The Board’s decision on seating the new First District Supervisor was delayed another three weeks, as the disputed result will be heard before Judge Brenner of the Orange County Superior Court.

The trial will start March 23 and will likely last up to three days. That should provide a decision by March 27, when the OC Board of Supervisors plans to swear in and seat the new supervisor. The see-saw vote counting between City Councilwoman Janet Nguyen and School Trustee Trung Nguyen, both of Garden Grove, currently has Janet ahead by 7 votes, out of 45,946 total cast. This apparent recount victory has been challenged by the Trung forces.

The legal challenge rests on two premises: 1) The Janet recount was incomplete because it counted only absentee ballots, when it should have also counted the paper back-up ballots to the electronic voting system; and 2) Too many Trung votes were invalidated by “identifying marks” (signatures, initials, doodles, etc.) when voter intent was clear. These votes could reverse the election.

The loser in court will likely appeal, and the case could drag on. However, the Board is committed to seating whoever wins this case. By March 27, nearly three months will have passed since Lou Correa vacated the seat to serve in the State Senate. During these past three months while 600,000 residents are unrepresented, key Board votes have been delayed and the County is underrepresented on such regional bodies as OC Mental Health Board, Sanitation District and Fire Authority.

I represent the County on the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency, where I serve as Chairman of the Operations Committee for that 36 mile system. Last week we received frustrating news that construction of the Foothill South extension will be delayed until at least 2010 because of hurdles we’ve experienced in the environmental permitting process. That final 16-mile link will connect the system with the I-5 freeway at San Onofre, providing direct access to foothill cities such as Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and Anaheim Hills.

A week later, a major brush fire started when a stolen car was set intentionally alight and shoved off the Foothill/Eastern Toll Road near the Windy Ridge toll booth. The subsequent fire was fought by 800 firefighters, burned over 2,000 acres, forced the evacuation of 2,740 homes, cost over $3 million and sent a pall of smoke and ash over a county with the driest “rainy season” on record.

About 1,000 county employees plus a number of drop-ins attended my George Washington’s Birthday party on February 22. All enjoyed a complimentary lunch of Tidewater turkey and Virginia ham sandwiches, Mount Vernon salad and cherry pie.

Dressed as Martha and George Washington, my wife Marsha and I greeted all attendees, who were entertained with period music by the Santa Ana High School Drum and Bugle Corps. The event was paid for out of an office account of private donations—not at public expense. I received numerous thank you notes and emails spread out over the past few weeks.

March 14

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Mock Disaster Drill, County Emergency Operations Center

March 15

Ad Hoc Harbors Beaches & Parks Meeting, Hall of Administration
Civic Center Fellowship, Santa Ana Presbyterian Church
Audit Oversight Committee, Hall of Administration
Colonia Independencia ( West Anaheim Island) Community Meeting, La Colonia Community Center

March 16

Centralia School District Casino Night Fundraiser

March 17

Radio Interview re: Redevelopment, KWDJ-Ridgecrest

March 19

OCTA Regional Planning & Highways Committee

March 20

Share-with-the-Chair, every Tuesday, 7:30 a.m., Starbuck’s, Broadway & 4 th, Santa Ana
Board of Supervisors regular meeting

March 21

Orange County Student Government Symposium, Hall of Administration
Buena Park Rotary Club, Knott’s Berry Farm

March 22

OCTA Transit Planning & Operations Committee
Civic Center Fellowship

March 23

Southern California Water Committee, Ontario
Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Shelter, Advisory Board

For further details on any of these meetings, call Kara at 714-834-3440

COUNTY QUESTION: Rank the 3 largest universities in OC in order, based on total enrollment.