SEE PAGE 2 FOR breakfast with santa
ANAHEIM PRESS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014 - DECEMBER 28, 2014
anaheimpress.com
SEE PAGE 3 for add some sparkle to your holiday decor VOLUME 1, NO. 34
Rep. Schiff Announces Federal Funding Elected Under for Earthquake Early Warning System New Method, 3 AUHSD By terry miller Trustees Officially Take Office
The car slowed down, said the women, and they said it deliberately blocked their path. A male suspect exited the vehicle, said Dunn. The man walked up to the victims and told them he was a police officer who intended
Citizen oversight of local government is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States. It is the foundation that has lasted through the turbulent centuries since our nation came into being. Today, nearly 100,000 citizens serve local communities as school board members, the largest single category of elected public officials in the United States. In California, more than 5,000 school board members govern the more than 1,000 school districts and county offices of education. California has the largest public school system in the nation, with the most diverse student body. The school districts for which board members are responsible are multi-million dollar organizations. They are often the largest employer in a community, have the largest transportation and food service operations, and have the greatest number of facilities to maintain. The Anaheim Union High School District has always had a five-member Board of Trustees. However, the November 2014 election brought a significant change to the method of electing trustees. The Board’s decision to change the method of electing trustees was the culmination of a deliberative process of more than a year, during which a demographer reviewed voting
Please see page 4
Please see page 2
Congressman Adam Schiff (D¬Burbank) announced that Congress has included $5 million in funds this year towards the Earthquake Early Warning System during a press conference at Caltech Monday morning. – Photo by Terry Miller
On Monday morning Senator Dianne Feinstein (DCA) and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) announced that Congress has included $5 million in FY 2015 funding bill, also known as the CROmnibus, for a West Coast Earthquake Early Warning System,
the first time Congress has ever provided funding specifically for the system. A limited system developed by Caltech, UC-Berkeley and University of Washington, in conjunction with the United State Geological Survey (USGS), has already been deployed and has proven
that the early warning technology is sound. This $5 million in funding will allow those developing the statewide system to begin purchasing and installing additional sensors, build new stations, speed up Please see page 4
Man Suspected of Impersonating an Officer - Be on the Lookout by Vickie Vértiz A man suspected of impersonating Anaheim police has authorities looking for him. The Orange County Register reported that two of his victims were women who were approached on October 26 at around ten in the morning. Two women were pulled over near the intersection of La Pal-
ma Avenue and Anaheim Boulevard by a man, said the paper. The man claimed to be a police officer, said police Lieutenant Bob Dunn to the paper. The victims reported they were they were passed by a dark-colored Cadillac while driving south on Anaheim Boulevard from La Palma Avenue.
2 | DECEMBER 22, 2014 - DECEMBER 28, 2014
AUHSD Trustees Take Office Continued from page 1
patterns over the past decade to determine whether the at-large voting method complied with the California Voting Rights Act. Under the act, an at-large voting method is not permissible if it impairs the ability of a protected class to elect candidates of its choice as a result of dilution or abridgment. The analysis showed that the at-large voting method did appear to impair the ability of a protected group from electing candidates of its choice. To correct this, the Board modified the election method to a by-trustee-area voting system to provide greater opportunities for representation of all constituencies within the District. In moving to the by-trustee-area method, with input from the community, the Board considered several boundary maps. Certain considerations applied in drawing the boundary maps: • Shall contain a nearly equal number of inhabitants • Must be drawn to comply with the Federal Voting Rights Act • Should be compact and contiguous, as much as possible • Should respect communities of interest, as much as possible • Should follow man-made
and natural geographic features, as much as possible • Should respect incumbency, as much as possible • Should respect local considerations (i.e., attendance boundaries, feeder districts) Once the Board selected a map, it petitioned the State Board of Education for a waiver to modify the election process. That was granted this spring, paving the way for the new system under which the three trustees whose seats expired in November were elected to four-year terms. Those elected were: incumbent Anna L. Piercy, who ran unopposed; incumbent Annemarie Randle-Trejo, who bested three other candidates to retain her seat; and Al Jabbar, seeking election for the first time after being appointed to the Board in Jan. 2013. Mr. Jabbar came out on top in a field of three. The two other members of the Board— Katherine H. Smith and Brian O’Neal—will seek reelection under the by-trustee election method when their terms expire in 2016. The newly elected Trustees were sworn in at the December 11, 2014, meeting. President Annemarie Randle-Trejo has been a Board
member since 2012. Ms. Randle-Trejo was born in Los Angeles County 52 years ago, one of seven siblings. She has been a resident of Orange County for the past 46 years, 25 years as a homeowner in Anaheim, raising two children who graduated from the District and are now 26 and 18. Assistant Clerk Anna L. Piercy was elected to the Board in 2006. She has a Standard Secondary Life Teaching Credential she earned after spending seven years working her way through college. In addition to the credential, she earned an Associate of Arts Degree from Long Beach City College and a Bachelor of Arts from CSULB in Social Studies and Geography, with a minor in Art and English. Board Member Al Jabbar was appointed to the Board in Jan. 2013. With his election in 2014, Mr. Jabbar became the first Sri Lankan-American to hold public office in the United States. In the run-up to the election, many elected leaders in Orange County and the state of California endorsed him. He received the endorsement of U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who represents the 46th District; former
State Senator Lou Correa; Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens; and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
President Annemarie Ms. Randle-Trejo - Courtesy Photo
Assistant Clerk Anna L. Piercy - Courtesy Photo
Board Member Al Jabbar - Courtesy Photo
Breakfast with Santa Join Santa and his elves for a delicious family style breakfast at Catal Restaurant in Downtown Disney. Your Breakfast with Santa package includes breakfast, a visit and photo with Santa, a special holiday favor and ice skating on Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink including skate rentals. Get into the spirit of the season as you skate to holiday music around a towering Christmas tree. It's the perfect activity to celebrate
the season. Admission is $55 per adult, $25 per child ages 13 and under; guests under 3 are free. Event address: Catal Restaurant, 1580 South Disneyland Dr. now through Dec. 23 from 10AM 12PM. For more information, visit http://www.patinagroup.com/ restaurants/52/menus/CatalRestaurant-Breakfast-with-Santa-Menu.pdf.
DECEMBER 22, 2014 - DECEMBER 28, 2014 | 3
hlr media
Add Some Sparkle to Your Holiday Décor
EDITORIAL
By Melinda Myers
editor@anaheimpress.com
Editor
Jennifer Schlueter
Publisher HLR Media
Advertising
advertising@hlrmedia.com
Submissions:
Please send all press releases to: editor@anaheimpress.com HLR Media, LLC .All contents herein are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily that of the management and staff at HLR Media, LLC
950 N Tustin Ave Anaheim CA 92807
Phone: (626) 386-3457 Fax: (626) 600-4452
Alhambra PRESS ANAHEIM PRESS
Baldwin Park
Belmont Beacon INDEPENDENT
Cypress Press INDEPENDENT
Pasadena Press
San Bernardino Press
Liven up your holiday décor with lights, a bit of glitz and some colorful blossoms this season. Start by gathering greenery from your landscape. Use needled evergreens like pines and firs, broadleaf evergreens like boxwood, holly and evergreen magnolia as well as junipers and arborvitaes to create wreaths, swags, centerpieces and garlands. And don’t forget to include cones, holly berries, crabapples and the bluish-colored fruit of junipers. Be selective as you prune your trees and shrubs when collecting these materials. Use sharp bypass pruners that have two sharp blades and will make a clean cut that closes more quickly. Make your cuts above a healthy bud, where the branches join another branch, or back to the main trunk. Take only a few branches from each tree or shrub to maintain the plants’ beauty. Place freshly cut greens in a cool location away from heaters, fireplaces and open flames. Set them on colorful fabric or paper to catch the sap and avoid damaging your woodwork and furnishings. Check your greenery for freshness every few days. The needles, leaves and stems should bend, but not break. Replace dried greens with fresh materials. Then brighten up the display with some cool burning LED lights. Create a mantle display or centerpiece with the help of LED pillar lights. Or add a string of LEDs to your garland. Look for something unusual like pinecone string lights (gardeners.com) to add sparkle and charm to your display. If you have artificial greens that could use a facelift, add fresh berries, cones and seedpods for a more natural look. Increase the glitz with the help of silver and gold metallic paint or glitter. Paint milkweed, lotus and other pods and then tuck them into the greens. Painting allium seedheads white will add the appearance of flowery snowflakes in your indoor arrangements and outdoor con-
tainer gardens. And don’t forget the fresh flowers and flowering plants. Poinsettias are a long-time favorite, but you may want to change things up with Amaryllis, spring flowering bulbs and lily of the valley. Look for unusual varieties or combinations to increase your enjoyment. Combine large flowered amaryllis with small flowering bulbs like star of Bethlehem. Or go for a unique size shape or flower color like that of the Honeybee Amaryllis with its beautiful yellow flowers that are sure to brighten your days. Add a few flowers to your greenery and houseplants for some instant color. Stick your greenery and flowers in dampened floral foam to create a long-
lasting holiday centerpiece. Or place cut flowers in floral picks and set them in dish gardens and houseplants to brighten things up. Then swap out the flowers as they fade. And consider making a few extra planters or centerpieces to give as holiday and hostess gifts this year. Now is the time to put on your gardening shoes, grab the pruners and get started decorating for the holiday season ahead. Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has a master’s degree in horticulture and has written over 20 gardening books. Please visit www.melindamyers.com for more information.
Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086
4 | DECEMBER 22, 2014 - DECEMBER 28, 2014
Man Impersonating an Officer Continued from page 1
to arrest them, added Dunn. was provided in police stateThe victims suspected he was ments, nor did they idennot telling the truth and told tify a motive. One can only him they were going to call the think the worst about what police to verify his status. Dunn he could have done to the added that at that point, the two women he stopped if suspect ran back to his vehicle he had succeeded in “arrestand fled the scene at a high ing” them. Other people may speed. have had more reason to fear Luckily, the victims read his alleged authority. the license plate of the vehicle Lopez was found in his belonging to the man as he auto and was arrested without sped off. They quickly report- resistance on December fourth. ed the incident to the police He was taken in on “suspicion department. of felony false imprisonment The victims helped iden- and misdemeanor impersonattify the driver of the Cadil- ing a police officer,” said the lac as Gabriel Magna Lopez, paper. Lopez is currently being who is 42, and is considered held at the Orange County Jail a local transient, added of- on $25,000 bail. ficer Dunn. Investigators Articles like this one will confirmed that Lopez was help identify other possible victhe driver of the black, 1999 tims of Lopez. Police believe Cadillac four-door assigned that he may have impersonto the plates the women iden- ated police officers on other tified, Dunn said. occasions and that The mug shot was additional victims located to show may still be out the public his there, Dunn said. likeness to idenIf you or anytify other possible one you know victims who also have information encountered him, about additional but have not yet incidents or about come forward. Lopez is asked to It is unclear how Orange -Courtesy Photo contact Lopez can be County Crime considered a Stoppers at (855) transient as no further de- TIP-OCCS, or text OCCS and tails about his background your tip to CRIMES (274637). were released. No informa- People may also visit www.oction about his mental health crimestoppers.org
Earthquake Early Warning System Continued from page 1
-Photo by Terry Miller
the ShakeAlert system, and come closer to deploying comprehensive early earthquake warning coverage throughout earthquake prone regions of the West Coast. “An earthquake early-warning system is essential to save lives, reduce property damage and protect critical infrastructure. This five million dollar federal investment is a down payment on building an integrated, state-wide system,” said Senator Feinstein. “These federal dollars are sorely needed, but more funding is still necessary to complete the system. While the state and private sector must contribute their fair share, I will continue to work with West Coast senators and representatives to prioritize federal funds for this life-saving project. We must get it done before the next major earthquake strikes.” “It’s absolutely critical that the West Coast implement and build out an earthquake early warning system to give us a heads up before the ‘big one’ hits, so we can save lives and protect infrastructure,” said Congressman Schiff. “This funding will help build out additional stations, speed up the ShakeAlert system, and make it more reliable in our highest priority areas - including Los Angeles and the Bay Area and those critical few seconds or a minute of warning will al-
low people to seek cover, automatically slow or stop trains, and pause surgeries. This first phase of funding will allow the work to begin expanding the system, and we will continue to work to secure future funding along with our other federal, state and local partners.” “We at Caltech applaud Congress for approving the impactful initial funding for an earthquake early warning system,” said Thomas F. Rosenbaum, president of the California Institute of Technology. “This vital step toward implementation wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of the California congressional delegation.” Earlier this year, Schiff led a group of 25 Members from California, Washington and Oregon in organizing a request that the committee fund an early earthquake warning system. Schiff s letter requested additional funding for the Earthquake Hazards Program in USGS to kickstart the process of building out the early warning system so we can be ready for the next big quake. Senator. Feinstein was critical in securing the language in the Senate -Appropriations bill. The text in the bill reads: Funding for Natural Hazards programs includes $59,503,000 for earthquake hazards, of which $5,000,000 is provided to transition the earthquake early warning demonstration project into an operational capability on the West Coast. A critical component of the earthquake early warning system is maintaining the existing real-time broadband and strong motion seismic networks along with geodetic monitoring networks. As the earthquake early warning system is developed, USGS is directed to collaborate with universities, companies and other Federal agencies with expertise and existing digital seismic observing networks to continue precise observation of critical fault locations.