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Feb. 4 Council Agenda Following is a summary of items of interest on the council agenda for Feb. 4. On the Consent Calendar, review the Minutes and the Check Registers. Consent Calendar Item #7 is the second reading on the Skyridge annexation. There is no Old or New Business. Item #17 is the Pre-Budget discussion. There are two reports under City Attorney Reports: Under Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht’s Council Comments: Councilwoman Trish Kelley has added two items under her Comments: Residents can attend the council meeting on Monday at 6:00 and to share their opinions and expectations with the council. If unable to attend the meeting, those who would like their comments to be part of the public record can email City Clerk Karen Hamman, asking for inclusion in the public record: KHamman@cityofmissionviejo.org . Don’t forget to include the Agenda Item Number in the email. |
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PALs Update Dear PALs, January 28 starts the celebration of National School Choice Week. There are many choices when it comes to educating students. Parents can choose from a variety of schools for their children including public, private, charter, magnet, language immersion, homeschooling, virtual schools, and transferring out of or within your school district. This is a week where every choice a parent makes for their children’s education is celebrated. It is a week to be thankful and proud that you are involved in your child’s education. You recognize when your child has a quality education or that something needs to change. The choice is yours. Unfortunately, making a choice for your child can be difficult due to the status quo of education and political leaders who feel change is not needed in a community. In fact, some leaders would have you falsely believe that giving more money to particular communities with low socioeconomic status solves their public education problems. Last week I attended Pomona Unified School District to support two new charter schools that were up for approval by the board. Pomona Unified has one dependent charter school (a charter school run by the school district with union teachers) that caters to low-achieving students. PUSD has no independent charter schools. Their graduation rate is 67% - 77%. The state has a Similar School Ranking system that compares 100 schools of the same demographic including: socioeconomic status; class size; parent education; English Learners; and disabilities. They rank schools from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). PUSD has 39 schools, of which 29 schools rank between 1 -5. Twelve schools rank between 1 -2. Given these statistics, it appears the majority of students in PUSD are having a difficult time achieving academic success. This should be a school district that would be willing and open to find new alternatives to educating their children. It was shocking to witness some PUSD teachers, union leaders and board members defend the education provided to the students in their community. One board member stated that he had a great experience when he attended PUSD, which was why he was voting against the charter. The district Administration explained to the board that the charter schools would cause “emotional and psychological” harm to their students and recommended the board vote against the charters. The PUSD School Board voted 4-1 against the charter schools. Trustee Andrew S. Wong was the only brave board member who voted for choice in educating the students in PUSD. I did speak publicly to the PUSD School Board. I spoke of my disappointment that there are no options for choice in their district. I explained that just because the status quo believes PUSD is providing a good enough education, it doesn’t mean every student is successful. Once my speech was over, I was followed out by a Pomona Unified teachers’ union leader. He asked for my information so he could research me and PAL. When I asked him why his organization was opposed to charters he stated they are not opposed to dependent charters. Recently, I was contacted by families in Pomona that know their schools need change, but are afraid to do something about it. This is a community that does not have true choice in their children’s education. I am hopeful, with the help of other organizations, that this community will soon have options for ALL of their students. Education should not be a one-size-fits-all concept. Each child has a need that must be met in order to be successful in school. When that need is not met, you have a right to ask questions and work with your child’s school to ensure changes are made in the best interest of learning. You do not have to contend with the status quo if it does not work for your child. Instead, you can make a different choice for your child. Whatever the choice you have made, I hope this is a week where you reflect on your child’s education. Celebrate your child’s school that provides a great education with amazing teachers or take time to research a new option. Most importantly, celebrate the fact that you have a choice for the education your child deserves. Visit the Parents Advocate League Facebook page to take a poll about how YOU celebrate your choice in education. All the best, |
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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. Laguna Beach Music Festival, Feb. 4-10, a week of events including concerts at the Laguna Playhouse. Featured musicians include Buenos Aires-born, Grammy Award-winning composer Pablo Ziegler. Various Laguna Beach locations, (949) 715-9713, http://lagunabeachmusicfestival.com/ 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. Tet Festival, Feb. 8-10, organized by the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California, annual lunar new year event, live entertainment, food, fireworks, Garden Grove Park, 9301 Westminster Blvd., Garden Grove, (714) 890-1418, http://www.yelp.com/biz/tet-festival-garden-grove Performances at Soka: “The Pirates of Penzance” on Sat., Feb. 9, 8:00 p.m., and Jazz Monsters series Kenny Werner Trio on Fri., Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu Taste of San Juan, Tues., Feb. 13, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., San Juan Hills Golf Club, 32120 San Juan Creek Road, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 493-1167, http://www.swallowsparade.com/taste.html Camino Real Playhouse, Stage II, “The Bad Seed,” Thurs., Feb. 21, 8:00 p.m., 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 489-8082, http://www.caminorealplayhouse.org Open House at St. Michael’s Preparatory School on Sat., Feb. 23, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sun., Mar. 10, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., http://stmichaelsprep.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=64 La Vida Drum Circle, Mon., Feb. 25, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (Mar. 27, April 25, May 24, etc.). 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 |
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Political and Government Events Calendar Orange County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tues., Feb. 5, 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 Rush Limbaugh Club, Sat., Feb. 9. Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m., meeting 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Casta Del Sol Golf Course Clubhouse, 27601 Casta Del Sol Road, Mission Viejo, make reservations by emailing reservations@rushlimbaughclubocv.com, http://www.rushlimbaughcluboc.com Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Feb. 11. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m., Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees regular board meeting on Tues., Feb. 12, 6:30 p.m., 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/ Meet Oliver North at the Nixon Library, Tues., Feb. 12, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. North discusses his book, “Heroes Proved” in the East Room, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org OC Veterans Advisory Council Meeting, Wed., Feb. 13, 6:00 p.m., held 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 Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Engineering Committee on Fri., Feb. 15, 7:30 a.m., Finance Committee on Fri., Feb. 22, 7:30 a.m., and Board of Directors meeting on Wed., Feb. 27, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com Commemorate President’s Day, Mon., Feb. 18, free admission throughout the day. Exhibits are family friendly, and the first 100 guests can enjoy a free slice of cherry pie, Richard Nixon Presidential Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., Feb. 21, 7:00 p.m. SRA meets on third Thursdays (except in December, July and August) at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 360-1717. 2013 Orange County DUI Summit, Wed., Feb. 27, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., information on DUI and solutions, Concordia University, DeNault Auditorium, 1530 Concordia, Irvine, http://media.ocgov.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=23426 Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees’ meetings for February have not been posted on the CUSD website as of this writing. District office, 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/ |
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The Buzz The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold a general meeting on Mon., Feb. 11, 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. Guest speaker Jamie Glazov’s topic will be “United in Hatred for America: The Left’s Dangerous Romance with Tyrants and Terrorists.” Glazov is the author and editor of Front Page online magazine. The Community Center is located at 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. Note the venue change to the Palo Verde Room. Sign up for ACT for America chapter announcements at www.act4oc.org *** Council candidates filed their campaign finance information last week, reported as Form 460. According to candidate Wendy Bucknum’s report, she spent $54,629 to lose, ending up with 15,614 votes. An email from city watchdog Larry Gilbert sheds light on Bucknum’s special interest financiers. Larry listed only contributions of $500 or more:
*** City Hall watchers say Councilman Frank Ury had a hand in the new right-turn lane at Alicia and Olympiad. Ury lives in Stoneridge (on Olympiad), and his wife works at a school in Rancho Santa Margarita. Apparently, some drivers coming out of Stoneridge need to get to Rancho Santa Margarita and cannot possibly wait a few seconds at the corner before making the turn. The bike lane was removed – compromising safety on a road renamed for its role in the Road Cycling Events in the Olympics. A story emanating from City Hall says Ury’s neighbor, Pat Imburgia, one of Ury’s appointees to a city commission, also wanted the right-turn lane. *** A column in the Feb. 1 Saddleback Valley News demonstrates why residents stopped reading SVN long ago. A photo of Councilwoman Trish Kelley appears above the column, giving a false impression she wrote it. City Hall has a corps of fluff writers who do NOT put their names on their own drivel. Their writing shows up in newspapers below the names of Register reporters as well as such council members as Kelley and Leckness. The two council members’ emails show they can’t put a simple sentence together. *** The material in City Hall’s article with Kelley’s name on it touts the city’s 25th anniversary and the community’s 50th year as a housing development. It’s a giveaway about City Hall’s next spendathon, another month-long party for the city staff. The article also talks about the city’s budget “surplus.” Watchdogs have repeatedly pointed out that the surplus exists only on paper – there’s no money. City staffers underestimated revenue – they were wrong, but the real problem is that they spent $5.3 million more than was taken in ( http://missionviejodispatch.com/budget/5-3-million-mvs-fifth-consecutive-deficit/ ). Only in government can anyone go $5 million in the hole and call it a surplus. *** If this year marks the city’s 25th anniversary, then it’s Easelgate’s 5th anniversary. This blog should publish a special issue commemorating City Hall’s 20th anniversary flop, including the fiasco of the “world’s longest photo gallery.” City Hall handed out hundreds of cameras to residents, who supposedly were to take pictures around town and return the cameras so the city could display the photos. Almost none of the cameras were returned. Instead of admitting it was a very bad idea, the city handed out more cameras – to city employees, who phonied up the display by taking pictures of things like rocks and leaves. Happy anniversary, Mission Viejo … Banning … Buffalo … or wherever. With pictures of rocks and leaves, it could have been anywhere. The day after the exhibit ended, hundreds of pricey, custom-built easels were trashed on a hillside, and that was only the beginning. *** Mission Viejo taxpayers paid $33 million from 2005 to 2013 for landscaping contracts. As residents look at the city’s many barren slopes, they should ponder how much it actually costs to maintain dirt and weeds. The city also targets specific areas to plant, replant and overplant inappropriate foliage and then tear it out. Even when vegetation is thriving, it is torn out anew with the excuse that drought-tolerant vegetation must replace it, plus change orders run up enormous bills. |
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