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Monday, July 30, 2018
Two pull papers to run in OUSD
eLECTION Watch 2018
Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Rebecca Hultquist and Sandra Angel pull papers to enter OUSD races |
| Candidate Rebecca Hultquist |
Rebecca Hultquist, the 2017-2018 El Modena High School PTSA President, pulled papers to run for the Orange Unified School District Trustee Area 7 seat.
The seat currently held by Trustee Rick Ledesma who has filed for re-election. Also running is former OUSD Trustee and perennial candidate Steve Rocco.
Hultquist pulled papers to run on Monday, July 30th. All three of Hultquist children have attended EL Modena. Hultquist writes on her Twitter account she is a "13 yr breast cancer survivor & advocate".
In Trustee Area 1, Sandra Angel has pulled papers to run against the popular Trustee Andrea Yamasaki. Angel is an Accounts Receivable Clerk for a Santa Ana skilled nursing facility.
In 2016 Angel ran for the Anaheim City Council Ward 5 seat. In the Ballotpedia Candidate Survey, Angel answered the question about what she is most proud of about the city. Angel's answer is "It's pretty clean and not too dangerous". When ranking twelve community issues for Ballotpedia, Angel selected "Crime reduction/prevention" as her top concern.
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| Candidate Sandra Angel |
In 2016 Angel ran for the Anaheim City Council Ward 5 seat. In the Ballotpedia Candidate Survey, Angel answered the question about what she is most proud of about the city. Angel's answer is "It's pretty clean and not too dangerous". When ranking twelve community issues for Ballotpedia, Angel selected "Crime reduction/prevention" as her top concern.
For more information Click on Sandra Angel
In her 2016 council race, Angel came in 4th out of four candidates with 10.3% of the vote.
For more information Click on 2016 RACE
For more information Click on 2016 RACE
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| Trustee Andrea Yamasaki |
For more information Click on Andrea Yamasaki
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Ferrentino pulls papers to challenge Moffat in OUSD race
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| Joseph A. Ferrentino of Newmeyer and Dillion |
eLECTION
Watch 2018
Watch 2018
Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Attorney Joe Ferrentino pulls papers to challenge Kathy Moffat in OUSD Area 4 raceAttorney Joseph A. Ferrentino pulled papers for the Orange Unified School Board's Trustee Area 4. That seat is currently held by Trustee Kathy Moffat. Public records show that he is a registered Democrat.
Ferrentino, who lives in Villa Park, is a partner attorney with at the Newport Beach offices of Newmeyer & Dillion. Ferrentino's profile on the Newmeyer & Dillion website states:
"Joe's practice encompasses complex actions in the areas of business, construction, real estate, governmental tort, products liability, and insurance."
The firm specializes in defending developers in construction-related lawsuits.
Ferrentino cites in his biography the Niguel Summit lawsuit. In 1994 homes built on an area that had numerous historic landslides in South Orange County crashed down a slope into a condominium complex. Ferrentino represented the developer Hon Development Company and the owner of J.M. Peters Inc. The condominium association sued for $15 million but reached a settlement of $9.4 million in 1998. Ferrentino describes his representation in his biography:
"Joe was responsible for the defense of a builder involved in the Laguna “Niguel Summit” landslide case which resulted in a multi-million dollar settlement. In addition to handling the legal and insurance aspects of the claim, he assisted the client with its media relations on this nationally publicized case."
For more information click on:
Ferrentino also cites in his biography another landslide case against the City of Anaheim getting a $10 million award from the city:
"Along with partner Greg Dillion, Joe tried another publicized landslide case for over five months against the City of Anaheim which resulted in an award of over $10 million in favor of Newmeyer and Dillion LLP’s client."
For more information click on:
This year Ferrentino became a board member for Human Options, an Irvine based non-profit dedicated to servicing domestic violence victims.
For more information click on:
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
eLECTION Watch and OUSD prepares Response to Immigration Enforcement
eLECTION Watch 2018
Orange Net News /O/N/N/
He's backkkkkk.....
Perennial candidate and former Orange Unified Trustee Steve Rocco files to run for OUSD Board in November 2018
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| Steve Rocco |
Steve Rocco has pulled and filed papers to run for his former seat on the Orange Unified School Board.
Rocco pulled papers and filed the paperwork to run for the Trustee Area 7 seat on Monday, July 23rd. Area 7 incumbent Rick Ledesma filed and pulled papers on the first day of filing on Monday, July 13, 2018.
Rocco (who is often referred to by the media as "eccentric") has run for numerous elected state and local offices for years.
Rocco was first elected in 2004 to the Orange Unified School Board without running a campaign. The local political theory is that his ballot description referring to himself as an educator won him the election. His opponent was a well-known community involved parent who listed his occupation on the ballot as Park Ranger.
Since that 2004 election, local political campaigns have watched opponents ballot descriptions carefully that have resulted in successful court challenges.
Since that 2004 election, local political campaigns have watched opponents ballot descriptions carefully that have resulted in successful court challenges.
After Rocco's colleagues censured him and a recall attempt failed, the OUSD Board under the guise of redistricting moved Rocco's neighborhood in Santa Ana into a different Trustee Area- number seven. In Trustee Area 7, long-time Trustee Rick Ledesma was the incumbent and had maintained an arms-length truce even during the Rocco inspired school board meeting outbursts. Rocco filed for reelection and lost to Ledesma in Trustee Area 7. Rocco ran again for the seat in November 2014 and in a three-way race against Ledesma and another opponent, Rocco came in third with 10.7% of the total vote.
The ballot argument against OUSD Bond Measure S in 2016 was written by Steve Rocco after a judgment in his favor in a case that challenged the Orange County Registrar of Voters awarding Rocco the job of writing the argument against the bond measure that included these paragraphs:
On 7-21-2005, Kathy Moffat and Superintendent Tom Godley visited Jim Doti to destroy Rocco. One result was the Californian’s Aware suit. Joined by the “all” Chapman U team of John Moorlach’s (Mario Mainero, Kathy Moran, Fred Smoller) a lien was put on my home and my wages garnished. The OUSD ”made” $83,000. Their allies include the OC REGISTER. Dr. Villanueva/Pathologist has said that “there is an assembly line of murder and theft coming from the political/medical infrastructure.”
Mr. Rocco’s home was invaded by an Orange city detective, a neighbor of TONY RACKAUCKAS. Todd Spitzer’s neighbor is Kim Nichols. Lynn Nichols headed the failed Rocco Recall.
The deaths of Mr. Rocco’s family have been called murder by Dr. Villanueva.
You don’t want OUSD to have this “play money” that they will dole out to political cronies. In the end, you will be cheated by their “paid” strategists to implement this.
Remember, that you are being victimized.
Former C.A.R.E. Co-Chair Kris Erickson steps up to challenge OUSD Trustee Tim Surridge as two other OUSD races have no candidates yet
Long-time community volunteer Kris Erickson pulled papers to challenge OUSD Area 5 Trustee Tim Surridge. Erickson pulled candidate papers on Monday, July 13th. In April of this year, Erickson launched a campaign website and in May posted a picture of a campaign sign on her personal Facebook page, and has already begun fundraising.
For more information click on:
Kris for OUSD Facebook
Erickson is an attorney with her own law practice that according to her LinkedIn page focuses on "Law and Motion, Appellate Practice, and Court/Jury Trials". Erickson also worked for the County of Orange as both a Public Defender and an Alternate Defender.
Erickson was Co-Char of the original 2014 C.A.R.E (Community Advancement through Renovation for Education) community campaign group that ran the November 2014 Measure K Bond campaign. Erickson was listed as a signer of the ballot argument supporting the school bond. The bond measure needing 55% of the vote lost with 54.6%. In 2016 Erickson was an advisor to C.A.R.E. ad the Yes on Measure S School Bond campaign. Measure S won with 62.5% of the vote.
For more information Measure K Ballot and arguments
Co-Chair of the 2014 C.A.R.E. campaign with Erickson was Andrea Yamasaki. When a vacancy in Trustee Area 1 occurred Erickson supported having Yamasaki appointed to the position. However, Area 5 Trustee Timothy Surridge orchestrated to have his friend Gregory Salas appointed to the position. Residents in Greater Orange were angered by the unpopular move by Surridge to have Salas (who had recently moved to OUSD) appointed. Residents circulated an election petition to force a district-wide vote to fill the seat. Yamasaki won with 74.9% of the vote to Salas' 25.1 %.
The Trustee Area 1 seat that Yamasaki won and the Trustee Area 4 seat occupied by long-time trustee Kathy Moffat are also up for a vote in November 2018. Neither seat as of posting time had any candidates file. Candidates have until August 12th to file. If an incumbent candidate fails to file by that deadline in August, the deadline for new candidates to file will be extended by one week to Friday. August 17, 2018.
For more information Click on
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
Independent insight into OUSD
a news service of
Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Former OUSD Bus Driver pleads guilty in 2014 Anaheim Hills school bus crash
Last month Gerald Douglas Rupple, the former OUSD school bus driver pleaded guilty to felony charges resulting from an April 2014 school bus crash in Anaheim Hills. Rupple was driving students from El Rancho Middle School when he lost consciousness. The bus ran off the road at an estimated 50 mph and crashed into numerous trees. Of the eleven students injured, four students suffered major injuries including broken bones, a shattered spine, bleeding in the brain and the amputation of a toe.
Orange Unified School District reached a $10 million settlement with the families of students injured in the crash in January 2017.
Rupple made his guilty plea via teleconferencing video on Skype from Ajo. Arizona. Rupple had undergone a double lung transplant and was too ill to travel to California. Officials from the Orange County Superior Court set up cameras in Rupple's hospital room at the Banner University Medical Center.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 26 years and four months in state prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2018, in Santa Ana. Media reports are that a sentence has not been agreed on, but there have been informal discussions of a 10-year maximum sentence with possible probation.
OUSD Trustees July 26th meeting includes new Board Policy on "Response to Immigration Enforcement" for schools
Agenda Item 13 C (pages 13-90) on Thursday, July 26th Orange Unified School Board meeting includes the first reading of numerous changes to the OUSD Board Policies. Under the Agenda item on page 74 is a new policy called "Response to Immigration Enforcement".
The new policy comes as a result of a 2017 state law requiring the California Attorney General to develop a policy guide for school officials that lays out how they can protect students from immigration enforcement on school grounds. The law was part of a package of California laws passed in response to President Trump's call for increased deportations.
On March 30, 2018, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Friday released the policy guide. The new guide details the steps California school officials should take if regarding federal immigration agents on campus. It also requires schools to shield the immigration status of students and their family members and deals a child’s parents have been detained or deported. The school guidelines were issued a day after the state issued similar guidelines for California law enforcement agencies.
The new OUSD policy cites the Attorney General guidelines and gives the OUSD Superintendent the duty to draw up procedures for schools that comply with the state issued guidelines (Agenda page 74):
"Consistent with requirements of the California Offices of the Attorney General, the Superintendent or designee shall develop procedures for addressing any requests by a law enforcement officer for access to district records, school sites, or students for the purpose of immigration enforcement."
The Thursday, July 26th Agenda also includes multiple items concerning Measure S Bond and an item on a district solar power initiative for seven schools.
For more information click on
Attorney General Xavier Becerra Guidelines
OUSD Public Relations costs
In February 2018 OUSD Trustees voted $219,424 for a Public Relations contract (Click on):
Here is what spending $219,424 of educational tax dollars on PR buys (For the latest in OUSD News on the web Click on):
NEXT OUSD BOARD MEETING Thursday, July 26, 2018
Next OUSD Board Meeting -OUSD BOARD ROOM
CLOSED SESSION- 6:30 pm
OUSD Regular Session: 7:00 pm
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions call Business Services at 714-628-4015
ARCHIVAL Information and direct news can be found at:
the Greater Orange News Service http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
and the
Greater Orange News Service
are independent news services of /O/N/N/
Orange Net News
Sunday, July 01, 2018
Celebrate Independence day the 3rd and 4th!
July 3rd and 4th celebrations across Greater Orange
Greater Orange kicks off Independence Day early with the City of Orange Orange County Orange
Other activities include a petting zoo, pony rides, local community group booths and food.
The Annual 3rd of July Celebration is Tuesday, July 3, 2018, with gates opening at 4 p.m. at Orange Unified's Fred Kelly Stadium at El Modena High School, 3920 East Spring Street Orange CA 92869
Fred Kelly Stadium’s artificial turf requires special rules for everyone to enjoy. The following rules when attending the July 3rd activities apply:
• Only blanket seating is allowed on the field.
• Strollers, wheelchairs, wagons, or other wheeled items are only permitted in designated areas-not on the field.
• Lawn Chairs, food, drinks, seeds, gum, popcorn, hard-soled or high-heeled shoes are prohibited on the field.
Tickets for the "3rd of July" Celebration are $7 for adults and children over two years old.
Tickets will also be available for purchase at the event after 1:30 p.m. Credit cards may be used at the gate.
For more information please call the City of Orange Special Events
The 1.5-mile parade is led by a vintage fire engine.
The fun starts with the line-up at Villa Park High School
For more information click on: VPCS
