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Saturday, August 26, 2006
SPECIAL REPORT
eLECTION Watch 2006
a news anaylsis series by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Official Candidate Statements for Local Races
The ballot statements for the special district candidates are now posted on the Orange County Registrar of Voters website. Below our editorial staff has provided a synopsis and analysis of each statement with a rating system: (X) meaningless; (+) favorable; (-) unfavorable. In comparing the statements, it becomes obvious that Alexia Deligianni and Chris Emami have very similar statements and endorsements which give the appearance of a slate. The direct link to each of the candidate’s statement for the local special district candidates follows each synopsis.
Orange Unified School District
Trustee Area 1:
Alexia Deligianni (Educator)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+)educational background (doctorate and teaching credential)
• (+) “will work to send our tax dollars directly to the classrooms”
• (+) “I promise that my fiscal ideas will put students first”
• (+) “Include music and the arts at all grade levels”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “ensure competitive academic programs and strong student achievement” The phrase “competitive academic programs” is a college and university buzzword used in student recruiting literature. The phrase is meaningless in K-12 education.
• (X) “ensure a safe learning environment” This implies that the current learning environment in OUSD is somehow unusually unsafe, a claim that cannot be substantiated.
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Endorsed by the Music Matters Coalition
• (-) Included in her endorsements are two of the former recalled fringe board’s allies Phil Yarbrough and Dr. Ken Williams. (Williams gave recalled OUSD Trustee Kathy Ward an “office job” after her recall).
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3171-2.pdf
George Cardenas (Business Owner/Parent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “while some OUSD students excel, many others lag behind” The only candidate to acknowledge this fundamental truth and problem.
• (+) “ I also propose building improvements”
• (+) “fair compensation to attract the best in the profession”
• (+) “ I also propose a business-education partnership”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “We have too many portable classrooms” Two Measure A Bond proposals were defeated at the polls that would have addressed this problem.
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Statement identifies district problems and offers some ideas.
• (-) While refreshingly acknowledging the gap in student achievement, no specifics on ideas to address these problems. Perhaps public acknowledgement is a step.
Full Statement at:
http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3171-3.pdf
Melissa Smith (Incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “stability has been restored”
Personal Opinions in Statement:
There is no proof of “distinction” or of “restoring excellence”
• (X) “I've served as a member and President with distinction”
• (X) “I'm proud of restoring excellence to our Orange Unified schools”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “Each year we have operated with a balanced budget”- California law requires a balanced budget. In the budget crisis, Smith voted to cut classroom based programs (i.e. Music and Class size reductions) to balance the budget.
Positives/Negatives:
• (-) “Our students are now meeting and exceeding their academic goals and test scores continue to rise” This is not entirely true. While students across the state continue to improve in test scores, in Orange County, OUSD is second only to Santa Ana Unified in state identified Underperforming Schools based on student scores.
• (-) “I made sure that OUSD remained fiscally responsible” In four years, Smith never questioned or voted against any spending proposal by the OUSD Administration including her many votes to support the millions spent on the Focus on Results Consultant Program (a top OUSD Administrator compared the program to “marriage encounter training”).
Full Statement at:
http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3171-1.pdf
Trustee Area 4
Denise Bittel (Businesswomen)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) Small business and vast amount of educational Community Service experience
• (+) “I will execute fiscal responsibility for our taxpayers” One of only two candidates to acknowledge the taxpayers in their statements.
• (+) Supports a "reduction of students in our classroom”
• (+) “Establish a Fiscal Oversight Committee” comprised of community members to "check and balance”
Personal Opinions in Statement:
• (+) “I believe that we are not giving our students the educational experience they need to be prepared for a global economy” Refreshingly, Bittel clearly states this is her personal belief and focuses on student education.
Positives/Negatives
• (+) Lists her business experience and eight substantial community volunteer positions that prepare her for being a Trustee
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3174-3.pdf
Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “Teachers are staying in our district”
• (+) “OUSD is no longer plagued by constant lawsuits”
• (+) “a new School News publication provided at no cost to our district”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “Our new Ninth Grade initiative brings rigor” after four years in office, pointing to a program just approved this month is a stretch, and what is this “rigor” word she keeps using and why was “rigor” missing for 4 years?
• (-) “combined with a rigorous curriculum” The curriculum was designed by the state, years before the word “rigor” became the “cool” word to say when ever you could.
Positives/Negatives:
• (-) “Our schools are showing ongoing dramatic improvement in student achievement” This is not entirely true. While students across the state continue to improve in test scores, in Orange County, OUSD is second only to Santa Ana Unified in state identified Underperforming Schools based on student scores.
• (-) Uses the new educational buzz non-word “rigor” (the only candidate to do so) does not say much for Moffat’s continued “want-to-be” image problem.
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3174-2.pdf
To view the real world meaning of “rigor” CLICK ON: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rigour
Trustee Area 5
Paul-Dean Martin (Theater Arts Educator)
No Candidate Statement filed
Christopher K. Emami (Youth Program Director)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “Protect Charter Schools”
• (+) “include Music and the Arts at All Grade Levels”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “…I will work to…create competitive academic programs” The phrase “competitive academic programs” is a college and university buzzword used in student recruiting literature. The phrase is meaningless in K-12 education.
• (X) “promote athletic programs and Healthy Students” Promoting “Healthy Students” is a meaningless statement.
• (X) “ensure a safe learning environment” This implies that the current learning environment in OUSD is somehow unusually unsafe, a claim that cannot be substantiated.
• (-) “I will keep our schools safe and fight to keep felons away from our children” The job of trustee is not involved in keeping “felons away from our children”
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Endorsed by the Music Matters Coalition
• (+) Includes his website
• (-) Included in his endorsements is the former recalled fringe board’s ally Dr. Ken Williams. (Williams gave recalled OUSD Trustee Kathy Ward an “office job” after her recall).
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3175-3.pdf
Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “We must continue to improve our District and improve student performance while controlling the costs of operations”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “We must insure that the education we provide properly prepares our students for the 21st century.” Who is we? A trustee does nothing to insure student preparation; this is from a district slogan that is recited at the beginning of each OUSD Board meeting that has no real meaning or impact.
• (-) “I supported...a balanced budget and living within our means” California law requires a balanced budget. In the budget crisis, Nichols voted to cut classroom based programs (i.e. Music and Class size reductions) to balance the budget.
Positives/Negatives:
• (X) “I have supported efforts to recruit and retain high quality teachers, staff and administrators.”
• (-)“I support…a balanced budget and living within our means” In four years, Nichols never questioned or voted against any spending proposal by the OUSD Administration including her many votes to support the millions spent on the Focus on Results Consultant Program.
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3175-4.pdf
Trustee Area 7
Larry D. Cohn (Buisness owner)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “I am committed to bringing common sense, conservative, businesslike approach to OUSD”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) "With a solid financial foundation we can continue to meet the goal of quality education in clean safe classrooms with the best teachers available”. California law requires a balanced budget
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Lists six substantial community volunteer positions that prepare him for being a Trustee
• (+) Includes his website address and a telephone number to contact him
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3177-1.pdf
Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “I’ve proven to be the Board Member who asks the tough questions”
• (+) “stands up to the educational bureaucrats”
• (+) “ the lone voice demanding the district is held accountable to the taxpayers, parents and children of the district”
• (+) “...with my over eight years of experience as a Board Member I have implemented and proactively affected this district by approving Charter Schools, demanding accountability, and becoming a leader by eliminating bilingual education.”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “...I know how to meet the challenge of focusing every resource possible to the classroom with a limited budget.” Ledesma has supported the controversial OUSD Administrative consultant program Focus on Results Consultant Program that only “trains” a few teachers from each school. After many years and millions of dollars with no hard evidence of any benefit ( a top OUSD Administrator compared it to “marriage encounter training”), Ledesma has begun questioning the administrators on the continued dumping of funding into Focus on Results Consultant Program
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) “I have the leadership experience and integrity necessary” Unlike the rest of the current Board, Ledesma has questioned and often voted against Administrative requests. In addition when he is outvoted, he has provided out of the box ideas to save programs (i.e. video taped broadcasts of the Board meetings over cable TV.) he firmly supports. He often pulls items from the Consent Agenda that go against his core beliefs to discuss or vote against.
• (+) “As Director of Financial Analysis for a large corporation”
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3177-2.pdf
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) Rancho Santiago College has "one of the lowest administrative costs in the state”
• (+) “ I have worked hard to keep politics out of our educational decisions”
• (+) Pledged to ensure "the efficient use of your tax dollars”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “We succeeded in ensuring our district has a balanced budget, a healthy reserve” California law requires a balanced budget and a reserve.
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) “ I have fought to make classroom instruction the highest priority”
• (+) I pledge to…ensure the efficient use of your tax dollars” acknowledged that the money he oversees are tax dollars
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3054-1.pdf
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
No Candidate Statement filed
a news anaylsis series by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Official Candidate Statements for Local Races
The ballot statements for the special district candidates are now posted on the Orange County Registrar of Voters website. Below our editorial staff has provided a synopsis and analysis of each statement with a rating system: (X) meaningless; (+) favorable; (-) unfavorable. In comparing the statements, it becomes obvious that Alexia Deligianni and Chris Emami have very similar statements and endorsements which give the appearance of a slate. The direct link to each of the candidate’s statement for the local special district candidates follows each synopsis.
Orange Unified School District
Trustee Area 1:
Alexia Deligianni (Educator)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+)educational background (doctorate and teaching credential)
• (+) “will work to send our tax dollars directly to the classrooms”
• (+) “I promise that my fiscal ideas will put students first”
• (+) “Include music and the arts at all grade levels”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “ensure competitive academic programs and strong student achievement” The phrase “competitive academic programs” is a college and university buzzword used in student recruiting literature. The phrase is meaningless in K-12 education.
• (X) “ensure a safe learning environment” This implies that the current learning environment in OUSD is somehow unusually unsafe, a claim that cannot be substantiated.
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Endorsed by the Music Matters Coalition
• (-) Included in her endorsements are two of the former recalled fringe board’s allies Phil Yarbrough and Dr. Ken Williams. (Williams gave recalled OUSD Trustee Kathy Ward an “office job” after her recall).
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3171-2.pdf
George Cardenas (Business Owner/Parent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “while some OUSD students excel, many others lag behind” The only candidate to acknowledge this fundamental truth and problem.
• (+) “ I also propose building improvements”
• (+) “fair compensation to attract the best in the profession”
• (+) “ I also propose a business-education partnership”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “We have too many portable classrooms” Two Measure A Bond proposals were defeated at the polls that would have addressed this problem.
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Statement identifies district problems and offers some ideas.
• (-) While refreshingly acknowledging the gap in student achievement, no specifics on ideas to address these problems. Perhaps public acknowledgement is a step.
Full Statement at:
http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3171-3.pdf
Melissa Smith (Incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “stability has been restored”
Personal Opinions in Statement:
There is no proof of “distinction” or of “restoring excellence”
• (X) “I've served as a member and President with distinction”
• (X) “I'm proud of restoring excellence to our Orange Unified schools”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “Each year we have operated with a balanced budget”- California law requires a balanced budget. In the budget crisis, Smith voted to cut classroom based programs (i.e. Music and Class size reductions) to balance the budget.
Positives/Negatives:
• (-) “Our students are now meeting and exceeding their academic goals and test scores continue to rise” This is not entirely true. While students across the state continue to improve in test scores, in Orange County, OUSD is second only to Santa Ana Unified in state identified Underperforming Schools based on student scores.
• (-) “I made sure that OUSD remained fiscally responsible” In four years, Smith never questioned or voted against any spending proposal by the OUSD Administration including her many votes to support the millions spent on the Focus on Results Consultant Program (a top OUSD Administrator compared the program to “marriage encounter training”).
Full Statement at:
http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3171-1.pdf
Trustee Area 4
Denise Bittel (Businesswomen)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) Small business and vast amount of educational Community Service experience
• (+) “I will execute fiscal responsibility for our taxpayers” One of only two candidates to acknowledge the taxpayers in their statements.
• (+) Supports a "reduction of students in our classroom”
• (+) “Establish a Fiscal Oversight Committee” comprised of community members to "check and balance”
Personal Opinions in Statement:
• (+) “I believe that we are not giving our students the educational experience they need to be prepared for a global economy” Refreshingly, Bittel clearly states this is her personal belief and focuses on student education.
Positives/Negatives
• (+) Lists her business experience and eight substantial community volunteer positions that prepare her for being a Trustee
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3174-3.pdf
Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “Teachers are staying in our district”
• (+) “OUSD is no longer plagued by constant lawsuits”
• (+) “a new School News publication provided at no cost to our district”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “Our new Ninth Grade initiative brings rigor” after four years in office, pointing to a program just approved this month is a stretch, and what is this “rigor” word she keeps using and why was “rigor” missing for 4 years?
• (-) “combined with a rigorous curriculum” The curriculum was designed by the state, years before the word “rigor” became the “cool” word to say when ever you could.
Positives/Negatives:
• (-) “Our schools are showing ongoing dramatic improvement in student achievement” This is not entirely true. While students across the state continue to improve in test scores, in Orange County, OUSD is second only to Santa Ana Unified in state identified Underperforming Schools based on student scores.
• (-) Uses the new educational buzz non-word “rigor” (the only candidate to do so) does not say much for Moffat’s continued “want-to-be” image problem.
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3174-2.pdf
To view the real world meaning of “rigor” CLICK ON: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rigour
Trustee Area 5
Paul-Dean Martin (Theater Arts Educator)
No Candidate Statement filed
Christopher K. Emami (Youth Program Director)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “Protect Charter Schools”
• (+) “include Music and the Arts at All Grade Levels”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “…I will work to…create competitive academic programs” The phrase “competitive academic programs” is a college and university buzzword used in student recruiting literature. The phrase is meaningless in K-12 education.
• (X) “promote athletic programs and Healthy Students” Promoting “Healthy Students” is a meaningless statement.
• (X) “ensure a safe learning environment” This implies that the current learning environment in OUSD is somehow unusually unsafe, a claim that cannot be substantiated.
• (-) “I will keep our schools safe and fight to keep felons away from our children” The job of trustee is not involved in keeping “felons away from our children”
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Endorsed by the Music Matters Coalition
• (+) Includes his website
• (-) Included in his endorsements is the former recalled fringe board’s ally Dr. Ken Williams. (Williams gave recalled OUSD Trustee Kathy Ward an “office job” after her recall).
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3175-3.pdf
Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “We must continue to improve our District and improve student performance while controlling the costs of operations”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “We must insure that the education we provide properly prepares our students for the 21st century.” Who is we? A trustee does nothing to insure student preparation; this is from a district slogan that is recited at the beginning of each OUSD Board meeting that has no real meaning or impact.
• (-) “I supported...a balanced budget and living within our means” California law requires a balanced budget. In the budget crisis, Nichols voted to cut classroom based programs (i.e. Music and Class size reductions) to balance the budget.
Positives/Negatives:
• (X) “I have supported efforts to recruit and retain high quality teachers, staff and administrators.”
• (-)“I support…a balanced budget and living within our means” In four years, Nichols never questioned or voted against any spending proposal by the OUSD Administration including her many votes to support the millions spent on the Focus on Results Consultant Program.
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3175-4.pdf
Trustee Area 7
Larry D. Cohn (Buisness owner)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “I am committed to bringing common sense, conservative, businesslike approach to OUSD”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) "With a solid financial foundation we can continue to meet the goal of quality education in clean safe classrooms with the best teachers available”. California law requires a balanced budget
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) Lists six substantial community volunteer positions that prepare him for being a Trustee
• (+) Includes his website address and a telephone number to contact him
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3177-1.pdf
Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) “I’ve proven to be the Board Member who asks the tough questions”
• (+) “stands up to the educational bureaucrats”
• (+) “ the lone voice demanding the district is held accountable to the taxpayers, parents and children of the district”
• (+) “...with my over eight years of experience as a Board Member I have implemented and proactively affected this district by approving Charter Schools, demanding accountability, and becoming a leader by eliminating bilingual education.”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (-) “...I know how to meet the challenge of focusing every resource possible to the classroom with a limited budget.” Ledesma has supported the controversial OUSD Administrative consultant program Focus on Results Consultant Program that only “trains” a few teachers from each school. After many years and millions of dollars with no hard evidence of any benefit ( a top OUSD Administrator compared it to “marriage encounter training”), Ledesma has begun questioning the administrators on the continued dumping of funding into Focus on Results Consultant Program
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) “I have the leadership experience and integrity necessary” Unlike the rest of the current Board, Ledesma has questioned and often voted against Administrative requests. In addition when he is outvoted, he has provided out of the box ideas to save programs (i.e. video taped broadcasts of the Board meetings over cable TV.) he firmly supports. He often pulls items from the Consent Agenda that go against his core beliefs to discuss or vote against.
• (+) “As Director of Financial Analysis for a large corporation”
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3177-2.pdf
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Statement Strong Points:
• (+) Rancho Santiago College has "one of the lowest administrative costs in the state”
• (+) “ I have worked hard to keep politics out of our educational decisions”
• (+) Pledged to ensure "the efficient use of your tax dollars”
Meaningless items in Statement:
• (X) “We succeeded in ensuring our district has a balanced budget, a healthy reserve” California law requires a balanced budget and a reserve.
Positives/Negatives:
• (+) “ I have fought to make classroom instruction the highest priority”
• (+) I pledge to…ensure the efficient use of your tax dollars” acknowledged that the money he oversees are tax dollars
Full Statement at: http://www.oc.ca.gov/election/candidate/gen2006/3054-1.pdf
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
No Candidate Statement filed
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Metro TALK
Orange Public Library
Issues Recall of Summer Toy Prize
The Orange Public Library is participating in a nationwide recall on toys due to a high lead content. The bendable toys (shown in photo on City of Orange website: http://www.cityoforange.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=534) that are stamped Made in China were distributed by libraries across the nation. The Orange Library gave the toys out as prizes during the Summer Reading program for local children.
The distributor of the toys is located in Indiana. The toys are a bendable dog and cat (roughly 3.75 inches long and are similar in shape to a lollipop). They were found by the Indiana State Department of Health to have 0.4 and 0.24 percent of lead. The maximum safety limit is currently 0.06 percent.
“We’d like all children and parents to return these toys ASAP to our Taft or El Modena branch libraries for safe disposal,” said library services director Nora Jacob. The Orange Library will replace the toy with another one.
For more information, call the Orange Library Administration at (714) 288-2422.
6th Annual Motorcycle Poker Run
The Orange Senior Center Meals on Wheels 6th Annual Motorcycle Poker Run will be held on Sunday September 24th. The 100 mile ride starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Orange Senior Center with lunch and entertainment by the southern rocker’s Sam Morrison Band at noon. With a winning pot, a 50/50 drawing and tee-shirts and pins to the first 125 riders everyone has a shot at a prize while helping local seniors.
The Motorcycle Run benefits the Orange Senior Center Meals on Wheels program. The program currently serves 75 local home bound seniors daily. For more information on the Center’s truly unique work for local seniors CLICK ON: http://www.orangeseniorcenter.org/#About
Advanced entry is $30.00 and on the day of the event $35.00. For more information or to register contact Orange Elder Services Director Keith Regan at 714-538-8633, or email him at Keith Regan .
For more information on the Sam Morrison Band CLICK ON:http://cdbaby.com/cd/sammorrison
Surf the Local Candidates
The Greater Orange News eBlog (GONe) has begun posting links to local candidate’s websites on the blog’s community sidebar. GONe welcomes candidates to submit their sites for inclusion on the GONe. To see the current links CLICK ON: http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/ .
To have your candidate website posted email:
Greater Orange News
Metro TALK is a community service of the Greater Orange Communities Organization
GreaterOrangeCO@gmail.com
Issues Recall of Summer Toy Prize
The Orange Public Library is participating in a nationwide recall on toys due to a high lead content. The bendable toys (shown in photo on City of Orange website: http://www.cityoforange.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=534) that are stamped Made in China were distributed by libraries across the nation. The Orange Library gave the toys out as prizes during the Summer Reading program for local children.
The distributor of the toys is located in Indiana. The toys are a bendable dog and cat (roughly 3.75 inches long and are similar in shape to a lollipop). They were found by the Indiana State Department of Health to have 0.4 and 0.24 percent of lead. The maximum safety limit is currently 0.06 percent.
“We’d like all children and parents to return these toys ASAP to our Taft or El Modena branch libraries for safe disposal,” said library services director Nora Jacob. The Orange Library will replace the toy with another one.
For more information, call the Orange Library Administration at (714) 288-2422.
6th Annual Motorcycle Poker Run
The Orange Senior Center Meals on Wheels 6th Annual Motorcycle Poker Run will be held on Sunday September 24th. The 100 mile ride starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Orange Senior Center with lunch and entertainment by the southern rocker’s Sam Morrison Band at noon. With a winning pot, a 50/50 drawing and tee-shirts and pins to the first 125 riders everyone has a shot at a prize while helping local seniors.
The Motorcycle Run benefits the Orange Senior Center Meals on Wheels program. The program currently serves 75 local home bound seniors daily. For more information on the Center’s truly unique work for local seniors CLICK ON: http://www.orangeseniorcenter.org/#About
Advanced entry is $30.00 and on the day of the event $35.00. For more information or to register contact Orange Elder Services Director Keith Regan at 714-538-8633, or email him at Keith Regan .
For more information on the Sam Morrison Band CLICK ON:http://cdbaby.com/cd/sammorrison
Surf the Local Candidates
The Greater Orange News eBlog (GONe) has begun posting links to local candidate’s websites on the blog’s community sidebar. GONe welcomes candidates to submit their sites for inclusion on the GONe. To see the current links CLICK ON: http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/ .
To have your candidate website posted email:
Greater Orange News
Metro TALK is a community service of the Greater Orange Communities Organization
GreaterOrangeCO@gmail.com
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Orange Unified Schools DIGEST
High School Exit Exams: O.C. above State;
OUSD Below O.C.
Results released by the state this week show Orange County school districts posted higher scores on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) than the state average for the Math and English Language Arts basic skills test given in the last school year. Orange Unified School District had 2% lower passing Math Scores than the Orange County average and 1 percentage higher passing in the English scores than the county average. In addition, OUSD students in the federally mandated reportable subgroups continued to struggle despite millions of educational tax dollars spent by the OUSD Administration’s pet consultant training program, Focus on Results.
District wide, 68% of OUSD students passed the Math portion of the CAHSSE and 70% of OUSD students passed the English Language portion compared to 69% countywide. Big problems in pass rates continue among the sub-group populations in OUSD (in the 10 following categories, OUSD students only outperformed the county average in the two areas signified by an asterisk*).
OUSD Sub Group Scores
Special Education: Math-Orange County 29% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 20%. English- Orange County 31% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 29%.
English Learners: Math-Orange County 41% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 34%. English- Orange County 34% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 31%.
Redesignated (now Fluent) English Learners: Math-Orange County 89% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 86%. English- Orange County 93% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 95%*.
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Math-Orange County 56% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 52%. English- Orange County 52% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 54%*.
Not Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Math-Orange County 79% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 76%. English- Orange County 82% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 79%.
The following are the percentage of OUSD students in each high school who passed the CASHEE:
Canyon H.S.- Math- 86% English- 87%
A high point in the Canyon scores was the Socially Economically Disadvantaged: Math 83% pass; English 84% pass. Special Education continues to be a problem with 33% passing in Math; and 37% passing in English.
El Modena H.S.- Math- 70% English- 72%
The English Learners subgroup continues to be a problem with 33% passing in Math; and 34% passing in English.
Orange H.S- Math- 55% English- 58%
A high point of the Orange scores was the Redesignated (now Fluent) English Learners 97% passed the English test. Special Education continues to be a problem with 10% passing in Math; and 22% passing in English.
Richland Continuation H.S.- Math- 31% English- 36%
Special Education continues to be a problem with 2% passing in Math; and 8% passing in English.
Villa Park H.S.- Math- 81% English- 81%
A high point of the Villa Park scores was the Redesignated (now Fluent) English Learners, 100% passed the English test. Special Education continues to be a problem with 26% passing in Math; and 23 % passing in English.
To view school and district scores CLICK ON: http://cahsee.cde.ca.gov/reports.asp
AUGUST 24th OUSD School Board Meeting Agenda
The Orange Unified School Board will meet August 24th in regular session. The agenda has one Action Item, Item 12 A (page 2-3) to Enter into a Multi-Year Financing of Energy Conservation Project.
The Certificated Personnel Report (page 24-25) has 31 teachers, 1 psychologist, and 1 media specialists being hired. The 19 ending employment Separations (page 26) include Canyon High School Administrator Mr. Scott Soukup. The Leave of Absence list (page 25) includes extending the leave of absence granted to former Villa Park High School Principal Rod Hust (who took a job at another school district) for another year.
Qualified Special Education teachers continue to be a problem to retain in Orange Unified. The on page 49-50 of the August 24th OUSD Board Agenda are Waivers granted to 20 Special Education Teachers who have not met all the state requirements to Provide Instruction to Limited English Proficient Students. The teachers receiving waivers will be at the following schools: Canyon Hills TMR- 2 teacher waivers; Canyon H.S.-3 teacher waivers; Cambridge- 1 teacher waiver; Crescent Intermediate-1 teacher waiver; Crescent Primary-1 teacher waiver; El Modena -2 teacher waivers; Fairhaven-1 teacher waiver; McPherson Magnet- 1 teacher waiver; Orange H.S. – 2 teacher waivers; Portola M.S.- 1 teacher waiver; Riverdale-1 teacher waiver; Taft- 2 teacher waivers; Villa Park H.S. 1- teacher waiver.
Community Gifts to OUSD included: Villa Park Rotary Club- 2 Del Computers to Cerro Villa M.S.; El Modena Band Boosters- $2,000 to El Modena H.S. for transportation costs; Pacific Life Foundation $2,500 to Running Springs; Linda Vista PTA- $30,000 to Linda Vista for the computer lab; McPherson PTA- $21,384 to McPherson for rewiring two buildings. For a complete list of community donations see page 6 and 7 of the Agenda.
CORRECTION: In the August 20th Orange Unified Schools DIGEST ONN incorrecly identified OUSD Trustee Melissa Smith as abstaining on the 1.5% "me too" increase to the CSEA Union. Smith voted for it. Trustee Steve Rocco abstained.
Digest’s EDUCATIONAL TAX DOLLARS WATCH 2006
“We’re a $220 million dollar business; we’re going to spend the money somewhere.”-OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma 9/22/05
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2006: $ 849,717.00:
2006 Consultant Fee Tally:
6/22/06 Douglas DeVore Speech $ 2,000
6/08/06 Focus on Results $164,400
3/09/06 Bob Sadler 3 Day Workshop $ 10,000
Total $176,400
2006 Attorney Fee Tally:
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $100,000
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $ 50,000
7/20/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 30,000
6/22/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 50,000
6/22/06 Parker & Covert $175,000
4/20/06 Parker & Covert: $ 50,000
1/19/06 Parker & Covert: $200,000
Total $655,000
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel:
2/9/06 Roney and 5 principals to Florida $ 10,623
2/23/06 Roney and 2 principals Tx/ Fl $ 4,050
3/09/06 2 to Florida Conference $ 3,644
Total $ 18,317
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2005: $ 978,300.000:
Total 2005 Conference Administrator/Board Fees: $ 7,500.00
2005 Attorney Fee Tally: $730,600.00
Total Watched 2005 OUSD Consultant spending: $ 270,200.00
The next Orange Unified School Board Meeting: AUGUST 24, 2006
Closed Session will begin at 6:30 pm, Regular Session remains at 7:30 pm
To view the Agenda CLICK ON http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/
(Note: the OUSD website has been experiencing problems from a recent upgrade and may be down for periods of time).
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions Just call Jon at the Business Services at 714-628-4015
Orange Unified Schools Digest is an independent news service of
/O/N/N/
OUSD Below O.C.
Results released by the state this week show Orange County school districts posted higher scores on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) than the state average for the Math and English Language Arts basic skills test given in the last school year. Orange Unified School District had 2% lower passing Math Scores than the Orange County average and 1 percentage higher passing in the English scores than the county average. In addition, OUSD students in the federally mandated reportable subgroups continued to struggle despite millions of educational tax dollars spent by the OUSD Administration’s pet consultant training program, Focus on Results.
District wide, 68% of OUSD students passed the Math portion of the CAHSSE and 70% of OUSD students passed the English Language portion compared to 69% countywide. Big problems in pass rates continue among the sub-group populations in OUSD (in the 10 following categories, OUSD students only outperformed the county average in the two areas signified by an asterisk*).
OUSD Sub Group Scores
Special Education: Math-Orange County 29% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 20%. English- Orange County 31% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 29%.
English Learners: Math-Orange County 41% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 34%. English- Orange County 34% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 31%.
Redesignated (now Fluent) English Learners: Math-Orange County 89% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 86%. English- Orange County 93% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 95%*.
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Math-Orange County 56% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 52%. English- Orange County 52% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 54%*.
Not Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Math-Orange County 79% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 76%. English- Orange County 82% pass rate, in OUSD the rate was 79%.
The following are the percentage of OUSD students in each high school who passed the CASHEE:
Canyon H.S.- Math- 86% English- 87%
A high point in the Canyon scores was the Socially Economically Disadvantaged: Math 83% pass; English 84% pass. Special Education continues to be a problem with 33% passing in Math; and 37% passing in English.
El Modena H.S.- Math- 70% English- 72%
The English Learners subgroup continues to be a problem with 33% passing in Math; and 34% passing in English.
Orange H.S- Math- 55% English- 58%
A high point of the Orange scores was the Redesignated (now Fluent) English Learners 97% passed the English test. Special Education continues to be a problem with 10% passing in Math; and 22% passing in English.
Richland Continuation H.S.- Math- 31% English- 36%
Special Education continues to be a problem with 2% passing in Math; and 8% passing in English.
Villa Park H.S.- Math- 81% English- 81%
A high point of the Villa Park scores was the Redesignated (now Fluent) English Learners, 100% passed the English test. Special Education continues to be a problem with 26% passing in Math; and 23 % passing in English.
To view school and district scores CLICK ON: http://cahsee.cde.ca.gov/reports.asp
AUGUST 24th OUSD School Board Meeting Agenda
The Orange Unified School Board will meet August 24th in regular session. The agenda has one Action Item, Item 12 A (page 2-3) to Enter into a Multi-Year Financing of Energy Conservation Project.
The Certificated Personnel Report (page 24-25) has 31 teachers, 1 psychologist, and 1 media specialists being hired. The 19 ending employment Separations (page 26) include Canyon High School Administrator Mr. Scott Soukup. The Leave of Absence list (page 25) includes extending the leave of absence granted to former Villa Park High School Principal Rod Hust (who took a job at another school district) for another year.
Qualified Special Education teachers continue to be a problem to retain in Orange Unified. The on page 49-50 of the August 24th OUSD Board Agenda are Waivers granted to 20 Special Education Teachers who have not met all the state requirements to Provide Instruction to Limited English Proficient Students. The teachers receiving waivers will be at the following schools: Canyon Hills TMR- 2 teacher waivers; Canyon H.S.-3 teacher waivers; Cambridge- 1 teacher waiver; Crescent Intermediate-1 teacher waiver; Crescent Primary-1 teacher waiver; El Modena -2 teacher waivers; Fairhaven-1 teacher waiver; McPherson Magnet- 1 teacher waiver; Orange H.S. – 2 teacher waivers; Portola M.S.- 1 teacher waiver; Riverdale-1 teacher waiver; Taft- 2 teacher waivers; Villa Park H.S. 1- teacher waiver.
Community Gifts to OUSD included: Villa Park Rotary Club- 2 Del Computers to Cerro Villa M.S.; El Modena Band Boosters- $2,000 to El Modena H.S. for transportation costs; Pacific Life Foundation $2,500 to Running Springs; Linda Vista PTA- $30,000 to Linda Vista for the computer lab; McPherson PTA- $21,384 to McPherson for rewiring two buildings. For a complete list of community donations see page 6 and 7 of the Agenda.
CORRECTION: In the August 20th Orange Unified Schools DIGEST ONN incorrecly identified OUSD Trustee Melissa Smith as abstaining on the 1.5% "me too" increase to the CSEA Union. Smith voted for it. Trustee Steve Rocco abstained.
Digest’s EDUCATIONAL TAX DOLLARS WATCH 2006
“We’re a $220 million dollar business; we’re going to spend the money somewhere.”-OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma 9/22/05
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2006: $ 849,717.00:
2006 Consultant Fee Tally:
6/22/06 Douglas DeVore Speech $ 2,000
6/08/06 Focus on Results $164,400
3/09/06 Bob Sadler 3 Day Workshop $ 10,000
Total $176,400
2006 Attorney Fee Tally:
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $100,000
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $ 50,000
7/20/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 30,000
6/22/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 50,000
6/22/06 Parker & Covert $175,000
4/20/06 Parker & Covert: $ 50,000
1/19/06 Parker & Covert: $200,000
Total $655,000
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel:
2/9/06 Roney and 5 principals to Florida $ 10,623
2/23/06 Roney and 2 principals Tx/ Fl $ 4,050
3/09/06 2 to Florida Conference $ 3,644
Total $ 18,317
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2005: $ 978,300.000:
Total 2005 Conference Administrator/Board Fees: $ 7,500.00
2005 Attorney Fee Tally: $730,600.00
Total Watched 2005 OUSD Consultant spending: $ 270,200.00
The next Orange Unified School Board Meeting: AUGUST 24, 2006
Closed Session will begin at 6:30 pm, Regular Session remains at 7:30 pm
To view the Agenda CLICK ON http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/
(Note: the OUSD website has been experiencing problems from a recent upgrade and may be down for periods of time).
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions Just call Jon at the Business Services at 714-628-4015
Orange Unified Schools Digest is an independent news service of
/O/N/N/
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Orange Unified Schools DIGEST
During the months of July and August, the Orange Unified School Board meets once a month. The following is a recap of the July 20th, 2006 meeting. The August meeting will be held August 24th. A report on the August 24th meeting agenda will be ecast next week.
OUSD TRUSTEE LEDESMA QUESTIONS
“CONFLICT of INTEREST”
Continuing in his role as a community fiscal watchdog, Orange Unified School District Trustee Rick Ledesma questioned the additional 1.5% raise proposal for OUSD Administrators at the last OUSD School Board Meeting held on July 20, 2006. In addition, Ledesma in his characteristic outside-the-box problem solving approach to education, called for OUSD to end automatic “me too” style pay raises and called for placing OUSD administrators on a merit pay system. The OUSD Administrators had been given 3.25 % pay hike when the support staff (represented by the California School Employees Association: CSEA) settled contract negotiations for that amount. However, after the district teachers reached a settlement for a pay hike 1.5% higher than the CSEA settlement, the OUSD Administration requested that the leadership also receive the same raise as the teachers received for “equality”. Ledesma (who separated the administrative pay item from a similar raise for the support staff) again questioned what he called the continued practice of granting the highest raise to everyone.
Ledesma has consistently questioned the practice of these so called “me too” raises that take place without negotiations with the administrators. Ledesma has reasoned that in negotiations with employee associations that a give-and-take ensues that results in some benefit to the employer (OUSD) in return for the increase in pay. However, with the “me too” raise, Ledesma contends the school district receives no benefit from just granting OUSD Administrators the same raise as the employee unions received in the give-and-take of negotiations. At the July meeting, Ledesma also called the practice a “conflict of interest” because the administrators who are negotiating with the employee associations for raises know they will receive the highest raise that results from the negotiations. As usual Ledesma also offered a solution; he called for either OUSD’s attorney to conduct the negotiations alone, or for the administrators to be placed on a merit system that would end the automatic across the board pay hikes.
OUSD Superintendent Dr. Godley’s stated it was his goal to make everything equal so all employees were treated the same and stated that this was common practice across the state. However, Godley’s statement that the granting of the higher raise was a precedent and would be granted to any bargaining unit that settled early was carefully rebuked later by OUSD Attorney Spencer Covert. Stating that the vote before them was “non-binding” and not a “past practice” as legally defined in employee relations law, Covert insisted that the school board had the power to act on the item as a “stand alone item” without binding legal precedent for the future.
Trustee Wes Poutsma, a former OUSD administrator, was the only trustee who spoke out in support of the measure. Actions however spoke louder than the silence of the other trustees as the item passed 5-2 with Trustees Poutsma, Melissa Smith, Kathy Moffat, Kim Nichols and John Ortega voting “yes” and Ledesma and Steve Rocco voting “no”. Steve Rocco abstained from the vote for the CSEA support staff receiving the same 1.5% “me-too” increase (that vote passed 6 – 0 with 1 abstention)
Later, Ledesma also continued his long standing policy since the OUSD Administration’s attempt to revoke the Santiago Middle School Charter to vote against any payments to the “Santiago Revocation law firm” of Miller, Brown & Dannis. The July 20th Agenda included a Consent Item (automatically voted on and approved) that would cost OUSD an additional $30,000 for fee increases to what some locally see as the “notorious” law firm behind the Santiago Revocation Report. Ledesma called for a separate vote on the fee increase which passed 6-2 with Ledesma and Rocco voting against approval and all the other trustees voting to approve the $30,000 to cover the fee increase from Miller, Brown & Dannis.
Freshman Seminar Course Approved
At the July 20th Orange Unified School District School Board Meeting, the OUSD staff approved the Freshman Seminar Course. There has been some community opposition to the course from parents and honor students who claimed the course would not help honor students. The OUSD Administration took the community critiques to heart by offering a Freshman Seminar with an Honors Freshman Seminar component and a parent opt out waiver.
However the opt out waiver may prove problematic for students. Ninth graders opting out of the semester course will be required to make-up the required Health Course that the Freshman Seminar is coupled with in the ninth grade year. OUSD Secondary Executive Director Fran Roney explained in her report to the OUSD Board before they voted to approve the course that those students who opt out will take a year long elective (to be determined by each high school), but those students be required to take the state required Health Course as an online class or in summer school.
Roney leaves us with “Rigor” a word with No Relevance or Relationship
President Clinton’s famous twisted “that depends on what is is” explanation pales in comparison to the latest assault on the English language by edu-crats (education bureaucrats) mumbo- jumble hijacking of the word “rigor”. In a classic example of using-a-word-without-meaning-to-mean-what-you-want-people-to-think-you-know-what-your-saying, the education worlds embrace of “rigor” is all the rage in educational jargon which again shows why education bureaucrats continue to distance themselves from the everyday voters they serve. In what is most likely her last report before the OUSD Board before her retirement, OUSD Director of Secondary Education Fran Roney proved to be on the cutting edge of education-speak as she sails into the “rigorless” sunset of retirement with her over use of the ridiculous educational buzz word “rigor”. Roney used the re-invented word nine times in what will most likely be her final report before the Board, her 20 minute report on the Freshman Seminar Course. Roney’s “rigor” in using a form of “rigor” averaged once every 4.5 minutes in her 20 minute presentation. Not to be out done, Trustee Smith was quick to jump on the “rigor” bandwagon sprinkling her 2 minutes of comments on Roney’s report with a total of three “rigors”, thus averaging a “rigor” moment every 1.5 minutes. Poor Trustee Rocco seemed to prove his inadequacy by only saying “rigor” once in his very extensive positive comments on Roney’s report.
To see what “rigor” really means CLICK ON http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rigour.
The next time you hear an “educated” person use “rigor” ask them what "rigor" “is” and listen to the real words they use to describe it. Of course, former President Clinton probably has his own ideas of what “rigor” “is”.
Nichols responds to move next to Godley: It was Godley’s idea
Board President Kim Nichols who finally answered the question so many people want to know: Why did you move from the traditional President's position at the center of the dais down to the end next to Godley who moved up to the top of the dais? Nichols responds: it was Godley’s idea.
Responding to the inquiry by Rocco, Nichols also contended that as a President she can sit anywhere she wants. Then in one of the more comical moments she asserted that one reason she moved was from her position on the end she could see the whole board and stated (as she moved her head from left to right) she would not have to look back and forth. Godley also defended the move saying that’s how all the district’s his been in did it (except of course OUSD until he became Superintendent).
To end the discussion, Nichols invoked the night of the death of Councilman Steve Ambriz. Nichols stated that everyone was so upset that it was a good thing she was sitting next to Godley that night. Apparently, none of the other experienced Board members took offense.
“We’re a $220 million dollar business; we’re going to spend the money somewhere.”
-OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma 9/22/05
Digest’s EDUCATIONAL TAX DOLLARS WATCH 2006
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2006: $ 849,717.00:
2006 Consultant Fee Tally:
6/22/06 Douglas DeVore Speech $ 2,000
6/08/06 Focus on Results $164,400
3/09/06 Bob Sadler 3 Day Workshop $ 10,000
Total $176,400
2006 Attorney Fee Tally:
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $100,000
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $ 50,000
7/20/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 30,000
6/22/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 50,000
6/22/06 Parker & Covert $175,000
4/20/06 Parker & Covert: $ 50,000
1/19/06 Parker & Covert: $200,000
Total $655,000
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel:
2/9/06 Roney and 5 principals to Florida $ 10,623
2/23/06 Roney and 2 principals Tx/ Fl $ 4,050
3/09/06 2 to Florida Conference $ 3,644
Total $ 18,317
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2005: $ 978,300.000:
Total 2005 Conference Administrator/Board Fees: $ 7,500.00
2005 Attorney Fee Tally: $730,600.00
Total Watched 2005 OUSD Consultant spending: $ 270,200.00
The next Orange Unified School Board Meeting: AUGUST 24, 2006
Closed Session will begin at 6:30 pm, Regular Session remains at 7:30 pm
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions Just call Jon at the Business Services at 714-628-4015
Orange Unified Schools Digest is an independent news service of
/O/N/N/
OUSD TRUSTEE LEDESMA QUESTIONS
“CONFLICT of INTEREST”
Continuing in his role as a community fiscal watchdog, Orange Unified School District Trustee Rick Ledesma questioned the additional 1.5% raise proposal for OUSD Administrators at the last OUSD School Board Meeting held on July 20, 2006. In addition, Ledesma in his characteristic outside-the-box problem solving approach to education, called for OUSD to end automatic “me too” style pay raises and called for placing OUSD administrators on a merit pay system. The OUSD Administrators had been given 3.25 % pay hike when the support staff (represented by the California School Employees Association: CSEA) settled contract negotiations for that amount. However, after the district teachers reached a settlement for a pay hike 1.5% higher than the CSEA settlement, the OUSD Administration requested that the leadership also receive the same raise as the teachers received for “equality”. Ledesma (who separated the administrative pay item from a similar raise for the support staff) again questioned what he called the continued practice of granting the highest raise to everyone.
Ledesma has consistently questioned the practice of these so called “me too” raises that take place without negotiations with the administrators. Ledesma has reasoned that in negotiations with employee associations that a give-and-take ensues that results in some benefit to the employer (OUSD) in return for the increase in pay. However, with the “me too” raise, Ledesma contends the school district receives no benefit from just granting OUSD Administrators the same raise as the employee unions received in the give-and-take of negotiations. At the July meeting, Ledesma also called the practice a “conflict of interest” because the administrators who are negotiating with the employee associations for raises know they will receive the highest raise that results from the negotiations. As usual Ledesma also offered a solution; he called for either OUSD’s attorney to conduct the negotiations alone, or for the administrators to be placed on a merit system that would end the automatic across the board pay hikes.
OUSD Superintendent Dr. Godley’s stated it was his goal to make everything equal so all employees were treated the same and stated that this was common practice across the state. However, Godley’s statement that the granting of the higher raise was a precedent and would be granted to any bargaining unit that settled early was carefully rebuked later by OUSD Attorney Spencer Covert. Stating that the vote before them was “non-binding” and not a “past practice” as legally defined in employee relations law, Covert insisted that the school board had the power to act on the item as a “stand alone item” without binding legal precedent for the future.
Trustee Wes Poutsma, a former OUSD administrator, was the only trustee who spoke out in support of the measure. Actions however spoke louder than the silence of the other trustees as the item passed 5-2 with Trustees Poutsma, Melissa Smith, Kathy Moffat, Kim Nichols and John Ortega voting “yes” and Ledesma and Steve Rocco voting “no”. Steve Rocco abstained from the vote for the CSEA support staff receiving the same 1.5% “me-too” increase (that vote passed 6 – 0 with 1 abstention)
Later, Ledesma also continued his long standing policy since the OUSD Administration’s attempt to revoke the Santiago Middle School Charter to vote against any payments to the “Santiago Revocation law firm” of Miller, Brown & Dannis. The July 20th Agenda included a Consent Item (automatically voted on and approved) that would cost OUSD an additional $30,000 for fee increases to what some locally see as the “notorious” law firm behind the Santiago Revocation Report. Ledesma called for a separate vote on the fee increase which passed 6-2 with Ledesma and Rocco voting against approval and all the other trustees voting to approve the $30,000 to cover the fee increase from Miller, Brown & Dannis.
Freshman Seminar Course Approved
At the July 20th Orange Unified School District School Board Meeting, the OUSD staff approved the Freshman Seminar Course. There has been some community opposition to the course from parents and honor students who claimed the course would not help honor students. The OUSD Administration took the community critiques to heart by offering a Freshman Seminar with an Honors Freshman Seminar component and a parent opt out waiver.
However the opt out waiver may prove problematic for students. Ninth graders opting out of the semester course will be required to make-up the required Health Course that the Freshman Seminar is coupled with in the ninth grade year. OUSD Secondary Executive Director Fran Roney explained in her report to the OUSD Board before they voted to approve the course that those students who opt out will take a year long elective (to be determined by each high school), but those students be required to take the state required Health Course as an online class or in summer school.
Roney leaves us with “Rigor” a word with No Relevance or Relationship
President Clinton’s famous twisted “that depends on what is is” explanation pales in comparison to the latest assault on the English language by edu-crats (education bureaucrats) mumbo- jumble hijacking of the word “rigor”. In a classic example of using-a-word-without-meaning-to-mean-what-you-want-people-to-think-you-know-what-your-saying, the education worlds embrace of “rigor” is all the rage in educational jargon which again shows why education bureaucrats continue to distance themselves from the everyday voters they serve. In what is most likely her last report before the OUSD Board before her retirement, OUSD Director of Secondary Education Fran Roney proved to be on the cutting edge of education-speak as she sails into the “rigorless” sunset of retirement with her over use of the ridiculous educational buzz word “rigor”. Roney used the re-invented word nine times in what will most likely be her final report before the Board, her 20 minute report on the Freshman Seminar Course. Roney’s “rigor” in using a form of “rigor” averaged once every 4.5 minutes in her 20 minute presentation. Not to be out done, Trustee Smith was quick to jump on the “rigor” bandwagon sprinkling her 2 minutes of comments on Roney’s report with a total of three “rigors”, thus averaging a “rigor” moment every 1.5 minutes. Poor Trustee Rocco seemed to prove his inadequacy by only saying “rigor” once in his very extensive positive comments on Roney’s report.
To see what “rigor” really means CLICK ON http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rigour.
The next time you hear an “educated” person use “rigor” ask them what "rigor" “is” and listen to the real words they use to describe it. Of course, former President Clinton probably has his own ideas of what “rigor” “is”.
Nichols responds to move next to Godley: It was Godley’s ideaBoard President Kim Nichols who finally answered the question so many people want to know: Why did you move from the traditional President's position at the center of the dais down to the end next to Godley who moved up to the top of the dais? Nichols responds: it was Godley’s idea.
Responding to the inquiry by Rocco, Nichols also contended that as a President she can sit anywhere she wants. Then in one of the more comical moments she asserted that one reason she moved was from her position on the end she could see the whole board and stated (as she moved her head from left to right) she would not have to look back and forth. Godley also defended the move saying that’s how all the district’s his been in did it (except of course OUSD until he became Superintendent).
To end the discussion, Nichols invoked the night of the death of Councilman Steve Ambriz. Nichols stated that everyone was so upset that it was a good thing she was sitting next to Godley that night. Apparently, none of the other experienced Board members took offense.
“We’re a $220 million dollar business; we’re going to spend the money somewhere.”
-OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma 9/22/05
Digest’s EDUCATIONAL TAX DOLLARS WATCH 2006
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2006: $ 849,717.00:
2006 Consultant Fee Tally:
6/22/06 Douglas DeVore Speech $ 2,000
6/08/06 Focus on Results $164,400
3/09/06 Bob Sadler 3 Day Workshop $ 10,000
Total $176,400
2006 Attorney Fee Tally:
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $100,000
7/20/06 Parker & Covert $ 50,000
7/20/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 30,000
6/22/06 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 50,000
6/22/06 Parker & Covert $175,000
4/20/06 Parker & Covert: $ 50,000
1/19/06 Parker & Covert: $200,000
Total $655,000
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel:
2/9/06 Roney and 5 principals to Florida $ 10,623
2/23/06 Roney and 2 principals Tx/ Fl $ 4,050
3/09/06 2 to Florida Conference $ 3,644
Total $ 18,317
Total for Watched Tax Dollars spent in 2005: $ 978,300.000:
Total 2005 Conference Administrator/Board Fees: $ 7,500.00
2005 Attorney Fee Tally: $730,600.00
Total Watched 2005 OUSD Consultant spending: $ 270,200.00
The next Orange Unified School Board Meeting: AUGUST 24, 2006
Closed Session will begin at 6:30 pm, Regular Session remains at 7:30 pm
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions Just call Jon at the Business Services at 714-628-4015
Orange Unified Schools Digest is an independent news service of
/O/N/N/
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
eLECTION Watch 2006 8/16/06 6:00 p.m.
A Dozen Candidates Seek Orange City Council
With the Wednesday August 16th deadline six more candidates filed their papers for the open Orange City Council seats bringing the final total to 12 including Mayor Mark Murphy.
As of AUGUST 16 6:00 p.m.
Orange City Council Final Candidates
Deadline August 16th
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
Arnold Crain
Frank Finn
Andrew Hinger
Phil Martinez
Robert Douglas
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
John Caglia
Brett Mullins
Carol Rudat
The following have pulled papers, but did not file:
Jason Lindstrom
Mike Merino
Fred Whitaker
Katie Grant
Jeremy Wayland
Orange MayorOFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Andrea Simmons-England
Villa Park City Council
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
8/10/06 George Cardenas
Businessman/Parent
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 4
Officially filed 8/8/06
8/11/06 Denise Bittel
Businesswomen
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Officially filed 8/11/06
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/11/06
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/10/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Henderson (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Orange Net News would like to thank the people and staffs of the following offices for their outstanding work and cooperation in getting the information to the public and making our democracy work:
Mary E. Murphy, City of Orange City Clerk and her City Clerk staff
Ken Domer, City Manager City of Villa Park and his City Hall staff
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Staff
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
With the Wednesday August 16th deadline six more candidates filed their papers for the open Orange City Council seats bringing the final total to 12 including Mayor Mark Murphy.
As of AUGUST 16 6:00 p.m.
Orange City Council Final Candidates
Deadline August 16th
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
Arnold Crain
Frank Finn
Andrew Hinger
Phil Martinez
Robert Douglas
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
John Caglia
Brett Mullins
Carol Rudat
The following have pulled papers, but did not file:
Jason Lindstrom
Mike Merino
Fred Whitaker
Katie Grant
Jeremy Wayland
Orange MayorOFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Andrea Simmons-England
Villa Park City Council
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
8/10/06 George Cardenas
Businessman/Parent
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 4
Officially filed 8/8/06
8/11/06 Denise Bittel
Businesswomen
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Officially filed 8/11/06
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/11/06
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/10/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Henderson (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Orange Net News would like to thank the people and staffs of the following offices for their outstanding work and cooperation in getting the information to the public and making our democracy work:
Mary E. Murphy, City of Orange City Clerk and her City Clerk staff
Ken Domer, City Manager City of Villa Park and his City Hall staff
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Staff
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
eLECTION Watch 2006 UPDATE 8/15/06
Two More Candidates Pull Papers For Orange City Council
As the Wednesday August 16th deadline approaches, two more candidates have pulled papers for the Orange City Council Race bringing the total to 17. Three more candidates, Frank Fin, Andrew Hinger and Phil Martinez have officially filed.
The filing Deadline is 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 16th.
As of AUGUST 15, 2006 6:00 p.m.
Orange City Council
Deadline August 16th
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
Arnold Crain
Frank Finn
Andrew Hinger
Phil Martinez
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Katie Grant
Brett Mullins
Carol Rudat
Jeremy Wayland
Orange MayorOFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Andrea Simmons-England
Villa Park City Council
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
8/10/06 George Cardenas
Businessman/Parent
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 4
Officially filed 8/8/06
8/11/06 Denise Bittel
Businesswomen
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Officially filed 8/11/06
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/11/06
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/10/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Henderson (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Orange Net News would like to thank the people and staffs of the following offices for their outstanding work and cooperation in getting the information to the public and making our democracy work:
Mary E. Murphy, City of Orange City Clerk and her City Clerk staff
Ken Domer, City Manager City of Villa Park and his City Hall staff
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Staff
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
ÓIndependent, Local, News and ViewpointsÔ
As the Wednesday August 16th deadline approaches, two more candidates have pulled papers for the Orange City Council Race bringing the total to 17. Three more candidates, Frank Fin, Andrew Hinger and Phil Martinez have officially filed.
The filing Deadline is 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 16th.
As of AUGUST 15, 2006 6:00 p.m.
Orange City Council
Deadline August 16th
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
Arnold Crain
Frank Finn
Andrew Hinger
Phil Martinez
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Katie Grant
Brett Mullins
Carol Rudat
Jeremy Wayland
Orange MayorOFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Andrea Simmons-England
Villa Park City Council
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
8/10/06 George Cardenas
Businessman/Parent
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 4
Officially filed 8/8/06
8/11/06 Denise Bittel
Businesswomen
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Officially filed 8/11/06
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/11/06
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/10/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Henderson (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Orange Net News would like to thank the people and staffs of the following offices for their outstanding work and cooperation in getting the information to the public and making our democracy work:
Mary E. Murphy, City of Orange City Clerk and her City Clerk staff
Ken Domer, City Manager City of Villa Park and his City Hall staff
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Staff
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
ÓIndependent, Local, News and ViewpointsÔ
Monday, August 14, 2006
Orange Unified Schools Digest
CALIFORNIA STATE TESTING DUE THIS MONTH
Schools throughout California and in Orange Unified will be bracing themselves for the latest battery of state testing reports due out this week. With November elections for four OUSD Trustee seats, the results could also have a political implication.
The Orange Unified School District Administration has invested heavily in the OUSD Focus on Results program spending millions on a program that OUSD Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Cohen has championed. Unable to fully explain the program, Cohen told the OUSD Trustees the OUSD Focus on Results program was akin to "marriage encounter training". After millions spent on the Focus on Results "marriage encounter training OUSD has not seen a significant increase in its student test scores over what the rest of California has experienced without the investment in what local watchdogs call OUSD's FOCUS ON CONSULTANTS. Many test experts and educators attribute most of the gain in test scores throughout California not to better teaching or learning, but gains in the learning curve of how to teach to the test. In fact despite its millions invested in Focus on Results, Orange Unified has had a steady increase in state identified Underperforming Schools (only OUSD's Orange High School has managed to come off the OUSD Underperforming Schools list)with only Santa Ana Unified having more state identified Underperforming Schools than OUSD.
The California Department of Education releases the scores to the schools before it releases the scores to the public. The following are the public release dates.
TESTING RESULTS RELEASE SCHEDULE
AUGUST 17th
STAR Test
Tests overall and individual student school performance in several areas on a standardized test on the academic standards for the tested subject and grade level
AUGUST 22
California HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM (CAHSEE)
For the first time scores will be broken down by school district
AUGUST 31
Academic Performance Index (API)
State school performance measurement index that includes the STAR Testing as one of the factors
AUGUST 31
Academic Yearly Progress (AYP)
The mandated federal required report under No Child Left Behind that determines if mandated goals (including "sub groups") are being met by schools and school districts
Schools throughout California and in Orange Unified will be bracing themselves for the latest battery of state testing reports due out this week. With November elections for four OUSD Trustee seats, the results could also have a political implication.
The Orange Unified School District Administration has invested heavily in the OUSD Focus on Results program spending millions on a program that OUSD Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Cohen has championed. Unable to fully explain the program, Cohen told the OUSD Trustees the OUSD Focus on Results program was akin to "marriage encounter training". After millions spent on the Focus on Results "marriage encounter training OUSD has not seen a significant increase in its student test scores over what the rest of California has experienced without the investment in what local watchdogs call OUSD's FOCUS ON CONSULTANTS. Many test experts and educators attribute most of the gain in test scores throughout California not to better teaching or learning, but gains in the learning curve of how to teach to the test. In fact despite its millions invested in Focus on Results, Orange Unified has had a steady increase in state identified Underperforming Schools (only OUSD's Orange High School has managed to come off the OUSD Underperforming Schools list)with only Santa Ana Unified having more state identified Underperforming Schools than OUSD.
The California Department of Education releases the scores to the schools before it releases the scores to the public. The following are the public release dates.
TESTING RESULTS RELEASE SCHEDULE
AUGUST 17th
STAR Test
Tests overall and individual student school performance in several areas on a standardized test on the academic standards for the tested subject and grade level
AUGUST 22
California HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM (CAHSEE)
For the first time scores will be broken down by school district
AUGUST 31
Academic Performance Index (API)
State school performance measurement index that includes the STAR Testing as one of the factors
AUGUST 31
Academic Yearly Progress (AYP)
The mandated federal required report under No Child Left Behind that determines if mandated goals (including "sub groups") are being met by schools and school districts
Friday, August 11, 2006
eLECTION Watch 2006
UPDATE 8/11/06
6:30 p.m.
SPECIAL REPORT
• George Cardenas withdraws from OUSD Area 1 then files in Area 5 race
• Last Minute Orange Mayoral Candidate makes August 11th Deadline
DENISE BITTEL TO CHALLENGE KATHY MOFFAT
“It is my greatest desire to be elected and to help direct the Orange Unified School District in a more positive direction”
-Denise Bittel
Community and education activist Denise Bittel has announced that she will become a candidate in Trustee Area 4 of the Orange Unified School District. Trustee Area 4 (mostly comprised of Villa Park) is currently represented by Trustee Kathy Moffat.
In a released statement (see below), Bittel said her decision was based on “much thought” and the “urging of several respected community members”. Bittel further stated that she watched and waited for another “viable candidate” to challenge Moffat and “at this time it is apparent that the only candidate who has committed to running is the current incumbent”.
Bittel’s challenge to unseat Moffat is an exceptionally strong bid. Bittel is an Event Planner and is a longtime resident of the Greater Orange Communities. Her husband Brett Bittel is Senior Vice President of Enterprise Rent-A-Car of Southern California and they have three children who are products of OUSD schools. Both Brett and Denise Bittel are well known and active throughout the community at all levels. With all three children at one time or another attending Villa Park High School, Denise’s long history of volunteer work led to her position as President of the Villa Park High School PFSO and a member of the Villa Park H.S. School Site Council. In addition, Bittel is President of the Orange Education Foundation, a member of the OUSD Curriculum Council, and a leader of the OUSD Legislative Coalition. She is also a subcommittee member of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
Other local volunteer work includes: being on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Orange; a 15 year member of the Villa Park Women’s League; Public Relations Chair of the Villa Park Summerfest; and in the Bereavement Ministry of St. Norbert’s Catholic Church.
In addition, Bittel is no stranger to politics, locally active in fundraising and local political races, Bittel was also the OUSD Measure A Campaign Coordinator, and has served as Campaign Treasurer for both OUSD Trustee John Ortega and OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma. While the trustee race is non-partisan, Bittel’s Republican Party ties in overwhelmingly Republican Villa Park, Orange and Anaheim Hills will most likely work to her advantage in trying to unseat longtime Democrat Kathy Moffat.
How the Bittel v Moffat race will impact the proposed President’s Slate of OUSD trustee incumbents (Moffat, Kim Nichols and Lisa Smith) could be the critical key to control of the OUSD School Board. The OUSD Area 4 race, and the promising heated Villa Park City Council race, squarely places Villa Park in the epicenter of the November 2006 Election in the Greater Orange Communities. In November, perhaps as Villa Park goes…so goes the Greater Orange Communities.
Below is Denise Bittel’s full statement announcing she would file for election on Friday August 11th, 2006:
“After giving much thought to the OUSD School Board Election, and upon the urging of several respected community members, I have decided to become a candidate for the Orange Unified School District Board of Education representing Trustee Area 4.
For the past few weeks, I have followed, with interest, the day to day activities in the School Board elections. I was hoping that another viable candidate would choose to run in Trustee Area 4, however at this time it is apparent that the only candidate who has committed to running is the current incumbent.
It is my greatest desire to be elected and to help direct the Orange Unified School District in a more positive direction in the education of our students and in preparing them to compete in the global economy. It is also my desire to work with all community partners in helping to restore this school district and the community to the position of strength that it once had achieved.”
Denise
Last Orange Mayoral Candidate Pulls Papers and files on Deadline Day
Andrea Simmons-England became the fourth official Orange mayoral candidate after pulling papers, then returning them later in the day on the deadline day August 11th, 2006. Simmons-England will face Carolyn Cavecche (current council member), Mike Alvarez (former council member), and Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas in November.
George Cardenas enters OUSD Trustee Area 5 Race
On Thursday August 10th, Greater Orange Community businessman George Cardenas pulled papers to enter the race in OUSD Trustee Area 5. On Friday, August 11th, Cardenas, who lives in Anaheim Hills, withdrew from Area 5 and officially filed in OUSD Trustee Area 1 (mostly encompassing Anaheim Hills) where he will face incumbent Melissa Smith and Alexia Deligianni director of the OC Young Republican. In OUSD, a candidate must live in the trustee area of the seat they run for, but everyone in Orange Unified votes in each Trustee Area election.
Cardenas is a former aide to Todd Spitzer when he was an Orange County Supervisor and is an alternate for the Republican Party Central Committee.
As of AUGUST 11, 2006 6:00 p.m.
Orange MayorOFFICAL CANDIDATES
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Andrea Simmons-England
Villa Park City Council
OFFICAL CANDIDATES
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange City Council
Deadline August 16th
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
Arnold Crain
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Katie Grant
Andrew Hinger
Brett Mullins
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
8/10/06 George Cardenas
Businessman/Parent
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 4
Officially filed 8/8/06
8/11/06 Denise Bittel
Businesswomen
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Officially filed 8/11/06
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/11/06
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/10/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Orange Net News would like to thank the people and staffs of the following offices for their outstanding work and cooperation in getting the information to the public and making our democracy work:
Mary E. Murphy, City of Orange City Clerk and her City Clerk staff
Ken Domer, City Manager City of Villa Park and his City Hall staff
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Staff
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
6:30 p.m.
SPECIAL REPORT
• George Cardenas withdraws from OUSD Area 1 then files in Area 5 race
• Last Minute Orange Mayoral Candidate makes August 11th Deadline
DENISE BITTEL TO CHALLENGE KATHY MOFFAT
“It is my greatest desire to be elected and to help direct the Orange Unified School District in a more positive direction”
-Denise Bittel
Community and education activist Denise Bittel has announced that she will become a candidate in Trustee Area 4 of the Orange Unified School District. Trustee Area 4 (mostly comprised of Villa Park) is currently represented by Trustee Kathy Moffat.
In a released statement (see below), Bittel said her decision was based on “much thought” and the “urging of several respected community members”. Bittel further stated that she watched and waited for another “viable candidate” to challenge Moffat and “at this time it is apparent that the only candidate who has committed to running is the current incumbent”.
Bittel’s challenge to unseat Moffat is an exceptionally strong bid. Bittel is an Event Planner and is a longtime resident of the Greater Orange Communities. Her husband Brett Bittel is Senior Vice President of Enterprise Rent-A-Car of Southern California and they have three children who are products of OUSD schools. Both Brett and Denise Bittel are well known and active throughout the community at all levels. With all three children at one time or another attending Villa Park High School, Denise’s long history of volunteer work led to her position as President of the Villa Park High School PFSO and a member of the Villa Park H.S. School Site Council. In addition, Bittel is President of the Orange Education Foundation, a member of the OUSD Curriculum Council, and a leader of the OUSD Legislative Coalition. She is also a subcommittee member of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
Other local volunteer work includes: being on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Orange; a 15 year member of the Villa Park Women’s League; Public Relations Chair of the Villa Park Summerfest; and in the Bereavement Ministry of St. Norbert’s Catholic Church.
In addition, Bittel is no stranger to politics, locally active in fundraising and local political races, Bittel was also the OUSD Measure A Campaign Coordinator, and has served as Campaign Treasurer for both OUSD Trustee John Ortega and OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma. While the trustee race is non-partisan, Bittel’s Republican Party ties in overwhelmingly Republican Villa Park, Orange and Anaheim Hills will most likely work to her advantage in trying to unseat longtime Democrat Kathy Moffat.
How the Bittel v Moffat race will impact the proposed President’s Slate of OUSD trustee incumbents (Moffat, Kim Nichols and Lisa Smith) could be the critical key to control of the OUSD School Board. The OUSD Area 4 race, and the promising heated Villa Park City Council race, squarely places Villa Park in the epicenter of the November 2006 Election in the Greater Orange Communities. In November, perhaps as Villa Park goes…so goes the Greater Orange Communities.
Below is Denise Bittel’s full statement announcing she would file for election on Friday August 11th, 2006:
“After giving much thought to the OUSD School Board Election, and upon the urging of several respected community members, I have decided to become a candidate for the Orange Unified School District Board of Education representing Trustee Area 4.
For the past few weeks, I have followed, with interest, the day to day activities in the School Board elections. I was hoping that another viable candidate would choose to run in Trustee Area 4, however at this time it is apparent that the only candidate who has committed to running is the current incumbent.
It is my greatest desire to be elected and to help direct the Orange Unified School District in a more positive direction in the education of our students and in preparing them to compete in the global economy. It is also my desire to work with all community partners in helping to restore this school district and the community to the position of strength that it once had achieved.”
Denise
Last Orange Mayoral Candidate Pulls Papers and files on Deadline Day
Andrea Simmons-England became the fourth official Orange mayoral candidate after pulling papers, then returning them later in the day on the deadline day August 11th, 2006. Simmons-England will face Carolyn Cavecche (current council member), Mike Alvarez (former council member), and Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas in November.
George Cardenas enters OUSD Trustee Area 5 Race
On Thursday August 10th, Greater Orange Community businessman George Cardenas pulled papers to enter the race in OUSD Trustee Area 5. On Friday, August 11th, Cardenas, who lives in Anaheim Hills, withdrew from Area 5 and officially filed in OUSD Trustee Area 1 (mostly encompassing Anaheim Hills) where he will face incumbent Melissa Smith and Alexia Deligianni director of the OC Young Republican. In OUSD, a candidate must live in the trustee area of the seat they run for, but everyone in Orange Unified votes in each Trustee Area election.
Cardenas is a former aide to Todd Spitzer when he was an Orange County Supervisor and is an alternate for the Republican Party Central Committee.
As of AUGUST 11, 2006 6:00 p.m.
Orange MayorOFFICAL CANDIDATES
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Andrea Simmons-England
Villa Park City Council
OFFICAL CANDIDATES
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange City Council
Deadline August 16th
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
Arnold Crain
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Katie Grant
Andrew Hinger
Brett Mullins
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
OFFICIAL CANDIDATES
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
8/10/06 George Cardenas
Businessman/Parent
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 4
Officially filed 8/8/06
8/11/06 Denise Bittel
Businesswomen
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
Officially filed 7/27/06
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Officially filed 8/11/06
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Officially filed 8/11/06
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/11/06
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/10/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Orange Net News would like to thank the people and staffs of the following offices for their outstanding work and cooperation in getting the information to the public and making our democracy work:
Mary E. Murphy, City of Orange City Clerk and her City Clerk staff
Ken Domer, City Manager City of Villa Park and his City Hall staff
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Staff
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
Thursday, August 10, 2006
eLECTION Watch 2006 UPDATE
a Special News Analysis series by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
ALL IN for Villa Park Council Race
Thursday August 10th the Villa Park City Hall was a busy place as four of the five possible candidates who had pulled papers followed Bradley Reese in officially filing papers for the Villa Park City Council race. Appointed incumbent Councilman Robert Fauteux, Villa Park Mayor Patricia Bortle, Republican Party Activist Deborah Pauly and community activist James Rhiens all filed nominating petitions.
As of AUGUST 10, 2006
Villa Park City Council
The following have offically filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
ALL IN for Villa Park Council Race
Thursday August 10th the Villa Park City Hall was a busy place as four of the five possible candidates who had pulled papers followed Bradley Reese in officially filing papers for the Villa Park City Council race. Appointed incumbent Councilman Robert Fauteux, Villa Park Mayor Patricia Bortle, Republican Party Activist Deborah Pauly and community activist James Rhiens all filed nominating petitions.
As of AUGUST 10, 2006
Villa Park City Council
The following have offically filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
WE ARE THE WEB
Internet Web celebs put their message of "Net neutrality" into song and dance
For information on the NET NEUTRALITY orgainization that produced this VIDEO
CLICK ON: WE ARE THE WEB
What is NET NEUTRALITY?
CLICK ON: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality
To TAKE ACTION NOW:
CLICK ON:http://netfreedomnow.org/
For information on the NET NEUTRALITY orgainization that produced this VIDEO
CLICK ON: WE ARE THE WEB
What is NET NEUTRALITY?
CLICK ON: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality
To TAKE ACTION NOW:
CLICK ON:http://netfreedomnow.org/
eLECTION Watch 2006
First Official Candidate in Villa Park Council Race
Bradley Reese was the first of the five possible candidates who took out nominating papers to run for the Villa Park City Council to turn those papers in and become an official candidate on Tuesday, August 8th. Reese is a volunteer firefighter and Villa Park’s volunteer Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Manager.
Also on Tuesday, OUSD Trustee Kathy Moffat officially filed for reelection.
As of AUGUST 8, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Andrew Hinger
Villa Park City Council
The following have filed:
Bradley Reese
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Walter Pfaff
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District Council
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/8/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 7/27/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
Bradley Reese was the first of the five possible candidates who took out nominating papers to run for the Villa Park City Council to turn those papers in and become an official candidate on Tuesday, August 8th. Reese is a volunteer firefighter and Villa Park’s volunteer Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Manager.
Also on Tuesday, OUSD Trustee Kathy Moffat officially filed for reelection.
As of AUGUST 8, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Andrew Hinger
Villa Park City Council
The following have filed:
Bradley Reese
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Walter Pfaff
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District Council
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 8/8/06
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Officially filed 7/27/06
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
Monday, August 07, 2006
eLECTION Watch 2006 8/7/06
a Special News Analysis series by Orange Net News /O/N/N/
More Papers Pulled and Filed for Orange Council Race
OUSD INCUMBENT NICHOLS FILES
Orange Unified Trustee Kim Nichols officially filed for reelection, the last OUSD incumbent to do so for the four positions up for reelection in November. With all incumbents filing, the deadline for candidate filing will be Friday August 11th. Some surprises seem in store in the final days of filing. Villa Park Area 4 Trustee Kathy Moffat, who many see as the most vulnerable of the four candidates, so far has no challengers. Melissa Smith appears to have the strongest opponent with Republican Party insider Alexia Deligianni challenging Smith for the Anaheim Hills Trustee Area #1 seat. As of August 7th, a total of seven candidates have filed for the four seats. Each candidate runs for a specific Trustee Area seat (they must reside in the area), but are elected by the voters from throughout the Orange Unified School District.
Chapman University student Andrew Hinger became the 14th person to pull papers for the November Orange City Council race. Robert Douglas joined Darren Smith in filing papers. Normally closed on Friday’s, the Orange City Clerk’s office will be open for filing on Friday August 11th. The deadline however will be August 16th because incumbent Carolyn Cavecche will not compete in the council race because she has filed for the mayor’s race.
August 11th will also be the last day for filed candidates to officially withdraw and have their names not appear on the ballot.
As of AUGUST 7, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Andrew Hinger
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Walter Pfaff
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District Council
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
More Papers Pulled and Filed for Orange Council Race
OUSD INCUMBENT NICHOLS FILES
Orange Unified Trustee Kim Nichols officially filed for reelection, the last OUSD incumbent to do so for the four positions up for reelection in November. With all incumbents filing, the deadline for candidate filing will be Friday August 11th. Some surprises seem in store in the final days of filing. Villa Park Area 4 Trustee Kathy Moffat, who many see as the most vulnerable of the four candidates, so far has no challengers. Melissa Smith appears to have the strongest opponent with Republican Party insider Alexia Deligianni challenging Smith for the Anaheim Hills Trustee Area #1 seat. As of August 7th, a total of seven candidates have filed for the four seats. Each candidate runs for a specific Trustee Area seat (they must reside in the area), but are elected by the voters from throughout the Orange Unified School District.
Chapman University student Andrew Hinger became the 14th person to pull papers for the November Orange City Council race. Robert Douglas joined Darren Smith in filing papers. Normally closed on Friday’s, the Orange City Clerk’s office will be open for filing on Friday August 11th. The deadline however will be August 16th because incumbent Carolyn Cavecche will not compete in the council race because she has filed for the mayor’s race.
August 11th will also be the last day for filed candidates to officially withdraw and have their names not appear on the ballot.
As of AUGUST 7, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed:
Darren Smith
Robert Douglas
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Andrew Hinger
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Walter Pfaff
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District Council
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
8/7/06 Kimberlee Nichols (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange eBlog daily for UPDATES
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Metro TALK
A community service of the Greater Orange Communities Organization
Orange Public Library Foundation Postpones Ambriz Fundraiser
The Steve Ambriz Memorial Golf Tournament scheduled for August 7th, 2006, at the Alta Vista Country Club in Placentia has been postponed until spring of 2007. The postponement was needed to give organizers more time to get more golfers involved. The fundraiser is being organized by the Orange Public Library Foundation and will benefit the Steve Ambriz Storytime Room at the new Orange Main Public Library. For more information please contact the event hotline at (714) 288-2404. For Steve Ambriz Memorial Website CLICK ON: http://www.steveambriz.org/ .
Orange Public Library Issues Plea
Orange Public Library officials have issued a plea to local residents and businesses in the Greater Orange Communities to help locate old fixtures from Orange’s original Carnegie Library. The Carnegie Library was demolished in 1959 to make way for the current Orange Main Library, which opened in 1961. Library officials are looking for the old library’s fixtures or furnishings might have ended up in someone’s home, office, or store. If you have something, they hope that you will consider donating the items back to the non-profit City of Orange Public Library Foundation in exchange for a tax deduction.
To donate items from Orange’s original Carnegie Library, or for additional information, please contact the library at (714) 288-2471. For more information, CLICK ON: http://www.cityoforange.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=200 .
Orange Communication System Election Coverage Kudos
The early local election coverage of the Orange Communication System’s (OCS) eLECTION Watch 2006 has garnered some highly deserved praise in the Orange County Blogsphere (O.K. full disclosure here in case you don’t know- Metro TALK is part of the OCS family of news services). The influential OC Blog took note of the “dogged reporting on who's pulling papers to run for various Orange local elected offices” and the Orange County Register’s political blog Total Buzz also mentioned the almost daily updates posted on the Greater Orange News eBlog. The Liberal OC Blog wrote "I wish there was somebody in every city doing what the people over at the Greater Orange blog are doing".
In addition, local blogs Orange Politicos and Orange Councilman Jon Dumitru’s blog Around Orange gave a nod to OCS’s coverage. To see the updated reports visit the Greater Orange News eBlog at http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/ .
To view the above mentioned blog stories:
CLICK ON: http://www.ocblog.net/ocblog/2006/08/the_roccoman_co.html
CLICK ON: http://blogs.ocregister.com/buzz/archives/oc_cities/
CLICK ON: http://www.theliberaloc.com/
CLICK ON: http://jdaroundorange.blogspot.com/
CLICK ON: http://orange-politicos.blogspot.com/2006/08/thanks-to-greater-orange-eblog-which.html
Metro TALK is a community service of the Greater Orange Communities Organization
GreaterOrangeCO@gmail.com
Metro TALK is a community service of the
: Greater Orange Communities Organization:
:GoCo:
GreaterOrangeCO@gmail.com
Orange Communication System /OCS/
Producers of
Orange Net News /O/N/N/ Metro Talk eLECTION Watch 2006
Orange Public Library Foundation Postpones Ambriz Fundraiser
The Steve Ambriz Memorial Golf Tournament scheduled for August 7th, 2006, at the Alta Vista Country Club in Placentia has been postponed until spring of 2007. The postponement was needed to give organizers more time to get more golfers involved. The fundraiser is being organized by the Orange Public Library Foundation and will benefit the Steve Ambriz Storytime Room at the new Orange Main Public Library. For more information please contact the event hotline at (714) 288-2404. For Steve Ambriz Memorial Website CLICK ON: http://www.steveambriz.org/ .
Orange Public Library Issues Plea
Orange Public Library officials have issued a plea to local residents and businesses in the Greater Orange Communities to help locate old fixtures from Orange’s original Carnegie Library. The Carnegie Library was demolished in 1959 to make way for the current Orange Main Library, which opened in 1961. Library officials are looking for the old library’s fixtures or furnishings might have ended up in someone’s home, office, or store. If you have something, they hope that you will consider donating the items back to the non-profit City of Orange Public Library Foundation in exchange for a tax deduction.
To donate items from Orange’s original Carnegie Library, or for additional information, please contact the library at (714) 288-2471. For more information, CLICK ON: http://www.cityoforange.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=200 .
Orange Communication System Election Coverage Kudos
The early local election coverage of the Orange Communication System’s (OCS) eLECTION Watch 2006 has garnered some highly deserved praise in the Orange County Blogsphere (O.K. full disclosure here in case you don’t know- Metro TALK is part of the OCS family of news services). The influential OC Blog took note of the “dogged reporting on who's pulling papers to run for various Orange local elected offices” and the Orange County Register’s political blog Total Buzz also mentioned the almost daily updates posted on the Greater Orange News eBlog. The Liberal OC Blog wrote "I wish there was somebody in every city doing what the people over at the Greater Orange blog are doing".
In addition, local blogs Orange Politicos and Orange Councilman Jon Dumitru’s blog Around Orange gave a nod to OCS’s coverage. To see the updated reports visit the Greater Orange News eBlog at http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/ .
To view the above mentioned blog stories:
CLICK ON: http://www.ocblog.net/ocblog/2006/08/the_roccoman_co.html
CLICK ON: http://blogs.ocregister.com/buzz/archives/oc_cities/
CLICK ON: http://www.theliberaloc.com/
CLICK ON: http://jdaroundorange.blogspot.com/
CLICK ON: http://orange-politicos.blogspot.com/2006/08/thanks-to-greater-orange-eblog-which.html
Metro TALK is a community service of the Greater Orange Communities Organization
GreaterOrangeCO@gmail.com
Metro TALK is a community service of the
: Greater Orange Communities Organization:
:GoCo:
GreaterOrangeCO@gmail.com
Orange Communication System /OCS/
Producers of
Orange Net News /O/N/N/ Metro Talk eLECTION Watch 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
eLECTION Watch 2006 8/4/01
Merino Decides Not To Run Endorses Others
Architect Mike Merino issued a press release stating that he has decided not to run in November for the Orange City Council or mayor’s office. Merino, who was recently appointed to the California Architects Board by Gov. Schwarzenegger, had pulled papers for both the mayor and city council races.
In addition to announcing that he would not seek election, Merino also issued a strong endorsement of Carolyn Cavecche for Mayor and both Denis Bilodeau and Mark Murphy for city council.
In the press release Merino stated;
"I am dedicated to improving our city and the best way for me to do that this year is to support good leaders like Carolyn Cavecche, Denis Bilodeau and Mark Murphy.
“Although I have decided not to run, I will continue to seek other ways to be involved with our city and to continue my involvement in our community - hopefully having an opportunity to work with each of them in the future.”
Merino further stated; “Carolyn Cavecche has convinced me that she will be a strong crime-fighter and support the needs of our police department so that our quality of life will be protected. As a shepherd of our local economy, she has promised to keep the interests of local business at the forefront of her decision-making process and ensure that the growth of our city in the east will be made carefully and that concerns for traffic safety will be addressed. She has also assured me that she will protect the interests of our local taxpayers by keeping taxes, fees, and other charges from increasing during her tenure."
"Mark Murphy and Denis Bilodeau have performed superbly. They have both impressed me with their good judgment and leadership.
“I believe that both of these men will continue to provide the representation needed as we move forward here in Orange."
For the Carolyn Cavecche for Mayor campaign website CLICK ON: http://www.carolyncavecche.com/
Darren Smith has an informational Blog for his campaign CLICK ON:http://darrenwmsmith.blogspot.com/
For the Mike Alvarez for Mayor Campaign website
CLICK ON:http://alvarezformayor.com/
As of AUGUST 3, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Darren Smith
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed and have qualified to run:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange News eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints
Architect Mike Merino issued a press release stating that he has decided not to run in November for the Orange City Council or mayor’s office. Merino, who was recently appointed to the California Architects Board by Gov. Schwarzenegger, had pulled papers for both the mayor and city council races.
In addition to announcing that he would not seek election, Merino also issued a strong endorsement of Carolyn Cavecche for Mayor and both Denis Bilodeau and Mark Murphy for city council.
In the press release Merino stated;
"I am dedicated to improving our city and the best way for me to do that this year is to support good leaders like Carolyn Cavecche, Denis Bilodeau and Mark Murphy.
“Although I have decided not to run, I will continue to seek other ways to be involved with our city and to continue my involvement in our community - hopefully having an opportunity to work with each of them in the future.”
Merino further stated; “Carolyn Cavecche has convinced me that she will be a strong crime-fighter and support the needs of our police department so that our quality of life will be protected. As a shepherd of our local economy, she has promised to keep the interests of local business at the forefront of her decision-making process and ensure that the growth of our city in the east will be made carefully and that concerns for traffic safety will be addressed. She has also assured me that she will protect the interests of our local taxpayers by keeping taxes, fees, and other charges from increasing during her tenure."
"Mark Murphy and Denis Bilodeau have performed superbly. They have both impressed me with their good judgment and leadership.
“I believe that both of these men will continue to provide the representation needed as we move forward here in Orange."
For the Carolyn Cavecche for Mayor campaign website CLICK ON: http://www.carolyncavecche.com/
Darren Smith has an informational Blog for his campaign CLICK ON:http://darrenwmsmith.blogspot.com/
For the Mike Alvarez for Mayor Campaign website
CLICK ON:http://alvarezformayor.com/
As of AUGUST 3, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Darren Smith
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed and have qualified to run:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange News eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints
eLECTION Watch 2006
Water District Incumbents File
No challengers have appeared in two special water districts that serve the Greater Orange Communities. In the Trabuco Canyon Water District, incumbent directors Glenn Acosta, Ed Mandich and Mike Safranski have filed. In the Serrano Water District, incumbent directors Ken Hernandez and Lloyd Appelman have filed.
For more information about the Trabuco Canyon Water District
CLICK ON:http://www.tcwd.ca.gov/
For more information about the Serrano Water District
CLICK ON:http://www.serranowater.org/
As of AUGUST 3, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Darren Smith
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange News eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
No challengers have appeared in two special water districts that serve the Greater Orange Communities. In the Trabuco Canyon Water District, incumbent directors Glenn Acosta, Ed Mandich and Mike Safranski have filed. In the Serrano Water District, incumbent directors Ken Hernandez and Lloyd Appelman have filed.
For more information about the Trabuco Canyon Water District
CLICK ON:http://www.tcwd.ca.gov/
For more information about the Serrano Water District
CLICK ON:http://www.serranowater.org/
As of AUGUST 3, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Darren Smith
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Serrano Water District
Ken Hernandez (incumbent director)
Lloyd Appelman (incumbent director)
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Glenn Acosta (incumbent director)
Ed Mandich (appointed incumbent director)
Mike Safranski (incumbent director)
Check back to the Greater Orange News eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
eLECTION Watch 2006
AUGUST 2nd
Cavecche Files for Mayor
Perennial Candidate Serrano-Nieblas is Back and
More Papers Pulled in Orange Council Race
Orange City Council member Carolyn Cavecche made her bid for Orange Mayor official on Tuesday August 1st by filing her papers for the November election. None of the other potential candidates who have taken out papers to run in the race have returned them yet. The filing deadline is August 11th. Pulling papers for the Orange Mayor’s race on Tuesday was perennial candidate and community fixture, Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas. In the 1998 mayoral race Nieblas polled 3.6%. In the 2000 race he polled 9.6% and in 2004 his total percentage was 11%.
Also pulling papers for the Orange City Council race was Katie Grant bringing the total possible candidates to 12. Only one candidate has turned in the papers, Darren Smith. The deadline now for two of the council positions will be August 16th.
As of AUGUST 1, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Darren Smith
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Check back to the Greater Orange News eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
Cavecche Files for Mayor
Perennial Candidate Serrano-Nieblas is Back and
More Papers Pulled in Orange Council Race
Orange City Council member Carolyn Cavecche made her bid for Orange Mayor official on Tuesday August 1st by filing her papers for the November election. None of the other potential candidates who have taken out papers to run in the race have returned them yet. The filing deadline is August 11th. Pulling papers for the Orange Mayor’s race on Tuesday was perennial candidate and community fixture, Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas. In the 1998 mayoral race Nieblas polled 3.6%. In the 2000 race he polled 9.6% and in 2004 his total percentage was 11%.
Also pulling papers for the Orange City Council race was Katie Grant bringing the total possible candidates to 12. Only one candidate has turned in the papers, Darren Smith. The deadline now for two of the council positions will be August 16th.
As of AUGUST 1, 2006
Orange City Council
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Darren Smith
The following have pulled papers, but not yet filed:
Jason Lindstrom
Mark Murphy (current Mayor)
Mike Merino
Robert Douglas
Dennis Bilodeau (O.C. Water Board)
Fred Whitaker
John Caglia
Frank Finn
Phil Martinez
Arnold Crain
Katie Grant
Villa Park City Council
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Robert Fauteux (appointed incumbent)
Deborah Pauly
Bradley Reese
James Rheins
Patricia L. Bortle (incumbent/ appointed Mayor)
Orange Mayor
The following have filed and are waiting signature confirmation:
Carolyn Cavecche (current council member)
The following have pulled papers, but not filed:
Mike Alvarez (former council member)
Mike Merino
Juan Pablo Serrano-Nieblas
Rancho Santiago Trustee Area #2
The following have filed:
John Hanna (current incumbent)
Steve Rocco (OUSD Trustee)
Orange Unified School District
The following have filed:
Trustee Area 1:
7/17/06 Melissa Smith (current incumbent)
Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 1
7/19/06 Alexia Deligianni (OC Young Republican Director)
Educator
Trustee Area 4
7/19/06 Kathy Moffat (current incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Trustee Area 5
7/27/06 Paul-Dean Martin
Theater Arts Educator
7/27/06 Christopher K. Emami (withdrew and refilled)
Youth Services Director
Trustee Area 7
7/17/06 Larry D. Cohn (former OUSD Legislative Coalition Chair)
No current ballot designation
7/20/06 Rick Ledesma (incumbent)
No current ballot designation
Check back to the Greater Orange News eBlog daily for UPDATES
eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/5
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Viewpoints”
