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. BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

2. SOUTH COUNTY NEWS

3. HEALTH HEARLD

4. SENIOR SENTINEL

5. ASSESSOR ASSESMENT

6. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

7. CRITTER CHRONICLES

8. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

9. AIRPORT ARRIVALS

10. LIBRARY LESSONS & SESSIONS

11. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT

12. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR

13. FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP

OUR STAFF...

Don Hughes:
Chief of Staff

Kristen Thornton:
Deputy Chief of Staff

Ray Grangoff:
Deputy Chief of Staff

Sergio Prince:
Policy Advisor

Sabrina Ross:
Policy Advisor

Brian Probolsky:
Policy Advisor

Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager

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No Board Meeting This Week

There was no regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week. To view the Board meeting schedule for 2011, please click here.

Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, March 1. 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.

Laguna Woods City Hall Honey Bees

Several years ago, staff at Laguna Woods City Hall noticed bees swarming in the upstairs offices. Rather than hiring someone to exterminate the bees, the City sought an environmental solution. To that end, a local company offered to establish bee hives on the roof of City Hall and maintain the hives. Today, everyone, including the bees and City staff, is very happy as they share their environment.

Laguna Woods is one of only three municipalities worldwide to support bee hives on a public facility and the only one in the United States. For more information, please click here.

Rain Advisory in Effect

The Environmental Health Division of the Orange County Health Care Agency advises swimmers that levels of bacteria can increase significantly in ocean and bay waters close to storm drains and the outlets of creeks and rivers during and after rainstorms.

Elevated bacterial levels in coastal ocean waters may continue for a period of at least 3 days, depending on the intensity of rain and volume of runoff. As such, swimmers should avoid Orange County coastal waters during this time, and beach users should avoid contact with any runoff on the beach.

For more information, please click here and here.

Need Tax Assistance?

April 15 may seem far off, but Tax Day will be here before you know it! Now is the time to prepare for and complete your tax forms. However, seniors do not have to tackle their tax return all alone, as help is readily available.

Many sites in Orange County began offering free tax preparation assistance February 1. Trained and professional volunteers are available to assist you face-to-face with completing simple tax returns. These services are available for those over 60 with low to mid-level incomes.

The Orange County Office on Aging has a comprehensive listing of such sites, including dates and times of operation. Please call the Information and Assistance Line at (800) 510-2020, and a friendly and caring specialist will connect you with the nearest location to meet your specific needs.

For more information, please click here.

Property Reduction Search

Did your property receive a reduction in taxable value? A search is available for single-family, condo, townhome, multi-family, commercial and industrial properties.

To see if your 2010-2011 property tax bill is based on the Prop. 13 Value or a lower Taxable Value (based on Market Value on January 1, 2010), please click here.

Nature Reserve of Orange County Seeks Board Members

The Nature Reserve of Orange County (NROC) is seeking candidates for Public-At-Large members to serve a two-year term on their Board of Directors. To that end, the NROC Board will elect Public Directors at their March 17 Board meeting, as three Directors and three Alternate Directors will be elected for a two-year term.

Candidates for Public Directors must be residents of Orange County and have an interest in land conservation. The NROC strives to achieve representation from the business, recreation and environmental communities. Meetings are held quarterly in March, June, September and December. For more information, please click here.

Love ‘Em and Leash ‘Em

OC Parks, Irvine Ranch Conservancy, OC Animal Care and OC Hiking Club proudly present “Love ‘Em and Leash ‘Em” – a special day for dogs and dog lovers at Irvine Regional Park on Saturday, February 19 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.

OC Hiking Club will host a series of guided pooch-hikes, customized to accommodate every breed, size and age of dog. Additionally, OC Animal Care will have an adoption tent at the park, as staff will be onsite to talk about the animals currently available for adoption at the center. Three special dogs will be at the event and available for immediate adoption and same-day take-home!

Bring your pooch to Irvine Regional Park for a day of fun, or come to the Love ‘Em and Leash ‘Em event to adopt a special dog that needs a loving home. For more information, please click here.

South County Pet and Vet Clinic

Aliso Viejo’s Family Resource Center and the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center are teaming up to host a low-cost Pet and Vet Clinic on Saturday, February 26 at the Family Resource Center, 24671 Via Iglesia, in Aliso Viejo.

The cash-only clinic will offer micro-chipping at a reduced price and dog licensing, along with vaccines for cats and dogs that range from $7 to $28. Dogs must be on leashes and cats in carriers. For more information, please click here.

ARTIC Update

On Monday, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors received an update on the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) Project from both OCTA and City of Anaheim staff.

ARTIC is anticipated to be an iconic regional transportation hub serving existing Amtrak and Metrolink rail services and OCTA bus services. It is also planned to allow for integration of new services including future high-speed rail and the Anaheim Rapid Connection fixed guideway service. The City of Anaheim is currently in the environmental and design phases of the project.

Following the presentations, the Board voted to reaffirm its support of the ARTIC project. The Board also took action to amend the Measure M2 “Project T” Funding Guidelines, from which a portion of ARTIC funding stems, to bring the language into legal conformance with the Measure M2 Ordinance that voters approved in 2006. To view OCTA’s presentation, click here and to view the presentation given by City of Anaheim staff, click here.

241 Completion Traffic Model Update and Animation to Move Forward

The Foothill/Eastern Board of Directors approved a task order to an existing contract with Corridor Design Management Group (CDMG) to provide traffic modeling and animation services through Fiscal Year 2012. The scope of the contract was amended to allow the company to update the agencies’ 241 completion project traffic model data and to create interactive animations of the data results that will show different scenarios of what the growth in traffic on the I-5 will be without an alternate north/south connection.

TCA to Study Solar Power Options

In an effort to reduce current electricity costs and prevent rising costs, the Foothill/Eastern Board of Directors approved a contract with Integrated Engineers & Contractors Corp. to determine whether a solar power system on the roof of the Headquarters building would be feasible and cost effective.

The contract contains three phases to study options to design, fund and install a solar power system. The first phase of the contract will provide detailed information needed to determine feasibility of the project and a comparison of approaches to funding. Further direction from the Board of Directors will be provided upon completion of the first phase of the contract. The contract has a limited notice to proceed with the first phase of the contract in the amount of $15,900.

The Toll Roads: VIEWSLETTER

The Toll Roads has released the February issue of their VIEWSLETTER. To read the Transportation Corridor Agencies’ publication, please click here.

John Wayne Airport Issues Call to Artists

John Wayne Airport (JWA) has issued a call for Orange County artists to apply for slots in JWA's upcoming Community Focus Space Program (CFSP) exhibition calendar. CFSP exhibitions are presented in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal and are accessible to the visiting public. Artist applications must be received by John Wayne Airport no later than 4:00 PM, April 15.

For more information, please click here.

Celebrate Authors, Readers, and Libraries

Registration is now open for the 5th annual Literary Orange on Saturday, April 9. Literary Orange started in 2007 as a joint venture of OC Public Libraries and UC Irvine Libraries. The goal is to enhance an appreciation of reading and literature by connecting writers and readers for a day of panel discussions, keynote speakers and book signings. For more information, please click here.

South County Resident Crowned ‘Ms. America 2011’

Tracy Broughton of Ladera Ranch rose above a physical disability to be crowned Ms. America 2011 at the national pageant held January 30 in Anaheim. She is also the first African American to be crowned Ms. America.

Tracy grew up in Orange County and battled adversity most of her life. While in high school, she was in a car accident that left her paralyzed on the left side. Doctors said she would never walk again, but she proved them wrong.

In 1996, Tracy was a victim of a hit-and-run accident and was once more told she would never walk again. For more than a decade, she underwent various therapies until she finally stood up on two crutches, but now only uses one. However, Tracy didn’t let her disability slow her down. While in a wheelchair, she won the 2003 Ms. Black California pageant.

A single mom to 11 year old identical twin sons, Tracy also volunteers with many nonprofit organizations. For more information, please click here and here.

Friend of Dana Point Library Honored by City Council

Steve Iman is a resident of Dana Point and teaches at the Business School at Cal Poly Pomona. Very close to retirement, Steve wanted to make a contribution to the community, so he introduced the concept of a series of workshops to help those seeking employment.

Jennifer Johnson, Dana Point Librarian, was enthusiastic about the concept; and Steve was able to introduce four 3-day workshops at Dana Point Library. As such, he worked one-on-one with job seekers, helping them perfect their resumes. In addition, he is creating a website for the Friends of the Dana Point Library and has assisted in the Computer Basics for Seniors class the library offers.

For his selfless efforts, the City of Dana Point this week honored Steve Iman with a proclamation.

Dana Point Library: Foriegn Film Friday

Come to Dana Point Library the third Friday of every month at 7:00 PM for their FREE Foreign Film Friday! Tonight, February 18, Dana Point Library will feature the British comedy/drama “Bomber.” Doors open at 6:45 PM. For more information, please click here.

Rancho Santa Margarita Library: International Film Series

Come to Rancho Santa Margarita Library tonight, February 18 at 7:00 PM to see “La Nana” [The Maid], part of the library’s FREE International Film Series. This film is rated PG-13. A brief discussion will follow the film. For more information, please click here.

Mission Viejo: Movie of Character

Award-winning Hollywood screenwriter Robert Eisele will be in Mission Viejo on Sunday, February 20 for the screening of his film "The Great Debaters," airing at 2:00 PM in the City Council Chamber at City Hall. This PG-rated film is part of the FREE movie series sponsored by the City’s Community of Character Committee and will be shown on a theater-size screen with theater-style seating and surround-sound at 200 Civic Center. For more information, please click here.

Aliso Viejo Library: Third Sunday Movie Matinee

Come to Aliso Viejo Library the third Sunday of the month at 2:00 PM for their FREE Movie Matinee, featuring a series of award winning independent and foreign films. On Sunday, February 20, Aliso Viejo Library will feature the British comedy/drama “Bomber.” The library offers these showings at no charge, plus refreshments are provided! For more information, please click here.

Laguna Niguel: The Lizard Wizard

Touch the scales of a python, tickle the feet of a giant millipede, tap the shell of a tortoise, or just enjoy these extraordinary creatures with your own eyes! Join the Lizard Wizard as they offer children of all ages a hands-on look into the fascinating world of reptiles, amphibians and arthropods.

Friday, February 25, 7:00 PM at Crown Valley Community Park in Laguna Niguel. For more information, please click here.

San Juan Capistrano: The Kid's Pet Parade

The San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association is hosting The Kid's Pet Parade on Sunday, February 27 at 1:00 PM, when children between ages 5 and 12 can show off their favorite animals in competition for:

• The Cutest
• Most Unusual
• Best Team Costume (owner and pet)
• Funniest
• Most Obedient (pet, not child)

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

• Attended the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors meeting.