I ask the residents and visitors of Orange County to please wear a face covering when you are in a public place and unable to properly social distance, as well as following hygiene and social distancing guidance. This is of the utmost importance to stop the spread of the virus.

We must also remember that we must protect public health while allowing people to go to work safely and responsibly, so they can pay their bills and feed their families. We don’t have to sacrifice public health for the economy, or vice versa, when we can focus on ensuring both are protected.

On Monday September 21st, my office co-hosted an American Red Cross Blood Drive with Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill & the City of Newport Beach at the Civic Center. The appointment-only blood drive was very successful and we had an overwhelming response.

I appreciate the residents of Newport Beach for their selflessness and willingness to help others by donating blood during these important times.

September is National PACE Month and I am going purple for PACE!

CalOptima PACE continues to serve nearly 400 seniors throughout #OrangeCountyCA with their new PACE without Walls program.

To learn more, visit caloptima.org or call 1-714-468-1100. #CalOptimaPACE

On September 12th , I joined Saddleback Church and Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta to provide fresh food for Orange County residents in need of assistance at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex.

I will continue to work with local leaders & organizations to provide residents with meals. I want to thank Saddleback Church for providing these donated meals to our Orange County residents in need of assistance & to Mayor Semeta and the City of Huntington Beach for helping us make this possible. 

On September 10th, my team and I distributed over 300 meals to residents in Fountain Valley and the surrounding communities via the Hot Meals Drive-Thru Program.

If you are in need of assistance, please visit www.ocmeals.com to sign up.

On September 8th, Orange County took another step in the right direction in our fight against COVID-19. As we moved into the state’s less stringent “red tier” designation, the restrictions on our business sectors were significantly relaxed.

With our continued hard work, I am confident that we will continue trending in the right direction and move into the "orange tier" in the not too distant future. The County of Orange can’t get there without everyone’s help and participation in observing health guidelines.

September 6th- 12th was Suicide Prevention Awareness week.

Remember that warning signs for suicide may appear in conversations, through a person’s actions, or in social media posts.

If you observe one or more warning signs, especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss or change, reach out.

I am happy to support the “PACE Without Walls” model which provides senior-friendly smartphones to eligible PACE members in order to expand their access to virtual care. Smartphones will be equipped with the Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and a telehealth application to support telehealth encounters.

In addition to the smartphones, I voted to extend the PACE Primary Care Provider (PCP) Incentive Program. This program encourages primary care providers to improve on their quality measures by reducing inpatient visits while increasing patient satisfaction, encouraging comprehensive diabetes care, and more.

Nineteen years ago, America was changed forever. On the morning of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, two passenger liners hijacked by terrorists from the Islamic terror group, al-Qaeda, struck both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and a third struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth hijacked plane, which was believed to be headed to the Capitol Building or the White House, was commandeered by brave passengers who managed to prevent the terrorists from reaching their destination. In the ensuing struggle over control of the plane, it crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In total, nearly 3,000 people died that day.

On September 17th, 233 years ago, the US Constitution was signed. This ushered forth the greatest founding document that the world has ever seen - one that has inspired so many others. For over two hundred years, our constitution has remained in force to our ensure our God-given freedoms.

Our Founding Fathers painstakingly crafted this document that to this day stands strong and continues to be a reminder of just how blessed we are to live in such a great country.

Friday, September 18th was Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year, which is a time of repentance, self-reflection & prayer.

I want to wish everyone practicing the Jewish faith a blessed and wonderful new year - L’Shana Tovah

September 18th was National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Recognition Day. It serves as a poignant reminder that we have members of the Armed Forces who remain missing in action or are prisoners of war - yes, they do exist - and we haven’t forgotten them.

September 18th was the 73rd Birthday to our United States Air Force!

May God bless each and every one of our airmen past and present, on Active Duty, Reserve and the Air National Guard who have dedicated their lives to the safety and security of the United States.

Thank you for your service to our great nation.

Calling all job seekers and employers! The Orange County Workforce Development Board in coordination with OC Community Services, Orange County One-Stop, Santa Ana Work Center, Anaheim Workforce Development Department, and various Orange County Chambers will be hosting a virtual job fair on October 15, 2020, from 10:00, am until 2:00 pm.

This job fair will be open to the public and is designed for employers to recruit qualified candidates for paid employment opportunities at no cost to either job seekers or businesses.

REMINDER: School teachers are essential workers and can get free COVID-19 tests at the Super Sites in Anaheim or Costa Mesa as well as the Optum Serve sites in Buena Park, Orange and Santa Ana.

Thank you for keeping our schools and students safe!

For information on testing please visit https://newsroom.ocde.us/covid-19-testing-for-students-and…/

Starting September 28, the Orange County Health Care agency will be providing flu shots in preparation for the flu season.

For more info, visit: ochealthinfo.com/getyourflushot to find out where you can get your free flu shot.

Orange County CA Coastal Cleanup Month is being celebrated every Saturday in September!

Grab a bag, gloves, & mask to clean up your neighborhood & stop trash from reaching our oceans.

REGISTER FOR DETAILS:
ow.ly/yReW50BnN9Y

OC Landfills is now accepting unwanted mattresses at no cost for recycling as part of the Mattress Recycling Council’s (MRC) statewide Bye Bye Mattress program. The program comes at a time when residents may find that some retail recycling options and events are limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning September 23, 2020, there are two ways mattresses can be recycled, saving valuable landfill space. Residents can bring mattresses to the Olinda Alpha (Brea) or Prima Deshecha (San Juan Capistrano) landfills, or contact their residential waste hauler for a no cost, bulky item pick up.  Businesses and commercial haulers can take mattresses to the Frank R. Bowerman (Irvine) Landfill.

Most standard mattresses and box springs qualify for the recycling program as long as they are not significantly contaminated (wet, bug infested) or a fold out sofa or futon base/frame. If bringing to the landfill site, mattresses must be separated from trash and standard landfill fees apply if bringing other items for disposal.

For more details on recycling locations and instructions, including a list of accepted and non-accepted items, visit OCLandfills.com/Mattress and follow @OCWaste on social media for the latest updates. To learn more about MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress program visit ByeByeMattress.com.

The October meeting of the Orange County Senior Citizens Advisory Council (SCAC) will take place on Friday October 9th at 9:30 AM.  These meetings are open to the public, and each month the guest speaker provides valuable information to our Senior community. Now that the meetings are being held via Zoom, it is much easier for residents throughout the county to attend.