The Buzz

Grand Jury Report on Redevelopment Agencies, from the Aug. 24 newsletter of OC Supv. Shawn Nelson: “The Board approved a response to the June 22 release of the Grand Jury report ‘The Dissolution of Redevelopment’ update. The County agreed with the finding that its role is and will continue to be vital as redevelopment agencies are eliminated, including consolidation of the multiple oversight boards into a single body and approval of audit contracts. However, the County disagreed with the assertion that a substitute redevelopment agency will eventually replace the former program. In approving the response, Supervisor Nelson reiterated there is a legal definition for blight, which was, unfortunately, rarely present in the real-world application of redevelopment agency initiatives.”

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Over the weekend, council incumbent Cathy Schlicht had a garage sale fundraiser for her reelection campaign. Community members who attended the garage sale remarked about Cathy’s dedication to researching and understanding city issues. One of them said, “Anyone in office who is willing to work that hard gets my vote.”

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Announcement forwarded by ACT for America: The California Federation of Republican Women, Southern Division, has an event planned for Sept. 5 in Temecula that may be of interest to chapter members. Dr. Bill Warner, who spoke to the Mission Viejo chapter of ACT for America in July, will be the morning speaker and Bill Whittle, host of the Afterburner show will speak in the afternoon. Call (818) 610-1275 or email sdreservations@cfrw.org for information.

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Please support Operation Keep Warm. Its local organizer is Cecelia, whose request was forwarded to this blog:

“It's that time of year where I start collecting clothing for men, women, and children. The past three years since I started collecting have been absolutely amazing. My goal the first year was to collect 25 coats. That amount was doubled. Due to all your wonderful support, last year’s donations almost didn't fit in my SUV. That's definitely a good thing!

“This year I will be taking the items, again, to The Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles. This is a wonderful organization that houses families as well as singles. There is actually a school bus that pulls up to the Mission to take the kids off for their school day. Talk about a sobering experience.

“The Mission is so grateful for donations. I do ask that the items you donate not require major repairs and be clean.

“My absolute, cut-off day for collections is November 1st. If you need me to pick them up from you, just email or call. One last item. I do not have a non-profit status and therefore cannot give you a receipt. Also, I do not accept the receipt from the Mission. These are your donations and not mine - I'm merely the conduit to get them up there.

“Thank you and God Bless. Cecelia” ( email cecelia@ceceliaburks.com )

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Among the many faces in Mission Viejo, good-hearted people are everywhere. The city has an abundance of those who work hard and care for others. By contrast, there’s Mission Viejo’s dark side -- the political backers surrounding Frank Ury and Wendy Bucknum. During the past two years, their supporters have given a fortune to pay for hit pieces and fill mailboxes with vicious attacks against their opponents as well as other Mission Viejo residents. Everyone can be assured that the attacks are coming in this November’s city election. Their target will be Cathy Schlicht, who often votes in the 4-1 minority. Ury and Bucknum’s attack dogs include ex-council members Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow, who were thrown out of office 10 years ago. The council majority evidently cannot stand to have even one person (on the council, in the audience or in the city) speak up in opposition.