Friday, October 22, 2010

Greenhut: Public Pay Study Seems Bogus

Writer Steven Greenhut wrote yesterday on Cal Watchdog that, "this 'study' is far more about politics than research."

The study Greenhut is referring to has been plastered on just about every left-leaning blog and print media for the better part of two weeks. 

Read Greenhut's column here...

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Fire Department offers emergency preparedness classes

This just landed in my email's Inbox and I thought I should share it with you.  If you have been following my blog for awhile, you know I think CERT is a GREAT program.  A disaster can occur at any moment and we all need to be prepared.  I hear you can even make up a class if you can't hit all 3 weekends in a row.  The price is right so sign up!  Thanks to Carol Thackery for sharing this.
To all of the candidates who are interested in serving the city of Fullerton as council persons, school board members. etc. and who hopefully have a "real" concern for Fullerton residents.
This information is regarding the upcoming Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)  offered by the Fullerton Fire Dept.  
You can never be fully prepared before a disaster strikes and the more people who are trained here in Fullerton to respond to their neighbors' needs, the better off we will be.
These classes are also open to your family members and neighbors who are over the age of 18yrs .  We need you to spread the word about this training as folks who want to lead our community on council or school boards.
Hope to see many of you at our training now or in the future!

Carol Thackery
CERT volunteer since 2006
Rolling Hills Drive - District 5


 

 

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Graffiti

Back in April of this year I re-posted an OC Register article regarding the Fullerton Police Officer who busted some taggers.

Below are some pictures I took back in February of the 92831 post Office property in downtown Fullerton. I hate taggers and the mess they make. Fullerton Police Corporal John DeCaprio deserves a medal for his bust. It may not have been a violent crime in progress or a person down call, however, it was exactly what all of us hope our officers are doing everyday - fighting crime. The best part is that the officer observed the crime, called in back up, and caught 5 decrepit gangbanging thugs! I hope they are all charged as adults! Great job Cpl. DeCaprio and the FPD for exemplify quality service to our city and meeting our expectations!!  



Just the other day I noticed tagging along Harbor Boulevard.  Unfortunately, if the taggers are not caught in the act, it seems the property owner gets left with the cleaning bill.  Graffiti is a quality of life issue.  Considering the taggers write their names or monograms on walls like an ally-cat marking his territory, you would think it would be pretty easy to prosecute.  Oh, but the department's furloughs... Too bad criminals don't take furloughs off from their crime sprees!

Fullerton Fire Fighter Recruitment

FIREFIGHTER RECRUITMENT RESULTS (updated 05/10/2010)
678 candidates took the written test.
494 candidates passed the written test.
138 candidates were invited to oral interviews.

FINAL RESULTS
299 candidates remain on a Hold List.
114 candidates were placed on the Eligible List.

Yep, they still line up around the block even with a 10% pay cut.
Question:  Why not call all 114 and see if we can't get a  couple of people to volunteer their time to help shore up some of the overtime?  Just a thought.

OC Registrar of Voter's Latest Numbers for Fullerton

Monday, October 18, 2010

Patty's Cakes and Desserts is Now Open!!!

OC Registrar of Voter's Latest Numbers for Fullerton




















PARTY                       BALLOTS
DEM Issued                       8963 
DEM Returned                     698 
REP Issued                      12167 
REP Returned                    1171 
AI Issued                               484 
AI Returned                             33
GRN Issued                            85
LIB Issued                             160
LIB Returned                           11
P-F Issued                              54
P-F Returned                            3
DTS Issued                        4409
DTS Returned                      294
Misc Issued                            78
Misc Returned                          2
Total Issued                   26400
Total Returned – Good  2221 

Greg Sebourn

The Beauty of a Storm

The Beauty of a Storm
Orange County, Ca.

My Grandma - A Eulogy

LET'S TALK ABOUT 1914 FOR A MOMENT.



FOR STARTERS, GRANDMA WAS BORN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914 IN HER FAMILY'S ATWOOD RANCH HOUSE.



IT IS WORTH NOTING THOSE ALSO BORN IN 1914:

JACK LALANNE

JOE DIMAGGIO

DANNY THOMAS



AND WHO DIED IN 1914:

JOHN MUIR, THE FAMOUS NATURALIST FOR WHICH NUMEROUS ROADS, PARKS, HOTELS, AND NATURE RESERVES ARE NAMED.



IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT IN 1914 WOODROW WILSON SIGNS MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION AND BABE RUTH MAKES HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT WITH THE RED SOX. MOTHER'S DAY AND BASEBALL- TWO OF MY FAVORITES!! (PERHAPS HER NICKNAME "BABE" CAME FROM BABE RUTH???)



GRANDMA WAS BORN INTO A PERIOD OF TIME FILLED WITH TURMOIL. IN JUNE OF 1914 ARCHDUKE FRANZS FERDINAND WAS ASSASSINATED. WITHIN ONE MONTH WORLD WAR I RAGED ACROSS EUROPE. TWO DAYS AFTER HER BIRTH HOWEVER, GERMAN AND BRITISH TROOPS INTERRUPTED WWI TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. (PERHAPS THEY PAUSE KNOWING THAT A GREAT WOMAN WAS BORNE) WORLD WAR I CONTINUED UNTIL THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES IN 1919.



ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, SHE SAW THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS CREATED AND THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO VOTE.



SHE LIVED THROUGH MANY NOTABLE EVENTS. LIKE THE 1933 LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKE OR WHEN ATWOOD FLOODED ALONG WITH MOST OF ORANGE COUNTY IN 1938 AND THE FLOOD-WATERS CLAIMED MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE, 43 OF WHICH WERE FROM ATWOOD! ALL OF THIS DURING A TIME THAT WE READ ABOUT IN SCHOOL AND KNOWN AS "THE GREAT DEPRESSION". SOMEWHERE IN ALL OF THAT SHE FOUND THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, GRANDPA LEO, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, GOT MARRIED, AND HAD KIDS!



THEN THERE WAS WORLD WAR II. FROM PEARL HARBOR TO HIROSHIMA, GRANDMA WAS RAISING MY UNCLE BOB AND MOM ARLINE. WITH AIR-RAID SIRENS AND BLACKOUTS SHE WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER. WHAT A TIME TO RAISE CHILDREN! I BET GRANDMA'S PARENTS WERE ABEL TO TELL HER A THING OR TWO ABOUT RAISING KIDS IN WARTIME.



GRANDMA WAS THERE WHEN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HELD THEIR 3RD ANNUAL NATIONAL JAMBOREE IN 1953. SHE SAW AIRBASES OPEN IN '42 AND CLOSE IN '99. SHE WATCHED WALTER KNOTT START UP HIS BERRY FARM AND WALT DISNEY TURN ORANGE GROVES AND STRAWBERRY PATCHES INTO DISNEYLAND!



SHE SAW THE HORSE AND CARRIAGE FADE AWAY INTO HISTORY AND SPACE TRAVEL EXPLODE BEFORE HER WITH THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING. JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS. FROM TUBE RECTIFIERS TO SUPERCONDUCTORS; FROM TRANS-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLES TO SATELLITE TV.



SHE SAW MORE IN HER 93 YEARS THAN MOST OF US WILL EVER READ ABOUT, LET ALONE LIVE THROUGH!



OF THOSE 93 YEARS IT IS MY HONOR TO HAVE BEEN HER GRANDSON FOR 35 OF THEM. SHE WAS MY MOTHER WHEN MOM HAD TO WORK. SHE WIPED MY NOSE AND PUT FOOD IN MY MOUTH. SHE LET ME PLAY WITH GRANDPA EVEN THOUGH SHE NEEDED HIM TO TAKE HER TO THE STORE. SHE WAS MY GRANDMA AND I WILL MISS HER IMMENSELY.



JUST LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM; SHE DID THIS. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE INTO THIS WORLD AND TOGETHER TODAY. THIS IS HER LEGACY.



A Dedication To My Loving Wife, Stacey. Thank you for all you do for me!

Brad Paisley - I Thought I Loved You Then


I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
3 weeks later in the front porch light taking 45 min to kiss you goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet but I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I remember taking you back to right where I first met you
You were so surprised
There were people around
But I didn’t care I got down on one knee right there
And once again I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I can just see you with a baby on the way
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.

Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Well look back some day at this moment that we’re in
And I'll look at you and say I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then...