Jan
31
Coyote & mouse alert: Caltrans vegitation removal begins Tuesday, 2/1
Filed Under Traffic | Leave a Comment
(1/31/2010, Los Alamitos) This just in from Caltrans:
WEST SEGMENT – Seal Beach Blvd to I-605
* Vegetation removal was postponed again due to yesterday’s rain. It is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Feb. 1 and will continue intermittently as needed. Caltrans is coordinating with Orange County Vector Control and the California Department of Fish and Game during the vegetation removal to address any rat or coyote concerns that may arise.
* Utility work will continue on the southbound I-405 Seal Beach Blvd. off-ramp intermittently through the end of February. The # 2 lane of the off-ramp will be closed from 9 a.m. Read more
Jan
31
Let’s get it right this time: 3 concerns about the hospital expansion
Filed Under 2011 Issues, Los Al Medical Center, Planning & Zoning | 5 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 1/30/11)With five Mondays this month, there’s 3 weeks between City Council meetings, which gives us an extra week to take a close look at the very important business that was carried over from the Council’s lengthy last meeting, both the selection of a new “Land Use” ad hoc committee to replace the former General Plan ad hoc committee, and the massive Medical Center Expansion Plan.
Today I’d like to focus on my three concerns regarding the Medical Center Expansion:
1. Are we going to get stuck with Read more
Jan
30
“Sunday Story:” Why bad things happen to good people
Filed Under Inspiration, Sunday Sermons, Songs & Stories | Leave a Comment
(1/30/2011) “Sunday Sermon” always seemed a bit heavy for our weekly spiritual installment so this week we’ll give “Sunday Story” a try instead.
In today’s case, it’s a story that’s thousands of years old, and that addresses one of humanity’s great questions.
It’s the story of a very successful man of great integrity whose fortune and family were all wiped out in a single day. He somewhere in modern Jordan or Iraq. His name has become synonymous with bitter trials:
Jan
30
SNL’s view of the Egyptian crisis
Filed Under National Issues | Leave a Comment
(1/30/11)This morning we took a serious look at the situation in Egypt today, without denying the gravity of the situation, we thought a more light-hearted approach might be appropriate.
Leave it to Saturday Night Live to get things right. My question is, what local politician (if any) does Hosni Mubarak (in the skit below) remind you of?
Sometime, you’ve gotta laugh or else you’d cry.
Nonetheless, our thoughts and prayers should be with the Egyptian people and, indeed, those throughout the Middle East.
As always, your comments are welcome, diplomatically Read more
Jan
30
Is Obama losing Egypt?
Filed Under National Issues | 1 Comment
(1/30/2011, 8 a.m. Los Alamitos time, 6 p.m. Cairo time) We may be witnessing the biggest news story since the fall of the Soviet Union. How it will end is anybody’s guess.
Perhaps I’m a bit more connected to the story because 48 weeks ago I was waking up in Cairo. Egypt was in worse shape than I’d expected.
As our bus drove along a canal/drainage ditch/water supply(?) with dead animals floating in it, our government-approved tour guide tried to convince us that Egypt was not a third-world country. As our bus’s machine-gun toting guard sat next to her.
This morning, I turned to the web rather than pick up yesterday’s news, which is still sitting in it’s orange plastic bag on my driveway, or even today’s news from the talking heads on the networks.
The good news was that Egyptian protesters were working side by side with the Egyptian Army in an small attempt to restore order. The bad news was two Egyptian Air Force jets buzzing protesters along the Nile as dusk approached, while our President was busy dispatching our Secretary of State to deal with an urgent crisis in. . . Haiti!
Then a column in Israel’s “most influential daily newspaper,” Haaretz, by editor at large Aluf Benn caught my eye: “Obama will go down in history as Read more
Jan
29
(Los Alamitos, 1/29/2011) 9 suspects arrested, a stolen vehicle impounded after a hit and run before it was even reported, and a moment of passion from a customer at a business in the 3300 block of Katella (that’s probably either “It’s a Grind” Coffee or Granada Dry Cleaners), and lots more in the Los Alamitos Police Department’s latest weekly crime summary:
January 16 to January 22, 2011
The Weekly Crime Summary is a list of significant reported crimes and other related activities occurring in the City of Los Alamitos. A vigilant and well-informed public begets fewer targets for criminals.
STOLEN VEHICLE
1/22/11 – 6:40 AM – 10800 Chestnut St. – A report of a vehicle stolen sometime overnight. It was later determined that the vehicle Read more
Jan
27
Let’s Shake Thing Up
Filed Under Highlands Guy's Thursday column | 15 Comments
(1/27/11, Los Alamitos) This week our “Highlands Guy” has a really creative idea that could really change elections in Los Alamitos. Whether you agree or disagree, you’ve got to love the “outside the box” thinking!
by “Highlands Guy:” According to the National League of Cities, the form of most local elections varies from city to city, with several common variations. In addition to the nature of the council members’ constituency there can be the presence or absence of party labels. Some cities elect their local representatives by district, some have at-large elections, some have both, and the majority are nonpartisan. It is up to the city voters to determine the process that is used.
In Los Alamitos we elect our representatives at-large and on a nonpartisan basis. I would like to put forth the assertion that it is time for a change in our election process. I would like to see a hybrid model of a Read more
Jan
26
(1/26/2011, Los Alamitos) This week’s News Enterprise is the first with new Editor Shelley Henderson, who has replaced Brian Smith, who is returning to Texas.
Henderson is a 29 year Cypress resident with experience as a free lance writer who General Manager Guy Cariglio says “will bring a whole new feel and outlook” to the N-E. Her five children all graduated from St. Irenaeus Parish School in Cypress and three of them, like Ms. Henderson and her husband, graduated from U.S.C.
Her article on the last City Council Meeting was detailed, but somehow omitted Read more
Jan
20
“Highlands Guy” on “Benchmarking”
Filed Under 2011 Issues, City Budget, City Council, Highlands Guy's Thursday column | Leave a Comment
(1/20/11, Los Alamitos) Coincidentally, today’s Register noted that our Anaheim Ducks’ penalty killing unit has an amazing record of successfully killing 35 of the Ducks last 37 penalties! The secret of their success?
According to Coach Randy Carlyle, “What we did really is we stole other teams’ ideas. . . . We reviewed the top three penalty teams . . . and we tried to copy and mirror what they were doing.”
Sounds like the Coach may have learned a lesson from our “Highlands Guy, ” a lesson that could benefit us all:
by “Highlands Guy:” Benchmarking: A process of comparing one’s processes and performance metrics to other similar industry bests and/or best practices from other industries.
Dimensions typically measured are quality, time, effectiveness, and cost. Results can include doing things better, faster, and cheaper. The foci can be from, among others, a financial, performance, energy, strategic, or investor perspective. Over the years I have been a part of the evaluation process in a business environment and found that, at the very least, it can give one a more realistic view of you vs the rest of the guys. It can distinguish areas of challenge as well as highlight strengths.
Perhaps the guys down in city hall could use some of this type of analysis as part of their decision making process. Look around and see what Read more
Jan
19
Los Al Council Medical Center all-nighter?
Filed Under 2011 Issues, City Council Meetings, Planning & Zoning, Tenet's Los Al Medical Center | 26 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 1/19/11) When my DVR stopped recording at midnight, our City Council had barely begun their discussion of Tenet’s 25 year plan.
I’m told things were wrapped up around 1:30 this morning. So I guess you could say our diligent Council worked through the night and into the morning.
Questions were asked, but no decisions were made, not even a decision whether or not to hold a workshop for the Council on the matter.
Observers told me LAMC CEO Michelle Finney didn’t look happy as Read more
Jan
19
Today’s News Enterprise (1/19/2011)
Filed Under Community News | Leave a Comment
(Los Alamitos, by Dave Emerson) OK, I’m trying my best to focus on the half of the glass that’s full, not the half that’s empty.
I’m glad we have a weekly paper focused on our area, from Rossmoor to La Palma, but based right here in Los Alamitos.
I think Editor Brian Smith’s a great guy, and I think G.M. Guy Cariglio is a good guy trying to do his best in a very difficult economy that hit at the worst possible time for print journalism.
I’ve never been a big fan of the Verdugo brothers, the owner/publishers of both the N-E along with the Sun and around 15 other local papers, but at least they deliver a local paper to our driveways every week. Two local papers if you live in Rossmoor or Rossmoor Highlands.
I just get frustrated when I pick up my News Enterprise on a week filled with major local controversy, from the Medical Center to the annexation of Rossmoor, and discover Read more
Jan
18
Update & your reporting & comments on tonight’s Council meeting
Filed Under 2011 Issues, City Council Meetings, Los Al Medical Center, Teamwork | 2 Comments
(1/18/11, Los Alamitos)The latest word is that ever-conscientious Council Member Kusumoto is delaying his trip to Sacramento for new council member training so he can participate in tonight’s Council Meeting Public Hearing on the Los Al Medical Center 25 year Site-specific Expansion Plan.
Once again, we’re taking our semi-wikipedia approach to Council meetings, letting you, the people, do the reporting. Whether you watch it live at 7 p.m. in person or on LosAlTV3, or tape delayed later today or tomorrow, please take a few minutes to post the most significant things you saw and your Read more
Jan
17
Will the Los Al City Council postpone a decision on the LAMC expansion Tuesday night?
Filed Under 2011 Issues, City Council Meetings, Decency, Los Al Medical Center, Teamwork | 1 Comment
Tuesday, 1/18 update: Council Member Kusumoto decided to stay in town for tonight’s Council Meeting. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but when I find out I’ll put it up in a comment on the “Your Reporting” post for tonight’s meeting. (Los Alamitos, 1/17/11) An OC Register article that was updated earlier today, had what hopefully will prove to be a big step forward for Los Alamitos, in recommending that the Council wait until Council Member Kusumoto returns from an out of town training session to actually vote on the Medical Center’s 25 year expansion plan:
Kusumoto spoke over the weekend with Mayor Ken Stephens and requested a vote on the project be postponed until the next meeting. Stephens said Monday morning he will recommend the City Council hold a public hearing [Tuesday night] but Read more
Jan
16
Sunday thoughts about forgiveness and grace
Filed Under Inspiration, Sunday Sermons, Songs & Stories | Leave a Comment
(1/16/11)Today’s “Sunday Sermon” is excerpted from a letter I received this week from my friend Paul Rhoad, former Director of International Teams & Staff Development & Care of CRM; a parachurch organization.
In it he shares an interesting perspective on the need for forgiveness and on God’s grace:
In November the Holy Spirit challenged me in a fresh way with a familiar area of obedience. There are a number of relationships in my life where forgiveness is a “work in progress.” I make progress and then I slip back.
This day I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You need to forgive these people every day. It needs to become a spiritual discipline.”
I thought, how am I going to do that? Then I remembered “The Lord’s Prayer.” Isn’t that what Jesus is teaching us to do in that prayer? ["Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."] So I committed myself to praying that prayer every day, forgiving specific people as I talked to my Father.
That same day the Holy Spirit made me aware of some ugly attitudes in Read more
Jan
15
Weekly Crime Summary: Highlands car break-ins, more
Filed Under Community News, Crime & Police | 3 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 1/15/11) Seems like Rossmoor Highlands is continuing on the break-in hit parade, but this time it’s cars being broken into. The following comment was posted elsewhere on this blog:
Recently the Highlands have had an on going crime with thieves going into cars at night and stealing. This happened again on January 5th in the early morning to 3 cars that had left their doors open. These guys must have gone through the majority of the Highlands tract and checked car doors. Some neighbors have Read more