Gubernatorial Appointment

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced today that he has appointed me to serve on the Corrections Standards Authority. To view a press release about the appointment, please click here.

No Board Meeting this week

There was no regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week. Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, April 28. For Agenda & Meeting Information, please click here.

Live Internet broadcasts of Board of Supervisors meetings are available and archived as video-on-demand. To view live and/or past Board meetings, please click here.

Accountability & Transparency in Transportation

The Orange County Transportation Authority has launched a new website, Transparency in Transportation, to provide the public with up-to-date information on Orange County’s progress in delivering projects funded through the federal economic stimulus package. Freeway widenings, transit improvements and local transportation enhancements are all planned to deliver congestion relief and preserve and create thousands of jobs in the effort to help turn around our nation’s struggling economy as part of the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The website contains maps and progress updates on each project so residents of Orange County can know exactly much money is being spent on each project, how far along each project is and how many jobs each project will preserve or create.

The website will also fulfill federal requirements for reporting and accountability while providing the highest level of transparency for the public. After all, these are your tax dollars at work in Orange County and you have the right to know how they are being invested. Please visit OCTA’s Transparency in Transportation website by clicking here.

Aliso Viejo’s Shuttle Service

On April 13, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors approved a cooperative agreement with the City of Aliso Viejo to initiate service planning for the City’s bus/shuttle proposal that was submitted to OCTA as part of its Go Local grant program. OCTA’s four-step Go Local program is a process to plan and implement city-initiated transit extensions to OCTA's Metrolink commuter rail line, the backbone of transit in Orange County.

Step One of Aliso Viejo’s proposal was approved by the Board in October, 2008. This latest action will allow OCTA staff to begin assessing the project’s feasibility. Step Two, which will consist of the final design and environmental clearance, could begin as soon as late June and take up to 12 months to complete.

Under the proposal, the City’s shuttle service would serve as a linkage between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink Station, Aliso Town Center, Soka University and other nearby employment and business centers. The project is meant to reduce emissions and support the City's goal of transforming Aliso Viejo into a more “walkable” community. Based on surveys conducted as part of Step One of the City’s proposal, ridership for the first year is projected to be more than 47,000 passengers.

SJC Habitat for Humanity Homes Receive State-of-the-Art Solar Panels

It was announced Wednesday that Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s “Habitat for Heroes and Foundations for Families” development in San Juan Capistrano will be the first in California to receive state-of-the-art solar panels under the Governor’s California Solar Initiative. The Initiative implements the Governor’s “Million Solar Roofs Plan” to provide clean energy, reduce the output of greenhouse gases and reduce energy costs for one million low-income families in California.

This effort involves an innovative public/private partnership between Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and the California Department of Community Services and Development, Morgan Stanley Commodities and various solar vendors. The San Juan Capistrano Community Redevelopment Agency is also assisting in this solar effort by covering the cost of the building permits for the installation of the solar panels. For more information, please click here.

High School Hero Oscar Gutierrez

On Wednesday, my office honored San Clemente High School Student Oscar Gutierrez with a special certificate of recognition for his heroic actions to save a woman trapped in a burning apartment.

On the night of Dec. 4, 2008, while Oscar was doing homework in his San Clemente home, he heard loud screams which alerted him to a fire in the apartment building next door. Although Orange County sheriff's deputies were already on hand assisting evacuations at one end of the building, at the other end of the building was a disabled elderly woman trapped on the second floor and in need of assistance. Oscar rushed to the second level of the building and carried the woman down to safety. Oscar, who is seventeen years old, is a participant in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Explorer program.

During these difficult economic times it is important for us all to remember that the true strength of our community is the fact that we have no shortage of people who are willing to assist their neighbors in times of need. Oscar’s bravery and courage exemplify this value. I wish Oscar the best of luck as he graduates high school and pursues a career in law enforcement.

Pet Project Foundation’s 16th Annual Wag-A-Thon

Sniff, wag or walk your way around the Dana Point Harbor Island to support animals at the San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Shelter on Saturday, April 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will be pet contests, doggie dashes, vendors, food and live music for the whole family. Celebrity dog Romeo from the movie "Hotel for Dogs" will also be there to enjoy the fun! For more information, visit the Pet Project Foundation’s website at http://www.petprojectfoundation.org/.

Older Adult Services

As part of an ongoing effort to provide a better quality of life for our elderly population, Orange County Health Care Agency’s Office of Older Adult Services provides mobile mental health services and episodic treatment services to qualifying community-dwelling adults age 60 and above.

Our staff seeks to provide needed services and referral information to homebound older adults as well as help clients and their families understand mental illness. The goal is to assist older adult clients in obtaining the highest level of independent living and prevent the need for hospitalization or long term placement out of the home. For more information about these Health Care Agency services, please click here.

Earth Day San Clemente

Bring the whole family down to San Clemente for a day of fun to celebrate Earth Day at Parque del Mar which overlooks the beach and pier on Saturday, April 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will be live entertainment, demonstrations and children’s activities. For more information or to volunteer for this event, please email info@scwatersheds.com or call (949) 366-2326.

Mission Viejo Artes de la Vida and Earth Day Celebration

Mission Viejo is gearing up for a spectacular celebration that blends community pride with art, music and dance of the 1920s along with environmentally friendly exhibits, planting and much more. The 3rd Annual Artes de la Vida and Earth Day Expo kicks off with planting along the Village Green at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25 at the Oso Viejo Community Park. For more information, please call (949) 470-3095 or click here.

Family Twilight Camp at the Ranch

Don’t miss out on the City of Aliso Viejo’s fun-filled Family Twilight Camp taking place on Saturday, April 25 from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. Activities include a sunset hike, environmental awareness projects, knot tying, a scavenger hunt, dinner, entertainment, and s'mores by the campfire. The event will take place at the Aliso Viejo Ranch located at 100 Park Avenue in Aliso Viejo. For more information, please click here.

Lake Forest Father/Daughter Date Night

Fathers and Daughters will enjoy a night among the Stars as Lake Forest Community Services presents “Hollywood Dreams,” a father/daughter date night on Saturday, April 25 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The night of glamour for Stars and Starlets will be filled with games, dinner and dancing to a DJ. The cost is $20 per person. For more information, please call (949) 461-3450 or click here.

Colonel Patrick J. Malay Speaks at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point

Come hear the success story of Colonel Patrick J. Malay, a meritorious officer who commanded Regimental Combat Team 5 during its yearlong tour in western Anbar province. His talk will be a no-nonsense war room debriefing of his 13 months in Iraq and the remarkable period of stabilization that took place under his rule. Colonel Malay’s Regiment earned a reputation as the most decorated regiment in the Marine Corps.

The event takes place Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ocean Institute Auditorium located at 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive in Dana Point. No reservations are required and donations will be accepted for the DP 5th Marine Regiment Support Group. For more information, visit the Ocean Institute website at www.ocean-institute.org.

• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of San Diego County Credit Union’s Ribbon Cutting celebration for its newest branch opening in Laguna Niguel
• Participated in a Tax Day Tea Party in Santa Ana to show support for low taxation, fiscal discipline, and limited government
• Presented a certificate of recognition to Oscar Gutierrez at the Capistrano Unified School District’s Health and Safety Expo
• Attended a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the Orange County Probation Department
• Attended the Child Abuse Services Team (CAST) 20 Year Anniversary Celebration