La Habra Now

Flanked by Queen Kirby Morales on left and Councilmember Rose Espinoza on right

The Fourth of July in La Habra is comfort food for the soul.  The crowd was in a great mood, the funnel cakes were toasty and sweet, the band and dancers were fantastic and the pyrotechnics were long, loud and beautiful.  The only departure from tradition was, perhaps, the weather.  The temperatures were more like an evening in March than July.  And yesterday’s cloud-cover was positively grim– let us hope that tradition re-asserts itself with a little more sunshine soon.  Congratulations to Pyro-Master Scott Ward and his team for another flawlessly-executed show.

Moving around a bit, congratulations to La Habra Mayor Steve Simonian for being named “Citizen of the Year” by the La Habra Chamber of Commerce.   The Mayor will be awarded officially at the Chamber’s Installation Dinner at Don Steves Autoplex on July 17th.  That’s also when Dr. Adrian Acosta will take the reins as Chamber President, finally relieving Scott Olson from the duties which he has so admirably performed.  For more info, give the Chamber a call at 562-697-1704.

The last item is the final agreement between the City of La Habra and its employee bargaining units.  The La Habra Police Association agreement was still in flux, having reached an impasse in June.  The choices were either continued furloughs of police officers, or the imposition of a mandatory employee PERS contribution (resulting in a significant cut in pay).  Having already been furloughed the previous fiscal year, the Police Association rejected both options, although expressed willingness to make concessions in order to assist the City with another very tough budget.  At the council meeting of June 24th, I spoke in opposition to the most draconian hits on Association members and urged the council to continue a good-faith dialogue.  That’s ultimately what happened, and although the resulting agreement still requires a PERS contribution, only new-hires are impacted.  The Police Association is satisfied with the agreement, and therefore, so am I.  What La Habra doesn’t need is a demoralized police department.  As always, public safety is “Job-One.”

When it comes to annual budgets, June can be a tough month.  When it comes to local government budgets in particular, June is a screaming nightmare.  La Habra’s sales-tax increment has dropped by 2.7 million since the ‘06-’07 budget.  Sacramento has been mugging California cities repeatedly in order to mitigate the State budget debacle, and Orange County property tax increments have been spiraling ever downward.  However, as our Finance Director Jim Sadro said at the last council meeting, “we are not alone.”  Looking at Orange County as a marina, we know that all boats are taking on water, but some are sinking faster than others.  La Habra has a working bilge pump that has kept us afloat, even though City employees have been furloughed (including all management and police officers), and four non-sworn employees have been laid-off.  The City is asking employees for further concessions in the ‘10-’11 budget, and this will be on the agenda at the council meeting on June 21st.  It is true that economic forecasts continue to predict a slow but steady recovery in the local region, but budgets may suffer mightily for several years into the future.  One solution, as I’ve said here before, is renewed focus on new business and redevelopment.  Sales-tax is the more volatile of revenue sources, but also the one we can more directly impact.  We have a glut of vacant commercial properties in town, but many of them are high-value and well-maintained.  As cautious expansion returns, retailers will be covetous of Imperial Boulevard real-estate and the thousands of cars that flow by every hour.  We must continue to promote the community as an ideal location for retailers of all sizes– our general fund will depend upon it.

On other fronts, the miracle of La Habra’s Corona Park will be repeated, this time at Guadalupe Park.  “Kaboom!”  (a national, non-profit organization dedicated to “community building”) is partnering with the City to revitalize and reinvent Guadalupe Park, and to do it in one, single “build day” on Saturday, July 24th.  This project won’t touch the City’s general fund, so volunteers and sponsors are being recruited.  If you’re willing to spend some time creating a terrific new recreational opportunity for residents, or even just turn a few shovels of dirt, contact Vanessa Rodriguez at 714-447-3460.

Chuck Morse (L) and Daren Nigsarian

Summer’s official debut is June 21st, but we all know that backyard pools are finally swimmable around Memorial Day.  The long weekend is also ideal for replacing the lava rocks in your gas grill and for receiving the first sunburn of the season.  However, Memorial Day is not a holiday meant for casual diversions.  It’s not even meant to honor military veterans among us (although such hat-tipping is natural and complementary).  Rather, we observe Memorial Day for the sole purpose of honoring and cherishing the memories of those veterans not among us, who sacrificed their lives for their fellow servicemen and every American at home.  They have died to protect the United States, and although our fallen men and women may approve of backyard BBQ’s and river boating on this holiday, we must remember that our liberty in such pursuits has been gained at the price of their lives.  And so, on Memorial Day, Carol and I made our annual visit to the home of Chuck Morse, fellow La Habra Host Lion and 78 year-old veteran of the Korean Conflict, to review his “Gathering of the Crosses.”  As described in Monday’s Orange County Reigster, each small cross has the photo and service information of all 48 Orange County service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It’s a small display, but for me, no less moving than the full-scale versions of those iconic white crosses I visited at Arlington National Cemetery, or the American Cemetery at Normandy in France.  It’s an unexpected tribute in a tidy La Habra neighborhood, yet it brings the meaning of the day and the sacrifice of our servicemen into sharp relief.  And yes, I did BBQ that evening.

The next few weeks are crammed with events around town, and the two “signature” events are coming fast; the Fourth of July show at La Habra High, and the Corn Festival on August 6th.  But first up is the HBIC (Help for Brain Injured Children) Poker Run on Sunday, June 6th.  (Visit  http://www.lahabralions.com/ for more info.)  Then, the Jimmy Campanis Celebrity Golf Tournament, benefitting The Gary Center, on Monday, June 7th.  (www.thegarycenter.org for more info.)  The City of La Habra Volunteer Recognition reception follows on Wednesday, the 9th, at the Community Center (562-905-9708 for more info).  And let us not forget “Concerts in the Park,” which begins on June 24th, at El Centro/Lions Park for five consecutive weeks.  And finally, I must add that the largest fundraising event of my campaign for La Habra City Council is set for Saturday, July 24th.  The cuisine will be provided by the five-star catering firm, Kitchen for Exploring Foods.  There will be some very well-known names attending, but they’re under wraps for now– guess you’ll have to keep checking this blog as details trickle-out.  Don’t worry.  You’re invited.

Another mixed bag of a post, with two gender-specific topics.  First for the guys, let’s talk about Jack Bauer and CTU.  Or at least, a real-world version of the Fox series, “24″ and it’s fictional “Counter Terrorism Unit.”  State courts were furloughed again yesterday, which provides the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with the opportunity to send deputies to training.  I was detailed to attend training on counter-terrorism, conducted by the Joint Regional Intelligence Center.  The classroom was at a confidential location, (and I know where most of you live) and was packed with hundreds of cops.  (At one point, someone dropped a platter of bagels in the back, and the reaction from the students was “edgy” to say the least.)  The instructors were sworn officers, but professorial in their knowledge of the roots and tactics of modern terrorism.  Because Islamic extremism is the foundation for most attacks against America and her interests around the world, we spent the first two hours learning about the three main, monotheistic religions, and how Islam essentially derived, along with Christianity and Judaeism, from the sons of Abraham and into the principal Sunni and Shi’ite sects of today.  Because Islamic extremism is so alien to Western culture, it’s important for law-enforcement to understand what motivates terrorism.  The more I listened, the more I realized that this primer would also serve me well in my activities with the City of La Habra.  There are naturalized citizens and illegal aliens from hostile nations everywhere in southern California, and in many Orange County cities.  They can be laundering cash to Al-Qaeda, Hizbollah or the Taliban, and actually preparing terrorist strikes in this target-rich portion of California.  We were reminded that elementary schools, along with such obvious soft targets as Disneyland, should be considered vulnerable to terrorist activity.  And while our military is charged with protecting America abroad, it is domestic public safety officers that must protect Americans from attacks within our borders.  If all 800,000 law-enforcement officers had this training, along with state and local leaders, the entire nation might become a “hard-target” that Al-Qaeda might find very difficult to attack.  We also learned how reasonable suspicion can be formed from certain clues, tips and leads; what sort of local business activity could be fronting for terrorists, how targets are probed and how attacks are planned.  And yes, it’s true, the name of “Jack Bauer” was intoned no less than four times during the lecture, which I thought was cool.  I came away with sobering new knowledge and a new appreciation for the vigilance we must all exercise, but especially the police and local government.  As I continue my campaign for La Habra City Council and discuss the importance of public safety, I’m mindful that domestic terrorism is a serious threat alongside gangs and drugs.

The next thing is for the girls.  I say that, because no guy would want to attend this excellent fundraising event for the Boys and Girls Clubs of La Habra.  It’s called “Girls Night Out,” and as described in the flyer, it’s an “exclusive evening just for women.  Enjoy food, drinks and shopping at a fabulous private residence.”  The site is a spectacular estate in the Peralta Hills of Anaheim, and the fun stuff is designed to appeal to women of all ages.  I regret I wasn’t able to blog this earlier– the event is tomorrow (Friday) night, and tickets are $50 each, which includes appetizers, drinks and dessert.  There’s a silent auction, lavish surrounding to explore, and all the things that our wives and girlfriends love to do.  It also serves as an opportunity for the guys to be left alone in front of the big-screen with a couple Coronas.  My wife Carol, her sister and my two nieces are attending, as are many ladies from the community.  If you haven’t made plans for tomorrow night, give Michele Lawson a call at 562-691-2413, or email her at mlawson@ourchildrensfuture.org.

Alright, this post is exclusively campaign-related, and it’s fully justified.  Saturday night was just too fun.  We held our fundraiser, “Pizza Night with Friends of Daren Nigsarian” at The Pizza Club in La Habra, and no one should ever underestimate the power of pizza to deliver on several levels.  It certainly produced the crowd, which was then kind enough to produce checkbooks.  Familiar faces included Mayor Simonian, Councilmember Espinoza, former Dodger Jimmy Campanis, incoming Chamber President Adrian Acosta, Chamber Director Mark Sturdevant, Tom, Linda and Liz Steves, new Lion member Marea O’Brien, The Gary Center Director Martha Lester, La Habra School Board Trustee Sharon Brown and many others, who are no less important.  Emily Marshall, last year’s “Miss La Habra,” was kind enough to assist at the front, welcoming arrivals.  As the Pizza Club is a very busy and fairly loud place, so no speeches on Saturday night– just mingling.  Owner Tammy Perez was a fantastic help with advance decorations.  The tables were dressed-up and had little signs with our campaign logo, and another sign at the front table announced the details of our raffle event.  The winner would be awarded a pizza dinner for four, and the pizza chef would be me.  Tammy had prepared a custom chef’s toque that I will wear (a compulsory adornment), and I made certain that ticket-buyers were aware that I have absolutely no understanding of how pizza is made.  The last-minute surprise came from the Mayor, who walked in the door and handed me four prime Angel’s tickets and a Diamond parking pass (which is where the ballplayers park).  This was added as a raffle prize and garnered a wee bit more interest than pizza prepared by an incomeptent chef.  The prize-winners were drawn by my little niece, Marissa Aiello, and the Angel’s tickets went to Carole Bruns, who coveted them dearly.  The winner of the pizza dinner was none other than Jimmy Campanis, who pledged to share the largesse with Tom and Linda Steves.  When Jimmy decides when to have his dinner, this will another mini-event at the Pizza Club, with everyone invited.  I’ll keep you posted.  In short, it was an excellent night, and my many thanks to our friends for joining us, and to Tammy and Mark Perez for making it possible.  Stand-by . . . the next event will be the biggest of the season.  Details soon.

Former Miss La Habra Emily Marshall

The three "big people" along the ribbon, from L to R: Chamber President Scott Olson, Owner David Samson and Yours Truly

First of all, the photo at left is clearly not from the Spring Citrus Fair– it was taken last night at a Chamber ribbon-cutting.  We welcome 5-Talents Children’s Academy (1180 S. Idaho) to La Habra.  This pre-school/daycare facility is top-notch with terrific staff and a charming playground area.  It’s not so clear in the photo, but the scissors wielded by owner David Samson is a new grand-opening prop purchased by Chamber Director Mark Sturdevant.  Unlike some props, however, these three-foot-long scissors are fully functional, weigh about 15 pounds and could cut through rain-forest foliage better than a machete.  We did not let the kids play with it.  At any rate, the Chamber, Council and Planning Commission wish 5-Talents Children’s Academy the greatest success.

Speaking of Mark, he says his post-Fair experience is something akin to jet-lag, only without crossing time-zones.  The whirlwind event ended on an extreme high note, with new estimates of the crowd exceeding 30,000.  With virtually no apparent downsides, it appears that the Spring Citrus Fair will enter the pantheon of annual La Habra mega-events.  I was fortunate in being able to join the opening-ceremony procession, from City Hall to the stage, which I shared with Councilmembers Rose Espinoza, Tim Shaw and Tom Beamish.  On Saturday, I spent more time with Rose at her booth, promoting her run for OC 4th District Supervisor.  She got plenty of attention, and I made a number of new friends as well, such as Kwan Lee (Martplan Insurance Agency) who I learned spends much of his free time mentoring young people.  I also hung at “The Cart” with Mark, Carolyn Campbell, Myra Stoltzman and Scott Olson.  My FB friends know that it was in this vicinity that I ran into former Dodger great Jimmy Campanis, and before long, he accepted my invite to our campaign event, “Pizza Night with Friends of Daren Nigsarian” on April 24th.  (More Info Here.)  On Sunday, the house was getting painted, and Carol threatened me with the service of legal papers if I went anywhere until the painters were gone– and unfortunately, they didn’t leave until very late.  So, I missed Sunday, but despite the chilly temps, I understand the crowds were still huge.  Other regrets?  I didn’t ride the ferris wheel, or the haunted-house attraction, which looked very scary.  Other highlights include spectacular sales at the Lion’s Club funnel-cake booth, and solid performance at the Boys and Girls Clubs booth where churros flew off the table.  It’ll be tough to top this overall success next year, but a B-1 flyover or an appearance by Taylor Swift might help.  Congratulations again to the La Habra Chamber of Commerce.

I attended the 2009 Youth Awards Ceremony at the Community Center last night, conducted by the Boys and Girls Clubs of La Habra.  Last year, the event began with dinner, followed by the awards presentation.  This year, the awards came first, followed by a dessert reception, which shortened the evening, but gave all the kids their due.  As organized by Executive Director Dan Casey, and hosted by Senior Director of After School Programs Ophelia Hanson, the presentation of 64 awards took place in less than an hour, including some charming entertainment.  These awards celebrate achievement in various activities conducted by the Boys and Girls Clubs, such as integrity and character-based skills, sportsmanship and volunteer activity.  As a B&G board member, Dan allowed me to present the Buddy Society certificates, which was gratifying and fun.  And let’s face it– most little kids are really cute, and these little ones were even cuter than most.  The cockles of every heart gets warmed when you see a five year-old boy wearing a necktie and a huge smile receive an award certificate with his name on it.  And you can tell from the general demeanor of all the kids that there is some good parenting going on out there, with the end result likely being college and professional careers.  Highlights include the awarding of the Warren Kraft Character Award, which went to Vivian Lopez.  The Thomas A. Sauer Memorial Youth of the Year Award went to Celina Corona, a lovely young lady with terrific volunteer spirit and lofty career goals.  For every youngster recognized last night, this event is like wind at their back, with the recognition and applause further encouraging their development and future success.  It might seem crazy to link this event to your property values or the fiscal future of La Habra . . . but maybe not.  Let’s see these award winners continue along this path to college, good jobs, the middle-class and beyond.  And let’s see them stay here to buy homes and raise their families.

Congratulations again to the award winners, and to the staff of the Boys and Girls Clubs of La Habra for a meaningful and entertaining event.

La Habra Mayor Steve Simonian presented the annual “State-of-the-City” address early this morning at Westridge Golf Club.  Some folks are firing on all cylinders at 7:15 in the morning, and others are not.  I definitely belong to the latter group, but just slammed a little extra coffee and headed up the hill to hear what was widely expected to be less-than-terrific news.  Sure enough, the Mayor began by asking that “everyone expecting to hear good news, please raise your hands.”  A few hands went up.  “Then you’re excused right now,” he said.  However, the fiscal landscape is not unique to La Habra, and declining property and sales-tax revenues have been a reality for years.  What is unique is the manner in which the City has adapted.  Rather than sparing some services and lacerating others more deeply, employee furloughs have been conducted across the board, including the city manager and the police department.  The City’s CFO, Jim Sadro, has acted with surgical precision in coordinating cuts, maximizing grant money and managing accounts so that the bleak budget has been camouflaged from most residents.  Simonian added that equal credit goes to City Manager Don Hannah, and every department head.  It is because the fiber of the community is so tightly woven, Simonian explained, that local business has partnered with the City in sponsoring events, such as “Target Free Saturdays” at the Children’s Museum.  Visible signs of economic recovery may lag for several more years, but the Mayor suspects that the worst is over.  In fact, he said that consumer confidence is the prime mover.  “Bad news sells,” Simonian said, and so despite solid indications that the recession is over, gloomy predictions from pundits tend to scare consumers away from spending.  The challenge for the City right now is in positioning ourselves for the recovery, he added.  I nodded in agreement.  On Monday night, the planning commission approved a “finding of compatibility” for the purchase of a vacant parcel near the corner of Imperial Blvd. and Harbor Blvd.  The purchase will utilize redevelopment funds, which cannot be used for any other purpose.  As economic growth accelerates, the City will then have prime real-estate ready for a new commercial use.  This is what is meant by “positioning” the City to take advantage of an economic upturn.  To paraphrase the Mayor, the sun will come out again, and with the right management, La Habra will be ready for it.  It’s the right message, but next year, let’s do this around 9 or 10 AM maybe?

  I just finished bi-annual ethics training, as required by AB 1234, and I’m here to say that something that sounds impossibly boring is not.  At least, not completely.  All elected and appointed officials are required to take this two-hour training every two years, and as a planning commissioner, I took my turn in the barrel.  And not that I didn’t pay attention before, but my focus was perhaps a little sharper this time  because I’m running for La Habra City Council.  There is a lot of information on campaign finance reporting, fundraising and the conflicts that can arise.  It occurred to me that anyone who runs for public office, whether a current official or not, should take this course.  Some may take offense at the suggestion that they need to be tutored on ethical behavior, but the fact is that the laws laid out by the California Political Reform Act of 1974 are so detailed and complex that Saint Thomas More could run afoul without legal counsel.  What’s important for Californians to understand is that, despite the popular perception, politicians are scrutinized by the Fair Political Practices Commission like they never were before.  It always takes a catalyst, and the story of ethics in public service begins early in the 20th century.  In the manner of Tammany Hall and Teapot Dome, old pols worked the system to their advantage every chance they could.  One favorite trick was to travel around the country for free– the big railroads knew better than to charge a politician for a ticket.  That led to a law that prohibits public officials from accepting free or discounted transportation from any common carrier, including airlines today.  The penalty is immediate forfeiture of office.  Decades later, the legacy of Watergate led to our Political Reform Act, which deals with every conflict of interest, ethical issue and breach you can imagine.  Penalties range from small fines to years in prison.  The course teaches by example, like the case of the southern Californian city councilman who played fast and loose with with these laws, and did sixteen years of hard time.  It is a sobering lesson on integrity that doesn’t stop with the letter of the law.  Frequently the lesson ends with the message that although a particular course of action may not be prohibited, public officials owe their constituency more than just walking the edge.  Ultimately, the people judge their leaders by the perception of his/her integrity rather than whether a formal indictment was made.  And so I repeat the call; anyone who fancies tossing their hat into the ring should be given this primer.  Learn it, know it, live it.  It won’t keep all the rascals out, but they should know that it’s very hard to hide.

The Miss La Habra Pageant always heralds the spring.  For the past 61 years, the community has gathered to celebrate, admire and ultimately crown the bevy of beauties who will ultimately comprise the royal court.  The event has a deep attachment to the Corn Festival, as its sponsored by the La Habra Host Lion’s Club, and the queen and court take their majestic ride down La Habra Boulevard in August during the Corn Festival parade.  This is a traditional fairy-dust show; the program itself is glitzy, glam-packed and taken right from our collective memory of ”Miss America” pageants of the past.  The judges are professional, and although entirely independent, are asked to incorporate far more than just superficial beauty in their equations.  This year, for the 62nd annual event, the theme is, “Lights, Camera and Action!”  Pageant Chair Cindy Singer tells me that the Hollywood motif will be authentic and well-developed.  The contestants range in age from 17 to 21, and for those lucky enough to join the court, their year in the spotlight will be demanding.  Rather than just assuming a crown, the queen and princesses are expected to attend a multitude of community events and fundraisers, along with every Lion’s Club meeting possible.  My niece, Sarah Schmidt, remembers her year as queen (2006) as one of the best in her young life– she loved every aspect of her duties and her enthusiasm was shared by the princesses.  A motivated court not only can raise a lot of cash, but can represent the City well and serve as an idealized role model for younger girls.  Take current Queen Emily Marshall– she did a marvelous and inspirational job as queen, as did Princess Angela Presentadi.  Even for those without kinfolk in the competition, this is terrific entertainment.  The suspense is, frankly, nerve-wracking right before they announce the princesses, and the hoopla surrounding the new queen is as dramatic as any pageant on TV.  If you’ve never attended La Habra’s version, you owe yourself some fun this year.  The pageant will be held on Saturday, March 20th at the La Habra Community Center.  Doors open at 5:30 PM, and the show starts at 6:00 PM.  Tickets are $8.00 at the door; a pittance for a great cause and an enormous amount of fun.  Not invited to the Kodak on Sunday night?  No worries.  I’m inviting you to the Miss La Habra Pageant on the 20th.

See you there.