Since our inception, California has stood as a symbol of resilience and freedom. We must stand with the world against Putin’s unjust invasion and add our voices without hesitation. One step: divestment from Russia.

During the March 8^th Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board unanimously passed my resolution condemning Russia’s illegal and violent invasion of Ukraine and encouraging Orange County public entities to sever ties with any brokerage firm, bank, investment company held, backed, or managed by Russia or its citizens.

Read the full press release here.

The County of Orange is awarding more than $3 million to small businesses.

Small businesses owned by women, veterans, minorities, individuals without documentation, and individuals with limited English proficiency are encouraged to apply!

Application Closes: March 15 @ 5pm

Apply: www.oconestop.com/grant-relief-programs

Email: BusinessServices@ocworkforcesolutions.com

Call: 714-480-6500

On February 19, Officer Nicholas Vella, a 14-year veteran of the Huntington Beach Police Department, died in a helicopter crash at Newport Beach Harbor.

On behalf of the County of Orange, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Officer Nicholas Vella’s family and the Huntington Beach Police Department.

We remember Officer Vella’s dedication to the Huntington Beach community, his devotion to protecting the lives of others, and his shining example of what it means to serve.

On March 4, I was sworn in to serve as a board member of the South Coast Air Quality Control Management District (AQMD).

It is an honor to have been appointed to represent the County of Orange – home to over 3.2 million residents. Collectively, our residents, municipalities, small businesses, and local organizations play an integral role in helping achieve cleaner air quality. Everyone deserves to live, work, and play in an environment that is safe and clean.

I look forward to working with my fellow colleagues toward greater air quality for Orange County and the entire South Coast region.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley.

Click here to learn more about AQMD.

Last week, the CalOptima Board of Directors voted to appoint Interim CEO Michael Hunn as the agency’s permanent CEO.

The CalOptima Board is confident that Michael Hunn is the right leader to steer CalOptima through the recent Medi-Cal changes for our residents who are most in need. His expertise in health care policy development, strong reputation for developing and executing strategies, and proven track record of effective leadership will be instrumental in helping us implement and integrate future programs that seek to improve quality of life and the health outcomes in our community.

Last month, the CalOptima Board of Directors authorized a grant agreement of up to $1 million to support the Be Well OC Orange Campus, a mental health and substance use treatment facility in the city of Orange.

This two-year grant will ensure CalOptima Medi-Cal members have timely access to behavioral health services, assessment, and placement into care through an improved intake and coordination process.

Since its opening in January 2021, Be Well OC has served an estimated 2,400 CalOptima members. This grant will help us serve more families who have urgent mental health needs.

Click here for more information.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Seal Beach Mayor, Joe Kalmick, along with his city manager and city staff. We talked about major projects in the works and upcoming events.  

The City of Seal Beach is known for its several surf spots and is named after the seals that once frequented its beachfront.

As the new County Supervisor for the City of Seal Beach, I look forward to getting to know the city and its residents.

OCTA is making it easier for our youth and college students to get to school, work, or wherever the bus travels across Orange County.

Youth Rider Free Pass

OCTA is the first large transit agency in the region to offer free bus rides to all youth ages 6 to 18 on an ongoing basis. Passes will be distributed in partnership with local K-12 school districts, as well as online.

Click here for more information on the Youth Rider Free Pass 

OC Bus Free Ride

In 2017, OCTA launched the OC Bus Free Ride Program to increase ridership and remove barriers to higher education for students. Since then, the program has expanded to the following Orange County Campuses with the goal of expanding it to other campuses:

Santa Ana College, Santiago Canyon College, Golden West College, Fullerton College, Saddleback College, Cypress College, Irvine Valley College, Coastline College, Orange Coast College (coming soon).

Click here for more information on the OC Bus Free Ride.

Last month, Orange County received $17 million in funding under Round Two of the State Homekey program. The grant funding will be used to acquire the former Quality Inn and Suites in Huntington Beach and convert the former hotel into 62 units of housing for people experiencing homelessness and chronic.

The OC Public Libraries Mobile Library is en route!

Check out the schedule below for a stop near you or call 714-566-2708.

At the Mobile Library, you can get a library card, check out books, use the free internet, and access information and other resources.

Click here for more information or call 714-566-2708 to find scheduled stops near you!

Books By Mail is a free service that delivers books and audiobooks on CD through the US Postal Service to homebound, eligible residents in Orange County who are unable to visit the library because of a physical disability, long-term illness, and/or lack of transportation.

Click here for more information.

New recycling standards are rolling out as part of SB 1383, a law requiring residents and businesses to separate food and yard waste from the main trash bin.

Food waste like fruit, vegetables, coffee filters, and eggshells are considered organics, which can be composted to create nutrient-rich soil.

Diverting organic material, as well as other recyclable materials from landfills, is key to preserving landfill capacity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Check with your local hauler for details on what qualifies as organics and what to place in your green bin.

More information can be found at https://oclandfills.com/residential-organics-recycling

After a successful virtual run in 2020, Run Seal Beach is pleased to return to an in-person race through the streets of Old Town Seal Beach on Saturday, March 19.

Funds raised will be allocated for recreation programs and services for the greater Seal Beach community.

Click for more information on Run Seal Beach.

Every Friday, from 4pm to 8pm, hundreds of visitors stop by the Main Street Classic Car Show in Garden Grove to enjoy an evening of good entertainment and delicious food with family and friends.

Stop by for the biggest and longest-running Classic Car show in Orange County!

Click here for more information.

Last month, thousands of Orange County families came together over the weekend to celebrate the 2022 Lunar New Year at the Orange County Tet Festival at Mile Square Park. The three-day outdoor festival featured an array of exquisite Vietnamese cuisine, talented entertainers, cultural performances, carnival rides, lion dances, and a spectacular firecracker display. The event was co-sponsored with Orange County Parks and CalOptima.

On day two, thousands of people gathered on Bolsa Avenue in Westminster to watch the annual Tet parade. The parade, organized by the Little Saigon Westminster Tet Parade Committee, hosted more than fifty entries. Among those included several local high school marching bands and color guards, Vietnamese dance groups and pageants, and lion dance performances.

The Vietnamese American community is integral to the social, economic, and cultural tapestry of Orange County. After 47 years, Vietnamese Americans continue to preserve their traditional culture by teaching their children the language and attending cultural public events.

Click on image below to see event video:

The Honorable Frank Espino passed away on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the age of 61, leaving behind his wife and two sons.

Espino graduated earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of law in 1984.

After law school, he worked as a volunteer law clerk for the Offices of the Orange County Public Defender, serving as a deputy public defender from 1985 to 1990. From 1990 to 1992, he worked in private practice and rejoined the Orange County Public Defender’s Office in 1992 where he served as an interim public defender, a senior assistant public defender, an assistant public defender, and a senior deputy public defender in the Alternate Defender’s Office.

In 2012, the Orange County Board of Supervisors appointed Espino as the Public Defender for the County of Orange. And in 2017, then-Governor Jerry Brown appointed Espino as a judge to the Supervisor Court of Orange County.

The Honorable Frank Espino is the son of parents who immigrated to the United States from Central America in the mid-1950s and became a first-generation college student, the first Hispanic to serve as the Public Defender for the County of Orange.

He was a genuinely caring, generous, and honorable, his passing is an enormous loss to Orange County and will leave a void in every life he touched.