Foothills Sentry March 2024

Foothills Sentry Page 2 MARCH 2024 RELAX $ 15 95 /mo as low as SECURITY JADTEC Protecting your family, home and business from burglary, ţSF BOE NFEJDBM FNFSHFODJFT We’ve got you covered! 714 282 0828 | jadtec.com aco 4202 Campaign donations illuminate the story behind the OUSD Recall By Brian Hewes, Cerritos News Voters are deciding whether to UHFDOO WZR 2UDQJH 8QL¿ HG 6FKRRO District board members, Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner, and the cash is rolling in for both sides. The campaign in favor of the recall, Citizens for the Recall of Ledesma, Ortega, Miner, and Rumsey, is far outpacing the committee against the recall, with nearly $220,000 in dona- tions as of Jan. 25, collected from over 500 donors, a large majority small amount donations. A little over 10% of the dona- tions were over $1,000, with the 2UDQJH 8QL¿ HG (GXFDWLRQ $VVR ciation donating $15,000. The bucks start here The campaign committee against the recall, “No Recall, Par- ents Protecting Our Kids Against WKH 5HFDOO RI 286' %RDUGPHP bers,” (No Recall) had collected nearly $155,000 through Jan. 2. In contrast to the donors in fa- vor of the recall, many donors to No Recall include wealthy high- powered Orange County busi- ness owners, donations from an obscure political action commit- tee, donations from an exclusive club known for its uber-conserva- tive stance, and many campaign consulting companies known for WKHLU KLJK SUR¿ OH FOLHQWV The June 30, 2023 campaign ¿ QDQFH UHSRUW VKRZHG WKH 1R Recall committee collected over $18,000; including $2,200 from Temescal Canyon LLC, $1,000 IURP 'PLWUL\ &KHERWDUHY &(2 RI 1HZSRUW %HDFK EDVHG 9RVKW Capital, and $6,000 from attorney 6KDZQ 6WHHO 7KH 6HSW UHSRUW showed the No Recall commit- tee collecting just over $38,000, with $15,500 of that total coming IURP 6HUYLFH )LUVW ,QF ZLWK WKH “other” contribution checkbox FKHFNHG 6HUYLFH )LUVW LV RZQHG E\ 0DUN %XFKHU ZKR DOVR KHDGV the California Policy Center and WKH )DPLO\ $FWLRQ 3$& %XFKHU LV DOVR D൶ OLDWHG ZLWK WKH 2UDQJH County Classical Academy char- ter school. Local check mates %\ 'HF 1R 5HFDOO had collected $65,000 in dona- tions; the largest was $5,000 from Mesa Management, $5,000 from attorney and Orange resident )UHG :KLWDNHU DQG IURP 9LOOD 3DUN UHVLGHQW 'HQLVH %LWWHO 2024 saw a marked increase in donations to No Recall, the committee collecting $38,100 in just 20 days. An eye-opening $30,500, 78%, was donated by the Lincoln Club of Orange &RXQW\ 6WDWH 3$& 7KH DYHUDJH age of a Lincoln Club member is 60 years old, but here was the Club donating big money to a lo- cal school district recall. Its web- site states, “The Lincoln Club of Orange County is the oldest and largest conservative major donor organization in California.” %XW WKDW ZDV RQO\ WKH EHJLQ ning of the high-powered money spigot. To ensure transparency in all elections, when donations to any committee exceed $1,000, the FRPPLWWHH PXVW ¿ OH D )RUP ZLWK WKH )DLU 3ROLWLFDO 3UDFWLFHV Commission within 48 hours of receiving the contribution. Records show that on Jan. 23, WKUHH GD\V DIWHU WKH ¿ UVW January reporting period, the Lin- coln Club donated $10,000 to No Recall; the club’s donations now totaled $40,500. Out-of-towners %XW WKHQ DQ REVFXUH SROLWLFDO action committee started giving to the No Recall committee. The )DPLO\ $FWLRQ 3$& &RPPLWWHH ID# 1225424 is headed by Mark %XFKHU 6WDUWHG LQ 7KH )DP ily PAC garnered thousands of dollars in donations, eventually JLYLQJ WR FXUUHQW 286' %RDUG 0HPEHU 0DGLVRQ 0LQHU LQ October 2022. In December 2023, California 6HFUHWDU\ RI 6WDWH UHFRUGV VKRZ WKH 3$& WRRN LQ HDFK IURP ¿ YH ZHDOWK\ GRQRUV IRU D WRWDO RI $45,500. The donors included Larry 6PLWK RI 0+, 5HDO (VWDWH LQ 1HZSRUW %HDFK .LP & %HQJDUG D ³KRPHPDNHU´ IURP 6DQ &OHP HQWH 7KRPDV %HQJDUG D ³6HOI (PSOR\HG ,QYHVWRU´ IURP 6DQ Clemente; and John D. Lewis and Nancy Lewis of J. Derek Lewis & $VVRFLDWHV LQ 1HZSRUW %HDFK ,Q SULRU \HDUV )DPLO\ 3$& UH ported an inordinate amount of donors listing their businesses in 1HZSRUW %HDFK ZKLFK LV PLOHV IURP 2UDQJH 8QL¿ HG ERXQGDULHV A few weeks later, on Jan. 25, WKH )DPLO\ 3$& WXUQHG DURXQG and donated $15,500 to the No 5HFDOO FRPPLWWHH 2Q )HE WKH )DPLO\ 3$& WRRN LQ DQRWKHU $45,000 from three current Or- DQJH &RXQW\ %RDUG RI (GXFD WLRQ %RDUG 0HPEHUV VW 'LVWULFW Trustee Jorge Valdes, 2nd District 7UXVWHH 0DUL %DUNH DQG WK 'LV WULFW 7UXVWHH 7LP 6KDZ GRQDWHG $15,000 each from their respec- tive campaign committees. Assistance League to embrace Orange Assistance League of Orange LQYLWHV WKH FRPPXQLW\ WR WKH (P brace Orange fundraiser, themed ³6TXHH]H WKH 6SLULW RI *LYLQJ WR EH KHOG 6XQGD\ $SULO IURP WR S P DW WKH %DOERD %D\ 5HVRUW LQ 1HZSRUW %HDFK Join the league for an evening of cocktails and an elegant dinner with live music and dancing. The Community Circle Award ZLOO EH JLYHQ WR $PEDVVDGRU *DG GL 9DVTXH] *XHVWV FDQ SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKH H[ tensive silent and live auctions of XQLTXH WUDYHO GHVWLQDWLRQV OX[XU\ goods, a wine wall and local mer- chandise that help to support the numerous philanthropic programs that touch veterans, seniors, stu- dents, families and children within the greater Orange community. Visit the Assistance League of Orange website for details; click on events. Credit card and online reservations can be made at alor- ange.org . )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ SOHDVH email Deena Arnold at deena@ seahospitality.com. Orange Santiago Creek Commission members named 7KH QHZO\ IRUPHG 6DQWLDJR Creek Commission welcomed seven inaugural members with an announcement delivered by 0D\RU 'DQ 6ODWHU DW WKH )HE Orange City Council meeting. 3DPHOD *DOHUD 'DYLG +LOOPDQ DQG 6XVDQ 7LOORX ZHUH DSSRLQWHG to a term ending June 30, 2027. $GGLVRQ $GDPV 5REHUW %DFD 0LFKDHO .QLJKW DQG %UHQGRQ Moeller will serve until June 30, 2028. The randomly selected two- year terms will allow members’ four-year terms to be staggered. The commission was created by a city ordinance adopted in 2023 and is intended to pay long over- due attention to the city’s largest waterway. The commission will advise the city council on issues related to the preservation or en- hancement of the creek’s eco- logical, scenic, historical and recreational resources, excluding private property and parks. It will establish relationships with non- SUR¿ WV DQG SXEOLF SULYDWH DJHQ cies that are stakeholders in the creek area. :LWK LQSXW IURP WKH FRPPX nity, the commission will identify potential public projects in and along the creek and make recom- mendations to the city council. It will also advise the council on the DFTXLVLWLRQ RI SULYDWH SURSHUW\ LI it becomes available. Commission meetings will be announced in advance and will be open to the public.