The Buzz

City Hall has apparently realized its very big mistake of erecting stone outhouses on Crown Valley Parkway medians. A commonly used technique for covering up architectural abominations is “shrubbing them up.” Is that not what City Hall is doing, hiding the outhouses with palm trees and excessive vegetation? As another error, City Hall put pictures on the outhouses instead of signs saying “Men” and “Women.” In the latest shrub-up, medians are severely over-planted with what looks like tall weeds.

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Abundant rainfall in California has led to the governor lifting restrictions on residents’ water use. With an odd sense of timing, City Hall invited residents to enter a water-saving contest after the shortage abated. Mayor Dave Leckness several weeks ago asked residents to give their email addresses to an artist who is sponsoring a water conservation campaign. Leckness made such conservation suggestions as “don’t flush your toilet all the time.” The campaign is sponsored by Robert Wyland, a marine-life muralist who resides in Hawaii. Wyland’s commercial success and marketing savvy have made him world-famous.

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No citizen, business or organization wastes as much water as some of the municipalities that are engaging in the contest. Shouldn’t a genuine conservation contest in which various cities are competing with each other address the most wasteful offenders? To enter the contest, residents go online and give their email address to Wyland’s foundation. The “winner” of the contest isn’t the one saving the most water. It’s the city with the highest percentage of residents giving their email addresses to Wyland. Why would anyone do that?

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For full coverage of the April 15 Tax Day Protest in Mission Viejo, go to the Mission Viejo Dispatch to read the article and view photos, http://missionviejodispatch.com/politics/spitzer-baugh-schlicht-keynote-tea-party . Speakers at the street corner rally included former Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, Orange County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh, Mission Viejo Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht. former Dana Point Mayor Col. Joe Snyder, Laguna Niguel Councilman and former Mayor Robert Ming, OC GOP Manager Scott Lowenhurst, CUSD Board Member Ellen Addonizio, OC GOP Central Committee Vice President Mary Young, Liz Mimm, Paula Steinhauer, Congressman Gary Miller’s Chief of Staff Steve Thornton and SRA President Matt Corrigan.

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Celeste Grieg was reelected on April 17 as president of California Republican Assembly. CRA convened April 15-17 in Sacramento for its annual convention. Others elected on April 17 were Vice Presidents Karl Heft, Tom Hudson, Bob Kowell, Tim Thiesen, Cliff Wagner and Mike Zimmerman, Treasurer John Fugatt, Assistant Treasurer Baron Night, Membership Secretary George Park Jr., Recording Secretary Craig Alexander, Voter Registration Secretary Sam Cannon, Sgt. at Arms Aaron Park, Corresponding Secretary Janine Heft and National Committeewoman Angel Zarobinski.