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July 6, 2012
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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. COUNTY CONNECTIONS
3. HEALTH HERALD
4. SAFETY SENTRY
5. SENIOR SENTINEL
6. CRITTER CHRONICLES
7. ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS
8. NOTES FROM THE FIELD
9. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT
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
Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager
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| BOARD BULLETIN BOARD |
No Board Meeting This Week
There was not a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week. To view the Board meeting schedule for 2012, please click here.
Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, July 17. Regular Board meetings begin at 9:30 AM in the Hall of Administration. For Agenda & Meeting Information, please click here.
Live Internet broadcasts of Board of Supervisors meetings can be viewed online and are archived as video-on-demand. To view live and/or past Board meetings, please click here.
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| COUNTY CONNECTIONS |
15 County of Orange Programs Receive NACo Awards
Fifteen County of Orange programs were selected to receive a 2012 Achievement Award by the National Association of Counties (NACo). Among these, the Registrar of Voters’ My Ballot program to teach high school students the value of our electoral process, democracy, and civic participation was also designated “Best of Category” in the Civic Education and Public Information category.
The fourteen additional Orange County programs to receive Achievement Awards include:
- 1.62 Defined Contribution Plan for New Employees – In an effort to address increasing pension costs, the County’s Human Resources Department initiated steps towards implementing a new lower retirement formula, “1.62% at 65,” combined with a Defined Contribution Plan.
- Amnesty Program for Patrons with Overdue Fines – From September 12 to18, 2011, patrons with overdue OC Public Libraries material could return the item(s) to the branch and have associated fines waived. During Amnesty Week, attendance increased by more than 4,500 library visitors over the same week in 2010.
- Archaeological and Paleontological Partnership Program – OC Community Resources’ OC Parks division and California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) entered into a partnership agreement in December 2009 for CSUF to manage, curate, and display a world-class archaeological and paleontological collection.
- Blended Tutor Training Program – This OC Community Resources’ OC Public Libraries division program includes a new type of adult literacy tutor training program, blending traditional face-to-face instruction with self-paced training through alternative technologies.
- Blogger Preview (Heritage Hill Seasonal Event) – OC Community Resources’ OC Parks division utilized a no-cost marketing technique to increase attendance at two annual holiday events.
- Differential Response (Path One) – The Differential Response Path One program was designed by the Social Services Agency to identify, prevent and treat child abuse in order to prevent families/children from coming into the child welfare system and/or to prevent or minimize recurrence of child abuse within certain families.
- eReader Open House Program – OC Community Resources’ OC Public Libraries division created the eReader Open House Program in response to the growing demand for eAudio and eBook materials. The program provides hands-on training for both staff and community that allow them to utilize and enjoy new library resources with their reading devices.
- Health Care Agency Leadership Development Program – This three-level leadership training program provides Health Care Agency employees with ongoing development that contributes to personal and professional growth.
- Historical Sheet Music Digital Collection Project – To improve access to a popular sheet music collection, the OC Community Resources’ OC Public Libraries division created the Historical Sheet Music Digital Collection Project, which digitized over 400 pieces of full-color sheet music owned by the Cypress Branch Library.
- OC Parks Ranger Training Academy – The OC Parks Ranger Academy is the only academy in the United States specific to the role of county and regional park rangers. Rather than sending recruits through a law-enforcement academy that provides only some of the needed skills, the OC Parks Ranger Academy trains current and prospective park rangers with the specialized skills necessary to be an exceptional park ranger.
- Poll Worker Training Video – The Orange County Registrar of Voters Poll Worker Training Video was developed to improve the quality of training for the thousands of volunteers who serve as poll workers on Election Day.
- ProgPay Computer Application System – The ProgPay system was developed for the Inspection Section of the OC Public Works Department, which plans and implements County funded capital improvement projects. When plans are approved, requests for bids are advertised via the internet. The ProgPay system then tracks the progress made by the contractor on the projects down to each line item of work.
- Setting Appropriate Orders (Child Support Best Practice Program) – This Child Support Services program has provided hard empirical data to guide child support professionals such as caseworkers, attorneys, and court commissioners nationwide in creating appropriate orders at the establishment of a case to yield the greatest likelihood of future payments.
- Supervisor Enhancement Leadership Forum – The Child Support Services Supervisor Enhancement Leadership Forum was developed to provide supervisors, managers and other leaders who supervise staff with an opportunity to participate in leadership development.
Congratulations to all of our award recipients! To learn more about the NACo awards, please click here.
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| HEALTH HERALD |
First Indication of West Nile Virus Activity in OC for 2012
The Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD) has confirmed the first mosquito pool to test positive for West Nile Virus in 2012. The mosquitos were collected from Modjeska Park in Anaheim on June 19. OCVCD routinely tests groups of female mosquitos and dead birds in an effort to detect the presence of West Nile Virus.
Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce exposure to mosquito bites during the summer and assume that the virus is now active throughout the County.
Recommendations to reduce the potential for mosquito bites include:
- Eliminating any standing water around your home.
- Make sure all window and door screens on your house are in good repair.
- Wear a repellent containing DEET®, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or IR 3535.
- Contact OCVCD to report dead birds or neglected pools in South County at (949) 654-2421.
For additional information please click here and here.
Perfect Score for Community Readiness
The Health Care Agency’s Health Disaster Management Division received a 100% score on their Cities Readiness Initiative technical assistance review assessment. This assessment is conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health to determine the level of preparedness and readiness within Local Health Departments. Until now, there was only one county west of the Mississippi that had received a perfect score.
Through continuous planning and partnerships with cities, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, volunteer groups, and other community and faith based organizations, the Health Care Agency has created the capability to rapidly dispense medications and distribute medical supplies and equipment to the population of Orange County during an emergency.
Prior to this achievement, the Health Disaster Management Division’s Point of Dispensing program was recognized as a national model practice by the National Association of City and County Health Officials. Congratulations to the Health Disaster Management Division! Thank you for helping to prepare our community for an emergency.
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| SAFETY SENTRY |
Drowning Prevention and Water Safety
According to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), California leads the nation in drownings. The ABC's of Pool Safety are design to help you and your child learn how to prevent needless and tragic drownings.
- A – Adult Supervision: Assign an adult "water watcher" who can swim. Never leave children in or around a pool unattended, not even for one second.
- B – Barriers: Maintain proper fencing around the pool. Make sure gates are self-closing, self-latching, and open outward away from pool. Inspect fencing and gates monthly.
- C – Classes: Learn CPR, first aid, and rescue techniques. Take swimming classes with your children.
For more information about drowning prevention and water safety, please visit the OCFA website.
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| SENIOR SENTINEL |
Scam Alert
Financial scams perpetrated against older adults include a broad range of conduct – from outright taking money or property to forging a signature on a legal document, such as a will or deed, to getting paid for care, products, or services and then not providing them.
For examples of such common financial scams, please click here.
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| CRITTER CHRONICLES |
Summer Safety Tips for Pets
Foxtails
Foxtails are weeds which look like the tails of foxes and are often found along paths and roads. During the spring, they are soft and green, but by summer, the seed heads dry and detach from the plant and stick to an animal's fur, often becoming embedded between a dog’s toes, in its ears, and in its eyes. They are very difficult to remove because they are barbed like a fish hook. They penetrate the dog’s body, causing infections and abscesses. They can travel and lodge in the spine as well as internal organs.
Often times, an owner will not know that the dog has ingested a fox tail until it’s too late. A dog may squint, shake its head, or have problems swallowing or gagging. Clear all foxtails off of your property and avoid grassy areas while hiking along paths, check your dog carefully, and seek immediate veterinary care if you suspect that your dog has been in an area infested with foxtails. Waiting could cost your dog its life.
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is very deadly to pets. It is also very preventable.
Dogs must pant to exchange warmer body air for cooler air outside the body, so when the outside air is warmer than the dog’s body temperature (like in a hot automobile), the dog’s cooling system fails and the dog goes into heat stroke.
When a dog overheats, its body sends most of the blood flow to the outer layers of the body to release heat, but these results in less blood flow to the organs, causing organ damage, nerve damage and chemical imbalances that can lead to death.
Signs of heat stroke include a body temperature 104-110F degrees, excessive panting, dark or bright red tongue and gums, staggering, stupor, seizures, bloody diarrhea or vomiting, coma, death.
For tips to prevent heat stroke for pets, please click here.
Pool Safety
It is not true that all dogs can swim. Even if a dog can swim, the obstacle of getting its water logged body out of the pool often ends up with an exhausted dog that can’t get out and is found face down in the pool by a devastated owner. The only safe pool is one with a pool fence installed.
For Pool Safety Tips for Pets, please click here.
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| ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS |
Summer without SONGS: Tips to Reduce Home Energy Use
Southern California Edison (SCE) is asking customers to be diligent with their power use this summer to minimize the risk of outages due to the shutdown of San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS) through the summer months.
For more information, please click here.
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| NOTES FROM THE FIELD |
James Dilley Preserve: Birding Adventure
Did you know that the Nature Reserve of Orange County recently transplanted the rare Cactus Wren to the James Dilley Preserve in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park? Missing from the Dilley Preserve since the fires of 1993, nine pairs of Cactus Wren were relocated to the park as part of a habitat mitigation program.
To download a short film of a birding adventure in the James Dilley Preserve and to learn about the birds that inhabit this park and the unique habitat they need to survive, please click here.
Doheny Update
The Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association (DSBIA) has issued the latest edition of DOHENY UPDATE to better inform the public about events and conditions in the State Park.
To view the DSBIA July newsletter, please click here.
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| FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT |
National PTA Honors South County Student
Ava Bachelder, a fifth grader at Ambuehl Elementary School, recently received an Award of Excellence in the National PTA Reflections Contest for her photograph of a row of marbles casting colorful shadows.
Ava is one of only three intermediate students from across the nation to win the award. Winners were chosen from hundreds of thousands of submissions from students across the nation and in European schools serving military families who participated in this year's program, themed "Diversity Means..."
Ava's entry, titled "Marbles," qualified for the national competition by winning the California State PTA Reflections contest. To see her winning photo, please click here.
South County School Wins Academic Competition
San Juan Hills High School won the 9th and 10th grade 2012 Orange County Academic Decathlon. The Academic Decathlon, like its ancient Greek counterpart, is a 10-event contest.
Unlike the Greek decathlon, however, OCAD is an academic, rather than an athletic, competition and a team competition as well as one for individuals. Participants demonstrate their academic strength by completing seven written tests, writing an essay, delivering a prepared and an impromptu speech, and participating in an interview.
The exciting Super Quiz oral relay is a team event held before a live audience. Each team consists of three "A" (honor), three "B" (scholastic), and three "C or below" (varsity) students. Awards are presented to the top teams as well as the top individual students in each event.
South County Athletes, Coaches Win Countywide Awards
Several South County students and coaches earned top honors in their sports at the OC Register and OCVarsity 2012 Athlete & Coach of the Year Awards held June 13.
Jack DesCombes, a junior swimmer at Capistrano Valley High School, was named the OCvarsity.com Fans' Male Athlete of the Year. DesCombes, who was also named to the All-County swimming and diving team, helped lead the school to the 2012 CIF-SS Division I Title. In addition, he set two new school records in the 100 Freestyle (44.89) and the 100 Backstroke (51.85).
Jessica Perez, a junior at Dana Hills High School, earned Athlete of the Year honors in girls’ tennis.
San Clemente High School girls’ cross-country coach Dave Proodian was named that sport's coach of the year; and Randy Dodge, the girls’ soccer coach at Aliso Niguel High School, was named Coach of the Year in that sport.
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| SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR |
South County: OCPL Summer Events
During the summer months, OC Public Libraries (OCPL) makes a special effort to offer fun, FREE programs for the whole family. To view a list of July library events in the Fifth District, please click here.
Laguna Niguel: Summer Concert Series
Come take advantage of the FREE and always popular Laguna Niguel Summer Concert Series, beginning July 13 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM at Crown Valley Community Park Amphitheater. For more information, please click here.
Rancho Santa Margarita: Summer Concerts Announced
The City of Rancho Santa Margarita will present five FREE concerts of fantastic musical performances this summer. Concerts are Sundays from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in Central Park, beginning July 15. For more information, please click here and here.
San Clemente: Ocean Festival
The San Clemente Ocean Festival is celebrating “The Greatest Show on Surf!” Come join the fun Saturday & Sunday, July 21 & 22 at the San Clemente Pier. For more information, please click here and here.
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| FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP |
My staff and I look forward to continually providing you updated information in our Fifth District Newsletter and website.
Please feel free to contact my office with your concerns, comments or questions at (714) 834-3550. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your Supervisor for Orange County's Fabulous Fifth District.
For an ADA version of our newsletter, click here.
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