| August 28, 2018 |
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Volume 3 Issue 35 |
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| News and Updates |
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| Suspect Charged with Vandalism of Two Buddhist Temples |
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On Wednesday, Supervisor Andrew Do joined civic leaders to stand together in bringing to justice those who have vandalized seven temples in Santa Ana and Garden Grove.
Initial reports were limited to the Hương Tích Temple in Santa Ana, but since the investigation began six other temples have voiced complaints of similar acts of vandalism. All seven temples shared incidents such as statues and images of religious figures damaged, property stolen and even had a donation box full of funds for the temple taken.
A woman was charged Friday with vandalism and hate crimes against two Buddhist temples. Supervisor Do encourages members to report crimes to law enforcement officials. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas also encourages anyone to come forward with any and all reports of vandalism that could be connected with this crime.
Tens of thousands of dollars in damages were inflicted at the seven temples affected. The following is an example of the vandalism: |
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If you think you or someone you know has been the victim of any crime, please report it to the proper authorities. Other temples are encouraged to make law enforcement aware if they think they have also been victims of this spree of vandalism.
- Santa Ana Police Department: (714) 245-8665
- Garden Grove Police Department: (714) 741-5704
- Orange County District Attorney’s Office: 714-834-3600
For more details, check out the video below. |
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Click on the image above to view the video. |
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| Support the Enlisted Project Helps Military Kids with Back to School |
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On Friday, Chairman Andrew Do helped volunteers with Santa Ana-based nonprofit Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) put together backpacks full of supplies that were given to children of military families. This backpack giveaway will help ensure that kids start the year prepared for academic success with the proper tools like pens, paper, and other supplies.
STEP specifically supports junior active duty enlisted members and recently discharged veterans and their families in Southern California achieve financial self-sufficiency through counseling, education and grants to alleviate critical near term obligations.
Thank you STEP for providing our local military families with this vital support in helping their children succeed in school. For more information about STEP, visit their website here. |
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| Chairman Do Attends “Vu Lan” Celebration Honoring Mothers |
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On Saturday, Supervisor Andrew Do attended the “Vu Lan” event hosted by Chua Dieu Ngu Buddhist Temple. Based on the lunar calendar, the event commemorates the Buddhist teaching of reverence for mothers and the reflection of love and respect children have for their mothers. The ancient story of “Vu Lan” entails a mother who after her death is sent to the underworld where her son is pained to see her soul suffering. The son makes a plea to Buddha to ease her torment in the afterlife. Granted by Buddha, the son embarks on a journey to visit his mother where he makes an offering that would relieve her pain. The celebration is similar cross between Mother’s Day and All Souls Day recognized by many western countries.
Supervisor Do commemorated the event presenting a certificate of recognition to the Buddhist monks. As the teaching says, “you would have not been born, if not for your mother first.” |
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| OCTA Seeks Input into Transportation Future |
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The Orange County Transportation Authority is seeking public input to help plan for Orange County’s transportation needs for the next 20 years.
A draft copy of the Long Range Transportation Plan, called Designing Tomorrow, was recently presented to the OCTA board and is now up for public review and comment on the OCTA website at www.octa.net/lrtp.
The public has several chances to give input on the plan, including filling out a survey online, which can be directly accessed at www.octaLRTP.com
Those who take the survey can rank what transportation improvements they’d like to see in categories that include: expanding bus service, increasing rideshare, better maintenance and repairs, widening freeways and streets and expanding technology, among others.
Other opportunities for public input include:
- Telephone Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 12
- (Call: 888-400-1932 or, for Spanish, call 888-400-9342)
- 5:30 p.m. for North County (north of SR-55)
- 7 p.m. for South County (south of SR-55)
- Or receive a call to join in by registering in advance at octa.net/tthm.
- Community Open House on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at OCTA Headquarters, 550 S. Main St. in Orange.
Orange County’s population is expected to grow by 10 percent or by about 311,000 people by 2040, and employment is anticipated to grow by 17 percent – or about 275,000 jobs – over the same time period.
The LRTP will identify projects to improve roadways, public transit and bike paths, while considering evolving technologies such as autonomous vehicles and on-demand ridesharing.
The plan addresses key issues and challenges, such as the high cost of housing, limited land for expansion of freeways and streets, challenging emissions standards and an evolving public transit market, along with funding challenges.
The Measure M program, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation, is the centerpiece of long-range planning. The LRTP includes Measure M projects and looks beyond at additional needs throughout the county.
After the public review period, which lasts through Sept. 28, necessary revisions will be made to the draft plan. It’s then expected to return to the OCTA board this fall. The Long-Range Transportation Plan will then be submitted to the Southern California Association of Governments, where it will serve as Orange County’s input into the Regional Transportation Plan, the guiding document for transportation planning.
For more information, visit www.octa.net/lrtp. |
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| DISTRICT STAFF |
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Chris Wangsaporn
Chief of Staff
Veronica Carpenter
Deputy Chief of Staff
Tara Campbell
Communications Director
Ofelia Velarde-Garcia
Policy Advisor
Chris Gaarder
Policy Advisor
Manning Pham
Administrative Assistant
Joyce Rivero
Executive Secretary
Matt Haines
Communications Specialist
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| Stay Updated! |
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