CUSD Update

From the Capo school district newsletter, “Capo Talk,” Feb. 10:

“Trustees Begin Addressing 2012-2013 Budget Shortfall: District Faces $30 Million to $50 Million Deficit. The Board of Trustee will meet on Monday night at 7 p.m. Items on the agenda include a report on the District budget and financing for the 2012-2013 school year when the budget shortfall is expected to be $30 million to $50 million, consideration of a resolution adopting the official Trustee area map for elections to the Board, and two pilot courses in science. The meeting will take place in the District Education Center, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano.”

What do constituents think of CUSD officially announcing the need to cut $30 million to $50 million? This is just speculation and not official numbers from CUSD (per their budget, the total budget including capital account is $372 million). If you think about it, if the general fund is, rounding down, $300 million and salaries and benefits are 92 percent (per Supt. Farley at the SCHS forum), they only have $24 million before 100 percent of the budget is salary and benefits.  Doesn't that mean they need to cut around $7 million to $26 million in compensation reduction to have 100 percent of the general fund go to salary and benefits?  If they are not allowed to discuss compensation without union negotiations (in closed session) what exactly is the point of the budget workshop?

As positive news last week, Capistrano Valley High School celebrated the grand opening of its Student Art Gallery. Photos of the event can be found on the OC Register website, http://www.ocregister.com/news/school-339843-high-student.html?pic=1

Jane Shafron, director of the CVHS Foundation, distributed a press release about the Feb. 9 opening. From the press release:

“It was a colorful affair at the official opening of the Capistrano Valley High School Art Gallery affair on Thursday evening February 9, 2012. Art from ceramic, painting, drawing and photography classes were on show inside the art gallery, and outside digital art was displayed on five screens, while musicians played and drama and choir students entertained.”

The CVHS student gallery is the first of its kind for the Capo district. Funding came from a partnership between the Capistrano Valley High School Foundation and a generous donation from Mission Hills Church in Mission Viejo. Tables for displaying the artwork were custom-made by Mission Hills Church.

Among attendees of the grand opening were CUSD Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Mission Viejo Council Members Cathy Schlicht, Trish Kelley and Rhonda Reardon.

SRA Meets Feb. 16
by Don Covel

Please attend Saddleback Republican Assembly’s “third Thursday” meeting this week, Thurs., Feb. 16, 7:00 p.m. SRA is hosting Judge James Rogan, author and former U.S. House member. Rogan was on the House Judiciary committee during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

Rogan will be speaking about his new book, “Catching Our Flag: a rare private and behind the scenes glimpse of the Clinton impeachment.” His book can be purchased and signed at the meeting ($25, cash only please). SRA’s speakers receive no honoraria or payments for speaking at our meetings.

The meeting is free and open to the public, and members are encouraged to bring friends and neighbors. The group will meet at the Norman P. Murray Center (new 2011 location) 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo.

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.

Annual Taste of San Juan, Wed., Feb. 15, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., San Juan Hills Country Club, (949) 493-4700, http://www.swallowsparade.com/taste.aspx

Open House, JSerra Catholic High School, Thurs., Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., 26351 Junipero Serra Road, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 493-9307. Ext/ 2, http://jserra.org/

“Pacific Symphony for the Family,” Soka Performing Arts Center, Thurs., Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m., 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://performingarts.soka.edu/

“The Giver,” Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, Fri., Feb. 17, at 7:00 p.m., and Sat., Feb. 18, at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., (949) 497-2787,
http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com

“Bluebirds in Southern California,” presentation by Jim Simalroth of the So. Cal. Bluebird Club on Sat., Feb. 18, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 728-0685, http://www.californianativeplants.com

Mission San Juan Capistrano, guided tours at 11:15 a.m., on Sat.-Sun, Feb. 18-19, and Sat.-Sun,, Feb. 25-26, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. For other tour times and dates, activities and art exhibits, call (949) 234-1300, http://www.missionsjc.com/

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, “White House Garden Exhibit,” through Feb. 26, the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit; closed on Mondays, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, at (949) 498-2139, http://casaromantica.org/events.html

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.  http://www.mvelks.com/

Bowers Museum, “Warriors, Tombs and Temples – China’s Enduring Legacy” ongoing exhibit through March 4, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 567-3600, http://www.bowers.org

“Mercedes Car & Cockpits,” Lyon Air Museum, Sun., Mar. 4, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 19300 Ike Jones Road, Santa Ana, (714) 210-4585, http://lyonairmuseum.org/2012/lyon-air-museum-to-host-mercedes-car-cockpits-event-on-sunday-mar-5-2012/

Political and Government Events Calendar

Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Engineering and Operations on Mon., Feb. 13, 9:00 a.m., Finance and I.T. on Wed., Feb. 15, 9:00 a.m., Board of Directors on Thurs., Feb. 16, 5:30 p.m., 27500 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-2500, http://www.mnwd.com/board-of-directors/agenda.aspx

Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees, Mon., Feb. 13, 7:00 p.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

ACT for America, Mon., Feb. 13; the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. Featured speaker will be Karen Lugo. The meeting will be held at the Norman Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, Tues., Feb. 14. The board workshop on board policies will begin at 4:30 p.m., open to the public. The regular board meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the district office, 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us

Saddleback Republican Assembly meets on Thurs., Feb. 16, 7:00 p.m., featuring guest speaker James E. Rogan, who is a judge of the Superior Court of California, a law professor, an author and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. SRA meets on third Thursdays at the Norman P. Murray Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 360-1717.

Santa Margarita Water District Finance Committee Meeting on Fri., Feb. 17, 7:30 a.m.; Board of Directors , Wed., Feb. 22, 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com/about-us/meeting-agendas.html

Concert at the Nixon Library, Sun., Feb. 19, Roselle Trio: cellist Dr. Charles Baker, violinist Joanne Ausmus Baker and pianist Dr. Charles Oh. 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

Celebrate Presidents Day, Mon., Feb. 20, free admission all day, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., meet Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt, special presentation at 1:30 p.m., Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 464-1161, http://events.nixonfoundation.org

El Toro Water District meetings: Engineering, Finance, Insurance Committee on Tues., Feb. 21, 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Feb. 23, 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ETWD, 24251 Los Alisos Blvd., Lake Forest, (949) 837-0660, http://www.etwd.com

Aliso Viejo Republican Women Federated, Thurs., Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., featured speaker will be Brad Dacus, founder and president of the Pacific Justice Institute, Aliso Viejo Conference Center, 31 Santa Barbara Drive, Aliso Viejo, RSVP to (949) 859-2818.

South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Mon., Feb. 27. 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

Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m. (No meeting on Feb. 14 or Feb. 21.) Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. http://www.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Board%20of%20Supervisors

Rush Limbaugh Club of OC, Sat., March 10, breakfast meeting 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Guest speaker to be announced. Casta Del Sol Golf Club, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo. RSVP to Bruce Brown, (949) 487-5288 or limbaughcluboc@aol.com. http://www.rushlimbaughcluboc.com

The Buzz

On Feb. 13, the Mission Viejo Planning Commission will discuss the environmental review for construction of a proposed bridge. The location would connect Camino Capistrano to the intersection of Cabot Road and Merit Circle. The location carries one of the lowest traffic counts in the city. With little traffic and no homebuilding going on in that part of Mission Viejo, who would benefit from the bridge? The planning commission has two savvy members – Swan and Ernisse – who ask the right questions, and they should start by finding out who initiated the proposal and what is driving it. If the primary beneficiary is the city of Laguna Niguel, say so.

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UDR now wants to punt the affordable housing units from its high-density apartment project on east Los Alisos. The city council majority has already bent over backwards to enrich the developer and appease AH advocacy groups. If not UDR, who lined up all the speakers (that didn’t live in Mission Viejo) at the public microphone over the years to demand rezoning the parcel for the sole reason of building affordable housing? When Mission Viejo residents told the advocacy groups that this city is already built out and filled with more than enough people and traffic, they were called elitists and racists. So what is UDR for abandoning the downtrodden who can’t afford a market-rate apartment?

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ACT for America will hold its monthly general meeting on Mon., Feb. 13, at the Norm Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. The topic of the meeting will be “Forget the War Against Islam – Let’s Win the Skirmishes First.” Guest speaker will be Karen Lugo, constitutional law professor and activist, presenting practical advice and tips on scoring victories against the Islamist agenda at the local level.

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Following up on last week’s Buzz item about Ken Lopez-Maddox, Jonathan Volzke of the Capistrano Dispatch said the former Capo district trustee might be planning to run for a seat on the Aliso Viejo City Council. To answer a Buzz reader’s question, Ken is a resident of Aliso Viejo. Public documents state he’s a homeowner there.

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Some residents of Corona del Mar are rolling out the unwelcome mat for Barack Obama this week. On Thurs., Feb. 16, Obama is having a breakfast fundraiser in the Shore Cliffs development of Newport Beach, with attendees paying up to $35,800. A protest rally will begin at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday. Tea Partiers and other conservatives are meeting on Pacific Coast Highway and Orchid and walking to Shore Cliffs. An organizer of the rally who lives in Shore Cliffs asked attendees to gather in the same vicinity, Poppy Avenue and PCH. Tea Partiers are invited to wear red, white and blue and bring protest signs and American flags. Details about the rally can be found at http://www.coronadelmartoday.com/26040/home/anti-obama-protesters-planning-most-significant-political-rally-in-the-history-of-newport-beach/

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As of this writing, the most recent Republican presidential poll is Public Policy Polling, Feb. 9-10. PPP’s results (in percentages) are Santorum (38), Romney (23), Gingrich (17) and Paul (13). http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/republican_presidential_nomination-1452.html

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From Mission Viejo activist Bruce, “This is sheer genius. In a bid to stem taxpayer losses for bad loans guaranteed by federal housing agencies Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) proposed that borrowers be required to make a 5 percent down payment in order to qualify. His proposal was rejected 57-42 on a party-line vote because, as Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) explained, ‘Passage of such a requirement would restrict home ownership to only those who can afford it.’ Does this explain liberals to you? I can't add anything to this! Who elected these idiots?”

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