Weasels in the Easels Update
Editorial staff

Nearly three weeks ago, a Mission Viejo resident saw custom-built art easels in a pile of debris on city property. Approximately 200 easels from the city’s 20th anniversary photo display had been dumped near the city maintenance yard off La Paz Road. The rubble was visible from the road behind Michaels craft store.

City administrator Keith Rattay was quoted in the May 2 Saddleback Valley News, claiming the city’s 500 easels would be divided up. He said the city would keep 250 and give 250 to churches and schools. Contrary to Rattay’s statement, residents learned approximately 200 easels had already been taken to a dump.

Someone who saw the easels in the county dump on El Toro Road in Lake Forest reported the find to another city blog. Activists followed up on the information and saw the easels, which, by that time, were under truckloads of landscaping materials.

One of the activists said, “I want to know what the easels cost. Actually, I want to know what the whole project cost – 500 easels, 500 cameras, developing and printing 500 24-inch-square photos, laminating them and having city employees orchestrate the whole thing. It was such a waste of money. I am amazed with Rattay’s story, claiming half the easels would be given to charity. He was trying to make himself look good, and he got caught in a lie.”

Activists called the Orange County Register and Saddleback Valley News to request a follow-up article about Rattay’s statement conflicting with easels found at the dump. A reporter went to the dump with a photographer on May 14, and an article will follow.

Thank you to community activist Brad Morton for breaking the news on his blog.