NELSON TEAM
Denis Bilodeau
Chief of Staff

Audra Adams
Policy Advisor /
Communications Director

Steve Spernak
Policy Advisor

David Zenger
Policy Advisor

Scott Carpenter
Policy Advisor

Mark Lopez
Executive Aide

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Welcome to Nelson’s E-News!

Dear Friends,

Hello and welcome once again to my newsletter.

With the Board dark this last Tuesday, I again took the opportunity to visit the district to continue to witness first-hand the great things our fine community has to offer and to strengthen ties with the various stakeholders and representatives here to further our mutual goal of improving life in the district and the County.

To accomplish this, I held my first District Council breakfast last month to an impressive turnout of local elected officials. The goals of this initiative include cultivating relationships among the Fourth District representatives and continuing dialogue on issues facing north Orange County. The breakfasts will rotate cities throughout the year to ensure that each council member can attend at least one meeting.

In La Habra, I toured the Gary Center to better understand how its services help the local community and in Anaheim I met with Disney representatives to discuss issues of mutual concern, including the economy. In Fullerton, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the groundbreaking of a new community center, also attended by the district’s newest centenarian constituent, Jean Gaster. Please continue reading for more information on my involvement in these events.

The Redistricting Committee held its second meeting on Thursday, March 10 to discuss the decennial redrawing of district lines. Once drawn, these boundaries will remain in effect for the next ten years so it is important that we afford this process the careful consideration that it deserves. Open to the public, I encourage your attendance and active participation at these meetings, which are detailed further below.

The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 15 at 9:30 am in the Hall of Administration located at 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana 92701.

Sincerely,
Shawn Nelson.

Every ten years the County uses newly gathered US Department of Census demographic data to consider redrawing supervisorial district boundaries. The process involves interactive software that permits users to draw their own boundaries and submit those plans to a Redistricting Committee that has been established by the Board of Supervisors.

Ultimately the Redistricting Committee will recommend a proposal to the Board of Supervisors for their final approval.

Computer workstations that accommodate the necessary software will be established in selected spots around the Fourth District: the La Habra, Buena Park, Fullerton (main) and Placentia public libraries.

Technical assistance will be provided by CSUF’s Center for Demographic Research.

For more information feel free to call the 4th District offices at (714) 834-3440.

Supervisor Nelson enjoyed a moment in time with a woman who has enjoyed her share as he celebrated the 100th birthday of Fullerton resident Jean Gaster with a lei and his first Century Award to a resident living 10 decades. Gaster was born on March 4th , 1911, traveled to Hawaii 11 times and told Shawn how she has outlived friends, family and loved ones as she began her second century as a Fullerton resident. Gaster had front seats at the ribbon cutting dedication of the coming Fullerton Senior Multi-Service Center and Boys & Girls Club building.

On Wednesday afternoon Supervisor Nelson toured the Gary Center in La Habra. Meeting with the center’s Executive Director Martha Lester and Program Director Cindy Thomas, the Supervisor learned about the vast growth in the amount of services the center has been able to provide for the last 40 years. The Gary Center is unique in its multi-purpose capabilities and is able to offer a vast amount of services to citizens in Orange County. Because the Gary Center is in La Habra, City Councilman Tim Shaw joined Supervisor Nelson on the tour and explained how the center benefits the city in addition to its contributions to Orange County. For more information on the Gary Center visit www.garycenter.org.

Disney President George Kalogridis (pictured left) met with Supervisor Nelson this week to review park operations and upcoming projects. Kalogridis brings international experience in management and marketing and provided unique insight on how Disneyland-Anaheim will compete in the entertainment industry and work to keep 17,000 OC residents employed. One priority discussed is the proposed elevated monorail-style track that will transport employees and visitors from an off-site parking lot to the Gardenwalk with two stops inside the park then ending at the convention-hotel center.

Pension reform is one of Supervisor Shawn Nelson’s main priorities. It is time to change things around and do what is best for the people of Orange County.
http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/benefits-290329-pension-workers.html

The Board of Supervisors will soon be voting to resolve the Public Guardian Issue. Supervisor Nelson says new information needs to be taken into consideration before the vote. To read more, please click the link below.
http://totalbuzz.ocregister.com/2011/03/04/supes-public-guardian-issue-to-be-resolved-soon/49453/

It’s the perfect time to go out and enjoy outdoor activities. Orange County has beautiful parks that offer many activities for every member of the family. The Irvine Regional Park was just voted as the most popular park featuring train rides, bike rentals, the Orange County Zoo and much more. To learn more about parks, check out the link from the OC Register.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/parks-289630-wilderness-regional.html?pic=1

The 4th District has vacancies on the flollowing commissions:

• Waste Management Commission
• Housing and Community Development Commission

• Girl Scout Gold Awards – Lauren Mapes, Cheyenne Ashcraft, Gabby Lazaro, Allison Heller
  
  
• Girl Scout Silver Awards – Alyssa Stolo, Claire Dixon, Lexi Fort, Maddie Hertel, Rhyann Lowrey, Jessica Olson
  
  
• Buena Park Rotary Citizen of the Year – The Honorable Barbara Michel
  
  
• Buena Park Rotary Rotarian of the Year – Beth Swift, Ed.D
  
  
• Buena Park Rotary Distinguished Community Service Award – Mary Hicks
  
  
• Buena Park Rotary Distinguished Vocational Service Award – Gail Dixon
  
  
• Buena Park Rotary Distinguished Youth Community Service Award – Leslie May Legaspi
  
  
• Conference on Business and Ethics Honoree – John J. O’Connor of Shamrock Supply
  
  
• 5th Anniversary of Grand Opening – Charity’s Closet
  
  
• Induction into the California Community College Athletics Association Hall of Fame – Colleen Riley and Bill Chambers of Fullerton College
  
  
• Supervisor’s 1st Century Award – Jean Gaster
  
  
• Century Award for Caretakers - Anne Owens-Stone, Kathleen Ackermann and Becky Kohl of Viva Services
  
  
• Anaheim Chamber Women’s Division Spotlight on Youth - Jacob Bryant, Noreen Domingo, Rocio Ferreira, Alvaro Gonzalez, Torilyn Mundi, Marilyn Navarro, Erick Pineda and Jessica Torres
  
  
• 56th Assembly District’s Woman of the Year for Education – Dawn O’Connor