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Mission Viejo Being Trashed – Again Once again, our city is under attack from by the very people who you would expect to be looking out for our city's quality of life. On Monday, June 4, 2012, the Council will consider allowing extremely large electronic signs up and down the freeway from Avery to La Paz. These are not small signs that are being proposed. At the Kaleidoscope Center located on Crown Valley at I-5, the building owner wants to place eight LED displays totaling 7,392 square feet in their current proposal. This is many times the size of the garish sign used by the auto dealers at Lake Forest and I-5. In addition, they want to have 13,720 square feet of banner and other fixed signage for a total of 21,112 square feet. However, they state they want up to 30 percent of the building faces to have signs installed. That adds up to nearly 28,464 square feet of signage (per the Kaleidoscope plan submitted to the city council),.Editor’s note: the plan is 3.6MB and will take 2 minutes to download. The proposal would also permit a number of other signs along the freeway starting at Avery Road and going all the way north to LaPaz. One could easily imagine 100,000 square feet of signs along the freeway. Is this the kind of City image we want to project to motorists and visitors? Until now, the types of signs being proposed have been outlawed in Mission Viejo. We have one of the most restrictive sign ordinances in south Orange County, although it has been substantially weakened lately by careless staff and by Ury and Leckness on the council. Years ago, when McDonald's wanted to open a store in Mission Viejo, they were told that their trademark illuminated arches were not acceptable because they would be “out of character” for Mission Viejo. As a very large corporation, McDonald's could have fought the ordinance, but they decided to be good neighbors. On the other hand, Kaleidoscope has proved anything but a good neighbor. Initially constructed using a loan from the city, they defaulted on that obligation of nearly $2 million. Next there were the constant maintenance problems like the escalators being broken, which indicates faulty construction and management that was doing as little as possible to make the center a safe place. We had problems with gangs and youth violence. Then came the rampant violations of Mission Viejo's existing sign code, which continue to the day. I have been told by City Staff, that they have been ordered by Dennis Wilberg not to enforce our sign ordinances at the Kaleidoscope. This scofflaw attitude continues to this day. The biggest offender is Howie's Game Shack which has a number of illegal banners visible from the street in their windows in violation of city laws. However, they have the support of the City Manager and several members of the city council. Now these same scofflaws are requesting the city to completely abandon its prohibition on LED, banner and video (think Jumbotron) signs and allow us to turn our city into a trashy display haven. These signs are permitted in no other locations south of the El-Toro “Y” according to the staff report. A number of our neighbors have learned of Kaleidoscope and Ury's plan to trash our city's image and they are objecting. In particular, Laguna Niguel has raised concerns expressed by those nearest the Kaleidoscope that the constant blinking and bright lights will disturb their “quiet enjoyment” of their properties. People who live across from the freeway center and further north will also likely be affected as more and more of these signs are put in place. It is possible that this extremely large proposal is just a “stalking horse” intended to be abandoned in favor of smaller LED and video signs. We must not allow this to happen. No LED or video signs of any type should be permitted in Mission Viejo. We need to preserve the “California Promise” against those who would sell the city out for campaign cash. Also, we have a message to those out of town interests who parade themselves in front of the city council while they wrap them selves in the cloak of formerly legitimate organizations. “Go home and stay home”. Your kind of “pay to play” advocacy is unwelcome and dishonest. Please let the City Council know how you feel about this sign proposal by emailing them. Also, please consider attending the Council meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 4. |
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June 5 Voter Guide Conservative Voter Guide – California Primary Election, June 5, 2012 Recommendations by Mission Viejo Conservative Voters President: Mitt Romney County Central Committee, 73rd Assembly District, vote for all six: Alice Anderson, Norm Dickinson, Tony Beall, Jon Steven Fleischman, Nancy Padberg and Mary Young U.S. Senator: Elizabeth Emken or Al Ramirez – both candidates are Conservatives. |
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Councilman Berates Citizen Below is a copy of an email exchange, including my email (scroll to the bottom) to Mission Viejo City Hall about the wastefulness of lighting sports fields when the fields are not in use. A city administrator's lengthy response about the city's theoretical model for turning off lights includes acknowledgment that the system is not reliable. Please note the official response from Councilman Dave Leckness. Lamar Kelsoe From:Dave Leckness Hi Lamar, Do you have any idea how ridiculous you come off? When you type in all capitals and say stupid-ass things in your email it makes it hard to take your comments seriously. To ask for someone to be replaced because lights were on our fields and only a few people were there is nuts. You don’t have all the facts and your running-off your mouth. -Dave [Original email from Leckness includes his title and the official city seal.] From: Kelly Doyle Dear Mr. Kelsoe, Thank you for bringing the sports field lighting this past Saturday to our attention. We appreciate it. It is the responsibility of the various sports leagues to turn off the sports field lighting if they are not using the fields as scheduled. We have been able to follow up with the leagues for that night and most had not turned the lights off. So we specifically sent notices to all the leagues reminding them of their responsibility to turn the lights off when they are not using them. While I know that you may already know the procedures that are followed for sports field lighting use, I’d like to reiterate these procedures. As mentioned earlier, it is the responsibility of the various sports leagues to turn off the sports field lighting if they are not using the fields as scheduled. The lights on each of the sports fields are programmed by a City staff person through a computer software system here at City Hall. Each sports field has it’s lights set on a time frame that allows the lights to come on at dusk, or as requested, by a particular organization. The turn off times for each of the sports fields lights are then programmed to coordinate with an organizations’ time that is listed on the permit. They turn off automatically. We allow the lights to be on for 15 minutes past the permit time to allow the players time to pick up and leave the fields. Organizations that have a permit allowing lights are usually given a toll free number along with a password for the lights. This phone number and password can be used to call the 24 hour answering service offered by the software scheduling system to turn the lights off. Thus the lights can be turned off by the user prior to the automatic timer turning them off. In general when we are made aware of lights being on and no one being seen on the fields we follow up by contacting the respective group. We ask them if they even need the time as we could assign it to other groups. In addition, we remind them that they are to call and have the lights turned off if they are not using them. For the most part the follow up contact and reminders are usually effective. Most of these groups have volunteers who run the organizations and turnover is high. Thus retraining and reminders are necessary. As a note, we’ve recently begun using a part time staff person each night to travel the sports fields monitoring the lights and turning them off as necessary if no one is using the fields, or has left early and not turned them off. The staff person then reports back and follow up action is taken by notifying the respective leagues. We have just recently asked this person to travel the fields twice starting a bit earlier to double check on the use. Hopefully this helps answer any questions there may be about the processes followed for use of sports field lights. M. Kelly Doyle From: Trish Kelley Mr. Kelsoe, I will send this to Kelly Doyle and he will follow up with you regarding our procedures. We will be sure to notify the appropriate people. Thanks for letting us know that you have observed the lights being on. Trish Sent from my iPad On May 26, 2012, at 8:40 PM, "lamar kelsoe" <kelsosigns@cox.net> wrote: JUST CAME BACK FROM VISITING BEEBE, CURTIS, AND GILLERION PARKS. ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON IN ALL 3 PARKS AT 7:35. THE SUN HAD NOT SET. NO TEAMS IN ANY OF THE PARKS. ONE PERSON WITH ONE YOUNG CHILD WAS IN THE BATTING CAGE IN THE GILLERION PARK. IT IS NOW 8:40 PM AND ALL THE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. ALSO I DROVE BY THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL ON LAPAZ RD AND THE LIGHTS WERE ON IN THAT BALL FIELD AS WELL AND NO ONE THERE. IF KELLY DOYAL IS THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THE LIGHTS ARE OFF WHEN NO ONE IS THERE, HE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH SOMEONE WHO WILL DO A BETTER JOB. HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON AND HOW LONG BEFORE THE COUNCIL ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOLVING THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM ISN'T GOING TO SOLVE IT'S SELF.THIS PROBLEM IS COSTING MISSION VIEJO TAX PAYERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT COULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. MAYBE THE CITY MANAGER IS NOT DOING HIS JOB AS WELL. WAKE UP THOSE WHOSE JOB IT IS TO WORK FOR THE TAX PAYERS AND TELL THEM TO GET OFF THEIR BUTTS AND DO THEIR JOBS. MAKES ME WONDER WHAT OTHER SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ARE GOING ON THAT WE ARE NOT, "YET", AWARE OF. LAMAR |
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Fundraiser at Soka VSA California presents Marleena Barber’s one-woman cabaret show, “Thank You for the Music,” on Sat., June 9, 4:00 p.m., at Soka University in Aliso Viejo. Proceeds from the show will benefit people with disabilities. Established in 1986, VSA (Very Special Arts) California is a statewide nonprofit arts and education organization. Marleena Barber’s cabaret show tells the story of her life growing up legally blind with Albinism and how music played a vital role in her journey to believing in herself. Featured at the 2010 International VSA Festival, produced by the Kennedy Center, the show is an inspiring piece that reaches across all ages, encouraging audiences to live their dreams despite any challenges they may face. In addition to performing, Barber directs Braille Institute’s Johnny Mercer Children’s Choir and is active in serving on VSA California’s Board of Directors where she continues to advocate for the disabled arts community. Proceeds from the concert will support the work of VSA California, whose mission is “to provide arts, educational and cultural opportunities by, with, and for people with disabilities, making the arts inclusive and accessible to people of all abilities.” Location of the concert is the Black Box Theatre, Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu/news_events/events/default.aspx |
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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. Daily Guided Tours at the Mission during the week, Monday through Friday, 11:15 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. No advance reservation required, but a minimum group size is needed to proceed, Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 234-1300, http://www.missionsjc.com/ La Vida Drum Circle, Mon., June 4, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon. Drummers are welcome to bring their own drums or use an extra the group has. Firewood is appreciated for the bonfire, Aliso Beach, Aliso and Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 275-7544, http://www.lavidalaguna.com/full-moon-drum-circle Mariachis at the Mission on Sat., June 9, 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., second and fourth Saturdays each month, free with paid admission to the Mission, Central Courtyard, Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 234-1300, http://www.missionsjc.com/ Orange County BBQ and Music Festival, Sat., June 9, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sun., June 10, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., barbecue teams, beer tasting, live entertainment, OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive., Costa Mesa, (714) 408-9781, http://www.ocbbqfestival.com Country Western Jamboree, Sat., June 9, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., live country music, dancing, food court, beer garden, arts and crafts, The Phoenix Club, 1340 S. Sanderson Ave., Anaheim, (714) 563-4166, ext. 2, http://www.thephoenixclub.com Soka University concert, Sat., June 9, 4:00 p.m., Marleena Barber, “Thank You for the Music.” Her one-woman cabaret tells the story of her life growing up legally blind. This event is a fundraiser to provide arts, educational and cultural opportunities for people with disabilities. Black Box Theatre at Soka Performing Arts Center. 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu/news_events/events/default.aspx Michaels, ongoing and new classes throughout June: sewing, painting and crafts, 25310 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, (949) 770-5001 Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, ongoing and new classes: how to sew, decorate cakes, quilt, knit, crochet and more, 26672 Portola Parkway, Foothill Ranch, (949) 588-7420, http://Joann.com Movies, Edwards Kaleidoscope Stadium 10 in Mission Viejo, 27741 Crown Valley Pkwy, (949) 582-4020, get show times, watch movie trailers, see what's coming soon at http://www.moviefone.com/theater/edwards-kaleidoscope-stadium-10/32/showtimes Big Bucks Bingo, Wednesdays, 6:15 p.m. early bird and 6:45 p.m. regular games, Mission Viejo Elks Lodge, Marguerite and La Paz, Mission Viejo, 949-830-3557. |
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Political and Government Events Calendar California Primary Election on June 5 – please vote! Call the Registrar of Voters with any question, (714) 567-7600. Website: http://www.ocvote.com Mission VIejo Housing Element Update Workshop. June 7, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m Concert at the Nixon Library, Sun., June 10, the Orange Empire Barbershop Chorus. Doors open at 1:15 p.m., and concerts begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Concerts are free and open to the public. Schedule is subject to change. Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 464-1161, http://events.nixonfoundation.org/concerts/ Republican Party of Orange County 13th Annual Flag Day Celebration, Mon., June 11, VIP Reception 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., dinner 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., keynote speaker Gov. Jan Brewer, Hyatt Regency Irvine, 17900 Jamboree Blvd., Irvine, for tickets or information call (714) 453-0900 or visit http://www.ocgop.org/flag-day Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees, Public Hearings on Mon., June 11, 7:00 p.m., CUSD Special Education Local Plan Area, Adoption of the 2012-2013 Tier III Use of Categorical Flexibility Funds and Renewal of the Petition of Opportunities for Learning Charter School, 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/ ACT for America, Mission Viejo Chapter, will meet on Mon., June 11, 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and the meeting begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Al Rowley, author, “Islam in the Classrooms: History or Propaganda.” ACT meets at the Norman P. Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Orange County Board of Supervisors, Budget Hearings, Tues., June 12, and Wed., June 13, 9:30 a.m., Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Board%20of%20Supervisors/Meeting%20Schedule Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Tues., June 12, 6:30 p.m., at the district office, 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234. The next regular board meeting will be on Tues., June 12. http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/ Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Community Relations on Wed., June 13, 9:00 a.m., Engineering and Operations on Mon., June 18, 9:00 a.m., Finance and I.T. on Wed., June 20, 9:00 a.m., Board of Directors on Thurs., June 21, 5:30 p.m., 27500 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-2500, http://www.mnwd.com/board-of-directors/agenda.aspx June 14 is Flag Day. Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Engineering Committee Meeting on Fri., June 15, 7:30 a.m., Finance Committee Meeting on Fri., June 22, 7:30 p.m.; Board of Directors will meet on Wed., June 27, 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated, Wed., June 20, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., guest speaker will be Dr. Barbara Stone, Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club Drive, San Juan Capistrano, RSVP to Sue Schultz, (949) 240-6799, esue39@cox.net Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., June 21, 7:00 p.m., program to be announced. SRA meets on third Thursdays at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 360-1717. South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Mon., June 25. Meeting times unless otherwise posted: open session convenes at 5 p.m., followed by adjournment to closed session, open session reconvenes at 6:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., adjournment by 9:00 p.m. Ronald Reagan Board of Trustees Room, Room 145, Health Sciences/District Offices Building, Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, (949) 582-4999, https://www.socccd.edu El Toro Water District meetings: Engineering, Finance, Insurance Committee on Tues., June 26, 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., June 28, 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ETWD, 24251 Los Alisos Blvd., Lake Forest, (949) 837-0660, http://www.etwd.com/ |
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The Buzz With the June 5 Primary Election this week, voters are realizing Prop 28 is a sham that pretends to impose term limits. John Fleischman wrote in his June 1 FlashReport, “As we close in on election day, we can see in successive polls that the popularity of Proposition 28 is dropping — with the Los Angeles Times/USC poll showing that the measure no longer enjoys a support of a majority of likely California voters. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2012/06/as-voters-understand-that-prop-28-guts-term-limits-its-support-is-dropping/ *** Attend a rally for religious freedom in Santa Ana on Fri., June 8, starting at noon. Location is the Plaza of the Flags, behind 700 Civic Center Drive. Parking lots are available on Flower Street south of Civic Center Drive and at Santa Ana Drive and Parton. From the announcement: “On June 8, tens of thousands of faithful citizens will gather in prayer and public witness in cities and towns all across the United States to oppose the HHS Mandate and stand up in defense of our religious freedom.” The Health and Human Services (HHS) Mandate under the Affordable Care Act will force all employer health plans to include free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of moral or religious objections. Phone number of a Mission Viejo rally captain: (949) 748-6714, or visit http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/ for information. *** Council meeting alert: On Mon., June 4, property managers for Kaleidoscope will make their third public presentation for adding seven electronic billboards (EBBs) to the Kaleidoscope building. Residents are urged to attend this council meeting and make their concerns known. The property managers are also asking for allowance of offsite advertising on the giant high-tech television screens. Colby Durnin (of Sentinel Development) has created and submitted for approval a new sign ordinance designating a special sign district for adding EBBs from approximately Avery to La Paz. These signs will have a huge impact on the aesthetics of the city. *** Reacting to the proposed sign ordinance change in Mission Viejo, the Laguna Niguel City council held a special meeting on May 31. From their letter to the Mission Viejo council, “The proposed Kaleidoscope Sign Program will significantly change the visual character of the I-5 corridor. The introduction of multiple large electronic display ad signs for tenants and off-site businesses is unprecedented in South Orange County. The proposal is truly out of character for our beautiful planned communities which have been free from traditional billboards and this new form of advertising. Our City Council is also concerned that the proposed electronic displays may affect driver and traffic safety on the I-5 and have light and glare impacts on existing and future Laguna Niguel residents.” *** Email from B.G. on the proposed Kaleidoscope signs: “The Kaleidoscope at Avery wants to put up a bunch of Times Square electronic billboards along the 5 Freeway from Avery to La Paz. Well, maybe it won't be Times Square down there – how about Las Vegas strip instead? There are plenty of tactful ads they can use--not these glaring ones. We don't want these businesses to close down because nobody knows about them, but the way this is done is of utmost importance. It is very important that residents send an e-mail before 3 p.m. on Monday to the city clerk, Karen Hamman, at KHamman@cityofmissionviejo.org expressing your concerns. |
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