multi-year effort led by Caltrans to remove trash
and join with communities throughout the state to reclaim
 The large-scale art installation serves as a welcoming symbol for residents and visitors entering Placentia
Inspired by the circular motion of the highway ramps
artist Cliff Garten's 20-foot-by-20-foot sculpture features a vibrant polychromed spiral design that flows upward from the swirling landscape beneath
creating an image that continually changes from every commuter’s vantage point
Garten’s creation includes references to Placentia's history and social heritage
such as early 20th-century orange crate labels and local water and oil towers
“Clean California provided a unique and valuable opportunity for Caltrans to partner with the City of Placentia to clean up and beautify key entry points to the city,” said Caltrans District 12 Director Lan Zhou
“I am thrilled to see this monument integrate art seamlessly with urban infrastructure
It underscores Caltrans’ commitment to creating dynamic and engaging public spaces that foster long-lasting community connections." 
at the SR-57 undercrossing abutment on West Crowther Avenue
“We are grateful for this partnership with Caltrans and the positive impact (the Clean California Initiative) has brought to Placentia
with the gateway monument and landscaping highlighting a busy freeway exchange in the city
and the murals along the freeway underpass on Crowther Avenue creating an attractive entrance into the city’s Transit-Oriented Development district,” said Placentia Mayor Jeremy B
The completion of Garten and Man One’s public artworks marks significant additions to Orange County highways
Their work has transformed utilitarian spaces into striking city landmarks
attracting residents and visitors alike to experience the intersection of art and transportation infrastructure in a new light
Since launching Clean California in July 2021
Caltrans and its local partners have picked up more than 2.6 million cubic yards of litter – enough to cover nine lanes of Interstate 5 with an inch of trash from San Diego to the Canadian border
This represents a substantial increase compared to the department’s previous trash collection efforts and can largely be attributed to Clean California
along with other Caltrans litter removal efforts
Caltrans has hosted more than 500 free dump days in communities throughout the state – resulting in the collection of 12,000-plus mattresses and nearly 50,000 tires
The initiative has drawn more than 60,000 community clean-up volunteers and created more than 8,000 jobs
including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated
Clean California has invested more than $60 million
including $15 million in local grant projects
$22 million in highway roadside improvement projects and $23 million toward litter collection efforts
Aerial view of the monument and its surrounding swirling landscape
2014 cartoon by Rob Tornoe, <a href="https://empathyeducates.org/will-anyone-stop-charter-school-corruption/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Education Opportunity Network">Education Opportunity Network</a>
nor even someone with an administrative credential in education.&nbsp; I am a retired high school history teacher deeply concerned with the attack on the foundational institution of our democracy: free
and secular public schools.&nbsp; Vested interests with deep pockets are funding this attack on public education at the national scale.&nbsp; What is happening in the PYLUSD is merely a local manifestation of our current national crisis
and at the bottom of the article.]&nbsp; Some things need to be seen to be believed!)&nbsp; In the absence of journalists working professionally on this story
volunteers like me must fill a big gap in its coverage and make whatever associations seem appropriate.&nbsp;
I have not run this article past people with more expertise on the legal dimensions of charter schools.&nbsp; This is
an invitation to a conversation.&nbsp; I am very aware of the limitations of what follows and appreciate constructive input from anyone and everyone
That having been said, the best introduction to the larger issue was the outstanding series published by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/2022/03/16/salon-investigates-the-on-public-schools-is-being-fought-from-hillsdale-college/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kathryn Joyce three years ago in&nbsp;Slate</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you have not read it
it remains a definitive piece documenting the interface between Orange County
and Hillsdale College in the extremists&#8217; effort to destroy public education
the PYLUSD Board of Trustees returned from the winter holidays and the star of the show was the new legal counsel
Sukhi Ahluwalia (right).&nbsp; The main decisions from this seven-hour meeting were that the OC School of Computer Science (OCSCS) will not be operating as an independent charter school any time soon.&nbsp; In addition
Renee Grey will continue as interim superintendent.&nbsp; On a 3-2 vote
Marilyn Anderson and Carrie Buck voted in opposition to her maintaining this post
The 4-1 vote in opposition to establishing the OCSCS as a private charter school determined that the facility will remain under the control of the elected board and will likely stop receiving the preferential treatment it has had from the previous board majority of extremists (Leandra Blades
was the only vote in opposition to keeping the OCSCS as a &#8220;DEPENDENT charter school&#8221; under the jurisdiction of the elected school board
 It will almost certainly remain a charter school in some configuration
and Beth Fisher might even remain its principal despite some very disturbing behaviors that will be noted in what follows
Frazier likely came to realize that the revised charter would not only expose the district to new liabilities
but it might also expose those who supported it to personal liability.&nbsp; &nbsp;
At about the three hour mark on&nbsp;<a href="https://pylusd.new.swagit.com/videos/325826" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the district video</a>&nbsp;of the session
the new counsel advised against voting for the charter proposal with this statement:&nbsp; “You don’t really know what the board is voting on because there are so many different documents and so many different representations.”&nbsp; Confusion.&nbsp; Contradiction.&nbsp; Massive waste of time and money.&nbsp; This charter proposal denoted the legacy of former Superintendent Alex Cherniss that will continue to damage our schools in the PYLUSD for many years to come
The new district counsel defined the evening.&nbsp; Sukhi K
Ruud &amp; Romo (AALRR).&nbsp; She has worked for decades in educational law and specializes in charter school authorizations.&nbsp; Not only did her presentation illustrate her remarkable mastery of law as it pertains to charter schools
but it also shed disturbing light on the district’s previous legal representation by Orbach
Despite hysterical protestations to the contrary
no one on the board opposes retaining OCSCS as a district charter school dedicated to developing skills and knowledge generally associated with computers.&nbsp; The new board majority will now do what Trustee Anderson suggested months ago:&nbsp; engage a study session involving ALL stakeholders to consider how best to proceed with the further operation of OCSCS.&nbsp; Had then-Board President Blades heeded the reasonable recommendation of current Board President Anderson last fall
the torrent of fear and misinformation that characterized this meeting could have been averted.&nbsp; The teachers
and children of OCSCS could have been home preparing the next generation of technology innovators rather than embarrassing themselves by regurgitating the misinformation fed them by its principal
Principal Fisher (right) colluded with Trustee Blades to have an array of OCSCS students
and often insulting information to the Board
&nbsp;&nbsp;These public speakers comprised the vast majority of the 31 speakers who presented before the closed session at 3:30 and the 60ish who presented prior to the 6 p.m
general meeting.&nbsp; All agreed that the OCSCS represented a unique and innovative educational opportunity for which the district provided no comparable opportunity.&nbsp; All agreed that Principal Fisher provided inspirational leadership that motivated teachers and students to unprecedented heights of performance.&nbsp; They all agreed that the success of the OCSCS depended on its being a charter school.&nbsp; &nbsp;Charters
are not the only way of producing innovative programs in a public school district
especially one where there is already an exemplary model for educational innovation in the area of computer technology:
two recent graduates from Valencia High School (VHS) spoke.&nbsp; Both had completed the requirements for the International Baccalaureate diploma as well as the ValTech Academy certificate at VHS.&nbsp; Alyssa Wong is currently a Computer Science major at UCLA.&nbsp; Ryan Lin majors in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkeley.&nbsp; They indicated their concern that by providing OCSCS an independent charter status
As the brief biographies of Ryan and Alyssa above show
the district has already successfully created a technology academy at VHS that encompasses a wide array of computer applications from mechatronics to cybersecurity
are also graduates of Kraemer Middle School.&nbsp; Administrators created these highly successful programs at Valencia and Kraemer through full coordination and cooperation between the district and the two schools.&nbsp; To create this outstanding academy
A few additional words about the specific success of VHS are appropriate.&nbsp; It is by far the largest high school in the district
mainly because of the excellence of its programs.&nbsp; It is also
the most academically successful school in the district.&nbsp; Graduates of the ValTech Academy have proceeded from high school into outstanding careers in the field of technology and have studied at the world’s most advanced universities and technology institutes.&nbsp; For years
students at Valencia have received the most IB diplomas of any high school in Orange County.&nbsp; It should be noted as well that it is not just the two definitive programs in the Valencia Academy (ValTech and IB) that define its success.&nbsp; It also boasts outstanding programs for students who traditionally have had difficulty accessing and succeeding in post-secondary education.&nbsp; Specifically
the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at VHS has been phenomenal
The Academy has been part of the reason that VHS has over the years drawn students from over 100 different middle schools from throughout southern California and beyond.&nbsp; This ability to attract students from outside the district
and return hundreds of students to the district who had been matriculating outside of it
brings millions of dollars of ADA money into the district each year.&nbsp; Moreover
these VHS programs have never operated with a budget deficit.&nbsp; Compare that to the two “innovations” currently operating in the district.&nbsp; USI is costing the district around $1million above ADA for its 85 enrollees
and the OCSCS is operating at approximately a $1.5 million annual deficit.&nbsp; The Valencia Academy thus provided a model of both curricular innovation and fiscal responsibility
worked with the previous extremist board to create the OCSCS
he did not have much interest in coordinating it with the already established success of the Valencia Academy Program.&nbsp; The main architect of the Valencia Academy is retired principal
Jim Bell.&nbsp; Cherniss never reached out to Mr
Bell for advice on how to build a successful technology academy and integrate it into the district.&nbsp; Every superintendent who worked in the district after Bell retired in 2014 reached out to him for guidance except Cherniss.&nbsp; One would think that a superintendent would want insight on how to build a successful computer science academy from someone in the district who has already done it.&nbsp; It was not just Cherniss
who felt himself above guidance from someone who had worked in the district for nearly forty years.&nbsp; The board extremists (Blades
and Frazier) showed comparable disregard for the legacy programs in the district.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Blades did not even know who Mr
Bell was not the only major contributor to the creation of the successful academy programs at VHS.&nbsp; Other major builders of the successful Academy included Rick Lopez
Sue Sawyer and others whom former Superintendent &nbsp;Cherniss and board extremists did not see as “good fits” to continue their work as leaders in the district.&nbsp; Cherniss and the previous board majority instead invested everything into the charter concept and the purported leadership of Beth Fisher
and hatred began before the meeting.&nbsp; A widely distributed flier rallying supporters of OCSCS stated:
If your child loves to attend OCSCS please make your voice heard
or there may not be an OCSCS next year.&nbsp; Trustees Anderson and Buck are doing everything in ther (sic) power
Attend and speak your mind at tomorrow’s school board meeting to show your support of the school and show Anderson and Buck their dirty
It is not petty to point out the elementary grammar and spelling mistakes of someone writing in support of a school program
especially when something as elementary as a spellcheck and grammar software program is involved in relation to supporting a computer science academy.&nbsp;
Because this flier was widely distributed at OCSCS in the days leading up to the board meeting
Principal Fisher was either complicit in its dissemination or negligent in her duty to monitor the kinds of materials allowed on her campus.&nbsp; It is not unreasonable to demand that the superintendent investigate this matter and the source of this attack on two democratically elected members of the board.&nbsp; If Principal Fisher supported this attack on the two board members in any way
she deserves the strongest possible censure.&nbsp; If any staff member distributed or allowed the distribution of these fliers
they should be reprimanded by the district and have this noted on their permanent records.&nbsp;
The bottom line in this entire fiasco is that the OCSCS is a product of the entire district
and its supporters should not whine when other parents
and students demand that the district operate in a way that fairly
and equitably distributes the district’s resources.&nbsp; As such
the issues involved here are issues related to that most fundamental and historic sources of our constitutional republic: the local school board
The November election presented a referendum on the tenure of Superintendent Cherniss in the district, and it was one that he lost.&nbsp; Cherniss’ purge of district leadership, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6r9Zm0pSOo&amp;t=47s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Universal Sports Institute (USI) fiasco</a>
and the openly preferential treatment accorded to his two pet projects are among the main factors that led voters to demand a change in direction for the district.&nbsp; In a behavior never before seen in the PYLUSD by a superintendent
Cherniss openly supported the campaigns of the opponents of Trustee Anderson
who was seeking to take the seat held by Blades.&nbsp; Elections have consequences
disrespect for the legacy of this district
and poorly conceived “innovations” is over.&nbsp; While it is possible that the former superintendent might return to his position
what little is known about existing litigation makes that seem unlikely.&nbsp; For this reason
statements made by a few OCSCS advocates who supported the immediate return of Cherniss to his position need a response
we can be sure that there were good reasons why seven district managers
including the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent
were put on paid administrative leave on 5-0 votes by the district board.&nbsp; Those who spoke at the January 14 meeting demanding the return of Cherniss on the assertion that he has the presumption of innocence
reveal an infantile understanding of the issues at hand.&nbsp; The district
would be held liable for any corrupting of evidence or any instances or even hints of instances of witness tampering that might occur in relation to pending litigation involving the seven on leave.&nbsp;
Paid administrative leave in this instance is a precautionary measure a district is forced to take when sufficient evidence exists to place it and its employees in jeopardy.&nbsp; It has nothing whatsoever to do with the guilt or innocence of those put on leave.&nbsp; Even Trustee Blades understands this
and that is why she joined in the unanimous vote.&nbsp; She lacks the integrity
to admit this to her followers.&nbsp; The horrifying fact is that Superintendent Cherniss has driven the district into a morass of litigation that will likely cost it tens of millions of dollars in the years to come
OCSCS Principal Beth Fisher squandered the ten minutes provided for her to make her final bid in support of the charter revision to the board.&nbsp; She began her statement by sycophantically stating how greatly the new interim superintendent
had supported OCSCS from the beginning.&nbsp; She also noted
the greatest expert on charter schools in her opinion
should have been there to guide the discussion on this complex matter.&nbsp; Fisher then proceeded to show how little she knew and how little she supposedly had learned from her master teacher about charter schools
In what appears to have been a pre-arranged moment
Fisher turned her attention to the audience in a failed attempt to explain the charter revision that she was proposing.&nbsp; She argued that the charter revision would not render the OCSCS an independent charter but rather retain it as a dependent charter within the PYLUSD.&nbsp; In the time allotted to her
she made no effort to explain to the audience and the board what the difference might be between a dependent and an independent charter.&nbsp; Nor did she clarify how OCSCS would affiliate with the large USI investment the district had made at that site by installing so much of its equipment there.&nbsp;
Instead, she turned to the flock of people who had been coaxed to come in support of OCSCS and asked them to&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/EEvN8Kws9Is" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discuss for fifteen seconds</a>&nbsp;whether they believed the charter school would be dependent or independent.&nbsp; With phenomenal perspicacity
the vast bulk of the audience discerned that it would be a dependent charter without ever been having told what one was.&nbsp; The discussion took only five seconds
even less than the fifteen seconds Fisher had allotted!&nbsp; The whole evening might lead one to believe that the proper acronym for the charter school should be the Orange County School of Cheap Stunts
there is no pedestal too high for Fisher to place herself upon.&nbsp; Her entire presentation insulted pretty much everyone in the district not directly affiliated with OCSCS
When her ten minutes mercifully came to an end
she had still not clarified any of the real issues involved in the charter revision to anyone who might have real questions about it
Fisher had made a comparably awful hour-long presentation at a board meeting in December.&nbsp; Cherniss and the board extremists have given Fisher ample opportunity to make her case to the board and the public,&nbsp; She has failed on every occasion to be compelling
At the risk of drifting off topic as Fisher so frequently did
it is worth making a quick observation in response to the allegation that the district was falling into disarray before Cherniss arrived.&nbsp; One could go into detail about all the successful programs in the district that were established prior to Cherniss.&nbsp; The most telling point in response to Fisher’s allegations
is the fact that almost every manager driven out of the district by Cherniss has found immediate offers from excellent school districts outside of PYLUSD.&nbsp; In fact
Cherniss has written letters attempting to undermine the employment quests of former PYLUSD managers elsewhere.&nbsp; Those efforts have universally failed because Cherniss holds little respect anywhere in Southern California.&nbsp; Moreover
these efforts to undermine the employment quests of former district employees may well be the basis for some of the litigation that the district will have to bear in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;The main point
is that for most of the districts in Southern California
PYLUSD is a good place to be&nbsp;from&nbsp;because the entire education community in Orange County sees Cherniss for the fraud he is.&nbsp;
In opposition to what had just been presented
Ahluwalia explained that Principal Fisher’s proposal was for an&nbsp;independent charter&nbsp;that would have to establish itself as a 501c3 corporation to operate legally.&nbsp; So
it must be said at the start that Fisher either did not understand what she was proposing
or she was lying about it.&nbsp; The attorney went on to explain in disturbing detail how the arrangements being proposed by the proponents of the OCSCS revision would put the district at risk for various liabilities while depriving the district of operational authority over the independent charter
the OCSCS would be run by a board selected not by the district but by the founders of the 501c3 corporation and operate with autonomy from the district.&nbsp; The taxpayers of the district
would have no say over curriculum or staffing.&nbsp; The employees at the charter would no longer operate under the collective bargaining agreements for either classified or certificated staff.&nbsp; OCSCS would be
a private school constructed and subsidized in various ways by the entire district but whose benefits and authority accrue only to those affiliated with the OCSCS.&nbsp; Most importantly
the charter would have complete control over the Average Daily Attendance money for every student enrolled.&nbsp; In short
but it is largely funded by the public.&nbsp;
The PYLUSD would remain responsible for the Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA) requirements
because these operate on a regional basis outside the purview of any specific institution.&nbsp; Again
all taxpayers would contribute to the SELPA mandates for OCSCS
but those taxpayers would not have control over how they would be used there.&nbsp; The district would also be required to provide several other “back office” services to the OCSCS involving costs to the district that may or may not impose an additional fiscal burden on the taxpayers of PYL
District insurance liability represents one of the most disturbing of many disturbing aspects of the charter proposal.&nbsp; According to Ms
the charter proposal would require the district to cover the insurance for any physical or personal injury that might happen at OCSCS even though the district would not have control over any aspect of its operation.&nbsp; The district’s insurance provider would not have to pay because the charter school would not be part of its contract with the district.&nbsp; Instead
the district would have to pay for any claims against OCSCS from its general fund.&nbsp; This is one of the many astonishing examples provided by Ms
and their legal counsel conceived this charter proposal.&nbsp; In their scheme
liability flows in the opposite direction of benefits
Fisher and their legal team intentionally or inadvertently structured this charter in a way that consistently favored the interests of OCSCS over those of the district.&nbsp; The preponderance of the evidence that is emerging is that the charter revision is part of a conspiracy involving deception and fraud perpetrated by not just Cherniss and the former board majority
but by a host of vested interests aligned with the charter school racket and its sponsors on the Orange County Board of Education.&nbsp; Among those interests defrauding the taxpayers of the PYL are the proprietors of the USI (Universal Sports Institute.)
It is difficult to see the trajectory of the USI story as anything other than a grift sponsored by Cherniss
and the proprietors of the Treigning Lab.&nbsp; This company
has been contracted to oversee the implementation of the USI.&nbsp; Attorney Ahluwalia made it abundantly clear that whatever assets from USI that have been relocated to the OCSCS would have to be removed from that site under the charter revision because location of those district properties at an independent charter school would violate provisions of the Ed Code that prohibit such transfers.&nbsp; It is impossible to believe that Superintendent Cherniss
a self-proclaimed expert in charter schools
was not aware that he was violating the law as he moved the vast bulk of USI assets to the OCSCS site.&nbsp; It is also extremely difficult to believe that the district’s previous legal counsel
were also not complicit in this scheme.&nbsp; The entirety of the USI story over the past year has been a study in deception and dishonesty
apart from the material investments the taxpayers of PYL have made in OCSCS and USI
we continue to subsidize their daily operations at an appalling rate.&nbsp; There is
one more piece of evidence indicating a fraudulent scheme that emerged from Ahluwalia&#8217;s presentation on January 14.&nbsp; It may be the single most disturbing element of her presentation:
The provisions of the proposed charter revision for the OCSCS would have opened the floodgates for the extremist OC Board of Education (OCBE) to IMPOSE other charter schools onto district sites at bargain basement rates.&nbsp; According to the tenets of the Proposition 39 (Education Code 47614) authorization for charter schools
county boards of education can impose charter schools even on school districts that have clearly indicated that such charter schools are not in the interest of the district.&nbsp; This is clearly happening in the PYLUSD and was an agenda item in the closed session of the January 14 meeting.&nbsp; At this closed session
the district was informed of the application of both the Magnolia and California Republic Leadership Academy (CRLA) for access to sites in PYL.&nbsp;
On a 5-0 vote in 2023, the district had expressed its rejection of the CRLA application.&nbsp; The CRLA program had been thoroughly panned in a&nbsp;<a href="https://4.files.edl.io/9b6d/07/24/23/232906-a6135c5c-6753-4ca2-a7a6-c59c3c1b0868.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">July, 2023 Staff Report</a>
in the same way as it had been lambasted in other districts and at the Orange County Department of Education.&nbsp; Even the three extremist board members – Blades
and Frazier – voted against the authorization of this charter school even though their positions on the board had been sponsored by the county’s biggest CRLA backers.&nbsp; They knew full well
that their vote was meaningless.&nbsp; Their vote was a ruse to give them political cover in a circumstance that they knew would have no bearing on the ability of the OCBE and the CRLA to later impose its will.&nbsp; Based on provisions in Proposition 39
the OCBE was going to impose charters in the district regardless of the interests and concerns of the local school board.&nbsp; The extremists’ transparent conspiracy became even clearer in the most damning element of Ms
The revised charter proposal for the OCSCS contained an item reducing what that site would pay the district for use of this public asset that would also by provisions of Proposition 39 necessarily be extended to any other charter that came into the district.&nbsp; Specifically
Trustee Blades pretended not to be aware of this Proposition 39 loophole that would have further drained the district of its resources.&nbsp; It is impossible to believe that she
Cherniss (who was still Superintendent when this revision was being drawn up)
and OHH were unaware.&nbsp; The evidence that the PYLUSD board extremists and their superintendent are engaged in a networked conspiracy linked directly to the California Policy Center and the broader charter and homeschool rackets is becoming more compelling by the day.&nbsp;
The only question is whether there is enough evidence at this point for a group of taxpayers in PYL to organize a civil suit and prove to a jury with a preponderance of evidence that the board extremists
and their network of institutional supporters intentionally defrauded the PYLUSD for personal gain.&nbsp; It is also time to take a hard look at the previous law firm representing the district.&nbsp; OHH would appear to have either engaged in professional malpractice or
have been part of a criminal scheme to defraud the taxpayers of PYL.&nbsp; 
Esperanza High School (EHS) is apparently being set up as a site that the OCBE might use to authorize another charter school and there is evidence that Cherniss and the board extremists are complicit in this.&nbsp; A few years ago
the PYLUSD &nbsp;brought Beth Fisher into the district from the Garden Grove Unified School District.&nbsp; She has subsequently asserted herself as a major spokesperson for charter schools in the PYLUSD.&nbsp; Last year
to become principal at EHS.&nbsp; As with the OCSCS
over the last year EHS has received a disproportionate amount of material and staff aligned with the USI.&nbsp; The OCBE and its benefactors surely view EHS as a particularly seductive property in the PYLUSD.&nbsp; By the provision of the proposed OCSCS charter revision
EHS could be leased for pennies on the dollar
In one of the most incisive moments toward the end of Ms
Trustee Blades demanded that the attorney answer publicly a question that Blades knew could not be answered in the public session.&nbsp; This is one of Blades’ most contemptible tactics: using public forums to show her minions that things are going on behind closed doors that are depriving them of their right to know.&nbsp; (The Deep State is everywhere!)  When the attorney indicated to the trustee that it would not be appropriate for her to respond to the trustee’s question in this public forum
Blades indicated that she needed answers now.&nbsp; &nbsp;“We’re voting tonight,” she said.&nbsp; The attorney calmly responded:&nbsp; “But we really don’t know what we’re voting on.”&nbsp; With that
Ahluwalia concluded her revelations for the evening
It is time for the PYLUSD to begin calculating the cost of the extremist takeover of the district over the last four years.&nbsp; That cost is growing rapidly by the day.&nbsp; A calculation of costs should include not just the amount of money spent and wasted on the boondoggle of USI and the diversion of nondiscretionary money toward the OCSCS
but also the massive amounts of money forfeited over the last four years to people on paid administrative leave as well the torrents of taxpayer money being diverted into the coffers of law firms representing both sides in adversarial litigation.&nbsp; The district should also provide an estimate of reputational damage to this once stable district that will now find it increasingly difficult to attract quality educators considering both the fiscal and political chaos generated by the extremists
The current losses to the district resulting from the intentional mismanagement by Superintendent Cherniss are staggering.&nbsp; The district should demand a strict accounting for the total amount of money paid out in salaries and benefits to managers on paid administrative leave.&nbsp;&nbsp; There were many such instances of this prior to last month’s unanimous and necessary board decision to place Cherniss and six others on paid leave
&nbsp;&nbsp;PYL taxpayers are presently paying over $3000&nbsp;EACH DAY&nbsp;for a superintendent because we are paying one to do the job and another to sit at home
no one is questioning the necessity of placing Dr
pending investigations of what are likely various instances of his malfeasance.&nbsp; &nbsp;PYL taxpayers are also paying in the vicinity of $2,000&nbsp;EACH DAY&nbsp;for someone to manage Human Resources.&nbsp; (It appears that Yolanda Mendoza is being compensated at the same rate as an Assistant Superintendent rather than the higher pay rendered former Deputy Superintendent Dr
who received his promotion and substantial raise without a performance review required in the district by-laws.&nbsp; Gates
is making much more than the $884.62 per day pay that Mendoza is getting for doing the same job as he did.)&nbsp; PYL taxpayers are also paying around $1800&nbsp;EACH DAY&nbsp;in redundant compensation to have an Assistant Superintendent in charge of Administrative Services
these are not the first instances over the last four years in which multiple managers have been put on paid administrative leave.&nbsp;
PYL taxpayers also have a right to an estimate of the qualitative and reputational damage to the district foisted upon it by the extremist takeover of the board.&nbsp; The extremists have not merely damaged the outstanding pipeline of California State University Fullerton teachers into the district
the reputation of our district has also declined in the education departments at other universities as well.&nbsp; It will be very difficult to find a superintendent willing to confront both the fiscal and political mess in the PYLUSD after witnessing the absurdity of meetings such as the one that occurred on January 14 or
any of the previous ones that have taken place over the last four years.&nbsp;
The January 14 meeting was a giant step forward for the district.&nbsp; The road to recovery begins with accountability
Ahluwalia provided the parameters within which that accountability will transpire in the legal realm.&nbsp; More than anything
this meeting further testified to the courage and dedication of Trustees Anderson
and Quintero.&nbsp; They will continue to need our unwavering support in the weeks to come
The challenges are formidable.&nbsp; The extremists on the OCBE and their attorneys just returned from a trip to Washington
where they sought further funding to promote their ability to impose charter schools in local districts that do not want them.&nbsp; They have already authorized 28 charter schools in the county.&nbsp; In the process
the OCBE undermines that most foundational institution of constitutional republicanism: the local school board.&nbsp; Their coalition of support includes various grifters including those seeking higher political office and the enhanced power that comes from being pastor of a megachurch
The fundamental problem is that these grifters view litigation as a means of further diverting general fund money in a district from the classroom where it belongs
because their goal is to destroy public education.&nbsp; Narcissistic nihilism is their core ideology
and demolition is their operational tactic
It would seem long past time for our state legislature and our governor to reexamine the provisions of Proposition 39.&nbsp; In the meantime
is there enough evidence yet to document the conspiracy between the PYLUSD board extremists
and the CPC that might persuade a jury that they have engaged an attempt to defraud the taxpayers of PYL
Isn’t the reason Cal State Fullerton stopped funneling student teachers to PYLUSD because the district wouldn’t teach critical race theory
 Underage children do not need to learn a flawed theory that pushes a hateful agenda disguised as inclusion
 Nobody teaches Critical Race Theory before college
 (Although like a lot of stupid-ass extremist boards
Leandra&#8217;s PYLUSD made a point of saying they wouldn&#8217;t teach it.)
Does teaching about the Holocaust count as CRT
then why does teaching about the Middle Passage
 Do some people just not have a legitimate place in history classes
might want a more &#8220;balanced&#8221; view of Nazi Germany.)
None of this requires condemnation of white people (and even semi-white people like Eric and me) as a whole
there&#8217;s a hell of a lot to be taught about whites who did and did not support these things
 That&#8217;s where history gets really interesting: I could make a positive case for any of those atrocities for students to contend with
thus learning about the present-day implications of those positions
 But some people do not want educated students
I won&#8217;t expect anything more in return than anonymous attacks from people who use anonymity as a way to facilitate character attacks
I agree, it doesn’t make sense.  Here is one of the articles that explains the  CSUF and PYLUSD schism.  Imagine this is why Leandra referenced.  <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2022/10/19/csuf-pulls-student-teachers-from-placentia-yorba-linda-after-critical-race-theory-ban/" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.ocregister.com/2022/10/19/csuf-pulls-student-teachers-from-placentia-yorba-linda-after-critical-race-theory-ban/</a>
Anything Leandra says should be discounted as a lie
What they’ve been taught is their mommy will bail them out when they get in trouble at school
you call CRT a hateful agenda disguised as inclusion
which shows you don’t know what it is either
it has never been taught in any elementary or secondary school
They banned something that wasn’t being taught
we might as well start crafting bans on witchcraft or alchemy because those aren’t taught in school either
Vern and the PYLUSD for Truth’s claims that CRT is not taught in high school is not correct
 The PYLUSD’s ban exempted the AP and IB programs from it
proving that it IS taught in our classrooms
 While it is true that prior to the release of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ landmark 1619 Project CRT was a topic confined to higher-level courses in universities
Hannah-Jones made CRT a matter of public discourse with which every decently educated person should be familiar
and not just the ones aspiring to go to university
many of our police officers need better training in cultural diversity
as we witness frequently in our PYLUSD board meetings
as I attempted to argue in the piece linked above
is that people do not understand what the discipline of history entails
The study of history involves an examination of the past through the filters of various sources
 The cumulation of these varied perspectives on the past are what is known as historiography
 The idea that there is one thread of analysis that embodies absolute truth is absurd and undermines serious engagement with the complexities of the past
I would expect all my students – not just the IB and AP elite – to have the ability to summarize
and evaluate CRT as a way of understanding race relations in the past
What the extremists who seek to ban ideas from the classroom are really attempting to accomplish is to impose a single version of history on our young people
 Such has been the aspiration of every totalitarian regime in the era of mass politics
 The extremist goal today is to impose the pseudo-classical and crypto-Christian variant of history on everyone in the form of the tedious and pitiful Hillsdale College curriculum for history
Does it surprise anyone that the astute scholarship of a Black woman has become the specific target of the far right in this country
 The extremist response to this charge will be to tell you to read Thomas Sowell
 I&#8217;ve been saying for years that CRT isn&#8217;t taught in high school cuz that&#8217;s what I kept hearing
but now I know it can be taught in advanced courses &#8211; I assume
That makes Leandra&#8217;s ban extra lame &#8211; it&#8217;s banned everywhere in the district except for where it&#8217;s actually taught
While I appreciate the depth of your analysis
I can’t help but detect a bit of biased slant in there
I think you would agree with many of the educational philosophies held by Dr
The direction we wanted to move as a school would never be approved under PYLUSD
regardless of the boards political leanings
“For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”
the idea that politics would not play into this vote sounds a bit naive
Fisher was either ignorant or lying about the proposed revisions
That’s why they tried to rush these revisions through after the school had been open only 3+ months
Revisions that would have violated ed code
her behavior during the board meeting was completely unprofessional
The fact that she hand picked a staff is also a red flag
It makes the staff even easier to manipulate
the other takeaway from that meeting was not that kids at OCSCS deserve to be educated
it was the sense that they are somehow entitled to MORE than other kids
Maybe you would be willing to address that
I understand your concerns but I believe the conclusions you have drawn are rooted in assumptions you have made
but I can assure you that 1) we all want more for all kids than what our current education system has to offer
Fisher has worked tirelessly to create a path for us to build it
it seems as if you want to assert your claims (without evidence) while questioning others
then retreating to the safety of your position as a teacher at the school
Fisher (or you for that matter) cannot use the fact the she works so hard as some sort of crutch
that does not necessarily mean those tasks are inherently good
her pair-share demonstration was a paradigm of getting out over your skis
She was so confident that the charter was going to remain dependent
Anyone with a modicum of humility would have apologized just as publicly as she made a fool of herself
The fact that USI was going to be included had nothing to do with what  you are trying to achieve at OCSCS
We know this because it was never going to be at OCSCS and was never part of the original charter
USI has been a boondoggle from its inception
Add to it that it would have been illegal to transfer it over an independent charter shows that for all her hard work
As an inclusion specialist working with Special Education students
you should be concerned that the independent charter was going to rely on PYLUSD to fund special education (yes
because it’s expensive) but that shows that OCSCS wanted it fake and to eat it too
Fisher has made it very clear how close she is to Dr
a serial liar (we have published videos using evidence from PUBLIC board meetings that show he lied about having a relationship with the vendor for USI and needing DSA approval
which put board members in legal jeopardy)
the board is the boss of everyone in the district
from classified staff to the superintendent
Fisher speak to their bosses is completely unprofessional
You would not accept that behavior from your students
Somehow neither he nor she were aware of the dependent/independent status
I find this incredibly hard to believe from people who rarely hesitate to toot their own horns
While I am sure there were plenty of parents who spoke at the meeting who genuinely believe in the school
several were sandbaggers and known liars (Jess Battaglia is a local politician and advisory board member
She also claimed that becoming independent (let’s face it
she was wrong) was the only way to obtain funds and even mentioned El Rancho in OUSD
That school is not independent and borrowed money from the district it had to pay back
Fisher wants it to buy a Ferrari on a Toyota budget and have someone else foot the bill (namely taxpayers)
let’s not forget the attorney pointed out there are other sources of funds
You just have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and work for it
just like Teddy Roosevelt would have suggested
I also know that the staff at OCSCS trends on the younger side
She has created a siege mentality and maybe you all as staff feel like it’s you against the world
Plenty of teachers do their jobs every day with far less under worse conditions
and they will continue to do so without having to resort to public tantrums a la Beth Fisher
Here’s the thing: even bad people can do good things
A good leader would not brag about how much work she has done only to be shown how ignorant she is on the matter on which she claims to know so much
She wants to do what she wants and not be beholden to anyone
People throughout history have hidden behind the issue of doing what’s best for kids to pull off all kinds of shady things
From Tipper Gore with song lyrics to today’s manufactured panic about transgender people
it must be above board.” If you are smart enough to pull up the Roosevelt allusion to attempt an argument
you should be just as smart to see the glaring inconsistencies in Dr
all valid concerns and if we were communicating face to face I would be happy to engage
the internet and the anonymity it provides has made it It far too easy for messages to be misinterpreted
So I will leave you with one additional quote:
“All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best
It keeps me out of judgment and lets me focus on what is
and not what should or could be.“ &#8211; Brene Brown
That is all I care to share in the critics comments section
<a href="https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Culture-and-Society/Man-in-the-Arena.aspx" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Culture-and-Society/Man-in-the-Arena.aspx</a>
The comment (albeit cryptic) was meant as an invitation
But I don&#8217;t want to detract from PYLUSD for Truth&#8217;s challenge to you below
All valid concerns but none I am willing to address in the present context
You write that the conclusions drawn in the article I wrote “are rooted in assumptions you have made.”  You do not
 Nor do you engage any false conclusions based on those assumptions
you offer your own set of false assumptions that I will identify and refute here
One of your assumptions is that our “current education system” is incapable of offering what our kids need
and general assumption that has little relevance to the problems created in the PYLUSD by the former board majority and former superintendent
 Prior to their destructive takeover of the district
the PYLUSD offered many and various outstanding programs throughout the schools in the district
the PYLUSD has been one of the best performing districts in the state and
 Your obscure comment reinforces points made by the three extremist board members (and
their extremism is something assumed here but will be explained a bit in a moment) and the former superintendent
Fisher’s awful presentations at board meetings echo the disparaging comments made by Superintendent Cherniss and the three board extremists over the past four years
the former superintendent asserted that the district was failing because teachers were not teaching critical thinking skills and analytical writing
 The three board extremists have reiterated such claims in various ways over the past four years
 These assertions are factually incorrect and deeply insulting to the many dedicated teachers in the district
 It is one of the main reasons why the staff received the former superintendent and three board members so frostily at the teacher assemblies that kicked off this school year
 While admittedly there are teachers in the district who supported the former superintendent
most teachers are angry and disgusted with him
 As were the majority of voters in November’s election
You also make the curious assertion that OCSCS needed a charter status (you strangely avoided the key questions related to the issue of dependent and independent charter status) that would allow the school to operate autonomously from the PYLUSD Board
 You then add insult to injury by claiming that the direction OCSCS is taking “would never be approved under PYLUSD
regardless of the boards (sic) political leanings.”  The fact is that the board has been exceedingly generous in its support of OCSCS
to the point where other schools have begun raising fundamental questions of fairness to other schools in the district
 The OCSCS has received a disproportionate amount of non-discretionary funding in the district
 And perhaps you are too young and lack the knowledge to appreciate the outrageous privilege Fisher has been given in being allowed to “hand pick” her own staff
 No other principal in the district is given that privilege
the monthly board meetings have been little other than promotional ads for the OCSCS and USI
sponsored by the former superintendent and board president
Your arrogant assertion that the PYLUSD board is incapable of supporting a program as allegedly dynamic and innovative as OCSCS is also a standing insult to the elected board members
her family has lived in the district over four generations and her children and grandchildren have attended our schools
she has been an active member of numerous PTAs in addition to all the other  community services she has provided
 Tricia Quintero is an educator with advanced degrees in that field
 There are few people in the county who can measure up to her education
 To claim that this board is incapable of engaging innovative educational programs is to fuel the spiral of arrogance and ignorance that Principal Fisher has persistently generated
 The current board majority contrasts distinctly with the former board majority
Frazier) are neither educated nor educators
would they even want to run for the school board
 The simple and accurate answer is that their pastors colluded with powerful forces in the charter school movement and the Republican Party to argue that the public schools are disastrous hotbeds of “woke” ideology under the pernicious control of the teachers union
 The OCSCS is the local manifestation of the Project 2025 quest to destroy public education as it has emerged from the inception of the republic and as has been articulated from Horace Mann (1796-1859) through John Dewey (1859-1952) to the present
Another false assumption that you implicitly posit is that the current crisis in education operates outside of the broader crisis in our political culture
 Education has always been nothing more and nothing less than a reflection of the broader culture
 It is neither the singular cause nor the singular solution to broader problems in society
 And the broader crisis in our political culture should be obvious to any thinking person
 There is no greater condemnation of our education system than the fact that voters in this country just elected a pathological liar and obvious grifter whose entire campaign centered on emotional appeal
Here is a brief overview of the broader political crisis
 The citizens of this country elected a man who tried to overturn the results of a free and fair election four years ago and was not held to account because our institutions have been fundamentally corrupted
 The citizens of this country elected a man whose refusal to follow elementary science-based protocols during a pandemic resulted in around 400,000 needless deaths of the 1.2 million that occurred
 The public elected a man who bizarrely argued during the campaign that tariffs are a panacea to our trade deficit and national debt
 The public elected a man who made the racist and ignorant claim that Haitians in Ohio were stealing and eating people’s pets
the previous board majority and superintendent in the PYLUSD all supported the re-election of Donald J
 It is important to note this because this is the context in which the imposition of OCSCS and USI transpired
 Neither program was either well-conceived or explained to the broader public
 Both programs intended to divert taxpayer money from publicly accountable institutions such as the elected board of the PYLUSD into the private interests of the governing bodies that were to control OCSCS and USI
Ahliwalia provided strong evidence showing that this was by design
It is often the case that people engaging in deliberate dishonesty will cite evidence in support of their arguments that confuse scales of analysis
one will repeatedly hear how California’s public schools rank 46th out of 50 states as a way to condemn liberalism in general and the California Teachers Association in particular
 What these same people never mention is that states like Texas and Florida are right there at the bottom with us
 What do these three states have in common
 Large populations of recent immigrants for whom English is a second language
rural areas whose counties are very Republican red
 Many of the poorest performing schools are in the red counties of California
all three states have large cities with enormous
levels of wealth are the best predictors of academic performance as measured by standardized testing
I appreciate your perspective but I am not comfortable continuing the conversation in a comments section
My comments and assertions were intentionally vague because of the broader political climate
I have never known socio-economic privilege and I have my own family to consider
I will not risk my ability to provide for them by engaging in digital discourse which inherently lacks all the critical components of productive interpersonal communication
Aside from the veiled attacks on my character
I appreciate your thoughts and perspectives
as well as your ability (and willingness) to communicate them
I am not arguing that you are incorrect in your analysis of the information available to you
I am simply suggesting that you may be missing some important puzzle pieces
Having a vested interest in all this &#8220;Charter Madness,&#8221; I am hoping for an opportunity to share them with you
thanks at least for including your e-mail this time
But members of the public don&#8217;t get much out of the private conversations you want to have with your questioners and critics
The Arena is the antiquated US education system
While the critics spend their time discussing what should or should not be done to fix it
the credit belongs to the men/women who sacrifice their time to enact evidence-based initiatives designed to bring about actual change
What is most disturbing is your suggestion that you have privileged access to some of the puzzle pieces that other members of the public do not
 There is an abundance of evidence suggesting that the three extremist board members have regularly funneled closed session information to select individuals supporting their agenda who then reveal this illegally obtained information selectively to the public to promote their agenda
 Are these the pieces of the puzzle that you are willing to share with me privately but not publicly
your former Garden Grove colleague and current principal
conveyed closed session information to you illegally provided to her by Blades or Frazier of Cherniss or Gates
it is your duty as a citizen to report these Brown Act violations to the proper authorities
 There are people who follow this blog site who would be more than happy to help you make such a report
 These same people could help you navigate the challenges of the Orange County District Attorney’s office
which seems consistently reluctant to investigate certain groups of people
We all have a vested interest in a transparent engagement of facts as we know them
 This blog is one of the few places where in depth analysis of the systemic effort to undermine public schools in Orange County occurs
 People are either willing to have an open and honest public discussion of this issue or they are not
I wish we lived in a world where we could have open and honest discourse on digital platforms without fear of repercussions
If I have learned anything about communicating with others over the internet
it is that people rarely assume best intentions or seek a common understanding
they seek validation of preconceived ideas and reasons to discredit anyone who may challenge those ideas
You demonstrated both of these in your previous comment by insinuating we are a group of untrustworthy individuals conducting nefarious back-room meetings
You have also clearly spent some time looking into my background
suggesting you are more interested in finding reasons to discredit me than having an open and honest conversation
I don&#8217;t fault you for this as the human brain is wired to distrust anything it can&#8217;t categorize neatly
Which is why digital dialogue can never truly be open and honest
and in conjunction with &#8220;the broader political climate,&#8221; I am not comfortable sharing any information that could potentially be used as political cannon fodder against me or the people I care about
We have much more in common than you probably believe and I truly appreciate your perspectives
I simply wanted to reach out and offer you an opportunity to broaden those perspectives with the hope that I may mitigate the damage inflicted on my friend
If you are not interested in engaging in any sort of genuine human interaction
and will have to just wait for the right opportunity to write my own blog
I will leave you with a quote my father shared with me and echoes in my head every day
&#8220;What we know builds walls around what may be.&#8221; 
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when Janet Nguyen really pissed off a lot of the Little Saigon community by politicizing Black&hellip;
The Register article had some good stuff from Mike
but I got more from talking to him and his sister&hellip;
But Danny Hughes said those who spoke of a Culture of Corruption were misinformed or lying
Lou was back in Washington voting with Republicans to overturn one of California's Clean Air Act&hellip;
Doing well Ca needs elected auditors of our powerful assessors Next time&hellip;
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<a href="https://www.publicceo.com/author/amypceo/" title="Posts by Amy Gallagher" rel="author">Amy Gallagher</a>2025-05-05T07:41:43-07:00May 5
<a href="https://www.publicceo.com/author/dominickpceo/" title="Posts by Dominick Beaudine" rel="author">Dominick Beaudine</a>2025-05-02T09:39:58-07:00May 2
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<a href="https://www.publicceo.com/author/tedpceo/" title="Posts by Ted Hwang" rel="author">Ted Hwang</a>2025-05-04T09:32:06-07:00April 30
<a href="https://www.publicceo.com/author/tedpceo/" title="Posts by Ted Hwang" rel="author">Ted Hwang</a>2025-04-30T17:06:48-07:00April 30
           Print                          A majority of Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustees voted to shield top-level administrators
from any possible headwinds following local elections
As voters appear poised to flip conservative control of the board
current trustees approved changes to Cherniss’ contract during Tuesday’s school board meeting that would make it more difficult for him to be fired
Trustees can now only terminate his employment
by way of a supermajority vote of the five-member board
a threshold that sunsets at the end of 2026
which was also approved for two assistant superintendents and one deputy superintendent
drew much protest during the packed school board meeting
She is set to be elected to the school board by a commanding margin in winning the Area 1 seat Trustee Shawn Youngblood is vacating
“These changes are being proposed with the guise of bettering school community,” Quintero said
the impression I have of these changes is not what is best for the community but
Board President Leandra Blades framed the contract changes as legal and not a departure from past contracts with supermajority vote clauses
“The problem that we have here is what appears to be some retaliatory acts from our teachers’ union,” she said
“Is that because we have people on our executive cabinet
our superintendent holding people accountable for these things?”
the school board has become a stalwart in right-wing culture war issues
The board became the first in Orange County to pass a <a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-06/critical-race-theory-banned-by-an-orange-county-school-board" target="_blank" >ban on critical race theory</a> instruction in 2022. The following year, a conservative majority voted to hire Cherniss as superintendent, and he has been seen as closely aligned with them since. 
At his request, trustees also passed a parental notification policy by a 3-2 vote that sidestepped terms like “gender identity” and “transgender” but raised concerns that it was purposefully vague to target LGBTQ+ students.
                    A vote by conservative trustees to require a supermajority to terminate Supt. Alex Cherniss led to a packed school board meeting.    (Screenshot by Gabriel San Roman)       Before Tuesday’s meeting, the California Teachers Assn. addressed a cease and desist letter to Blades and Cherniss on behalf of the Assn. of Placentia-Linda Educators. The union’s staff attorney argued the proposed contract changes would violate education law and invite lawsuits.
“This is a naked attempt to shield the outgoing board’s preferred administrators from termination once the newly elected board is installed,” the letter read. “The proposed amendments conflict with the law and therefore would not be enforceable.”
Trustee Marilyn Anderson questioned Blades’ favorable interpretation of the legal opinion offered by the district’s counsel. 
She wanted to make the legal opinion public, a move that did not find majority support.
“My opinion and President Blades’ opinions of this opinion do not match up,” Anderson said. “It’s a really poor comparison to compare the two contracts of prior superintendents because they had a simple majority for cause to get fired. It just breeds corruption.”
On Tuesday, a judge denied Placentia resident David Radlauer’s filing to enjoin the school board from making the contractual changes, which argued that the amendments “are specifically designed to target only the incoming board, as they expire automatically approximately 30 days after the next election.” 
Youngblood framed the previous school board meeting as one where teachers openly displayed a clamor for Cherniss’ termination — a move that he would readily safeguard against in his remaining time on the board.
“This is about the kids and their education,” Youngblood said. “If I, myself, want to insulate Dr. Cherniss and this amazing staff that he’s got around him then I will do so.”
Trustee Todd Frazier, who rounds out the board’s conservative majority alongside Blades and Youngblood, claimed he would have no problem voting to change directions with top-level administrators should the need arise.
But Trustee Carrie Buck countered that the change to Cherniss’ contract would effectively tie the hands of board members against that.
“By making decisions now, you’re actually legislating for the future board, which is against the law,” she said.
The current board voted 3-2 to add the supermajority clauses. A new board will be seated on Dec. 17. 
Gabriel San Román is a feature writer for TimesOC. He previously worked at OC Weekly – as a reporter, podcast producer and columnist – until the newspaper’s closing in late 2019. In 2023, San Román was part of the breaking news reporting team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of the Lunar New Year mass shooting in Monterey Park. He may or may not be the tallest Mexican in O.C.
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The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District hosted an open house and parent information session at the <a href="https://usi.pylusd.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Universal Sports Institute</a> — also known as USI — site at Parkview School on Sept
This event marked the official launch of the district’s new diploma-bound program for elite student-athletes in grades three through 12
designed to support those in both middle and high school through concurrent enrollment
According to the district, USI was established to support student-athletes by integrating athletics and academics through a flexible <a href="https://usi.pylusd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4365809&amp;type=d&amp;pREC_ID=2565611" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">independent study model</a>
The program allows students to complete core academic courses and participate in up to two courses and athletics at one of the district’s comprehensive high schools.&nbsp;
This hybrid approach enables students to attend classes and lunch at traditional schools while benefiting from specialized athletic training in strength and conditioning
The institute aims to become a district-wide sports performance hub, offering <a href="https://usi.pylusd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4365808&amp;type=d&amp;pREC_ID=2565610">personalized sports performance programs</a>
recovery programs and sports science pathway courses
USI will extend its strength and conditioning and recovery services to high school athletes after their school day
Alex Cherniss and other district officials welcomed families
students and community members to tour the state-of-the-art facility and learn about the resources available
It used to be kids coming to you and you as a student
you have to conform to the school you go to
“Now our school conforms to our kids and what they need
USI is an academic and athletic institute where we take kids and provide them with skills and technology that otherwise nobody else could afford
and we do it for every kid that wants to be part of this program.”
The district’s conversion charter campus — <a href="https://sites.google.com/pylusd.org/ocscs24/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County School of Computer Science</a> in Yorba Linda — will serve as the primary training hub for USI
with each of the district’s comprehensive high schools hosting its own USI training sites
The program has already installed a range of state-of-the-art equipment from leading vendors
Additional sports performance and recovery tools are expected to be added in the coming months to further enhance the program’s offerings
&#8220;We’re really excited to be working with the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District to see what’s happening with their students in sports and academics,” said Dennis Cole
“The work here at the Universal Sports Institute perfectly blends those academics and athletic achievements.”
For more information about the Universal Sports Institute, visit <a href="https://usi.pylusd.org/">https://usi.pylusd.org</a>
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Placentia is in the 45th congressional district represented by Congresswoman Michelle Steel
By <a class="authtor-in-post" href="https://californiaglobe.com/author/katy-grimes/">Katy Grimes</a>
There was a robbery Election Night of a postal box in Placentia
Placentia Police Department confirmed this with the Globe Tuesday
someone drove up to and threatened a mail carrier as he was collecting mail from a postal box
The entire contents of the box were stolen of mail and ballots
We were told there is a description of the car
but because this is on ongoing investigation
Placentia is in Orange County, in the 45th <a href="https://steel.house.gov/about/our-district">congressional district</a> represented by Congresswoman Michelle Steel (R-CA)
who is in a very tight race with Democrat Derek Tran
Placentia is in the 34th Senate District represented by Senator Tom Umberg (D)
represented by Assemblyman Phillip Chen (R) who won re-election
Updates and any tips &#8211; please email katy@californiaglobe.com
 All one has to do is LOOK at the results of this race and how the count went
with Dem Derek Tran mysteriously bouncing ahead of the solid and popular incumbent Michelle Steel
to know that something funky is going on behind the scenes
 And no doubt this is only the TIP of the iceberg
 Fingers crossed for more information coming in on this
A ballot initiative to reverse mail in and voter id needs to be circulated and passed by the voters if we are ever to regain fair elections in the once Golden State
An actual crime and media silent compared to the international attention to Portland’s ballot arson
Indicates to me Portland was a DHS media live operation
This type of media attention is more natural
and are federal property so this might be why the Police haven&#8217;t released the report and may not be investigating
Mail facilities likely include mail boxes as well as the mail
and are federal property/jurisdiction so this is likely why the Police haven&#8217;t released the report and may not be investigating
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In the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
Venture Academy students are blending fresh cups of coffee with real-world skills as part of the adult transition program&#8217;s student cafe
The Venture Coffee Cats <a href="https://goodnews.pylusd.org/?p=29902" data-type="link" data-id="https://goodnews.pylusd.org/?p=29902" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">officially opened to the school community</a> on Tuesday
welcoming district leadership and board members as student employees served up fresh batches of coffee
tea and pumpkin-flavored hot chocolate to customers
From the garden of the <a href="https://www.georgekey.org/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.georgekey.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">George Key School </a>campus
students age 18 to 22 manage every aspect of the business from crafting the shop&#8217;s name and logo to preparing drink orders and handling the operations
<a href="https://www.ventureacademy.pylusd.org/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.ventureacademy.pylusd.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Venture Academy</a> serves young adults with special needs
offering hands-on work experiences while helping students gain essential skills for independent living
our Coffee Cats program showcases the incredible capabilities of our adult transition students,&#8221; said Rebecca Allan
&#8220;Whether they&#8217;re taking orders
or handling the financial side of the business
these students do it all — building independence and confidence with every cup.&#8221; 
Students plan to use the profits they make from sales to help supply and run the business as needed
Venture Academy will bring its shop districtwide and serve up warm beverages to educators throughout the Placentia-Yorba Linda community
The Venture Coffee Cats is open to district staff every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 to 9 a.m
Here are the other stories we&#8217;re following this week: 
please take note that I’ll be taking next week off
so there will not be a TimesOC newsletter on Wednesday
Two local school boards took divergent action after election results trending in their respective districts made it apparent who would be serving on the panels come mid-December
One board felt it necessary to ensure its current superintendent’s job would be protected from firing by the soon-to-be seated members
announced its superintendent’s job would be terminated by the end of December
The conservative majority on the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board of Trustees voted Nov. 19 to shield Supt. Alex Cherniss (with whom they are politically aligned) and other top-level administrators, according to <a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2024-11-20/placentia-yorba-linda-unified-superintendent-cherniss">this article</a> by TimesOC reporter Gabriel San Román
“As voters appear poised to flip conservative control of the board
current trustees approved changes to Cherniss’ contract … that would make it more difficult for him to be fired,” the reporter writes
“Trustees can now only terminate his employment
a threshold that sunsets at the end of 2026.”
This did not sit well with members of the public attending the meeting
who is leading by a wide margin to take the seat currently occupied by another member
“These changes are being proposed with the guise of bettering school community,” Quintero said that night
sending a cease and desist letter on behalf of the Assn
of Placentia-Linda Educators arguing the proposed contract changes would violate education law and invite lawsuits
“This is a naked attempt to shield the outgoing board’s preferred administrators from termination once the newly elected board is installed,” the letter read
“The proposed amendments conflict with the law and therefore would not be enforceable.”
The newly constituted board will be installed Dec
The story behind that story is far too complex to go into here
I encourage you to read San Román’s entire article to get a clearer picture
Three days after the Placentia-Yorba Linda vote was taken and the motion passed, the Laguna Beach Unified school board announced the district was <a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2024-11-22/laguna-beach-unified-terminates-contract-with-superintendent-jason-viloria">terminating its contract with Supt. Jason Viloria effective Dec. 31</a>
                    Jason Viloria is the Laguna Beach Unified School District’s superintendent of schools until Dec
  (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)       That panel will reorganize Dec
following this month’s election of two newcomers to the board
stated the move was not related to Viloria’s performance but rather due to “anticipated changes in the governing board that may influence the direction and priorities of the district moving forward.” 
who boasts a long list of achievements since stepping into the role in 2016
stated in a letter to district families the decision was a mutual one
“The current Board of Education and I mutually decided that my stepping aside at this time would provide the incoming board with the opportunity to shape the leadership that best aligns with its vision for the district’s future,” Viloria wrote in the letter reviewed by the Daily Pilot
“While agreeing to the separation agreement was one of the most difficult decisions of my career
I believe it is the right choice to honor the progress we have made together and to ensure the district continues to thrive.”
One of the reasons proponents of the change cited in their request was that since 2018 Santa Ana has had a higher sales tax rate
This means affected North Tustin residents who use their home addresses while buying a car or shopping online for big ticket purchases are sometimes assessed Santa Ana’s tax rate
Rivian halted work on the Atlanta plant this year after losing $5.4 billion in 2023
The marque’s best-selling R1S carries a price tag north of $70,000
• Backyard beekeepers in Costa Mesa are closer to being allowed to practice their hobby without being considered scofflaws. The City Council last week approved the first reading of an <a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2024-11-22/costa-mesa-beekeeping-law-clears-first-review-by-city-council">ordinance </a>to legalize and regulate the practice
Those currently tending hives will be given 90 days to comply with the specifics of the ordinance following its second reading
• The Balboa Peninsula Trolleys, although serviceable, are no better looking than “airport shuttles,” according to a Newport Beach councilman who voted with his colleagues to<a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2024-11-21/balboa-peninsula-trolleys-replaced-with-vintage-style-vehicles"> spend $1.6 million to replace them</a> with some that evoke the sense of being on one of the electric cars of the early 20th century
police said they found a stolen purple McLaren worth hundreds of thousands of dollars
• <a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2024-11-20/1-killed-5-hospitalized-in-chain-reaction-of-crashes-on-405-freeway-in-costa-mesa">Orange resident Joel Navarro Hernandez, 55, was identified as the sole motorist killed</a> in a series of collisions on the 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa on the evening of Tuesday
in the multiple crashes that led to a full-freeway
six-hour closure while California Highway Patrol investigators began the task of sorting out exactly what had occurred
• An SUV crashed into the center divider of the Santa Ana (5) Freeway near Tustin Ranch Road shortly after 3 a.m
killing one person inside and sending debris flying across both sides of the freeway
Times reporter Bill Shaikin notes that yes
the Angels are signing free agents (to the tune of $107 million this month)
but wonders aloud what team officials should expect of injury-plagued
hasn’t played in even 120 games of a 162-game season
“No one really knows how many games Trout might play next season,” Shaikin writes
The “rain” consists of whole rolls of toilet paper
which fans throw on the court after Pacifica Christian makes its first three-pointer
Pacifica’s junior guard Vivian Villagrana scored 22 points to lead the Tritons to a 57-31 victory over Lake Elsinore
No official tally of the TP rolls lobbed Friday was reported
a Texas native who underwent vocal cord surgery at the age of 16 and wondered if she’d ever be able to perform in a musical again
she’s capably handling the role of Tzeitel
who urges her younger sisters not to be in a rush to be married off with one of the musical’s signature songs
                    Artist Nancy “Laguna Sunshine” with one of her stuffed animal monsters at the 2023 Sawdust Art Festival Winter Fantasy in Laguna Beach.   (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)       • <a class="link" href="https://sawdustartfestival.org/winter/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiA3ZC6BhBaEiwAeqfvyiDSFkPZAakElEplsdhxltvmbZfPGuDLp-tLjizhtEWasv8FwHc2QhoC37kQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" >Sawdust Art Festival’s Winter Fantasy</a> opened Friday and will run from 10 a.m
More than 180 artists are selling original artworks and handmade gifts
General admission is $12; $10 for seniors 65 and older; $5 for youth ages 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and under
I appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to <a class="link" href="mailto:carol.cormaci@latimes.com" target="_blank" >carol.cormaci@latimes.com</a>
Carol Cormaci is executive editor of Times Community News’ Daily Pilot in Orange County and pens the TimesOC newsletter
She is a native Southern Californian and a proud UCLA Bruin
She previously served as managing editor of three former Times Community News publications: the Glendale News-Press
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The City of Placentia is pleased to announce the 30th annual Tamale Festival to be held in Old Town Placentia on the 100 and 200 blocks of Santa Fe Ave and the 200 block of Bradford Ave on Thursday
Each year the event draws large crowds of 8,000-10,000 attendees and the City is excited to kick off the Holiday season with this beloved festival
a free event shuttle will be available throughout the evening to and from nearby off-site parking locations
PBS SoCal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Tax ID: 95-2211661
New townhomes will offer affordable high-quality housing in desirable region of Orange County 
PLACENTIA, Calif., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Landsea Homes Corporation (Nasdaq: <a class="ticket-symbol" data-toggle="modal" href="#financial-modal">LSEA</a>) ("Landsea Homes" or the "Company")
announced today that it has closed on 39 new homesites
which will serve as an extension of its existing Hudson community in Placentia in North Orange County
Hudson is a gated community of row and back-to-back townhomes that emulate a Dutch woonerf design concept which embraces the idea of a "living street" between the buildings with room for pedestrians and cyclists.&nbsp;Development has already begun on these 39 new homes
which will be located at the intersection of Lakeview Loop and Veterans Way
"Our existing homes at Hudson are wildly popular with Southern California homebuyers
We're down to our final homes there so this land deal comes at an ideal time
We're bringing additional opportunities for buyers of all stages – from first-time and move-up buyers to growing families - the opportunity to own in a prime region of Orange County," said Tom Baine
The new townhomes will range from 775 to 1,365 square feet
All homes will be equipped with Landsea Homes' High Performance Home features
including smart home automation technology utilized by the Apple Home™ environment
The smart home automation features include an Apple TV
wireless network Internet throughout the home
and smart home activation with Best Buy's Geek Squad
Amenities within the community include outdoor common areas with bench seating and a BBQ grill that can be enjoyed by residents
Placentia features quick and easy access to prime entertainment
Other nearby options include the award-winning Anaheim Packing District for dining
Angels Stadium and Honda Center for sports fans
upscale hip downtown areas such as Old Towne Orange and Downtown Fullerton and
"Placentia is a desirable place to live with its well-maintained parks
thriving entertainment and great schools," added Baine
"We're excited to expand our footprint in this growing and popular city in Orange County."
For more information about Hudson, visit: <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4336754-1&amp;h=604899608&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flandseahomes.com%2Fsouthern-california%2Forange-county%2Fplacentia%2Fhudson%2F&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Flandseahomes.com%2Fsouthern-california%2Forange-county%2Fplacentia%2Fhudson%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://landseahomes.com/southern-california/orange-county/placentia/hudson/</a>&nbsp;
About&nbsp;Landsea&nbsp;Homes&nbsp;Corporation
Landsea&nbsp;Homes&nbsp;Corporation (Nasdaq: <a class="ticket-symbol" data-toggle="modal" href="#financial-modal">LSEA</a>) is a publicly traded residential homebuilder based in Dallas
Texas that designs and builds best-in-class&nbsp;homes&nbsp;and sustainable master-planned communities in some of the nation's most desirable markets
The company has developed&nbsp;homes&nbsp;and communities in New York
Texas and throughout California in Silicon Valley
and Orange County.&nbsp;Landsea&nbsp;Homes&nbsp;was honored as the Green Home Builder 2023 Builder of the Year
after being named the 2022 winner of the prestigious Builder of the Year award
in recognition of a historical year of transformation
An award-winning homebuilder that builds suburban
single-family detached and attached&nbsp;homes
and master-planned communities,&nbsp;Landsea&nbsp;Homes&nbsp;is known for creating inspired places that reflect modern living and provides homebuyers the opportunity to "Live in Your Element." Our&nbsp;homes&nbsp;allow people to live where they want to live
how they want to live – in a home created especially for them
Driven by a pioneering commitment to sustainability,&nbsp;Landsea&nbsp;Homes' High Performance&nbsp;Homes&nbsp;are responsibly designed to take advantage of the latest innovations with home automation technology supported by Apple®.&nbsp;Homes&nbsp;include features that make life easier and provide energy savings that allow for more comfortable living at a lower cost through sustainability features that contribute to healthier living for both homeowners and the planet
Led by a veteran team of industry professionals who boast years of worldwide experience and deep local expertise,&nbsp;Landsea&nbsp;Homes&nbsp;is committed to positively enhancing the lives of our homebuyers
and stakeholders by creating an unparalleled lifestyle experience that is unmatched
For more information on&nbsp;Landsea&nbsp;Homes, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4336754-1&amp;h=3010606747&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.landseahomes.com%2F&amp;a=www.landseahomes.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.landseahomes.com</a>
Landsea Homes Corporation (Nasdaq: LSEA) (&quot;Landsea Homes&quot; or the &quot;Company&quot;)
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Placentia starter Liam McMillan fires a pitch to Santa Ana&#8217;s Daniel Ochoa in Friday&#8217;s game
Placentia Pony Bronco&#8217;s 12-and-under all-stars scored five runs in the first inning and went on to defeat Santa Ana 13-1 in the opening round of the sectional tournament Friday evening at Harvard Park in Irvine
Placentia moves on to the second round Saturday at noon
Santa Ana needs a win Saturday morning at 10 a.m
Irvine to stay alive in the five-team double elimination tournament
Placentia had 12 hits in the game which was called after five innings due to the run rule
&#8220;Get a good pitch and put on a good swing on it
right,&#8221; said Placentia Pony Coach Spencer Oborn
stole third and scored on a groundout by Drew Baranick
stole second and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch
Kegan Glenn had a two-run single and Madden Zaha drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0
Placentia looked to start pitcher Liam McMillan
who pitched three shutout innings and struck out seven before Santa Ana scored a run in the fourth inning
worked out of a bases loaded jam and shutout Santa Ana in the fifth inning
which is always good to get ahead and stay ahead,&#8221; Oborn said
&#8220;Both he and Baranick threw the ball well.&#8221;
McMillan also had an RBI single in Placentia&#8217;s three-run second inning
Placentia added a run in the third inning and four more in the fourth
including an RBI single by Jackson Esparza
Gavin Lara had an RBI single in the fourth inning to drive in Evan Vega
who reached on a walk for Santa Ana&#8217;s run
continues through Sunday with the championship scheduled for 10 a.m
Los Alamitos defeated Irvine 10-0 in the other game Friday
The top two teams advance to the regional tournament next week
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2025 at 1:14 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Riverside Coroner&#x27;s Office identified Sunday the victim as Jocelyn Mendoza
CA — A woman who died in a collision with suspected DUI driver in Perris was identified Sunday as a 26-year-old resident of the city
The Riverside Coroner's Office identified Sunday the victim as Jocelyn Mendoza
Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Perris station responded to a report of a traffic collision in the intersection of Placentia Avenue and southbound Interstate 215 Freeway at 12:20 a.m
Deputies arrived at the scene and located a Dodge pickup and a Toyota sedan
the driver of which was found to be unresponsive with significant injuries
Paramedics pronounced Mendoza dead at the scene within 10 minutes
Preliminary findings from the Perris station's Reconstruction Team revealed the sedan was exiting the freeway at Placentia Avenue when the westbound suspect collided with her in the intersection
identified as Perris resident Ivan Simmons
attempted to flee the scene when deputies arrived but was located a short distance from the scene
He allegedly "showed signs of impairment."
Simmons was arrested Sunday morning on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter
hit-and-run death and DUI causing bodily injury in the collision
He is being held on $1 million at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta
Placentia Avenue between the northbound Interstate 215 Freeway and Harvill Avenue was closed during the investigation
Anyone with information about the collision was urged to contact Deputy Jess Kiebach of the Perris sheriff's station at 951-210-1000
<a href="https://ktla.com/" rel="home">KTLA</a>
A teen is dead after a two-car crash in Placentia Tuesday morning
Rich Prickett reports for the KTLA 5 News at 1 on June 4
Details: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/teen-dies-in-crash-near-placentia-high-school/
At least one person was hospitalized after a Los Angeles Police Department pursuit ended with a traffic crash in South Los Angeles on Monday
Gil Leyvas reports for the KTLA 5 News at 3 on May 5
Details: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/lapd-pursuit-ends-in-south-l-a-crash-at-least-1-hospitalized/
As the first Asian American photographer in MLB history
Jon SooHoo has captured iconic moments from the dugout
KTLA's Ginger Chan reports for Asian American and Pacific Islander month
A boat loaded with at least 18 people overturned near Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego on Monday
A motorist involved in a crash that left two people dead in the Vermont-Slauson neighborhood of Los Angeles Monday was traveling over 100 mph and running red lights
Gene Kang reports for the KTLA 5 Morning News on May 5
The KTLA 5 News teams covers the day's top local and national stories
Despite the government's refusal to pay for more testing
dangerous levels of heavy metals exist on fire-burned properties that have supposedly already been made safe
This video aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on May 5
Details: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-times-finds-fires-left-hazards-even-after-govt-cleanup/
At least 3 people dead and 9 unaccounted for after a panga boat overturned in Del Mar
President Donald Trump is facing criticism for sharing an AI-generated photo of himself dressed as the pope on social media
A recent study from WalletHub named California as the best state to be in law enforcement
The KTLA 5 News team covers the day's top local and national news
Police are searching for a driver who fled a crash scene that left two people dead in the Vermont-Slauson neighborhood of Los Angeles Monday morning
           Print                          Two men have been charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting Friday connected to a memorial for a man stabbed to death in Costa Mesa earlier the same week
was charged with five counts apiece of attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm
as well as misdemeanor counts of unlawful entry of a noncommercial dwelling and resisting arrest
He also faces sentencing enhancements for firing a gun and committing an offense while out of custody on another case and the personal use of a gun
was charged with five felony counts apiece of attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm
Friday to gunshots heard in the 1700 block of Placentia Avenue
where they located evidence of a shooting but no victims or witnesses
The department was notified less than an hour later by a hospital that a male patient was seeking emergency medical treatment for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound
                    Mourners pay tribute to a man killed June 11 in a stabbing outside a business on Costa Mesa’s Placentia Avenue
The memorial was the scene of a possibly gang-related shooting Friday
   (Andrew Turner)       “The initial investigation connected this shooting to the memorial on Placentia Avenue for the deceased victim from the June 11 case,” police said in a statement
Officers had responded to a knife attack in the same block of Placentia Avenue, near 17th Street, at about 11 p.m. Tuesday. That victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and two suspects, Israel Antonio Valencia, 25, and Christopher Mathew Pena, 18, were <a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2024-06-13/costa-mesa-police-arrest-2-men-on-suspicion-of-gang-related-murder-assault">arrested June 12</a>, according to Roxi Fyad of the CMPD.
While investigating the fatal stabbing, police found a 19-year-old man who had been attacked earlier at Placentia Avenue and Shalimar Drive. The second victim, who was taken to a hospital by family members, was believed to have been attacked by the same suspect, and authorities said they suspect the attacks were gang-related.
                    Food, flowers and tributes for a 22-year-old Costa Mesa man killed in a June 11 stabbing line a wall on the 1700 block of Placentia Avenue.    (Andrew Turner)       Officers located Suarez-Morales on Friday afternoon, who was pulled over in a vehicle and arrested without incident.
Garcilazo was located around 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 2100 block of Pomona Avenue. Police said Garcilazo evaded officers and fled, resulting in a perimeter involving SWAT, a drone team and a K9 unit, creating traffic delays on Pomona Avenue between Victoria Street and Wilson Street.
About  half an hour later, officers found Garcilazo and arrested him.
                    A memorial outside a liquor store on Costa Mesa’s Placentia Avenue, honoring a 22-year-old man killed in a June 11 stabbing, was the scene of a shooting Friday.   (Andrew Turner)       Police did not elaborate on the suspected connection between the shooting and the memorial. Anyone with information on the stabbings or shooting was asked to call Costa Mesa police at (714) 754-5097.
2:07 p.m. June 19, 2024: This story has been updated to include information about charges made against suspects Erik Garcilazo and Elmer Suarez-Morales.
City News Service is the nation’s largest regional wire service and is headquartered in Los Angeles.
               </a>         <a class="link" href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news">News</a> 
The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District has announced that Bernardo Yorba Middle School in Yorba Linda will be converted into a charter school starting with the 2024-25 school year
The <a href="http://www.pylusd.org/ocscs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County School of Computer Science</a>
was unanimously approved by the PYLUSD Board of Education on Dec
12 to become the first charter school within the district&#8217;s boundaries.&nbsp;
<a href="https://newsroom.ocde.us/seven-questions-and-answers-about-charter-schools-in-california/">Charter schools</a> are publicly funded but independently run schools with specific goals and operating procedures
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified officials say OCSCS
was created to enhance student learning and achievement
equipping learners with the necessary skills and attributes to become active and competitive leaders.&nbsp;
“The establishment of the OCSCS will be a game changer for public education nationwide, and PYLUSD is at the forefront of this cosmic shift of what and how we teach students,” Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss said in <a href="https://www.smore.com/c63tm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a news release</a>.&nbsp;
The school plans to introduce its own curriculum designed by OCSCS teachers
integrating computer science elements across various subjects
It will also partner with Code to the Future
along with training and coaching for teachers
In addition to core content classes like English and math
students will participate in a school-wide graphic arts elective featuring computer science principles and design thinking
Other electives will include instrumental music
student leadership and Spanish literature for Dual Language Academy students
Flexible time called “targeted engagement cycles” has been built into the school schedule to allow students to explore
“Students will be given a computer to use as a part of their schooling but they will not be behind screens the entire day,” the district said
“They will continue to have access to hard copies of texts and engaging
in-person instruction from highly qualified
Dr. Beth Fisher is the principal of Bernardo Yorba Middle School Principal and the lead petitioner for OCSCS. Additional information on the school is available at <a href="http://www.pylusd.org/ocscs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.pylusd.org/ocscs</a>
It was one of those lazy fall days when I found myself in the city of Placentia with not much to do
but I was usually hours early and had time to kill
Not like how millennials use the term ‘random.’
random,” one millennial will say to another
“What’s so random?” another millennial would respond
its so random how it rises every day and sets every evening.”
I’m cruising near Palm Circle in Placentia when I randomly spy a beautiful turn-of-the-century styled home
I sometimes talk to myself about this or that
That could be considered a bit off or even crazy
we will,” I heard my inner voice responding to me
It turns out that I had discovered The Bradford House in the City of Placentia
about 75 miles southwest of Victorville or 3,000 miles west of Shapleigh
where the owner of this stunning home had been born on Aug
otherwise known as the ‘Father of Placentia,’ grew up on a farm
He had an independent nature and wanted to prove to the world that even at that tender age
Laureen and I had a hard enough time just getting our girls to make their beds each morning let alone having them prove to the world they would take it by storm
“I successfully made my bed this morning,” Erica would state before leaving for school
a native of England and a descendant of another William Bradford
the governor of the Plymouth Colony from 1621 until 1632
And Bradford’s mother came from a very patriotic and loyal Revolutionary family
A lot of historical branches on that Bradford tree
Bradford ended up working in the agricultural field in Boston and learning how things grew
and vegetable gardening —that I know since I do it each year and end up feeding feral rabbits and squirrels for an entire growing season
That is what those agricultural-type folks
Bradford left the east coast and headed west to seek fame and fortune
which at the time was in Los Angeles County
The rumor is that the folks in Santa Ana and the surrounding towns did not like being in Los Angeles County and wanted to form their county
why can’t we?” A man in a top hat yelled at a meeting of other like-minded people
he was part of a group of citizens who helped establish Orange County
Most people at the time grew grapes or raised hogs in the area at the time
“I reside in Hog County,” a somewhat oversized person may have stated
we can see that,” may have come to the reply
I think,” a somewhat inebriated person may have stated
people moved into the area and started planting citrus trees
It turned out that the orange trees they planted
gave the state of California its second gold rush
and the citrus industry blossomed with refrigerated railcars reaching nearly every section of the nation
Bradford knew this was where his family’s fortune would be made and purchased the Tesoro Ranch on Palm Avenue in the Placentia District
he continued buying more land to grow his Valencia and navel oranges to sell at markets across the country
he built the beautiful home at Palm Circle in 1902
which is now a museum decorated as it was when the Bradford family resided there in the early 1900s
Such a gorgeous abode once owned by the man who founded the city of Placentia should have a waiting line of looky-loos
I noticed tours had to be arranged by appointment
Since this was a random discovery on my part
this Bradford House (random being used correctly)
I knew there would be no tour for me this day
a young woman named Nancy exited the house by a side door
She looked at me and then clasped her purse a bit more closely
“I’m a travel writer and just love the history of this place,” I said while raising my arms to show I was not carrying anything lethal
you need to have a reservation for a tour,” Nancy said
“But it turns out that a group of Girl Scouts is coming in an hour to visit
Would you like to wait and go with them through the house?”
I did not want to tour with a group of giggling young girls
Nancy took me on a private tour of the Bradford House
15-room mansion that is like walking back into a different era
Large colored carpets lay over highly polished wood floors
staircases that seem to have been chiseled out of solid pieces of wood by a professional sculpturer
and furnishings —many that had belonged to the Bradford family
Albert’s family only thought of it as a farmhouse,” she said
“They had to leave their muddy shoes at the entrance after traipsing through the groves when they came in.”
I nodded while following this docent about the rooms
“I tell schoolchildren that there are eight bedrooms but only one bath
but this was very special in a person’s house at that time.”
and Albert had it made special since he moved from the east; a basement was expected,” she replied
She did not offer any tour of the basement
It turns out Bradford’s wife played an essential role in the Placentia Women’s Club
The Bradford family was crucial to the growth of the city and surrounding communities with their generosity
and knowing how to be at the right spot at the right time
The city of Placentia was incorporated in 1926
He had his successful businesses in Los Angeles and did not seem to enjoy seeing the farm in Placentia
but much of the furniture you see was purchased by him and shipped from Italy
If one considered the Bradford House simply a farmhouse
I would expect they had a lot of moola-moola to travel with
should we spend the weekend at the farmhouse or stay at the Gritti Palace in Venice?”
You don’t need a translator for that reply
I thanked Nancy for her assistance and vast knowledge of the grounds
And this Bradford House in Placentia should be visited to understand how even 12-year-olds from Maine can think big and prove they can make dreams come true
For more information: <a href=https://thebradfordhouse.org/>https://thebradfordhouse.org/</a>
John can be contacted at beyersbyways@gmail.com
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