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Dog Park Costs Increase Did I mention our (Mission Viejo) million-dollar-plus dog park? The cost of Phase I including engineering services is $1,121,176. At our next city council meeting staff is requesting a Change Order that should have been part of the initial release. However, in an attempt to keep the CIP below $1 million, an irrigation system is now added as it is required. "On July 1, 2013, the City Council awarded an initial construction contract for the dog park. As part of the report provided to the Council, staff reported the additional costs that would be needed for alternate work to complete the irrigation system. City staff is now requesting $190,600 to amend the CIP 313 (Dog Park) budget to install the complete irrigation system and related utilities at the dog park. At a future council meeting, staff will process a change order to GMC Construction to amend the construction agreement for irrigation system installation. “Pursuant to the Council’s request to engage the community in making the Mission Viejo Dog Park a community based project, staff would like to engage the Girl and Boy Scouts to help with the planting of the dog park through volunteer projects; however, these projects cannot commence until a full irrigation system is installed." |
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ACT for America The Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Oct. 14. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. The group meets on second Tuesdays of the month at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Sycamore B Room, Mission Viejo. The Oct. 14 speaker will be Nonie Darwish, author and human rights activist. Her topic will be “Understanding the Turmoil in Syria and Egypt: an Egyptian-American’s perspective on the Arab Winter.” From the announcement: Are you confused by the speed and complexity of changes going on in the Middle East? Do you wonder what's going to happen to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the "rebels" in Syria? Who will win and who will lose? What does that turmoil in the Middle East mean for the United States and Americans? The guest speaker grew up in Egypt and has family and friends there. She has an "on the ground" perspective and deep insights into the politics and culture of Arab countries. What You Will Learn:
Nonie Darwish is a Middle East expert and author of "Cruel and Usual Punishment." Her third book, "The Devil We Don't Know," comes out in February. She has a degree in sociology/anthropology and founded the organizations Arabs For Israel and Former Muslims United. She has been published in the Guardian and Wall Street Journal, and she appeared on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, C-SPAN, BBC, Al Arabiya. She spoke before the European Parliament, members of the British House of Lords, at Oxford University and was featured in the documentary film "Obsession." Nonie will speak for about 50 minutes and have 20 minutes for questions. A $5 donation is appreciated to help cover meeting costs. Sign up for ACT! for America chapter announcements at www.act4oc.org |
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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. 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. O’Neill’s Sunday Brunch, Sun., Oct. 13, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Live jazz, R&B, soul and vocals. Enjoy Belgian waffles, gourmet salad bar, carved meats, hot entrees and assorted desserts. O’Neill’s Bar and Grill, 26772 Avery Parkway, Mission Viejo, (949) 305-5100, http://www.arroyotrabuco.com/oneills.aspx La Vida Drum Circle, Fri., Oct. 18, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., group meets on the evening of every full moon (Oct. 18, Nov. 17, Dec. 17, 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/ Lake Eerie at Lake Mission Viejo, Fri.-Sat., Oct. 18-19, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Halloween activities, food and entertainment, balloon artist and Star Wars Light Saber Show. Lake members and their guests, (949) 770-1313, http://www.lakemissionviejo.org/ St. Kilian’s Recycling Drive, Sat., Oct. 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 Soka University concerts, Pacific Symphony on Sun., Oct. 20, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Italian Opera Festival, Fri.-Sun., Oct. 25-27, includes “A Night in Venice,” “Viva Verdi,” and “Baroque Passion.” Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu The Laguna Playhouse presents Noel Coward’s “Fallen Angels,” through Nov. 3, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://purchase.lagunaplayhouse.com/single/psDetail.aspx?psn=3576 Mount of Olives Church, Sun., Nov. 3, (first Sunday of each month) bring food for the SHARE Food Drive, http://moochurch.org/share . Mount of Olives Church, 24772 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 837-7467, http://www.moochurch.org/ Concordia University’s Studio Theatre presents “Falling,” Fri.-Sat., Nov. 8-9, 7:30 p.m., drama about a family raising an autistic teenager, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, (949) 854-8002, http://www.cui.edu/AcademicPrograms/Undergraduate/Music/tabid/302/ctl/Details/Mid/2322/I temID/161/Default.aspx |
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Political and Government Events Calendar Orange County Board of Supervisors will hold a regular meeting on Tues., Oct. 8, 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 Saddleback Valley Unified School District regular board meeting on Tues., Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m., 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/ OC Veterans Advisory Council, Wed., Oct. 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 Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Tues., Oct. 9, 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., Oct. 11, 7:30 a.m.; Finance Committee on Fri., Oct. 18, 7:30 a.m.; Board of Directors on Wed., Oct. 23, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com Nixon Library concert on Sun., Oct. 13, Native American flute music by Scott August. Doors open at 1:30 and the concert begins at 2:00 p.m. On Mon., Nov. 4, 7:00 p.m., “Meet Ann Coulter,” Distinguished Speakers Series Lecture and Book Signing, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org Moulton Niguel Water District meetings: Engineering and Operations on Mon., Oct. 14, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Finance and Information Technology on Wed., Oct. 16, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Board of Directors on Thurs., Oct. 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/ Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT! for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Oct. 14. Doors open at 6:45 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. The organization meets on the second Monday of the month. Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated, Wed., Oct. 16, 9:00 a.m., at the Marbella Country Club, 30800 Golf Club Drive, San Juan Capistrano. CVRWF meets on third Wednesdays. Call (949) 496-2525 for reservations, http://cvrwf.org Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., Oct. 17, 7:00 p.m. The program will be a roundtable discussion of problems and solutions. SRA meets on third Thursdays (except in July, August and September) at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 769-1412. SOC912, Fri., Oct. 18, 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., Norm Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. A $5 donation at the door will help pay for costs; free to first-time visitors and young people through age 24. http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/events/137078642/ |
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The Buzz A few years ago, City Manager Dennis Wilberg asked the council for a charge card. For those who remember the request, wasn’t he to keep it in a “locked safe”? If so, taxpayers should ask if someone has picked the lock. From four years of check registers, here are the totals paid to U.S. Bank for charges to Wilberg's card: 06/30/10: $ 37,544.37 Watchdogs say Wilberg asked for a charge card to simplify his making reservations for attending conventions. The totals alone call for an audit. *** In July 2012, residents of Painted Trails strongly objected to the council majority’s decision to place their neighborhood on a fire map. The council voted 4-1 (Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht voted no) to rezone Painted Trails and other large portions of Mission Viejo into “Special Fire Protection Areas.” As residents correctly said, there is no difference between a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and a Special Fire Protection Area. It is spelled out in Fire Authority documents that the two phrases are interchangeable. Residents objected to rezoning on the grounds of increased insurance rates and decreased property values. As one recent development, fire maps that mysteriously disappeared are back on the city's website, http://cityofmissionviejo.org/FireServices/ . A council majority member publicly stated after the vote that the maps "cannot be found," implying that residents shouldn’t be concerned. Watchdogs found the maps on the city's website, and the location was posted on this blog. Following the post, the maps could not be accessed by the public for several months. As another matter, watch for developments on the sellers’ obligation to disclose that their homes are in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. *** This blog published a list of city streets that are in the “Special Fire Protection Areas,” also known as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones: http://www.missionviejoca.org/html/article125.html *** During the Oct. 4 SOC912 meeting at the Mission Viejo community center, guest speaker Dr. Jamie Glazov connected all the dots between the left’s ideology, why they desire to ignore the truth, communism, the Muslim Brotherhood, Homeland Security, ObamaCare, President Obama, Israel and America. Glazov's website is http://frontpagemag.com/2013/frontpagemag-com/obamadontcare-on-the-glazov-gang/#comments . SOC912’s next meeting is on Fri., Oct. 18, 7:00 p.m., and the program will include viewing the video “Fracknation.” Visit SOC912’s website: http://www.meetup.com/SOC912/ *** As reported in another post on this week’s blog, the city staff is asking the council to approve an additional $190,000 for the Dog Park. This is the same method – change orders -- the staff has used on various other Capital Improvement Projects to double or triple the original amount presented for council approval. The $190,000 change order for the Dog Park is for the irrigation system. Is that not outright deception, leaving out an essential component in order to hide the real cost of the project from the public? *** The latest issue of Community Common Sense was released last week. The monthly watchdog newspaper covers Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano. The online version can be found at http://www.ccsense.com/ *** From OCPoliticsBlog.com last week, “Mission Viejo Councilman Frank Ury isn’t going to like this news! The leading candidate to replace Pat Bates on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, in the Fifth District, Laguna Niguel Mayor Robert Ming, will be speaking at a Mission Viejo Reception on October 12, 2013, 7:00 pm, at the beautiful lakeside home of Joyce Hicks, at 22541 Tindaya, in Mission Viejo. “Ury is running for this seat too but he is widely perceived as a fake conservative for stunts such as spending thousands of tax dollars on a Mission Viejo Rose Parade float. “Download the event flyer and RSVP today! To RSVP contact Elizabeth Steinhauer at elizsteinhauer@sbcglobal.net or call her at 949-458-0855. A donation of $75 per person is requested or $125 per couple. Business attire.” |
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