Tribute to Frank Lieberman

Frank Lieberman, founder of “Fun With Chalk,” passed away on Sat., Mar. 22. Following is a tribute by Norm Rosenkrantz, delivered during Frank’s memorial service on Mar. 25.

(949) 922 1122…that is Frank Lieberman’s cell phone number, of which many of you here in this room are familiar with. This is the phone that has been attached to Frank’s ear for the last six months since he became ill with bronchitis and pneumonia. This was Frank’s lifeline to the outside world.

Since I met Frank approximately 16 years ago, I have known him to be an organizer, an activist, interested in politics, a problem solver, and never to accept the word NO. Frank was a charmer with the women, a charmer with the men, and he knew how to get his way. He was so involved in life. When he met someone new in his life and liked them, he then found out all about the history of the person. Frank was very inquisitive and made you feel that you could trust him

When he started a new season with Fun With Chalk, he strived for excellence. Frank kept changing the FWC board because he wanted to improve and reach his pinnacle of success. Frank was a stickler for details, and you better do it his way. I learned long ago to listen to him and not challenge him too much but just enough to get in my three cents. Frank would always ask you, “What do you think we ought to do?” He would always listen to all the “ought to do’s” and then come to a solution of the problem. Frank was a thinker and wanted to do the right thing. Frank, even though he was ill, was still planning another chalk festival. Frank was so infatuated with ART, Children, Family and Community.

Elaine and Frank were in Santa Barbara in 1998, and they saw the granddaddy of all chalk festivals being displayed there. From then on, they decided to have a chalk festival in Mission Viejo. It took about 1 ½ years for the first Fun with Chalk in Mission Viejo. Frank always wanted a legacy for his FUN With Chalk. If Frank and I had taken one step back, we would have realized that it is living here in Mission Viejo. Although we stopped presenting it here, the Chalk Festival has continued to exist. Street painters are still displaying their beautiful chalk paintings as evidenced by the upcoming festival on May 3 of this year.

Frank, you don’t have to hang your head in shame. You and Elaine started this in 1999 and it still exists in 2014. This, my friend, is a tribute to all your hard work and successes. Frank, give us one of your many smiles, and may you be in peace. We all love ya Frankie.

Publisher Dale Tyler adds: I worked with Frank on Fun With Chalk by helping maintain and expand their website for the past two years. I have rarely met anyone who was so passionate about helping get art into a setting that was so accessible to the citizens. It was a lot of fun to watch the children as they looked at the various drawings made by the artists and then see them realize that this was something they could do on their own driveways and sidewalks.

Wendy Bucknum Update
Part 9, Lobbyist calls in markers from her employer’s industry

Articles in this series examine the campaign of professional housing lobbyist Wendy Bucknum, She has announced her candidacy for the Mission Viejo City Council in the November election.

Bucknum is planning an out-of-town fundraiser on Apr. 30 for her special-interest donors. The fundraiser is a blatant shakedown of her employer’s housing industry contacts.

Bucknum said when she ran in 2012 that she couldn’t afford to run on her own money. When she saw she would likely lose the election, she loaned her campaign $8,000, which she is now scrambling to get back. She’s again running on Other People’s Money, and her donors don’t live in Mission Viejo.

Bucknum’s fundraiser will be held in San Juan Capistrano at Marbella Country Club. In her announcement, she names four hosts and “Community Industry Association Friends.” Look at the links of Bucknum’s hosts, and the crony capitalism becomes clear – these outsiders want their industry lobbyist on Mission Viejo’s council:

Tinnelly of Aliso Viejo, http://www.tinnellylaw.com/

Prendiville of San Juan Capistrano, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prendiville-Insurance-Agency/204801352867140

Antis of Irvine, https://www.facebook.com/antisroofing

Combs of San Clemente, http://www.caioc.org/Page/290~5263/Restoration-Services-Emergency-

The organization that connects Bucknum with her financiers is the Virginia-based CAI. Information on CAI’s website spells out its agenda:

“Since CAI was founded in 1973, the people that build and service common interest developments (CIDs) have been a significant force in interest group politics in many states. According to Evan McKenzie they are dominated by lawyers and property managers that have shaped legislative and judicial policy making to prevent meaningful regulation of CID activity,[4] and keep the discourse on such matters largely private.[5]

“In the absence of meaningful legislative regulation or oversight, the idea of residential private government took the shape advocated originally by developers through the Urban Land Institute and the Federal Housing Administration, and later through the CAI.[6] "One result," Professor McKenzie argues, "is the institutionalization of a heavy–handed managerial focus in CID governance."[7]”

When Bucknum and incumbent Councilman Frank Ury ran for city council as a slate in 2012, they solicited donations as a tag team. From feedback from area contractors Bucknum, and Ury attempted to shake down, the solicitation sounded more like extortion. One person said, “The pitch was a combination of throwing some business our way plus an implied threat of keeping business away from us if we didn’t donate. We passed on both of them.”

In addition to Bucknum running as a council candidate, Frank Ury is running for a seat on the OC Board of Supervisors. Voters, grab your wallets and RUN from these candidates.

Judge Rules State Assembly Candidate Anna Bryson Made Illegal False Statement in Her Official Candidate Statement

Sacramento, CA — This afternoon, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang ruled that Capistrano Unified School Board Trustee and current candidate for the California State Assembly 73rd District Anna Bryson made an illegal false and misleading statement in her official Candidate Statement. The judge ordered the Orange County Registrar of Voters to revise the false statement before it is printed and distributed to voters with their sample ballots.

On March 17, 2014, Mission Viejo resident and business owner Dale Tyler filed a petition with the court seeking to have the false statement stricken or revised so that voters would not be misled. 

Bryson made the following statement in her official Candidate Statement, “On the school board, I returned $59 million to taxpayers.”

Tyler argued, and the Court agreed, this was an illegal statement in violation of Elections Code section 13313(b)(2) because it was false and/or misleading. Tyler provided evidence to the Court that Bryson had never returned millions to taxpayers, including Declarations from Ellen Addonizio, current elected member of the CUSD Board of Trustees, and Sharon Campbell, Mission Viejo resident and expert in school district finances (see attached court documents).

Bryson argued her statement was in fact true – and in support of her assertion she offered Declarations from John Alpay, the current President of CUSD Board of Trustees, and Joseph Farley, the CUSD Superintendent. 

It should be noted that in 2010, Orange County Superior Court Judge Kim Dunning ruled that Alpay had made false and misleading statements in his own Candidate Statement.  It should also be noted that it was highly unusual and of questionable legality for a public school district superintendent to utilize school district resources in support of a political candidate (Farley issued a letter in his official capacity and on official CUSD Letterhead in support of Bryson).

Judge Chang dismissed the arguments put forth by Bryson, Alpay and Farley and ordered the false statement in Bryson’s Candidate Statement be revised prior to the printing of the statement in the sample ballot.

Tyler stated, “As a long-time community watchdog and local businessperson, I felt it was my responsibility to set the record straight. Sadly, Ms. Bryson has repeatedly demonstrated she is willing to say and do virtually anything in order to get elected.”

Chad Morgan, the successful attorney who represented Dale Tyler was pleased with the outcome, stating, “This is an important victory for the residents of South Orange County – we needed to protect the credibility of the electoral process and ensure voters were not deceived.”

Non-government Events

Following is a sampling of events and activities that are not funded by taxpayers or promoted by the Nanny State. Please support private enterprise and non-profit groups.

“An Evening at the High Table” with the Christ Church Cathedral Choir on Wed., Apr. 2, 6:00 p.m., at Casa Romantica, 414 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, (949) 498-2139, http://casaromantica.org/cr/

First Thursday Art Walk, Laguna Beach, Thurs., Apr. 3, 6:00 p.m., member galleries throughout Laguna Beach, including the Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive at North Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-8971, http://firstthursdaysartwalk.com/

At Soka University on April 5, enjoy Soka’s Annual Luau from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the Campus Green; concert on Fri., April 11, 8:00 p.m., Eric Alexander and the Harry Allen Quintet, Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu

Mount of Olives Church SHARE Food Drive on Sun., April 6, (first Sunday of each month) helps families in crisis, http://moochurch.org/share . Mount of Olives Church, 24772 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 837-7467, http://www.moochurch.org/

Mariachis at the Mission, Sat., Apr. 12, 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.; second Saturday of each month, 26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 234-1300, http://missionsjc.com

La Vida Drum Circle, Tues., Apr. 15, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (May 14, June 13, July 12 etc.). Drummers should bring their drums. Firewood is appreciated for the bonfire, Aliso Beach, Aliso and Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 275-7544, http://www.lavidalaguna.com/things-we-dig/

St. Kilian’s Recycling Drive, Sat., Apr. 19, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, held on the third Saturday of each month. Organized by Knights of Columbus; acceptable items include aluminum, paper and plastic. No glass or cardboard. Lower parking lot, 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 472-1249, http://www.stkilianchurch.org

Cabrillo Playhouse, Sun., Apr. 20, 6:00 p.m., “Local Sunday Sessions,” every third Sunday, three local musical acts, 202 Avenida Cabrillo, San Clemente, (949) 492-0465, http://cabrilloplayhouse.org

Laguna Playhouse presents “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” with Leslie Caron and David Engel, from Apr. 26-June 8, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com

Political and Government Events Calendar

Orange County Board of Supervisors will hold a regular meeting on Tues., Apr. 1, 9:30 a.m., Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100, http://ocgov.com/cals/?ViewBy=7&CalDate=1/15/2013&EventDateID=89649

SOC912 presents “Let’s Celebrate America! – One Nation Under God!” on Tues., Apr. 1, 7:00 p.m. Guest speaker will be Sandra Ruppert, author of “Rise and Shine, America: A Call To Pray for the Healing of Our Land,” at Greg Prete’s office building, 9870 Research Drive, Irvine. http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/173080782/

Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Board of Directors on Wed., Apr. 2, 7:00 p.m.; Engineering Committee Meeting on Fri., Apr. 11, 7:30 a.m.; Finance Committee on Fri., Aprl. 18, 7:30 a.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com

Nixon Library concert on Sun., Apr. 6, piano duets with pianists Geraldine Keeling and Deborah Erftenbeck. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., and music begins at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. A special exhibit, “Play Ball! Presidents and Baseball,” opens on Sun,, Apr. 6, 1:00 p.m. with ceremonial fanfare, Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org/

Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a Regular Meeting on Tues., Apr. 8, starting with a Board Policy Workshop at 4:30 p.m., which is open to the public. The board meets in the district building, 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/

OC Veterans Advisory Council, Wed., Apr. 9, 6:00 p.m. The council meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Veterans Service Office, Conference Room A/B, 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building B, Santa Ana, https://cms.ocgov.com/gov/occr/occs/veterans/advisory/default.asp

Rush Limbaugh Club of Orange County will meet on Sat., April 12. Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m., and the program runs from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The group meets on second Saturdays of the month. Cost is $15 for breakfast or attend the program only for $5.00. The club pays for first-time attendees' breakfast or attendance fee. Casta del Sol Golf Clubhouse, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo, (714) 235-1430, http://rushlimbaughcluboc.com/

Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Engineering and Operations on Mon., Apr. 14, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Finance and Information Technology on Wed., Apr. 16, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Apr. 17, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., MNWD Main Office, 27500 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-2500, http://mnwd.com/board-of-directors-2/

The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT! for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Apr. 14. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m., at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo.

Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated, Wed., Apr. 16, 9:00 a.m., at the Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club Drive, San Juan Capistrano. CVRWF meets on third Wednesdays of most months. CVRWF meets on third Wednesdays of most months. Call (949) 240-6799 for reservations, http://cvrwf.org

Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., Apr. 17, 7:00 p.m. SRA meets on third Thursdays (except in July, August and December) at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 769-1412.

Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a Special Board Meeting on Wed., Apr. 23, 5:45 p.m., followed by the Regular Meeting. Special Board meetings will also be held on Fri., Apr. 25, with the closed session beginning at 5:45 p.m., and on Sat., Apr. 26, with the closed session beginning at 8:00 a.m., 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano.Agenda and supporting documentation are published on the website 72 hours prior to a meeting, (949) 234-9200, http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1232963504734

The Buzz

On Tues., Apr. 1, 7:00 p.m., SOC912 will present “Let’s Celebrate America! – One Nation Under God!” Guest speaker will be Sandra Ruppert, author of Rise and Shine, America: A Call To Pray for the Healing of Our Land. Greg Prete will host the group in his office building, 9870 Research Drive, Irvine. http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/173080782/

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Save the date, Sat., Apr. 12. The Rush Limbaugh Club of Orange County will host Star Parker as its guest speaker. Parker is the founder and president of CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, a 501(c)(3) non-profit think tank that promotes market-based public policy to fight poverty. Before involvement in social activism, Parker had seven years of firsthand experience in the grip of welfare dependency. Now, as a social policy consultant, she brings new energy to policy discussions on how to transition America's poor from government dependency. The meeting begins at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast, $15 with reservation or $20 walk-in. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and includes a $30 cash raffle. The location is Casta Del Sol Country Club, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo, http://www.rushlimbaughcluboc.org/

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Some Mission Viejo residents got a call last week from a group appearing to do a survey. By the end of the call, it was obvious -- polling by Frank Ury’s campaign for Board of Supervisors. The first questions in the survey were about OC Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, “Do you know who Sandra Hutchens is?” and “Do you have a positive opinion of Sandra Hutchens?” The caller then asked the same questions about OC District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. Eventually, the caller got around to promoting Frank Ury. Since he has endorsements from Hutchens and Rackauckas, he will likely feature them on his mailers. Ury has no grassroots support, so his campaign will focus on slick mailers with vague claims about his accomplishments.

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If Ury is trying to claim he has improved anything about Mission Viejo, that’s campaign rhetoric. One thing that can easily be demonstrated is that he makes city council meetings unpleasant. He takes shots at residents in the audience and ridicules anyone who has the nerve to make public comments. The current OC supervisors might not agree with each other, but their meetings are civil, and they respectfully listen to citizens who make comments from the public microphone. Ury has demonstrated throughout his council tenure that he has no interest in listening to anyone.

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City hall wants residents to cut water use by 20 percent. In its promotion of conservation, the city has given an impression it has cut water use by 20 percent. However, what city officials are touting is a cut in potable water use, while increasing the use of reclaimed (recycled domestic) water. Would they like to reveal their total water use? Given the city’s history of wasting water (flooding streets with overflowing irrigation during late-night watering), the overall use has probably increased dramatically.

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On Mar. 27, the OC Register reviewed some of the campaign finance reports for the most recent reporting period. Of interest in the June Primary is the 73rd Assembly District race, which includes Mission Viejo. According to OCR, candidates Jesse Petrilla and Anna Bryson both have more than $100,000 cash on hand. Bryson’s $109,000 includes her personal loan of $70,000 to her campaign. Petrilla’s balance of $101,000 includes a loan of $3,500. Other candidates are Paul Glaab ($69,000 on hand and an outstanding loan of $100,000) and Bill Brough ($22,000 with no loans). The only Democrat in the race is Wendy Gabriella ($6,000 with a $3,000 loan).

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