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ACT! for America Update The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT! for America will host its Third Annual Pre-Victory Potluck Picnic on Sat., Aug. 3, 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Members and friends are invited to join in a celebration of liberty, democracy and equality. Instead of a formal chapter meeting in August, ACT! for America is having an informal potluck social in Laguna Woods, Clubhouse 2, which has a dining room and kitchen facilities. There is also a patio with a pleasant view just outside to the east, which will be in the shade at that time of day. The event is a private party, not an ACT! for America event, although many attendees will be from the Mission Viejo chapter. It is an opportunity to get to know the other chapter members and leaders and to learn more about ACT! for America. What to bring: food and beverages for yourselves and a bit extra to share. Bring your children, friends and colleagues, your sense of humor and a good appetite. Those planning to attend should email Chapter Leader Bruce Mayall and indicate what they will bring as a menu item. Anyone who has not yet signed up, respond to ACT.MV@cox.net The Mission Viejo chapter was saddened last week with the passing of one of its leaders, Allyn Rowley. Chapter Leader Bruce Mayall wrote, “Al was a passionate supporter of our chapter and ACT! for America national. He was with us from the very first meeting in my home in 2007 where he proposed the ‘Textbook Project’ that resulted in the first report by an ACT! for America chapter and, in fact, the first national exposure by our parent organization of textbook corruption in our elementary schools, where our publication was featured on their Web site in 2009. We received the very first Chapter of the Month award, principally, I believe, because of this work. “Al's vision and dedication were a primary reason for the success of our chapter. For someone who had never used PowerPoint until introduced to it by our co-leader Steve, he created and presented some of the best PowerPoint presentations on Islam, ‘The Iceberg of Jihad,’ and related subjects. Within each presentation he included speaker notes so that anyone could make the presentation in the future. Al contacted authorities on Islam whom he encouraged to write ‘supplementary instructional materials’ to be used in 7th grade classrooms as an interim way of exposing and correcting the corrupted textbook versions of Islam until the textbooks themselves could be corrected. “More recently, Al traveled with me to Fresno to make a presentation to the Bakersfield chapter where it was very well received. Members of that chapter and the Fresno chapter requested copies of his presentation that they could use later. Al also wrote the script for five 3-minute ‘snapshots’ of Islam that were read to the Orange County Board of Education by members of our chapter and the Yorba Linda chapter. He was very active until the very end.” There will be a military-style memorial for Al at Los Alamitos. Details will be forthcoming. |
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Poll for 5th District Race South County residents had a chance to participate in a poll last week on who should become their next representative on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. A county blogger asked readers who they support in OC’s fifth supervisorial district in 2014: “Pat Bates will be terming out as the O.C. Supervisor in the Fifth District, in 2014. Candidates who have already announced for her seat include Laguna Niguel Mayor Robert Ming and Mission Viejo Councilman Frank Ury. And supposedly Assemblywoman Diane Harkey is pondering a run too, even though she is currently raising money to run for the State Board of Equalization.” Added to the list were Mission Viejo City Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht, who says she’s not a candidate, and Lake Forest Councilman Scott Voigts, who might be interested in running. On Sunday morning, 285 readers had voted:
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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. Art, Jazz, Wine and Chocolate Tasting, Thurs., Aug. 1, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 29 (Aug. 1,8, 15, 22 and 29), featuring Kendall-Jackson wines and XAN Confections chocolates, $15 with Festival of Arts admission, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (800) 487-3378, http://www.foapom.com/ Music Under the Stars, Sat., Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m., Mission San Juan Capistrano, series of concerts – all on Saturdays – Aug. 3, 17 and 31. Concert gates open at 5:30 p.m. Music begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. (949), 234-1315, http://www.missionsjc.com Concerts at Lake Mission Viejo on Saturdays: Dennis DeYoung on Aug. 3, Michael Bolton on Aug. 17 and Rock Under the Radar: Delta Rae on Aug. 31. Concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. and are limited to lake association members and their guests. Call or visit the website for information, 949-770-1313, ext. 311, or http://www.lakemissionviejo.org Laguna Playhouse presents “I Do! I Do!” through Aug. 11, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com Student Art Show, “Buoyant Conclusions of the Future,” Concordia University, through Aug. 16, John and Linda Friend Art Gallery, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, (949) 854-8002, http://www.cui.edu/aboutcui/campus Recycling Drive at St. Kilian’s Church, Sat., Aug. 17, 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 La Vida Drum Circle, Tues., Aug. 20, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (Tues., Aug. 20, Thurs., Sept. 19, 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/ Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo, Aug. 24-25, competitive rodeo events, a country music concert and dance, corner of Ortega Hwy and Antonio/La Pata. Gates open Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m., corner of Ortega Hwy and Antonio/La Pata, visit the website for information, including ticket locations, http://www.rmvrodeo.com Pageant of the Masters through Aug. 31, “The Big Picture,” 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (800) 487-3378, http://www.foapom.com/ Sawdust Art & Craft Festival, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily through Sept. 1, 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-3030, http://www.sawdustartfestival.com/ |
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Political and Government Events Calendar Orange County Board of Supervisors will hold a regular meeting on Tues., July 30, 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 “Meet President Thomas Jefferson” at the Nixon Library on Tues., July 30, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Nixon Library concert on Sun., Aug. 4, a Gospel Celebration, Valerie Vaughan conducting. Doors open at 1:30 and the concert begins at 2:00 p.m. 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org Saddleback Valley Unified School District regular board meeting “if necessary” on Tues., July 30, 6:30 p.m., (third Tuesday due to 4th of July holiday), 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/ Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT! for America will have a potluck dinner in August instead of a general meeting. The dinner will be held on Sat., Aug. 3, 4:00 p.m., at the Laguna Woods clubhouse room, Dining Room 3. Due to the event being held in a privately owned facility, attendees should RSVP prior to July 31 by emailing Chapter President Bruce Mayall at ACT.MV@cox.net with the number in your party. Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Personnel and Salary on Wed., Aug. 7, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.,; Engineering and Operations on Mon., Aug. 12, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Finance and Information Technology on Wed., Aug. 14, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Aug. 15, 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/ OC Veterans Advisory Council, Wed., Aug. 14, 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 Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Wed., Aug. 14, 7:00 p.m., 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/ Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Engineering Committee on Fri., Aug. 16, 7:30 a.m.; Finance Committee on Fri., Aug. 23, 7:30 a.m.; Board of Directors on Wed., Aug. 28, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com SOC912 General Meeting, Fri., Aug. 16, 7:00 p.m. SOC912 meets on third Fridays. Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/ |
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The Buzz Council candidates for the November 2014 election are posturing at nearly every council meeting and city event. Wendy Bucknum hasn’t stopped campaigning since her loss in November 2012 when voters said no to electronic billboards, her campaign centerpiece. She benefited from partnering with Councilman Frank Ury, infusing her campaign treasury with special interest money. Bucknum produced an $8,000 mailer attacking Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht. An Orange County Register editor endorsed Ury and Bucknum and gave them free advertising in his political column. Saddleback Valley News continues to promote Bucknum, and SVN’s July 26 edition filled half a page with its other chosen council wannabe, Bob Breton. Breton stepped down from the council years ago after architects accused him of coercion – demanding donations to a campaign during a bid process http://www.missionviejoca.org/html/buzz75.html . Demonstrating his other political skill, Breton currently is telling half the people he’s running for office while telling the other half he’s not. *** City Hall broke ground on July 24 for the world’s most expensive dog park. They did it with a two-prong approach – hiding costs while using a resident to push the project. The main dog park enthusiast attacks anyone in front of her – homeowners who live near the site, elected officials or impartial bystanders. Even following the council’s 3-2 decision to use the city’s reserves to pay for a dog park residents don’t want, she wrote a nasty letter. Given that every taxpayer in the city is paying for HER dog park, how about saying thank you? City Hall has a new campaign, asking residents to come up with a name for the park. Just call it what it is, the World’s Most Expensive Dog Park. It formerly was known as the Million Dollar Dog Park, but the cost will be well beyond a million. *** City staff has never shown genuine support for a dog park, and its poll of residents also found that Mission Viejo taxpayers don’t want a dog park. The group of people who initially asked for a dog park said they don’t want an expensive one. Staffers, however, saw a golden opportunity, using the dog park theme to create a million dollar parking lot next to the sports fields on Felipe. *** In Frank Ury’s campaign for the Board of Supervisors he’s touting his business-friendly nature and saying he’ll create jobs – a replay from his first campaign for a city council seat in 2004. His prior experience in elected office was in the early 1990s on the Saddleback Valley school board. After one term on the school board, voters threw him out. To this day, they talk about his hostility toward teachers, administrators and public schools. Contrary to his campaign of being business-friendly, he has demonstrated self-dealing ( http://www.missionviejoca.org/html/article376.html ) and service to special interest, developers and other sugar daddies. His voting record is poor ( http://www.missionviejoca.org/html/article128.html ), and he frequently changes jobs. A report recently emerged regarding a harassment claim against Ury by a co-worker. *** For an update on the controversial Cadiz project to supply Orange County with water from the Mojave Desert, read http://ocpoliticsblog.com/republican-congressman-asks-the-feds-to-review-the-cadiz-water-project/ The blog article includes the following summary of arguments against the Cadiz Project. The project, located near Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert National Preserve, proposes to pump over 16 BILLION gallons of water, every year, for 50 years from desert aquifers. This is at a rate of over 150 percent more than natural replenishment, even if you accept Cadiz’s biased and overly-optimistic projections of water recharge rates. Desert ecosystems in danger include rare plant and animal life that will virtually become extinct should this project move forward. According to many sources, including the National Park Service and MWD, the Draft Economic Impact Report (DEIR) is grossly flawed. It didn’t even include the entire project area. The SMWD’s analysis significantly downplays, and in many instances completely ignores, the projected water demand required within the “local” and “regional” areas. The cumulative analysis in the DEIR barely touches on the enormous water demand for the numerous renewable energy projects, primarily solar projects, located within the local and regional assessment area. The DEIR does not discuss how anticipated South Orange County population growth and associated secondary air quality impacts will have a significant environmental effect on Joshua Tree National Park. *** The Dana Point Theater Company will host its annual Shakespeare in the Park, presenting the "Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)” on August 23, 25 and 26 at 6:00 p.m. at Lantern Bay Park in Dana Point. For more information: (949) 291-5083 or dptheaterco@hotmail.com |
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