only come with the agenda of an “open heart”, suggesting all matters of concern to be left away from the event’s positive energy.

(Cypress’ first Pride & Diversity Picnic flyer, advertised on Cypress Community Group Facebook page on Friday, June 10, 2022.)

Fortunately, it seemed everyone in attendance adhered to the sunshine and rainbows only policy— event organizers reported they were delightfully “surprised” to see no outside protesters.

Councilmember Frances Marquez affirmed this, describing the event as a “loving day” while she engaged with citizens, parents and members of Cypress’ youth.

With the exception of Councilmember Jon Peat, Marquez was joined by the rest of Cypress council leaders to show the diverse community’s support.

Councilwoman Frances Marquez with residents at the Cypress Pride and Diversity Picnic.
Photo by Macy Meinhardt

Given three weeks to coordinate the entire event Campos-Krekos beamed with pride as she watched the blossoming event from a distance.

“I don’t know how we [Balagot and I] did it,” Campos-Krekos humbly remarked.
It takes a village indeed and based on feedback it seems that the city’s first annual Pride and Diversity Picnic only has room to grow from here.

“We’ve had a lot of people come up to us and say they want to be involved next time community involvement and participation, we’re excited,” said Balagot.
Until next summer, Campos-Krekos offers advice on how the community can community to support its diverse members.

“The community can start by listening. By sitting side by side with each other. By asking community members what can be changed for the better. By taking diversity training. Our goal is for all community members to feel seen and safe. Everyone.”

Adam Pascal shines as leading man in “Pretty Woman” at Segerstrom

A “Pretty Woman Walking Down the Street” is headed to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The musical “Pretty Woman,” based on the iconic 1990 movie of the same name is playing in Segerstrom Hall, July 5 -17.

Adam Pascal and Olivia Valli star in “Pretty Woman” now playing at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

Once upon a time in the 1980s, a boy meets a girl. This pretty much sums up the plot of “Pretty Woman.” The Rom/Com musical replicates the 1990 blockbuster film in style, story, and smoldering emotion. The girl is a hooker with a heart of gold; the boy is a wealthy entrepreneur who hires her as an escort for professional purposes. It’s a Cinderella fairytale in which star-crossed lovers following their hearts, change their lives.

Audiences will fall in love all over again with “Pretty Woman” and its stars Oliva Valli, playful and charming in the role of Vivian Ward and Adam Pascal whose lush musical tone compliments his role as Edward Lewis. The pair radiates star power, the choreography is lively, and the large ensemble is exciting.

Adam Pascal’s claim to Broadway fame was his breakout role as Roger in “Rent.” This led to a long career in theater, and television through he has a background based on making music. Pascal, a musician and actor, believes his greatest strength is his singing voice. He says “That’s what has been the dominant aspect of my career and what I’m known for. To a certain degree, I think it’s my voice that is so well suited to this Musical. The music definitely sits in my sweet spot. If there’s anything in particular that makes me uniquely cut out for this role, then it would be my voice.”

Adam Pascal starts in “Pretty Woman.”
Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

“Pretty Woman” Director and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell agreed, saying “Pascal’s voice is an incredible match to the romantic rock score. Bryan Adams score has a feel of late ’80’s and early ‘90’s rock which makes Adam Pascal pitch perfect for the part.”
Pascal was drawn to “Pretty Woman” because in his words, “The musical is a really beautiful, classic love story. I found that appealing. Obliviously, the film was a huge success, so it gave me an opportunity to play a character known from films and to do something different to make it my own.”

And yes, Pascal puts his own spin on the role of Edward Lewis, well-heeled businessman. He says “to be honest, I’m not the type of actor who grew up traditionally trained so my approach to playing Edward is a little different. So, to be Edward, I put on the costume and just become the guy. I don’t consciously step on a stage and think I’m a different person. I see the characters as people who exist within their own circumstances, and I insert myself into those circumstances. I put on the clothes/costumes and become them. It makes me honest and genuine in my part and into relating to my fellow characters.”

Pascal, the musician, doesn’t usually dress in high-end men’s wear but says “It’s great even though I’m not someone who usually wears suits. Actually, I try to avoid them in my personal life, so it took a little getting used to. The suits I wear in the show are props in and of themselves. I’m constantly fussing with clothes, taking jackets and ties off or rolling up the sleeves. Dressing in these suits has meaning and purpose. They are not just costumes; they are very important in revealing who Edward is.”

Rising star Oliva Villi plays opposite Pascal. As Vivian Ward, she is a charming, charismatic ‘lady of the night.’ The two stars shine bright separately and together as romantic leads the chemistry works. The sparks ignite between debonair, conventional Edward and the pretty prostitute, Vivian.

Pascal says “Olivia and I couldn’t have a better friendship and the chemistry is there. This is what makes this production so successful. We have become good friends, we have such a good time and we take that to the stage with us. Olivia and I have found something special with each other. That really sets the tone for the show.”

Amma Osei and The Company of Pretty Women.
Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

In Pretty Woman the entire show, script, setting, and costumes are reminiscent of the film. Expect to hum along to Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” because that is the only tune in the musical that was on the films soundtrack. The musicals’ songs are all new, all cool. Pascal explains “The movie was very 80’s specific so it wasn’t necessary to change place or setting. It belongs in the era in which it was created.”

He continues “Music works differently in musicals. In the movie the songs are there for atmospheric purposes and to set the tone, they don’t move the story along. Bryan Adams and Jim Valance wrote “Pretty Woman’s” songs in a specifically narrative way to tell the story, move it forward and to address specific moments.”

One of those very specific moments is the Opera scene; a favorite of Pascal’s which he describes as the “Wow” instant in “Pretty Woman.” He says “the scene in which Edward takes Vivian to the Opera to see La Traviata is so expertly crafted that it is the highlight of the show. Within the scene is a song called ‘You & I’ that Edward sings to Vivian while the Opera is going on. It’s interspersed into the actual opera itself and it segues in and out of the song that I’m singing.”

Love and Fairytale fun are the keys to why audiences are giving standing ovations to a girl in the world’s oldest profession and a boy who just wants to make a buck. It balances a fine line between prostitute and woman needing saving, as Happy Man sings “Damsel in distress or hero on a quest? You decide.”

‘The classic Fairytale love story doesn’t need a message,” says Pascal, it’s just about audiences laughing with pleasure. It’s a wonderful night of entertainment for fans of musical theater and its familiar fun for fans of the movie. People are ready to get back to the theater and just be normal.”

Fall in love all over again, “Pretty Woman” is at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts July 5 -17. For tickets, go online to SCFTA.org or call 714-556-2787. Box Office (600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa) Hours: Monday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, Noon to 5p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Rossmoor / Los Alamitos Library awards scholarships

At the recent 2022-23 board installation, the board members of the Friends of the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library presented scholarship checks to eight outstanding Los Alamitos High School seniors. Pictured here are 2022 Friends of the Los Alamitos/Rossmoor Scholarship Recipients – Luke Goldade, Marina Zhao, Cody Tran, Fiona O’Farrell, Camille Harding, Kendall Villa, Diego Oliva, Andrea Murillo. The scholarships were for $1,000. The program is called the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Friends of the Library Scholarship Program. The criteria for selection included the student’s activities and achievements and, in part, how libraries have assisted them in meeting their goals, said a library spokesperson.

Cash flow strategist to speak to Cypress Chamber July 12

The Cypress Chamber of Commerce will host George Brumis, a cash flow consultant with strategies to help businesses keep more of your hard-earned money, as our guest speaker at our July Networking Breakfast. Our breakfast event will be held Tuesday, July 12th at the Residence Inn by Marriott at 4931 Katella Avenue, Cypress/Los Alamitos starting at 7:30 a.m. An award-winning advertising copywriter by trade, and business development/pitch specialist, George Brumis has turned his focus in recent years to government programs and business strategies that are available to business owners to increase cash flow and decrease taxes.

George has been featured on Podcasts, has been a speaker at other area Chambers, and is the president of his BNI networking group.

Trained in Cost Segregation, the Research & Development Tax Credit, and the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), George will provide an overview of these valuable strategies/programs and explain who can qualify for them and how to get started. Armed with this information, he’ll share how to get back the money and savings we are entitled to through the federal and state government.

During the networking portion, each attendee will also have an opportunity to stand and 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 $25.00. Early Bird Registration is $20.00.

Attendees are also encouraged to bring door prizes to promote their product or service. The program will include time for networking, self-introductions, breakfast, our speaker’s presentation and a Q & A 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: cypresschamber.org.

Can Kindness Reunite America? Part II by Jessica Yang

For readers who may have not seen last week’s edition of the ENE, we are featuring for the next two weeks, essays written by high school students in which they assert how “kindness” can reunite America.

Given the incidents of the past week, the task of reunification seems a world away from where it was just last week. America’s growing political divide just seemingly gets worse.
Last week, Audrey Vinci made her case about how good Samaritans and acts of kindness can perhaps usher in new meaning and understanding among neighbors and fellow citizens.

This week, Jessica Yang explores a pandemic-fueled “empathy deficit” and how kindness is “always available for people willing to see it.”

As interesting as we may think the thoughts of these high school girls, should we not ponder what it says about us as a human race when girls yet old enough to drive cite “open warfare” among Americans and families “driven apart by political ideologies?”

Perhaps there are many ways to interpret such understanding at this tender age. Either it has been “normalized” and younger Americas are imprisoned to live in an age of rage, or, perhaps that they recognize it so early they will dedicate their lives to creating a different reality.

So, it is critically important, I think, that we listen closely to students; young people, who are living through an information explosion the likes of which could never have been pondered centuries ago.

The human experience is changing exponentially, while the various ecosystems, at all levels, that make up our worlds are seemingly unable to keep up. Thus, the many conflicts, and more sadly likely to come.

In listening to the voices of tomorrow, we can perhaps find hope for today. This week, Jessica Yang makes her case for the flexibility of normalcy and how kindness begins with us all.

Normalcy is flexible
Kindness starts with you

By Jessica Yang

It has been a roller coaster of a year, 3 years, wait when did the pandemic start. Between Corona, murder hornets, the world being on fire then not being on fire, and then being on fire again. I’ve begun to wonder if the Maya calendar got the date wrong on the end of the world, perhaps instead of 2012 they meant 2021.

But as a new year dawns and hope begins to emerge, I am left with one burning question. How can kindness reunite this country? Listen, when we can more easily flame people on Twitter than we can flame grill our own dinner (and we turn to Grubhub for BOTH problems) or we forget how to shake someone else’s hand? How do you smile underneath a mask? How much hand sanitizer is too much hand sanitizer? You know we have a problem.

The point is, during the pandemic between baking bread and checking the news, a phenomenon has emerged where we lost the ability to connect with other humans and at worst, the ability to empathize. We’ve forgotten how to be nice to each other.

Yes, the isolation away from awkward but polite coffee shop lines made us forget what our kindergarten teachers instilled into us so long ago; if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. So today, we’re going back to kindergarten and sharing how this problem evolved, next we’re going to take a buddy to the effects on our world, and finally hug it out in the most covid safe way possible to a few solutions.
So one of the first lessons you learn in kindergarten is that sharing is caring. So let’s first share the problem and cause of how the snick snack, frick frack did we get here and second, what the heckalrooney is an empathy deficit?

Well, first, when that fateful March came marching along into our lives, we had to come to a standstill as people were encouraged to stay in their homes. The Scientific American describes our decreased social interaction as incapable of fulfilling the quota for human empathy. The COVID-19 pandemic, tumultuous economics, the recent election, misinformation, horrifying accounts of racism, and overall general unrest that plagues our lives nowadays puts a lot of strain on peoples’ squishy brains.
Dr. Kristin Neff, helps explain why: The problem is that when we’re in the presence of suffering, or we see it on TV, or while scrolling down your Instagram feed, we feel it. It’s comparable to a sponge. If you soak up too much, you can overwhelm yourself, and suddenly you can’t take anymore.

As COVID-19 spread, researchers found that people were experiencing worse mental health problems than before the pandemic—high symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Up to half showed serious signs of depression, while up to 35 percent showed serious anxiety. Between dealing with burnout and self-isolation for the past few years during the pandemic, some people may struggle to have empathy for others while we continue to be in survival mode. But empathy is incredibly important to continue to have, both for ourselves and others.

So now that we know what an empathy deficit is, grab your buddy and let’s talk about some of the effects that the lack of kindness has had on society. This whole situation has made us forget how to be nice to each other. We’ve forgotten that every other person we encounter on the streets is stuck in the same world we’re all in and while we have to live with each other, it is the least we can do to just…be nice. Kindness has always been there. Kindness is always prevalent, through those in Berlin offering a bed, food, and a roof over people fleeing from the war in Ukraine.

Kindness is always prevalent, through extra hours made by kindergarten teachers so that even over zoom, class can be engaging. Kindness is always prevalent, through the eyes of someone willing to see it. It is there. And sometimes, it’s okay to look on the bright side. I understand we can’t really hug each other right now, as social distance is still very much a thing to keep us all safe, let’s look at some solutions that give us the same comfort we need.

So how do we fix this? How do we get rid of this empathy deficit and fix our country so we’re going to be better, brighter, and more empathetic towards each other? How are we going to whisk away the oodles and oodles of apathy that leaks out of the crevices of our society nowadays? I’m so very glad you asked!
The answer is, we’re not going to. That’s impossible.
You can’t force people to be nice, you can’t shove empathy down someone’s throat. It’s a learned skill, and can be forgotten as well. It’s simply far too much for a single person, even a small group of people, to take onto them. Like previously, I mentioned how your brain is a sponge for all things. You’ll overwhelm yourself, and then where would we be?

Back to square one. Apathetic and hopeless. Instead of trying to hold up the world, let’s see how we can integrate kindness, empathy, and respect into your own life, in the hopes we can achieve something smaller, in the communities around us.

A 2014 study from Stanford University finds that empathy is not a fixed point we can all achieve. But there are ways we can all empathize. First, actively listen, more than you speak. An empathetic person listens first; and only speaks after they’ve carefully heard.

‘Next, be vulnerable. We fear vulnerability because we worry that others may perceive us as foolish or weak. Brené Brown—a brilliant woman at the forefront of vulnerability research—says that vulnerability actually helps us connect with others.

Finally, learning to respect other peoples’ differences. While we do not need to like everyone or pay homage to people just because they are in a position of power, we should try to be respectful. Its due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others that is true respect.

So basic human kindness is not something we’re allowed to take away or rescind if someone doesn’t agree on your opinions about your favorite anime character.
The second you claim you’ve lost that respect for someone is the second you don’t see them as an equal, another human, and that is the most dangerous thing humanity can do.

So while we can’t solve discrimination, create laws, or achieve world peace in ten minutes, we can find simple ways to integrate kindness, empathy and respect into our own lives. Because at the end of the day, you’re the only one who can change how you treat other folks. It has to start with you.

So today we went back to kindergarten. We shared some problems, grabbed a friend for the effect, and hugged our way to a few solutions. Today, we remembered the lessons that our teachers oh so long ago in a non-pandemic age taught us, and we’re applying it now, and in the future.

Normalcy is flexible. We will always change and fluctuate with this world. What shouldn’t change is how we continue to love, appreciate, and care for the people around us. You’re here, and now it’s your turn to do your part and just be nice to people. That’s it. Simple, cliche, cheesy– but still, it’s the best we can do.