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. HEADLINE NEWS

2. BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

3. NEWS YOU CAN USE

4. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

5. COUNTY CONNECTIONS

6. SAFETY SENTRY

7. CRITTER CHRONICLES

8. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

9. LIBRAY LESSONS & SESSIONS

10. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR

11. 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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Don’t Miss the 4th Annual South County Senior Summit!

I’m pleased to announce my office will be hosting our fourth annual South County Senior Summit on Friday, April 1 in Laguna Woods Village, Clubhouse 3. Joining me in presenting this enormously popular annual event is the Orange County Office on Aging, Laguna Woods Village, and Age Well Senior Services. The theme for the 2011 Senior Summit is “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Aging, But Were Afraid to Ask!”

Back by popular demand is Dr. Laura Mosqueda, Director of Geriatrics, UC Irvine, who will speak about important health issues and other topics relevant to older adults. Additionally, Dr. Peter Donovan, Director of the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UC Irvine, will discuss the latest breakthroughs in stem cell research and how UCI scientists are using stem cell technology to develop new treatments and cures for various medical conditions. We are also pleased to welcome as speakers Dr. Kerry Burnight, Health Sciences Clinical Professor at UC Irvine, and Mr. Richard Chambers, CEO of CalOptima.

The event will begin at 8:00 AM with a complimentary continental breakfast for all attendees. While at the Summit, guests will be treated to an array of vendor booths, featuring important information and many free giveaways. In addition, audience members will have the opportunity to win a number of fabulous prizes during the program, as well as a complimentary lunch to be served at the conclusion of the event.

As always, the South County Senior Summit is an outstanding opportunity for older adults to become better acquainted with the many programs and services available to them through the County of Orange. To that end, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our generous title sponsor – CalOptima. For more information about CalOptima, please click here.

This year’s Senior Summit is sure to be the best yet and seats are going fast, so don’t delay, reserve your place today! For authorized entry into Laguna Woods Village, RSVPs must be received by March 23. For more information and to RSVP, please call the Office on Aging at (800) 510-2020.

To download the invitation, please click here.

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 15. 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.

Special Meeting of the Board of Supervisors

On Friday, March 4, the Board convened a Special Meeting on a closed session item regarding the Public Administrator / Public Guardian. No reportable special action was taken at the Special Meeting.

At our March 15 Regular Meeting, the Board will consider a second reading of an Ordinance of the County of Orange, which, if adopted, would repeal the original Ordinance designating the Public Administrator as the Ex-Officio Public Guardian. For more information, please click here.

Daylight Saving Time Returns

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 AM this Sunday, March 13, so don't forget to “spring forward” and set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night! When changing your clocks, it is also an excellent reminder to change the batteries in your smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms provide extra time to exit your home, greatly increasing your chance of survival in a house fire, as over 70% of home fires and nearly all fire deaths in Orange County are the result of no working smoke alarm present. For more information, please click here and here.

OCTA Environmental Oversight Committee Update

In December 2010, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) reopened its call for acquisition properties to update the inventory of potential habitat conservation sites that may be eligible for acquisition funding through OCTA's M2 Freeway Mitigation Program. The submission deadline was January 14, as OCTA received 36 acquisition property applications.

During the first call for acquisition and restoration projects, candidate acquisition properties were evaluated and placed in four groups based on biological value.

This week, the Measure M2 Environmental Oversight Committee (EOC) convened to discuss the ranking of the 36 newly submitted candidate acquisition properties. The EOC recommended placing the three highest ranking properties into Group 1, which contains properties with the highest biological value. The EOC recommended appraising two of the three Group 1 properties and performing a comparable sales assessment for the third property.

During the meeting, the EOC also received a status update on the restoration project proposals. OCTA staff is continuing to finalize the selected restoration plans and grant agreements. The grants are expected to be executed in the second quarter of 2011.

Signal Sync in South County Wins Award

I’m pleased to announce the Orange County Transportation Authority recently won an award from the Orange County Engineering Council for the Oso Parkway / Pacific Park Drive signal synchronization project, which has reduced motorist travel time by 22 percent and increased speed by an average of 29 percent along the busy nine-mile roadway.

With Orange County’s population estimated to increase 11 percent by 2030, OCTA, in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the County of Orange and all 34 cities, is currently developing a master plan to coordinate traffic lights across the County in an effort to ease growing traffic demands.

91 Express Lanes Launch Newly Designed Website

Last week, the Orange County Transportation Authority launched a redesigned website for the 91 Express Lanes, providing vital information and easy-to-use tools and resources in one helpful destination.

The account management tools have been enhanced to help users stay on top of their bills, payments and usage. Once logged in, customers can view account information, update a credit card or vehicle, get additional transponders and make a payment.

The website also offers closure information, the latest toll schedule, and a way to buy gift certificates. The newly added Destination Discount Partners section showcases the latest deals from local merchants who provide valuable discounts just for showing a transponder.

The website is also promoting a friend referral program. Referring a friend earns a customer a $25 credit, and there is no limit to how many referral credits one can earn.

To view the new and improved website, please click here.

Redistricting Committee Update

On Thursday, the 2011 Redistricting Committee held its second meeting. The Redistricting Committee is tasked with making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on new boundary lines for the five supervisorial districts. The boundary lines will be based on 2010 census data.

At the meeting, the Committee approved a public participation plan. Key to a successful redistricting process is public involvement, as members of the public are encouraged to share their views on redistricting and also submit their own plans. To that end, from April 4 to May 18, members of the public will be able to submit plans to the Committee for consideration.

To assist with the creation of plans, terminals with the necessary computer program and demographic data will be placed throughout the County for public use. The sites of these terminals will be forthcoming. To learn more about the redistricting process and for a schedule of upcoming meetings please, click here.

Homeland Security

Last week, I was briefed by representatives from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) regarding maritime threats.

DHS and OCSD provided information about increases in incidents of drug smuggling and human trafficking. DHS has increased efforts to combat these threats and is working in conjunction with state and local law enforcement.

In an effort to raise awareness about these issues, DHS held a town hall meeting in the City of Dana Point for members of the public who utilize Dana Point Harbor, as public vigilance and awareness can greatly assist in maintaining the safety of our shores.

Spay Day USA

You are invited to join OC Animal Care in celebrating Spay Day USA on Saturday, March 12 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, as all adopters at the event will receive a free spay/neuter for their new pet, reducing the regular fee by $50 for dogs and $40 for cats. So come on down to see all of the wonderful animals available for adoption! For more information, please click here and here.

Life’s a Beach for Laguna Beach Dogs

Dog owners will now be permitted to bring their pooches to the beach in Laguna an hour earlier and three weeks longer this summer, thanks to a Laguna Beach City Council decision last week.

Previously, dogs had been prohibited from the beach from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM from June 1 to September 16. The new ordinance will now prohibit beach hours from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM between June 15 and September 10.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park: Elder Trek

Older adults and others who enjoy the outdoors can learn about diverse plant life on this easy, level, 2-mile hike with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer naturalists on Friday, March 18 from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Reservations are required: (949) 923-2235. For more information, please click here.

Who Do You Think You Are?

If you're interested in learning about your family history and who you really are, then checkout the special ancestry database at Mission Viejo Library! Available for in-library use from the technology center or genealogy areas, the Ancestry Library Edition from the folks at Ancestry.com provides online information on more than two billion names. Ancestry.com is a sponsor of the NBC television series “Who Do You Think You Are?” which airs Fridays at 8:00 PM.

For more information, please click here.

Dana Point: 40th Annual Festival of Whales

On Saturday and Sunday, March 12 & 13, hundreds of California Gray Whales on their annual migration to Mexico will splash by the seaside community of Dana Point – the West Coast's premier location to meet and greet these incredible creatures – during the final weekend of the 40th Annual Dana Point Festival of Whales.

For more information, please click here, here and here. For information on OCTA bus and Metrolink transportation to the Festival, please click here.

San Juan Capistrano: Second Saturday Art Fair

The San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce hosts its Second Saturday Art Fair on March 12 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Art Fair showcases over 70 artists, craftspeople, musicians and performers, who exhibit their artistic prowess throughout historic downtown San Juan Capistrano the second Saturday of each month. For more information, please click here.

Aliso Viejo Library: Guitarology

Come to Aliso Viejo Library on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00 pm for a FREE and unique program titled “Guitarology,” as the Portland guitar duo of James Manuele and Foti Lycouridis will perform on a number of instruments from the guitar family, such as an 1850s lute-guitar, authentic instruments of the 1800s, as well as 10-string and classical guitars. For more information, please click here.

Rancho Santa Margarita Library: International Film Series

Come to Rancho Santa Margarita Library on Friday, March 18 at 7:00 PM to see the highly acclaimed Czech film “Kolya,” part of the library’s FREE International Film Series. For more information, please click here.

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! On Friday, March 18, Dana Point Library will feature the Israeli film “Jaffa.” Doors open at 6:45 PM. For more information, please click here.

Mission Viejo: Livecast of Popular Radio Show

KSBR and the City of Mission Viejo will host a Saturday morning radio livecast of “Breakfast with Gary and Kelly,” featuring acclaimed guitarist Peter White on March 19. The radio broadcast will start at 9:00 AM at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, in Mission Viejo.

A studio audience will be admitted for the 10:00 AM to noon portion of the livecast. Admission is FREE, but seating is limited. Reservations are available online at www.ksbr.org. For more information, please click here.

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

• Presented certificates of recognition and dedicated a new Whale Tail sculpture at the OC Sailing & Events Center during Ocean Awareness Day in Dana Point Harbor. To see photos, please click here.
• Delivered the keynote address at the City of Lake Forest Leadership Breakfast.
• Met OC Dana Point harbor staff to be briefed on the tsunami warning, as well as the Harbor Revitalization Project.
• Met with Laguna Niguel Councilman Robert Ming, the new President of the Association of Orange County Cities - Orange County, to be briefed on their plans and activities.