Header image with Photo of Supervisor Pat Bates. Followed by office information
May 31, 2013

Pat Bates's Picture

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. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

3. ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS

4. NEWS YOU CAN USE

5. SAFETY SENTRY

6. SENIOR SENTINEL

7. CRITTER CHRONICLES

8. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

9. HARBOR HAPPENINGS

10. RECORDER RECORD

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

Sabrina Ross:
Deputy Chief of Staff

Sergio Prince:
Policy Advisor

Erik Weigand:
Policy Advisor

Emily Osterberg:
Policy Advisor

Veronica Yniguez:
Policy Advisor

Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager

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Volume 7 Issue 21
BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

No Board Meeting This Week

There was not a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week in preparation for the upcoming Budget Hearings. To view the Board meeting schedule for 2013, please click here.

The Budget Hearings will be held Tuesday & Wednesday, June 11 & 12. 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.
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

Ortega Bridge Lane Reduction

On Saturday, June 1 at 10:00 p.m., crews will reduce lanes on the Ortega Highway bridge over the I-5 freeway to two lanes in either direction in preparation for upcoming demolition activities on the south half of the bridge. This configuration will last for approximately one year as crews work to demolish and reconstruct the south half of the bridge. For more information, please click here.

During this configuration, large trucks and trailers more than 40-feet long will be unable to exit the I-5 southbound off-ramp and maneuver a left turn to eastbound Ortega Highway and will have to utilize alternate routes. To view alternate routes for trucks more than 40-feet long, please click here.

Metrolink/OCTA Special Event June 8

Bring a non-perishable food item donation for Second Food Harvest to spin the prize wheel for a chance to win FREE Metrolink tickets and other prizes! Enjoy FREE refreshments provided by Nothing Bundt Cake and live music by Headshine. Then take Metrolink to San Juan Capistrano for a fun-filled day in Historic Downtown. Show your Metrolink ticket and receive the following discounts (June 8 only):
  • ½ price admission to Mission San Juan Capistrano.
  • FREE meal at Sarducci’s with the purchase of a regular meal.
  • ½ price admission to Zoomar’s Petting Zoo.
  • Buy one, get one FREE coffee or dessert at Rick’s Café (inside the movie theatre).
For additional discounts available with your Metrolink Ticket, please click here.

The Santa Ana Station is located at 1000 E. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92701.
  • Lots of FREE parking.
  • Event starts at 8:30 a.m.
  • Train to San Juan Capistrano departs at 9:40 a.m.
Below are suggestions for a fun-filled day at San Juan Capistrano:
  • Take Metrolink train 660 or 859 at the station nearest you.
  • Arrive San Juan Capistrano Station.
  • Walk over to the Mission for “Mariachis at the Mission” from 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
    • Show your Metrolink ticket and get ½ price admission.
    • Enjoy live mariachi music in the historic Mission (FREE with admission) from the talented performers of Capistrano Community Mariachi Program.
    • Then try your luck and pan for gold or try adobe brick making
  • After the Mission, walk over to Sarducci’s restaurant, show your Metrolink ticket and get a FREE meal with the purchase of a regular meal.
  • Then stroll through downtown San Juan Capistrano and enjoy the “Second Saturday Art Fair” with crafts, etc. (open 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
  • Head over to Zoomar’s Petting Zoo with ½ price admission.
  • Before heading to the train, stop by Rick’s Café inside the movie theatre for a buy one, get one FREE coffee or dessert.
  • Walk back to the San Juan Capistrano Station and take Metrolink train 667 or 860 north and east.

Bus Service Improvement Highlights Effective June 9

The Bus Service Change Improvements provides a summary of upcoming service adjustments to the Orange County Transportation Authority bus system. This service change will provide minor schedule adjustments to several routes, as well as introduce the new Bravo Route 543 along Harbor Blvd, and a slight adjustment to Route 38 to provide service to Savi Ranch in Yorba Linda.

For more information on route or schedule changes, please click here.
ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS

Orange County Coastal Coalition

The Orange County Coastal Coalition, which I am pleased to Chair, provides an opportunity to learn about and collaborate on current topics affecting not only our coastal cities, but those inland as well. To that end, our May 23 meeting provided a forum to hear from Jenna Voss, Environmental Resource Specialist, County of Orange; and Kim Buss, Environmental Resource Specialist, County of Orange.

Jenna Voss shared about the County of Orange’s trash and debris management efforts. Municipalities throughout the County administer a variety of maintenance programs in compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit requirements to prevent pollution from reaching our beaches.

Activities such as street sweeping, litter enforcement, catch basin and flood control channel cleaning, as well as installation / maintenance of structural best management practices (BMPs), such as trash booms or catch basin screens, all help to reduce the amount of trash transported from urban areas to the ocean. In addition to regular maintenance, the County and cities quantify and assess trash levels in several watersheds using a regional trash assessment method utilized by the Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC).

Though municipal trash abatement efforts are essential, the importance of communitywide stewardship of our waterways and beaches cannot be understated. Preservation and protection of water resources for future generations relies not only on municipal efforts, but also wide recognition of the issues and actions needed to prevent trash at its source. The three-pronged approach of municipal activities, trash assessment and public participation is key to the success of addressing trash in Orange County’s waterways.

For more information, please email: Jenna.Voss@ocpw.ocgov.com.

Kim Buss shared about the County of Orange’s Adopt a Channel Program. For the past two years, Orange County Public Works has been working in collaboration with Disneyland Resort to develop a pilot Adopt a Channel Program.

In September 2012, Disneyland Resort officially adopted a 2-mile section of the concrete-lined Anaheim-Barber City Channel (ABC Channel), where they currently conduct trash removal and graffiti abatement on a routine basis. To date, over 400 pounds of trash have been removed from this portion of ABC Channel and over 5,480 square feet of graffiti abated.

Building on the pilot adoption program, the County would like to implement an Adopt a Channel Program in all channels throughout the County. The proposed Countywide Adopt a Channel program would allow an organization to adopt a portion of an Orange County Flood Control District (OCFCD) stormwater channel for these same purposes. Benefits to the adopting organization include not only the opportunity to play a role in the stewardship of our channels and the positive impact it will have on our receiving waters, but also local recognition of their environmental efforts.

The County is in the process of developing and considering additional pilot programs, which may include the adoption of an earthen channel, a regional basin, and/or trash and debris booms within a channel. Programs will be developed that address the specific needs associated with adoption by both corporate and non-profit entities.

For more information, please email: Kimberly.Buss@ocpw.ocgov.com.

To be placed on the email distribution list for Coastal Coalition meetings, please send your email address to: andrea.toscano@ocpw.ocgov.com.

Eco Challenge Poster Contest extended to June 7

Now through Friday, June 7, Orange County children can participate in a special Eco Challenge poster contest presented by OC Waste & Recycling, the Discovery Science Center, and Angels Baseball for the chance to be an Honorary Bat Kid at a 2013 Angels baseball game.

Just choose your favorite topic below and make a poster to showcase your ideas and creativity around that theme.
  • Recycling – Design a poster showing how you make an effort to recycle in your everyday life.
  • Reusing Materials – Design a poster showing how various household items can be re-used in new and different ways.
  • Reducing Waste – Design a poster showing how you can reduce waste; what kind of choices can you make in your daily life to ensure you are only using what you need?
  • A Greener Future – Design a poster around the idea of what Earth would look like if we were more environmentally conscious.
Bring or mail your entry to Discovery Science Center by June 7, as five lucky winners from each of Orange County’s five Supervisorial Districts will be awarded the status of Honorary Bat Kid during an Angels home game in 2013.

For more information, please click here and here.
NEWS YOU CAN USE

Protect Your Information Online

Most of us shop, pay our bills and track our financial information online. Unfortunately, the passwords we use on our favorite websites may make it easier for thieves to hack into our accounts and gain access to our personal information and account numbers.

For tips on how to protect your information with a safer password, please click here.

SAFETY SENTRY

OCSD’s Top 10 Tips: Crime in Progress

Below are the Top 10 Tips from Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) for crimes in progress:
  1. Call 911 ASAP (as soon and as safely possible) – The sooner you can safely call for police assistance, the higher the probability that the perpetrators of the crime will be caught. Remember to call the Sheriff’s Department first; and then you can call family, store manager, etc. Time is always the critical factor in apprehending suspects of crimes in progress.
  2. Direction of Travel – Which direction was the suspect last seen heading? Was the suspect on foot, riding a bike, or did they get into a car? Deputies may be able to intercept the suspect attempting to flee the area if we know which way they are heading.
  3. Get the Plate – If you had to pick one piece of information that is often the most helpful in solving a crime, it would be the license plate of the car involved. It is true that sometimes the car will be stolen or has an incorrect plate affixed, but this usually isn’t the case. The license plate of the car is a huge lead for Patrol Deputies and Investigators to help solve the crime, even if it is only a partial license plate number.
  4. Vehicle Description – Patrol Deputies and Investigators are looking for the approximate year the car was made (or how old you think it may be), the make, model, color, LICENSE PLATE, and anything else that makes the car standout such as: damage to the right quarter panel, very loud exhaust pipes, broken windshield, red racing stripes, etc.
  5. Suspect’s Physical Description – What is the suspect’s gender, race, approximate age, approximate height, approximate weight, hair color, eye color, hair length, facial hair, etc. An accurate physical description helps narrow the scope of the search.
  6. Clothing Description – Just start from head to toe with what the suspect(s) is wearing. For example: Black baseball cap with “M” on front. White, dirty T-shirt, baggy blue and black plaid shorts, dark socks, and red high top basketball shoes. Remember, the shoes are the hardest thing to take off or change.
  7. Specific Details – What made the suspect stand out? For example: Black Oakley dark shaded sunglasses, Air Jordan basketball shoes, a purple T-shirt with silver lettering, long beard with grayish color, walked with a limp, had a heavy east coast accent, facial acne, crooked teeth, etc.
  8. Tattoos – A suspect can cover tattoos up but can’t change them. We have had crimes solved recently with a specific tattoo that was clearly seen on the suspect’s hand. If you can recall a specific tattoo color, writing, picture, etc. This is valuable information that can help identify the suspect. Visible scars are also helpful.
  9. Known Suspect – Where would the suspect likely be heading? Where does the suspect like to hang out or with whom? Where does the suspect work?
  10. Don’t Touch – What if you can’t remember anything about the suspect, vehicle, etc.? If the suspect was not wearing gloves and touches a specific area or drops an item, do your best not to touch anything (that the suspect touched), as there is a chance Patrol Deputies and Investigators can get fingerprints or other forensic evidence from an item dropped or discarded at the scene of the crime.
SENIOR SENTINEL

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) occurs every year around the world on June 15. It is a day that we honor and remember the victims and survivors of elder abuse and pledge ourselves anew to the cause of elder justice in the U.S.

This year, the Ageless Alliance national theme for WEAAD is “Make a Difference with your Heart, Hands, Voice and Mind.” Each of us can make a difference for older adults this WEAAD by using our hearts, hands, voices and minds to get involved and take action.

There are also lots of simple things that individuals can do to commemorate the day and the cause. For a few ideas, please click here.
CRITTER CHRONICLES

58 Pets Adopted at Animals for Armed Forces Event

OC Animal Care’s 3rd annual Animals for Armed Forces adoption event was a huge success! During the event, current, former and retired military men and women and their families flocked to the shelter in search of a new forever friend. The 58 animals adopted during the event were FREE (excluding licensing and microchip) with proof of military service.

We are so thankful for everything our Armed Forces members do for us every day. The least we can do is to help them find the perfect pet! Thank you to the Animals for Armed Forces Foundation for making this event possible! For more information, please click here.

OC Animal Care Explorer Program Now Recruiting

Are you between the ages of 14 and 21 and interested in an exciting career that involves caring for animals? If so, then OC Animal Care’s Explorer Program may be just the thing to get you started. Explorer Post 538 focuses on the fields of animal care, control, handling, training, and law enforcement, just to name a few!

For more information, please click here and here.
NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Dr. Sue and Her Arthropod Zoo

Join OC Parks and the Laguna Canyon Foundation on Saturday, June 1 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM for a special Weekend at the Nix Nature Center, featuring Dr. Sue and Her Arthropod Zoo. Dr. Sue Van Vorhis Key, PhD. has a zoo full of amazing live insects and arthropods. This amazing event will be fun for the entire family. Space is limited.

For more information or to register for this event, please click here.
HARBOR HAPPENINGS

Community Advisory: Dana Point Harbor Boat Show

Through Sunday, June 2, the Dana Point Harbor Boat Show will showcase new and used boats for sale with products displayed both in and out of the water. FREE parking will be available throughout most of the Harbor and a FREE shuttle service will be operating during the following hours and locations:

Hours
  • May 30 & 31 – 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM (30 minutes after show closes)
  • June 1 – 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM (30 minutes after show closes)
  • June 2 - 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (30 minutes after show closes)

Routes
  • May 30 & 31 – Shuttle traverses Dana Point Harbor Drive, stopping at Ocean Institute, Baby Beach, Mariner’s Village and Doheny State Park.
  • June 1 & 2 – Shuttle traverses Dana Point Harbor Drive, stopping at Ocean Institute, Baby Beach, Mariner’s Village, Doheny State Park, and also to the Island.

For more information, please click here and here.
RECORDER RECORD

Clerk-Recorder Plans Special Saturday Hours June 22

Plan now to take advantage of special Saturday hours available at the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department on Saturday, June 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana and the department’s branch offices in Laguna Hills and Fullerton.

The Old County Courthouse will be offering marriage licenses, civil wedding ceremonies and passport application services only. Copies of property records and birth, death and marriage certificates will be available at the Laguna Hills and Fullerton branch offices, as well as obtaining marriage licenses and performing civil wedding ceremonies.

The special Saturday hours will make it easier for families and those who work during the week to obtain services usually offered just on weekdays. FREE parking will be available at all three locations.

For more information, please click here.
FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT

Student Named National High School Tennis All-American

Alyssa Smith from Dana Hills High School, who was the 2012 CIF-SS singles tennis champion, has been named a 2013 National High School Tennis All-American. Alyssa, coached by Justin Green, will play at Duke University next year.
SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR

Laguna Beach: 50th Brooks Street Surf Contest

The waiting period for the 50th Brooks Street Surf Contest begins on Friday, May 31. The surf contest, touted as the oldest surfing classic in the world, is open to Laguna Beach residents only. For more information, please click here or call the Community Services Department at (949) 497-0716.

Rancho Santa Margarita: Register for Summer Classes

The City of Rancho Santa Margarita is offering summer classes for community members of all ages and interests. To view the full list of classes available, please click here. www.cityofrsm.org For more information, please click here.

Aliso Viejo: Library Summer Celebration

The Friends of the Aliso Viejo Library's FREE Summer Celebration will take place Saturday, June 22 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the outdoor area of the library at 1 Journey Drive. For more information about this fun-filled family event, please click here.

San Clemente: Summer Beach Concert Series

The City of San Clemente’s 14th annual summer beach concert series has kicked-off. The FREE concerts, held just north of the San Clemente Municipal Pier start at 6:00 PM. Mark your calendars and be part of a tradition of celebrating live music on the beach with the sunset as your backdrop and FREE seating in the sand. For more information, please click here.
FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP

In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:
  • Presented a certificate of recognition to the City of Laguna Hills at its annual Memorial Day Half Marathon event.
  • Participated in the CSAC Legislative Conference in Sacramento. For more information, please click here.
  • Delivered a County Update at the Ladera Rancho Chamber of Commerce State of the Community event.
  • Delivered a congratulatory speech at the Girl Scouts of Orange County, Saddleback Association Silver and Gold Ceremony and presented certificates of recognition to their Girl Scout award recipients.
 My office also:
  • Attended the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce Legislative & Transportation meeting.
 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.

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