The Buzz

The fifth annual Fun With Chips event will be held on Feb. 28, beginning at 7 p.m. The event raises funds for Fun With Chalk and other programs associated with Creative Arts Productions, a non-profit foundation. A cover charge of $40 paid by Feb. 15 includes refreshments, entertainment, live music, silent auctions and a starter pack of chips for table games. The cost is $50 at the door. The location is an elegant lakeside Mission Viejo home. Call (949) 367-1222 for information, and make reservations by Feb. 15.

***

OC Weekly’s Jan. 30 article about Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht was a breakthrough for Mission Viejo after a long time with no coverage of the city. A follow-up appeared in OC Weekly’s Feb. 4 letters to the editor: “THIS COUNCILMAN WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 10 SECONDS . . . I don’t live in Mission Viejo, but a friend who does told me he voted for Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht [Spencer Kornhaber’s “Woman on a Mission,” Jan. 30] because “if Cathy is elected, eventually, [Councilman] Lance MacLean’s head will explode.” Fast Friend, via ocweekly.com

***

While other government officials are cutting back on almost everything in response to the slow economy, the Mission Viejo council majority on Jan. 5 approved a 2 percent raise for the city staff. A blog reader reacted: “They keep saying they have to give raises to the city staff to keep them. Where would they go?”

***

Art Pedroza blogged about what happened to an area of Santa Ana at the hands of the city. From Art’s Feb. 6 post on OrangeJuiceblog.com: “One thing that really irked me when I was on the Santa Ana Housing and Redevelopment Commission was the fact that the City of Santa Ana had purchased dozens of lots in the downtown area, near the train station, and had bulldozed them, leaving barren lots behind. Many of these lots were purchased with money intended to help increase affordable housing. Now the O.C. Register has exposed [city manager] Ream’s real plans…and the fact that his policies have turned the area in question into a ghetto. ‘Santa Ana has bulldozed dozens of homes and uprooted scores of mostly low-income people here, pursuing a vision of urban renewal that has instead gutted entire blocks. The city has spent more than $22 million in the past decade to create nothing out of the something … .” according to the O.C. Register. Mission Viejo’s city officials have a vision for La Paz/Marguerite.

***

Check out the articles about recalling MacLean after he received notice at the Feb. 2 city council meeting of an effort to remove him from office:

1) http://www.ocregister.com/articles/maclean-mayor-mission-2297854-tem-recallorderby=TimeStampAscending&oncommentsPage=1&showRecommen dedOnly=0#slComments

2) http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/council-meeting-mania/a-recall-begins-against-missio/

3) http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/02/bulletin-recall-of-mission-viejo-councilman-lance-maclean-commenced/#comments

4) http://missionviejodispatch.com/2009/02/03/councilman-maclean-served-recall-papers/

5) http://www.redcounty.com/orange-county/2009/02/recall-attempt-targets-mission/

6) http://www.missionviejoca.org/News/2009_Q1/2009_01_31/article4/article4.html

7) http://www.missionviejoca.org/Articles/City_Hall/Lance_MacLean_Recall_Announced/lance_maclean_re call_announced.html

8) http://missionviejodispatch.com/2009/02/04/correction-maclean-says-not-arrested/#respond

9) Orange County Register, Wednesday, Feb. 4

10) Saddleback Valley News, Fri., Feb. 6

***

About the only “news source” that didn’t carry the recall story was the electronic message board at La Paz and Marguerite.