Welcome to this edition of the Fifth District Report, an electronic newsletter keeping you updated about the events taking place in Orange County and in the Fifth District. It is my hope that you find this distribution informative and I would encourage you to contact me regarding any thoughts, comments, or concerns you may have.

PatBates@ocgov.com

IN THIS ISSUE...

1. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

2. BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

3. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

4. COUNTY CONNECTIONS

5. SOUTH COUNTY NEWS

6. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT

7. ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS

8. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

8. CRITTER CHRONICLES

10. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR

11. FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP

OUR STAFF...

Chip Monaco:
Chief of Staff

Don Hughes:
Policy Advisor

Sergio Prince:
Policy Advisor

Kristen Thornton:
Policy Advisor

Ray Grangoff:
Policy Advisor

Sabrina Ross:
Policy Advisor

Katie Angotti:
Policy Assistant

Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager

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Daylight Savings Begins Sunday

Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00 a.m. this Sunday, March 14. Prepare to “spring forward” by setting your clocks one hour ahead before going to bed this Saturday night!

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, March 16. 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.

Bus Service Reductions

Beginning this Sunday, March 14, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) will reduce bus service by approximately 8 percent. The OCTA Board voted in November to eliminate 150,000 annual hours of bus service through a combination of eliminating routes, reducing bus frequency, restructuring routes and reducing trips.

The service reductions will save the agency approximately $13 million as it faces a more than $30 million budget shortfall this year. The reductions are necessary to make up for major cuts in state funding and significant drops in sales tax revenue and fare revenue.

The plan will impact service on weekdays and weekends and includes:

• Weekday elimination of routes 62, 74, 75, 131, 147, 164 and 693
• Saturday elimination of routes 24, 76, 86, 172, 193 and 693
• Sunday elimination of routes 24, 51, 76, 82, 85, 172, 193 and 693
• Weekday reduced frequency on routes 24, 25, 30, 35, 37, 50, 55, 64, 66, 71, 72, 76, 82 and 145
• Saturday and Sunday reduced frequency on routes 29, 50, 55, 66 and 89
• Elimination of Night Owl service between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on routes 43, 50, 57 and 60

2010 Census – Completing the Count

While April 1, 2010 is Census Day, the month of March is the critical time for the Census effort in Orange County and in all of California. That’s because Census questionnaires will be mailed to households this month and Census organizers hope for a high response rate to the first mailing.

Orange County is home to one of the largest populations of “hard-to-reach” individuals in the state, adding to the challenge of ensuring a high rate of return. By focusing on just ten basic questions and by providing materials and assistance in dozens of languages, Census officials are working hard to inform the public of the importance of the Census to local communities. They estimate that millions of dollars can be saved by just increasing the initial response rate a few percentage points. This is because the Census will mail follow up questionnaires and send Census takers to those addresses from which they do not receive completed forms.

When your Census form arrives, fill it out as soon as possible and follow the instructions for returning the form. You can also help by encouraging family, friends, neighbors and clients to fill out and return their Census forms. Make sure they include everyone living at the residence, including infants and foster children. Census forms can accommodate up to twelve people living at a single address so make sure everyone in the household is counted!

In addition to the role of Census data in the distribution of Federal funding, Census information is vital to Congressional redistricting and may help to determine if California retains or loses one seat in the House of Representatives for the next ten years. Closer to home, population information from the Census is used in the redistricting of the California Legislature and the Board of Supervisors. By taking part in the 2010 Census, you are taking part in an important American tradition that dates back to 1790. Here in the Golden State, the motto for the 2010 Census is “Be Californian. Be Counted.”

2010 South County Senior Summit

As reported in last week’s newsletter, the 2010 South County Senior Summit was a huge success! For those who wanted to attend but were unable to for whatever reason, don’t worry. Thanks to the support of Cox Communications, the Senior Summit will air on Cox Channel 3 on Wednesday, March 17 at 8:00 p.m. and Friday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. It will also be available on Cox’s On Demand channel from March 20 – April 19.

Laguna Woods residents can also view the Senior Summit on Laguna Woods TV-6 at 6:00 p.m. on March 18, 25, 29 and April 17.

To view photos of the 2010 Senior Summit, please click here.

RSM Photo Contest

2010 marks the 10th anniversary of incorporation for the City of Rancho Santa Margarita. In celebration of this wonderful milestone, the City is hosting a 10th Anniversary Photo Contest: “Rancho Santa Margarita Through Your Eyes.”

Residents are encouraged to take pictures around the community that illustrates their love for Rancho Santa Margarita. Photographs must be shot from within the city limits and accompanied by a caption describing the location and significance of the photo. Selected entries will be showcased in upcoming editions of the Community Living Magazine and displayed at the Bell Tower Regional Community Center. The deadline to submit photos is Friday, March 19, 2010. For more information, including official rules, please visit www.cityofrsm.org.

RSM Library Grand Re-Opening Monday

After being closed for approximately six weeks for refurbishment, the Rancho Santa Margarita Library has been refreshed with new paint, carpet, and self checkout machines. I hope you will join me Monday, March 15 at 2:30 p.m. as I welcome guests to the Grand Re-Opening of the Library. Light refreshments will be served, compliments of the Rancho Santa Margarita Friends of the Library. The library is located at 30902 La Promesa, Rancho Santa Margarita. For more information please contact the RSM Library at (949) 459-6094.

Trabuco High School Student Wins Scholarship

Trabuco Hills High School senior Alexandra Marten was awarded a $10,000 Toshiba Classic scholarship last week at the annual Toshiba Classic Breakfast. Alexandra beat out twenty-four Orange County seniors to win the top prize.

The scholarship was awarded based on academic achievement, financial need, and participation in extracurricular activities, in which Alexandra clearly stands out. In addition to being the student member on the Saddleback Unified School District’s Board of Education and the Editor of her high school newspaper, Alexandra has volunteered over 100 hours at Mission Hospital and works with Working Wardrobes, a non-profit organization, to collect prom dresses for students who cannot afford them. Alexandra intends to use the scholarship money to pursue a degree in Communications and International Relations. Congratulations Alexandra!

County Opens Compressed Natural Gas Station to Public

“Green drivers” of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles have a new fueling station to visit when filling up their tanks. Grand opening celebrations last month marked the site of the first County managed CNG station located at 2023 West Collins Avenue in Orange.

The CNG station is managed by OC Public Works and is located at the County’s Fleet Maintenance Yard, where the department maintains and operates approximately 57 CNG vehicles in the County fleet. The attendant-free fueling facility is open to the public for retail purchases of CNG, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Overall, natural gas is one of the cleanest burning alternative fuels available today. Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and reactive hydrocarbons, which form ground-level ozone (the principal ingredient of smog), by as much as 95 percent. NGVs can also reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by as much as 30 percent, carbon monoxide by 85 percent and carcinogenic particulate emissions by 99 percent.

An added benefit of CNG is that it usually costs significantly less than an equivalent gallon of gasoline. With the opening of the County’s CNG station, there are now 10 public CNG fueling stations in Orange County.

Caspers Park Welcomes Back Adventure Day

After a 10-year hiatus, Adventure Day returns to Caspers Wilderness Park on Saturday, March 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Families and friends of all ages can partake in the Adventure Day activities including wildlife-inspired games of ring-toss, trivia quizzes, cowboy lasso, and potato sack and spoon and egg races. Educational programs and interactive experiences include a Hawk Talk, pelts and skins and animal track discovery. Kids and also learn the workings of a real fire engine and the necessities of a complete campsite with REI.

The Dusty Rangers will perform an adventure-themed musical skit, Orange County Parks guitarists will serenade, and Acjachemen Tribal Descendant Jacque Tahuka Nunez will enact a journey through the past to Native American times through theatrical storytelling.

Entry to Adventure Day is free to everyone! Caspers Wilderness Park is located at 33401 Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano.

Spay Day USA

In honor of Spay Day USA, OC Animal Care is hosting a special event on Saturday, March 13 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the OC Animal Care Center located at 561 The City Drive in the City of Orange.

If you have been thinking about welcoming a loving and furry friend into your family, this is a great day to do it because OC Animal Care is not only reducing adoption fees, but also providing a free spay or neuter procedure upon adoption! In addition to the excitement of adopting a pet, attendees can enjoy family activities; free goodie bags; and baked goods with sale proceeds going to help the shelter.

Last year, 55 animals were adopted on Spay Day and we hope to give even more animals loving homes this year! For more information visit www.ocpetinfo.com or contact Katie Ingram at (714) 935-6194.

Pet Owners to Receive Amnesty for Unlicensed Dogs

As reported in my newsletter last week, the Board has approved a Dog License Amnesty program to offer pet owners relief from late and/or back fees for unlicensed dogs. From April 1 through May 15, pet owners will be able to renew their expired dog licenses or obtain new licenses with no worry of late fees, even if it’s been several years or a license has never been purchased. This program will be offered to dog owners living in the 17 cities and unincorporated areas served by OC Animal Care. For more information on the Dog License Amnesty program, please click here and here.

Festival of the Whales

Your last chance to experience the excitement of the 39th Annual Festival of Whales is this weekend! From a parade, to shows, to educational lectures, the Dana Point Festival of Whales has something for everyone. For a detailed list of all events taking place March 13-14, please click here.

Meet Your Marines Car Wash

The Laguna Niguel Military Support Committee would like to invite everyone to meet and support the City’s adopted Marines of the 1st Battalion, 4th Regiment at the 3rd Annual Meet Your Marines Car Wash. The Car Wash will take place at the Plaza De La Paz shopping center on March 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, please click here.

San Juan Capistrano Presents the La Presidenta Ball

The City of San Juan Capistrano invites you to El Adobe Restaurant on Saturday, March 13 from 6:30-11:30pm for a wild night of western fun. The Fiesta Association show will show you how “the West was fun” with a western style dinner and dance. For more information please call (949)493-1976 or click here.

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance

Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with all your friends at the 42nd annual community St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance this Saturday, March 13 from 5pm-10pm. The event, which is sponsored by the Exchange Club in partnership with the City of San Clemente to benefit local charities, will take place at the San Clemente Community Center located at 100 N. Calle Seville in San Clemente. Traditional corned beef and cabbage will be served and then you can dance the night away. To purchase tickets, please call (949)492-6138. For more information please click here.

Track and Field Meet

The City of Laguna Niguel is excited to invite all kids ages 6-15 to participate in this year’s Track and Field Meet. Participants can choose to compete in a variety of running, jumping and throwing events, split up into divisions by age. The event will take place Saturday, March 21 at 1:00 pm at the Aliso Niguel High School track. If your child or someone you know is interested in competing, then hurry to register because Saturday, March 13 is the final day to do so. To register, please call (949) 425-5100. For more information, please click here.

In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:

• Attended the LAFCO meeting
• Met with Fifth District local businessmen who have pioneered a new technology that converts landfill gas into biodegradable plastic
• Offered welcoming remarks at the Free Tax Seminar in Lake Forest presented by the State Board of Equalization