Did you know that only once a year Rossmoor resident can enjoy Orange County’s annual Health & Wellness Festival organized by local Wellness Planner Jaime Holcomb.  The annual event is hosted over Mother’s Day Weekend & in May’s Mental Health Month on Saturday and yoga/pilates/meditation/breathwork  teacher aka “The Holistic Hulk,” partners with Rossmoor Community Services District Holcomb said this will be an opening this Summer for Southern California’s annual “BE YOUR BEST WELLNESS FEST” full of all things health & wellness for the community.  and a FREE kid’s fitness & bubble zone Holcomb said there will be ticketed indoor auditorium immersive events and a Vendor Fair with local health & wellness businesses and practitioners waiting to connect with you at their booths and showcase their various services & products.  “They will benefit your current & long term health journey,” she said “even after the festival.” “Many of the vendor booths will have exclusive prizes and even more only for guests that attend the festival,” she said Talk about a balanced day where you’ll feel energized and YOUR BEST!  Guest entry and street parking are free.  but we make a life by what we give.” We have picked local charity Transitions in Motherhood lead by Tara Farrell Farajian as our festival’s Fundraiser to give back to our community Please bring baby wipes for our Baby Wipes Drive to the festival or donate monetarily on their website Their mission is to decrease isolation at any stage of motherhood and create a network in which expectant mothers and mothers in general can receive support during this multi-faceted phase of life while strengthening their family along the way Transitions In Motherhood specializes in women’s health focusing on prenatal and postpartum support services infertility and the many transitions that motherhood can bring.  Join the trickle butterfly effect & impact with us Jamie Holcomb “The Holistic Hulk” strives to help people feel “empowered from the inside out” Start by showing up for yourself & your community on Saturday May 10 If there are any questions regarding this event please call Jamie Holcomb “The Holistic Hulk” at 562-704-2379 or email theholistichulk@gmail.com Be sure to follow us on Instagram for fun wellness content: Follow our Instagrams: Jamie_Holcomb_ and Beyourbest_wellnessfest.  Log in to leave a comment One day after firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority battled a blaze in Rossmoor a representative appeared at the regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting to provide a detailed report to the community on the massive fire 10 blaze had occurred at 12501 Foster Road the day before the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the RCSD Board so Board President Nathan Searles introduced Orange County Fire Authority Capt “It was quite a remarkable fire,” said Cain noting that the first of many units to respond arrived five to ten minutes after receiving the alarm “There were lots of challenges we faced,” said Cain including the water supply caused by a fire hydrant that malfunctioned.Cain said that although firefighters had reached the home in minutes the first hydrant near the home that firefighters hooked hoses had malfunctioned “We do experience some problems with hydrants suggesting it can happen “in any community.” “What we experienced with this one is that it was a catastrophic failure where the hydrant itself meets the pipe coming out of the ground.” we were able to mitigate that by closing the valve in the ground do have contingency plans in the event of loss of water supply.” He said every fire truck carries at least 500 gallons of water so firefighters immediately began applying water while other units now on the scene found three additional hydrants approximately 350 feet from the Foster Road residence “There were three additional fire hydrants within that vicinity and they were all within approximately 350 feet of that residence,” said Cain “Each engine carries between 900 feet of supply line and so that 350 feet from one hydrant to the incident address is well within our capability,” Cain told the board There were no problems with water pressure loss once the water supply had been re-established Cain told the Board.He said all the remaining hydrants utilized were pumping appropriately which the firefighter estimated was a flow rate of about 750 gallons per minute Other units on the scene had placed a ladder to the 2nd story of the home to rescue a woman trapped on the second story of the home The woman was stabilized and sent to the hospital in stable condition Officials have not released the name of the woman rescued Doing so may violate federal HIPA law since the woman was treated at a local hospital for injuries received during the ordeal “Thank you for containing the fire to a single structure,” said Board President Nathan Searles “I think that was quite an accomplishment,” he said noting that OCFA prevented nearby structures from catching fire in this highly populated neighborhood Cain said OCFA had responded with nine engine companies one of which has a heavy rescue specialty piece of equipment for search and rescue He said there were five Battalion Chiefs who responded along with command-and-control personnel Director Tony Demarco expressed concern about the hydrant failure saying the board went through a hydrant replacement program a year or two ago saying the water company is responsible for the hydrants water service in Rossmoor is provided by Golden State Water “The obvious question is how many other hydrants are going to fail,” said Demarco adding that “we should probably find out who is responsible for our hydrants and ask them to check the hydrants.” Cain said water flow and hydrant maintenance is not the responsibility of OCFA suggesting that it was either the water company or OC Public Works “I can say anecdotally that hydrant failures do occur “We are training to plan for the worst,” he added Directors Jo Shade and Mary Ann Remnet thanked Capt Cain for OCFA’s quick and effective response to the residential blaze and it was an incredible response,” said Shade Cain said the fire should be a reminder to everyone in the community “With this particular incident,” said Cain “I think it drives home the importance to the public to maintain a good fire safety plan to make everyone make it out safely (in the event of a fire) General Manager Joe Mendoza told the Board that he had recently surveyed with OC transportation officials an area of concern near the border of the district seeking to have weeds and brush removed to eliminate a potential fire hazard 2025 at 11:21 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}When the first Orange County Fire Authority fire engine arrived at the scene at about 4:05 p.m the home was already heavily involved in fire and smoke poured out from the window CA — Orange County firefighters rescued a woman trapped in her second-floor bedroom during a house fire in Rossmoor Monday afternoon When the first Orange County Fire Authority fire engine arrived at the scene at about 4:05 p.m Firefighters said they could hear the woman screaming for help the crew on Engine 2 executed a perfect ladder throw rapidly rescuing the victim and bringing her to safety where firefighter/paramedics were waiting to provide immediate care," OCFA said in a statement Paramedics took the woman to a local hospital in stable condition for treatment Firefighting crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent homes The cause of the fire is still under investigation Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. 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The Rossmoor Community Services District Board of Directors has elected Nathan Searles to serve as President for the coming year The district held its reorganization at its meeting in January The election of Searles came only after an unsuccessful nomination by outgoing Board President Michael Maynard of Director Tony DeMarco Maynard had earlier given a very optimistic “State of District” report adding that “we have a lot of challenges ahead of us “We have had a succession of leadership that I stand by so I would like to first nominate First Vice President Tony DeMarco.” Demarco then nominated Jo Shade as President a motion that also died for the lack of a second Director Jo Shade then nominated Searles as president newly elected Director Mary Ann Remnet was elected first vice president Searles then presented a plaque and resolution to Maynard for his more than a decade of service to the RCSD including five of those years as president “Michael helped guide the district to a strong financial outlook,” said Searles “Our reserves have increased to approximately one year’s operating expenses in reserve,” he said “The district earned a clean and unmodified audit report with no material weaknesses,” said Searles “President Maynard advocated on behalf of Rossmoor residents regarding many community traffic and county road issues,” he continued zip code issues and collaborated with elected officials for many improvements in the district’s parks and facilities.” we acknowledge and commend outgoing President Michael Maynard for demonstrating outstanding leadership and dedicated service to the Rossmoor Community Services District,” said Searles the Executive Director of The Youth Center a nonprofit organization with which the district has become a strategic partner for many programs She thanked General Manager Joe Mendoza and Recreation Manager Chris Argueta and others for being so cooperative with the Center “They are always there for us,” she told the Board who she thanked “for allowing us to serve this community Not just during the summer but all year long,” said Lumme The Youth Center sponsors several programs that collaborate with local schools to provide creative activities and learning opportunities for children and students local resident Michele Fieldson took issue with the General Manager’s assertion in the staff report about the District’s new tennis court resurfacing project “boasting that Rossmoor’s $61,000 project was more resourceful than the $183,000 effort by Los Alamitos.” “His (Mendoza’s) comparison is misleading and unfairly maligns our neighbors (Los Al),” she said Fieldson said the funds spent by Rossmoor were “towards resurfacing courts that had three to five years of life remaining and did not need immediate attention.” critical projects like Rossmoor Parks playground have reached the end of its useful life in 2022 a shade canopy promised in 2019 is still unfinished,” she added Fieldson said the Los Al project “was not a simple resurfacing project “comparing these two projects is apples to oranges,” she said Mendoza provided only his summary of the bids for review which raises serious ethical questions,” she added including residents Susan and Robert Kaplan also were critical of the general manager’s assertion over the issue.” Mendoza would want to draw attention to it Los Alamitos did a masterful job,” said Susan Kaplan She gave detailed listings of why the Los Alamitos project cost more and when Searles nudged her away from the microphone with the 3-minute limit her husband Robert jumped up to finish reading the blistering comparison using his three minutes Searles asked the district to tighten up the practices of using one of the District’s credit cards Editor’s note: This article has been edited to reflect more accurate reporting of the process of the election of officers and to delete a reporting error that asserted that President Maynard’s motion to nominate Tony Demarco failed on a a 3-2 vote There was no vote because the motion died from the lack of second Community Service directors explore options with CHP within the otherwise quiet community of Rossmoor have caused alarm among directors as they asked the California Highway Patrol for assistance.  During the March meeting of the Rossmoor Community Services District Officer Zeferino Valdovinos of the CHP confirmed that they have investigated two electric bike crashes Valdovinos did not expain the incidents but said they were a cause for concern.  Valdovinos told Director Michael Maynard it appear the ebike situation was “on the uptick,” based on the two crashes.  “These are my first two e-bike collisions that we’ve had in a while,” he said.  The discussion began when Maynard wanted to know which law enforcement agency was responsible for e-bike enforcement in Rossmoor.  but I’m seeing more and more daredevil-like activities on bikes.   “They’re actually kind of becoming a menace here and there,” the director said.  including one story where (kids on e-bikes) literally blocked the whole street just to mess with people lining up before they took off and went to school,” he said “I was tempted to follow them to school and talk to them,” said Maynard for incidents on the sidewalks or other places non highway the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was responsible Valdovinos explained that if they were blocking roadways that would be the responsibility of CHP but he said e-bikes are becoming a problem across many communities everywhere.  it is the responsibility of parents to train their children how to properly utilize electric bikes.  “We have to educate the parents so they can educate the children,” he said explaining there is a training tool available on the CHP website.  “It’s good for parents and kids alike,” he added Director Jo Shade said she has both witnessed a sharp rise in social media mentions about e-bike problems and as well heard friends and neighborhoods in Rossmoor speaking about it.  “We have a group of youngsters here in Rossmoor that are going around kicking the doors and leaving big prints on glass doors.  “My husband put up a security system at the house because they left a big print on our door get on their e-bikes and its very antagonizing,” she said.  “They went to several houses on our street and I see it happening all over Rossmoor,” she said.  Shade suggested she was “freaked out” by an aggressive e-bike rider doing a wheelie “coming right at me “Can I report this kind of stuff to you guys,” she asked.  The CHP representative said he would look into the reports to see what time these events generally happen and then ask CHP patrol officers to perhaps be in Rossmoor during those times (when possible).  Director Tony Demarco then asked Valdovinos about the general schedule of CHP’s patrols in Rossmoor to let residents know when they patrol inside the community.  the community must rely on the CHP and the OC Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement duties.  He said CHP will always patrol when there are complaints or concerns and explained loosely how the agency mixes Rossmoor into its regular patrol schedule.  An unidentified woman is in stable condition after being rescued by ladder personnel from the Orange County Fire Authority during a house fire Monday evening a public information officer for OCFA said fire officials were called in to a house fire at the corner of Foster Road and Gertrude Drive in Rossmoor to find a woman trapped in a bedroom on the 2nd story.He said the home was engulfed in fire when the OCFA engine companies arrived Firefighters used extended ladders to rescue the trapped woman on the 2nd story afterwhich they stabilized her condition then sent her to the hospital “Firefighters did a tremendous job,” said Barta noting they had to use a “huge” ladder to rescue the unnamed woman He said the house fire was extinguished relatively quickly but noted there was significant structural damage caused by the blaze The Los Alamitos Unified School District recently partnered with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies for an annual Tabletop Exercise on school safety at Rossmoor Elementary School hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.  This critical training session focused on strengthening emergency response coordination and ensuring the safety of students and staff according to a press release from the Los Alamitos Unified School District.  Representatives from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Los Alamitos Unified School District leadership They engaged in discussions on active shooter response and improving emergency communication strategies A key component of the exercise was reinforcing best practices for school safety protocols the distinction between lockdown and shelter-in-place procedures and ensuring first responders have efficient access to campuses during emergencies.  The discussion also emphasized the importance of real-time communication between school staff and law enforcement to ensure a swift and coordinated response in any situation “This collaboration is essential to ensuring that our schools are prepared for any emergency,” said Dr “We deeply value our strong partnerships with our local law enforcement and first responders and we are committed to continuously improving our safety protocols.” As part of the district’s ongoing commitment to safety school staff will receive updated training on emergency communication protocols and threat response procedures Local agencies reaffirmed their commitment to providing immediate support in any crisis affecting schools In a board meeting closed to the public more than two months ago Rossmoor Community Services District general manager Joe Mendoza the RCSD board did not announce that important news to the public until recent days Even some board members remain in the dark about what is going on with Mendoza while he searches for his own replacement without board approval It is another example of the lack of transparency and deliberate subterfuge that RCSD has exercised for years in setting a course often at odds with the 10,000 residents of unincorporated Rossmoor Mendoza took direction to search for his replacement at the verbal direction of director Tony DeMarco They are the three-member majority who have been systematically mismanaging RCSD for years spending upwards of $100,000 of taxpayer funds in a failed attempt to get state legislation that would enhance their own power a large majority of Rossmoor residents have voted and expressed a desire for Rossmoor’s status quo as an unincorporated community within Orange County Barke and Maynard have been the prime movers of spending thousands of dollars on activities outside the jurisdiction of RCSD while critical needs within their jurisdiction go unmet unless it involves one of their personal friends Now is the opportunity to bust this cabal by getting rid of DeMarco on Nov 5 and casting a vote for Mary Ann Remnet and Nathan Searles.  The current issue with Mendoza began at a closed board meeting on or about August 11 when he disclosed to the board his intention to resign for unknown reasons No announcement of that decision came in August or September Nothing was disclosed to the public until two weeks ago when a job posting appeared on a recruiting site (General Manager – Rossmoor Community Services District – PublicCEO) It noted that applications would be vetted by Mendoza himself despite the fact that the full board had not been informed of the search process  Board member Nathan Searles questioned what was going on in his own posting on Facebook “I am troubled when none of this has been shared with the board or the community…” He added that it should be the directors reviewing applications and making hiring decisions 21 an announcement of Mendoza’s resignation appeared on RCSD’s website reflecting how RCSD’s majority likes to operate in the dark But it also could reflect a plan to manipulate who succeeds Mendoza before the Nov 5 election then he could be eliminating candidates that another board might accept Why wasn’t the decision to replace Mendoza tasked to RCSD’s personnel and contract administration committee?  Why wasn’t there an effort to determine whether the qualifications for a new general manager have changed since Mendoza was selected six years ago Why wasn’t there an open discussion about compensation?   A lack of transparency is toxic to democracy a fact demonstrated over and over again by DeMarco The trio has gone overboard in protecting their total control of RCSD through selective disclosure of their activities and decisions their decisions have skewed spending to south Rossmoor providing extravagant public utilities to their own neighborhood including radar speed signs on a nearby road a picnic canopy at Rush Park and extensive work on parking issues along Montecito You can see the fancy canopy on RCSD’s homepage Rossmoor Community Services District (rossmoor-csd.org)j plans for a similar picnic canopy at Rossmoor Park have gone nowhere A plan to fix walkway flood at the park has gone nowhere And parking around Rossmoor Park has grown out of control.  Rossmoor needs a board that operates openly genuinely solicits public input and abides by its own established long-range planning all of which the current board has failed miserably Presumably long after he left the community Jeffrey Barke finally officially said goodbye to his board seat on the Rossmoor Community Service District’s Board of Directors.Though he apprently did not resign he left a “Dear RCSD” letter for a third-party to read on his behalf.Barke was first appointed to the Rossmoor CSD in 2019 and won a four-year term in 2020.Records indicate that Barke’s wife Barke is thought to have moved to Newport Beach according to numerous posts by residents on the Rossmoor Facebook and Next Door sites.Though never discussed officially Barke voting in the 2024 election in Newport Beach citing his registration in the area in January of this year.The ENE can not individually confirm the change.Nonetheless Barke remains onn the board until a new board is sworn in a month or so.Board President Michael Maynard and the entire board lauded Barke for his service to the district passing a resolution that noted he “provided outstanding leadership from 2019 – 2024 serving as the board’s president in 2021.The board voted 3-0 to approve the resolution thanking Barke for this service Directors Jo Shade and Nathan Searles voted for the resolution and also thanked Barke during brief comments from the dais.Directors Barke and Tony DeMarco were not present.In a board-approved resolution Maynard said Barke was “instrumental” in obtaining grants of $48,000 and $180,000 to “help offset the district’s financial challenge during COVID and fields” and used for the per capita grant for various upgrades.Maynard said Barke contributed to new street sweeping schedules and “devoted many hours” to serving on the RCSD.The concierge physician attracted much attention during COVID-19 for his outspoken views and has left the community of Rossmoor with similar sentiments.Though not appearing person Barke’s letter was read in his absence.“It saddens me that a group of far-left advocates have politicized RCSD Despite this community being a conservative majority of quiet the political left has taken over RCSD,” said Barke in the letter.Barke said he hopes the community can re-establish “conservative control” to continue the “fantastic work” of RCSD.“I am proud that we brought pickleball to Rossmoor Park despite the few loud leftists that had wanted to put the selfish interest of a few over the needs of the community,” the outgoing Director wrote in his letter.In other action following an explanation by Mendozcommunity is now enjoying this rapidly growing sport I am proud of our fiscal oversight of our budget especially during the tyranny of COVID.”Barke’s letter said he was especially proud of the work done by General Manager Joe Mendoza to create new community events including the Farmer’s Market at Rush Park and other festivals enjoyed throughout the year.“The blurring of the elected governance structure of the RCSD versus the voluntary club membership of the RHA continues to be a problem and interferes with the effectiveness of county contracts and relationships I hope the new board will not allow these lines to be crossed,” his letter charged.“Just as our country overwhelmingly elected the former President Trump to another term and took control of both the House and the Senate I hope and pray Rossmoor will reassert its conservative core to take back the RCSD from the woke left,” Barke said.Election returns for the 2024 balloting shows incumbent Searles with 3,732 votes The three top candidates will win RCSD seats on its Board of Directors Wind & FireThe Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Longtime Rossmoor General Manager Joe Mendoza has confirmed to ENE that he has indeed informed the community of Rossmoor that he is headed out of the door Many in the community were upset with the Board after learning that he resigned in a closed session two months ago and the board failed to disclose it Mendoza is the General Manager of the Rossmoor Community Services District which has been awarded limited powers by the state to administrate the district RCSD must interface with the County of Orange and other agencies to receive municipal type services Rossmoor is a member of the California Special Districts Association though it interfaces with state government along with state elected officials The General Manager of the district generally coordinates the RSCD’s board with those agencies The GM also manages the district’s relatively small staff I have decided that it’s time to start thinking about stepping away,” said Mendoza in an interview this past weekend When asked why he did not announce it publicly Mendoza claimed that the announcement was posted to the community’s website so they’re going to start looking for a candidate.” Some members of the community were upset when they saw public advertisements for a replacement to fill Mendoza’s post advertised recently in the Journal “Public CEO.” They suspected Mendoza told only the three-vote ruling majority Joe Mendoza’s professional experience included working as Deputy Director with the South Los Angeles County Community Services Agency which included 50 parks and 16 pools within the Second and Fourth Supervisorial Districts and had an annual budget of $25 million in addition to the Department of Parks and Recreation’s overall budget of $125 million Joe Mendoza also worked for the City of Cerritos as Recreation Services Superintendent; He managed the budget and staff for the Recreation Services Division; supervised 14 full-time and 125 part-time staff and the Cerritos Olympic Swim & Fitness Center He administered joint use contracts with ABC Unified School District and Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department “Joe Mendoza gets my highest recommendation He will be a tremendous asset to the District and the Rossmoor community By Maria Maruta Sterling Organization has purchased Rossmoor Shopping Center a 118,846-square-foot retail center in Walnut Creek Citivest sold the asset after 13 years of ownership Sterling financed the purchase with a $35.8 million loan from U.S The buyer purchased the asset on behalf of Sterling United Properties II LP the fund now owns 17 grocery-anchored retail properties totaling more than 1.2 million square feet Rossmoor Shopping Center previously traded in 2012 when Citivest acquired it for $33.9 million Completed in 1966 at 1900-1998 Tice Valley Blvd. the retail center comprises eight buildings across a 13-acre site A 25,191-square-foot Safeway store and a 14,500-square-foot CVS pharmacy anchor the property The tenant roster features as John Muir Health The retail property is near Interstate 680 The center serves a population of more than 70,000 individuals living within a 3-mile radius with average household incomes of roughly $220,000 per year Grocery-anchored properties remain resilient in the current retail landscape, alongside fast food, beauty and sporting goods, a recent Datex report shows With the need for housing in California becoming a monster Rossmoor Directors told Orange County officials this week that they don’t want to become a casualty of the county’s need for space Orange County planning officials Cindy Salazar and consultant Ashley Broadkin appeared before the Rossmoor Board of Directors at their July meeting on Tuesday to update RCSD on the county’s overall General Plan but then quizzed them on how the new rules for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) might affect Rossmoor and they expressed concern that multi-story housing units might replace businesses on the property located at the intersection of Los Al Boulevard and Katella Ave When it came to the update on the County’s Housing Element Salazar said the county must plan to develop 10,406 residences in the next eight years prompting fears already expressed by the Directors to resurface “I can tell you that’s what our community is concerned very concerned about We do not want to lose our single-family areas,” he said asking the OC Planning officials to explain new laws that allow duplex and ADU’s a stand-alone community of more than 3,000 single-family homes has long prided itself on its quality of life the community is also extremely proud of its well-known urban forest New state laws that allow duplexes where single-family homes now sit and the unending quest for new units associated with various Housing Elements have created urgency while the state has taken much of the housing authority from local communities Both Salazar and Brodkin answered Demarco’s detailed questions about zoning and what impact the county’s Housing Element might have on Rossmoor Facing future threats to Rossmoor’s serenity Board President Michael Maynard put the fate of Rossmoor in the county’s hands “As you can tell by the tone of this Board we’re obviously concerned about our neighborhood mainly maintaining what has been here since the mid-50s,” Maynard told the OC officials “And when we think about threats to the lifestyle that we’ve all become accustomed to and moved to the support community but it becomes a slippery slope,” said Maynard suggesting it will become a “temptation” for business owners to cash in “It becomes a temptation for a business owner who runs a restaurant to say you know what developers will be scouring neighborhoods looking for properties on which to build It does become a slippery slope for things to happen,” Maynard “Especially at the fast pace that we’ve seen other neighboring cities having to deal with,” he said “We shake our heads and we can’t believe Sacramento is not only allowing for it it is mandating this and actually threatening cities and communities with lawsuits and penalties,” the board president said And we thank you for coming here and putting up with our questioning We want to encourage you to protect us and find out a way to protect us we need your help.” The Rossmoor Community Service District and Elite Special Events will be hosting their last Summer Family Festival at Rush Park on September 14 from 3-8 p.m. with lots of stage acts with the Emperors starting at 6:00 p.m The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) has launched its second PRESTO autonomous shuttle service in collaboration with with Beep to help increase transportation access for seniors residents of the active senior Rossmoor 55+ community can now take advantage of the free pilot shuttle program aimed at providing easy The shuttle will run on a pre-programmed loop weekdays from 7 a.m "CCTA is proud to offer nationally recognized mobility solutions making it easier and safer to travel," CCTA Chair Newell Arnerich said "CCTA is committed to making transportation accessible for all We chose Rossmoor to pilot an alternative to driving so residents can maintain activities that keep them socially connected while experiencing a cutting-edge transportation network." Rossmoor will act as a testing ground for an autonomous vehicle program the shuttles carry seven seated and secured passengers plus a trained attendant to provide riders with a safe and informed experience The shuttle network is also remotely monitored by the Beep Command Center to ensure operational safety at all times CCTA can learn what works best for the 55+ community Passenger feedback will help shape the future of this technology as federal transportation officials plan to use PRESTO pilot data to advance standards in automated mobility The pilot is funded by a grant from the U.S "We are excited to partner with CCTA again bringing the PRESTO autonomous mobility network to Rossmoor," said Joe Moye "This collaboration underscores our shared vision of leveraging innovative technologies and services to enhance community access to first- and last-mile transportation Beep autonomous shuttles in Rossmoor will provide reliable and safe transit options people and opportunities within the community." Rossmoor is the second site where CCTA has launched an autonomous vehicle pilot. The first of four proposed pilots was launched in 2023 by CCTA at Bishop Ranch business park in San Ramon the Bishop Ranch autonomous shuttles have safely transported more than 1,600 passengers CCTA is expected to introduce a future autonomous vehicle program in the city of Martinez this summer A tradition that began in 2020 in reaction to the restricted days of the COVID pandemic saluted the first class to emerge that experienced the full measure of the paralyzing event.  and even boats made their way through Rossmoor Saturday morning as the community saluted the graduating class of 2024 “Welcome to the Class of 2024,” said Organizer Jo Shade who as a member of the Rossmoor Homeowners Association worked to get the first parade organized when seniors during COVID were denied many of the traditional graduation ceremonies.  Shade was able to salute her own daughter Jordan and she has since been elected to the board of the Rossmoor Community Services District.  Shade instructed the hundreds of cars to tune in to FM radio 87.8 a special frequency that allowed everyone lined up for the parde even those out of earshot of the public address system The audience of vehicles oddly used their horns to honk the approval of speakers since some were lined up hundreds of feet away from the flatbed.  Standing next to a cadre of elected officials present to congratulate the seniors Shade first presented an award from Supervisor Andrew Do’s office to Art Remnet She also thanked the event’s growing list of sponsors and volunteers and instructed drivers not to exceed more than 5 -7 miles per hour.  the new commander of the Joint Forces Training Base served as Grand Marshal of this year’s parade He was accompanied by his wife Cassandra.  “my wife Cassandra and I wish to congratulate you on your graduation.  We encourage you on behalf of the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, to hold on to the values that have gotten you this far,” he said “You’re going to need them as you move up in the world,” said Col Shade also presented Fox with a certificate from Do’s office.  “The sky’s the limit,” said Congresswoman Michelle Steel to the Los Al graduating class,” and I know all of you are going to be successful,” she said.  “You can do the impossible,” urged Senator Janet Nguyen who said she has attended every single Senior Parade in Rossmoor because without them you would not be here today,” she said “This is a day you will remember for life,” Assembly member Tri Ta told the graduates adding that “this community is here for you.” He also thanked the dedication of the teachers and parents “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something,” said Cypress Council member Frances Marquez work hard and you will achieve it,” she said Andrew Pulver called it a parade of love and metaphorically compared it to the community embrace “I don’t know of another community like Rossmoor “This is really a parade of love and I hope you can feel our entire community wrapping their arms around you because we are so proud of you,” the superintendent said There’s going to be thousands of people over in the streets and we’re all here just to say we love you Los Al High School Principal Christiana Krauss said “we started this year with the theme and mission to extend what’s possible and Class of 2024 you have not disappointed in all aspects.”  the kindness and the compassion that this class has brought to each other,” the principal said.  it was evident that COVID had made a mark on some and that they had absorbed the senior mission this year They spoke about the greatest challenges and traits of their 2024 class.  “The biggest challenge is that we had experiences like no other I think we started with something that no one ever endured before (COVID) and we were still able to persevere while loving and caring for each other throughout the process “I think the best thing about the class of 2024 was how connected we were so meshed together in this new situation but we learned to grow together and bonded we are very loving and connected as a whole,” he said.  “Our biggest challenge is taking advice from the older generation “I think a lot of people think they know more and don’t pay attention to the rules or advice “I think the best thing about the class of 2024 is that we’re persevering we’re super kind and considerate and we’re ready to go off to college we got through it and it was well worth it,” said Jake Dingillo “I feel like time management is the greatest challenge to the class of 2024 I think that a lot of us do not know how to manage our time properly and we get ahead of ourselves,” said Brianna Bercian.  Graduate Owen Gooch said it would be a challenge for this year’s class for find their way in this world but that he felt the Class of 2024 could do it.  “I think personally that the biggest challenge is going to be finding our places in the world We have a really special class with a lot of great people and I think everyone here is going to be able to succeed in that,” he said the Rossmoor Community Services District and Elite Special Events will again be hosting the “Rossmoor Family Festival” Summer Series at Rush Park June 8 Top food trucks from OC and over 60 vendors selling crafts and unique items The events will have a stage with local youth acts local bands and one headline band each show Headline bands include Knyght Rider (June 8) The Trip (Aug.10) and The Emperors (Sept.14) Next to the Food Truck expo will be a festive beer and wine garden Come early to claim your picnic spot as spaces in front of the stage fill up quickly For show or vendor information call 310-560-9122 More info at instagram page @familyfoodiefestivals Contra Costa Herald News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County August 2, 2024 By Leave a Comment Rossmoor residents try out the new PRESTO autonomous vehicle on Thursday a leading provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions The shuttle will run on a pre-programmed loop Monday to Friday from 7 a.m “CCTA is proud to offer nationally recognized mobility solutions making it easier and safer to travel,” CCTA Chair Newell Arnerich said “CCTA is committed to making transportation accessible for all We chose Rossmoor to pilot an alternative to driving so residents can maintain activities that keep them socially connected while experiencing a cutting-edge transportation network.” As a spacious gated community, Rossmoor is an ideal testing ground for an autonomous vehicle program. Driven by Oxa a global provider of self-driving vehicle software “We are excited to partner with CCTA again bringing the PRESTO autonomous mobility network to Rossmoor,” said Joe Moye “This collaboration underscores our shared vision of leveraging innovative technologies and services to enhance community access to first- and last-mile transportation The new PRESTO autonomous vehicle is now serving Rossmoor in Walnut Creek To learn more about PRESTO at Rossmoor, visit https://ridepresto.com/rossmoor/ About the Contra Costa Transportation Authority Filed Under: Central County, News, Seniors, Technology, Transportation and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Copyright © 2025 · Contra Costa Herald · Site by Clifton Creative Web This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page MONROE – New Jersey lawmakers have allocated $1 million in the state budget for flood mitigation at the Rossmoor adult living community which was hit especially hard by flooding during Tropical Storm Henri last year The funding will be provided to the Rossmoor Community Association during this budget year It is not yet clear when the funding will arrive helping us make improvements to control flooding,” said Dan Jolly president of Rossmoor Community Association I would like to express my appreciation to Mayor Dalina the 14th District legislators and Middlesex County for their steadfast commitment to the people of our community.” Tropical Storm Henri swept through Middlesex County on Aug. 22, 2021 dumping as much as more than 8 inches of rain in some areas leaving more than 170 township households flooded with the vast majority in Rossmoor The Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated that damage from Henri did not meet the monetary threshold necessary to qualify for federal disaster relief funding general manager of the Rossmoor Community Association which oversees 18 independent sub-associations in the development said the $1 million will be allocated to come up with plans to mitigate flooding in the Cedar Brook and Shallow Brook areas within Rossmoor "Rossmoor Community Association along with Monroe Township and both of their engineering firms will be meeting and working together to determine the best way to manage this problem," he said but you can certainly help to mitigate flooding in the future." Curry explained Cedar Brook and the headwaters of Shallow Brook run through a portion of Rossmoor The community of 2,303 residences saw 118 homes flooded "There was an incredible downpour in a short period of time and the storm water systems were never designed to handle that," Curry said "Rossmoor was designed in the 1970s before the idea of controlling how quickly the water made it to the stream and to the river was thought about Most of the storm water pipes go directly to Cedar Brook.” Curry said Henri was not Rossmoor's first flooding event "Some houses over the last 15 years located in the FEMA flood zone on Cedar Brook have flooded three times," he said "They weren't severely damaged by flooding each time except in the case of Tropical Storm Henri He said a well was constructed at a retention basin on Applegarth Road prior to Henri six buildings around Sudbury Lane were flooded in a flash flood on July 17 but that area is not in any designated FEMA flood zone The Shallow Brook section along Sudbury Way that leads to a retention basin by the New Jersey Turnpike is already being studied "The association has already hired an engineer," Curry said "We've already done topographic studies and they are in the midst of coming up with a recommendation to correct that It’s a small area and we should be able to help resolve the problem but nothing is going to help an 8- or 9-inch rainfall." During a tour of flooded homes last year with Gov. Phil Murphy Mayor Dalina pledged to advocate for state funding that would be used for future flood mitigation The mayor turned to the 14th District state legislators – Sen Linda Greenstein and Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson – who advocated for Monroe during the state’s budget process this spring "I want to express my deepest appreciation to our state representatives on behalf of so many residents who were impacted," Dalina said He also thanked the Middlesex County Board of Commissioners who underscored the need for flood mitigation at Rossmoor The township provided resources and organizations to assist residents impacted by the flooding setting up the Office of Emergency Management team’s command center in the Rossmoor clubhouse The mayor and council authorized the use of federal funds available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to reimburse residential property owners up to $5,000 per household to replace or remediate heating units and thermostats; mold; insulation and drywall in which applications were accepted until Dec provided a total of $227,631 to 52 homeowners the township approved 23 applications from flood victims for immediate repairs under the income-based Affordable Housing Rehabilitation Program which was established under the larger Monroe Township Housing Element and the court-ordered Fair Share Plan to assist income eligible residents repair their homes to comply with current housing codes and safety standards The program is funded by a state assessment on new construction The deadline for applications from Henri flooding victims has expired the program for income-based qualifiers is ongoing Approved residents received funding that ranged from $33,000 to $87,000 for a total of $1,501,907 for Henri repairs Under the Affordable Rehabilitation Program participating residents who remain in their homes for 10 years have their loans forgiven Residents who stay in their homes for eight years must pay back 50 percent of the loan and residents who stay in their homes for six years must pay back 80 percent of the loan Curry said the homeowner's association had a flood insurance policy that helped residents located within the FEMA flood zone not all of the houses that were flooded were in that zone," he said Another insurance policy was in place that covered the buildings "Those funds were used for remediation in homes after the flood," he said remove the drywall and the rest was left to the individual owners to repair That's because they live in condominiums where the inside walls are their responsibility." used furniture and other much-needed items to residents who lives on Sudbury Lane in a downstairs condo that flooded during Henri and I didn't have flood insurance because I didn't think it was necessary because we're not in a designated flood zone I'm pleased because I did receive money from a township program that helped me rebuild my house and I also started a GoFundMe page for myself I am encouraged that they are going to try to fix the cause of the problem Waltzer said he does have flood insurance now and their cat were rescued by boat from their home during the flooding Francesca Guida owns a condo on Sudbury Lane where her 79-year-old mother lives her mom called and said there was water everywhere and her Pomeranian was missing She said there was water up to the mattress in her bedroom in her first-floor condo and both were rescued by boat and taken to the clubhouse "She made it out with only the clothes on her back," Guida said She was lucky because she had a place to go appliances and all of her belongings were completely gone." Guida said she didn't have flood insurance because she was told the condo was not in a flood zone although she has later learned that the area flooded about 15 years before "Had I known maybe I wouldn't have bought in that area or I would have gotten flood insurance," she said Guida estimated that she spent between $50,000 and $60,000 to restore the home and replace the damaged items "The association said they didn’t have enough money to help us Guida said she did receive $5,000 from a township program and a $1,000 donation from a church You're dealing with older seniors who had to dip into their life savings People in other areas did receive Ida recovery money I think the victims of Henri are entitled to reimbursement from somewhere." Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com please subscribe or activate your digital account today When you write a Golf Advisor course review now through December 31 your review will be entered into Golf Advisor’s Rate to Escape: Maui Sweepstakes for a chance to win a five-star trip to Maui One Grand Prize winner and guest will travel in an AVIS rental car for six nights/ seven days of accommodations with the latest gear from OGIO to play on the finest fairways in Maui We’re also giving away 12 Golf Advisor Swag bags to lucky reviewers Might be the best greens I played all winter All conditions were good and some interesting holes Click the text box above to select the URL to share Doesn't get much play because it's semi private this course might be too short.Pro shop guy seems like he doesn't want anything to do with you unless you're buying something What is the address of Rossmoor Golf Course Rossmoor Golf Course is located at 10 Clubhouse Rd Desmond Muirhead (1966) is the architect of Rossmoor Golf Course What type of grass does Rossmoor Golf Course have Rossmoor Golf Course has Bent Grass greens and Bent Grass fairways What is the length of Rossmoor Golf Course The length of Rossmoor Golf Course is 6270 yards What is the rating of Rossmoor Golf Course The rating of Rossmoor Golf Course is 70.6 What are the course conditions at Rossmoor Golf Course other golfers are saying that the course conditions at Rossmoor Golf Course are excellent Enjoy all these benefits with your account Unlock a free GolfPass account to earn GolfPass Points and instantly access curated video content Upgrade to GolfPass+ for tee time credits and ability to spend Points on qualifying tee times convenient tee time booking with the largest selection of tee times Access to our Golf family of brands including GolfNow and GolfNow Compete KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift Sign for Rossmoor retirement community in Walnut Creek  (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)The Rossmoor community in Walnut Creek has a population of nearly 10,000 people aged 55 and older It’s also the cornerstone of the 94595 zip code which according to the San Francisco Chronicle is the only zip code in the Bay Area with home prices near their all-time high in contrast to the rest of the region where home prices are trending lower We’ll take a look at the history of Rossmoor why people want to live there and the current state of other developments like it a resident of the Rossmoor Retirement Community in Walnut Creek along with other members of the Rossmoor Ukulele Club is determined to provide a uke to every child in the Walnut Creek School District A few months ago Art wrote to the Superintendent of the Walnut Creek School District: “I am one of the active senior citizens who live in Rossmoor We are interested in seeing if we can help our local school children by providing them with ukuleles and perhaps some other support The response from the Walnut Creek School District was instantaneous—and enthusiastic according to an article by Jill Tucker published in the San Francisco Chronicle on Christmas Day “District Superintendent Marie Morgan said That’s what makes magic happen in schools.’” the Rossmoor Ukulele Club has embarked on a partnership with the (WCSD) and have triggered the development of a new two-year ukulele program in the district for 4th and 5th grade students The WCSD has three credentialed music teachers to work with elementary students and now they have 90 more ukuleles “However, our donation falls a bit short of our shared vision of putting a ukulele in the hand of every child in the district to use both at school and to practice at home. So we have set up a GoFundMe account: www.gofundme.com/f/Provide-ukuleles-to-children The schools now want their intermediate kids to learn music so we are working hard to raise more money And we have been asked to put on a concert there and show everyone what the mighty uke can do.” “This isn’t the first time the Rossmoor ukulele club has donated instruments—they sent 100 ukes to Paradise after the devastating wildfire destroyed the community and the local school.” Additionally “They are hoping to raise enough money to provide the instruments to students in the Mt A note published on the groups GoFundMe page states “You probably know that school music programs are being cut all over the country The cuts are mostly due to budgeting and funding limitations but also because many educators don’t understand the true benefits of music education and are unwilling to earmark funds for music education have embarked on a partnership with the Walnut Creek School District (WCSD) to support music education While a neighboring school district eliminated its music program the WCSD expanded its program this year by hiring three credential music teachers to work with elementary students.” Even with the WCSD buying the ukuleles at cost the group’s funding falls short of being able to meet its ultimate goal of a uke for every child “A donation of $50 fully funds the purchase of a ukulele whatever you are willing to donate is gratefully accepted.” an executive board member for the California Music Educators Association told the Chronicle many children still suffer the emotional and academic costs from months of distant learning and social isolation Many kids missed out on music education for months or years while class was remote “A large body of research shows that children who study music have higher grades and better attendance Music education can also help cut depression “We find students want to go to school because they want to play music When a child starts to make music it becomes a part of their identity The donation of ukuleles by the Rossmoor residents offers the students far more than an instrument to play.” Art Salzfass is sanguine about the prospects of this program “We really want to make a difference by helping our neighboring kids learn and appreciate music I even have plans for setting up a program at night to teach the parents We have people here willing to contribute their time and talent Donate at their GoFundMe Page Andy Senior is the Publisher of The Syncopated Times and on occasion he still gets out a Radiola Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: The Orange County Sheriff’s Department gave its annual crime report to the Rossmoor Community Service District’s Board of Directors Tuesday and despite significantly fewer calls for service Rossmoor’s repeated expressions of concern about law enforcement drew some attention as the appointment of a new Bureau Chief (March 2023) and the implementation of “new investigative techniques” are making a difference Rossmoor must depend on the OCSD for criminal law enforcement within the community of Rossmoor and the California Highway Patrol for traffic enforcement now in charge of all of the unincorporated areas of Orange County reported the district had 166 calls for service over the past year but was hesitant to call the 24 percent drop in calls for service a positive development because I actually like it when the citizens call our dispatch,” said Patella “They are not all criminal reports,” he said saying residential tips helped thwart at least one major crime against an elderly Rossmoor resident “I’m really proud of some trends that we’ve seen and some things that my guys are doing behind the scenes that are really I think making a big impact here,” Patella said Without revealing exactly what deputies are doing behind the scenes he suggested the “new investigative techniques” somehow involved data Patella displayed a poster graphic containing the photos of an L.A gang and a dozen others who were linked by connecting lines and arrows to them He said Rossmoor’s vigilance prevented a “bank juggling” incident in Rossmoor back in October and that the department’s quick reaction to a call made a difference in a medical aid incident Patella said by monitoring the gang members “we got wind” that an incident was about to go down in Rossmoor “There was no burglary in Rossmoor that day because we stopped it from happening,” said Patella although not totally within the Sheriff’s Department control the district also saw a significant reduction in thefts “The one that I’m really proud of is actually our crimes against property And if you look down below with a brief description of what it was last year we had a huge amount of catalytic converter thefts And this year it has been significantly reduced Asked by Director Jo Shade how many catalytic converters were stolen in the past year in Rossmoor They also sometimes use data and surveillance equipment to know when to strike “It only takes 5-10 minutes,” said Patella suggesting “they know what they are doing so we have to be really pressed frustration at its monthly February meeting when the Orange County Sheriff’s Department refused to provide details regarding their deputies responding to the community has no police force of its own and therefore must rely on a complicated arrangement The Orange County Sheriff’s Office provides crime enforcement while the California Highway Patrol provides for traffic enforcement within Rossmoor a community of approximately 10,000 people Slow response times have nagged the community during several incidents in the past couple of years and directors seemed equally frustrated at their February meeting following Capt Gary Knutson’s regularly scheduled crime report Knutson told the directors no crime stats were available because the Department of Justice was transitioning to a new computer system entitled the National Incident Reporting System “The whole purpose is to get better information reported nationally,” he told the Directors noting that the new system “allows for a little more finite reporting so it breaks things down into smaller categories.” He continued to explain “the DOJ has not validated our statistics so we are not releasing any statistics until that happens.” Knutson did provide some data to the Directors based on calls for service and acknowledged that residential break-ins had ticked up significantly in the fourth quarter of 2022 that residential break-ins had increased across the board blaming the rise in a flawed justice system that releases offenders almost as fast as their law enforcement officers could bring them in he said catalytic converter thefts account for most of the thefts reported in the community when a Rossmoor homeowner apparently came home to find someone in their house The intruder fled when the homeowner returned yet the discussion sparked a series of questions The Directors thanked Knutson for the strong response to the incident but were befuddled when Knutson said he had no way of knowing whether a deputy was in the community or nearby when the call for service went out was there a deputy in Rossmoor,” he asked Knutson when all those catalytic converters were stolen did we have a deputy in Rossmoor?” he further asked Knutson “I don’t know if we had one,” again answered Knutson to go back to what we’ve talked about before Rossmoor is only one of the patrol beats staffed by a deputy or on another call for service somewhere else I don’t know off the top of my head,” said Knutson maybe because we don’t want to get that granular for the public to know how long it takes for a deputy to get to a particular area in a particular city,” he asked “Maybe that’s not publicly disclosed or is it just statistically it’s all in one so we can break it down,” Barke wondered “I don’t know the answer your question,” he told Barke “I know that we break these down by contract city and then by the unincorporated division,” volunteered Knutson “so you have a southeast unincorporated in South Orange County anything that’s unincorporated falls in that district It’s just the way the system was designed,” he said who offered to go into the department and personally pull the data “I suppose anything’s possible,” said Knutson but then said “It sounds like a public records request DeMarco thanked Knutson for providing law enforcement service to the community and for coming to the meeting with an update on calls for service He also reminded Knutson that Rossmoor has set up a mini substation at Rush Park for patrolling deputies all of whom now have keys and can stop in for coffee or to refresh themselves while on duty in the community General Manager Joe Mendoza had earlier set up the mini substation hoping to attract more deputies to patrol the Rossmoor neighborhoods Still frustrated by the end of the meeting DeMarco and Barke both again expressed their frustration about not being able to retrieve what seems to be very simple data from the Sheriff’s Department Demarco and Barke again commented on the Rossmoor law enforcement predicament in their closing remarks “If the Los Al Police Department was patrolling Rossmoor,” said Barke “we would know where they (deputies) were and when they were here.” Rossmoor is not allowed to utilize the department next door rather must depend on the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement Knutson has explained many times in the past that the department has only a certain number of deputies to patrol all of the county’s unincorporated areas The pending designation of a portion of a 27-acre tract owned by the city of Seal Beach attached to the Shops at Rossmoor as a potential site for low-income housing has riled up the Rossmoor Community Services District directors delicately discussed at their February meeting a concern about the potential of Seal Beach designating 10-acres of the 27-acre tract adjacent to the upscale community of Rossmoor as a potential site for low-income housing as part of its SCAG-required housing element Rossmoor Community Services District General Manager Joe Mendoz said he had spoken by phone with city manager Jill Ingram and followed up with a letter citing the community’s concerns about developing a 10-acre parcel of low-income housing there Director Tony DeMarco asked Mendoza about “Seal Beach identifying the low-income housing space,” saying the property designation on Montecito could have a “significant impact” on Rossmoor He said the development could affect traffic President Jeffrey Rips said the site could affect Rossmoor residents He asked Mendoza to set up a meeting with Ingram to discuss the issue Cities are required by California law to identify potential sites for lower income housing and housing in general as part of the Southern California Association of Governments It’s part of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) and is mandated by State Housing Law as part of the periodic process of updating local housing elements of the General Plan RHNA quantifies the need for housing within each jurisdiction during specified planning periods Seal Beach’s current RHNA “allotment” requires planning for the construction of 1,243 residential units residents complained about the CR&R response to the organic waste roll out with one resident saying he’d waited so long for the blue lids for his waste collectors that he went to Home Depot Dave Vandervoet said he called CR&R customer service and they said to expect his new color lids to comply with the new waste requirements the Wednesday of the week he called asked a CR&R representative to confirm what company officials said at a public meeting months ago that residents could get an extra container at no cost and that if residents wanted extra containers it will cost 3.67 per month for organics and double that for extra recycling containers “You’re taking away our ability to maintain our property,” he said Skokair apologized for the miscommunication but saying Rossmoor services are governed by the company’s contract with Orange County He informed Pearce about other “freebies” in the contract including extra-large item pickup and free compost give away Shokair said a manufacturing shortage is responsible for the delay in delivery of proper color-coded lids to the community and gave Mendoza the toll-free number but suggested residents use the email address for much faster service in getting lids containers or extra containers (orangecountyrecycles@crrmail.com) DeMarco said lids delivered near him were falling off of cans Skohair acknowledged the error but said technical changes have been made he asked Shokair if regular green garbage bags could be used for the green waste canister Skohair said residents must use compostable bags newspaper or paper to actually dispose of food wastes and he suggested residents store their food organics in plastic bags in the freezer until pickup date to prevent smelling Food scraps must be kept separate and the CR&R representative also suggested residents layer the organics in with compost on pickup day He also recommended residents keep a box of baking soda on hand to prevent odors from emanating from the organic food scraps said of the thousands of California laws he’s dealt with over his career referring specifically to rules like the requirement to separate out animal bones at least we’re lucky people are not dumping it from 2nd story windows.” Regarding the new street sweeping services generally complimented the rollout by Sunset Property Services but the company reacted quickly to rectify them even sending in street sweepers that were not required by the contract said they are still dealing with parked cars and she said residents should not push their dead leaves onto the street The fallen leaves have clogged up the sweepers and Rossmoor officials agreed to embark on a public relations campaign to ask residents not to push their leaves onto the streets The board also voted unanimously to begin the final 30-day implementation period after which tickets that issue will no longer be warnings • Learned from Mendoza that the summer events calendar wlll begin May 22 with a health and wellness fair two movie nights and Winter Fest later in the year • Met with representatives of Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do who became the OC rep for Rossmoor and other communities following redistricting Do was the host of a meet and greet in March who offered a motion to meet by Zoom during the recent surge say lifting the mandate required no further action and that the board could resume in-person meetings the district’s legal counsel agreed and they were expected to meet in person for March • Heard Rips say he was going to evaluate outreach committee assignments to see which of them were still relevant in 2022 • Learned that Mendoza is waiting on a computer from the City of Cerritos to get the new flashing speed radar unit up and running • Working with the Rossmoor Library and collaborating with the Youth Center to install a new popup library near Rush Park • Heard Mendoza say that all wood on benches had been replaced in time for the summer season • Agreed to reinvestigate the possibility of staging a farmer’s market in Rossmoor In a symbolic gesture honoring its original decision the five members of the Rossmoor Community Services District celebrated the final payment of the $5 million bond to purchase Rush Park with a literal bond-burning ceremony Because of the board’s vision three decades ago Rossmoor residents are today “reaping the rewards,” said Maynard Not only did they preserve 8.7 acres of green spaces but Rush Park today includes community buildings where meetings are held Rush Park was once Benjamin Rush Elementary School constructed in 1962 as part of the Rossmoor master planned community a physician and was one of the original signatories on the American Declaration of Independence Historian Diane Rush said the LAUSD decided to sell Benjamin Rush School in the late 1980’s after it had been closed and declared surplus Rush school operated from 1962 until it closed in 1978 The state had approved the formation of the Rossmoor Community Services District in 1987 and this was the first big test of the relatively new RCSD They moved immediately to buy the site but opinion within Rossmoor was split Gustave Brinkman served as President of the Rossmoor Community Services District during the Rush School purchase (1991) He said “the location of the Rush School site in the southern portion of the district balances off the park system in the district It enhances the quality of life for all and especially for the children now and in the future,” according to local historian Diane Rush Other directors approving the Rush purchase included Johanne Duffy voters of Rossmoor voted 55 percent to 45 percent to approve the sale of bonds in the amount of $4.2 million to purchase the property and everything on it from the Los Alamitos Unified School District Italian American Ross Cortese had purchased nearly 1,000 acres from the Bixby Ranch in 1951 and began construction of Rossmoor (named for the owner) in 1956 Rush says Cortese designated tracks of approximately 10 acres each dedicated to school construction throughout the development there were four other schools constructed in Rossmoor (Rush in ’62) and Francis Hopkinson opened in 1963 Rossmoor includes approximately 3,500 residences four schools and one former school that is now Rush Park Rossmoor paid approximately $5 million for what Maynard claimed Tuesday could be an asset worth as much as $45 million Even after a large fuss to approve an early 90-day trial of pickleball in Rossmoor the Rossmoor Community Services District Board of Directors has symbolically approved the second phase 45-day trial suggesting the unusually cool and wet inclement weather earlier this year dampened the true demand for the sport After a long discussion and a few choice words from pickleball opponents the board approved a new 45-day period during in which one of four tennis courts at Rossmoor Park will be converted into three pickleball courts for residential use General manager Joe Mendoza said the board did connect enough data from the first trial period to regulate the times of play the RCSD Board agreed to ask homeowners who live near the courts for access during times of play to be able to monitor the noise during peak times of play Mendoza presented a detailed report with some data the board has collected during the first trial period and acknowledged “inclement weather” is to blame for what some is an apparent lack of demand for pickleball in Rossmoor One resident told the Board during oral communications that in the last week of April there were only 10 hours of pickleball play on all three pickleball courts Mendoza suggested that another pickleball trial period was necessary to adequately reflect the demand for the sport which he says local surveys indicate does exisit in Rossmoor “We believe that if we’re going to consider pickable that we take a better look at it measured a little more deeply this next 45 days,” Mendoza told the board He also suggested playing times might need adjustment and we heard comments that courts weren’t available at the right time,” he said Adjusting the volumes to accommodate the massive tennis community could take some trial and error Mendoza suggested that during the second pickleball trial residents who have complaints about noise should contact his office so data can be taken directly from their homes during hours of play “My recommendation is that we sit in the backyard of your house and listen to you record a video next door Maybe we will make an appointment and say hey let’s let us in your living room in the woods and let’s see what type of noise we hear who serves on a special Pickleball ad-hoc committee with Director Nathan Searles said “we had a meeting and we are in agreement that we need to continue (pickleball trial) for another 45 days,” said Maynard does not agree with him on the timing of play “Where we are in disagreement is what those hours look like,” he told the board He said Searles would not favor any play after 7 p.m. he would be in favor of extending the hours.” “I am still for a pickleball pilot program,” said Maynard We have some information but let’s have a good test,” said the Pickleball ad-hoc committee member Susan Maynard was one of a handful of Rossmoor residents who spoke out against pickleball in the community suggesting the first trial period indicated people in Rossmoor who play pickleball are apparently not abandoning where they currently play “I was chatting with a tennis partner Sunday I asked him what he was thinking he said it’s clear to him and other tennis players that his view…that this board has preordained that pickleball will be on Court One permanently and that efforts to oppose this are clearly a waste of time,” said Kaplan “His comments made me reflect upon this sham process with which our CSD has rammed pickleball down our throats,” said Kaplan “There’s been no objective data presented to justify [pickleball] and the RCSD has been dismissive of all objections.” “I guess you can relish in your cynical posture and pat each other on the back for crushing into moralizing the community you serve,” said Kaplan Jeff Barke said that even though pickleball opponents are thought to be comprised of a small group I think their complaints need to be taken very seriously,” said Barke I agree with that and I do reject what was said tonight There was a comment made and I’m quoting that we are somebody who is ‘calling these folks (opponents) whiners who deserve noise.’ And that’s a quote I haven’t heard a single person say that,” said Barke Nobody deserves noise and I don’t consider who’s complaining about it as whiners I liked the discussion on the phone with Ralph [Vartabedian] I don’t really care whether we have pickleball or don’t have pickleball I don’t play that darn sport the number one cause of injuries among adults I’m sure so I don’t really care whether we do or we don’t but I want to represent what the community wants,” said Barke “The other comment was that the idea of Pickleball is preordained I have no perspective here that we should or shouldn’t I want to do this in a way that is deliberative and is reflective of the community And then the comment that we’re sitting here up on Mount Olympus so that’s a great reference to where the gods SAT We’re not even close to that and I’m not Greek and we’re all elected by the community elected and we can be unelected So we’re doing the best we can to represent what we think are the interests of Rossmoor,” said Barke Kirsten Okamoto pushes herself to be her best the occupation that Kirsten Okamoto is shooting for could be defined as a professional helper Kirsten knows where she will go to college in the fall and what she wants to be her major – Electrical Engineering But those are just steps to what she wants to do with her life the Rossmoor resident is already working like a season professional to help She helps seals and sea lions and she is impassioned to help the planet she has worked tirelessly on projects that catch her attention Her father said she has already become a global citizen she seems to be such a self-starter,” her father Kirsten was invited to serve as delegate to both United Nations 2020 64th and 2021 65th World Conference for the Status of Women (CSW) to represent Girl Scouts U.S.A After the 2020 United Nations World Conference for the Status of Women was postponed due to the pandemic Kirsten used the time to work with Girl Scouts USA to develop a curriculum for a six-week virtual series on Global Gender Equality She was the GSUSA event speaker at the 65th CSW in March where she addressed world leaders in support of the “girl child.” The girl child section of the conference was created to address atrocities such as human trafficking genital mutilation and female infanticide that occur globally Kirsten is a senior at the Sato Academy of Math and Science in Long Beach She’s been involved in Girl Scouts for 13 years and recently initiated a Take Action Project for her Gold Award She developed and taught a class to younger Junior Lifeguard participants on the rescue and conservation of seals and sea lions She became concerned when she learned of the increasing rate of the marine mammals become stranded Kirsten spent about 80 hours developing the project enlisting help from teachers at her school and Peter Wallerstein the president and founder of Marine Mammal Rescue Kristen trained about 177 Seal Beach Junior Lifeguards on marine mammal conservation and rescue The class also helped increase awareness of global climate change and pollution and their effects on marine mammal health “I saw the need to train them about seal and sea lion conservation,” Kirsten said Kristen has quickly taken up ocean and environmental conservation as one of her strongest passions Ironic for a young lady who didn’t know much about the ocean when she joined Jr I had never really swum in the ocean,” She said who helped Kirsten with the research with her Gold Award project said that Kirsten’s organization and attention to detail are two of the traits that make her so proficient in her projects She also noted that she already has database research skills that rival those of master’s degree students “This young lady has been working at a collegiate level Phelps said that Kirsten’s focus is already on that of being a contributor to her global community She said she is very driven and is already looking at issues that influence the environment Kirsten was recently accepted to the USC Viterbi School of Engineering where she plans to major in electrical e ngineering she will use that background to focus on Data Science which she said is evolving into a science that can contribute to a wide variety of fields and causes At Sato Academy she founded a group called “Women Masterminds” an all-female multi-ethnic team of aspiring engineers to compete at the 2019 UC Irvine Energy Invitational The team engineered an electric racing vehicle that competed in a race to drive the farthest distance in 60 minutes The team won first place in the vehicle race and took second place in the vehicle design presentation For Kirsten almost as rewarding was the chance to mentor younger students to push for their equal right to compete and follow their dreams in the STEM field Kristen has also been a part of the National Charity League for the past six years She volunteers at Precious Life Shelter and did a summer internship with Leadership Initiatives at Georgetown University While Kirsten is driven to work and works to help others She seeks out those who she can help and does not hesitate to seek out those who can help her in her pursuits Leading Family-Style Pizza Chain Opens 2nd Walnut Creek Restaurant Newport Beach, CA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Mountain Mike’s Pizza a leading California-based family-style pizza chain for more than 40 years is proud to announce that its new Rossmoor Walnut Creek location is officially open for business The new restaurant is owned and operated by multi-unit franchisees Gurkirat Nijjar and Jitender Singh who also own and operate three other Mountain Mike’s locations in the San Francisco Bay Area the new Mountain Mike’s Pizza is making it even easier for locals to enjoy the brand’s signature experience of “Pizza the Way it Oughta Be!®” “Mountain Mike’s Pizza was always a brand we wanted to be a part of due to the premium ingredients and the commitment to providing the best customer experience my franchise partner and I are proud to continue growing the brand throughout the San Francisco Bay Area,” said Nijjar “We are dedicated to providing the Rossmoor community with an unforgettable and we are looking forward to this restaurant being known for years to come as a place where the community can gather for all occasions.” The 2,000-square-foot Mountain Mike’s Pizza in Rossmoor features the welcoming family-friendly atmosphere the brand is known for and it’s bound to be a go-to destination for sports fans.  Featuring five big-screen televisions the Rossmoor location is the perfect venue no matter which team guests want to root for The new location also includes complimentary Wi-Fi there’s something for everyone at the Mountain Mike’s in Rossmoor making it an ideal spot for sports fans of all ages office gatherings and group fundraising events alike Mountain Mike’s makes delicious pizzas the way you remember – hand-made and with the freshest and finest ingredients 100% whole milk mozzarella cheese and a variety of fan-favorite specialty pizzas Mountain Mike’s has something to satisfy every taste guests can always count on Mountain Mike’s to deliver on quality Orders may also be placed through any of the brand’s third-party delivery partners The new Rossmoor Mountain Mike’s is located at 1970-D Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA 94595, and can be reached by telephone at (925) 210-1033. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. For additional information about Mountain Mike’s Pizza, visit www.mountainmikespizza.com Media Contact:Kristyna OttoPowerhouse Communicationskristyna@powerhousecomm.com