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At our meeting on February 11, we celebrated the achievements and contributions of the black community in Orange County. The presentation provided a valuable opportunity to recognize the historic contributions made by our invited guests.
This year’s Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” allowed us to honor several prominent community members. We recognized Kenny Williams, President of the Orange County Labor Federation, Johnny Dunning, Jr., Senior Pastor of Starlight Baptist Church in Santa Ana, and Dwayne Shipp who represented his mother, Helen Shipp, who was a long-time community leader and who founded Orange County’s first Black History Parade in 1980.
 I was especially honored to recognize Dorothy Mulkey, a 60-year resident of Santa Ana, who fought tirelessly for fair housing rights and equal standing in our community. Her legal battle for fair housing had a profound impact on Orange County and the nation, influencing fair housing practices and contributing significantly to the fight against racial discrimination.
It was a privilege to welcome the community to the opening of the Omnivision: Art Across Boundaries exhibit, showcasing the work of local artists inspired by life in Southern California. The exhibit is now on display at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana (211 W. Santa Ana Blvd.).
This collaborative effort between OC Parks and the Southern California Plein Air Painters Association features a collection of over 180 original paintings from more than 60 local artists. Additionally, the exhibit includes art pieces from students at the Orange County School of the Arts. The artwork in the gallery is available for purchase, with sales directly benefiting the artists.
 Special thanks to our special guests: TUSD Trustee Lynn Davis, SAUSD Brenda Lebsack, TUSD Trustee Jonathan Abelove, SOCALPAPA President Steven Sandborg and Vice President Dawn Buckingham, TUSD Trustee Jonathan Stone, AUHSD Ron Hoshi, SAUSD Trustee Valerie Magdaleno, and RSCCD Trustee Daisy Tong.
The Old Orange County Courthouse gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the exhibit runs through March 13.
For more information, please visit OC Parks.
For the second year in a row, our office funded a drive-through pet pantry event at the OC Animal Care shelter.Together, we provided over 25,000 pounds of food and assisted more than 1,450 pets and their owners.
Held on February 8, the event provided pet owners in need with free pet food and supplies for cats, dogs, and small animals like rabbits. I truly enjoyed the brisk morning working alongside the dedicated OC Animal Care staff and volunteers.
 Our Family Furst event is part of a series of drive-through pet pantry events held monthly by OC Animal Care with the goal of helping pet owners in need keep their animals healthy and assist with pets remaining in their homes and out of shelters.
On Valentine's Day, I had the pleasure of officiating three weddings at the Old County Courthouse. I was honored to play a small role in their lives and so happy to help these couples celebrate their vows surrounded by friends and loved ones.
In all, over 300 couples planned their ceremonies, and walk-ins were welcomed as well. Thank you to OC Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen and his incredible team for making Valentine’s Day so special for so many couples and their families.
We continue to address public safety concerns related to people congregating along the riverbed and in flood control channels. We face the dual challenge of expanding access to bike paths while controlling these areas to prevent criminal activity and ensuring we provide services to those in need.
I wanted to share some of the latest before and after images of that ongoing work.
Before After
 Before After
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